Dim's Write Stuff

Influence and impact. Two words lightly applied to a number of situations and experiences yet can carry a great deal of weight. Where does one gain inspo? Why are the touted influences of a few often revered by the many? How does this impact on societal well-being or more importantly on the individual? When podcaster and noted educator, Karen Caswell invited me to join her for a session of shared inspiration, I was super excited. And anxious. What possible gems of wisdom could I possess that others might find useful? Fortunately for us both, my innate ability to wax lyrical about myself, my wants, likes and pet peeves reminded me that most of us revel in self-talk, have a tendency to overshare and thus will inadvertently pass on some nugget of truth or bearing that will eventually tumble into smoothed meaning for others. Well, I hope so.  You be the judge. Tap on the links below or explore your fave podcast platform to listen to my takes on what I do, why and whom for, seasoned wit...

In a wild fit of self-indulgent promotional puffiness, I'm sharing this recent 'Meet The Author' feature courtesy of Jackie Hosking, founder of the ace Kids' Lit e-zine, PIO . If you don't already subscribe to this online publication, consider it. It's a regular veritable smorgasbord of publishing insights and opps, competitions and conferences, industry event notification and workshops and courses info to keep you on the right career trajectory. Not to mention opportunities to meet fellow creatives, like ME! So what are you waiting for. Grab a cuppa and have a chat with me ... and Pippa, of course! Hi Dimity! Thanks for sharing your creative journey with us today. Are you an author, an illustrator or both? Both - I wish! As an author, I only paint with words but I adore the alchemy of combining words with pictures. Please tell us about the book that you would like to talk about today? Pippa and the Troublesome Twins is the next thrilling episode in young Pi...

I love words and am a colossal nerd. What a match! Join me over on @daniveebooks_wordsandnerds for a spirited chat about the love behind the books behind the stories behind the nerd  🤓 😉. We chat about inspiration, creative thought, why I write, what I write and how it makes me feel - young at heart! After your first cuppa enjoyed listening to me, check out some of the other fab interviewees as Dani showcases what lurks in a writer's mind . It's not as scary as it sounds but pure fun - and usefulness too! Click on the image above to access or visit Dani's W & N podcast page and search of Ep. 564 with Dimity Powell . Enjoy!

I've been a tad quiet on the reviewing front of late - choking on that old chestnut of life. So the irony of participating in a panel of motivated and moving Kids' Lit advocators and creators is not lost on this little black duck. Despite possibly having  the lowest of social media engagement of this astounding panel line up, Ken, chief taco maker from the equally astounding podcast, Reading With a Chance of Tacos , still found reason to invite me along. And I'm glad I did! Chatting alongside the incorrigible Rory H. Mather , the savvy Vikki Conley and the social media phenomenon that is kids' book author, Scott Stuart was not only illuminating and insightful but a bagful of fun besides. Tackling social media, creating (and maintaining) a meaningful presence while actually getting on with the business of writing are just some of the tasty morsels we ruminate over in this episode: How To Build a Community through Social Media . For me, it's all about a bunch of Es:...

Dim and Ozzie. The subject of mental health can be blurred at times. The genesis behind a story is oftentimes as fascinating and alluring as the story itself. Understanding why an author chose to follow a character's calling, explore their anxieties, desires, hopes and dreams appeals to ones voyeuristic tendencies and makes the whole experience more sincere and substantial. This interview, conducted on behalf of Wombat Books explores my motivations for wanting to share Oswald's story.  Oswald Messweather is a picture book that I hope creates bridges between understanding and frustrations. The behavioural disorder of OCD is a debilitating condition for adults let alone children  to live with. The associated social fall-out that occurs from living with intense anxieties and perceived shortcomings is something very few of us successfully avoid. Perhaps sharing stories like this one will help lessen the gaps between stigma and support and provide children and their carers with ...

A book launch! I hear you exclaim. Where? When? What? Um, well, I regret to inform that you have missed that particular book party boat - the official book launching IRL event hoo-ha for Oswald Messweather took place in April. But wait! The good ship YouTube is still floating mine and Ozzie's boat and YOU can enjoy just about every riveting moment of the day right there, right now! Hurrah!  Brian Falkner with Dim and Ozzie Dimity Powell​ … seems to have the ability to touch on subjects that in other hands would seem worthy or didactic, and to make them heartbreakingly real and emotional, in a way that is accessible to both children and adults. It is beautifully illustrated by Siobhan McVey​. Brian Falkner,  children’s author, interview With very little professional help (the hubster filmed it all on his phone, phew!), a lot of excellent support by Yvonne Mes and the crew at The Mad Hatters Bookshop in Manly (thanks Laura and Isabel!) a brilliant creative cast of on-set extr...

Me, trying to adapt to the swings and roundabouts of life There's a lot of useful information and enlightening blogs percolating about the writers-verse about the importance of self-help, patience, and mental plasticity in this whirlpool of changing times. When physical security - our health - is compromised, then it follows our mental well being may be affected. Stress (including eustress, aka good stress) keeps us on our toes, one leap ahead in the scramble to live another day. But it needs some adjusting to, just like change. To say that this pandemic affliction has been good for me (as an author) is a slight distortion of reality and not meant to sound flippant or disrespectful . How can such universal pain be a good thing? But to say that I have learnt much and benefited by the confinements and challenges thrown up in all our faces, is no exaggeration.  In this article published in Weekend Notes on line zine by Belladonna, I and several other well-know children's authors ...

Need advice to help achieve your writing goals...your dream of publication? Exisle Academy want to bring your book to the world! Nestled snugly under the umbrella of Exisle Publishing , Exisle Academy is the new service offering burgeoning writers with aspirations of seeing their words in print tangible ways to fulfill their publication goals. The Academy's goal is 'to train the next generation of authors, enabling them to navigate the confusing and challenging world of writing and publishing, and share their message with the world .' To help achieve this, their Author Insights offer advice for aspiring writers from published authors ... like me! The  Author Insights series looks at successful published authors from the Exisle and EK Books family , and asks them to share their advice and experience with the next generation of writers. Visit their site and soak up my Author Interview for tonnes of helpful insights and real life anecdotes.

Ever since humans began devising ways to kill cockroaches, odds have not always favoured Earth’s wildlife. Not that many of us regularly regard the indestructible attributes of cockroaches as worth conserving, but our unremitting need to dominate does make it hard for other species to coexist with us on this planet. Couple human habitation with a zillion other influences such as adverse weather conditions, and you have a world of animals struggling to survive. The humble fruit bat or flying fox is one such mammal I’ve noticed on the brink lately. In as many months, for the first time in nearly 17 years, I’ve noticed dead or dying fruit bats on my regular morning walks. Small, perfectly healthy looking creatures lying still and shrunken, dehydrated and emaciated. They seem to be literally falling out of sky, starving because our native flora on which they depend for food is also in crisis mode, tricked into random flowering times or else unable to flower and fruit at all because...

Talking about At The End of Holyrood Lane with Uni the Unicorn. Photo courtesy of Peter Allert When ABC Radio Gold Coast's , Josie Sargent invited me to join her on her Once Upon A Time segment to chat about writing books and their impact on social issues within our communities, how could I say no. Armed with my trusty copy of At The End of Holyrood Lane , I headed to one of my favourite beachside suburbs on the Gold Coast, Mermaid Beach and enjoyed a relaxed morning of book sharing and story telling. Not every story I write has an issue I want to hammer home. Quite the contrary. I believe children's stories must cause their readers to 'move and shake' first and foremost. Move either physically with laughter, joy or some other emotion relevant to the story. Shake with amazement, awe, acknowledgement, and fun! If these reactions are the result of recognising a fundamental underlying message or theme secreted within the story, all the better. Ultimately, we...

The single most important thing in cultivating a love of reading in children is to engage them in the story. How this is done, through which ever medium, is almost inconsequential for the key to full engagement, I believe, will always lie within the story itself. Kindergo Avartar excited about being in my Pet Island blog post If the heart of the story is strong and purposeful, if it reads true and speaks directly to the age group it is written for, then it will be a winner no matter how it is relayed. Forever mindful of this, I have been adapting a few picture book stories, written over the last decade or so, as creative content for the Kindergo app found at Kindergo Kids . Kindergo Avatar brought to life with AR Kindergo Kids is a safe, curated digital storytelling platform that delivers enhanced reading experiences for 2 - 5 year-olds. They provide quality, immersive, entertaining stories grouped on a variety of themed islands. These archipelagos of creative content o...

I was chuffed as monkeys with brass bells on to have been invited along to the studios of ABC Radio Gold Coast to chat with Matt Webber. Matt Webber courtesy ABC Radio I was also six weeks into a bout of this season's awful flu onslaught and feeling less like a chipper little monkey ready to chatter as I did something someone might find in their kitty litter tray. But chat I had to so off I hauled myself to ABC's delightfully located Gold Coast studios. ABC Radio GC Headquarters, not quite beach front but a short amble from here My stories were not complete strangers to Matt's weekly Drive Time shows ; my digital narrative for Story City, The Chapel of Unlove being featured there back in 2016. This time I was able to discuss the inspirations and motivations behind my picture book, The Fix-It Man and its implications with death and dying, this being a segment series topic featuring regularly on Matt's Drive Time. I could not have asked for a better host...

Today's feature in the Gold Coast Bullentin's Weekend Coast magazine lift out, sums up much of what I feel about what and why I create as a children's author. Read John Affleck's impressions on my 'compelling children's book in which healing a broken family takes more than a quick fix'. Befittingly, illustrator Nicky Johnston's melting illustrations 'say plenty' as well.   Read John's additional article in the Bully about, The Fix-It Man and my next picture book due out with EK Books in 2018, here .

When the gorgeous ladies of Kids Book Review slung 12 curly questions my way recently, like a rapacious puppy, I couldn't help but chase after them, eager to give them a good gnawing over. The experience made me question something else also: the slippery egocentric thrill (most) of us gain from being asked something about ourselves. Given the time to actually think about your response is a blessing some interviewees don't always have, but when you do, I find it an interesting exploration of ones own psyche or concept of it. In other words, being forced to answer to yourself about yourself can be an honest way of hosing back the layers of obscuring detail we tend to let build up over time. Interviews  often evoke a sense of rediscovery and definition. After all, it's almost as fascinating and self satisfying to waffle on about yourself as it is to delve into the inner sanctums of those you are morbidly curious about. But mainly I find author interviews, whether my ow...

Understanding where you are from and appreciating it are two of the most important endeavours you can experience in life. Today, I am compelled to give my little Aussie flag a bit of a wobble because those patriotic juices, that deliciously dress ‘the salad bowl of culture and race that typifies our beautiful country’ are bubbling madly after reading Tania McCartney’s sparkling new picture book, An Aussie Year: Twelve Months in the Life of Australian Kids. More than a nondescript chronological listing of dates and events, An Aussie Year is countless moments of pure joy. It is fantastic factual fun. It is a riotous romp through the enthralling landscapes and cultures and flora and fauna of our land. And for me, it was a walk back down that footpath of life to a time when many of these sensations, sights and events were first captured in the wet concrete of my childhood memories.  McCartney has left very few stones unturned in this marvellous collection of celebrat...