sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

Finishing Up

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Have finished two projects today. Finished a final tightening of a midgrade novel which I had tightened many times before. This time, though, I’ve been reading the whole thing aloud, and did pick up quite a few errors and/or clunky patches. It’s a good way to see if your work really flows.

I also finished my proofing of my new nonfiction Frogs book, which is looking really good and is due out from Ready-Ed Publications in May. Today’s task was to write a blurb, which I’ve just emailed off to the publisher.

It always feels good to get things finished. Next it’s back to work on my verse novel, which I’ve tried to set aside these past couple of weeks, even though the main character has continued to talk to me, and I’ve found myself jotting down bits and pieces at irregular intervals to satisfy her. I’m also trying to put the finishing touches on a new picture book manuscript which is working out well.

Then there’s a new book of printables to get started on for Ready-Ed, and a dozen other ideas clamouring for attention in my over-crowded head. It’s great to be busy. Speaking of Ready-Ed, my newest book with them, Assembly, continues to sell well. It’s always nice to know that people are buying (and, especially, reading) my books.

Life’s good.

Get the Conference Buzz

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In my last post I suggested that if you’re a writer you should seize any opportunity to attend a writer’s conference. For me, the opportunities are few and far between. I live in rural Western Australia where writers’ conferences are unheard of. Even in Perth, conferences for children’s authors are almost unheard of, and for other writing genres also quite rare. This is why the wonderful SCBWI conference was such a treat. How wonderful to have such a gathering only two and a half hours from home!

Still, the opportunities are not always so close to home and I have previously travelled to Sydney, Hobart and Adelaide for conferences, usually at my own expense. I do this not because I’m wealthy (the phrase ‘rich author’ is almost oxymoronic) but because I consider myself a professional and see professional development as an important part of my writing career. I have scrimped and saved to get to some of these events but have never regretted the expense when I’ve got to the conference – or afterwards.

The point of this ramble is this: if you are truly serious about being a professional writer, seek out professional development opportunities and seize them. You don’t need to spend a zillion dollars attending every single event. Choose those which you feel are most relevant to tour writing interests and the stage of your career. Talk to other writers who’ve been in previous years and find out what they’ve got from their attendance. Look at the list of speakers or workshop offerings, and the networking opportunities. And, yes, consider your budget. If you can’t afford to travel across the country or across the world, look at what is on offer closer to home. There might not be a big children’s writers’ conference, but there might be a writers week component in your city’s festival, or a literary festival which has writer’s sessions.

I’m still buzzing from my weekend at the WA SCWBI conference. It’s a feeling every serious writer deserves.

What Makes a Poem a Poem

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Having just finished the first draft of my first ever verse novel, I’ve been doing some thinking about poetry and about what makes a poem a poem. This lead me to Google for some opinions on the subject and, ultimately, to YouTube (because where else would one go to seek literary wisdom?). I like this guy’s answer to my question.

Finding Time

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The Murphlets have gone back to school today after the long Summer holidays. I love having my kids home for the holidays, but must confess to being happy to see them back at school, so I can get more writing done. And I think they were happy to be back at school, too, or at least acceptant of the fact that they were going there.

So now the house will be quiet from 9 till 3, and I should have oodles of time for writing in peace. The funny thing is, most of my published books were written while I still had one or more children at home, or during school holidays. I think this is because I learned to make the most of the opportunities that I did get to write. I wrote the two stories which make up Doggy Duo sitting at the kitchen table, writing in longhand while I drank my afternoon coffee and the kids buzzed around. Pemberthy and Floatingest were both written while I had two Murphlets still at home. Again, I snatched moments while they were playing, or waited until they were asleep.

So, if you have kids at home, or work fulltime, or have another barrier in the way of finding quality writing time, don’t despair. You can make the time, you can find the time, you can even steal the time (who needs an ironed pillowcase anyway?). If you are determined to write, you’ll do so.

Good luck with it.

Baby Monster

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I’m having a thoroughly chaotic couple of weeks, mostly not writing related. School finishes in two weeks, and I’m in the midst of writing reports, rehearsing for three presentation night items, ferrying the Murphlets to various events, attending end of year functions and so on. I counted eight functions I need to attend in the next two weeks – more than I’ve been to in the whole year to date.

But, amidst all this hustle, some writing news: my first ever children’s ebook was released yesterday.

Baby Monster is a humorous counting book, which sees the hungry Baby Monster offered all kinds of delicious treats for his dinner, until Mummy Monster gets it right. The illustrations, by Rodger Francis, are gorgeous.

Baby Monster is available in PDF and a special Flip book format and is priced at just $3. Many children have never seen or read an ebook, but the tiny price and the novelty of the format are bonuses, in my view.

So, with a new book baby downloaded on to my computer, I am a happy author today, in spite of my busy-ness.

You can see a preview of Baby Monster (and even buy a copy if you wish) at Reader’s Eden, the online bookstore of publisher Writer’s Exchange, an Australian based epublisher.

Have a nice Friday!

Jacqui’s Here!

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I have a visitor. Jacqui Grantford, illustrator extraordinaire, has dropped by myblog today as part of her Book Blog Tour to celebrate the launch of her new picture book, Squeezy Cuddle Dangly Legs.


1. Jacqui, thanks for dropping by. A Book Blog Tour might be a new concept to some of my readers. Would you like to explain it a little? Are you enjoying the experience so far?

This is my very first blog tour and I’m enjoying it greatly. Over seven days I’m going to be interviewed by different bloggers with a view to the interests of that particular blog. This is my second interview and yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting Bren Macdibble’s blog. (I reckon Bren has the best name for a children’s author.)

2. Squeezy Cuddle Dangly Legs is such a beautiful book – with lovely, gentle text, and beautiful pictures . It contrasts with some of your other books – most recently, with A True Person dealing with such serious subject matter, and, earlier, Shoes News being quite tongue in cheek. As an illustrator, how do you find the challenge of adapting your style to such differing subject matter?

It is a challenge, but a very enjoyable one. Illustrating other people’s texts often pushes you out of the safety zone in this way. A number of the books I’ve illustrated I would never had thought or had the knowledge to write, so it’s great to have the opportunity to explore these texts. And of course think of the best way to adapt my illustrations to suit.

3. You’ve told me before about using models for your illustrations. Did any of your children model for Squeezy Cuddle Dangly Legs, and how many characters/faeries/toys made cameo appearances from your previous books?

I had a very special character appear in Squeezy Cuddle. Pemberthy Bear makes an appearance in a great big double page spread. (For those who don’t know, Sally is the author of Pemberthy Bear.) I was extremely fortunate to illustrate it. One of the pages required a book, so what better book to do?! It was so much fun.

The mother in the book is Sophia, the publisher at New Frontier, and the daughter is her real daughter, Grace. She was so gorgeous. This tiny little thing with a delightful smile. Bet I know what all their relatives will be getting this Christmas!

4. As a teacher (when she’s not illustrating and writing, Jacqui is a school teacher) do you find inspiration for your books from the students you teach? Have you read Squeezy Cuddle Dangly Legs to any of your classes? How did your students react?

Teaching is a great way to gauge what a book’s reaction will be. I read Squeezy Cuddle to them and they loved it. And they were so excited to see Pemberthy in it. That’s one of their favourite books. One thing I know about kids is that what adults think kids will like is not always the case, so reading them a new book can sometimes be fraught will peril. But they loved it, and even wanted to hear it again.

5. You’re a teacher, a mother of two, you write some of your own books and you illustrate. How do you fit it all in? Any tips for other time-strapped creators?

I’m not sure that I do fit it all in. Lately I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not worth panicking about and you’ll get done what you get done. And somehow I seem to get more done that way.

Thanks so much for dropping in, Jacqui Enjoy the rest of your tour.

It was an absolute pleasure, Sally. I’m hoping to return the favour some day. I’ll have to get a blog up and running first, but will be a fun challenge.

You can follow Jacqui on her virtual book tour by visiting these venues:
Day 1 – Saturday 10 November — Bren MacDibble’s Beast of Moogill
Day 2 – Sunday 11 November – Sally Murphy’s Scribblings
Day 3 – Monday 12 November – Robyn Opie’s Writing Children’s Books
Day 4 – Tuesday 13 November – Pemberthy Bear’s Pemberthy’s Ponderings
Day 5 – Wednesday 14 November – Claire Saxby’s Let’s Have Words
Day 6 – Thursday 15 November – Tina Marie Clark’s What is Happening in my Office?
Day 7 – Fri 16 November – Sally Odger’s Spinning Pearls
You can purchase the book online, direct from the publisher.

And, you can visit Jacqui online at:
http://www.jacquigrantford.com/

sallymurphy.com.au