I was inspired by Nicola Rendell for this post. Her blog post about the process letter she writes after each book felt really true. It’s a way to debrief, after the book is released and away, and you’re still coping with that weird Times New Roman-shaped hole in your heart that’s left when a book [...]
Hey folks, nice to be chatting to you again. This year has been really hectic, so this is actually my first real post of the year. Luckily, it’s a ‘good news’ edition – and there’s a fair bit of good news, so bear with me. First, I’d like to thank my mate, Andy, for [...]
So I went on a road trip for the Stella Schools Program recently. Bec Kavanagh and I drove four hours from my place to Balmoral, west of the Grampians, for a school panel and workshops. The difficulty of driving through the night in someone else’s car, when you haven’t driven stick for years, and [...]
Writing tips – every writer I know seems to have some. You have to have some ready, because people ask you for them. I’ve published three books, ergo people think I’m qualified to give out writing tips. Doesn’t seem to matter, as I frequently point out, that I’m no smarter at this business than anybody [...]
A letter from a reader: "I've just finished Every Word. I'm 52 and really enjoy YA fiction. My youngest (13) put me on to your books. They are well written, have a great plot, move quickly and are appealing to readers both 13-18 and beyond. I know it is not my place to ask [...]
I’m putting this stuff down fast, before it slips away… What I’m writing: I’m putting the finishing touches on my story for the newly announced #LoveOzYA anthology, which will be released by HarperCollins in May 2017 – it’s nice to finally be allowed to talk about it! The story is actually finished, but I’m adding [...]
The thing I find hard about being a writer is that, in between all the busy-ness of daily life, and day jobs, and parenting, and running a small business (which is effectively the kind of approach you have to take, if you want to have any kind of creative career), you just can’t stop thinking [...]