Michael Wagner's Blog

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71095265841785758112012-02-02T10:42:58.435+11:00Michael Wagner's BlogThe irregular blog of an irregular children's author.wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.comBlogger501100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-9294581531946264042012-02-02T10:08:00.002+11:002012-02-02T10:08:57.333+11:0010 Tips for Submitting Stories to PublishersKaren Tyrell has posted a great, quick article about how to submit your story to publishers. It's basically a very helpful 10 point plan. Here's the link...<br /><br /><a href="http://karentyrrell.com/?p=2939" target="_blank">10 Sizzling Secrets in Submitting your Manuscript to Publishers</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-929458153194626404?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-17056049900190062842011-12-15T15:49:00.004+11:002011-12-15T15:49:59.748+11:00Tips for Young Writers 30: Get SmallIt's easy to get carried away with your storytelling sometimes, so that things get bigger and bigger, and more and more unwieldy for you as the writer. You'd think big ideas would make for a great story, but that's not always the case. In fact, HUGE stories can be kind of boring. So ...<br /><br />Don't be afraid to start with a small idea and make it even smaller.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-1705604990019006284?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-41338830069738806452011-10-14T21:05:00.001+11:002011-10-31T14:02:29.268+11:00A poemy thing for you<style></style><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 20pt;">The problem with self-help</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 20pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 104.4pt; margin-right: 104.85pt; margin-top: 0cm; tab-stops: 309.6pt 330.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I am a good person I am a goodperson </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 104.85pt 0.0001pt 104.4pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I am a good person I am a good person </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 104.85pt 0.0001pt 104.4pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I am a good person I am a goodperson </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 104.85pt 0.0001pt 104.4pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I am a good person I am a good person </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 104.85pt 0.0001pt 104.4pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I am a good person I am a goodperson </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 104.85pt 0.0001pt 104.4pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I am a good person I am a good person </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 104.85pt 0.0001pt 104.4pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I am a good person I am a goodperson </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 104.85pt 0.0001pt 104.4pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I am a good person I am a good person </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 104.85pt 0.0001pt 104.4pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I am a good person I am a goodperson </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 104.85pt 0.0001pt 104.4pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I am a good person I am a good person </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 104.85pt 0.0001pt 104.4pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I am a good person I am a goodperson </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 104.85pt 0.0001pt 104.4pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I am a good person am I a good person</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 20pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">And this from someone who's read a millions self-help books!! </span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-4133883006973880645?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-15706087801220880192011-10-10T11:00:00.001+11:002011-10-10T11:00:35.756+11:00Writing GoldThere's a moment I've achieved sometimes while working that I regard as 'writing gold'. It comes when the characters and locations become so vivid in my imagination that they actually spring to life and begin doing all the 'writing' for me.<br /><br />When it happens, I find myself sitting back (metaphorically, truth is I'm slaving over the keyboard desperate not to miss a thing) and 'watching' the characters as they speak and act for themselves.<br /><br />It's as if, in that moment, they're no longer a cast of actors performing my directorial instructions, but they're a case of actors who've taken over the play! It's amazing.<br /><br />Sometimes I feel a little twinge of guilt about it, because the writing becomes so effortless - it's like I really should be doing something rather than just listening and transcribing. But the end results are almost always the most surprising, delightful and beautiful moments in my stories. <br /><br />And when I say surprising, I mean it. What the characters say often takes me completely by surprise. Then turns out to be pretty much perfect.<br /><br />It takes me weeks, or even months, to strengthen the characters in my imagination to that point, but it's well worth it. Maybe you could get there quicker?<br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-1570608780122088019?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-52062341898763443542011-10-08T18:06:00.000+11:002011-10-14T19:56:48.393+11:00My Latest Balancing Act<div align="center" style="text-align: left;">So this has been pretty much my working life for the past year …</div><div align="center" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://penguineducation.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/ted-croc-jpg.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-715" height="335" src="http://penguineducation.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/ted-croc-jpg.jpg?w=415&h=335" title="Ted Croc JPG" width="415" /></a></div>Not that I’ve been balancing on crocodiles, but I have been working on getting the balance right for my new book, <a href="http://www.puffin.com.au/products/9780143304227/ted-goes-wild"><i>Ted Goes Wild</i></a> (illustrated by Tom Jellett).<br /><a href="http://www.puffin.com.au/products/9780143304227/ted-goes-wild"><img alt="" class="alignleft" height="180" src="http://www.puffin.com.au/covers-jpg/9780143304227.jpg" width="117" /></a><br /><br />Like most things in life, a well told story is a delicate balancing act. In my stories, I'm trying to strike a balance between having<br />1) enough action for the adventure to skip along effortlessly<br />2) enough touches of humour to keep it entertaining<br />3) enough surprises to keep you wondering what will happen next, and,<br />4) enough pathos to engage the reader emotionally.<br /><br />I felt my original draft of Ted was pacey enough, had enough humour, and enough unpredictability, but it was lacking in pathos (or what's sometimes call ‘heart’). So to get that right, my wonderful editor and publisher at Penguin, asked me to write an emotionally engaging backstory.<br /><br />In response, I came up with the tale of Ted’s fraught early life which almost ended tragically, before he was rescued and nursed back to life by two kind, elderly teddy bears. And how, in his gratitude for getting a second chance at life, he’s made a personal pledge to spend the rest of his life in the service of others.<br /><br /><a href="http://penguineducation.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/ted-bye-jpg.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignright size-full wp-image-716" height="172" src="http://penguineducation.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/ted-bye-jpg.jpg?w=287&h=172" title="Ted Bye JPG" width="287" /></a>It’s a backstory aimed at adding pathos and heart to <i><b>Ted Goes Wild</b></i>, and giving it the balance it needed. If we’ve got it right we’ll have balanced action with humour, surprise and heart. We don’t know yet if we’ve got it right, but now that it’s in the bookshops, we’ll soon find out.<br /><br />Fingers crossed!<br />Cheers,<br />Michael<br /><br /><b>FROM THE BLURB</b><br /><div id="page-content"><br /><b><i>‘Life’s no picnic for this teddy bear’<br /></i></b><br />Fully equipped, superbly trained and afraid of nothing (well, almost), Ted has dedicated his life to saving and serving others.<br /><br />But will his rescue mission to the Wild Forest knock the stuffing out of him once and for all?  And will he ever return to his loving owner, Oliver?<br /><br /><b>Warm-hearted, thrilling and delightfully silly, this magical-adventure series will captivate young readers.</b></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-5206234189876344354?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-76497530041790640452011-08-31T17:54:00.004+10:002011-09-05T17:22:34.999+10:00But I digressOkay, this hasn't got a lot to do with stories and books, but it is kind of about writing ... well, song writing. <br /> <br />My band (yep, I have a band), The Grownups, has just released its debut album: The Light Filled Corner. It looks like this ... <br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tuAt00SBa6k/Tl3ppUaL_1I/AAAAAAAAAH0/5fou9WADyU8/s1600/Grownups%2BThe%2BLight%2BFilled%2BCorner%2BAlbum%2Bcover%2BLR.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tuAt00SBa6k/Tl3ppUaL_1I/AAAAAAAAAH0/5fou9WADyU8/s320/Grownups%2BThe%2BLight%2BFilled%2BCorner%2BAlbum%2Bcover%2BLR.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646926403854925650" border="0" /></a> <br /> <br />I'm the lead singer (and the writer of most of the lyrics. If you'd like to hear what I sound like, you can play the album all the way through here <br /> <br /><a href="http://grownupsmusic.com">http://thegrownups.bandcamp.com/</a> <br /> <br />It really isn't terrible. I promise. :^) <br /> <br />MW <br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-7649753004179064045?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-82647499883422819492011-07-05T06:53:00.003+10:002011-07-05T07:00:27.427+10:00Tips for Young Writers 29: A strategy for getting unstuckWhen you don't know what to do next with your story, try this ...<br /><br />Silently ask yourself for the solution, then just relax and listen to your thoughts. When something comes to mind, write it down no matter how silly or irrelevant it seems. Don't question, just write. This may be all it takes to find your solution, but if not ...<br /><br />Leave your writing area and do something menial for a few minutes - tidying, check the letterbox, a little gardening, just go outside for a moment. When you return you might find the solution is suddenly obvious.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-8264749988342281949?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-64032214542141324212011-02-15T21:07:00.002+11:002011-02-15T21:15:47.479+11:00Tips for Young Writers 28: Make sure all characters want something all of the time.When you write a scene, make sure you've thought about what each character wants from that life moment. Do this and you're characters will seem alive and real, and so will the scene. Fail to do it and you may end up with passive, background dead-weights, who make the reader unconsciously wonder if you've forgotten about those other characters, or lost interest in them.<br /><br />If you've written someone into a scene, make sure they're there for a reason. Give them something they want.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-6403221454214132421?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-63564635919116237062011-01-14T10:22:00.006+11:002011-01-29T14:32:31.335+11:00More great tips for writersI was alerted about this article by a tweet from my friend, Gabrielle Wang. It's a beauty.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.holtuncensored.com/hu/the-ten-mistakes/">http://www.holtuncensored.com/hu/the-ten-mistakes/</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-6356463591911623706?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-35820398140890090582010-09-01T04:56:00.012+10:002011-07-01T17:27:29.707+10:00A Free Story - The RadioAnyone want to read a free story? This is something I wrote for a book Penguin published in 2008 called <span style="font-style: italic;">When We Were Young</span>. It's a collection of biographical stories written by Penguin authors, with each story drawn from the author's childhood. Here's mine. And it's freeeeeeeeeeeeee! <br /> <br /><div style="text-align: center;">The Radio <br />by Michael Wagner <br /></div> <br />When I was eight years old, I got to live in a house for the very first time. It was a run-down, old Victorian terrace which was full of dust, and it wasn’t going to be our place for very long, but it was still a house – an actual house. I was thrilled. <br /> <br />We were allowed to live there because my dad was working on the building site next door and his boss said we could use the house until they needed to knock it down. We had it for one year. Twelve months. The only thing was, we couldn’t go into the tiny, concrete backyard because things sometimes fell from the building site next door. Things like bricks and nails. That was okay by us because it meant we could live in a house and we could finally move out of the flats. <p></p> <br /> <br />That’s where we’d been living for six years – in a block of Housing Commission flats. Like everyone who lives in public housing, we couldn’t afford a regular place. So we had to live in the flats. And it’s lucky that we did. I’m not sure where we would have ended up otherwise. I hate to think of the six of us living on the streets. I’m sure my mum and dad would’ve thought of something better than that. But it was good that they didn’t have to.<p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Anyway, the flats were neat and tidy and they gave us shelter and protection for a long time. And because the rent was cheap, we had enough money to live. But, sometimes, I found them scary.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the mornings, before breakfast, sometimes I had to walk to the shops to buy milk and bread. That meant walking past a group of older boys who would jeer and at me. I was too little to understand what they were saying, but I could tell they were mean. I’d just rush past as quickly as I could. And I was always relieved to get back into the flats with the bread and milk in my bag, and the change still in my pocket. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We also had to keep away from the family who lived in number 8. They had four kids – like us – and they were very tough. If they spotted you out on your own, there’d be trouble. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So while the flats were fantastic in some ways, I was excited to be moving. Especially to a proper house.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Then, when we finally moved in, I got a bit of a shock. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’m not sure how long it’d been since anyone lived in our house, but it must have been ages. That’s the only way to explain the thick layer of dust that covered everything – even the floors. As we cleared rubbish out of each room and got the house ready to move into, clouds of dust swirled around us like smoke inside a chimney. We got covered in it. And the next day, when I woke up for the first time in a proper house, I couldn’t open my eyes. My eyelids had been glued shut by dust.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Afraid that I’d gone blind, I stumbled around my new bedroom looking for the door. In my panic I made enough noise to attract my mum. When she found me, she led me to the bathroom. I heard her turn on the tap. Then I felt her rub warm water onto my eyelids. For a long time after that, I kept rubbing water into my eyes, and eventually the dust-glue became soft enough for me to pull open the lids of my left eye. As they peeled apart I could see again! </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But no amount of warm water softened the dust-glue on my right eye. It stayed solidly shut.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Seeing through only my left eye, I ate breakfast, pulled on my clothes and made the short walk with my sister and brothers to our brand new school. It can be tough starting at a new school, but it’s extra difficult when one of your eyes is glued shut – you look pretty weird. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Luckily, none of the teachers or kids made fun of me – not one. And an hour or so into the day, after rubbing it constantly, my right eye suddenly unclagged itself. I could see through both eyes again. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It was a rocky start to our new life, but I was still really excited about it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A couple of days later, my whole family – all six of us – went on a Sunday morning walk. We wanted to explore our new neighbourhood on foot. <span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As we wandered through different streets for the very first time, I spotted a bright red telephone box up ahead. I loved telephone booths. They were like cupboards with lots of windows all around them. There was just enough room for one person – maybe two if you squeezed in tight. But mostly just one. So when I saw this telephone box, I ran up to it, pulled open the big door and stepped inside. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As the door closed behind me, I reached for the receiver. I held it to my ear and started dialling numbers. I pretended to be making a phone call. Until something caught my eye.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sitting on the bench beside the phone were two things: a folded newspaper and a small, cream coloured box made of plastic and metal. The box had two dials and a plastic window with lots of numbers showing beneath it. I wasn’t exactly sure what the box was, but I thought it might be a radio. I guessed this because my dad had a small radio of his own. I’d never really had a good look at it because we weren’t allowed to touch it, but I was sure it had dials and a window with numbers beneath it too. But whether it was a radio or not, it looked important and I wanted to have a turn. So I picked it up, shoved open the phone booth door and rushed back to my family, leaving the folded newspaper behind. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Mum and Dad told me it <i style="">was</i> a radio and that someone must have accidentally left it in the booth. They said the newspaper was folded so that you could see the horse racing page. They thought the owner of the radio must have used the phone to place a bet on a horse, then accidentally left the radio and the newspaper behind. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">They also thought the owner of the radio would come back to look for it. So, rather than continuing our family walk, Mum and Dad decided we should wait for the owner to return. And that’s what we did. We hung around the phone booth waiting.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And waiting…</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And waiting…</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But no one came. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So Mum and Dad decided we could go home. And because I’d found the radio, I got to carry it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">That evening, Dad and I took the radio to the police station where we were going to leave it just in case the owner came looking for it. By now, I did not like this idea at all. I <i style="">really</i> wanted to keep the radio. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">That’s because, I’d listened to it all afternoon. And I couldn’t believe what I’d heard.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">When we got back from our walk, I’d gone into the backyard to try out the radio. I was allowed out there because it was a Sunday, so there was no building going on next door. And I wanted to listen to the radio in peace – away from the fighting and arguing inside the house. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">When I turned the radio on, to my amazement, it worked. And what I heard was incredible.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">People were being nice to each other.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I kept listening, trying all sorts of stations, hearing all sorts of voices. It was unbelievable. Voice after voice was the same. People were friendly, enthusiastic, funny, excited, happy. One after the other.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Who were these people? They were unrecognisable to me. They were not part of my life. Sure, I’d seen people being nice to each other, but not very often. And almost never in my family. We weren’t like that. We didn’t believe in being nice. Nice was for weak people. We were strong. Nice was for dishonest, fake people. We told it like it was. Arguing, bullying, punching, slapping, scratching, biting and pulling hair were honest and strong. Well, that’s how we saw it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">‘If you think it’s bad here, Michael,’ said Mum on many occasions. ‘Wait till you see what it’s like in the real world.’</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I knew the real world was bad. I’d passed it on the way to getting bread and milk many times. I’d often run away from it just in time. I knew my mum was right. But what was this I was hearing on the radio?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Wasn’t it the real world too?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I listened all afternoon. I loved the way people on the radio spoke to each other. I wanted to speak like that too. I wanted to be spoken to like that. I needed to hear more. But now we were at the police station and a policeman was dropping my radio into a plastic bag.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <meta name="Title" content=""> <meta name="Keywords" content=""> <meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <link rel="File-List" href="file://localhost/Users/michaelwagner/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0/clip_filelist.xml">  <style>  </style>   <p class="MsoNormal">I’d been hoping he would let me keep the radio. Someone let us have a whole house, so maybe they’d let me have a radio. But they didn’t. They put my radio into lost property where it had to stay for three months. If, after that time, the owner hadn’t come to claim it, I could have it back. Otherwise, it would be gone.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> <br /></p>  <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">‘Do many things get claimed?’ I asked the policeman, hopefully.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">‘Yep,’ he replied, without looking up from his paperwork.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a name="OLE_LINK1"><o:p> <br /></o:p></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="OLE_LINK1"><o:p> </o:p></a></p> <span style=""></span> <p class="MsoNormal">For three long months, I counted down the days on a calendar. I told myself not to get my hopes up. It was a bad idea to expect too much. The radio would probably be gone. How could anyone let such a precious thing go? They would come looking for it. It’ll be gone. It had to be.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But even as I prepared myself for the worst, a little part of me remained hopeful. Maybe it <i style="">was</i> possible. Maybe I <i style="">will</i> get my radio back. Maybe.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Then the day came. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Dad and I walked into the police station. Dad handed over a piece of paper with a description of the radio on it. He asked if the policeman could look for it in lost property. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I held my breath. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As the policeman searched the lost property shelves, my stomach churned. It was taking forever. It must be gone. The owner must have come looking for it. I knew I shouldn’t have got my hopes up. It’s stupid to expect too much.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Then the policeman came back. He was carrying a plastic bag.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">‘It’s still here,’ he said.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It was there. In its plastic bag. My radio. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Dad filled out the paperwork and picked the radio up off the counter. As we left the station, he handed it to me.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I listened to that radio day after day, month after month, year after year. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the mornings I listened to people telling jokes and playing music and talking about the traffic and the things that had happened overnight. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">During the day I heard interviews with famous film and television people, and singers who’d come all the way from England and America. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">While the rest of my family argued about what to watch on our little black and white TV, I listened to the songs people had requested for each other – songs for boyfriends and girlfriends, wives and husbands, children who were sick in hospital, and sometimes even pets.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I discovered all sorts of music – some old, some new, some I liked, some I didn’t. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I spent entire days listening to sport, and some nights too. I often fell asleep with the radio under my pillow quietly describing the cricket that was being played in England. These were some of the friendliest, funniest voices of all.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Through that radio, I discovered a whole new world of ideas and opinions. But most of all, I discovered more and more happy, friendly voices. And I listened to them whenever I could.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Then, eleven years later, it was time for me to speak on the radio. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I was sitting in a Melbourne community radio station called 3RRR, hosting what is known as the ‘Graveyard Shift’. It’s the overnight program that starts at midnight and ends at six in the morning. I guess it’s called the Graveyard Shift because the only other activity happening at that time of night is amongst ghosts in the graveyard. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It was a long night of playing music and talking, and there weren’t too many listeners, but I loved every minute of it. And it turned out to be the first day of a career in radio.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I worked as a radio broadcaster for over ten years. Strangely, during all that time I never really thought about the Sunday morning when I’d skipped ahead of my family to ‘make a phone call’. It was only when I’d left radio to write children’s books that I realised how lucky that day had been. What I found back then was much more than a radio. I’d discovered a life outside of my own. A life I hoped I could make for myself one day. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The life I have now.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>  <br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-3582039814089009058?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-36129432523314181162010-03-13T09:17:00.005+11:002011-10-10T10:54:20.837+11:00A small, but powerful thought for writers<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></span><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">I think this may be the best advice I've heard for writers (and anyone else hoping to achieve something in life).</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">'When inspiration strikes, </span></span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">let it find me working’ </span></span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">- Pablo Picasso</span></span></span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial,serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial,serif; font-size: 85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">We all get our chance, it'd be a shame not to be ready for it. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial,serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-3612943252331418116?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-80500144244242440712010-02-26T17:39:00.009+11:002010-02-26T23:32:45.764+11:00New cover - Destiny's Right Hand<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_25xS2byVFG4/S4dvcL0p7jI/AAAAAAAAAHM/vdyNrKoWKEc/s1600-h/Destinys+Right+Hand+FC1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 209px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_25xS2byVFG4/S4dvcL0p7jI/AAAAAAAAAHM/vdyNrKoWKEc/s320/Destinys+Right+Hand+FC1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442441204701195826" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Sorry for taking so long to post something new, but the last six months have been crazy. And one of the many things keeping me busy/crazy has been my latest novel - Destiny's Right Hand, which is going to look like this. (I think you can click the picture to enlarge it.) Let me know what you think. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Oh, and here's the blurb ...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="font: normal normal normal 20px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">a beautiful shoplifter.</span></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 20px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="font: normal normal normal 27px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">a</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> transplanted hand.</span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 20px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">a message that</span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 20px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">must be delivered.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 20px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p></div><div><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">While stumbling through a harsh world of </span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">hopes and expectations, teenage journalist </span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Eddie Innocent meets the stunning but strange </span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Destiny. As they work together to solve a </span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">painful mystery, Eddie wonders if he’s ﬁnally </span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">discovered the front-page news story he’s been </span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">looking for. </span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">What he doesn’t realise is that he’s being </span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">drawn deeper into his own darkness.</span></span><span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></span></p></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As you can probably tell by the blurb, it's not sporty or amusing like most of my other books. It's kind of a teenage drama with a magic-supernatural tinge. The main characters are 15 and 16, so it's probably best suited to older kids too.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Let me know what you think.</div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div> </div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-8050014424424244071?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-18554045331437427752009-07-16T08:14:00.002+10:002009-07-16T08:17:15.612+10:00Why it's important to write visuallyI've been trying to work out why visual writing is so powerful and here's what I've come up with. Please feel free to agree or disagree.<br /><br />Visual means recognisable<br />recognisable means real<br />real means universal<br />universal means profound<br /><br />Therefore, visual writing is profound.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-1855404533143742775?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-4663658361733485992009-06-16T17:08:00.003+10:002009-06-17T14:28:02.661+10:00Great article with more tips for writersHi everyone,<br /><br />I've just discovered a wonderful article containing some very original (and useful) tips for new writers. It's written by Cory Doctorow and, if you don't get to read it, at least take this one piece of advice from him ...<br /><br />Write for 20 minutes at day, that's all, then stop. Do this EVERY day (and let's face it, it's not impossible to find 20 spare minutes a day) and you'll find you've written a novel in less than a year.<br /><br />But that's not all he says. Have a read for yourself. It's great!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.locusmag.com/Features/2009/01/cory-doctorow-writing-in-age-of.html">http://www.locusmag.com/Features/2009/01/cory-doctorow-writing-in-age-of.html</a><br /><br />Let me know what you think.<br /><br />Michael<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-466365836173348599?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-6307005864776617572009-03-29T17:34:00.001+11:002009-03-29T17:35:44.056+11:00Making Sense of TenseHere's an article about 'tense' that I wrote for the Melbourne Age newspaper in 2008. Happy reading ...<br /><br /><strong>Making Sense of Tense</strong><br /><br />If you’re reading a story at the moment – and I really hope you are – it’s probably written in the past tense. Most stories are for very good reasons. However, experimenting with other tenses, particularly the present tense, might be just what’s needed to infuse your story with a whole new energy.<br /><br />Tense means ‘time’. It refers to the period of time in which a story takes place. There are many different tenses – at least twelve – but usually stories are told in the three basics: the past, the present or the future. Or a mix of the three.<br /><br />Here’s how to tell the basic (or ‘simple’) tenses apart.<br /><br />Past tense – Jill rode her bike.<br />Present tense – Jill rides her bike.<br />Future tense – Jill will ride her bike.<br /><br />As stories written in the future tense are rare (I can’t actually recall ever reading one), I’ll stick with the differences between stories told in the past and present tenses.<br /><br />The logic of a story written in the past tense is clear: a series of events have happened some time ago, the author has written them down, and you’re now reading about them. Very simple. Very clear. Very logical.<br /><br />Less simple and clear is the logic of stories written in the present tense. The present tense suggests that the story is unfolding as you’re reading it. But how can that be if it’s already written down? When on earth is it supposed to have happened?<br /><br />This logic problem is distracting for some readers. It can just about ruin a story for them. And that’s fair enough. But you know what? As a reader, it doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, I love stories written in the present tense. To me, present tense stories are vivid, urgent and fully involving. Reading one feels like the difference between watching live action and a replay.<br /><br />And, as a writer, when I’ve taken the risk and written in the present tense it’s as though a fresh light has been cast over my story. That’s particularly true when I’ve been writing the unavoidable, slower parts of the narrative.<br /><br />Consider these two (very slow) sentences:<br /><br />Jack sat on the couch. (past tense)<br />Jack sits on the couch. (present tense)<br /><br />Neither sentence is too thrilling, mainly because Jack isn’t doing much. But the second sentence feels slightly more interesting. It reads as if there’s a touch of forward momentum about Jack’s decision to sit on the couch. It also hints at the possibility of something exciting happening soon.<br /><br />So, the same action (or lack of it) written in different tenses creates a subtly different level of energy. As a writer, I love it when my words have momentum and energy.<br /><br />So, if you want a smooth, clear logic to your story, the past tense might be your thing. But if immediacy, involvement and energy are what you’re after, maybe give the present tense a try.<br /><br />As for the future tense, that’s for another time …<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-630700586477661757?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-77670753952670072092009-03-29T17:24:00.003+11:002009-03-29T17:32:15.981+11:00Four books that have changed my lifeThis is an article I wrote for Sydney's Sun-Herald in late 2008.<br /><br /><strong>A Fraction of the Whole </strong>by<strong> Steve Toltz</strong><br />It's embarrasing to admit this as an author, but until I’d read this book, there was no way I’d trouble myself with a 700 page novel. I love reading, but there are limits to how much time I’ll spend reading one story. In fact, I only started flicking through Toltz’s novel to see what it takes to spark a bidding war between major international publishers – I’d heard that this Australian story had done just that. But the flicking soon became reading and, before long, I was absolutely hooked.<br /><br />A Fraction of the Whole is the weirdest, funniest and most brilliant father-son story I’ve ever read. It follows a family of three Australian men – a father, a son and an uncle - through most of their turbulent, bizarre and, somehow familiar, lives. But it’s not just about filial frictions, it’s also about ideas and where they lead us. And then there’s the humour. There were times when I tried to read sections of it aloud to my wife, but couldn’t because I was laughing so hard. It’s not a perfect book, but I’ve read nothing better.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Dibs in Search of Self </strong>by<strong> Virginia M Axline</strong><br />I can’t think of any higher praise for a book than to tell you that this one made me sick! Actually sick. But in a good way … I guess.<br /><br />I was so deeply moved by this true story of a troubled five-year-old boy (Dibs) undergoing ‘play therapy’ with his psychologist, Virginia Axline, that when I finished reading it, I had some sort of melt down of my own.<br /><br />I guess when you strongly relate to the characters in a book, their journey shines all sorts of unexpected lights on your own issues. For me, this was like going through intensive therapy myself. When I finished it, I felt as though something inside had shifted. It took me a week of sick leave to get used to the change. I reckon any book that has a physical, as well as an emotional, effect on you, is a very powerful read. In those terms, this was the most powerful book I’ve ever read.<br /><br /><br /><strong>To Kill a Mocking Bird</strong> by <strong>Harper Lee<br /></strong>The last time I looked, this Pulitzer Prize winning book was still the biggest selling novel of all time, so I’m not exactly Robinson Crusoe in loving it. And what’s not to love? This gentle, wise and poignant story of racism in 1930s Alabama is a monument to human decency. In the character of Atticus Finch, Harper Lee created a father-figure for many generations.<br /><br /><br /><strong>The Catcher in the Rye</strong> by <strong>J.D. Salinger</strong><br />The power of this book is in the narrator’s voice. Like a lot of adolescents, teen narrator Holden Caulfield, is judgemental, confused and a little lost. But he’s also honest, gentle and innocent. The voice Salinger has created for Caulfield is so authentic it’s as if he’s sitting right next you, telling you (and only you) his sad, difficult, but quietly uplifting story. The final, simple scene remains one of the most touching I’ve ever read.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-7767075395267007209?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-6732218017089584482009-03-28T16:35:00.001+11:002009-03-28T16:35:45.824+11:00Tips for Young Writers 27: Don’t forget that writing is fun.Don’t forget that writing is fun. Writing’s not a job, it’s an art, like painting and acting and playing music. So, laugh while you write. Listen to music while you write. Cry while you write – if that makes you happy. Whatever you do, have fun while you write.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-673221801708958448?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-33403791872774965602009-03-28T16:34:00.002+11:002009-03-28T16:35:15.595+11:00Tips for Young Writers 26: Lead an interesting life.Lead an interesting life. If you’re an interesting person, your writing will be interesting too. So, do scary things sometimes. And difficult things. And amazing things. And unexpected things. That way you’ll learn to understand yourself and other people much better. And that will not only make you a better writer, it will make you a better person.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-3340379187277496560?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-5188865599621468302009-03-28T16:34:00.001+11:002009-03-28T16:34:25.155+11:00Tips for Young Writers 25: Understand that conflict is the writer’s best friend.Understand that conflict is the writer’s best friend. Conflict, in life, is unpleasant (well, for most of us), but it’s brilliant in stories. Conflict brings a story to life. Try to include conflict in most parts of your story, whether it’s in the form of an argument, a fight, a war, a debate, a sporting contest, a minor disagreement, or even a tough decision that your hero is struggling over. We all love seeing characters deal with conflict.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-518886559962146830?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-21588385051753451542009-03-28T16:33:00.004+11:002009-03-29T01:19:03.003+11:00Tips for Young Writers 24: Don’t think, just write.Don’t think, just write. Great stories are complex, beautiful, mysterious things, that touch us deeply. The desire to create something profound is what drives many writers. The funny thing is, however, the harder we try to write something amazing and deep, the less likely we are to achieve it. Very few of us can THINK a great story to life, but many of us can IMAGINE one up. When you’re writing, don’t think about your story, just go where your imagination takes you. When you do this, you will be surprised and thrilled by the places you end up. And so will your readers.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-2158838505175345154?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-86501078181784021242009-03-28T16:33:00.001+11:002009-03-28T16:33:24.591+11:00Tips for Young Writers 23: Write fast to outrun the internal critic.Write fast to outrun the internal critic. Sometimes our biggest critic is ourselves. We tell ourselves not to write this or that because we might be embarrassed later. Often, the very best things I’ve written seemed silly when I wrote them. Luckily, I wrote them anyway. If you write quickly enough, you get the words down before the critical part of your brain knows what’s going on – so write fast!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-8650107818178402124?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-69500159775952541792009-03-28T16:32:00.001+11:002011-10-10T10:50:54.216+11:00Tips for Young Writers 22: Accept criticism, but don’t agree with everything you hear.Accept criticism, but don’t agree with everything. There’s a fantastic saying that goes, ‘To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.’ Anytime you do, say or be anything there will be people around who want to criticise you – sometimes because they want to put you in your place, and other times because they want to help you. Learn to know the difference between those two types of criticism, then learn to know which ‘helpful’ criticism is good for your story and which you should ignore. But whatever you do, accept criticism as an interesting and sometimes very useful part of writing – and life.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-6950015977595254179?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-53509796515540759472009-03-28T16:31:00.002+11:002009-03-28T16:32:23.374+11:00Tips for Young Writers 21: Make writing a habit.Make writing a habit. Writing is like running. When you run, your legs get fitter and fitter. When you write your fingers and imagination get fitter and fitter. And when you’re fit, you can really fly. So, write a little bit every day and, before long, your writing will take off.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-5350979651554075947?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-75425797315640433412009-03-28T16:31:00.001+11:002009-03-28T16:31:50.301+11:00Tips for Young Writers 20: Try to a get a picture of the ending in your mind before you reach it.Try to a get a picture of the ending in your mind before you reach it. There’s nothing worse than reaching the end of a whole story then realising you don’t have a good enough finish. Basically, all the writing you’ve done could come to nothing! It’s only when I’ve got a little glimpse of the ending that I know my story is going to work out. When I’ve glimpsed that ending, even just a fraction of it, I know just where my story is taking me.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-7542579731564043341?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-85165075642950048172009-03-28T16:30:00.000+11:002009-03-28T16:31:15.239+11:00Tips for Young Writers 19: Write exciting moments as if they’re happening in slow-motion.Write exciting moments as if they’re happening in slow-motion. Describe every detail of the most exciting moments. The reader will feel like they were right there in the middle of all that excitement.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-8516507564295004817?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-69244990781735020392009-03-28T16:29:00.000+11:002009-03-28T16:30:31.609+11:00Tips for Young Writers 18: Keep a journal of ideas.Keep a journal of ideas. Ideas are precious, and very slippery – they slip out of your mind if you don’t catch them quickly enough. So make sure you write all your ideas down in your journal. Then, when you’re running out of ideas for your story, read your journal and see if there’s anything in there that can help you. You’ll often surprise yourself with how useful random ideas can be.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-6924499078173502039?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-80462864717104113292009-03-28T16:28:00.001+11:002009-03-28T16:29:53.863+11:00Tips for Young Writers 17: Use a fast pen or pencil.This one's probably for very young writers ...<br /><br />Use a fast pen or pencil. If your pen is scratchy or uncomfortable or your pencil breaks all the time, get a different one. Don’t worry about having the coolest pen or pencil or one with lots of great things hanging off it – they’re okay for some writing, but not so good when you’re enjoying writing a story and want to get it down fast. The wrong pen or pencil can slow you down.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-8046286471710411329?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-51297392407328941302009-03-28T16:26:00.001+11:002009-03-28T16:28:00.887+11:00Tips for Young Writers 16: Read a lot.I know this one's pretty obvious, but I reckon it's still worth saying ...<br /><br />Read a lot. Reading a lot makes words flow straight out of your imagination and onto the page. It teaches you how to put words together without really having to think about it.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-5129739240732894130?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-20436102342113856442009-03-28T10:01:00.004+11:002009-03-28T10:21:01.897+11:00Two essential books for young writersFrom all my reading of books about the craft of writing, I reckon there are two that are essential for young writers to read. So if you can scrape together the cash and you're serious about writing stories, get your hands on these two books. You won't regret it. <br /><br /><strong>Story</strong> by <strong>Robert McKee</strong><br />This is the encyclopaedic guide to the craft of story writing. McKee's focus is on film, but this book suits all forms of storytelling, because story is always about character, structure, meaning, subtext, plotting, etc. Anyone who says you can't teach writing obviously hasn't read this book - or hasn't taken it in properly. It is a wise, breathtaking work of sheer genius that should outlive us all.<br /><br /><strong>How Not to Write a Novel</strong> by <strong>Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman</strong><br />This is all about novel writing in particular. It's a revelatory and hilarious list of 200 mistakes novelists and short story writers commonly make, along with advice on how to avoid them. Even with 40 books under my belt, I've cringed several times at how close I've come to making some of these mistake. If you're anything like me, you're writing will improve after reading this book, and you'll approach your craft with a whole new confidence.<br /><br />There are a couple of other books I recommend, but I don't think they're as important as these two.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-2043610234211385644?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-18924072646155749912009-03-26T17:01:00.003+11:002009-03-26T17:01:55.917+11:00Tips for Young Writers 15: Don’t let your characters say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ too often.Don’t let your characters say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ too often. If you listen closely to the way people talk (and that’s a great thing to do if you want to be a writer) you’ll discover that people rarely respond to a direct question with a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’. Instead, they’ll more often answer with an explanation. For example, ‘Weren’t you meant to be here ten minutes ago?’ asked Mrs Brown. ‘My bus was late,’ replied Alex. Notice that Alex didn’t respond with ‘Yes’, she just launched into an explanation. That’s how most people speak, so have your characters speak the same way. It’ll make them seem much more real.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-1892407264615574991?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-24580043553683750532009-03-26T17:00:00.002+11:002009-03-26T17:01:19.909+11:00Tips for Young Writers 14: To add humour, try exaggerating.To add humour, try exaggerating. Rather than saying, ‘My brother is a bit messy sometimes’, try saying, ‘My brother is the grottiest little piglet in town! In fact, he’s totally disgusting!’ Exaggerating makes things funnier and more vivid. And humour can add a lot of enjoyment to your story (both for you and the reader).<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-2458004355368375053?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-41214542100908919012009-03-26T17:00:00.001+11:002009-03-26T17:00:44.646+11:00Tips for Young Writers 13: Remember to add sense impressions.Remember to add sense impressions. Think about what can been seen, smelled, tasted, felt and heard in your story. Little bits of these, dotted throughout, will make your story seem more real and more vivid.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-4121454210090891901?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-27471779959073430052009-03-26T16:59:00.000+11:002009-03-26T17:00:02.285+11:00Tips for Young Writers 12: Don’t show off your writing skills too much, or try too hard.Don’t show off your writing skills too much, or try too hard. Simple, clear writing is full of power and movement. Flowery, ‘brilliant’ text can be incredibly boring if the story isn’t kicking along quickly enough. You don’t have to be a genius with words to tell an excellent story, you just have to be clear<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-2747177995907343005?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-84611134767365088072009-03-26T16:58:00.002+11:002009-03-26T16:59:18.620+11:00Tips for Young Writers 11: Don’t allow miracles (unless it’s done to add humour).Don’t allow miracles (unless it’s done to add humour). Imagine this, the hero of your story is just about to get eaten by a lion and a gun suddenly falls from a passing plane right into his hands. That could be funny, but if you’re writing an exciting adventure story, you’ve probably just blown it for your readers. That sort of miracle destroys the stories suspense. If that sort of thing can happen, then the hero’s just going to get out of every tough situation through some sort of random miracle, not his or her own courage and ingenuity. Boring! Make everything in the story happen because of something that happened earlier. If a gun suddenly appears, it does so because the hero has stashed it in a bush, or something equally non-miraculous.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-8461113476736508807?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-13801663060553277532009-03-26T16:57:00.000+11:002009-03-26T16:58:13.064+11:00Tips for Young Writers 10: Listen to the rhythm of your sentences.Listen to the rhythm of your sentences. Every sentence has its own rhythm – almost like a musical pattern. Sentences that have a nice rhythm are a pleasure to read, they flow like the lyrics of a song. Sentences that lack rhythm make the reader stop and start – they’re constantly being jolted out of the story. I’m currently writing a story which has a rhythmic title. It’s called ‘All the People Everywhere.’ Here are two less rhythmic ways of saying exactly the same thing – do they make good titles? ‘Every Person in Different Parts of the Whole Planet’ and ‘Every Person in the Whole World no Matter what Part You are Thinking About.’ Not quite as enjoyable to read I don’t think.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-1380166306055327753?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-38581685704462005572009-03-26T16:54:00.002+11:002009-03-26T16:57:39.710+11:00Tips for Young Writers 9: The truth is always fresh.The truth is always fresh. If you stick to the truth as best you can, your story will always seem new and fresh and relevant. So, be yourself, have your say and stick to the facts – even if it hurts sometimes to tell them. Sometimes, being an author requires courage.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-3858168570446200557?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-3091263346270933252009-03-26T16:54:00.001+11:002009-03-26T16:54:48.090+11:00Tips for Young Writers 8: Wonder more about what your characters are thinking than what they should say.Wonder more about what your characters are thinking than what they should say. Try to just forget about what your characters need to say next and simply think about what they’re thinking. When you get your characters’ thoughts really clear in your mind, you’ll find words just tumble out of their mouths and onto the page. You might also find that their dialogue feels surprisingly real.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-309126334627093325?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-25160987213798912252009-03-26T16:53:00.000+11:002009-03-26T16:54:07.456+11:00Tips for Young Writers 7: Love all your characters, even the ones you hate.Love ALL your characters, even the ones you hate. If you love the bad guys, you’ll make them much more real, and strangely enough, that will make them much more scary. A bad guy who doesn’t seem real, just isn’t going to be all that scary. So, if you create a bad guy, try to see the world through their eyes, try to understand them, and even better, try to like them … even just a little.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-2516098721379891225?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-65822839440570581172009-03-26T16:51:00.000+11:002009-03-26T16:52:51.684+11:00Tips for Young Writers 6: Imagine every scene from every character’s point of view.Imagine every scene from every character’s point of view.<br />When you’re writing a scene (or a big chunk of your story), try to imagine what all the characters are thinking, not just your hero. This may mean thinking through the same scene a few times, until you’ve thought about every different character in it, but it’ll be well worth it. You’ll end up with an amazingly realistic chunk of story.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-6582283944057058117?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-56418243615588025252009-03-26T16:50:00.002+11:002009-03-26T16:51:27.454+11:00Tips for Young Writers 5: Start your story right in the middle of the first piece of action.Start your story right in the middle of the first piece of action.<br /><br />Now, by ‘action’ I don’t mean a car chase, a shoot-out, or a fight, I just mean people <strong>doing</strong> something. That could mean starting with your hero answering a question in class, or going to the shops, or maybe fighting off an attacking troll. Just have them doing something from the very start of your story.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-5641824361558802525?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-77786205633383019662009-03-26T16:46:00.002+11:002009-03-26T16:49:36.094+11:00Tips for Young Writers 4: Show, don’t tell your story.I've finally got some more tips!!<br /><br />Show, don’t tell your story. Think of your story as a movie that plays in the readers imagination. If you can create clear, vivid pictures in their mind, they will really ‘see’ your story unfolding – that means they will get more involved in it and they’ll remember it better. Pictures stay with us in a way that ideas and feelings don’t. We will probably forget the feeling of a broken leg, long before we forget the sight of it. Show them the broken legs in your story, don't just mention them.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-7778620563338301966?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-70918626540349162962009-03-26T16:42:00.002+11:002009-03-26T16:45:21.720+11:00Latest Undys NewsJust a quick Undys update. I've written the sixth and final Undys book. It's currently with Penguin, with the editing to start soon. It's going to be called On the Move, because at the start, the boys get a notice saying they have one month to move out of their flat. From that moment, the race is on to find a new home. And it's not as easy as the boys expect it to be!!<br /><br />I think it's the best book in the series, but I tend to think that after each new book - so maybe it's just as good as the others!! :^)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-7091862654034916296?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-8026741594720692322008-08-01T19:42:00.005+10:002008-08-03T11:44:39.308+10:00Tips for Young Writers 3: Let your characters think and speak for themselves.This may sound strange, but if you're stuck while writing a story, try talking to your characters. Ask them what they would do next. Let them live. When they start answering you back, you’ll know one of two things – either they’ve truly come to life in your imagination, or it’s time to see a doctor!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-802674159472069232?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-57710981938502965242008-08-01T19:38:00.006+10:002008-08-03T11:43:08.290+10:00Tips for Young Writers 2: Raise questions in the reader’s mind.Readers love wondering ‘What’s going to happen next?’ or ‘How are they going to get out of this?’ or sometimes even, ‘What is this all about?’<br /><br />Try starting your story with something that’s a bit hard to understand, like for example, ‘Joe clearly saw his best friend Justin steal his moneybox, which was particularly weird because Joe had been completely blind from birth.’ This sentence raises questions in the reader's mind which encourages them to keep reading.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-5771098193850296524?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-82578086961458649292008-08-01T19:33:00.005+10:002008-08-28T10:19:17.344+10:00Tips for Young Writers 1: Make your hero suffer.This is the first of twenty or so tips for young writers I'll add to this blog over the next couple of months. Hope you like them. Hope they help your writing. Feel free to comment if you like. So, tip one is ...<br /><br /><strong>Make your hero suffer.</strong><br /><br />There’s nothing a reader likes more than seeing a likable person suffer really badly in all kinds of terrible ways ... then triumph. We love to see how people find their way through big difficulties, so make the hero of your story suffer.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-8257808696145864929?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-78525048605579647472008-07-15T14:12:00.005+10:002008-09-29T16:30:01.480+10:00Funny portraits<div>I had the pleasure of running workshops at the Patterson River Lit Festival a couple of weeks ago and two of the kids in my groups drew portraits of me. I reckon they're excellent, so I thought I'd show them here. What do you think?<br /><br />The first illustration was done by Angus Henderson, the second by Chloe C and the third by Amber Argent. Maybe you could draw one and send it to me too?<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_25xS2byVFG4/SHw0ojq4xiI/AAAAAAAAAEM/1ESTQcZMqVQ/s1600-h/MW_by_AngusHenderson.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223107539217466914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_25xS2byVFG4/SHw0ojq4xiI/AAAAAAAAAEM/1ESTQcZMqVQ/s320/MW_by_AngusHenderson.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_25xS2byVFG4/SHw0oq_QG-I/AAAAAAAAAEU/SCnwKLPaE2I/s1600-h/MW_by_Chloe+C.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223107541181930466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_25xS2byVFG4/SHw0oq_QG-I/AAAAAAAAAEU/SCnwKLPaE2I/s320/MW_by_Chloe+C.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_25xS2byVFG4/SOB1yYy6nOI/AAAAAAAAAEk/VDx0VTVzrGQ/s1600-h/AmberpicMW_02.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251326674023914722" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_25xS2byVFG4/SOB1yYy6nOI/AAAAAAAAAEk/VDx0VTVzrGQ/s320/AmberpicMW_02.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-7852504860557964747?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-29757193676568116612008-07-08T16:49:00.000+10:002008-07-08T16:33:53.678+10:00Undys newsIt's time to talk about my Undys (the books that is). The latest news is that I've just finished writing draft one of the fifth book, while the fourth book is just about to head off to the printers.<br /><br />The fourth book is called The Undys: Wet and Wild, and it takes Josh and Phil off to their first camping weekend. They head off with Amy, Aunty Faber, Summer and her dad, Daniel. The four made-up games they play are: Paddle Boat Racing, A Tasty Treasure Hunt, A Greasy Pole Battle and Beach Volleyball.<br /><br />The big beach volleyball game that ends the book is against those bullies - Bladen Bolter and his dad, as well as their friends and family. Amongst the Bolter's friends is Austin Wickes - he's the kid who was the first winner in my 'I'm in a Book' competition. I've got a couple of hundred entries so far, and he's the first person to have a character named after him. And because he's appeared in two books now, I'm going to send him a signed copy of the new one as well.<br /><br />And the fifth book too, because he plays an even bigger part in that one. So, lucky Aussie's getting three Undys books just for entering my competition, and they're all signed. Go Aussie!<br /><br />Aussie's not the only lucky one either. I've named three new characters after kids who entered my competition. They're Oscar Cramp (whose name has been given to the world's seventh strongest man), Kelsey Campbell (who's a morning show host on TV) and Dan Plant (who's also a TV show host). They'll all receive signed copies of the fifth book when it comes out early next year. Yay!<br /><br />And just to give you a hint about what's coming up in the fifth book. Josh and Phil end up on TV, where they become quite big stars, and they compete in a Wife Carrying race, and Josh learns how to make goals for the future. And much more too. I reckon it's the best book so far, but I usually think that when I've finished writing. So maybe it's only as awesome as the other four!! :^)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-2975719367656811661?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-31324080781587955112008-07-04T17:55:00.003+10:002008-07-07T14:14:44.500+10:00Six tips for young writersWriting can be an unbelievably enjoyable and rewarding experience. Here are a few tips that might help you fall in love with it.<br /><br />Tip 1. Make sure you're having fun. Writing should be as much fun as throwing paint onto a canvas, playing a musical instrument or acting on a stage. It's your chance to express yourself. Don't forget to have fun while you're having your say.<br /><br />Tip 2. Write fast. Writing quickly can really unlock the imagination. That's where a lot of your creativity is. Write fast and worry about fixing things up later. Just get into it!<br /><br />Tip 3. Try exaggerating. Exaggerating can make a story funnier and easier to imagine. Instead of catching a fish in your story, have them catch a shark. Instead of make a character mildly unattractive, make them look like a troll. Give it a try and see if it suits your writing style.<br /><br />Tip 4. Slow down the exciting parts. When you are writing about the most exciting moments in your story, describe every detail as if it's happening in slow motion. This will add power to moment.<br /><br />Tip 5. Trust your imagination. Inside your imagination is a wealth of exciting, powerful, hilarious, silly, scary, beautiful ideas. Don’t get so caught up in writing well that you forget to use your imagination. Let your imagination lead the way. Follow it. Roam. Dream. Live. Go somewhere incredible. Then write it all down.<br /><br />Tip 6. Be brave. There is a brilliant story inside you waiting to come out - maybe lots - but sometimes it takes courage to present it to the world. I mean, what if people don’t like it? What if they think you’re stupid? What if they make fun of you? Be brave. There’s not only a story inside you, there’s also all the courage you need to tell it. Keep looking. You will find it.<br /><br />Got any more tips for young writers?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-3132408078158795511?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-72892795721024835752008-07-04T17:51:00.002+10:002008-07-04T17:52:38.610+10:00Six benefits of readingThere are too many benefits to reading to list here, but here's a shortlist of some of the big ones that kids maybe don't realise.<br /><br />Benefit 1: Reading gives you more words and words are power.<br />Words can get you out of trouble – especially when you haven’t done anything wrong. Words can help you win an argument you should win – just because you’re right doesn’t mean you’ll always win. The winner is usually the one with the best words.<br /><br />Benefit 2: Reading can make you funnier<br />You pick up new jokes, new ideas. You become more fun to be around. People never get bored around you. You might even become more popular.<br /><br />Benefit 3: Reading can make you better at things<br />Many great achievers (like athletes or chefs or artists) have written brilliant books about what they do. These books can help you become brilliant at things too.<br /><br />Benefit 4: Reading can make you a kinder, more caring person<br />When you read a book, you step into a different life for a while. You learn to understand other people’s problems. You learn how to treat others better. If you can understand what other people are going through, you will be kinder and more caring toward them.<br /><br />Benefit 5: Reading can make you smarter<br />Just about every idea ever thought of in history is in a book somewhere. If you read, you’ll get smarter without even trying.<br /><br />Benefit 6: Above all, reading the right books is just plain FUN!<br /><br />Any comments? Have I missed anything really big? Am I just plain wrong?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-7289279572102483575?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109526584178575811.post-53842129823450585352008-07-04T12:40:00.000+10:002008-07-04T13:10:14.308+10:00Top 20 albums of all timeOkay, I've put a bit of thought into this, so it's as good a place to start blogging as any.<br /><br />Here are my top 20 albums of all time, as they stand at the moment - although it may change if you really convince me that I'm wrong.<br /><br />1. Bruce Springsteen - the Wild, the Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle<br />2. Bruce Springsteen - Greetings from Asbury Park, New Jersey<br />3. The Clash - London Calling<br />4. Billy Bragg - Worker's Playtime<br />5. Elvis Costello - Imperial Bedroom<br />6. Radiohead - OK Computer<br />7. Radiohead - The Bends<br />8. Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes<br />9. Blink 182 - Take off Your Pants and Jacket<br />10. Blink 182 - Enema of the State<br />11. Everything But the Girl - Baby the Stars Shine Bright<br />12. Nick Cave - The Boatman's Call<br />13. The Killers - Hot Fuss<br />14. The Killers - Sam's Town<br />15. Sigur Ros - Takk<br />16. Everclear - Songs from an American Movie (part 1)<br />17. The The - Soul Mining<br />18. New Radicals - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too<br />19. The Beatles - Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band<br />20. The Beatles - Abbey Road<br /><br /><br />A mixed bag, I know. Anything really wrong in that lot?<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />Michael<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7109526584178575811-5384212982345058535?l=wagstheauthor.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>wagstheauthorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16680226445984878515noreply@blogger.com0