Rankin's Springs visit

Thank you Rankin's Springs Public School for inviting me along to their Book Week assembly on Tuesday. Some wonderful costumes and very well run by the senior students. :)

Ungarie visit and a great Review!

Two wonderful things happened today. First, I spent a terrific morning at Ungarie Central School to kick off Book Week. I received a very warm welcome and the students were full of great ideas and questions. Secondly, The Big Beet received an amazing review from Jackie Hosking in her weekly e-zine for writers, Pass It On. Jackie has been kind enough to allow me to reprint the review here, so cheers Jackie :) BOOK REVIEWS THE BIG BEET written by Lynn Ward illustrated by Adam Carruthers published by Omnibus Books (an imprint of Scholastic) ISBN: 978-1-86291-966-2 Reviewed by Jackie Hosking You know when you read a book and you think, gee I wish I'd written that? Well that's exactly what I thought when I read this little gem. What a hoot! Written in rollicking rhyme - I love the word rollicking, THE BIG BEET has a beaut beat and begins... 'I'll fire up the gas and start making tea, said Mr McGruff (known as Bertie Magee) 'I don't want a stew,' said Mrs McGruff. 'I fancy a burger - with salad and stuff.' And so begins this hilarious tale of the very stubborn beetroot that refuses to budge (much like the giant turnip, if you can remember that one). Mr McGruff is content to have canned...But Thel (Mrs McGruff) replies 'No, we'll get it out. I'll give you a hand. This little chant is repeated throughout the book and adds so much - it's really very clever. So all jealousy aside, I'd like to congratulate Lynn and Adam and Scholastic for a terrifically wonderful book that combines the themes of cooperation, persistence and healthy eating!!

So You Want to Write a Picture Book

So you want to write a picture book? I am just into my teens as a picture book writer. Still spotty, gangly and slightly awkward in writerly terms. I’ve been slogging away, learning my craft, for about thirteen or fourteen years and I consider that time to be my apprenticeship in the business. It was about ten years in before I got my first picture book acceptance, although along the way I had stories published in magazines and e-mags. I have a picture book on the shelves now, (The Big Beet, Scholastic, 2013) and a book due out next year (Sally Snickers’ Knickers, Walker Books, 2014) but I’m still learning and I guess I always will be. However, I am happy to pass on a few things I’ve gleaned from my experience. Writing for Children is Easy. Yeah, right. Picture books may appear to be a cute, quick exercise for the would-be writer. I’ve heard people say, ‘I want to write. I think I’ll just write a kids’ book first because that will be easier.’ Hmmm, good luck with that. Writing for children isn’t easy and, though surprising to some, writing a picture book is particularly difficult. Word Count In general, picture books are no longer than 1000 words, though more often between 500 to 700 words. A good picture book can even be 300 words or less. The Big Beet is 650 words. The Story Your picture book should have a beginning, middle and end, just like any other story. The challenge is to fit all that into 500 words or so. For that reason, every word must count. You need to audition your words, make them earn their place in your manuscript. If there is a better word out there, find it, pay it whatever it is asking, and employ it in your manuscript. You need the very best cast if you are going to direct your picture book onto the publishing stage, get past opening night, and enjoy a long and successful run My advice is to start off by writing your story, put in everything you want to say, and then cut most of it out  • Amputate all unnecessary adjectives and adverbs. • Extract the unnecessary descriptions. Remember, this is a picture book, description is pretty much the illustrator’s job. • Pull out two or three words if they can be replaced with one. Be succinct. The Three Rs Picture books should have RHYTHM. They are the Rock ’n’ Rollers of the book world. Sometimes, they might also have RHYME, and most times, like a great rock ’n’ roll song, they will have REPETITION. If you research ‘getting a picture book published’ you will probably find warnings, in big red letters, with a skull and crossbones (well, maybe not the crossbones) that say EDITORS HATE RHYME – Rhymers will be prosecuted (or unpublished, whichever comes first). And there is actually a good reason for these dire warnings. Bad rhyme sucks. And good rhyme is difficult to do. There is a lot to learn about rhyming and I certainly can’t give even my limited knowledge of it here, but the most important thing to remember is: DO NOT FORCE YOUR RHYME. Rhyme is like a stubborn teenager. If it doesn’t want to fit, don’t try to make it. Don’t jiggle the words in your sentence around just so that they rhyming word ends up at the end. It will sound stilted and forced. And do take into account where the emphasis falls in a word. Handle doesn’t rhyme with expel. Similar endings, sure, but the emphasis in handle is hand and the emphasis in expel is ex. It would be like putting a lion in the giraffe’s pen simply because they have similar tails. Where to Start? Where should your story begin? The beginning of course, I hear you say. You did say it, I heard you! But…once you’ve written out your story you may find that the action starts in the middle. What comes before it may be simply ‘set-up’. You can’t afford too much set-up in a picture book. Your readers are 3 – 8 year olds. If they don’t see something interesting by page 3, you’ve lost them. In the first sentence or paragraph, or at least the first or second spread, GRAB your reader by the lapels, shake him and say “Look! How cool is this book? You’ll LOVE it!” Point of View What about who is telling the story? Is it a 3rd person narrator? Would your story benefit from being told by one of the characters instead? Whatever point of view you decide upon, stick with it throughout the story. Don’t change about and confuse your reader. Tense Another thing you shouldn’t change (unless you’re doing flashback segments – unlikely in a picture book) is the tense. Choose the tense that works best for your story (try different ones if your story isn’t quite working) but keep it consistent throughout. Ideas Ideas for picture books can come from anywhere – a snippet of conversation overheard at the bus stop; a funny or poignant image you witnessed; even a few words of text that pop into your head and stubbornly run around until you write them down. Ideas are plentiful, but using them in a unique and exciting way is the challenge. Back off! Step away from the manuscript. Put down your pen. Lay your keyboard at your feet and slowly back away. Put your manuscript in a virtual (or literal) bottom drawer and work on something else for awhile. Of go and have a life outside of your manuscript for a bit. Give yourself a week or two, or even a month or two, and after you have let your masterpiece brew for that time, pull it out and pretend you are a judge on MasterChef. Is your manuscript risen like proudly puffed-up dough, full-bodied and ready for the publishing oven? Or is it a flat, uninteresting pancake, lacking in flavour and in fermentation? It is more than likely to be somewhere in between these two extremes. Tweak what needs to be tweaked. Read it ALOUD. Have someone else read it ALOUD to you. That’s when you will hear the clunks in your text. And if you don’t hear any clunks, but only sweet, rhythmic sounds that caress your ears and your heart? Then, send it off to a publisher and start work on your next book.

School Visits

Hi all I have a busy couple of weeks coming up with school visits. Friday, August 2nd, I visited Tullibigeal Central School, where my children attended school (one still does :) ) and both my husband and I attended there as well. Not only that but I am a former staff member so my ties to the school are fairly securely knotted :) The morning was a great success and I was made to feel very welcome by both students and staff. I did a reading of The Big Beet and we all admired Adam's wonderful illustrations. I will add a photo soon. I will be visiting Ungarie Central School next Monday, Naradhan Public School next Thursday, and then Lake Cargelligo Pre-School and Lake Cargelligo Central School during the following week. I have been overwhelmed with the support I have been given by my local district. This is the best job in the world :) I'm having trouble navigating the new layout so I haven't yet worked out how to add sites to my favourites list again, but the following two blogs have given The Big Beet a nice review and I'd like to direct any readers to their site. MMM: www.modernmummymayhem.com/2013/08/big-beet-lynn-ward/ My Little Sunshine House: mylittlesunshinehouse.com/the-big-beet-by-lynn-ward/ Both blogs are worth checking out if you have young children. Cheers for now, Lynn

It's HERE!!!

Pitter Patter Pitter Patter Stomp Stomp Stomp...that's me doing my happy dance after receiving the first copies of THE BIG BEET from Scholastic!!! Adam Carruther's illustrations are wonderful and I can't quite believe how exciting it is to have my words in print and soon to be on the shelves.

Adam Carruther's illustrates The Big Beet!

Oh my Gosh! Marketing and technology are obviously not my strong suits. I have been away from this blog for a veeeery long time, I'm so sorry x Wonderful excitement going on here though. @Adam Carruthers has done some awesome illustrations for The Big Beet, which is due for release by Scholastic in August!I'm looking forward to seeing my first picture book on the shelves.

Picture Idea Month

Tara Lazar taralazar.wordpress.com is running a competition to inspire picture book writers. The idea is to come up with a new picture book idea everyday during the month of November. I'm very excited about it and looking forward to the challenge. http://taralazar.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/piboidmo-official-sign-up-starts-today-right-here-right-now/

Picture Book Number TWO!

I was doing a little happy dance around my lounge room tonight after receiving another acceptance for a picture book!

Scholastic Omnibus are interested in publishing "The Big Beet" and I am awaiting the contract with bated breath.

I have already signed with Walker Books for the publication of "Sally Snicker's Knickers" so keep your eye out for them on the shelves in the next 12 months or so.

WooHoo!

picture book coming soon

Hi,
I've been having negotiations with a very large publishing house regarding publishing one of my picture book manuscripts - at this point I'm waiting on the contract in the mail :) (can't wait!) The publishing process is a very long one, especially as this publisher has a very full list, so it won't come out until around 2013, but it will be worth the wait :)

on writing for children...

I had my first public speaking engagement last Thursday. Very scary. I was quite pleased to be asked actually, as other than online I don't get the chance to talk about my passion to many people. However, I was presenting to a group of Service Club members, rather than a group interested in children's writing,so I did find it a difficult ask.
I'm not sure how many of the audience were really interested in children's writing but it was good practice for me in public speaking (there you go, I'm planning on doing a few more obviously :) )
The following link:

http://www.katrinagermein.com/blog/ten-things-not-to-say-to-a-childrens-author/

is Katrina Germein's blog with some questions that children's writers get asked quite often.

I didn't get these questions myself although I think it's possible some of them were considered even though left unasked :)

Cheers
Lynn

Ballarat Writers' Festival

I spent a lovely weekend travelling down to Ballarat for the Writers' Festival, which was being run for the first time in five years. The Festival focused on Children's and Young Adult writing so I was keen to go along, even though it involved a 16 hr round-trip. The drive down, firstly through country NSW and then through country Victoria, was beautiful. Lush greenery replaced the dry, brown barreness of the last few years and we could feel the first days of Spring had well and truly sprung.
The Festival began with a dinner on Friday night and was held in the wonderful Alexandria on Lydiard. I have to admit it was a little nerve wracking heading off to dinner, when I knew not a soul in the room, however I met some very entertaining and interesting people who made me feel very welcome.
The Saturday consisted of a number of sessions including 'Picture Books - to Rhyme or not to Rhyme', which of course interested me greatly. Another session I really enjoyed was the feedback session from the editors. The last session of the day consisted of the three visiting editors critiquing a section of entries in the First Page competition. This provided very valuable insights into what editors are looking for and what we, as writers, can do differently when submitting.Congratulations to the organisers of the Festival, you obviously haven't lost the knack, even after five years.
It was nice to be able to meet in person a couple of people I had otherwise only known as Facebook writer friends. It's always good to put the face to the name.
The drive home was again a pleasure, although a tiring one, but I think we were very lucky we drove on the Sunday and not today (Monday) as the Victorian townships we came through have since been deluged with flooding. My thoughts go out to those affected and I hope the damage is not too great.

Hoping for good news soon

Hello all,
I'm sorry I haven't been posting many poems of late, but I've been concentrating on my submissions, one of which has been received very favourably by a very well known and respected publisher. I can't say too much until I have a contract in my hot little hands but it sounds very promising ( she says as she jumps up and down on the spot with glee :) )Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive in my quest for publication in picture book format.
Please keep all your fingers and toes crossed for me and I'll let you know as soon as I have something definite.
Cheers
Lynn

Caught - Again!

I will Never, EVER go out of the house in trackies and slippers again. NEVER EVER! Why is it that the one time you tell yourself 'I'll only be gone 5 minutes, I don't need to put my face on. Who cares if I haven't showered yet? I'll just throw on the trackies, slip into my uggs, drop my daughter off to her mate's place and be back before anyone sees me" is the very time you get a flat on the main road? Two hours later ( and a bill for $141.50 for a travel mug - with a free new rear tyre for the car thrown in ) and I was back home. Good thing I didn't leave the stove on I suppose. :) Gotta smile.

Note to self - dry your hair and put on your face! Don't look at me like that! Off you go this minute!

Note to self: Do not assume that because you are working at home you can do away with any worries about your appearance.
I was sitting enjoying my cup of tea when I had to shuffle to the door in my trackie dacks for a Country Energy worker. With my face bare of even a scraping of moisturiser, hair lank and limp from the shower and with the bleary eyes of one not yet focused on the day's to-do list, I am convinced this poor man back-pedalled as I opened the door. I can only take comfort in the fact that he was not accompanied by small children who may very well have been scarred for life.

an Ode to the Shirking of Housework

I sat, this morning, on my much under-utilised side verandah, enjoying a steaming cup of coffee and basking in the warmth of the pre-work day sun. The verandah is north-facing, running the side depth of the house and is a glorious spot for contemplation, yet I never make use of it. The barbeque, which sits at one end, is layered with a deep red dust blanket, spiders have squatted in the underside of the chairs and small pockets of cobweb adorn the ceiling and the terrible, gnawing guilt at the state of the place scraped annoyingly against my pleasure, threatening to ruin the moment.
I almost gave in to the shame of my wanton neglect of all things housework, musing for a minute or two on whether I should abandon the cuppa for a broom. I resisted the urge however, relegating the job instead to the to-do list for the day, and deciding to simply enjoy the moment.
Rather, I opted to admire the arachnids' artwork, a glittering veil in the sunlight, strung between chair legs and across leaf blowers, woven with such intricacy that I felt it worthy of my arrogant disregard for the menial job of cleaning them off.
And, after a respectful time at the altar of nature's wonder, I came inside and blogged, thereby beginning my work day with writing. Aaah, the start to a perfect day, the avoidance of house-work, and using it as an excuse to write.
Cheers
Lynn

Further to Increasing Word Count

Check out Dee White's blog tour as she visits Robyn Opie to talk about this very subject. I related to Robyn's story totally. http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com/  http;//www.robynopie.blogspot.com/
Not sure if this will work as a link but just copy and paste the address if not. Happy reading. Cheers, Lynn
Link didn't seem to show up so I've just typed in the address.

Increasing your word count

Hello all,
School holidays are over and many of us are back to the routine that school terms bring. Whilst I was still working during the hols I did find there was some extra time to spend on writing, which in my case meant an edit of a mid-grade chapter book manuscript, which included adding 1500 words. I added an extra chapter, and extended another, because I felt the manuscript might suit a particular series, which required 10,000 words.
Having to bump up your word count presents certain problems. If not given sufficient thought it is easy to simply 'pad' your present manuscript, meaning the extra words add little to the story. However, in this case I was able to go back to ideas which had been swirling around in my head about the story but didn't end up making it into the manuscript. After sleeeping on the problem and cogitating while driving etc, I found that the original ideas would meld in nicely to the story, and, more importantly, 'add' something to it.
How do others feel about having to add (or subtract) from their stories? I'd love to hear from you.
Happy writing
Lynn

Happy New Year

Hi, best wishes to all for the new year. May 2010 be productive, profitable and pleasurable.
I sent off a number of submissions in November 09, and have already had a couple of rejections. Receiving a rejection for one's work  doesn't seem to get any easier, even though I have been in this field for a number of years now. I go through down periods after a few rejections and assume that all my work is unworthy, but I have to remind myself that I have had some great feedback on some of my writing, including one picture book manuscript which made it as far as an aquisitions meeting at a very well-known and highly respected publishing house. The feedback from competition wins is also a great boost. I am still trying to learn that because a manuscript doesn't appeal to one publisher it doesn't mean it won't fit perfectly with another.
For all those who may be just starting out, or have dreams of writing, (be it for children, YA or adults) keep learning, keep up-to-date with what is going on in the industry, keep track of what is being published and KEEP WRITING :)
Best wishes
Lynn

My Monster

I had a monster that lived under my bed.
(You know the one, he had horns on his head.)

Well, he’s gone! Vanished. Poof! Into the sky.
He’s left me alone and I think I know why.

It was all that kerfuffle that went on last night
I’m sure that it gave him a terrible fright.

He was minding his business, just picking at fluff.
He’d arranged my old gum –‘one more chew’ or ‘too tough’.

He’d sorted my socks, had them neatly in pairs…
When he heard a big bump on the tread of the stairs.

He curled up in a corner and he tucked in his knees.
He lay very still and he held in a sneeze.

If Mum hadn’t looked where she shouldn’t have peeked,
If she’d left my gum wrappers, she wouldn’t have shrieked.

And if she hadn’t screamed and gone off her tree,
There’d still be us…my monster and me.

Mum says that the monster had never been there,
It was just an old pillow that gave her a scare.

She said it had been there for weeks-“What a sight!”
-and it was that, not a monster, that gave her a fright.

Well, I’m not coming out from under these covers
Till my monster comes back, despite meddling mothers.

Thar She Blows!

I ate some chips and chocolate
Chowed down on cheddar cheese
I had parsley, pies and pumpkin
And a pot of mushy peas.

I gorged on goose and gravy
Grossed out on gumbo greens
I shovelled in some shellfish
And ten tangy tangerines.

I reached out for a smidgen more
But my tummy roared and rumbled
It swelled up like a big balloon
It groaned… It growled… It grumbled.

“Look out! She’s going to blow!” they called
And they scattered, far and wide,
Before my tum erupted…
And lost all it had inside.

Dippy Eggs

Eggs for dinner
One Two Three
Here’s some more, come and see

Four Five Six
They’re brown and fat
Put them into Poppy’s hat

Check the nest
Of big black hen
Now there’s Seven Eight Nine Ten

We’ll have them boiled
With dippy toast
For dinner I like eggs the most

My Pigeon

My pigeon just pooped on my teacher
‘Plop’ down the end of his nose
It slid to the tip
Then dropped on his lip
And pooled in the hair on his toes.

Stilettos

My alligator wears stilettos
from the very best up-market shop
He pays a fair price
and they're ever so nice
but they're made from his nan and his pop

The Zit

There’s a zit and it sits
On the end of my nose.
It’s pink and it’s plump
And each day it grows.

But although it’s humungous
That isn’t the worst –
It’s full of white pus
And it’s ready to burst.

The problem is this,
It’s really quite simple,
I can’t see the nose
At the end of my pimple!

Thank you

Thank you to the lovely people who left comments on my poetry. As you who are writers will know, it is a great boost to your creativity to have some positive feedback. Having the blog has also given me the impetus to write more, and more often, which is great.
Cheers
Lynn

My Sister has a 'Blog'

Hi, this blog must be playing on my mind... this new poem is about a blog.


My sister says she has a ‘blog’
(I notice she’s been scratching)
I don’t know what a ‘blog’ is
But I hope it isn’t catching.

Though, I really think it might be,
Because Mum now has one too
I hope they keep it to themselves
I really do not want the flu

Of course I blame the internet
I’ve warned them of the dangers
They’re always on their laptops
-who knows what you’ll catch from strangers?

But I didn’t know computers
Were susceptible to wogs
Now mine has got a virus
I bet it’s caught one of those ‘blogs’.

"I'm thick, I'm thick!"

I have the flu
I do, I do!
My nose is thtuffed
Like glue, like glue.

My eyes are running
My throat is thore
My tongue feels like
A thawmill floor

My head is pounding
Like a drum
Atum, atum,
ATUM, TUM, TUM!

I need the bathroom
I need it quick
Out of the way,
I’m thick, I’m thick!

Bleech, bleuch,
Ooops! Watch your feet,
Mmm..that feels better.
What’s to eat?

I Have a Pet...

I have a pet constrictor
He’s making me quite worried
I think he wants to eat me
Deep-fried, or maybe curried.

I have a pet tarantula
His legs are long and hairy
I can’t take him for show and tell -
my teacher’s much too scary.

I have a pet orang-utan
He’s making me quite cross
His breath smells like a monkey
And he won’t use dental floss.

I have a pet rhinoceros
His horn is made of hair
He doesn’t let me plait it
I think it’s quite unfair.

I have a pet triceratops
He thinks he’s still alive.
(I suppose that I could tell him,
But I don’t think I’d survive)

I have a pet hibiscus
But I think she has a fault.
She never goes for walkies
And she doesn't seem to moult.

This is a poem that a couple of people wanted to read, which prompted me to finally get my blog off the ground. Many of my poems would benefit from accompanying illustrations as I tend to write with pictures in my head, so I hope you can all picture your own versions of my favourite yak :)

There’s a bump
On the hump
Of my favourite yak
But it’s not on the front, and it’s not on the back.

So the lump
On his hump
Makes him lean to one side
And I slide off my seat when I go for a ride.

A new bump
On his hump
To the right of his head
might make him stand up - or it might leave him dead.

Heellloooo out there!!!

Hello all ( or none, as the case may be :) )
Welcome to my Blog!
I am very new to this but have been meaning to get into blogging for quite awhile. Please bear with me while I get used to this.

I will post some of my children's poetry here and am quite happy to take your comments. Please try not to be too harsh.

Cheers
Lynn