Dim's Write Stuff

A week or so ago I rambled on about the whys and wherefores of seeking out grants and how to go about securing one for yourself. You can read all about how and when the penny dropped for me here . Now that I have successfully acquitted my first grant, I have time to reflect on exactly what it meant, what I gained from it and whether I'd do it all over again. So here we go, my top reasons for granting yourself permission to shine: What did it mean being awarded a grant? Freedom .To expand on my writing goals and bring more of them closer to fruition. Resources . To perfect my picture book projects. I undertook a structured mentorship with Dee White to facilitate this. Choice . To use funds to make decisions that positively influenced, affected and improved my craft. It meant I could afford a mentor . It meant I could afford to attend conferences and workshops that not only enriched my writerly soul but skill box as well. It meant I had available finance to validate the ...

Around winter a year ago, I was blessed to be awarded a  CAL Creative Industries Career Fund grant. There was much rejoicing and disbelief then more rejoicing. This was duly followed by quiet hand clapping, frantic paper shuffling, pencil sharpening and then excited conference booking. Several spread sheets, dozens of workshop notes, zillions of manuscript drafts and one grant acquittal later, I am happy to report that I am creeping ever closer to the conviction that granted, writing a picture book is not as straightforward as a walk in the park even when that walk includes the most beguiling, fluffy-eared, impeccably behaved pup displaying all the necessary attributes to make passersby stop and swoon with delight, but it is one hundred per cent worth it. In fact this is a notion I've been clinging onto for some years now, rather like a the proverbial dog with a bone. But as any progressing author (I tend to shun the term 'emerging'. I mean I've been born, already....

I love humour. I love laughing at myself almost as much as I love laughing at others (if only because it seems less rude to do so) I also love writing with humour. But what are the critical elements which cause us to chuckle, which render us unable to suppress a snort or too, which leave us aching in the belly with laughter? What constitutes humour? And how do we find it for the stories we write? At the recent  CYA Conference in Brisbane, talented YA author and all round funny guy, Michael Gerard Bauer  led us through an amusing little seminar exploring the ways in which to make people laugh. There are basically two ways: - Visual Humour - as with using your face to get a baby to smile - With your Words - as writers, we do not have the visual back up that a stand up comic might use, therefore we need to use our words to deliver the punch(line). So... * What is the common ingredient in humour? - The Unexpected = Surprises. That is the punchline...

First cab off my rank at this year's CYA Conference in Brisbane, was an Introduction to Book Trailers by exciting Children's Author and Presenter Tristan Bancks .  I'd been hearing plenty of who ha recently about the necessity of creating Book Trailers, and having viewed a few, was naturally curious as to what all the furore was about. Tristan presented a very straightforward over view of the importance, creation and role of Book Trailers for we literary folk. Here are some of the main points to consider if you are contemplating this form of promotion. A Book Trailer should be all about bringing a story alive Visually . It is essentially  an Animated Blurb of your book ; the vehicle with which a story is brought alive visually. They can be about YOU or YOUR BOOK. You may not have a published work to share yet but could just share yourself. Tristan's Intro trailer featuring Max Slater HuntsThe Cool Book Trailers should include : - An Introduction: in ...

As they roll up the banners for another year, after a month during which nearly every Children's Literary Festival and Writing Festival took place, as the buzz within and around me slowly dissipates into the stratosphere, I reflect on what was another sublime cluster of highs in My Writer's Story . I prefer story to journey because I have always felt life, while an incredible trip at times, is broken into equally as incredible chapters. The latest chapter featured my attendance at this year's CYA Conference for Children and Young Adult Writers and Illustrators . The one day, all you can fit in conference for Alligators (grown up writers) was a phenomenal program of success stories, informative sessions, hands on workshops and master classes. Perhaps the highlight of the day for many an aspiring writer or illustrator was the opportunity to pitch their manuscripts and artwork face to face with industry representatives from such  renowned publishing houses as Walker...