Posts tagged Star Author
May 19, 2013 · Filed under Authors, Books, Children, New Zealand, Star Author, writers, Writing · Tagged Books, May 2013 Star Author, New Zealand author, Sarah Johnson, Star Author, writing
I promised I would tell you a bit more about some of the fabulous children’s writers who appeared at Word Café with me. But before I do that, I have to put right a terrible oversight…
I woke up in the middle of the night last night and realised I had forgotten to mention something, or rather someone very important in my last post. Can you guess who?
Winnie the Pooh of course! Now the Winnie the Pooh story’s not about poo at all, but Pooh Bear himself has got to be the all-time most famous poo of all, and terribly lovable and funny to boot, so I was sorry that I had forgotten him.
But now that I’ve remembered him, I might just reread his story, and his second story The House at Pooh Corner, and also some of his poems, my favourite of which goes:
Wherever I am, there’s always Pooh,
There’s always Pooh and Me.
Whatever I do, he wants to do,
“Where are you going today?” says Pooh:
“Well, that’s very odd ‘cos I was too.
Let’s go together,” says Pooh, says he.
“Let’s go together,” says Pooh.
Do you know it? It’s called ‘Us Two’ and it’s from A.A. Milne’s book Now We Are Six. A.A. Milne is the author of all of the Winnie the Pooh books, but the stories will always belong to Pooh.
Speaking of authors, I had the good luck at the Word café festival to present a workshop with a very talented author called Andre Ngapo who also lives in Raglan, like me. Andre won the Sunday Star Short Story Competition in 2008 for his story ‘Te Pou’. The story isn’t a children’s story as such, but it is about a child. After that, Learning Media contacted Andre and he has been writing stories for the School Journal ever since. Keep an eye out for him. He has a story out this month, and several more in the pipeline.
I also did a reading with another clever Raglan local, Margery Fern. Although she was reading her books, Margery is the illustrator, rather than the author. The author is her sister Jennifer Somervell who lives in Oxford in Canterbury (they’re the ladies in the picture: Margery is on the left). Together they produce a series of picture books, called Tales From the Farm about their amazing childhood growing up on a farm in the Hawkes Bay.
There’s a funny one about their father blowing up the cowshed with gelignite (a true story) and another about an old truck that they had in shed, which is now the only working truck of its kind in the world. Their next one, Josephine, is about an amorous pig (I hate to think) and then they have a book planned about an eel hunt. Now I happen to love eeling (I don’t kill them; I just haul them up on a piece of string to get a closer look at them), so I’m really looking forward to that.
The last children’s author who was there was Tui Allen. Tui doesn’t live in Raglan, but she lives in Te Pahu at the foot of Mount Pirongia, which is close by. Tui’s written lots of books for children, but her best known is probably Captain Clancy and the Flying Clothesline, about a city clothesline that escapes its city existence to live on a tropical island. Although Tui published it nearly 20 years ago, the story is still a favourite on National Radio’s story time.
For Word Café we asked all three of these wonderful storytellers what their advice was for aspiring writers and illustrators (that may be you). Here’s what they said:
Andre
Write from your experience, from what you know, where you’ve been — not necessarily physically — cover the emotional landscapes you’ve traversed. Write from the heart.
Margery
Practise, practise, practise! Team up with a writer, trial create a book together and just give it a go!
Tui
Find a great critique group. Either in the flesh or online. Make full use of it. Do your share of critiquing and develop trust within the group. Listen to them, especially their criticisms. The most important thing you want to hear is what’s wrong with your work – not what’s right with it.
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May 15, 2013 · Filed under Authors, Books, Children, New Zealand, Star Author, writers, Writing · Tagged May 2013 Star Author, New Zealand author, Sarah Johnson, Star Author, writer, writing
What a fantastic time I had at the Word Café Raglan writers and readers festival at the weekend. Books are so much fun! And so interesting. And so are the people who read and write them.
Around 35 people came along to the workshop that Andre Ngapo and I ran on getting started in writing for children. (Andre’s in the picture, doing his stuff on the day: I’ll tell you more about him in my next post.) That’s 35 avid writers and readers of children’s fiction all in one room. It was electric.
We had a wonderful discussion about what makes a great children’s book. It reminded me why I love them so much (and also of all the things I should be doing in my stories to make them even better). Everyone agreed that there needed to be:
- lots of humour – kids (and the adults reading with them) love to laugh
- a great story – that’s a beginning, a middle and an end, with lots of twists and turns in between
- plenty of action – whizz, pow, bang, uh-oh, ah-ha, ahhhhhhh…that sort of thing
- fabulous characters – no dull and boring please
- not too many messages – the aim is to entertain
- a pinch of amazing – that special something that makes a story zing.
Can you think of anymore?
Personally, I think there is one, and it’s a bit of a magic ingredient when it comes to stories. That something is poo.
In the 20-ish years that I have been writing stories, I have noticed that, along with humour, kids love poo. Look at all the books that have been written about it.
For starters, there’s Baa Baa Smart Sheep by talented New Zealand author and illustrator duo Mark and Rowan Sommerset, about a bored sheep that tricks his mates into eating, you guessed it, poo.
Then there’s the hilarious Poo Bum by Stephanie Blake (she’s not a new Zealand author, but her publisher Gecko Press is from here) about a little rabbit who will only say one thing: “Poo bum”. That is, until he gets eaten by a wolf, at which point he changes his tune to…read it and find out.
Then there’s Captain Underpants by Dave Pilky about all things to do with undies, wedgies and toilets (that’s got to count poo). And the all-time poo-topping favourite, The Little Mole who Knew it was None of his Business by Werner Holzwarth, about a mole that is poo-ed on (it lands on his head) and runs around trying to find the culprit (and encountering many and varied poos along the way). It even has a plop-up version!
That’s just off the top of my head (the list that is, not the poo). There’s no denying poo is popular.
So at the moment I am busy writing my own story about poo. I can’t give too much away, except to say that it’s a picture book and it’s about a dung beetle who spends his nights rolling endless little balls of poo (well dung, but it’s the same thing). Until one day he looks up and discovers…
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May 7, 2013 · Filed under Authors, Books, New Zealand, Star Author, writers, Writing · Tagged May 2013 Star Author, New Zealand author, Sarah Johnson, Star Author, writers, writing
Hi,
I am busy this week getting ready for Word Café, Raglan’s first ever writers’ and readers’ festival. It is happening this weekend (10 and 11 May) and there is going to be an amazing line-up of writers.
I have been helping to organise the event, and am also presenting a workshop and reading some of my stories. I’m really looking forward to it, but am also a bit nervous. Like a lot of writers, although I love words, I am more comfortable writing them, than speaking them!
Still, getting out and promoting yourself seems to be part of a writer’s job description these days. And I do find that going along to writing festivals, workshops, readings and other bookish events is really good for my own writing.
Hearing other writers talk is very inspirational and gives you a real creativity boost. I always find that my mind is humming with ideas for new stories and ways to improve my old ones after I’ve listened to someone else talking about their work.
There is an American writer, Julia Cameron, who writes books for artists and writers about how to access and boost your creativity. One of her ideas is that you have to pamper your inner-writer (the place where your ideas comes from), so that it remains happy and creative. You have to give it treats and take it for days out to fun places: like writer’s festivals.
I like this idea, especially as the treats can involve fancy stationery (which I love) and chocolate (no comment needed).
I also think it’s important to go along to writing workshops and events, if you can, so you can improve the craft side of your writing. Part of writing is inspiration, but a much larger part is craft (learning how to make and structure a story, the best words to use, how and when etc).
You can learn this, just like any other skill. One way is practice. The other is by seeking out and learning all there is to know, so that when you sit down to write your story, your writing toolbox is full.
This weekend, I am going to be working alongside and listening to some very inspirational children’s writers at Word Café; I’ll tell you a bit more about them next week. After that, the next writing event I’m going to is the Golden Yarns: Children’s Writers and Readers Hui 2013, which is happening down with you, in Christchurch, at the beginning of June. I can’t wait! I wonder when I’ll find time to write?
Talk soon. Sarah
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May 3, 2013 · Filed under Authors, Books, Children, Christchurch, Picture Books, Star Author, writers, Writing · Tagged May 2013 Star Author, New Zealand author, Sarah Johnson, Star Author
Hello and it’s lovely to be here. Well, not exactly here, as I am writing from my desk in Raglan, a little town half up the West Coast of the North Island, but still it feels as if I am down there in Christchurch with you.
I really am very pleased to be part of this wonderful book-fest blog, and especially pleased to be following hot on the heels of David Hill, who is a wonderful and very funny author, in my opinion. So, a double treat.
Unlike David, I am not an established children’s author, but just a beginning one. That’s exciting in itself, as (other than a brief time between the ages of 6 and 9 when I wanted to be a pony), being an author is the only thing that I have ever really wanted to be. So it is wonderful now to have written a couple of books and to be able to do proper author things, like take part in this blog.
I don’t always find it easy, at the moment, to find time to do author things, as I have four small children who are very, very messy, and very, very noisy. Now I know you’re thinking, “oh yeah, everyone says kids are messy and noisy”, but I’m telling you the truth; my kids are extremely, excessively, rampageous-ly messy and noisy.
I think this might be because they have quite a lot of Scottish blood in them, and they have seen too many of those movies where the highland warriors run around the hillsides, wearing kilts and brandishing swords and yelling “Arrrrrgggghhhh”, for extended periods of time. I think they may now be using these as a model for their own behaviour. But I am having difficulty proving it.
Anyway, this shortens my writing time a bit, as I spend quite a lot of the day running around the house with my hands over my ears, tripping over things and dodging sword thrusts. But I have managed to do another writerly thing this week, and that is launch my new website.
I am very pleased with the website, as it is very beautiful, with lots of amazing pictures (taken by a friend of mine) of Raglan, the fabulous place I live. So why don’t you take a look: www.sarahjohnson.co.nz. It also has some information about my books. And if you send me an email to let me know you’ve visited, I’ll post you one of the bookmarks I had printed to celebrate the launch.
Talk soon.
Sarah
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May 1, 2013 · Filed under Authors, Books, New Zealand, Star Author · Tagged Ella and Ob, May 2013 Star Author, New Zealand author, Sarah Johnson, Star Author, Wooden Arms
Our magnificent May Star Author is New Zealand author, Sarah Johnson. Sarah is the author of Ella and Ob and the winner of the 2011 Joy Cowley Award, Wooden Arms. Sarah has also written books and stories for grown-ups. She loves stories and poems and books, anything to do with words.
Thanks for joining us Sarah! We look forward to hearing all about your writing and your books.
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April 26, 2013 · Filed under Authors, Books, Children, New Zealand, Star Author, writers, Writing · Tagged April 2013 Star Author, David Hill, New Zealand author, Star Author, writers, writing
I’ve spent quite a lot of time this week working on TWO novels. Does that sound impressive??
First, I’ve been going over the page proofs of a novel that’s coming out in June, called Brave Company. It’s about a teenage NZ seaman, who is on a NZ frigate during battles in the Korean War of the 1950s. Page Proofs are the final stage before the novel is actually published. Everything is set out exactly as it will be on the pages of the book, numbers and illustrations and all, and the author has to go – very carefully – through them, seeing if any mistakes have been made. There hardly ever are any; editors are a very efficient lot. But a final check is always a good idea.
The page proofs come after a series of stages in the making of a book. First, the author writes it. (Easy! Simple!) Then, if the publisher likes it and agrees to publish – and this often doesn’t happen; please don’t think that everything I write gets published – the editor will make suggestions on how to improve the book (add details here; cut bits out there; stop describing so much; stop the feeble jokes, etc) and author/editor work on these till they agree. This part can take weeks. After that, the designers make suggestions about cover, set-out, illsutrations / maps / diagrams, etc. And then come the page proofs.
The second book I’ve been working on is one I wrote over the winter / spring / summer. It’s about a NZ teenager in the 1970s who somehow gets involved in French nuclear tests in the Pacific. How? You’ll have to read the book – if it ever gets published. If that does happen, it won’t be till next year. I researched it, I wrote the first draft. I wrote the second draft. I wrote the third….. And now I’m going over and over it, taking out a sentence on Monday, putting half of it back on Tuesday, getting the book as good as I can before I submit it.
So that’s what the author’s life can be like. It can also be full of pleasure. When you write anything – a book, a story, a poem, a letter – you make something that never existed in the world before. It’s special. It’s unique. And that’s something that nobody can ever take away from you. So the very best of luck with your own writing and reading.
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April 19, 2013 · Filed under Authors, Books, Children, New Zealand, Star Author, writers, Writing · Tagged April 2013 Star Author, David Hill, New Zealand author, Star Author, writing
I took a day off during the week. Yes, authors are allowed to take time off, especially when they’re as lazy as I am. My wife Beth and I (I write about my dear wife a lot in my short stories for adults; I also write about my kids and grandkids in my children’s stories – but I always change details so they don’t recognise themselves and beat me up.)
I’ve lost track of where that paragraph was going……Yes, my wife and I rode a golf-cart along a railway line for 120 km. You know those funny little motorised carts that you sometimes see golfers trundling around golf courses in? A tourism business in Taranaki where I live has converted some so they run – very slowly – on railway lines, clattering along past farms and through tunnels. We rode in one from Stratford to Whangamomona and back. Isn’t “Whangamomona” a brilliant name? It’s right in the middle of inland Taranaki; it has no shops; one hotel, a population of about 20 people, 200 dogs and 2000 sheep. I may write a travel article about it.
I’ve also been trying to write a story about when I was learning to ride a bike for the first time, years and years (and more years) ago.
I’m a great fan of writing about your embarrassments and disasters and mistakes. Other people always enjoy reading about them, and you always feel much better after you’ve turned them into a story or poem or play. So I’m writing about how I could never stay upright on the bike; how I’d manage to pedal for a few metres only, then I’d start wobbling or leaning over to one side till I fell off. I just couldn’t seem to learn how to keep moving and stay on the seat. To make it worse, there was a guy who lived along the road from us, who was really good at sports and anything that involved being fit and confident. He could ride a bike and do no-hands tricks on it, and stuff like that. Every time he saw me trying to ride, he’d sneer and yell sarcastic comments.
Then one day I could ride. Just like that. My Dad had taken me down to a rugby field where nobody was playing, and he’d walked along beside me, holding the bike while I tried to pedal. Suddenly his voice sounded distant, and I realised he WASN’T holding the bike any longer. I was riding by myself.
I still fell off a few times, but I’d learned the trick. And a couple of days later I was riding (very carefully) along our street and met that other guy. I’ll never forget the amazed look he gave me. So that’s what I’m trying to write a short story about, and I think that in the story, I’ll make him so amazed that he falls off his bike into a hedge. That’s another thing I sometimes enjoy writing about: getting revenge on people…..
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April 12, 2013 · Filed under Authors, Books, Children, New Zealand, Star Author · Tagged April Star Author, David Hill, New Zealand author, Star Author, writing
I’m one of those authors who likes to try different types of writing, and I’ve been spending part of this week writing a long (1750 word) book review of some YA novels. They’re all by New Zealanders, and the are all GOOD.
So do try David Hair’s Ghost’s of Parihaka, a funny and frightening story of modern kids who keep being pulled back into the past where scary things are happening. And Anna MacKenzie’s Cattra’s Legacy, her novel of a young girl in a lost kingdom who has to save her people from a dark, advancing enemy. And Des Hunt’s Phantom of Terawhiti, in which the paw prints of a strange beast are found on the coast near Wellington. And R L Stedman’s A Necklace of Souls, the first novel by this Christchurch writer, in which a girl of high birth and a boy from the humblest of backgrounds unite to face a frightening foe.
I’ve also been away for a day – flying up to Auckland to visit St Kentigern College, where I was teaching a writing workshop and talking to some of the classes who have read my books or stories (poor things). I had to get up at 5 am – not good – to catch the plane, but it was brilliant watching the west coast of the North island crawling along below us, with the low morning light making long, dark shadows across the land. The waves on the coastline looked as if someone was lifting up the edge of a duvet to show its white underside.
In the writing workshop, I suggested that the best way to become a writer is to STEAL: to watch and listen, to get ideas from what people say and do; from what you read. We talked about topics, and the very nice kids tried a piece of writing about “A Moment You’d Like To Go Back To” – a moment in sport or performance, or with an animal, or at a special place, that was so brilliant, you’d like to relive it. OR that was so embarrassing or disastrous, you’d like to go back and change it, or stop it from happening. They came up with some terrific ideas.
I’ve finished the story that I mentioned in my last blog, about the kid who likes making terrible jokes, though I’ll probably go back and add some more jokes later. And I’m waiting for the page proofs of my newest novel to arrive from the publisher, so I can check them one last time. It’s called BRAVE COMPANY, about a teenage NZ sailor in the Korean War of the 1950s. It’ll be in the shops about…..May or June. I hope.
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April 1, 2013 · Filed under Books · Tagged April 2013 Star Author, David Hill, New Zealand author, Star Author
Our award-winning April Star Author is New Zealand author, David Hill. David is the author of many novels for children and teens, including Journey to Tangiwai, Fat, Four-eyed and Useless, See Ya Simon, and his latest book, My Brother’s War. David also wrote the wonderful Anzac story, The Red Poppy (illustrated by Fifi Colston). As well as an author, David also teaches Creative Writing, and is a reviewer and columnist for several newspapers and magazines. David has won many awards for his writing, including the Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award and the Margaret Mahy Award.
Thanks for joining us David! We look forward to hearing all about your writing and your stories.
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March 31, 2013 · Filed under NZ Book Month 2013, Star Author · Tagged book clubs, Lee Murray, March 2013 Star Author, New Zealand author, Star Author
Have you ever belonged to a Book Club? My mum does. In my mum’s book club for grown-ups, members pay some money to belong, and then each month they read a book chosen for them by the library. Afterwards, they get together to answer comprehension questions about the book. Oh dear! That sounds so boring! But Book Clubs don’t have to be official with lots of prickly rules, and they definitely don’t have to be boring. It can just be you and a group of your friends, say three to six people. You could give your club a quirky name, and agree to read a book each month, or fortnight, or week, depending on how quickly you all read. Then comes the fun bit: choosing some books to read. There are lots of ways to do this. You might decide to read an entire series, like the Hunger Games books or the Harry Potter books. If you like spies and adventure you might compare Zac Power books with the Jane Blonde spy-let series by Jill Marshall. Enjoy fantasy stories whose main characters are rodents? Then why not compare the Tale of Despereaux (Kate de Camillo), Geronimo Stilton and Time Stops for No Mouse (Michael Hoepe)? If you’re finding it difficult to choose a theme, ask your librarian who’ll be happy to help you. When you have chosen your book(s) and everyone has had time to read it, make a plan to meet at school interval or at lunchtime to talk about what you liked, or didn’t like, about the book, or whether the film version was better. If this sounds too nerdy, just open your ears and have a have a listen at lunchtime. You’ll find there are lots of people already talking about books and films. As a Book Club member, you’ll be certain to have an interesting book in mind to discuss. And if you’ve just moved to a new school and you haven’t had time to get to know anyone yet, then opening a conversation with a comment about a book you’ve read lately is a terrific way break the ice and make a new friend.
Well, the month has flown past and suddenly it’s my last day as your Star Author here on the Christchurch Kids’ Blog. I can’t believe it’s already over, especially as I still have a whole list of topics I want to discuss with you. Things like:
- What makes a good book film trailer?
- What’s the best position for reading: lying on the floor with your feet on the sofa, with your knees tucked up on a squashy armchair, snuggled in bed?
- The best place for reading: in a hammock, on a window seat, at the beach?
- What exactly is an ebook?
- How does writing for TV and stage differ from writing books?
- Working with an illustrator: who is the boss?
- Writers’ block: does it really exist?
- What is plagiarism?
- Graphic novels: the new comics
- My new YA book, Misplaced, coming out later this year…
Sadly, there just wasn’t enough time, but perhaps I’ll be able to come back one day. In the meantime, even though New Zealand Book Month is over for this year, I hope you’ll keep reading and recommending books by our New Zealand authors. Thanks for having me! Lee
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March 28, 2013 · Filed under Authors, Books, New Zealand, Star Author · Tagged Lee Murray, March 2013 Star Author, New Zealand author, Star Author
It’s practically the end of the month and I have just squeaked in my fourth book by a New Zealand author, which means I have reached my NZ Book Month reading target! Released in print only last week, the final book on my list is a high fantasy tale called Guardians of the Shimmer: DreamTime and is the first of a new trilogy by Tauranga writer Garth Lawless. Garth works in computers, but he’s not your typical office worker: I once saw him out and about in Tauranga dressed in a cape. So definitely someone with an penchant for fantasy! I wonder if he spends a lot of time daydreaming?
In any case, Garth tells me that releasing Guardians of the Shimmer has been a dream of his, and the enthusiastic reaction he has received from readers has been a dream too. Garth says, “I was inspired to write from all the reading I had been doing and thinking ‘I’ve got a story to tell that I’d like others to read, too.’ And I like writing for the 10-14 age group as they have really have great imaginations. And they like adventure, excitement and action in their stories, just like the ones I like to read.” Garth’s story includes all of those things. It’s a young adult novel featuring Cole and Lily Fletcher, a couple of Kiwi kids who are on their way home from a camping trip with their parents when an accident catapults them into DreamTime, the place where people’s dreams exist. As if that isn’t enough of a shock, they then discover that their parents are part of the Blue Ghost, long time Guardians of the shimmery barrier that separates reality from dreams. The Guardians serve to protect sleepers, ensuring that they return safely to their RealTime selves. The only problem is the VELI, dark and sinister monsters of nightmare, who are no longer prepared to dwell in the shadows. Well, that, and the fact that nobody seems to want to tell Cole and Lily what’s going on! An atmospheric story which hurtles along, this is a wonderful debut and a great read for fans of fantasy. Why not ask your librarian to reserve you a copy?
And if you haven’t made your four target books yet, there are still a couple of days left in March and the Easter break is here, so it’s not too late to get cracking. Of course, there’s nothing stopping you extending your NZ Book Month reading into April and beyond; there are so many great Kiwi writers to choose from.
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March 26, 2013 · Filed under Authors, Books, Children, New Zealand, Star Author · Tagged Lee Murray, March 2013 Star Author, New Zealand author, NZ Book Month, Star Author, writing
What a busy weekend I had with lots of ‘writerly’ activities going on. On Friday evening I was thrilled to attend the Oceanbooks New Zealand Book Month event, Celebrate!, which included the launch of Beyond This Age, a collection of speculative fiction written by intermediate school students, edited by ME and my colleague Piper Mejia (that’s her hiding behind me in the photo below).
It was fun to meet some of our student contributors, many of whom were having stories published for the very first time, a cause for great excitement. Believe me, no matter how old you are, it’s still a thrill to hold a book in your hand knowing that you have played a part in its creation, and especially to see your name in print.
Our competition winners, Ashleigh (right) and Helena (left) received flowers from the very glamorous Susan Brocker, one of Tauranga’s best-loved writers for children. The author of titles like Restless Spirit and Saving Sam, Susan was one of the Beyond This Age competition judges, who helped behind the scenes to select the winning stories, as well as those which would go into the anthology.
Apart from our intermediate school writers, a number of other writers were also there to launch their first book in print, including Kathy Berger Sewell who launched Hāere Ra Harry, a picture book beautifully illustrated by artist Andria Brice, and Garth Lawless, a new talent on the fantasy scene, who released Guardians of the Shimmer, the first of a trilogy.
Also attending was Des Hunt, well-known New Zealand author of favourites like Cry of the Taniwha, The Crocodile’s Nest and Crown Park. Des delighted guests with books he had enjoyed as a boy and imparted an important message about the need for quality New Zealand literature to educate, inform and inspire our young people, a significant theme, I think, for New Zealand Book Month.
And then on Saturday, I met with the central branch of the Speculative Fiction Writers of New Zealand. Just like sports practice, writers’ groups are great for keeping writers motivated, helping us learn new techniques, and providing new information about books and publishing. It was also a great day to sit on the deck and eat chocolate cake!
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March 20, 2013 · Filed under Authors, Books, Children, New Zealand, Star Author · Tagged blogging, book reviews, Books, city librarian, Lee Murray, March 2013 Star Author, New Zealand author, paula phillips, Star Author
If you’re like me then you love to read, to get lost in a new world where you feel so close to the characters that they feel like old friends. Those are the sort of books that you want to tell your friends about, send them a link, show them where they are in the library, perhaps even lend out your own precious copy. “You should read this,” you’ll say. “It’s a great book. I really liked it. I couldn’t put it down.” But when your teacher asks you to keep a reading log and write reviews about books, even your favourite books, do you groan inwardly? Does analysing a book – summarising its good and bad points – make you shudder? I know for a lot of people, this is the case. Some say it spoils the reading experience for them, but not Paula Phillips. By day, my friend Paula is a softly-spoken bespectacled city librarian, but by night Paula turns into the Phantom Paragrapher, writing hundreds of book reviews every year and posting them to her blog, one of the most trusted book review blogs in the world. Good heavens! Does she even sleep? What makes her want to do this? Let’s ask her some questions about being a super hero.
Hi Paula. How many books have you reviewed this year? To the middle of March – 93 books reviewed this year.
Yikes! That is a lot. What sort of books do you review? A wide mixture of different genres from mysteries to romance, as well as children’s, tween’s and teen fiction, and the odd non-fiction book for all ages.
Why are book reviews even important? Book reviews are important as they not only help you, the reader, with your writing skills, but they give you the ability to read between the lines. Who reads them? Anyone who has a computer and loves to discover the titles of new books out there to read and buy.
What do you look for when analysing a book? What makes a 5-star review? The first thing is to decide whether I can read it or not as I hate books that are BORING, and this is decided if I can make it through the first couple of pages/chapters. If it succeeds, then it is all down to holding my attention. If a book manages to not only hold my attention but it turns out to be a book that I cannot wait to finish reading and finding out what happens – then more often than not that is my 5 star review. When reviewing books I look at:
- the story – is it fast reading or are you finding yourself falling asleep?
- the language – is it something that you can understand, free from all technical jargon?
- the cover – is it an amazing cover and totally to die for?
- then, I rate the story on how it makes me feel when I am reading it.
If I am I tempted to skip parts but don’t, then the book might get a 3-star rating. A “I finished the novel but I’m not jumping up and down” gets a 4-star. Five-stars is a really amazing read but it’s still missing something important, and then a 5-star plus a silver star means the book is like totes amaze-balls and I cannot stop raving to the world about it.
What’s your favourite thing about being a reviewer? My favourite thing is getting to read the new books that are being published before everyone else and meeting an awesome lot of friends through Facebook.
Some of our readers have book reviews to complete for their homework and we were just wondering, can you be bribed? Actually, yes! Sometimes people donate money to have me review their books, but it doesn’t change the rating I give the book, which depends on how much I enjoy the story.
Thanks Paula!
You can check out Paula’s blog at http://thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.co.nz/
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March 14, 2013 · Filed under Authors, Books, Children, New Zealand, NZ Book Month 2013, Star Author · Tagged Lee Murray, March 2013 Star Author, New Zealand author, Star Author
When I’m not writing, one of the things I love to do is run, particularly long distance runs. So far, I’ve completed 22 marathons including the New York Marathon and Honolulu marathons, although I’m a slow ploddy sort of runner because the marathon is a long way: 42.2km. To give you an idea of how far that is, it’s exactly the distance around Lake Rotorua. And because I like to run, my first book for adults, a novel entitled A Dash of Reality, is the light-hearted story of a group of people who participate in a marathon as part of a reality TV series. In writing the story, I drew on my own funny and not-so-funny experiences as a runner (and some of my friends’ experiences), incorporating them into the story’s plot. But writers don’t just rely on real-life experiences, we typically research our topic so that our stories are realistic. When researching A Dash of Reality I read a number of non-fiction books by inspirational marathon runners like Dean Karnaze, Dave Keuhls and John Bingham to ensure that the marathoning information I included was accurate.
One of the books I read was Running Hot the story of my friend and ultra-runner Lisa Tamati. A Taranaki girl, Lisa doesn’t just run marathons: she runs ultra-marathons, which means she runs distances that are further than a marathon. Her training runs often include running up and down Mount Taranaki, and she’s even run from one end of New Zealand to the other, admittedly over a few weeks. Lisa is an amazing athlete – okay, maybe just a little bit crazy – but she’s a lovely person too, working hard for a number of charities, in particular CureKids.
Lisa’s latest book Running to Extremes (co-written with Nicola McCloy) was released just before Christmas and is the second in my New Zealand Book Month reading list. In this book Lisa attempts to answer a question people ask her every day: why do you do it? Even though I love to run, I’m still not quite sure I understand why she does it, but then I haven’t quite finished reading the book yet! So far, it’s a great read: full of training tips like how often to change your running shoes, and what foods to eat, and especially Lisa’s personal experiences as she runs races in the some of the most inhospitable terrains imaginable, including La Ultra, a 222 km non-stop race over two Himalayan mountain passes. There are some great images in the book too, such as a photo of Lisa running through a riverbed while on Day 3 of the Gobi Desert run, and another of her sitting on her bed at home inside an Hypoxico Altitude Training tent. Lisa had an adventure involving one of these tents, but I don’t think I’m going to tell you about it here. Check out the book Running to Extremes at the library and let me know if you find out what happened.
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March 8, 2013 · Filed under Authors, Books, Children, New Zealand, Star Author · Tagged book covers, Books, cover art, Lee Murray, March 2013 Star Author, New Zealand author, Star Author
When choosing a book at the library, does the cover art influence your selection?
Palmerston North artist Vonnie Sterritt’s artwork features on the cover of my fantasy adventure Battle of the Birds. Already well-known for her stunning atmospheric landscape paintings, Vonnie jumped at the chance to create the cover art for Battle of the Birds. “I like fantasy and the fantastic, and that’s what appealed to me about Lee’s book. When I read the story, I wanted to find a particular part that entertained all the bird characters. I symbolised those characters, looking at each bird’s feathers and stylising them. And I thought the feathers should be bright, especially for children.” When using a story for inspiration Vonnie says she takes a particular approach: “I put everything else away so I can focus on it and just live it. With a story, it’s important to reflect the right feel, personality, and atmosphere.”
For the new book I am co-editing with Piper Mejia, Beyond This Age (to be released on March 22), the cover art is by 19-year-old Samara Kirkham. 
I feel Samara’s design beautifully captures the content of the book, a collection of fantasy and science fiction writing by intermediate school students. She has chosen an undeveloped style, using images of a mermaid, spaceship and apple to hint at the stories inside. And the dark colours, the blues and greys, indicate that the stories are not all handsome princes and happily ever after.
These days publishers choose covers, which they believe will entice you to read the book. The following image shows 8 different covers for JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter novel. Inside the text is the same, only the covers are different. Which one do you prefer and why?
PS: It’s the end of the week I’m nearly finished reading my first book by a New Zealand writer, which means I’m on target for my goal of reading four books by New Zealand writers this month. How are you doing? Can’t think of any New Zealand titles? Ask your friendly librarian.
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March 4, 2013 · Filed under Authors, Books, New Zealand, Star Author · Tagged Lee Murray, March 2013 Star Author, New Zealand author, Star Author, writing
Hello again. It’s me, Lee Murray, in the pineapple.
Have you ever wondered where writers come up with the ideas for their stories? I’m going to let you in on a secret. Writers go to dastardly lengths in pursuit of a good story: we exaggerate, eavesdrop, lie and steal – all the things we tell you kids you’re not supposed to do! Let me explain: 
For a good story, writers exaggerate, making everything bigger, louder, and flashier. For example, a story about a granny adopting an adorable stray kitten is all very nice, but not particularly original. But if I exaggerate, dear old granny could find herself caring instead for a sabre tooth tiger, which makes for a much more exciting story.
For a good story, writers steal, taking characteristics from real people, or plot ideas from real life. For example, if I like the way my neighbour warbles Kimbra songs while he mows his lawns, I might steal that characteristic for my story character. If I read in the paper that the mayor fell off the stage while making a speech, I might steal that for my story plot, too.
For a good story, writers eavesdrop, listening in on conversations, not to be nosy, but to ensure their dialogue sounds realistic and appropriate. For example, my megalomaniac baddy won’t be believable if he speaks like the helpful librarian at the local library. The language people use, their tone of voice and their gestures reveal a lot about their character, so some discreet eavesdropping can be a very useful when developing characters.
For a good story, writers lie. Okay, we don’t exactly lie, but we do make things up. For example: a group of children train as fighter pilots in an attempt to save the world from ant-like aliens (Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card), a rare birth defect gives a girl special abilities (Ghost Hand by Ripley Patton), and a young hover car racer enters a life and death competition (Hover Car Racer, by Matthew Reilly). For a story to work, the ideas don’t have to be true, they just have to believable. Last week, I told the students at St Mary’s School in Tauranga that their school principal moonlights as the tooth fairy. Not exactly a lie…
So lying, stealing, eavesdropping and exaggerating: all part of a writer’s day.
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March 1, 2013 · Filed under Authors, Books, Children, New Zealand, Star Author, writers, Writing · Tagged Battle of the Birds, Lee Murray, March 2013 Star Author, New Zealand author, Star Author
Our wonderful March Star Author is New Zealand author, Lee Murray. Lee Murray used to be a scientist, but now writes fiction for adults and children. Her junior title, Battle of the Birds won the 2012 Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Youth Novel. Lee has also had her stories and articles published in newspapers, magazines and anthologies, and she is proud to be co-editor of Write Off Line 2012, a collection of writing by secondary students.
Thanks for joining us Lee! We look forward to hearing all about your writing and your books.
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February 22, 2013 · Filed under Authors, Books, Children, New Zealand, Star Author · Tagged animals, dog story, dogs, February 2013 Star Author, New Zealand author, Scrap, Star Author, Tale of a Blond Puppy, Vince Ford
Hey team – I thought it was time to tell you about Scrap. It’s a series about a blond sheepdog in New Zealand and the first book is about to come out. Poor Scrap is dumped as a tiny puppy before he can see or hear anything. Fortunately he’s rescued and taken to a farm where Bill, a retired heading dog starts to look after him. Scrap doesn’t know anything about being a dog and it’s up to Bill to act as his Mum and teach him about the life of a working dog. While Scrap is full of enthusiasm and has the ‘Eye’ which gives him special power over sheep, he still has a lot to learn. He’s also desperate to find his Mum. It’s a small district and Bill thinks that sooner or later he’s going to come across her. It’s a book that has some serious messages, but it’s also one of the funniest books I’ve written. I thoroughly enjoyed creating it, I hope you’ll enjoy reading it too.
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February 10, 2013 · Filed under Authors, Books, History, Star Author, writers, Writing · Tagged February 2013 Star Author, history, New Zealand author, Star Author, Vince Ford, writing
For my latest book I’ve been researching a lot of history, right back to 1096 AD when the Crusading Knights left Europe and retook Jerusalem. Did you know that before the First Crusade there was a People’s Crusade that was made up of fewer knights and many pilgrims including women and children. Around 40 000 left on that pilgrimage (they weren’t called Crusades back then) and they were wiped out in what is now Turkey.
Is there any moment in history that you find interesting or inspiring?
How about one of these:
* Signing the Treaty of Waitangi
* Discovery of New Zealand by Tasman, Cook or Polynesian voyager
* The First or Second World War
* King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
* Rome and the Roman Empire
* The Ancient Greeks
* The Ice Age – men lived alongside mammoth, sabre tooth, giant sloths etc. (I wrote a teen series set in this period – The Chronicles of Stone.
* Early settlers in New Zealand or Australia
* First powered flight by the Wright brothers or Richard Pearce
History offers some great material for writing. So does the future. Perhaps I’ll write something about this on my next blog.
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February 7, 2013 · Filed under Authors, Books, Children, Star Author, writers, Writing · Tagged February 2013 Star Author, Lost City of Petra, New Zealand author, photos, Star Author, Vince Ford, writing
I liked Rajansomanathan’s description of the photo - Looks like a grand entrance to a fort hewn into a hill side. It’s a building called the Treasury within the Lost City of Petra in Jordan. Unfortunately it’s much more grand on the outside than the inside.
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