Tomorrow I am off to Brisbane, where I am speaking at the Brisbane Writers Festival, word play 2009 for young readers, writers and illustrators. I have three sessions speaking to students in the flesh and one online session. I’m looking forward to it. I hope to see some of my Queensland-based readers there.
It has been a loooong time since I wrote a blog. This is because I have been overseas for a month and then suffering from horrible jetlag. I went to UK to do some research for a new novel. I went with my daughter Lili and she is blogging about some of the things we … Continued
My Ramose series, set in ancient Egypt, is being released in a new format in Australia. The first book in the series and the second book are together in a new edition called The Valley of the Tombs. Here is the new cover. I think it looks terrific. Next year the second volume will be … Continued
I recently had a query from Tristan Bancks (writer of the Mac Slater, Cool Hunter books) about how I keep my research in order. Actually, I’m not very good at keeping my research in order. I lose things all the time (eg. this morning). So I thought if I did a blog about it, someone might have suggestions … Continued
This is the third in a series of blogs about the way I write books. So assuming my publisher didn’t hate my synopsis, it’s time to start writing. For me, this initial draft is the hardest part of the process. I can easily talk myself into doing a bit more planning or a bit more … Continued
Like many people I am worried about climate change. I got so angry about the Australian Federal Government’s pathetic Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, that I have joined my local climate action group, Yarra Climate Action Now (YCAN). The targets are way too low and will not result in the emissions reduction that scientists tells us … Continued
I’m pleased to announce that the UK edition of Dragon Dawn will be released on 4 June. Here is the UK cover. Pretty cool isn’t it? Just to remind you, Dragon Dawn is a prequel to the Dragon Keeper Trilogy. It is set 100 years before Dragon Keeper when Danzi was younger and more sprightly, … Continued
I recently received an email from a reader in the US. She was taking issue with the Chinese language puzzles that feature in Dragon Moon. She was learning Chinese and she thought I had got something wrong. I realised that her confusion was because the illustrations of the map that Ping follows don’t appear in … Continued
Yesterday we had a photo shoot in the lounge room. My daughter Lili and I both needed new author shots. When authors get invited to speak at festivals etc, the organisers usually like you to send them a photo for their brochure. You have to have a reasonably recent photo, otherwise when you arrive they … Continued
This is the second in a series of blogs about the way I write. It’s not the only way to write a book. It’s just my way. So I’ve already got a premise, a story idea. I’ve worked out when and where the story is set. I’ve got a main character. That’s when I start … Continued