sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

April Update

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A quick update for April – not because nothing happened during April, but because I’ve been so busy planning May that I’m hoping you’ll come back here tomorrow and read lots of what I have to say.

So quickly, here’s my April news.

The month started strongly, with author Katie Hines interviewing me on her blog on April 1. You can read the interview by clicking on the link.

Soon afterwards, I had an email from Walker Books advising me that they will be publishing my second verse novel, Toppling, in the first half of 2010. Walker have been so wonderful to work with during the publication process for my first verse novel, that I am just rapt that I’ll be working with them again.

During April I did the final proofread and tweaking on my picture book, Snowy’s Christmas, which will be published by Random House in November. This has been so much fun to work on, with the illustrator, David Murphy, being my brother in law. I can’t wait to see it in print – and has just, in fact, gone tot he printers.

Also in April, I managed to get some work done on my works in progress – a new novel for upper primary, a nonfiction book for adults, which is still in the planning stages but is getting closer, lots of poems and more.

But a large part of April was spent on planning May. Tomorrow, May 1, marks the release of Pearl Verses the World, and in lieu of a launch I am planning a whole month of celebrations here on this blog and around the internet. There’s a blog tour, a poetry challenge, guest bloggers and more. More will be revealed tomorrow – so stop by then and see what’s going on.

Author Interview: Sue Whiting

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Recently, I reviewed the children’s book Freaky on the Aussiereviews site. Today, I am delighted to have the author of Freaky, Sue Whiting, drop in for an interview.

Welcome Sue.

Where did the idea for the story come from?

I was sitting in the staffroom at the school I used to teach at, when the school secretary came in with an email she received from a friend. The email told how a “friend of the friend” had bought a rare cactus from Mexico and planted it in his garden. Everything was fine until the day the cactus exploded and revealed huge spiders nesting inside it. Being arachnophobic, I was horrified – aghast! When I discovered the story was a hoax, an urban myth, I felt rather foolish – I had been totally sucked in by it – but I also had a rather delicious idea for a new story …


I’m not best fond of spiders, and recently had a scary encounter with a huntsman. Do you have a spider story of your own you can share?


I’m not particularly fond of spiders either – so it is kind of weird that I have written about gigantic tarantulas. I have many spider stories to tell, including the one where I totally freaked out when a spider walked across my windscreen when driving on the freeway. Screaming your lungs out and taking your hands off the wheel to wave them wildly around like a loon is not recommended when cruising at 110kph. Luckily my husband took control of the steering wheel and that is probably why I am here today to tell the story. I also have the huntsman down the front of my blouse story and the huntsman sitting on my head one and …

The Lightning Strikes series is a great format, especially for reluctant readers. Can you explain the series for those readers who might not have come across it yet?

Lightning Strikes is a series of high-interest, fast-paced short novels for kids 9+ who haven’t yet been struck by the reading bug. They are fun, quirky stories that reflect the interests and concerns of Australian pre-teens. They have great cover effects, so they look really cool too. They are published by Walker Books Australia. To date, there are twelve books in the series, with more planned for the future.

Was Freaky written especially for the series? If so, was it difficult to write a story specifically for a series?

I actually wrote Freaky several years ago and adapted it to the series brief. This wasn’t too difficult as it was already the right word length and pitched to the Lightning Strikes readership. I merely polished it up, added some informal text types (posters, signs, notes, internet articles) and ramped up the action and humour.

What advice can you give other writers about writing or shaping stories for existing series?

· Read as many books as possible already in that particular series to get a feel for the types of stories that work and to also know what has already been covered.
· Follow the guidelines / brief as closely as possible, taking care to keep to suggested word length and to pitch to the intended age group.

If you want to know more about Sue Whiting, you can visit her at her website, or her new blog. You can read my review of Freaky here or buy the book online at Fishpond.

Thanks for visiting, Sue.

November/December Update

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Happy New Year! I can’t believe another year is over, but am happy to look at the clean slate that a new year brings.
November and December were busy months for me, both personally and writing-wise, which is why there was no news posted in November. The biggest event in this time was my big road trip. With by beloved and the five younger Murphlets, a car and caravan, I crossed Australia’s famous Nullarbor Plain, travelling from our home in country Western Australia through South Australia, Victoria and into New South Wales. It was an awesome experience, seeing some of Australia’s most beautiful and diverse places, from the big city of Sydney, to the amazing natural wonder of the Great Australian Bight. We faced the challenges of some of the wettest weather of the year – it rained nearly every day, in places which were drought-ridden, and badly needed the rain, too. We considered applying for work as drought-breakers, given our record in taking the weather wherever we went. But, in spite of the rain, we had a wonderful time and arrived home still all speaking to each other – no mean feat after five weeks living seven of us in a space no bigger than my bedroom at home.
So, with the trip, my writing time was altered. I won’t say curtailed, as I actually did find time to write on most days – in the form of a diary. I wrote an average of a thousand words per day, which I was pleased with, though it fell down a little bit in the last week when I was getting pretty tired. I also drafted a new picture book, and jotted down ideas for several other stories which came to me inspired by what I saw or did.
Before I left, I worked on edits for Snowy, my new picture book with Random House (due out in November, 2009). ’m really pleased with how the text is shaping up and was lucky enough to see some of the roughs when I visited the illustrator in Canberra. David happens to also be my brother in law, so we stayed with him and his beautiful family, and they also came with us to the Snowy Mountains for a few nights.
I also made the final tweaks on my verse novel, Pearl Verses the World, due out from Walker Books in May. This has gone off to the printers now, so my part in the creative process is done, and I am really happy with the finished text, as well as with the beautiful illustrative work of Heather Potter, who has captured Pearl and her family so well.
I was also delighted before I left to receive my author copies of The Big Blowie (Aussie Schoolbooks), a new chapter book about a drought, blowflies and a big thing. The finished product is great, and available now from Blake Education. While we travelled, we saw lost of big things – including the Big Orange, Big Galah, Big Ned Kelly and the Big Lobster. I had to stop and get photos of them all, of course.
Travelling did limit my reviewing activities a little, but before I left I added 25 new reviews to Aussiereviews in November and since my return added 8 in December. There’ll be loads more reviews in 2009, with the pile seemingly never ending.
I’ve spent time the past few days thinking about my aims for 2009. Number one priority is to enjoy the release of my new titles. I’m really proud of the books I have coming out this year, and plan to enjoy seeing them in print. My next aim is to get a couple of projects I’ve started moving again now that I’m home, and get some manuscripts back out there finding homes for themselves. I’ve written myself a list of aims which I’ve shared with my online friends, and will check it regularly to see how I do. Mostly, though, I think the key thing I want to do writing-wise in 2009 is to keep writing – and to keep enjoying it as much as I did in 2008. If you’re a writer, I wish the same for you – a fun-filled year of writing!

Enjoy!

October News

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October was another busy month for me, which is why my October news was not posted on time – but still, I’m only a few days late and have lots to share.

Much of the busyness came from working on edits and revisions for two of my books slated for 2008. My verse novel, Pearl Verses the World, is currently being illustrated by Heather Potter, and the text has been copyedited, meaning another round of small changes from my end. I am so delighted with how this book is shaping up and can’t way to see the finished product, which is due for release in May 2009, from Walker Books Australia.

The other round of edits was for a new picture book, Snowy, which has been accepted (drum roll please) by Random House Australia, and scheduled for release in November 2009. This one is moving quickly because of the quick turn around (12 months being a short timeframe for a picture book). I am loving working on this. We’re currently editing the text ready to send it off to the illustrator who is none other than my brother in law, David Murphy, a very talented emerging illustrator. It’s also fun to have the opportunity to work on this with a family member.

I finished the month with a wonderful parcel from my postie – containing author copies of my new chapter book The Big Blowie (published by Aussie Schoolbooks). Part of the Aussie Aussie series, this little book features lots of very Australian elements – a drought, the outback, and a big thing (in the same way as the Big Banana and Big Pineapple, among others). Check out the cover – I love it! It is eye catching.

Actually, I must admit that this cover pic is for an earlier version of the finished thing – the final cover has a much bigger blowfly on it. Anyway, I was lucky enough to share the book with year four to seven students at my local school on Friday and got a great reception, which was satisfying.. The Big Blowie is available from Blake Education.

So with one new book, and two others in the pipeline, you’d think I’d be satisfied – but wait, there’s more. Today I saw the roughs for another forthcoming picture book – Constantine and Aristotle, to be published by Koala Books. I’m in love! Ben Wood is a fabulous illustrator and I’m lucky to have him bringing my little hogs to life.

In between all this, I’m still writing, still reviewing (heaps of new reviews added to Aussiereviews in October), and am busily mastering the use of new red laptop (red ones go aster and look cooler).

What a wonderful life! Enjoy your November. I know I will.

An Interview with Robyn Opie, Children’s Author

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Last week I reviewed Black Baron, by Robyn Opie for Aussiereviews. You can read my review here.
Today, Robyn drops by for a chat about Black Baron and about writing for children in general.

Thanks for taking the time to drop in, Robyn

What led you to write Black Baron? What inspired a story about a cockroach?

I wanted to write a funny story for boys. I thought about things boys liked and came up with the idea of bugs. I wanted my story to be different and original, so I ignored the more common creepy crawlies such as spiders and ants. After further thought, I decided on cockroaches and then cockroach racing. The idea appealed to me and I hoped that, if it appealed to me, it would appeal to others. As I wrote the story, I became very fond of Black Baron. He’s a champion racing cockroach! When I do author visits to schools, it’s funny to see the children’s reaction to my love of a cockroach. I’m sure they think I’m mad. But Black Baron is so cute!

Black Baron is part of Walker Books’ new Lightning Strikes series. Can you tell us about the series?

Lightning Strikes are books for 9 to 14 year olds, though readers of any age will enjoy them. The stories are funny, fast-paced and full of action. The presentation is great too. The covers are wonderful – bright and eye-catching. Booksellers and reviewers are saying great things about the series. Just the other day, a bookseller was commenting on Black Baron, saying that it’s the sort of book children, boys in particular, will be happy to carry around and be seen reading. With peer pressure, that’s an important consideration. I know the team at Walker Books put a lot of time and effort into creating the series and they’ve done a marvellous job. The series is doing well. Black Baron sold out a first print run in less than five months and has been reprinted. It’s also being published by Walker Books UK in May 2009. Go Black Baron!

Did you write Black Baron especially for the series? Does tailoring to a series affect the way you approach a story?

No, I wrote Black Baron before the series existed. I sent it to Walker Books and it was rejected because it was too short. At the time, they didn’t publish books of that length, around 10,000 words. A few months later, I received an email from Walker Books, telling me that they were doing market research in regards to producing a new series of books approximately 10,000 words in length and asking if I’d be interested in resubmitting Black Baron. I did, of course, and it was one of the first books published in the new Lightning Strikes series. I had to wait for Walker Books to do all the market research, design and whatever else goes into deciding on a new series. But it was worth the wait because now Black Baron is racing away.
Yes, I think tailoring to a series can affect the way you approach a story. For starters, you know the book needs to fit in a certain framework governed by word length, age of reader, language and style. I’m conscious of it as I’m writing but I try to prevent it affecting the story. I think it’s best to write your story first, to let it come out without any constraints in regards to market and/or series. The character and his/her story are the most important thing and should be the emphasis of your writing. Black Baron worked well because I wrote the story I wanted to write and did the best job I could do. Then, once your story is written, you can do any tailoring for the market or a series during the editing stage. This way, you can save several versions of a manuscript too. You never know, you might want to come back to the original draft one day. I didn’t need to do any tailoring or rewriting with Black Baron. The story seemed to be a perfect match for the Lightning Strikes series. All of the other authors I’ve spoken to with books in the series mentioned rewriting their stories before Walker Books accepted them for publication. This is quite common. I feel very lucky with Black Baron. Then again, he is a champ!

Most published writers know that one of the hardest bits about having a book published is the promotion. What have you done to promote Black Baron?

To be honest, I haven’t done a lot. I’ve been rather busy. I hope to do more promotion or should I say – continuing promotion. I’ve uploaded the cover and blurb to my website and blog, with a link to Black Baron‘s page on the Walker Books Australia website. I’ve promoted it through my online newsletter, available through my website, and through the Australian Writing Academy. I conduct a Writing for Children course through the Academy. I’m involved with the SA Writers’ Centre and always put my name down for author participation in their great event called Young Writers’ Night, which is conducted three times a year at different venues, City, North and South. A bookseller sells authors’ books at each event and Black Baron is one of my books available for sale. I’m registered with a booking agent for Book Week and any other event. During my author visits, I always promote Black Baron. I volunteer for all author events and recently did an online author visit to schools through the Dept of Education. Again, I talked about Black Baron.

Having any book published is a big achievement, and you can be proud of this book. What, for you, is the best part of having a book published?

Thanks, Sally. The best part is seeing and holding my new book. You’ve probably guessed by now that Black Baron is one of my favourites so I’m extra thrilled to be holding and showing off this baby. It was great going through the process of publication with Walker Books. They’re great to work with. It was fun seeing the minor edits Walker Books made to my original manuscript, then to create text types (images) for the book, then to see the cover, then to see the proofs. It was all very exciting and I appreciate the fact that Walker Books included me in every stage. In some ways, it can be a let down when the book is finally published. Getting the book ready was an ongoing wonderful experience, now it’s over. But all this work is for one thing – to produce a published book. Actually holding Black Baron in my hands is the best experience.

And is there a worst part about being an author?

Yes, most definitely. It’s all those rejections from publishers. I bet you expected me to say that! People are often surprised to learn that I have stories rejected considering I’m the published author of more than 70 books. But believe me I have stories rejected all the time. It’s difficult when we spend so much time writing a story to have it rejected by a publisher or publishers. Naturally, I think my stories are great and publishable when I submit them to publishers or else I wouldn’t submit them. It’s disappointing when the stories are rejected for one reason or another. Nowadays, it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with my stories or writing but more to do with sales and marketing. Dollars! It seems that every writer has tales of rejection. The fact that they become published writers with published books has a lot to do with persistence – never giving up. Sorry publishers but I’m not giving up either. We have to learn from these rejections, though it’s common for publishers to give absolutely no reason for a rejection. I believe that being rejected pushes us to become better writers and forces us to look for ways of improving those rejected stories. It’s not all bad. My book The Pony Game was rejected several times before Lothian Books published it. Black Baron was also rejected. Heaven forbid!

Finally, what next for Robyn Opie?

At the moment, I’m finishing three rewrites for Era Publications. Then I’d like to do more work on some of my rejected manuscripts. But my writing has taken a different and somewhat unexpected direction into film and TV. Last year, my partner Rob Parnell and I wrote a screenplay for an Australian feature film based on one of my books. We sent it out to seven Australian producers and four wanted to produce it. Were we surprised? You bet! So now we have a producer for our movie and we’ve applied to SA Film Corp for development finance to write a second draft. During a telephone conversation with the producer, he mentioned having a horror screenplay that needed rewriting and not being able to find a writer to do it. Well, it just happens that Rob’s specialty is horror. So we offered to read the screenplay. It’s a great idea but we had to agree with the producer, the screenplay didn’t work and couldn’t be made into a movie. We reworked the entire story and characters to come up with a workable scenario. To cut a long story short, we now have two screenplays in development. We’re also discussing proposals with two other producers, in the hope of getting one or more new children’s TV programs into development. I’m not sure how much time I’ll find for those rejected manuscripts but writing children’s books is still very important to me.

Thanks so much for sharing with us, Robyn. You can visit Robyn online at www.robynopie.com

September News

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September has been a busy month for me, both personally and professionally. At the start of the month I celebrated a significant birthday (one with a four at the beginning and a 0 at the end) and near the end of the month by baby, the youngest Murphlet, turned 8. Wow – where did the time go?

In my writing life, my latest books, Assembly: Poems to Perform and Frogs: Awesome Amphibians – both published by Ready Ed Publications – continue to sell well – both being among the best sellers on the Ready Ed website.

The proofs for my next book, The Big Blowie, to be published by Aussie Schoolbooks, arrived. The cover is bright and eye catching and I love the internal illustrations (by the talented Craig Longmuir). This is due out sometime next month – watch this space!

Work on my other forthcoming titles continues. My verse novel, Pearl Verses the World to be published by Walker Books Australia is currently being illustrated. This is my first foray into the verse novel format and I am really excited about its progress.

I have signed a contract with Koala Books for a picture book, Constantine and Aristotle, about a hog who takes his role as head hog a little too seriously. This is also currently being illustrated by the wonderful Ben Wood. I am in love with the early sketches he has done and can’t wait to see the finished product.

2009 looks to be a busy year for me with a couple of other projects in the offing. More details will be forthcoming once contract are signed.

In the meantime, I continue to work on some new writing projects. I finished the first draft of a new picture book this week and am waiting to hear my critique group’s comments. I’ve also got another verse novel underway and also have several manuscripts waiting for some rewrites.

Aussiereviews continues to be popular with readers, teachers, writers, and publishers. My stat counter tells me the site averaged 460 visitors last week, with over 780 page views. I added twenty new reviews during September, and will be adding more in October.

And my blogs. This blog has had a change of name and a change of focus. With guest articles on all aspects of writing of children, as well as interviews with children’s authors and other news and views, I am hoping it will prove to be a useful resource for children’s authors of all levels of experience.

Pemberthy Bear has been working on his blog, too, sharing his thoughts and life lessons in his uniquely Pemberthy way. My frog blog, Awesome Amphibians, has been a little slow, but at last I’ve updated it with a new entry, and intend to do so more regularly now.

So, that was my September. Hope yours was productive, too.

sallymurphy.com.au