Interview with Children's Author Candice Lemon-Scott

When did you first know that you wanted to be an author?

I've loved writing stories for as long as I can remember. When I was in Grade 3, I was home from school sick one day and I wrote my first book, ‘The Haunted House.’ It won a school award and I was rapt. I still have the handwritten story in a folder. I didn’t think of becoming an author though until I was in my early 20s. It was then I started writing a story for kids but when I’d finished it I realised that I needed to learn some more technical skills. I enrolled in a Diploma in Professional Writing and Editing and then went on to do my degree in Communications. It’s been a long road, finding time to write with the need to pay the bills in between, but I finally got there. It’s been an amazing journey.

Tell us about your books.

My books tend to be fast-paced, action-packed and funny. I didn’t go in with that intention, but it’s how the stories have turned out so far, and luckily they’ve resonated with kids, especially boys. My upcoming book ‘Hubert and the Magic Glasses’ is being published with New Frontier Publishing as part of the new Little Rockets series. It’s due out in August this year.

The story is about a boy, Hubert, who loves playing soccer but is doing really badly at it, and is getting worse. It turns out he needs glasses but Hubert can’t think of anything more horrible – until he discovers the glasses he’s given are magical. The glasses are amazing but it doesn’t all go smoothly. This story came about from a comment I got one time from my school sports teacher. We were playing tennis, and I was absolutely hopeless. My teacher, trying to be helpful, suggested I wear my glasses while I was playing. The only problem was, I didn’t wear glasses. From there I thought about how great it would be if I did need glasses and better yet if they could magical transform me.
 

My first book ‘Stinky Ferret & the JJs’ is published with Penguin’s Aussie Chomps series. It’s about a boy called Adrian who is terrified when it’s his turn to take the class pet, Ferret home for the weekend. Though at first Adrian couldn’t think of anything worse than having to look after a stinky ferret with sharp teeth and claws, before long he begins to bond with the class pet, but not without some pretty funny moments trying to be the carer of the cheeky animal. The idea first came about when I remembered a time when some ferrets were brought in to my primary school. Everyone was really excited, and we were all crowded into this hall to see them, but all I remember is how smelly they were and how I couldn’t wait to get out of there. It got me thinking about what it would be like having to care for one for a whole weekend!

What inspires you?
Reading other great books and hearing from kids about what they enjoy reading. One of the things that inspires me to keep writing is when kids go from hating the thought of picking up a book to loving reading after reading my book.

For ideas, inspiration is all around me. It’s in the stories I hear, memories I have, other people’s experiences, the news, a photograph or painting, seeing new places and my feelings about things that are going on in the world. Inspiration can also come when I least expect it and it’s exciting when that happens.

What are you currently working on?
I have a whole box full of ideas so I’m looking forward to thinking about which ones can be developed into stories.

When and where do you write?

I write on my laptop. Having a young family it’s very handy being able to take my computer with me so I write at home, at the library – anywhere free from ‘little’ distractions! When the kids were younger I used to write in the evenings or during nap times. Now I have the luxury of writing when my youngest is at kindy, at my usually messy desk.
  

What were your favourite books growing up?

I loved mystery stories – the Trixie Belden books, Secret Seven, Famous Five and Sherlock Holmes books were all stories I devoured. I also loved fantasy books like The Magic Faraway Tree and Alice in Wonderland. As you can see, Enid Blyton was a firm favourite as far as authors go. As well, I enjoyed some of the classics like Treasure Island.


You're presenting a ‘Writing for Children’ workshop at Tafe. Can you please tell us what you'll be covering?
Sure, I’ve run this course before in Melbourne and I’m looking forward to being able to run it on the Gold Coast as it was popular down south. I’ll be covering what I think are the most important parts of writing for children, and how it’s different to other forms of writing. I take people through the specifics like developing ideas, language, dialogue, theme and structure. I’ll also be breaking it down into the different age groups and talking about how each type of book is different as well, as looking at non-fiction books for kids. I’ll also be including the all important session on how to go about getting a book for children published. In a nutshell, the aim of the course is for the writers to come away with loads of ideas and the tools to write books for kids.

What's next?

 I’ve actually got an adult book coming out with Odyssey Books soon. It was commended in the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards and luckily it’s now been picked up by a publisher. I’ve also got a young adult novel that’ll be out in the future. And hopefully there'll be some more kids’ stories as well.

Picture Book Review of 'Mr Darcy'

My Darcy is a delightful picture book written by Alex Field and illustrated by Peter Carnavas. It was published by New Frontier Publishing in 2011.

Mr Darcy is a rather reserved and gentle duck and he is used to being admired. After all, he does live on the edge of Permberley Park, and his extraordinary tall hat does make him look like a very distinguished duck.

One day, Mr Darcy receives an invitation to tea with Lizzy and her sisters. But Lizzy lives in a small, ordinary park. Maybe he's far too important to go?

Mr Darcy thinks it's best to avoid the situation and when asked by Lizzy, 'Will we see you for tea on Sunday?' He turns bright red and hurries away. He's in such a hurry to get away from this pressing engagement that Mr Darcy falls in an enormous puddle of mud.

'Do you need help?' his friends ask. 
'No, thank you,' replied a polite Mr Darcy.

Deciding that it's better not to bother anybody, he stays shivering in the mud until he discovers that it's okay to let his friends know he needs some help.

Alex Field's great love of Jane Austen's Mr Darcy from 'Pride and Prejudice' inspired her to create Mr Darcy. Mr Darcy has all the great qualities of a gentle English aristocrat.

Peter Carnavas' recognisable illustrations have created a gorgeous new look for the well-loved and much admired Mr Darcy.

Click here to have a look at the updated New Frontier website.

Interview with Children's Author Karen Collum

When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

 I’ve wanted to be an author from the time I was a child and as a teenager. I remember placing ‘write a book’ at the top of my list of things I wanted to do in life. It wasn’t until I was in my early 30s and home with my small children, however, that my dream transitioned into a reality. I had tinkered with novels and picture books over the years but it wasn’t until I was a stay-at-home mum that I decided to go and take some courses and learn about the craft of writing.

 

What was your first book published? 

 SAMUEL’S KISSES was my debut book and was released in December 2010.

 What was your road to publication like?

I submitted my first manuscript to a publisher when I was 34 weeks pregnant with my twins (my eldest son was 2 at the time) and amazingly enough, they accepted it within a matter of hours. I’d been attending workshops, devouring online ‘how-to’ sites, following industry and author blogs, and writing picture books for over twelve months by that stage, so although the ‘yes’ came rather quickly, there was a long process prior to that. Sadly, that publisher collapsed in the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 and my book never was published. However, that experience gave me the confidence to keep on submitting. I sent a different picture book manuscript to four or five publishers over the next year and in May 2009, SAMUEL’S KISSES was accepted by New Frontier Publishing.  

 Tell us about your other books.

 I’ve written two other picture books – FISH DON’T NEED SNORKELS and WHEN I LOOK AT YOU: A book about feelings. Both of these are published by a small, Christian publisher in the UK and are designed for the Christian market. FISH DON’T NEED SNORKELS celebrates the uniqueness of animals and reinforces to young children that God made animals just right and he made them just right too. WHEN I LOOK AT YOU, is a therapeutic picture book designed to help parents and children explore feelings together. It focuses on what particular emotions look like from the outside in terms of posture, body language and facial expression and is aimed at assisting children develop a vocabulary to name and understand their feelings.

What attracted you to writing picture books?

 I’ve always loved picture books. There is something so inherently powerful in the combination of illustrations and text; the end product is greater than the sum of individual parts. A beautifully crafted picture book is a case of 1+1=3 for me. That is, the text is magnificent by itself; the illustrations tell their own unique story, but when you combine them together you get something that is even more wonderful.

I was a primary school teacher for 7 years prior to having my children and I always used picture books in my classroom, even in upper primary. I love the honesty and authenticity of a good PB, along with the way it captures the essence of childhood. When it comes to picture books, it’s a case of what’s not to love, for me.

You created #pblitchat (an online resource for picture book authors) with author and friend Kathryn Apel. Can you tell us a little about it? 

#pblitchat came out of our participation in existing Twitter chats such as #yalitchat and #kidlitchat and realising that there was nothing specific to picture books. Kat and I decided that we had the passion and at least some of the experience we needed to run the chats. We meet fortnightly on the 2^nd and 4^th Wednesday of the month at 8pm QLD time and have a specific topic we discuss for the hour. It’s been such a great learning experience for me and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being part of a community of authors and illustrators and appreciators of picture books.

Do you plan your picture books and if so, how?

In the early days of my writing, I didn’t plan at all. I followed the muse and essence of the story and saw where it led. As my writing has evolved and I’ve learned more, I’ve realised that the shape and pacing of picture books is absolutely crucial. I’m gradually learning control over the craft of writing, and for me to do this most effectively requires quite extensive planning. I did a picture book seminar with Writers Digest and US literary agent, Mary Kole, last year and it totally transformed the way I write. Since then, I create a dummy picture book before I sit down to write and can see where the crucial moments in the story are going to happen. It helps me get the right shape to my story.

I’m also going back over some of my previous PBs and using the same process to identify why they’re not working. For example, I had a PB that I really loved but it just didn’t seem quite right. When I looked at the shape of the story I discovered I actually didn’t have a beginning that anchored the reader in the character and the problem. In another story I discovered I had a beginning and an end, but the tension in the middle was almost non-existent.

I’m quite logical and scientific by nature so planning is something that appeals to me in most aspects of life and it’s no different in my writing. I know many successful authors who don’t plan – they instinctively know how the story should go – but for me it definitely helps and is something I have embraced.

 Where do you see the future of picture books?

 I know there’s a lot of speculation about whether picture books will exist in 20 years’ time because of the surge of e-books and apps, but I must say I’m quite optimistic about the future of picture books. Yes, there is a place of e-books and apps and other fancy ways of reading, but ultimately, in my mind, there is nothing that will replace the experience of cuddling up with my kids and reading a physical book with them.

 What would your dream writing area look like?

Not like my real one! I’d love to have a small space that was quiet, had a beautiful view and was decorated with quotes and pictures that I find inspiring. I quite like the idea of a yurt.

When and where do you write?

I have a desk set up in the corner of our second lounge room (which also operates as a toy room). It’s central, I can keep an eye on the kids as I’m writing and I can pop onto the computer while dinner is cooking. I try and get up early in the morning to write before the kids get up, but the demands of parenting four kids under seven mean that doesn’t always happen. I used to work late at night – and the temptation is still there – but if my brain gets too creative then I can’t sleep and I struggle to get up with the kids the next morning. Early bedtimes are now a must in my house (for me as well as the kids!) and I’m hoping that soon I’ll get back into the rhythm of getting up early to write most days.

Recently you did an online school visit via Skype. What was this experience like?

 It was fantastic! I visited my nephew’s school in Birmingham, Alabama in the US and got to speak with about 230 students. I was amazed at how dynamic Skype was and how I could still get a feel of whether the students were with me or not. It wouldn’t be ideal for running a workshop-style visit, but for an out-and-out author visit where the kids ask questions and I talk about my writing process, it was fantastic...except for having to be up and in my dressy, author clothes at 2am!

What do you think is the hardest part about writing a picture book?

 The pacing! I have no trouble coming up with a good character and a cute/interesting/funny plot, but combining those two elements into a picture book that has shape and tension is another thing altogether. There are so few words in picture books that the control you need over your writing is actually quite intense. I’ve just finished a picture book that I first wrote in September 2009. It’s been through thirteen complete rewrites to get it to where it is now and I finally think it might be right. I hope!

What's new?

In December last year I had something wonderful happen – I signed with a literary agent! I’m now represented by Anjanette Morton of Rick Raftos Management. I firmly believe that having a good agent on my side will improve my writing and my sales so I’m very excited that Anj wanted to take me on. We haven’t got any book news that I can reveal as yet, but stay tuned :)

What advice would you give aspiring picture book writers?

Read a lot, write a lot and invest time, energy and money into learning about the craft. When I decided to take writing seriously five years ago I committed the next few years to doing my ‘apprenticeship’. In hindsight, that was a great approach to take as I quickly discovered you need to have a teachable heart in this business; there are many disappointments and rejections along the way. And now, this far into my writing journey, I’m more committed to learning than ever and try not to be in too much of a hurry. This is a lifelong journey that is a marathon, not a sprint. The funny thing is that the more I learn, the more I realise how much I still DON’T know!

Interview with Children's Author/Illustrator Peter Carnavas

When did you first know you wanted to be an author/illustrator?

I’ve been writing stories and drawing pictures for as long as I can remember but I think my interest in picture books really began when I was studying to become a teacher. As part of an assignment, I came across An Ordinary Day by Libby Gleeson and Armin Greder and I was fascinated that a picture book could be so deep, so wondrous, so original. After a few years of teaching and reading many picture books, it just made sense that I should attempt one of my own, given my interest in writing and drawing.



How many children's books have you written and illustrated?

I have written and illustrated five picture books, with two more on the way – Mr Darcy, written by Alex Field, and another of one my own stories, The Children Who Loved Books.


What is your writing and educational background?


I initially studied Media Studies at university, which mainly entailed watching movies and talking about them afterwards. It was an enjoyable degree that opened my eyes to some interesting films, though it was a bit of a struggle getting through the 8am screenings of 1940s European films that had running times of around 14 hours. I then studied primary school teaching and thoroughly enjoyed it. Not as many films in that degree but it did lead to a job, a wife and an obsession with picture books.

Congratulations on the release of your gorgeous picture book series 'Little Treasures'. 
Can you tell us about them?

The Little Treasures are beautiful little reproductions of my first four books, Jessica’s Box, Sarah’s Heavy Heart, The Important Things and Last Tree in the City. Each mini book comes with its own envelope which enables you to send the book as a gift. New Frontier has done an amazing job putting these together.

Was the new 'mini size' format published with a particular age group in mind?

The small format is perfect for little hands but, as always, I like to think my books will appeal to people of all ages. The size, along with the envelope, really turns them into gift books.


I really love how each book touches on a theme such as, love, the environment, family and self worth. How important are these subjects to you?



I can’t help writing about things that are important to me. Each of these stories began as an idea that moved me in some way, whether it was from something I had experienced myself or something I had read about. For example, The Important Things was inspired by a newspaper article but it soon began to cover territory that had always appealed to me: the stories lurking in secondhand stores, the importance of small things in our homes, as well as the theme of emotional respect and how people deal with the same situation in different ways. 



What do you want children to get out of Little Treasures?


I’d love children to discover the layers of meaning I try to embed in the stories, not just the aforementioned themes but the subtexts in the illustrations. All of the characters are quiet, independent children who find solutions to their dilemmas through clever thinking or cooperation and I hope young readers can be inspired by that in some small way.


Do you plan your picture books? If so, how?

My ideas begin as feelings or themes and I spend a long time simply thinking about it all before I write or draw anything. By the time I put the text together, most of the structure has already formed and I just push and prod the words into shape over a few hours. I then storyboard the illustrations and spend a long time doing roughs. This is when a lot of changes are made and a lot of the decisions are made. I then paint the final illustrations, usually rushing to meet the deadline.

Where do you like to write and illustrate?

I have a room at home called The Drawing Room and this is where I do everything. I don’t tend to write or draw outside very often as I like to work a lot at night in the company of old records.


What's your secret to presenting to children?



I feel comfortable presenting to children, having been a teacher, though I wouldn’t claim to be an expert yet. I really want children to leave my workshops with something meaningful, whether it’s through stories or their own illustrations they produce during the session. Of course, they need to have a good time, so entertainment and humour is part of it as well. A good balance between fun and instruction is important.



      What's Next?


Mr Darcy, written by Alex Field and illustrated by me, is being launched in November. It’s a very cute take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, featuring a rather proud and polite duck as the title character, complete with top hat and bow tie. I’m also putting the finishing touches on my next story, The Children Who Loved Books, which will be released in May. It’s about the way in which books bring us together, physically and emotionally.

Join Peter Carnavas on his Little Treasures blog tour at the following blogs:

24^th October Be A Fun Mum 

25^th October Books For Little Hands

26th October Sophia Whitfield's Blog

31st October Reading Upside Down

2nd November  Squiggle Mum

 3rd November Life In A Pink Fibro

 4th November  The Book Chook

 7^th November  Kids Book Review

8th November My Little Bookcase