when THIS becomes THAT

It started as a seaside sculpture that’d been YARN-BOMBED. The community of Holdfast Bay, SA, including me, KNITTED, CROCHETED and finally STITCHED wool scraps around the metal creation called RHYTHM.

The brightly coloured shape ENLIVENED the environment and gave FUN and PLEASURE to all for a month.

But what was to happen to the sculptured pieces afterwards? Had they reached their used-by date?

My picture book, SHIRL AND THE WOLLOMBY SHOW provided the answer.

The resolution of Shirl the Sheep’s problem was to use remnants of knitting and create a SCARECROW.

With the help of artist, Violet Cooper, the Holdfast Bay Community Development Officer, Jenni Reynolds organised a children’s workshop, called SCRAPPY SCARECROWS.

At the workshop we created Rex the Scarecrow, and his friends, Harry the Duck and Scare-Dog.

Meet Rex the Scarecrow, Harry the Duck and Scare-dog.

At the moment they’re display treasures at the local libraries . . .but after that? Well, they’ll be off to live in a newly created Community Garden in North Glenelg, SA.

Just where a scarecrow and friends should be!

What a lovely recycling story.

Melbourne and More!

Loved my time in Melbourne recently!

Had a great meeting with Erica Wagner, publisher of Allen & Unwin who will be publishing my next book: a picture-poetry book called Village Child, illustrated by the multi-award winning, talented Anne Spudvilas, due out in 2014.

Anne's rough of the book's intro

A brief but nice catch-up with my agent, Jacinta di Mase and her children, at the State Library of Victoria Children's Book Festival.

I was blown away, so impressed, with this well-attended event. I heard approximately 15,000 families and children enjoyed the day.

Me just arrived at the Random House tent to promote my picture book, Meet Ned Kelly,  illustrated by Matt Adams.

While I read the book, during the afternoon, over a hundred children had fun making their own Ned Kelly masks. 

Also spied in the crowds, friends and writing colleagues Claire Saxby and Meredith Costain. 

Thanks Random House and thanks Melbourne.

Kids Day at Adelaide Writers' Week

Beneath huge, leafy plane trees and among its shadows are hundreds or readers and writers and tents and children dressed up or listening and watching creators in the Story Tent.

It's Kids Day at the highly-regarded Adelaide Writers' Week and the first time the free festival has been held annually.

I was especially chuffed to be asked to present in the Story Tent. Why? I had my two new picture books, I'm a dirty dinosaur and Meet Ned Kelly, to read and celebrate! The tent was full to overflowing with toddlers, older children, parents, grandparents and others interested.

It was a great time. And my new books sold out.

The Next Big Thing blog trail

 Please join me as I answer questions in The Next Big Thing blog trail.

1.     

What is the working title of your next book?

            That boy, Jack.  (published by Walker Books, Australia)

2.     

Where did the idea come from for the book?

The idea developed over a long period of time and mainly from reoccurring visits to a place called Moonta in Yorke Peninsular, in South Australia. I’d visited this place as a child and as an adult, and it always intrigued me because of the little tiny, Cornish cottages dotted about the area, which had once been a thriving copper mining district. I always felt a strong pull to the place and when I discovered that I, like thousands of South Australians and indeed, Australians, were descendants of the Cornish who left Cornwall and the tin mines for a better life in Australia (and also in USA), I became more interested.

Suddenly, I had a heritage that I’d known nothing about.

As a child I had also read about the 19^th century British reformer, Lord Shaftsbury, who argued in parliament for laws to stop children under the age of 10 from working underground in coalmines. Yet, in the Cornish Museum in Moonta, I saw a photo of young boys working as picky boys for long hours each day, sorting ore hauled up from the mines.

Another totally different aspect was added to these memories and images. Having spent many years as a Junior Primary and Primary teacher, I was horrified to discover the cruel treatment handed out in bygone days to children in schools who used their left-hand, their dominant hand. The children were punished, often caned and many had their left hand tied or strapped, to prevent it being used, thus forcing the child to write with his/her right or proper hand.

After more research into the Cornish social history, I penned a short story, incorporating those earlier thoughts and newfound knowledge, and sent it to an educational publisher, hoping it would suit their brief. When it was rejected, the story lay low for many years. However, I later rewrote it as a novel, and in 2003, Penguin Books Australia showed initial interest. But the concept of novel writing eluded me. I was more used to writing smaller works. After more than 20 complete rewrites and countless drafts, Walker Books finally accepted it in 2012!

3.

What genre does your book fall under?

            Children’s historical fiction, age 9 - 13

4.

What actors would you choose to play the parts of your characters in a movie rendition?

Don’t know.

5.

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

In the early copper mining township of Moonta, South Australia, 11-year-old Jack struggles with decisions; to stay at school or follow his friend to the mines, but whatever way he turns there’s both adventure and conflict, with family, friends and his own real fears.

6.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

The book will be published by Walker Books, Australia in May, 2013, and represented by my agent, Jacinta di Mase.

7.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

As I said, the book’s grown from a short story and it was more than ten years, with over 20 re-writes and dozens more drafts, before being accepted.

8.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

The series:

            Our Australian Girl             (Penguin)

            My Australian Story (Scholastic)

The wind is silver  by Thurley Fowler

Boy of the Mines  by Trish Stringer

9.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

            I once read a book, set in the early mining days of Moonta. It was called Not only in stone by Phyllis Somerville and it described the life and times of an early, Cornish mining family. It was so rich and evocative, both in characterisation and emotion, that it had an enduring effect on me. I think that’s probably what opened my heart to writing about this era and this place.

10.

What else might pique a reader’s interest?

           

*How much children in earlier times were required to work in adult industries and the changes that have come about in Western countries. Child labour still prevails in 3^rd World countries.

            * How values and language of another immigrant group can be melded into a country’s own culture, enriching it and making it unique.

-0-

           

 Next Wednesday 20 February 20, visit Lorraine Marwood on The Next Big Thing blog trail . lorrainemarwoodwordsintowriting.blogspot.com

Read to my child.http://readtomychild.com.au/stories

Here's a great link for you or your child to hear a variety of stories read by Jasmine, a passionate presenter and coordinator of the site.

Right now, click onto the link below and enjoy my popular award-winning picture book, Where does Thursday go?

http://readtomychild.com.au/stories

Plotting Eddie Pipper

Eddie Pipper is a chapter book for children 7+, published by New Frontier.

Eddie desperately wants a penguin as a pet, but big problems arise when he tries to get one.

Here was the question put to me by another author:

I was wondering about your Eddie Pipper book? Would you say that you planned out the whole story before writing it or did you plan some and then other parts fell into place?

Here's my answer:

I did start the story with a premise: a boy wanted a penguin for a pet. (based on a comment from my grandson)

Because the brief asked specifically for humour (and kids love it and I like writing it, though it's hard at times!) I knew that Eddie had to be all consumed. That everything had to spin off this obsession of getting a penguin. The way he saw things, interpreted things and his motivation in all things had to spring from this source.

In the prelim work, I interviewed Eddie. I wrote down questions and then wrote down what I imagined he said. Also, apart from his penguin obsession, I gave him a 'fault'; that is, 'forgetting'.

So after I had a character with a strong, all-consuming goal and a fault to provide problems, and exploring some further inroads into his character and family set-up by means of interviews, I began to jot down any little scenarios which I thought could provide humour ie: leaving his little sister, dressed as a penguin, in a wading pool full of iceblocks.

Once I had an idea of how it could begin, I did some rough notes of what could happen in future chapters. At that stage I didn't know quite how it would end, but when I bounced the idea off Eddie finding a dog (or rather, a dog finding Eddie) to my grandson, he thought that would be okay,  hence I began to work towards that.

I used several incidents remembered from real life: ie. when little, a girlfriend of mine actually did wander home late, having forgotten it was her birthday and there was a party waiting for her at home.

I took it slowly, using an exercise book to jot down notes, ideas, future chapters etc. as I went along.

So, the whole plot was not cut-and-dried to begin with,  but I did have building blocks in place, so I didn't veer off the rails too much, but allowed time and new ideas to germinate or discard as I went along.

A couple of other points. At first the boy's name was Archie. But then I decided he needed a name to rhyme with flipper and I chose Pipper. And I thought Eddie sounded stronger than Archie in that instance.

The other point was a little bit of serendipity. That is when I discovered, by doodling, that you could create a penguin by adding lines to the number 9. That got me excited! That's when I decided Eddie was going to have a birthday – which led me to thinking about him missing the party and in fact, missing out what he'd wanted all along. The hard thing was how to marry the idea of conservationism and a boy's yearning so they came to some satisfactory, but realistic scenario at the end.

Hope that helps.

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Lucky Saxon. Dads, babies and books

Lucky Saxon.

Here's Saxon Parker O'Brien. My brand new baby grandson. Two hours old here.
Four days later, Troy, his lovely new dad, is reading nursery rhymes to his little boy.

I was so proud of him.

I hope he knows what a wonderful, enriching experience that will be for his son and how that will help develop his love of reading in the future.

Lucky Saxon.