| The journey to having my first novel for children | | | | rewrite. Never surrender.Over the course of several |
| published has been riddled with road blocks and | | | | months, I sent my manuscript to every agent in the |
| shonky bridges. The good news? At every rickety | | | | country. They all rejected until I was dejected. So I |
| stage I've picked up tips (and anti-tips) which I'm happy | | | | directly targeted publishers instead. I almost fell out of |
| to share with everyone...ReadFor me, this was the | | | | my computer chair when the second one immediately |
| easy stage! Aspiring writers need to read like maniacs | | | | replied. The wonderful Ibis Publishing of Melbourne liked |
| to be aware of other writers' work, both locally and | | | | my story so much, they asked me to commit to |
| internationally. There is no point writing a killer story if it | | | | writing two more in the same series. Truth is, to be |
| resembles something already published. Sadly, that | | | | published, I would have committed to writing a sequel |
| means no scar-faced teen wizards named | | | | naked in a bubble in the middle of Pitt Street. Luckily, |
| Barry.WriteHere's a simple equation: the more you | | | | they didn't. But I still have my bubble.Pre-publicationOver |
| write, the better you become at writing. By the time I | | | | a year has gone by since my book was accepted. My |
| was ready to be born I'd already completed my first | | | | patient editor Belinda Bolliger has driven me through |
| three manuscripts (spent most of the time looking | | | | two more rewrites to add backstory, cull my ellipsis |
| around for somewhere to plug in my laptop). When the | | | | fever and tone down my more extreme jokes. My |
| doctor smacked me on the backside I squinted at him | | | | major character has become less obnoxious and had |
| and went, 'Waaah!' Which of course meant, 'Ah, you | | | | a sex change from girl to boy. Why? Apparently, girls |
| must be my agent!' I went on to scrawl home-made | | | | will read about boys; but boys aren't happy reading |
| comics throughout my childhood before I began writing | | | | about girls.I originally named my book after the planet |
| for surf magazines at age 17. Since then, I've had | | | | of talking horses and mutant chooks at the centre of |
| thousands of articles and pieces of fiction published. A | | | | my story. However, Uponia (too strange) was |
| lot were 'hack' stories; a few won me awards and | | | | changed to Planet Horse Fart (too rude) to ZAPP to |
| contests. All helped build my writing skills and | | | | Planet Horse (too horsey) to Raz James and The |
| voice.FeedbackA local teacher read my first | | | | Amazing ZAPP Discovery (too vague) to Erasmus |
| manuscript to his class (thank you, Bob Swoope). The | | | | James and the Galactic ZAPP Machine (too... wait, |
| feedback was terrific. One kid enthused, "It's just like | | | | that's it!).The cover art has changed almost as many |
| Harry Potter, only funnier!" I dined off that compliment | | | | times while the date of publication has been put back |
| for a month.I'm lucky ten year olds believe payment in | | | | from last Christmas to May to June to September. |
| Paddle Pops is the industry standard for editors, else I'd | | | | Fingers crossed on that last one!It is vital to remain |
| be broke by now (well, actually I am broke). I read all | | | | flexible and positive through such changes and delays. |
| my stories to my daughter, her friends, and any young | | | | Yoga helps. Better to get everything right than to rush |
| relatives I can bail up. Whenever my juvenile focus | | | | out an inferior product. The extra time has also given |
| groups wander off to the nearest TV, I know the | | | | me time to set up a website, work out a battle plan |
| chapter I'm reading needs major reconstruction. | | | | with the Ibis marketing team Anthony and Paola and |
| Whenever the kids sit glued to their chairs and | | | | watch my hair turn even more grey. Meanwhile, my |
| demand more, I know my story is heading in the right | | | | bank account has nose-dived, but who really needs |
| direction (and I've bought the right glue and Paddle | | | | fancy mod-cons like electricity and food?On the |
| Pops).It's useful to let adults rip into your story as well. | | | | roadLast month I drove to Sydney to psyche up the |
| Adult writers, that is. I've learned it's best to avoid | | | | Pan Macmillan sales team. I delivered a ten minute |
| family members and friends, unless you enjoy making | | | | standup comedy routine and was as surprised as |
| these people flee whenever they see you. Join a local | | | | anyone when the friendly team laughed at my feeble |
| or online critique group instead. Growing elephant-thick | | | | jokes and seemed enthused about selling my book. On |
| skin will also help you through this stage.RewriteFinally, | | | | the long drive home, I realised this would be but the |
| you think your book is ready. It isn't. Time to let the | | | | first of many such promotional trips: to schools, book |
| manuscript breathe for a month, before revising it with | | | | signings, anything and everything that will help me sell a |
| fresh eyes. Be ruthless. Hack those excess adjectives | | | | few more copies and keep doing what I love so much. |
| that editors loathe. Delete every scene that does not | | | | Then the rain began to bucket and my front tyre blew |
| sparkle, advance the plot on multiple levels and compel | | | | out. As I bounced into the bush, I realised I was about |
| the reader to keep reading.Rewrite againAs a writer | | | | to experience another first on the scenic detour |
| for children, you're not only competing against the | | | | known as Publication Road.DC GREEN BIODC Green |
| mutant slush pile from Hell and other kid's books, but | | | | is the author of the soon-to-be-published 'Erasmus |
| against the internet, computer games and 24 hour | | | | James and the Galactic ZAPP Machine', a funny and |
| cartoon networks. Remember: the modern kid is | | | | action-packed tale of friendship, intergalactic zapping, |
| smarter, more savvy and easily bored than any | | | | flatulent horses, environmental havoc and bus-sized |
| generation before.SubmittingCrunch time. When you | | | | chooks. An award-winning fiction and non-fiction writer, |
| submit your first manuscript, get stuck straight into | | | | DC used to travel the world for surf magazines, mainly |
| writing the second. When your manuscript returns | | | | because he couldn't afford his own air tickets. He lives |
| unloved, send another submission out on the same day | | | | on the NSW South Coast of Australia with one slightly |
| (or even better, send two). For every five rejections, | | | | crazy daughter and three very crazy cats. |