Sandy Fussell's Blog, page 8

Kids Day Out

One of my favourite events on my Author calendar is the South Coast & Illawarra Children’s Book Council Kid’s Day Out. The events alternate each year between two wonderful libraries – Thirroul and Dapto.

This year I was there with a stellar cast of local and local-ish children’s literary luminaries - Di Ellis, Lilli Pang, Oliver Phommavanh, Di Bates, Joy Cauduro, Jodie Wells-Slowgrove, Allison Tait, Sue Whiting and Marie Smith.

I had heaps of fun there – as I always do. This year I ran my Minecrafting a Story workshop for 8 – 12 years teaching story writing based on Minecraft game play. Thanks to the lovely Al Tait, author of the fabulous Mapmaker Chronicles (aren’t kid’s writer’s wonderful) for this tweet and pic of me looking puzzled. Must have been a tough question! I always get so involved I forget to take pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But for once I did remember to take a few pictures – during my Make a Sad Dog Happy craft session based on Sad, The Dog. Here are some clever crafters with their happy dogs.

No Internet January

More by accident then design, January became a month without social media or any other form of internet activity (except for work emails).

The first few weeks were spent on holiday in Eden – friends, family, swimming, reading, stitching,  crosswords and two massive jigsaw puzzles. Internet access was virtually non-existent and I found myself with the time to do things differently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I read two books in three days – the first two titles in Robin Hobb’s fantasy epic trilogy Fitz and the Fool. Sixteen hundred pages, each twice the size of a normal paperback. Wonderful intricate storytelling that has since had me unpicking parts of my current manuscript because suddenly the plot seems too simplistic. More obstacles needed!

How wonderful to realise the fascinating backstory was actually a preceding trilogy. Well three trilogies really. Nearby Merimbula had a wonderful second hand book store. Two more Farseer books have been purchased, seven to go.

I rediscovered an old unfinished piece of needlework and the meditative stillness of hours spent making little coloured cross-stiches.

I coloured in. Long before colouring was trendy and mindful, I fell in love with Derwent watercolour pencils and colouring in. The adult colouring surge brought me better choice in pictures to colour. I so love this book, One Year Wiser by Mike Medaglia which I found at the wonderful Dean Swift Books at Nowra when I was there to talk about Sad, the Dog as part of the Shoalhaven Superheroes weekend. In October.  One Year Wiser is an illustrated weekly meditation full of truisms such as John Keat’s personal January message for me: “The poetry of earth is never dead.”

Back home there was an extended family health issue to be addressed and the phone line was knocked out in a storm. No internet again. More reading. More craft. And the beginning of the great declutter. Over two hundred books dropped in to Lifeline for their Book fair and a trailor load of things taken away by the Council.

It seems social media is a habit and by this time I had let go. I didn’t any further on-line than to attend to emails – until last Friday when it was time to get back to work in earnest.

Don’t get me wrong, I love social media and being on-line. It’s an important part of my personal and professional community. It keeps me up to date and it keeps me sane. But I did enjoy the break and I’m finding myself refreshed and motivated in all directions when towards the end of 2015, a little malaise had crept in.

I think I’ll do it again next year. On purpose this time.

My Goal Setting with Trello

I like project plans and schedules and lists. I like lists best and that’s why I love Trello.

Trello can do them all but I like to keep things super easy to manage so my focus is on lists. Trello does that in a format that’s highly visual and easy use.

I’m starting the year using Trello to set personal and professional. If you’re looking for reasons why you should set goals, try these five reasons you should set big goals according to Lifehack.

For me, the reason is very basic – I like to know I’m achieving something, that I am growing as a person and that I have a defined direction to travel. Most of my goals aren’t big and most of them I expect to achieve this year. Many of them will be ongoing, year after year. Trello is the perfect tool to identify and manage them.

How to set goals with Trello

I created a board called Goals – to 2016 and Beyond. A little bit of Buzz Lightyear inspiration. Then I created five lists based on a template by Keith Gutierrezat at

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The possibilities are endless and Keith’s approach is more detailed, but in keeping with my criteria for simplicity I created 5 basic lists – What I Want to Do, What I Want to Do (Tech), Where I Want to Go, What I Want to Be and What I Want to Have.

Under each list I added cards representing brainstormed ideas which I’ll fine-tune – adding and deleting – until 31 December 2015.

For each goal I entered the month when I intend to begin work on it (1 = January)

I’m using coloured labels on each card to show the goal status using broad categories – green = going, blue = going, well yellow = stalled, red = not started and purple = achieved.

A little more detail sometimes

For some goals I created checklists attached to the cards to identify the steps or actions which will help me achieve the goal.

Here is the card information for my goal to “Present at the Kids & YA Festival” including a checklist, file attached and due date. Most of my cards don’t have these details. Only those which are time critical or where, in this case, I am working with another person. The due date will generate an email reminder 24 hours prior.

Images can also be added.

You can see a summary of the card details at the bottom of the card in the list.

At a glance I can see exactly where I’m at with very little maintenance and minimal setup time.

The Book Faeries Cometh

Source: Wikipedia. Creative Commons.

The Christmas book faeries came to visit me last week and left a string of lovely reviews for Sad, the Dog in places I never expected to see them – the Sydney Morning Herald, the weekend Spectrum (SMH), The Age and the New York Times.

Of course, there’s no such thing as book faeries but there was definitely magic happening and I’m thankful to the people behind it – the wonderful team at Walker Books Australia, friends and family, and all the enthusiastic readers who shouted wonderful things across social media.

The Sydney Morning Herald article was headed “Children’s Books of the Year” and here’s what the SMH and the Age had to say: Heartstrings get a workout in Sad, The Dog … This is a moving friendship story about reaching out to the vulnerable. 

And this is what The New York Times, Sunday Book Review had to say: ...a calm and quiet book. Quiet, but not boring; on each page, small details draw the reader’s eyes: a quizzical bird or two, a concerned mouse, a nervous garden gnome, a thoughtful face on a bunny slipper.

Totally unexpected. Totally amazing.

Befriend a Child in Detention

Some time ago I put my hand up to join the Befriend a Child in Detention project and write letters to children in the Nauru Detention Centre.

From the website: Befriend a Child in Detention is a community project committed to seeing an end to the detention of child asylum seekers. We aim to inspire and support compassionate Australians to make a positive connection with the children and families living in detention: to ameliorate their experience, to raise awareness of their circumstances, and to advocate for positive change.

It’s such a small gesture but with a big message and a massive impact – that people in Australia care. I was horrified to find the school had been closed and children were so bored that the power of a letter to brighten a day was almost magical.

How could I refuse a task like that? I’d written the letters to politicians and I’d signed the petitions but I wanted to something more “hands on” as well. Here was something concrete I could do.

It proved hard to begin. What do you say to a child at a time like this? In a place like Nauru? My heart wanted to say “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Over and over again. I am so embarrassed by what the government is doing on my behalf.

But I needed to be bright and cheerful. To focus on things that would make a child a little happier on a sad day in a sad place. So I talked about pets. And fish. And the turtle I found on the road and how I run really slow but I could still out run a turtle. I made origami dogs with smiley faces. I sent a SAE and I hope someone will write back. I’ll be writing again regardless.

You can do it too. Like the kids at Bell primary School:

All the instructions you need to become a penpal are here. Or you can buy these beautiful cards Gabi Wang made to raise money for the children detained on Nauru.

Discovering Art

Recently I was interviewed over on Word Mothers and I let slip that I was 46 when I discovered that I wanted to write for children.

This little snippet of age-based information was very popular on Twitter, retweeted a number of times. I doubt that anyone was particularly interested in my age. I’m guessing it struck a chord – we’re never to old to find a new love. I was lucky because I also conveniently discovered my new love loved me back - I could write well enough to be published.

Now eight years later (do the Math if you will, I would!), I have discovered something else. Art. Unfortunately this time I don’t have any talent and the love is a little one-sided but I don’t think that’s going to matter.

I’ve never been an art person.  Before I started writing (and collected a few illustrator works), I owned one framed print. I forget what it’s called.

It’s by Tavlos and it’s one of the Koshari coyote series but I can’t find it on the internet to give it a name.

If anyone knows, I’d love to hear. Maybe I’ll ask on Twitter tomorrow. The answers to all life’s questions can be found there. I bought it as a memory of my holiday in Taos, unaware it was sign of things to come.

Little by little, courtesy of hanging around with children’s illustrators and children’s authors, the art seeped in. For some time I’ve been reading Tania Mccartney’s blog, following her footprints as she journeys towards her illustration dream. I’m  inspired and I love her style, and I wish I could chase the same dream – but I know I haven’t got the talent for that.

Sad the Dog original artwork by Tull Suwannakit

I also lurk in a park near Baxter Street, Jen Storer’s blog. It’s a wonderfully creative place and Jen is in the middle of a year long on-line course, Year of the Spark, sharing her experiences along the way. That too requires more talent than what I’ve got. But it’s still inspiring stuff.

I wrote a picture book and met Tull Suwannakit who not only brought Sad the Dog to life but let me peek inside his creative processes and shared his art with me. To see what I mean, watch this video.

I purchased some water colour pencils – but nothing happened. They’re still sitting unused on my desk. I thought it’d be great to do classes with Tull, but he’s in Melbourne so that didn’t happen. I went to a friends exhibition and stood beside her art teacher waiting for a gap in the conversation to ask about lessons. It never came.

Two nights ago, I was reorganising my Pinterest boards in alphabetical order (yes, I know, very sad) and a phrase popped into my head. Naive art. What’s that, I wondered and clicked off to look. I don’t know where the words came from. I don’t know any art words. Perhaps I got them off Tania or Jen.

I loved what I found. I filled up an entire  Pinterest Board with ideas, so fast. I love the colours. I love the lack of proportions. I love the folk feel. I even think I can do this. At least well enough to be happy with my efforts. I can’t wait to start. As soon as I finish my current manuscript…

5 ANZ Books That Should be Made into Movies

To celebrate Al Tait’s mega exciting news that The Mapmaker Chronicles has been optioned for film, here’s my list of a further five books that would make excellent movies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spark - Rachael Craw.  Action romance, gorgeous leading man, gutsy leading lady, sci-fi thrills. What more could anyone want in a movie script?Why hasn’t anyone noticed this already?

The Fourteenth Summer of Angus Jack by Jen Storer. There are some amazing characters here, made for the big screen. Or animation. That would work really well too.

Fairytales for Wilde Girls by Allyse Near. Because I can hardly ever see pictures in my head and I can see this. Scary. Creepy. Suspenseful.

Two Wolves by Tristan Bancks. Great narrative storytelling and a spectacular setting.

The First Third by Will Kostakis. The whole theatre would laugh and laugh and they’d all be better people for having watched it.

When writers are not writing…

When writers are not writing… sometimes they make hats.

When Di Bates asked me if I’d like to come to a felt hat making class she was hosting, I thought: Why not. I’m always keen to learn a new craft and while I’m not a hat person, there are murmurs of change there. Last winter I discovered how warm beanies are.

Di Bates – author of Awesome Cats & Awesome Dogs & creator of awesome felt craft

First, a message to all would-be felt-hat-making debutantes. This is not a craft for the faint-hearted. No gentle click of knitting needles. No calming swirls of coloured paint.

There’s a lot of thumping, rolling and twisting. By the time the session is over (block out 6 hours in your diary) – your wrists will ache, your feet will hurt and your back will be complaining.

To begin, you create four layers of wool on a base. The turn it over and add another four layers. This is the fun part. Playing with coloured wool and shiny threads.

This the hard work part. You press – and rub – with soap and water. And do it again. Multiple times over. Then roll, one way, horizontally, with force, thirty times. Then the other way, vertically, with force, thirty times. Then diagonally thirty times. Twice. With more force.  Felt hat making is a complete upper body work out.

Now to shrink it. Into hot water, you squelch and wring mostly dry. But still heavy enough to make it hard to knead. Yes – like bread but twice as tough to do. And roll. Thirty times this way and that. Knead and roll, repeat the whole knead and toll process – three times if you’re lucky. I needed six.

You get the idea? Damn hard work.

But in the end – a pretty cool looking hat. One an author would be proud to wear at their next school visit.

Blog Tour: Jo-Kin Battles the It

Today I am pleased to welcome Karen Tyrrell to my blog. Karen is well-known as a children’s author and a spokeswoman for resilience issues. I asked Karen to share her thoughts on book promotion and her new release, Jo-Kin Battles the It.

How I Promoted Jo-Kin Battles the It

Let me introduce you to Captain Astra, guardian of the galaxy, protector of your BRAIN. In reality please meet author Karen Tyrrell, award winning resilience author who helps kids live strong with humour, teamwork, resilience and brain power.

1   W hen did you begin to plan the promotion phase of Jo-Kin Battles the It?

I started developing a book promotion plan six months before the launch date.  First I booked the launch date and then book signing events at Dymocks, Angus & Robertson and book stores; I researched who my target audience was and where I could find them.

2    What’s the most important element of a book promotion plan?

There are SO many important elements of a successful book promotion plan. I would say the most VIP is the visible events: book launch, book signing events at reputable book stores and author talks in schools. This gives your new book credibility and endorsements. Another VIP element is book reviews from multiple reputable reviewers.

3    How does  Social Media helps sell books?

Social media is HUGE in selling your book. Social media creates intrigue, interest and helps spread the word. Concentrate on blogging on your website, posting it on Facebook, creating a new book page and Facebook events stemming from that page. Don’t forget Google plus, twitter, Linked in and Pinterest. Try to post something every day with a photo.

4    What advice would you give to an author preparing their first book promotion plan?

 Create a pro-active promotion plan well in advance.
 Book your launch early at a popular venue that promotes their events too.
Approach book stores for book signing events. Book early.
 Seek reviews from reputable book reviewers. Encourage them to post on Goodreads, Amazon and social media.
Organize a two week blog tour with supportive and well-known authors and writers with a mixture of interviews, reviews and info blog articles…like this one.
 Create eye-catching flyers for all your Facebook events and posts on social media.

Jo-Kin Battles the It Blog Tour

19 Oct Dee White http://writingclassesforkids.com/writing-an-illustrated-novel-with-karen-tyrrell/

20 Oct Di Bates http://diannedibates.blogspot.com.au/2015/10/jo-kin-battles-it.htmlREVIEW

21 Oct Alison Stegert http://ali-stegert.com/2015/10/21/blog-tour-jo-kin-battles-the-it/ How to Write KIDS Sci-Fi

Jackie Hosking https://jackiehoskingpio.wordpress.com/2015/10/21/jo-kin-battles-the-it-my-book-journey

22 Oct Georgie Donaghey  http://www.creativekidstales.com.au/whats-new/tours-at-the-tales/1319-jo-kin-battles-the-it-karen-tyrrell

23 Oct Robyn Opie http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com.au/ Review

25 Oct Rebecca Sheraton http://www.rebeccasheraton.com/blogImagine!

26 Oct Sandy Fussell http://www.sandyfussell.com  How to Promote your Book

27 OctJill Smith https://authorjillsmith.wordpress.com/ Review

Melissa Wray http://melissawray.blogspot.com.au

28 Oct June Perkins http://gumbootspearlz.org Interview

29 Oct Sally Odgers http://promotemeplease.blogspot.com.au  Story behind Jo-Kin!

30 Oct Kate Foster http://www.katejfoster.com/blogHow & Why Sci-Fi?

 

Jo-Kin Battles the It Book Giveaway

Win a signed copy of Jo-Kin Battles the It OR one of four eBooks of Jo-Kin Battles the It OR signed artwork from the illustrator, Trevor Salter.

For a chance to WIN please like Karen’s Super Space Kids book series page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SuperSpaceKids and

Please leave a comment on any of the above Blog stops 19-30 Oct.

Winners announced in November. Good luck

 Where to buy Jo-Kin Battles the It

Jo-Kin Battles the It is available direct from the author, from Amazon, LSI, Fishpond and book shops such as Riverbend in Brisbane, Dymocks: Penrith, Carindale, Garden City. Angus & Robertson: Victoria Point & Post Office Square, Mary Ryans Milton.

MORE stores coming soon.

 

The Story Crowd at Black Rock Primary

It’s been four months since Jodie Wells-Slowgrove and I launched The Story Crowd, bringing literature festivals to primary schools. It’s a lot of fun and a lot of hard work whcih has left me knowing more than I want to know about tax, GST, business law and special superannuation provisions for arts performers.

Here I am caught out talking about myself… again

Finally I can breathe (the GST return is done) and reflect on what was to be a slow, steady, small beginning after Book Week but instead was an urgent last-minute mid-Book Week rescue mission to Melbourne. It was a baptism of fire in every way and the business model came through just fine with a little tweaking here and there.

As always the very best part of any school visit is the feedback from the kids. Here’s an email I received a few days later:

The book mum bought for me was Polar Boy. I absolutely loved it because it was full of stuff from the Arctic and had a twist, which was he thought he had to face a bear but he had to face a viking. I also like the part when Iluak dies. I love your books. Keep on writing.

I’m always surprised how many young readers like the chapter about Iluak’s near-death experience where he falls through the ice and as hypothermia sets in, sees the Inuit death raven. I’ve had some deep philosophical discussion – and very hard questions – about whether i the raven is real or imagined.

I think it’s pretty obvious I have one of the best jobs in the world.