Dim's Write Stuff

For practically every single one of us, this Easter will be some sort of departure from the norm. We are normally on the road somewhere, camping in the Kombi with the pooches - together. Or else we'd be spending long lazy days on the bank of a river fishing with mates - together. Often this special weekend is spent hosting a colossal barbie with family - together. It's a time for rebirth and celebration. This year, of course, will be slightly different. Crazy as it sounds, my little family pod are not entirely sure what to do with themselves or each other away from the usual external stimuli. I suspect many others are experiencing this odd 'What now?' sensation on some level, too. One thing is for certain, it's a fantastic time to reconnect, reinvigorate old family fun rituals, invent new ones and...drag out the camping games for lounge room use. Before you get suckered into a five hour Monopoly marathon though, why not continue to explore the plethora of ...

Are you a not-for-profit, academic with social research, or other type of social enterprise trying to do good in the world? On behalf of Story City , I'm super excited to announce the launch of the Story City Social Impact Projects . Their award-winning platform and team are volunteering their time and resources to bring your stories and the stories of those you help to life via interactive experiences, providing you with the ability to literally put the public in the shoes of your cause. Whether you help homeless veterans, residents of a region in historic conflict, a countryside newly ravished by fire, or refugees without access to education, if you’re looking to help marginalised people and those in need to have their voice heard, Story City can help. Find out more about the unique Story City Social Impacts Projects  offer and its  community mentors available by visiting their website . Applications are now open to projects across the world and close Ma...

Does anyone remember the old Jinty,  Penny, and Misty Annual s? They ran from the mid 70s until around 1986. These collections of comic print strips, stories, recipes and profile features used to entertain and mystify me as a young teen for months and months. I still have my original copies, yellowed and redolent of a childhood faded by not forgotten. Last year I was super lucky to be recommended to contribute to the Kookie magazine . My short story, Perfect Prue a perfect fit for their mandate of supplying young pre-teen girls with  a rounded and optimistic sense of who they are and what they could become. It featured in Issue 6 in March 2019. Illustration from Perfect Prue by Emma Reynolds Since receiving my own precious copies and experiencing first hand the countless stimulating, educational and entertaining articles and activities stashed within its 100% ad-free pages, I have been a massive fan; my thirst for eclectic bright, sassy yet meaningful ...

Of all the years I reviewed Kids' Lit for Boomerang Books, occasionally a gem was unearthed. A gem that shone so fiercely I barely knew how to describe its beauty. Here is one of those enigmatic gems whose sparkle continues to dazzle. From beneath a mountain of brightly coloured picture books all screaming for review, I spied the oddly unassuming cover of The Duck and the Darklings . Odd because apart from Peterboy’s candle-hat, there was little that was not sombre looking about this picture book. Even the title sounded desolate, quirky. Surely though something fantastical had to be dwelling between those black covers because this was the new creation of two of Australia’s most revered story tellers, Glenda Millard and Stephen Michael King. The Duck and the Darklings is less of a blasé five minute read and more of a whimsical journey of despair, discovery, renewal and hope. It opens bleakly in the land of Dark and is about a small child named, Peterboy and his Grandpa, who sha...

Last time I checked, the world is still spinning. It's just some days, it feels like everything is a little off centre, topsy-turvy even. Life can be like that; like an out-of-control fun park ride that threatens to make you a bit sick. But it can also be the opportunity to make the most out of a new experience. It just depends on how you look at it, doesn't it? In recent times, we've all been forced to look at things a bit differently, including we authors. For the time being, we are not able to reach out and share with you all in person via school visits and festivals but of course that doesn't mean we want to stop sharing! So, like many of my clever colleagues, I have made a few life changes and adaptations in an effort to remain accessible and available for you. I've revamped my YouTube channel which was already chock-a-block full of book launches, book trailers , behind-the-scene sneek peeks , author-life shares and more. Here, take a look... ...

When I was a few decades younger, I dreamed of being a librarian, such was my love of books. To be the custodian of so many fictional worlds was an honor I wanted to live. To be on the safe side, I also practiced teaching as a youngster. I mean what better way to share my love for stories than with roomfuls of attentive stuffed toy animals, aka my students. Needless to say, neither of these occupations really took off.  Seems being the creator rather than the curator was my destiny. Ironically, one of the best things about being a children's author is being allowed to produce detailed teachers' notes and additional activities supporting your book that enhance and enrich the reading experience. All of my picture books include detailed Teachers' Notes annexed to Australian Curriculum links as well as accompanying worksheets and activities that focus on a range of fun things to make and do and even eat! They are all on my website . They are generally included on the...

What is the one thing we never seem to have enough, want more of but use the worst? Time. Of course. The supreme paradox. Sarah Jacoby presents the infinite conflicts of time, its beauty, its mystic, its individual universal completeness with poetic tenderness and simplicity. Forever or a Day opens not bleakly but cloaked in somber hues representing night, perhaps the beginning of time. Pinpricks of starlight dissolve into a flood of new day colour, awakening one small boy and the reader's immediate curiosity. 'If you look closely you can see it. ...almost touch it.' See what? What is there to hold? As dawn brightens into morning, the boy breakfasts, attempts to dress himself. He is joyously absorbed in his family's morning routines, blissfully unaware of what is passing him by. But today is a special day, marked by a special occasion for the boy and his family; a train ride through the countryside, to visit his grandparents who live by the sea. Leaving his cit...