Rebecca Fraser writes fiction for children and adults. Her work has won, been shortlisted for, and honourably mentioned for numerous awards including the Aurealis, Australian Shadows, Ditmars, and Mornington Peninsula Shire Mayor’s Writing Award. Her publications include three middle grade novels, a collection of short fiction, and over sixty short stories, poems, and articles in various anthologies, journals, and magazines.
Visit Rebecca online at rebeccafraser.com 1. Your latest book is the wonderful, magical fantasy middle-grade novel 'Jonty's Unicorn'. Can you please share how this story originated and what was your process of writing it from manuscript to published book? Thanks, Brenton. I’m so pleased you enjoyed Jonty’s Unicorn! The idea of a unicorn entering a horse race galloped into my mind while taking a shower one day (the birthplace of many a plot and character!) and simply refused to leave. When I’d worked out what the internal and external conflicts were for protagonist, Jonty, and her accidental unicorn steed, Rose, the rest of the story took shape around them…I just never realised how high their stakes would be. Jonty’s Unicorn actually started out as a 10,000 word rhyming verse novel. After feedback from publishers, who loved the concept but felt it wasn’t commercial enough in its current format, I rewrote it as a prose novel, and it was picked up by IFWG Publishing, who specialise in speculative, young adult and middle grade fiction, and have been supporters of my work in the past. (IFWG Publishing released my middle grade urban fantasy adventure Curtis Creed and the Lore of the Ocean in 2018, and a collection of short fiction Coralesque and Other Tales to Disturb and Distract in 2021). I’m a massive fan of speculative fiction, and Jonty’s Unicorn is the type of story I loved to read as a child (and still do). It was a genuine pleasure to write. 2. What is your general writing process, and rewriting process, like when creating your terrific stories? You write nonfiction as well. Does the process differ depending on which book you are working on? As far as a daily writing routine, work and family commitments don’t always see me sit at the keyboard every day, but I still try to do something 'writerly' every day, even if it’s not all about the word count. This can involve anything from thinking about my characters, or working through plot devices (I find the shower and daily walks the best time for this), reading the works of others, or checking in with my writing community. When I have a writing day, I find I’m most productive in the morning, so I might start at 8:00am and go through until 2:00pm. Writing at night time doesn’t seem to work for me – my brain turns to marshmallow around 7:00pm! I’m a plotter, who allows myself to ‘pants it’ when the plotting doesn’t go to plan. I do like to have a framework to write to though, even if it’s just knowing the beginning and ending, and letting the middle resolve itself between the two. I give myself a self-determined deadline with longer works, and aim to work towards that…but it often makes a whooshing sound as it goes sailing past! I’ve learned to be more forgiving of myself when this happens. I really love the rewriting process. I write relatively clean drafts (or so I’m told), but there’s nothing quite like going over your work with a reader’s eye after the manuscript has had time to rest for several weeks. I pick up so many things that lack either continuity, sense, or reality! In my previous life I was a freelance content and copy writer (I’m a Library Officer now). I do still write non fiction articles though, although they’re more niche-based, rather than the diversity of industries I worked with as a copy writer. I tend to treat my words and paragraphs as building blocks when it comes to non-fiction articles. I keep my angle, research, audience, and word count in sharp focus, and begin scaffolding the piece around those parameters. 3. Is there one thing, or a few things, you know now about the writing & publishing world that you wished you knew when you began? I truly wish I had started taking my writing seriously earlier. I always knew I wanted to write, and dabbled with poetry, song lyrics, and short stories all throughout my junior years, through my teens, and then into early adulthood. It wasn’t really until I was in my late twenties though that I felt my life was settled enough to believe I could make my dream a reality. I sold my first story in 2007, and the feeling of validation that came with that was galvanising. Now I write novels, and I know how long the process can be from writing, polishing, submitting, waiting…waiting…waiting! I have so many ideas, and it feels like so little time. I would encourage anyone who harbours a dream to write to seize it with both hands now. Learn your craft, experiment with your messy first drafts, connect with your community...you’ll never regret the time you invest in your career, even if it feels like life is a bit of a mess at the time. (Spoiler: life is pretty much always messy)! 😊 4. Your touching, warm, heart-filled middle-grade novel 'Sea Glass' was very popular last year. It even was shortlisted for the Readings Children's Prize! What was the experience writing Sea Glass like and what was the embracing positive response once published like for you? Thank you, Brenton! Sea Glass means a lot to me. It’s the little book that defied traditional word counts for commercial middle grade fiction yet went on to enjoy a place on numerous school and library book clubs, a longlisting for Adaptable: Turning page to Screen, and selection for the QLD and SA Premier’s Reading Lists, as well as the amazing Reading’s Children’s Prize recognition. Can you believe the first official positive response I received actually came from you via your thoughtful and uplifting review in Books+Publishing! I remember being too scared to open the link when my publisher first sent it to me, and then nearly sobbing with relief when I read your generous praise. Sea Glass started as a procrastination project during lockdown. (I’m from Melbourne, so our lockdown was five times the fun – ha ha)! As well as home schooling and working from home, I was supposed to be working on a young adult manuscript – a big sprawling genre-blending space western epic, but with each passing day my creativity seemed to dimmish further and no words were coming. I’m so grateful my 5km ‘lockdown zone’ included the beach, and there’d be many days when my son and I would head down to the beach for our one hour of exercise, and I’d always be beachcombing for sea glass. Those daily beach walks revived me. Characters began to leave their footprints in the sand beside me—a city-dwelling girl, and her estranged grandfather who lived on a remote east Gippsland coastline. Their characters and plotlines grew with each ebb and flow of the tide, and when their voices grew from a whisper to a roar in my head, I knew it was time to commit their story to paper. I’m very grateful to Wombat Books for their enthusiasm and vision for this book. And I’m so appreciative of the lovely emails I receive from readers, both young and old, who have been moved by Cailin and Grandpa’s story. As a writer, it means so very much. 5. Can you share if there's anything in the pipeline? What is next for you? I have a junior fiction novel Skippy Blackfeet being released with Wombat Books next year which is super exciting, and I’m currently working on a YA novel for a 2025 release, which was contracted on a pitch. I’m itching to start work on a new contemporary middle grade novel which has been bubbling away in my brain for the past few months, and I’m also very keen to write a verse novel for the same readership. I’m attending a workshop through Writers Victoria with none other than Karen Comer in the coming weeks, and I’m very excited to learn some tips and strategies about the verse form from someone whose work I have such admiration for. I’m shopping around another middle grade manuscript at the moment – an adventure eco survival thriller – and my wish for 2024 is that it finds a respectable home.
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Amy Dunjey is a children’s author who writes picture books, short stories and poetry. Also working as a speech pathologist, Amy is a massive hot-chip enthusiast and avid rare book collector. Her two picture books are Dancing with Dragons from Larrikin and The Billabong Bush Dance from Five Mile. More picture books from Amy's pen are set to be published into 2025! Visit Amy online at Instagram www.instagram.com/amydunjeywrites and her website at amydunjey.com 1. Amy, I'm so pleased to chat with you. I absolutely love your latest picture book, a beautifully gentle and sensitive and soulful story called The Billabong Bush Dance, illustrated by Tyrown Waigana and published by Five Mile in late 2023. Can you please share your process in bringing the book to fruition from original idea to publication? How did the process differ, as this is now your second book, your first being Dancing with Dragons? Thanks so much Brenton! I wrote this story years ago and I recall tossing around a few different Australiana concepts before settling on this idea. I chose a platypus as the protagonist as I felt there were less stories out there about this particular Aussie animal. I tend to be a 'pantser' when I write - where I don't have the whole story planned out before starting and I work it out as I go, which was the case for this tale. Once I had finished this story, I got feedback from my lovely critique group and refined it some more. I started submitting it to publishers and was lucky enough to be offered a contract with Five Mile. Five Mile then found the wonderful Tyrown Waigana to illustrate, who is also from Western Australia! From contract to publication, I think the timing was around 18 months, which is relatively quick for a picture book! The process wasn't too dissimilar from my first book, in terms of the overall process. 2. You work as a Speech Pathologist. And you collect old books! How does being a speech pathologist help and inform your writing? And, any favourite old books you'd like to share with us? I think my speech pathology background sometimes influences my writing in terms of the words or concepts I use. I love to try and incorporate elements of early literacy skills. I also love writing in rhyme! I feel particularly passionate about promoting early literacy skills and families reading together, because we know how important this is for influencing later literacy skills. In terms of old books, my most interesting one recently was gifted to me by my Nan. It is called The Jackdaw Rheims, by Thomas Ingoldsby, illustrated by EM Jessop. It is an illustrated version of a ballad by Ingoldsby and was published in 1883! 3. Is there any one thing, or multiple things, you know now about writing and publishing that you wish you knew when you began? I wish I knew about rhyming metre when I first started! I had no idea about the concept of metre and that rhyming was about more than just rhyming words. I spent a long time learning about this concept and I think it will be a lifelong learning journey! I spent hours on the internet reading about metre. I did a course. I met like-minded rhyming writer friends! 4. Your first picture book is the lively sweet story about adventure and dancing (in rhyme, too!), called Dancing with Dragons from Larrikin House. What was the process of publishing this book like for you? How did your writing and publishing journey first begin? The beginning of my writing journey is a common one, in that I had dreamed of writing my whole life, but didn't start until I had my children. I spent the time that I was up at night with my babies, tapping away in the Notes section of my phone. Over time, I learned more about the publishing industry and attended my first conference, which was the CYA Conference (online). I was fortunate enough to place second with my 'Dancing with Dragons' manuscript in the aspiring authors competition. I later submitted this story to Larrikin House and was thrilled when they offered me a contract. Jesus Lopez, a talented illustrator from Spain, was the illustrator. From contract to publication was around two years. 5. Can you share anything in the pipeline? What is next for you? I have two picture books coming out soon with Five Mile. I also have a picture book being published in early 2025 with Affirm Press, which I'm very excited about. 6. You are a self-proclaimed hot chips enthusiast! So which is your go-to hot chip condiment? Which of the three would you choose... -Chicken salt -Tomato sauce -Barbecue sauce? What an excellent question! I am a huge fan of the hot chip. From this list, I would choose the classic: tomato sauce, but my favourite go-to would have to be plain salt and vinegar! 7. And a bit of a fun but tricky question for last, to make you really think! If you could put 3 other Australian picture books in a time capsule, to give future generations the best understanding of great Aussie kids books, which 3 titles would you choose and why? Oo this is a tricky question, but here are my three:
Kristin Martin is a South Australian picture book author, short story writer, poet, teacher and nature photographer! Her debut picture book Banjo Frog's Concert Spectacular (the first in the new Easter Bilby's Friends series) was published February 2024 by Wakefield Press. Kristin's children's poetry collection To Rhyme Or Not To Rhyme? was published by Glimmer Press. Visit Kristin's website at kristinmartin.net/ to find out more about her work and to find where to buy copies of her books! 1. Thanks for stopping by my blog, Kristin! Your new, debut picture book is 'Banjo Frog's Spectacular Easter', illustrated by Bianca Richardson and published by Wakefield Press. Can you please share how this story originated and what was your process of writing it from manuscript to published book? ‘Banjo Frog’s Concert Spectacular’ is the first in the Easter Bilby’s Friends series, which aims to educate children and their families about the damage introduced wild rabbits cause to the native animals and plants, and what they can do to help. The Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia commissioned me to write it. They told me the message they wanted to get across in the book as well as the characters and the setting. It was up to me to find the story that would include all of these. Once I wrote it, and edited it, I sent it to the Foundation to fact check. Then Bianca Richardson illustrated the story. It was wonderful working with her, as she brought such life to the characters and added things that made the book so much better than I’d imagined. We communicated regularly throughout the process so it was quite collaborative. 2. You are also a poet with a passion for writing and teaching poetry and rhyme, like in your collection 'To Rhyme or Not to Rhyme?'. Where does your appreciation of poetry come from? And what qualities do you think, as a writer and a reader, make for a great poem? My appreciation of poetry came from my childhood. I loved reading AA Milne’s poetry books, and my year 5 teacher introduced a different poem to our class each week. My dad also challenged my siblings and I to learn a poem off by heart. I learnt ‘Mulga Bill’s Bicycle’ by Banjo Patterson. I like poems that rhyme and have a good rhythm, and also have clever similes and/or metaphors, or personification. And I am rather fond of alliteration. And last of all, I think a good poem has something unexpected in it. 3. You are a nature photographer and I have seen your love of green frogs ! You're also a teacher. I'm curious how your work with nature and your work with children informs, or even helps, your writing, in any way? We are told to write what we know, so I couldn’t write without spending time in nature. Pretty much all of my children’s poems are about nature, including about my pets, or things I’ve seen in my garden or while on walks. Though I’ve yet to write a poem about my pet green tree frogs. I should do that soon! Working with children gives me endless inspiration as well. 4. It seems there will be more stories in the Easter Bilby's Friends series after Banjo Frog's Concert Spectacular. Can you share anything about what will come next for you? I have finished writing the next book in the Easter Bilby’s Friends series and Bianca has started the illustrations. It will be out in time for Easter 2025. I also have two picture books with MidnightSun Publishing. The first will be out in June 2025. I’m not happy unless I have something to write, so I have just started working on a middle grade novel. I am having fun writing it but I’ve no idea if it will ever get published. Sometimes that isn’t important. 5. And a fun question for last, to make you really think! If you could put any 3 Aussie picture books in a time capsule to be opened in 1,000 years, to give future generations the best understanding of Australia's incredible children's literature, which 3 books would you choose and why? This is such a difficult question! How could I possibly choose only 3 books? There are so many wonderful Australian children’s books. One would have to be ‘Are We There Yet?’ by Alison Lester, because it shows so much of Australia. I would like to include ‘The Lost Thing’ by Shaun Tan, because I adore that book, but I’m not sure if that would give future generations a good understanding of children’s literature as it is so strange. But that’s what makes it great. Pamela Allen is one of my favourite early childhood authors. Maybe her book ‘The Pear in the Pear Tree,’ because it has great rhyme and onomatopoeia. Jackie French and Bruce Whatley’s ‘Diary of a Wombat’ is another great picture book with gorgeous humour and illustrations.
Kerri Day is a Sunshine Coast, Queensland based writer. Her debut picture book Beside the Sea, illustrated by Jess Racklyeft and published by Windy Hollow Books (2022) was named as a CBCA Notable 2023 - Book of the Year Early Childhood. Her second Picture Book with Windy Hollow, Run Pups Run, published in October 2023 was also a CBCA Notable Book. Twice winner of CYA Conference Category 2 Picture Book competition (2015, 2021), Kerri was runner up in the Writers Unleashed N.S.W Picture Book competition 2021, Shortlisted Scribbles Creative Writing Awards 2020 and longlisted for the First 5 Forever Stories, Songs and Rhymes Project curated by the Qld State Library 2020. At the heart of her stories are themes of individuality, persistence and the simple joy of being a child at play. She aspires for her stories to be shared at home and in the classroom, sparking curiosity, freeing readers and listeners to explore words, sound and creative thinking. Kerri wants children to find joy and wonder in her books and to have illustrators enjoy playing with her stories. When not writing she loves family time, reading, bushwalking and being in her garden which has a great view of the Glass House Mountains. 1. Welcome, Kerri! Your latest picture book Run Pups Run, illustrated by Nicky Johnston and published by Windy Hollow has been a smash hit, is reprinting, and was even a CBCA Notable! Can you please share how this story originated and what was your process of writing it from manuscript to published book? Thank you, Brenton, for your kind words and for asking me to participate in your Q&A. Run Pups Run was one of those stories that popped into my head. It started with the phrase – run pups run, wild beach fun – and once I had that rhythm in my head the structure of the text was set. I often think a day out with kids at the beach is like letting the dogs out of the yard, so I suppose that was in the back of my mind too. In one afternoon, I wrote the text and then went back and read it out loud over and over again to get the rhythm and rhyme the best it could be. I also wanted the text to mimic the pace of the day and to follow a very simple narrative arc from sun up to sun down. The first writing of Run Pups Run was in one of my many manuscript notebooks, then I made a Picture Book dummy to make sure the page turns and spreads felt right before I typed it up. I submitted the manuscript to CYA competition and it won back in 2021, that led to an editor assessment and ultimately a two-book contract with Windy Hollow Books. Working with a publisher that focuses on making beautiful Picture Books was so great for my first two books. 2. The text of Run Pups Run is lyrical and sunny-warm and though spare, it is incredibly evocative. Was it submitted to the publisher with illustration notes on how you saw the story, visually? Or was the text originally longer and later trimmed down once an illustrator was found? The text was always very minimal to mimic the way children and dogs would go about their day on the run at the beach and also to suit the early and pre reading stage. I provided minimal illustration notes, only really about the kite being stuck in the tree and also saying that the “pups” were actually dogs and children. I did not storyboard it for the publisher but I did write the manuscript in spreads to show page turns. The only change the publisher made was to take out one spread, which did not change the story at all. I adored the illustrations Nicky Johnston created right from the start and I knew they would connect with people in a warm and nostalgic way. I saw the initial rough drawings of the storyboard and then nothing more until Nicky had completed the final colour illustrations. I love that picture books are such a creative collaboration between words and the visual arts. I want illustrators to have fun playing with my words. 3. You have published two really gorgeous picture books about animals, creatures, family relationships, with dashings of heart and love and soul. Your work is so evocative and both your texts pair really well with your illustrators. What is your writing process, and rewriting process, like when creating your terrific stories? I keep notebooks for each Picture Book MS and I handwrite the first drafts and most of the edits too. I also keep a notebook to jot down interesting things I see or hear, funny signs or names of characters that pop into my head. I love to play with words and hope my books will have children feeling the emotion, energy and musicality of language, as this really helps with learning to read. I keep in mind why I want to write and that is - I want children to remember reading a book with their family as loving, fun and nurturing. Sometimes I refer to my books as – cuddle, snuggle, snooze – books, that they really are bedtime stories. From time to time, I walk and talk my books around my garden to really get the feel and fit of the words. I can visualise my characters going through the action of my story, so that helps with finding the right descriptive word or phrase. I make up dummy books so I can get the page turns right. Run Pups Run had minimal re-writes. But after editor feedback, Beside the Sea was rewritten to take out dialogue, change the point of view and reduce the word count. I didn’t mind re-writing it as it did not change the arc of the story or the message. Authors should not be afraid of re-writes, it is all good skill building and it made me a better picture book writer. 3. Is there one thing, or a few things, you know now about the writing world that you wished you knew when you began? I wish I had known how many supportive people were out there in the writing world, so willing to share their knowledge, to encourage and to let me see there is no one way or one reason to be a writer. I wouldn’t have waited so long to dive into that world and try my luck if I had realised this. On a more practical level, knowing about MS word lengths and formatting would have been handy, but CYA Conference set me up well for all that once I got started attending. Also knowing the path to publication is a marathon not a sprint is something to keep in mind. If you love to write or illustrate keep being creative and keep looking for the best home for your work. And I do love this quote, which I have on the wall of my study: “Talent is way down on the list of things you need to write; it comes in a distant fourth, after motivation, discipline, and persistence. And the reason, is that “talent” is as common as mud; what’s rare is the motivation to sit down and actually do something with it, the discipline to do it regularly, and the persistence to stick with it until it’s finished.” ---- Patricia C Wrede (American Writer) 4. For you, as a writer and even as a reader, what constitutes a great picture book? Warm and generous illustrations, which add to the story, reflecting inciteful interpretation of the text. Familiarity with the characters or the situation, an emotional connection, a flowing rhythm and lyrical language. And finally, a picture book for me should have joy, love and kindness. 5. Can you share anything in the pipeline? What is next for you? I continue to write and submit Picture Book manuscripts and enter competitions. The feedback from competitions is always valuable. I have something on the horizon in the coming months, a MS which means a lot to me, but at the moment I can’t officially say anything. I would like to try my hand at Middle Grade Fiction down the track but for now my heart is with Picture Books. I have loads of Picture Book manuscripts on my computer, some more well formed than others of course and some from the early days, where I shake my head at how naive they were. 6. And a two-part question to end with, to reflect on exciting moments: a) How did you find out you were first going to be a published picture book writer? and b) How did making the CBCA Notable List (twice!) make you feel? Finding out I had been offered a contract for two of my manuscripts came via email one afternoon while I was staying with my daughter. It was lovely to share that jump up and down moment with her and to then share it with my husband when I got home, as he had been such a wonderful support. I’ve been so pleased with how both my books have been received out in the world. To have them named as Notables was more than I ever dreamed. Full credit to my two illustrators, Jess Rackyleft and Nicky Johnston for building such beautiful worlds around my words and for Cristina Pase from Windy Hollow for matching my MS with these great artists and taking a chance on a completely unknown author. For Beside the Sea, the Notable email came at night, and because I didn’t know my publisher had entered the book, it was a totally and completely surreal moment. I didn’t tell anyone until the next day I don’t think. For Run Pups Run, I knew it had been entered but tried not to think about it too much and again I was happily surprised and pleased. I rang my children and my big sister straight away to share the joy and I might have cried a bit. To be recognised by the CBCA alongside Australian authors I respect and admire was strange and amazing all at once. It gave my writing validation and gave me confidence to keep doing this writing thing I love.  
Pamela Rushby is a writer and a producer of educational television, audio and multimedia. She has written over 250 fiction and non-fiction books for educational and trade publishers. Her historical novel, When the Hipchicks Went to War, won the Ethel Turner Prize in the NSW Premier's Literature Awards 2010. The Horses Didn't Come Home was a CBCA Notable Book, and short-listed in the Queensland Literary Awards 2012. Flora's War was a CBCA Notable Book 2014, and The Ratcatcher’s Daughter short-listed in the Queensland Literary Awards 2015 and a CBCA Notable Book in 2015. Her latest historical novels are The Mummy Smugglers of Crumblin Castle, The Secret Battle, Interned, The Mud Puddlers and her most recent release is Those Girls, published in April 2024 by Walker Books, a YA historical novel about the Queensland Land Army Girls during World War 2. Visit Pam and find out more about her books at www.pamelarushby.com 1. Congratulations on your wonderful new book, just released by Walker Books. 'Those Girls' is a historical YA novel inspired by the Land Army Girls in Queensland during World War II. Can you please share your process in writing this book from getting the initial idea? Why was it important to tell this story about QLD's Land Army Girls in a novel for young adults? This book was quite a few years in the making. I first became aware of the AWLA when I saw a photograph of Land Army girls at the Stockman’s Hall of Fame in Longreach. I’m always looking for ideas for little-known stories involving women and girls – and these girls truly appeared to be unsung heroes. I bought a couple of books about them, found more publications, delved in the Australian War Memorial and John Oxley libraries and Queensland Newspapers. I was lucky enough to be able to talk with a real Land Girl (very few left now) and get permission to use her stories. I worked on it in the time gaps between other books. I think it’s important to tell women’s stories, especially to girls today. 2. Do you have a typical process when you write and rewrite a manuscript? Also, what is your approach to gathering and carrying out and organising research? I do a lot of research – it’s like a treasure hunt. I read and read and read, and follow up comments and clues, and search out publications mentioned in books and articles. I have a folder stuffed full of notes, print-outs, photo copies – which you couldn’t call Organised at all. But because I’m (usually) writing about an actual historical event, I do have a framework to follow. I always have a long, extended outline of the story (almost a chapter outline) before I start the actual writing process. I’m a plotter, not a pantser! 3. Is there one thing you know now about the publishing world you wish you knew when you began? Absolutely everything! My best advice is, get an agent. I was royally ripped off on one of the first books I had accepted, because I knew nothing about contracts. Agentsknow all! 4. What are the most important things to consider, for you, when researching and writing a story about true events from the past? What appeals to you about writing stories from history, particularly the ones you write set in Queensland? Accuracy. I studied history at uni, and I do realise that history is written by the winners, so you can’t get all the facts (whatever they are …) But I do want to get as much detail as I can, and get it as correct as I can. I believe the strangest, most riveting, heart-breaking, laugh-out-loud stories aren’t fiction. They come from history. And I love tripping over unusual, forgotten incidents from history – and then writing about them. 5. Do you have anything in the pipeline you can tell us about? I’ve just finished a middle-grade historical novel about the Save Our Sons movement during the Vietnam War. My agent is sending it around now. 6. Tell us about (or share a pic of) your writing space? Mmm, writing space. For very shame, no picture. But I do have a room with a computer, a very cluttered desk (I know where absolutely everything is!), 3 filing cabinets, 2 bookcases, pinboard. And lots of dust … Having said that, I can write anywhere. I used to do a lot while waiting for my kids to have ice skating lessons. 7. And a bit of a fun but tricky question for last, to make you really think! If you could put any 3 Pamela Rushby books in a time capsule to be opened in 1,000 years, to give future generations the best understanding of who Pamela Rushby is as a writer, then which 3 books would you choose and why? Interesting question! It wouldn’t just be books. I’d have to put in (oooh, this is like Desert Island Discs) a television documentary I worked on called Bilby Brothers: the men who exterminated the Easter bunny, because I am very proud of that. Also a multimedia production, Queensland Heritage Trails that I worked on when I was a producer/scriptwriter for the Queensland Department of Education. And probably the latest book, Those Girls.
 Annaleise Byrd grew up on a farm in Queensland, ignoring most farm-related pursuits in favour of reading books. She then spent nine years in England and Canada, neglecting a variety of jobs in favour of reading books. Eventually, she realised the best way to get away with this was to become an author. Annaleise now writes funny books for kids and lives in Brisbane with her husband, two young sons and rescue greyhound. She is particularly fond of lamingtons. Annaleise’s debut middle grade novel, Losing the Plot, was published by Walker Books Australia in March 2024. Find Annaleise online at: Website: annaleisebyrd.com/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/annaleisebyrdauthor Instagram: www.instagram.com/annaleisebyrd/ Thank you to Annaleise for stopping by my blog to discuss her fabulously magical and fairytale-tastic debut children's book 'Losing the Plot!' If you have not already snagged a copy of this terrifically funny fantasy novel, here is a little blurb to entice you further. A tremendous whooshing noise started up. It sounded like a million pages being riffled at once. I caught a strong whiff of gingerbread. Then The Complete Fairytales of the Brothers Grimm flew open and a human-shaped blur came shooting out … Basil Beedon and Terry Clegg are neighbours, and that's all they have in common. Terry loves sport and Basil loves books – but to Basil’s absolute dismay, he’s been roped into helping Terry with his reading. Every. Single. Saturday. However, that's the least of his worries when Gretel comes shooting out of The Complete Fairytales of the Brothers Grimm. The boys are plunged into a dangerous world run by the Fairytale Alliance Network of Character Yunions (FANCY), where not everyone is what they seem, Hansel has been kidnapped and a plot hole threatens to destroy everything. Witty, clever, with adventure at every turn, this is a fractured fairytale in a very surprising, Grimm world. 1. Thank you, Annaleise for agreeing to this Q&A! Congratulations on your debut children's novel 'Losing the Plot' just being published! How did the idea originate in the first place and become published? Can you share with us the moment you found out you were going to be a published novelist? Thanks, Brenton! The idea came about when I started pondering what would happen if modern-day kids ended up in the world of Grimms’ original fairytales. Given that the original versions of those stories can be quite dark and scary, I wondered what skills modern-day kids would need to survive in that world. Then I started wondering how that world would be organised and policed, which led me to the various Yunions. I met my publisher during a paid 15-minute manuscript assessment at the CYA Conference in 2021. It was another 7 months before I received the official publication offer via email. That moment definitely involved some screeching, leaping around the house, and calling my nearest and dearest! 2. Do you have a typical process when you write? What does the rewriting process look like for you? I’m the kind of writer who likes to know where the story is going before I can get started. I don’t have to know everything – in fact, the best ideas usually arrive once I’m actually writing – but I need to understand the ‘big picture’ pieces of my story, like who the villain is or which fairytales my characters are going to travel into. So I spend a lot of time thinking, researching, stream-of-consciousness writing, and sometimes discussing my ideas with someone before I feel ready to start (or, sometimes, before I can continue). As for rewriting, I do that constantly while writing – I’m terrible at following the ‘don’t edit as you go’ advice! I type rather than handwrite, usually at a desktop in our office or on a laptop in my favourite living room chair (see photo). These days I try to write while my family members are at work and school, but back when I was writing Losing the Plot my kids weren’t in school yet, so it was mostly written in the middle of the night! As you can probably tell, my writing routine is neither consistent nor particularly efficient, so I wouldn’t recommend trying to emulate it – haha! 3. Having just gone through your first process of having a book accepted and edited and marketed, what have you been surprised and excited to learn about the debut publishing experience? I love how enthusiastic and supportive people have been – both within the industry and outside of it. I don’t know that I was necessarily surprised by this, since I’ve seen it happen to others, but it’s certainly exciting when it’s MY book it’s happening to! 4. Fairytales and humour and fantasy are huge parts of your novel. What is your key to writing great humour? And do you have a favourite fairytale? I think the key to writing great humour is for the story to be told in a humorous voice or to involve humorous situations and characters. Then the humour comes naturally rather than having to be forced in. Before I started writing Losing the Plot, I was writing historical time slip stories. I think I was drawn to the idea of transporting my characters to a different place and time while still having some pre-existing characters and constraints to work with. Then, once I started reading the original Grimms’ fairytales, I realised just how much fun they would be to play with. I don’t have a favourite fairytale, though I tend to become quite fond of whichever one I’m currently re-reading endlessly in order to write about it! Hansel and Gretel will always be special to me because of its role in Losing the Plot. But I also love some of the really weird ones that no one has ever heard of! I’ve enjoyed incorporating a few of those into Losing the Plot and the upcoming sequel, Down the Plot Hole. 5. There is a sequel to your book coming in 2025, called 'Down the Plot Hole'. You also have a picture book coming out. Can you please share a bit more about these two books and their creation process, plus what readers can expect? In Down the Plot Hole, readers can expect to return to the fairytale world with Basil and Terry as they attempt to solve a new mystery. They’ll encounter familiar favourites like Hansel, Gretel and Herr Korbes, plus meet some entertaining new characters from the Grimm canon. I started working on Down the Plot Hole as soon as I got the contract for Losing the Plot, and it took a similar amount of time to write – almost two years. It was a bit of a rollercoaster at times, but I’m really happy with how it’s turned out! My picture book is with Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing. It involves lots of silliness and humour so is pretty on-brand for me! I’ll be able to share more about it once I get the go- ahead to do so. At this stage there’s nothing else in the pipeline for me, but I have plenty more manuscripts and ideas, so fingers crossed!  Magical lamingtons! 6. And for a bit of fun! Here are some fairytale-themed lightning round questions... Favourite fairytale story world to spend a day inside of? Hansel and Gretel, so I could eat part of the witch’s cottage! Would you rather vacation in a gingerbread house or a tower in the forest? A tower in the forest sounds like a great place to get some writing done… Magical cupcakes that let you cast spells or magical lamingtons that let you jump inside books? Lamingtons! As in your novel, out of the groups that are subsets of FANCY (Fairytale Alliance Network of Character Yunions), which group would you be a part of? I’d probably be in VAGUELY FANCY (Various Assorted Generic Unnamed Extras of Limited Yuse) with aspirations of being in MOST FANCY (Morally Outstanding Stars of the Tale)… You are trapped on a island with food, water, shelter but ONLY 3 children's books to read! Which 3 books and why? I’d cheat a little by choosing a collection of Grimms’ Fairytales so I could have 200+ stories in one book. And then… hmm… Holes by Louis Sachar so I could analyse the awesome writing. Thirdly, John of the Sirius by Doris Chadwick because I adored that book as a child!  Author Annaleise Byrd hard at work in her favourite writing chair! Thank you Annaleise for stopping by and sharing your journey! Do yourself a favour and grab a copy of 'Losing the Plot' today! Losing the Plot by Annaleise Byrd is published by Walker Books. Available now at all good bookstores! Find Annaleise online at: Website: annaleisebyrd.com/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/annaleisebyrdauthor Instagram: www.instagram.com/annaleisebyrd/ 
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 Willow's Gumboots by Beverley McWilliams - coming in October 2024 from MidnightSun Publishing! |  Beverley's debut picture book, 'Born to Fly' about Captain Harry Butler. |
 |  illustrator, Max Hamilton |  author, Catherine Meatheringham |
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