sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

Stage Fright?

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Like most writers, I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with my postie (actually, that’s not quite true – I really like the postie himself, he’s a nice guy and a friend of mine – really it’s the post I have issues with. Some days the mail in my letter box is just plain depressing, with rejections making me ponder whether this writing life is for me. Other days, there’s nothing writing-related, just more bills, and I’m again left wondering, this time whether anyone is reading those submissions. But every now and then comes a good mail day – with a contract, or a positive rejection (yes, they do exist), or something even better.

Yesterday was one of those ‘even better’ days because my postie brought me a parcel from Walker Books, containing my first copy of  Toppling, my new verse novel. I knew without opening the parcel what it was, because my editor had told me to expect it – but it was still a thrill to unwrap the book, and dance madly around the house with it. The thrill of finally holding a book-baby in your arms does not diminish, even when it is book number 30.

I flicked through and admired the illustrations, couldn’t wait to show my beloved when he came home from lunch, or my kids when they came home after school, and even took it to the pool to show my friends while we watched our kids swimming. But I must confess it took me a full day before I could bring myself to read it. I had just a touch of stage fright. A strange worry about rereading it in this new form (no longer a draft, a manuscript or even a proof) kept me from sitting down and reading the whole thing. But this morning, at coffee time, I sat in my recliner, opened it and read.

The first thing that struck me was what a wonderful job the illustrator, Rhian Nest James, and the designer, Wayne Harris, did of the cover. Then, as I turned the first few pages I had a tiny millisecond of weirdness as I saw the names on the dedication page – before I knew what I was thinking I had a fleeting thought of ‘I know two people with those names’ before I more consciously realised that, duh, of course I do, because they’re the people I dedicated the book to. After that, I read. Cover to cover, stoppling only to study the illustrations (and sip my coffee).

And my verdict? I’m satisfied. I adore the illustrations, the sad bits still bring tears to my eyes, and I can see only tiny things in the writing I would change (and that’s my prerogative, as writer, to wonder if I should have/could have made it better). Stage fright gone, I’m now looking forward to release date, just a month away.

Must get busy with planning launch celebrations!

My Letter to Santa

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Dear Santa

It’s Christmas Eve and this children’s author is reflecting on the year that was, and, of course, thinking about what she’d like to find in her writerly stocking tomorrow morning.

I have had the best year of my writing life and for that I am really grateful. The release of Pearl Verses the World in May was the beginning of a wonderful merry go round of nice reviews, excellent feedback and even some awards. Being named Best Children’s Book in the Indie Book Awards, and shortlisted for the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards were real highlights, and having those certificates framed above my desk has been the source of many smiles.

And, in October, my first ever Christmas book was released. Sharing Snowy’s Christmas with the world has made this Christmas extra special and seeing it prominently displayed in lots of shops has gladdened my heart. But the best part of all has been the experience of sharing a book with my much loved brother in law, David, who did such an excellent job of bringing Snowy to life.

As well there has been the acceptance of Toppling, which is ready to go to print, and two new picture books which are moving closer to release, along with some nice bookings to talk about my book-babies in 2010 at events including the CBCA NSW State conference and the All Saints Festival.

So thanks Santa, for a great year. But, of course, there are always a few wants on every writer’s list, so, if you feel so inclined, here’s what I’d like to find in my stocking in the morning.
1. A dictionary with the word ‘rejection’ permanently deleted. Could you please arrange one of these for every publisher on my submissions list, too? You would make not just this author, but lots of others, very happy. Very very happy. Deliriously happy.

2. A spell (do you do those? Or know someone who does?) that makes booksellers know the names of my books, and the best place to display them, so that I may never again have, as happened to me just two days ago, a bookseller look at me frostily and say “We only stock books we’ve heard of”.

3. A spellchecker that sounds a loud alarm every time I make a typo in an email, blog post, Tweet or Facebook update – before I press send (or post). It irks me that, as a stickler for good spelling, I continue to make terrible typos in public postings, and would love your help to eliminate that little problem in 2010.

4. Replies to the many submissions I have out there on editors’ desks. And remember, the word rejection has been deleted, so it would be lovely if those replies could be acceptances. Pretty please.

5. Okay, this last one is not writing related, but even writers have to think of other things from time to time. What I’d really really like for Christmas is to know that my children, my family and all of my wonderfully supportive writer friends are all safe and happy tomorrow and every day.

Thanks Santa. I hope that you and Mrs Claus have a wonderful Christmas, and that Snowy, the other white roos and the reindeer, get to cool off and relax tomorrow. Merry Christmas.
Love, Sally

Blog Tour Week Nine

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Time for another stop on the Snowy’s Christmas blog tour. This week I am visiting with the lovely Sandy Fussell, at Stories are Light, talking about Christmas stories, and what makes them special. We’d love to see you there.

If you’ve missed any of the other tour stops, you can find them at:
Week One: 4 October Deescribe Writing Blog
Week Two: 11 October Write and Read With Dale
Week three: 18 October Alphabet Soup Blog
Week Four: 25 October Let’s Have Words
Week Five: 1 November Sally Murphy’s Writing for Children Blog (you’re here)
Week Six: 8 November Aussiereviews Blog
Week Seven: 15 November Samantha Hughes’ Blog
Week Eight: 22 November Robyn Opie’s Writing Children’s Books Blog
Week Nine: 29 November Stories are Light
Week Ten: 6 December The Aussie Christmas Blog
Week Eleven: 13 December Tales I Tell

Blog Tour Week Seven

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It’s Sunday, which means another stop on the Snowy’s Christmas blog tour. Today I’m breakfasting with my friend, talented WA illustrator Samantha Hughes. Drop by for some bacon and eggs at this link.

If you’ve missed the start of the tour, you can follow it at:
Week One: 4 October Deescribe Writing Blog
Week Two: 11 October Write and Read With Dale
Week three: 18 October Alphabet Soup Blog
Week Four: 25 October Let’s Have Words
Week Five: 1 November Sally Murphy’s Writing for Children Blog (you’re here)
Week Six: 8 November Aussiereviews Blog
Week Seven: 15 November Samantha Hughes’ Blog
Week Eight: 22 November Robyn Opie’s Writing Children’s Books Blog
Week Nine: 29 November Stories are Light
Week Ten: 6 December The Aussie Christmas Blog
Week Eleven: 13 December Tales I Tell

Writing Books – Why Purchase Hardcopies When There’s so much Advice Online?

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With all the wonderful writing advice available online, you could be forgive for thinking that hardcopy writing books have become redundant. After all, why pay money for a book when you have so much advice available online, for free? I’ve just taken delivery of an order of three hardcopy books which set me back about $40. Not a fortune, for three books packed full of good advice, but still $40 more than I would have paid to get that advice online. So, why buy the books?

Not All Free Advice is Good Advice. The ease of sharing opinions and information online means that is just as easy for people to share bad advice as it is to share good advice. The problem is that it is isn’t always easy to figure out which is the best advice a available online. To be published in book form, the writer has presumably got some credentials to give such advice, for the publisher to take the risk in publishing them. On top of this, the editorial process in traditional publishing ensures that the author’s work is checked and verified, often by more than one editor.

The Advice or Exercises are at Your Fingertips. Once you have your hardcopy book, it is easy to dip into it time and time again. If you read a useful chapter, or try an exercise and then, three months down the track want to revisit it, it is there on your bookshelf. Often, material online disappears, or you can’t remember where you read it.

3. The Information Is Collected in One Place. I find lots of great advice and writing exercises online. But, I do find that I spend lots of time searching for it. A great article on one site, a wonderful writing exercise in another. When I find a great writing book, there is chapter after chapter of good advice, and page after page of good exercises. The time it may have taken for me to find and order the book is paid off in time saved searching for new information.

4. You Can Carry It With You. I find that most writing books are such that I don’t want to read them all in one sitting. Instead I want to read a chapter, digest it and perhaps try an exercise, returning to the book later. A hardcopy book allows me that freedom wherever I am. You can take it on holiday, on a picnic, on the train to work, and dip into it without internet access.

Of course, I feel mildly hypocritical blogging on my writing blog about why you should choose a writing book over a blog. In fact, what I am saying is that whilst writing blogs and websites (like this one) are wonderful tools, so, too, are writing books. Neither is necessarily better. You can use both. Just a collection of links and bookmarks is an invaluable tool, so too is a carefully chosen library of hardcopy writing books.

In my next post I’ll share the titles of some of the books in my collection, and give some hints on how to choose a writing book for your own needs.

Blog Tour Stop Three

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The blog tour to celebrate the release of Snowy’s Christmas continues today. If you’ve just tuned in, every Sunday for eleven weeks David, Snowy and I are visiting a different blog to talk about Snowy, about writing and about illustrating.

Today both David and I are visiting the Soup Blog to share five things you may not already know about Snowy’s Christmas. In actual fact it is ten things in total – because I shared five things about writing the story and Dave shared five things about illustrating. So, head over to the Soup Blog to learn more. And, while you are there, you can enter Rebecca’s competition to win yourself a copy of Snowy’s Christmas.

In the meantime, some more sightings of Snowy’s Christmas have been reported. It has been spotted on sale in two Kmart stores (in Cannington, WA and Kalgoorlie) and also in Myer and David Jones in Perth city. Am guessing this means it will be in more Kmart, Myer and David Jones.
If you see Snowy in a store, drop us a line and let us know.

sallymurphy.com.au