Dim's Write Stuff

In my customary always-running-behind style, I seem to have missed out on the fanfare of the New Year; the well wishing, the extravagant wave of resolutions, the insightful posts promising possibilities and commitment. Perhaps I still have time to proclaim, Gong Xi Fa Choy to one and all.  The Year of the Dragon promises extremes, good and bad; that if you double your efforts, double rewards will follow. Don't be complacent and watch your temper! I wonder how all this bears upon my humble 2012 Resolutions: Write More, Eat Less (no really)? I thought of another this morning: Be more Forgiving . By this I hope to be less of the Shouty Woman, less impatient with myself and others and less intolerant of all those other shouty, impatient, intolerant so and sos who continually get in my way. Multiple rejections, family constraints and the usual insufficient amount of minutes on my clock will continue to test my metal but it's helmets on and off we go. Found ...

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...

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...