The Boogie Books Blog

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Dear Emma
Thank you so much for all your hard work, your encouragement and support and your wonderful enthusiasm.  You made it possible for me to be a published author and I loved every minute of the process.
Coralie ..

The Hon Peter Garrett MP
Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth
PO Box 6022 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600
Dear Mr Garrett,
I was really encouraged to read of the launch of the Let’s Read Early Literacy Campaign earlier this week.  “Reading and writing are the building blocks to a great education.”  As a passionate literacy advocate, a Pyjama Angel, “Let’s Read: anywhere, anytime” is exciting and on behalf of the Child Writes graduates, we would like to be part of it! ..

We have come a long way!
I really wish I had a copy of the logo from the very first Boogie Books website – I can’t even remember when it was launched, and I am sure it would be ‘out there’ somewhere, but it really was fabulous at the time, yet terribly embarrassing now!   ..

‘I just can’t think of a good idea…’
I want to tell you right now, you have thousands of ideas already in your head and it just a matter of letting them land on the piece of paper in front of you! ..

It May this year, I was fortunate enough to win Gold at the Independent Publishers Awards (or the ‘IPPY’s’) for the Best Adult Non-Fiction eBook version of Child Writes: Creating a Children’s Picture Book is Child’s Play. (Say that quickly after Friday night drinks!)  ..

Sometimes things look super easy, like when you join Blurbarati and swim graciously around in a sea of information designed to make the book building process as easy as possible! Other times, you can make it ridiculously difficult for yourself. Oft I will find myself in the later paradigm. ..

Have you experienced the sense of frustration which comes from staring at a blank piece of paper (or a blank screen, or a blank canvas) and honestly questioning the validity of you being there in the first place? Merely moments ago, you may have been wishing to write, and you have probably even started. Now, nothing happens. What if the conversation is no longer valid; when did I think my contribution was even worth making; how is it possible to be creative when there is a list a mile long to conquer; surely there is a better way to use my time...  ..

Character shopping is an art used by writers all over the world. To do this, all you need to do is find a public place with high pedestrian traffic and then you sit and people watch, pen and paper in hand, and jot down notes if you ‘see’ the perfect person or a person’s particular physical characteristic! I find it is perfectly useful when you need a character who may have a cameo role in a story or even if you are looking for ‘that’ perfect trait to identify an existing character. ..

Yesterday, I was lucky / organised / sensible / delusional enough to walk away from my computer and I spent three hours in a cooking class. I badly needed to have some time out from my family / my world / my office / my ‘to do’ list...  ..