All IN! Singapore Young Writer's Festival

#ALLIN2015

ALLIN! Singapore Young Writer's Media Festival took place over February 28th and March 1st of this year (2015), and it was my pleasure to speak about two very different and exciting topics.

In the morning, I ran a three hour workshop entitled Speed-pitching Basics and Preparation. 

It was an intimate and interactive workshop that covered such topics as; 

• What is a pitch?

  

  #ALLIN2015

• Why should I pitch?
• When, where and to whom should I pitch?
• How do I write a pitch?
• How do I prepare and deliver a pitch?

No matter what age you are, if you are interested in pitching your story to editors, publishers, agents or potential buyers watch this space. I will be blogging about these topics over the next few weeks and you could get a lot of advice for free !

The festival was held at the newly opened (October 2014)  library@orchard, located in Orchard Gateway Mall in the heart of Singapore's shopping district, so I was able to have a lovely local lunch with good friends David Seow and Ken Quek between sessions.

#ALLIN2105

My afternoon session was another 3 hour workshop examining the topic, How to Craft Effective Characters.

A large group of more than 20 incredibly articulate and talented upper-school children from both local and international schools attended, and we examined topics such as;

• What makes a memorable character?
• How to create a great character?
• How to use point of view to make my character come alive on the page?
• How to use dialogue to make my character come alive on the page?
• How to use plot to make my character come alive on the page?
• How to use setting to make my character come alive on the page?

#ALLIN2105

If you are interested in learning how to make your lead and/or minor characters believable, I will be giving tips and advice on this blog over the next few weeks, so watch this space.

It was my first time attending the festival and I was struck by how many young people (13-24 year olds) had a viable work-in-progress under their belt. I was also impressed by the extraordinary writing skills these young people already possess. 

Good luck to all of you that attended. You are certainly shining bright at a very young age!

Closetful of Books #ALLIN2015

Reflections on 2014, the year my book got published and other random stuff happened.

2014 has been one of the most exciting, wonderful, stressful and ridiculous years EVER, for me and my family!

Perhaps the quickest way to explain is via a timeline.

Here goes...

January; 

Jeff is made redundant and his mum is several months into chemotherapy.  We take the opportunity to holiday with her in New Zealand, and take a much needed mental health break.

The holiday is fabulous and we return to Singapore energised and ready to face the year ahead.


February; 

I receive an advanced copy of Darcy Moon and the Deep-fried Frogs and a lifelong dream comes true.

I create darcymoonbooks.com and blog wildly and excitedly about frogs, slime, potato chips and endangered turtles.

Despite my bookish joy, I spend several days in the fetal position worrying about my family's future.

March;

We give notice to the school, to our landlord and to our friends and families that we will be moving to Perth at the end of the school term.

Darcy Moon and the Deep-fried Frogs is released in Australia and serialised in the ED! section of the Western Australian.

Closetful of Books sign a distribution deal with Fremantle Press and Darcy Moon arrives in Singapore.

I give school talks to over 700 grade 3,4 and 5 kids at the Australian International School and hold a lunchtime launch with Freddo Frogs and cake to celebrate.


April;

We organise packers, movers, flights etc.

Fremantle Press sell the US rights to Darcy Moon and the Deep-fried Frogs to the New York Publishing House, Starbright books.

We celebrate and throw a book launch party at the Singapore Arts House.  My daughter sings and my son makes an impromptu speech. There is a queue of people wanting a signed copy of Darcy Moon. It's dreamlike and wonderful and the culmination of years of hard work.

But it is also farewell. After 3 and a half fantastic years in Singapore, it's time say goodbye to some of my dearest friends.

The next day we fly to Perth.

May;

We buy a car, go house hunting and reconnect with family and friends.

Jeff and I take long walks by the ocean. We are together, riding the storm. Our children are happy and Jeff's mum has responded well to chemo. These things make us happy.

Jeff lands a fantastic job... in SINGAPORE !

We tell our friends and family we are leaving. There are tears, hysterical laughter, and much wine.

June;

Jeff starts travelling with work while I organise packers, movers, flights, short term accommodation etc.

I do radio interviews, phone interviews and write promotional articles for Darcy Moon and attend the SCBWI WA Rottnest Retreat.

Fremantle Press sell publish rights to the Turkish publishing house to Aylak Adam Publishing. My first translation deal !


July;

We fly back to Singapore, go house hunting, negotiate tenancy agreements, open bank accounts, source a new car, adopt a bunny and reclaim our two turtles which we had to leave behind.

Jeff travels to the jungles of Papua New Guinea.

August:

I fly back to Perth for my first ever Book Week as a published author. I have a whirlwind week of library and school visits and am honoured to present the West Australian Young Writer's Awards, where I am humbled by some seriously talented and inspiring young writers.

I return to Singapore to a problem.

We can't move into our new home as planned, because our unorthodox comings and goings have confused the moving company and a 40 foot container of our stuff is still in Perth.

After yet another night in the fetal position, I rise to organise rental furniture and self medicate with a heavy dose of household-goods-retail-therapy.

We move in to our new house three days later and use picnic cutlery for the next month.

September;

I make my first ever book store appearance at Kinokuniya and
receive my first ever royalties payment. Wow!

Our furniture arrives and we sleep in our own beds for the first time in 5 months.

The kids have 2 weeks school holidays, Jeff takes a week off and we enjoy some down time with our first visitors, Uncle Paul and Finn.

October;

The kids start the final school term of the year.

Thomas's team comes second in the SCC Rugby Tournament and Sian gets picked to dance a special extra part in her ballet Christmas concert.

We buy a BBQ and start to entertain in our wonderful new garden.

I download scrivener and reconnect with my work in progress (which I haven't looked at since 2013). I reconnect with my characters and it's like a reunion with long lost friends.

November;

I reflect on the craziness of the year gone by, and can not believe Christmas is nearly here.

In summary;

To my writerly friends, I am sure you will understand the excitement and challenges my book journey has brought me this year. It's been a huge learning curve with plenty of firsts for me. I'm now looking forward to settling into the silent days of creativity yet again. My next blog I am sure, will be full of artistic angst.

As a dear friend of mine once said, 'Why doesn't life ever go in a straight line?' To my expat friends as you deal with your own dramatic twists and turns, think of this story and have a laugh. After all, you can only stay in the fetal position so long.

And finally, there were times I didn't think I would survive, but now we are on solid ground again, I will remember 2014 as one of the craziest roller coaster rides of my life.

Thank you for being a part of it.

Merry Christmas!

Singapore SCBWI Christmas Celebrations 2013

Singapore SCBWI 2013 Christmas Celebratory Dinner

Some of the Singapore SCBWI crowd got together last night for a Christmas dinner and a great time was had by all.

We enjoyed a sumptuous buffet at the Merchant Court Hotel, Swissotel and not only did we eat, drink and be very very merry, we also reflected on our year and celebrated our collective achievements.

We put our heads together, sharing our writerly highlights for the year and came up with the following statistics.

 2013 we managed to ;

get 12 children's books published

sign another 9 books with publishing houses ready for release in 2014

hold 10 book launches

critique each others work and make significant progress on over 50 different manuscripts

win 2 moonbeam awards

get shortlisted for the red dot award (aside neil gaiman) and the crystal kite

sign with agents, sell foreign rights, have books adapted into plays

travel to hong kong, shanghai, australia, kuala lumpur and london for various conferences, book fairs and workshops

get published in magazines

work on creative projects such as murals, canvasses and Asian content bibliographies 

hold more than 120 school talks at over 70 schools

host dinners with visiting authors Wendy Orr, Sally Rippin and Jacqueline Harvey

and attend the amazing Asian Festival of Children's Content

And these numbers don't include the other 30 members of Singapore SCBWI that were unable to attend the dinner. Some pretty impressive highlights and statistics for a group that started three years ago with a small but enthusiastic group of only five members.

Any SCBWI member will know what I mean when I say that SCBWI is a truly special organisation. Full of creative, passionate and inspiring people who welcome, encourage and support each other through the ups and downs of our creative endeavors. 

Singapore SCBWI has become like family to me. 2013 has been amazing, last night was heaps of fun  and I look forward to sharing the journey together in 2014. 

Proud Mum Moment #3 How to Clean Up Your Room

How To Clean Up Your Room

By Sian Carvell

(although I think there may have been a brainstorm among friends to get all these gems)

If you want to clean up your room you have to be a very brave person or else you will not get it done but I know the trick.

There are actually a few ways and here they are.

Stuff everything in your closet!

Hide it under your bed. Shhhhh!

Put your stuff in your brother/sisters room! Don't tell anyone

Blame it on your dad for playing rugby in your room.

Ask your helper to do it.

Lock the door if necessary.

If your mum is uptight do it anyway ... or do you?

There's Soup on my Fly

Story Book Theatre performs 'There's Soup on my Fly,' by David Seow

Last week I went to see the Storybook Theatre's 'trial' performance of 'There's Soup on my Fly' by David Seow which will be released next February. David is a good friend of mine but any of you who know him will understand he can be somewhat 'unpredictable.' So I was a little nervous. This was the first time he had seen the interpretation of his story. What if things went wrong? What if he didn't like it?

But, of course, Storybook Theatre were fantastic and we were treated to a clever mix of humour, music, dance and puppetry. We all loved it. Especially the very adorable children who were lucky enough to be little guinea pigs (and puppies, kittens and hamsters) for the preview performance. There was plenty of audience interaction and the kids were calling out, barking, meowing and squealing with delight all the way through. I couldn't wipe the grin of my face.

Storybook Theatre brings books to life and introduces children to performance and local authors.  Click here then scroll down for more details.

Singapore Writer's Festival - Two Book Launches

Yesterday was the start of the 2013 Singapore Writer's Festival and today I celebrated by attending the book launch of two fabulous books.

Tibby the Tiger Bunny by Emily Lim and The Robot in my Playground by Pauline Loh.

Emily Lim and I met at the SCBWI West Australian Rottnest Retreat earlier this year and on our return to Singapore, Emily introduced me to Pauline Loh. Since then the three of us have met once a month to critique our mid-grade manuscripts and have become firm friends.


So it was with great pleasure that I was able to share their excitement today.

It was an extra bonus that Emily Lim's book, Tibby the Tiger Bunny, was illustrated by Jade Fang who also illustrated my good friend, Sarah Mounsey's books, Purple Paw Prints and Paw Prints on the Magic Sofa. 

It was a bit of a party to tell you the truth. A book launch, a reunion, and a happy day all round.

Emily Lim, me and Jade Fang with Tibby the Tiger Bunny

Emily Lim launched Tibby the Tiger Bunny, illustrated by Jade Fang.

Poor Tibby! All he ever wanted was some friends to play with, but the other rabbits thought he was too strange. After all, he could pounce and roar like a tiger. But he also had long floppy ears and could hop like a bunny.

Was he a tiger or a bunny?

No one knew, until the day Tibby showed everyone just how much of a tiger - and a bunny - he really was.

Pauline Loh, Edmund Wee (Managing Director of Epigram) and Avina Tan

Pauline Loh launched her picture book, The Robot in my Playground, illustrated by Avina Tan.

Lucus loves robots. Especially the robot in the playground near his house. How he wishes that the robot would come to life, and after a big storm, he does!

Both books were published by leading Singapore publishing house, Epigram Books.

SCBWI Singapore dinner with Jacqueline Harvey

Sarah, Simon, Jeff, Catherine, Jacqueline, Emma, Evelyn and David took the photo

One of the best things about being a member of SCBWI is the inspiring, creative and talented people you get to meet.

This week we had dinner with Jacqueline Harvey, the best selling author of the Alice-Miranda and Clementine Rose series. She is in Singapore for school visits on her way to the UK  for a promotional tour of her latest book.

A full time writer with two best selling series (both recently optioned for animation), more books in the pipeline, a full schedule of school visits, and plenty of world wide travel, Jacqueline is a great Australian success story.

Add to the equation a balmy evening in Singapore, a bustling riverfront, great company and delicious food and you have a very memorable night out.

A good time was had by all.

For more information on Jacqueline Harvey, click on the link below.

http://jacquelineharvey.com.au/

Saturday Night Out Book Geeks

A quick blog to say how excited I am to be part of the newest book club in Singapore, 

The Saturday Night Out Book Geeks!

Felicia, Adan, Myra, Me, Amelia, Dave (and Ken took the photo)

We are a group of book nerds with a shared passion for children's literature.  We plan to meet once a month, on a Saturday of course, because we are book geeks and there is nothing else we'd rather do.

There are so many fantastic children's/ YA books on our want to read list, I'm not sure how we will ever get through them.  But last night, we made a start.

We met at the Book Cafe and discussed 'The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket,' written by John Boyne and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers.

The Terrible Thing That happened to Barnaby Brocket.

'From the moment Barnaby Brocket comes into the world, it's clear he is anything but normal. To his parents horror, Barnaby defies the laws of gravity - and FLOATS.'

Most of us loved the book with its whimsical tone, floaty pace, oddball characters and poignant exploration of self acceptance in the face of parental criticism. Others were frustrated with Barnaby's lack of initiative and felt the book's message was somewhat contrived and one dimensional.

Personally, I found the book enchanting and am inspired to read more John Boynes, in particular the very famous, 'The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas'.

I give Barnaby 3 and a half stars.

Next month we will be looking at 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,' by Sherman Alexie, art by Ellen Forney. 

I'm off to find myself a copy. Can't wait to read it :-)

My tiny piece of the AFCC Pie

Attending The Asian Festival of Children's Content (AFCC) the last three years in a row has been one of the highlights of living in Singapore for me. AFCC is Asia's biggest celebration of children's books. And 2013 was by far the most exciting for me so far.

For many reasons.

First I got to have a cocktail with the beautiful Renae Hayward who came across from Perth for the event (as well as a bit of a holiday). Renae and I met through SCBWI WA in 2009 and have been on the same writerly journey together ever since. Her first book Barking Mad will be released by Walker Books Australia in August 2012 - just a few months before mine. We couldn't wipe the smiles off our faces.  Being together in this fabulous city with a book contract each, was not something we ever dreamed possible when we met four years ago.

Check out those happy grins. Me and my writerly sister Renae Hayward at Blu Jaz, Kampong Glam.

Secondly, I was lucky enough to sit next to Wendy Orr at dinner. I have always been a huge fan of Wendy's, particularly her Nim's Island stories. To me, her writing is brilliant. When I read Wendy's books, her writing is invisible and I see only story. I must be her greatest fan! Here I am doing my best to impress her. Luckily we are both wearing bibs, because I am splashing chilli crab everywhere.

The whole SCBWI Singapore crowd with Wendy Orr at Jumbo Seafood, Boat Quay.

Thirdly I had the great honour of hosting a book launch for my good friend David Seow's 28th picture book, Emma's Elephant. David is one of Singapore's most popular and prolific writers and I was thrilled to be a part of it.  I'm getting better at this public speaking thing. Next time I might even relax enough to smile. Thanks Candy Gourlay for the photos :-)

 

And fourthly, I got to see the sun set over Singapore with some of my favourite people. The ever gracious and supportive Norman Jorgensen (Award winning Author of The Last Viking and In Flanders' Fields),  his lovely wife Jan (amazing school librarian extraordinaire)  and my husband, Jeff (who has read every word I've ever written and has the patience of a Saint).

Me, Norm, Jan and Jeff at the roof top bar, 1-Altitude.

There were so many more highlights, of which I failed to take photos because I was so enraptured at the time. But in summary,  it was a joy to see so many familiar faces. An inspiration to mix with such talented writers and illustrators. And a complete thrill to be a part of one of the most exciting literary events of the year.

Blogging the Journey.

I've been inspired to blog after a wonderful writerly week at the Asian Festival of Children's Content (AFCC) in Singapore.
http://afcc.com.sg/

I attended the AFCC back in 2011 and 2012, but 2013 was my first year with a publishing deal under my belt. My first chapter book, Darcy Moon and the Deep Fried Frogs (working title) is signed with Fremantle Press and is due for release early 2014.

But more about that another time.

This blog is a reach out to all of those aspiring authors I've talked to over the years, all those I've met at AFCC, and all those I know are out there, who share my secret dream, almost too raw and private to share, that one day I might get published.

I've kept this dream inside of me my whole life. Since I was a small girl reading under the covers with a torch.

But it wasn't until 2007, after the birth of my second child, that I actually allowed myself to try. Before that, I had been too scared of failure to admit how much the dream meant to me.

I lived in Perth, Western Australia. I wanted to write for children but had no idea where to start. I found a local writer's group (very easily through google) and joined a 10 week short story writing course at the Peter Cowan Writer's Centre.

http://www.pcwc.org.au/

We were required to write a short story and read it out the following week. I was terrified. But I stood up and read my story. I was told the story was 'nice' but full of cliches. Cliches! I looked up the word when I got home and wept. Then I got my pen out and began to write another story, careful to avoid cliches.

I learned many things that day.

Firstly, avoid cliches when writing (Yes, I had that much to learn!)

But also, that if I wanted to be a good writer, I was going to have to work at it. Work hard.

Through PCWC,  I learned about the Society of Children's Book Writer' and Illustrators (SCBWI) and joined up in early 2008.

http://www.scbwi.org/

I felt like a fraud when I attended my first meeting but was inspired and thrilled to meet so many talented and passionate people.

These people have supported, encouraged and inspired me ever since.

I joined an online critique group with some other aspiring SCBWIs. Critiquing others' work was as much a learning experience as getting my work critiqued. I highly recommend joining a critique group.

Through this critique group, I heard about and enrolled in an online writing course. I completed the Diploma in Professional Children's Writing through Cengage Australia. I absorbed every word. I wrote whenever my children slept. I lived and breathed my story.

In mid 2010, I completed my first manuscript. It had taken me two years.

I attended the 2010 WA SCBWI Rottnest Retreat and paid a visiting editor to critique the first 10 pages of my manuscript. Her feedback was invaluable, and I realised I had a long way to go before my manuscript would be anyway near publishable.

But I didn't have time to dwell on things, because soon after, we discovered we were moving to Singapore. With two children under 5, the move kept me busy and when I picked up my manuscript six months later, I was able to see it with fresh eyes. I knew exactly where I needed to make changes.

I rewrote the whole thing.

In the mean time, I had joined the Singapore SCBWI group and was happy to find they met every month to discuss all things writerly in Singapore, and critique each others' work. Fantastic!

I kept writing, and kept getting feedback through every avenue I could access (competitions, conferences, panels, peers) and eventually, by early 2012. I had a manuscript I was happy with.

So then I started researching publishers. Were they accepting unsolicited manuscripts? What sort of titles did they publish? All that stuff. Scary.

Fremantle Press were accepting manuscripts by West Australian Authors or with West Australian content and setting. And they had a strong children's section, which included mid grade. My manuscript seemed like the perfect fit.

So I sent it off.

And 7 weeks later I got a 'we would like to publish your manuscript' email.

I almost wet myself.

It was a miracle!

A miracle five years in the making.

This is my story.

And for every book published, there will be a different story.

Keep working on yours.