Teen Writer

2011 Oscar Nominations

2011-01-25T17:49:00.000-08:00

Today, Australia Day, the nominations for the 2011 83rd Academy Awards were announce. 'The King's Speech' with 12 nominations is the film I'm betting to be the 'favourite' at the Oscars this year, with 'True Grit' (with 10 nominations) and 'The Social Network' (yes, the Facebook movie) with 8 nominations not far behind it.

Natalie Portman and Colin Firth have been the favorites for Best Actress and Best Actor awards, respectively, as they have been picking up most of the praise this awards season. Three Australians are up for Oscars this year, Nicole Kidman for Best Actress (she has 3 nominations now, and has won one Oscar)Geoffrey Rush for Best Supporting Actor (his 4th nomination, and already has an Oscar from 1997) and lastly 63 year old Jacki Weaver with an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actress for her role as a criminal mother in the small budget Aussie film 'Animal Kingdom'.

Something tells me that the Oscars shall be special this year...

Donations for Building A New Website

2011-01-15T19:29:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted since June 2010, and I feel awaful for neglecting this blog for so long. However, I have a good reason, trust me. I've been extremely busy, with study, getting my very first job, and lots of other activites that have occupied my time.

I have made recent changes to the look and running of this blog site, including one that is a PayPal Donation button above this post, as you can all probably see. I have always loved writing and reading, but lately, after looking around, there's some opportunites for young writers such as myself to get their work published. Some, but not enough in my opinion. So I have come up with a solution: I am going to build an online literary magazine/website to help young teens in Australia, America, Netherlands, or Alaska to achieve their dreams of having works published, winning writing contests, and getting heaps of awesome advice and tips for submitting stories, poems, or plays to be published professionally.

The PayPal Donation button has been put up, as I hope each and everyone of you that visits my blog can put in any donation, of any kind (seriously, whether it's 5 cents or 5 dollars), to fund enough to begin building this site for what I hope to become a Major Literary Kids site!

So, donate any amount you want. Tell your friends. And tell your kids, if they also adore reading and writing, and let's start putting money in, for by the end of this year, just 11 months away, I hope to have this website (a name is still being decided) up and running, and out there for all ambitious young (or even old!) aspiring writers.

Let's get going! :)

Interview with Alyssa Brugman

2010-06-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

Alyssa Brugman is the author of Finding Grace, Walking Grace, and Solo. She has a website at www.alyssabrugman.com.au

1. What made you decide to start writing?

I started writing because lots of people talk about writing a book and never do, so I thought I would see if it was something I could do.

2: What's your writing process like?

I started writing because lots of people talk about writing a book and never do, so I thought I would see if it was something I could do.

3: Do you have any idols or mentors/heroes?

I enjoy reading. I am always reading something. You learn about writing from reading whether you enjoy the books or not, so in that way every author is a mentor.

4: Why do you continue to write?

I don't know the answer to that. I wonder that myself, frequently.

5: You write books about ponies and horses. Why, do you think, is it that you love horses so much?

I have written as many books that are not about ponies as I have that are, and I would also argue that the books that have ponies in them are not actually about ponies, but about life, friendship, love, values, etc. But, that aside, horses are such a strong metaphor. They are a vehicle upon which owners project their dreams and aspirations and as such, they bring out the very worst in people and the very best in people. Either way, they generally live as slaves with suffering and pain, which is tragic and a phenomenon worthy of exploring.

6: What your current work-in-progress?

I am working on a PhD in young adult fiction at the moment. I am hoping to finish that by the end of the year.

2010-06-23T20:27:00.000-07:00

Laurine Croasdale is the YA author of the popular 'Surf School' series. She has a website at www.laurinecroasdale.com

1: What is your full name?

Laurine Croasdale

2: List some of the books you've written.
The Play School Party Book, The ABC Fun Book, The ABC Book of Board Games, Soccerina,Trivia Man, Red Golf Balls, What Truly Counts, Surf School, Surf Sisters. I started with the kindy age group and went through to YA!

3: How did you get into writing?
I was always a passionate reader and when I left school I got work writing for newspapers and magazines and then moved into working on books. I always had lots of ideas for books but couldn't find authors to write them so I started doing it myself and after a few published activity books my agent encouraged me to try writing a story. That story ended up being Trivia Man which the University of Queensland published.

4: What books or authors did you love as a child?
I started with Enid Blyton's Magic Faraway Tree and Famous Five, then Little Women, Treasure Island, Ash Road and later started reading Melina Marchetta, Catherine Jinks, Maureen McCarthy, Patrick Ness, Caroline B Cooney, Garth Nix

5: What books or authors do you love as an adults?
I never stopped reading kid's and YA books as there is always something great to read. Writers for adults that I love are: Jennifer Johnston, Ann Patchett, Isabel Allende, Susan Johnston, David Malouf to name a few.

6: What can we expect from Laurine Croasdale in the future?

I have an Aussie Chomp out with Penguin next year and am currently working on a series for girls 7-10years.

7: You were a scriptwriter on Hi-5! for the first season of the show. How did this opportunity arrive? One of the show's producers, Helena Harris, read my book Red Golf Balls and loved it and I ended up writing the segment for 'Jup Jup', the puppet who jumps out of the boxes. It was early days for the show and has been interesting to watch it develop over the years.

Guest Blogger: Karen Tyrrell

2010-06-21T00:46:00.001-07:00

How did my mental health issues influence how I wrote Me and Her : a Memoir of Madness?

After parents at my school harassed me for over a year, I developed crippling anxiety and severe insomnia, tormented each night by night terrors. At the same time, I became hypomanic, feeling elated, speaking and writing so fast in between pacing back and forth. An irresistible urge to write overwhelmed me as I wrestled with the emotional changes brewing deep inside.

My creative writing grew into an obsessive compulsion to express myself for the first time ever. My journals accompanied me everywhere, as I recorded my thoughts, feelings and observations, trying to make sense of the overpowering confusion and mood changes.

After I was committed to a psyche hospital, I interviewed doctors, nurses and patients questioning theirs and my sanity. I wrote ‘Harnessing Bipolarity’ and ‘Mental Health without Drugs,’ so ironic, these versions later melding into my memoir.

My second episode was far severe than the first, my mania quickly catapulting into psychosis. I experienced the weirdest blackest dreams, had conversations with God and the Dead and I sought out the Living to heal and to perform experiments on them. Each day I detailed these encounters in my notebooks, developing into intriguing chapters in my memoir.

On my journey to recovery, my writing became cathartic as I strove for long-term stability. I analysed Bipolar books and my past searching for answers that would save me and keep me healthy. I was determined to understand my illness, attending therapy sessions to learn coping strategies, and develop my own wellness plan. I acquired more insight into my illness, understanding how and why Bipolar Disorder developed in the first place. This self- knowledge lead me to understand my triggers and how to avoid them.

Later I joined a writers group and the Queensland Writing Centre and learnt how to write from the bottom up, redrafting my memoir many times, aiming for perfection and further insight into my illness so I could help others.

My mental health issues influenced every aspect of my Memoir. From my initial stress and anxiety, developing into full-blown Bipolar Disorder to my recovery and hope for the future. Me and Her: a Memoir of Madness is now complete, ready to share with you the Reader.

Check out Karen Tyrrell's writing blog at http://www.karentyrrell.com

Interview with Steph Bowe

2010-06-19T18:56:00.000-07:00

Steph Bowe is a 16 year old living in Victoria, Australia, whose debut YA novel 'Girl Saves Boy' is being released in Australia in September by Text Publishing. Steph also runs the highly-popular writing blog 'Hey! Teenager of the Year', which can be found at http://www.stephbowe.com/

So everyone, let's welcome Steph!

1: Steph, you have your debut YA novel 'Girl Saves Boy' coming out in Australia in September and in the USA in 2011. How does this feel? You're 16 years old and you've already made such a mark amongst the publishing world!

It feels great... but there's also a lot of stressing out and stuff to worry about now! But I'm super grateful that I've been so lucky.

2: You've been widely known for your blog 'Hey! Teenager of the Year!' at www.stephbowe.com . How & why did this blog get started, and why do you think it (and you!) have become so popular?

I wanted to talk about books I was reading and enjoying, and not many of my friends were as into reading as me. I have no idea how it became so popular!

3: Favourite novel or author? And, why?

I don't have a specific favourite... but I really admire Melina Marchetta.

4: How did you get 'Girl Saves Boy' written and on the road to publications?

I wrote it in about six months last year, and then put out a call on my blog for beta-readers. An American author, after reading my ms, suggested I contact literary agents in the US. So I did! I sent out a few queries, and three weeks later had a few offers of representation. The agent I eventually went with then sent my book out on sub to editors!

5: Who are your idols or mentors? Who do you look up to?

I don't really have specific idols or mentors. I look up to a lot of people.

6: What can we expect from Steph Bowe in the future?

Hopefully lots more books!

7: How are you treated, amongst like publishers and writers and ordinary people, since you are a 'teen writer'? Are you ever 'talked down to', or anything like that?

I'm treated the same as an adult writer, and I conduct myself as a professional writer. Occasionally, some people are a bit patronizing, but not often.

8: Tell us a bit about 'Girl Saves Boy'.

Girl Saves Boy tells the story of what happens when Jewel saves Sacha from drowning, forcing them both to confront pasts they've carefully concealed - a lost brother, an empty space where a mother should be, a debilitating illness, fractured families and buried secrets. It's about life, death, love... and garden gnomes.

9: And lastly, where do you see yourself in five years What other things would you like to achieve?

Hopefully continuing to write and publish books, and at uni studying journalism!

Interview with Rebecca James, author of 'Beautiful Malice'

2010-06-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

1. Now, before your first novel 'Beautiful Malice' was even published, there was a lot of hype and 'sensation' about your novel, mainly due to it being sold for 30-odd languages months and months before publication date. How did this all make you feel, and especially when the book was actually released?

It was wonderful and terrifying all at once. To go from being a completely unknown author to a so-called 'international sensation' was quite a shock to the system! But, overall, it was, and still is, fantastic! I'm now in the really privileged position of being able to write full-time.

2. In many of the articles and reports about you and your book, prior to publication date, the claims were made of you being 'Australia's JK Rowling' and also that the advance you received for 'Beautiful Malice' was $1 million dollars. Now is the $1 million dollar advance story actually true? Is that how much you received?

Beautiful Malice has sold in 37 territories and the combined sales over those territories for both Beautiful Malice and my next book was for over 1 million dollars, yes. That money will come in over several years and will be subject to considerable agent fees and taxes. I'm nowhere near as rich as JK Rowling and doubt very much that I ever will be - and I find the comparison quite strange.

3. How did you write your 'Beautiful Malice' with a daily life, four children, and a partner to look after? Were there any troubles or tribulations?
I wrote whenever I had time while my kids were at school. I think I might have neglected the housework a little. :)

4. What's your writing process like?

My writing process seems to change with each book. With Beautiful Malice I had no idea what was going to happen until it happened. It was a real process of discovery! I knew I wanted to write a book about toxic friendships and simply started with the first line 'I didn't go to Alice's funeral' and took it from there.

With my current book, Cooper Bartholomew Is Dead, I have had a much greater sense of the entire story from the beginning. Not long after I started writing it I knew how it would end.

I'm not quite sure how I will approach the next book...

5. What can we expect from Rebecca James in the future?

My next book, Cooper Bartholomew Is Dead, is another psychological thriller and is due to be published next year. In fact, I'm past deadline and should be working on it right now...

Thank you for joining me here today Rebecca!

Beautiful Malice by Rebecca James was released in May 2010, and is available in all good bookstores.

Interview with Mem Fox!

2010-06-14T15:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening, over email, I interviewed picture-book author Mem Fox about her newest release "A Giraffe in the Bath" (look for my review of her book below). But, first, let's welcome Mem!

1. Mem, you usually say about how difficult and hard and how mad it makes you to write a picture book. But, your new book "A Giraffe in the Bath", was actually co-written with Olivia Rawson. What was the process like of working with a collaborator on a picture book for the first time?

Actually GIRAFFE IN THE BATH wasn’t my first collaboration. I collaborated with Judy Horacek on the writing of WHERE IS THE GREEN SHEEP so I was familiar with the process. It’s just as difficult to get the right words in the right place (and I have to be bossy about that, since I am the one with the innate sense of rhythm!) but it’s much more fun collaborating than writing on my own. There’s laughter for a start, which is always cheering, and two brains can be creative in ways that one brain can’t. I probably ‘collaborate’ on all my books as I work intensely and very closely with my American editor who is a genius. Her name is Allyn Johnston.

2. How did the idea for you to write 'A Giraffe in the Bath' come around, and where did Olivia come into the picture? Why did you decide to actually co-write?

Olivia is an ex-student of mine from Flinders University. She is a live-wire and hilarious. I met her in the street when she was in a down moment after her mother’s death. She’d been playing a game of ‘What makes you laugh?’ with her children, to lighten all their hearts. She told me about it and said I should use the idea to write the book. I told her I never used other people’s ideas as they are not authentic to me and they never work for me, which is true. But she was so sad at the time that I said I would mentor her, if she wrote it. We had a lot of fun doing it. In the end we didn’t know who had written what so we shared the authorship.

3. Are there, or were, any plans for a film of any of your books?

No, there aren't any plans for a film for any books at this time.

4: What is your daily writing process for us?

I don't really have a 'daily writing process', because I luckily manage to avoid wriitng picture books for 48 weeks out of the year! As most people know, I detest writing picture books!

5: And, lastly, what can we expect from Mem Fox in the future?

Two new books shortly. COUNTING GOATS, a 'counting book', for young babies, is due to be released in October 2010. And, in April 2011, there will be THE LITTLE DRAGON.

Well, thank you for joining me here, Mem. And I look forward to reading your future books!

Describe Your Writing Space

2010-06-13T02:13:00.000-07:00

(Please, all you authors and writers, professional or 'would-be', please email your description of your own 'writing space' to me right away at authorguy@live.com.au and I'll post it here immediately)

Walk four steps from the kitchen and you'll reach a heavy polished brown wooden door. Open this door, walk inside, and you'll find yourself inside a medium-sized room. My writing room.
First off, on the direct opposite side of the room, we have a window overlooking the gardens on the side of the house and some other houses down the street. To the left of this window, is my desk. On my desk sits my black laptop computer, right in the centre of the desk. Around it are three writing notebooks, a journal, a cupholder with exactly six black pens, three blue ones, and two red ones. In the drawer of this desk are my seven 'Ideas Notebooks', a list of email addressess of publishers, and spare notepad paper.
Next to this desk, we have my three bookshelves. One holds all my fiction books I like reading and some DVD's. The second (this is right next to the left of my desk) holds my 'writing books' - Strunk & White's Elements of Style, Writing Hannah: On Writing for Children by Libby Gleeson, Macquaire Dictionary, Making Picture Books by Libby Gleeson, The New Writers' Survival Guide by Dianne Bates, The 2009/2010 Australian Writers' Marketplace, The Artful Edit by Susan Bell, Writing like a Writer by Libby Gleeson, How the Aliens from Alpha Centurai Invaded my Maths Class and Turned me Into a Writer by Jackie French, How to Self-Edit to Improve Writing Skills by Di Bates, Everything I Know About Writing by John Marsden, On Writing by Stephen King, Roger's Thesauraus, 78 Reasons Why Your Book Might Never Be Published and 14 Reasons Why It Just Might by Pat Walsh, and many, many, many others (shall include a full-list at a later date).
I keep my shelf of 'writing books' right next to my desk for inspiration for, say, in case I might get stuck while editing, or revising, or not sure of the correct grammar for a particular sentence, or if I might just want some inspiration to keep on going, I can just easily pull one of my 'writing books' out and everything is fine!

And on the third shelf, which is furtherest away from my desk, holds the books I have written. I have four copies of each book, which makes 21 in total, and these also help me if I get stuck and keep saying "Ahh! I hate writing! I can never finish this book!!", then I can easily just look at these books and then I think, "Well, I finished those ones. I must be able to finish this one!". And, so I can (at times!).

On the walls of my study, I have five things: a poster for my first book The Writers: A Collection of Australian Writers' Biographies; a poster of the book 'Nanny Piggings and the Runaway Lion', signed by the author, R.A. Spratt, when I met her at Voices on the Coast last week; and I have, framed, the autographs of Morris Gleitzman, Gary Crew, and Dianne Bates. I also have a tiny shelf on my wall, which holds the two awards I have: two Kingaroy Esteidford Awards for 1st Prize and 2nd Prize in the Literary Section.
In my filing cabinet, which has three drawers, I have a specific system: Top Drawer is for manuscripts of ANY type. Second Drawer is filled with notes and folders of research for books and stories and essays, and Bottom Drawer holds my 'industry information'.
Well, blog readers, I think that's pretty much all there is to my office. Check in tomorrow for a full list of my 'writing books', and 'favourite books'.

2010-06-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

A GIRAFFE IN THE BATH
written by Mem Fox & Olivia Rawson
illustrated by Kerry Argent
Published by Viking (Penguin), 2010
http://www.memfox.net/

"A Giraffe in the Bath" was written by picture-book writer legend Mem Fox (Possum Magic, Where is the Green Sheep?, Koala Lou) , and a former student of hers at Flinders University, Olivia Rawson, with deliciously stunning illustrations by the amazing Kerry Argent of One Woolly Wombat.
Though 'Giraffe' relies on mainly the illustrations (because the text is little), the words and actual written story of the book is so cleverly and humurously written, that my five year old brother kept wanting me to read it out, and especially because of the rhyming and repetiveness of the story. I would say that small children respond to the rhyimng and hearing the same pattern over and over again.

I have always been a huge fan of Fox's, and own 15 of her books, mostly from when I was younger, but also a few that I have bought recently for younger siblings. She is the Queen of Words, in my opinion, and defintely the MOST brilliant and talented picture-book writer I have ever come across. And I've read a lot of picture books. Her astounding ability to draw children into her magical books, with her amazing talents of rhythm, repetiveness, and just, in general, fascinating stories, is a Magical Wonder. And I am sure that Australia is proud to say "We own Mem Fox. We're her home country."
I sure am.

I look extremely forward to seeing Fox's future works. I am sure they will be just as dazzling as everything else she has ever done.

I suggest 'A Giraffe in the Bath' as suitable for children ages 0-6 and should be available in all good bookstores.

What's Happening?

2010-06-11T15:59:00.000-07:00

OK, OK, OK, I know I've abandoned this blog for close to three months, but, believe me!, I have had good reasons for it! =) So, I might just sort of 'fill you in' on what's been happening lately, hmm?
Well, first of, I've been performing more drafts, revisions, re-writes, and 'fixing up' 'The Outback Trouble', and after 6 years since I began writing it, and nearly 60 drafts, I think I have to now change the ENTIRE story!
I'm also making some movies, such as I have shooting for a short sketch film I wrote, and am acting in, on the holidays, and a short film adaptation of 'Ronda's Gang and the Stolen Wallet' is currently in the early stages of pre-production, and can be expected next year in 2011 sometime.
Oh, also, guess what? Next Saturday, I am going to be interviewing Lady Flo Bjelke Petersen!!!!! It's 35 minute interview, and is being filmed, so I will be uploading it to the Net and also for sale on disks, as well.
Started a new picture book text two days ago. Right now, it's called 'My Friend', but no more details released! Also, am still sending out hundreds of manuscripts left and right to get them commercially published within Australia.

Also, I am still avid about doing author visits at schools and giving lectures/talks on my being a 'child writer' as well to writers' groups or organizations or things like that. So, check out my website at: www.brentoncullenwriter.weebly.com and see the 'Author Visits' page, it lists all the details of arrangements and that, as well as my (cheap) prices. So, please check it out, and email me at authorguy@live.com.au
It's best to order some of my books first, so also see the 'My Books' page on the website, and you can order the books, which take about 2-3 weeks to arrive, approximately. Bookings must be made at leas 3-6 weeks before the actual author visit to schools, though giving a talk or lecture on writing or about my experiences being a child author and not referring to my books to groups or organizations, then only a week or two notification beforehand is fine.

I have also recently hired an 'research assistant' to commit some research for a historical novel project that I am busy away at also.

Till next time,

Brenton

2010-03-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

POST THE FIRST THREE PARAGRAPHS OF YOUR STORY BELOW IN THE 'COMMENTS' SECTION!!

Then, after a couple days, when lots of people have posted their first parts of their story, there'll be a 'vote' on this blog for the best one.

Email all your pals, and tell them to post the first three paragraphs of their story in the Comments section of the most recent post on my blog "Teen Writer" at: www.bjcullen.blogspot.com

5 Great Fictional Characters - 21st Century (in my opinion, of course)

2010-03-22T01:22:00.000-07:00

1. Harry Potter

2. Albus Dumbledore

3. Nanny McPhee

4. Edward Cullen

5. Eragon

5 Greatest Fictional Characters - 20th Century

2010-03-22T01:11:00.000-07:00

1. Alice (Main character from classic novel "Alice in Wonderland")

2. Jessica Fletcher ( Mystery Writer/Detective - Character from TV show "Murder, She Wrote")

3. Sherlock Holmes (Detective - Book Character)

4.The Mad Hatter (Book Character - Alice in Wonderland)

5. Nancy Drew (Amateur Detective - Book Character)

Top 5 'New' Writers in Australia

2010-03-22T00:58:00.000-07:00

1. Alexandra Adornetto ( Children's Fantasy & Teen Romance, 18 yrs, 3 books published, two more this year)

2. Steph Bowe (16 yrs, first book due out in September, but Steph's an excellent blogger at www.heyteenager.blogspot.com)

3. William Kostakis (21, one book published when he was 19. More due out soon, but his voice is fabulous!)

4. Dee White (Though an adult and mother, her first novel Letters to Leonardo was published last year, and she has more books out this year. A fabulous author, and great writing friend!

5. Rebbecca James (Also, an adult, and mother, she is author of Beautiful Malice, not yet published but expected in May '10. She received a $1 million advance for her book, and was called 'Australia's JK Rowling' so it must be a darn good book!!)

Top 5 Australian Authors (in my opinion, of course)

2010-03-21T01:10:00.000-07:00

1. Jackie French ( Children & Teens)

2. Mem Fox ( Picture books)

3. Emily Rodda ( Fantasy & Children)

4. Morris Gleitzman ( Children )

5. Sandy Fussell ( Historical Fiction for Children)

5 Greatest Male Writers of the World (in my opinion of course)

2010-03-21T01:02:00.000-07:00

1. William Shakespeare (Plays)

2. Edgar Allen Poe (Suspense & Horror)

3. Lewis Carroll ( Fantasy)

4. Stephen King ( Horror)

5. Dan Brown (Thriller Fiction)

DESERT ISLAND

2010-03-21T00:51:00.000-07:00

You can choose five books to take with you to a desert island, which also conveniently has wireless Internet so you can post reviews about them, plus unlimited chocolate supply. Which books are they?

1: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
2: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
3. The Bible (by ... Jesus?)
4: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
5: Biographies of Enid Blyton

AND, if I could take 6 books, my sixth choice would be: "How to Get off An Island", or else "Robinson Crusoe" or "Nim's Island".

If I could be on a stranded island for three months - to have peaceful time to get writing done - I wonder what 5 things I would desire to take with me?

1. My laptop (the island, of course, has a server with Broadband Internet on it)
2. Every single book written by Beatrix Potter, Alexandra Adornetto, Sandy Fussell, and Agatha Christie.
3. my iPod
4. A box full of Chunky Kit Kat chocolate bars which refill every half hour
5. A 600 litre bottle of Sars.

If I was stranded on a desert island, the 5 movies I'd take with me to watch on the installed television already on the island, are:

1. "Nim's Island" 2008 - Based on book by Wendy Orr

2. "Bewitched" 2005 starring Nicole Kidman

3. "Fantastic Mr Fox" 2009 - George Clooney, Meryl Streep

4. The entire series box set of "Murder, She Wrote"

5. The entire series box set of "Gilligan's Island'.

5 Greatest Female Writers of the World (in my opinion of course)

2010-03-20T21:57:00.000-07:00

1. JK Rowling ( Fantasy )

2. Agatha Christie ( Crime )

3. Enid Blyton ( Children's Writer - Wrote over 850 books)

4. Virginia Woolf ( Historical & Romance)

5. Beatrix Potter ( Children's & Nature)

Talking to Myself

2010-03-20T21:23:00.000-07:00

Here is a little chat that I had with myself. No, I'm perfectly sane of course. It mentions my latest book published by Lulu Publishing (lulu.com). A murder novel for adults called DEATH OF AN HEIRESS.

1. What was the inspiration behind DEATH OF AN HEIRESS?

Well, I began it back in the start of 2008, over 2 and a half years before Lulu would publish it. As it's a short novella of just 10,000 words now, but it started off as a 3,000 word story back in '08. I wanted to write a murder, because murder and crime and mystery had always fascinated me, and always will. I was intrigued by the idea of a mystery, and how things can go unsolved for hundreds and hundreds of years. And I thought, how can that be? It HAS to be solved sometime, it just has to be! So, I took inspiration to write my second crime novel (my first is unpublished) from crime writers like Agatha Christie or Arthur Conan Doyle. And now, for unknown reasons, I just love murder! I love watching reruns of Jessica Fletcher on "Murder, She Wrote"! Murder is now one of my top favourite genres to write in!

What's your writing process like? Do you write in the morning, at night, in bed, outside, in short bursts or steadily?

Since I still have school on, and I'm in 9th grade in a high school, I, obviously, don't have much spare time to write in the week. So, I attempt to write during the weekend. Normally I don't feel like it, because it gets so hot up here in Kingaroy where I live at times, and it is just much too unbearable!! Usually, I do it early morning, or throughout the day, and into the evening.

Can you tell us a bit about your road to publication?

My first published book was 'The Writers: A Collection of Australian Writers' Biographies' in early 2008.

Are you working on anything new at the moment? Can you tell us a little bit about it?

My main w.i.p (Work In Progress) is a murder mystery I'm writing longhand. Still on the early first draft. It features my 58 year old detective/writer Sheila Krueger who is also from 'Death of an Heiress'. I'm also working on my fifth screenplay, an adaptation of my sixth novel "The Dragon Master" a children's fantasy, also published by Lulu.com. In the meantime, I am revamping my blog "Teen Writer", and planning to turn it into a book.

2010-03-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

Probably one of my favourite writing images.

God, I Love These Images

2010-03-20T20:32:00.000-07:00

Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang by Emma Thompson - Review

2010-03-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

This book, adapted by the screenwriter from the screenplay for the major motion picture due to be released on Easter this year, is certainly a 'one of a kind' kind of book. It is the story of the Green family (Mum, 2 brothers, one sister) who live on a farm in country London in Wartime 1940s and what happens when the children's two snobbish cousins come to stay from the big city.
Cyril and Celia are both intent to cause so much trouble at their cousin's house, so that they'll have to be sent home again. Being spoiled, snotty, and snobby little city kids, they are not used to the dirt, muck, and farting cows that are kept on the Green's farm.

Eventually, Nanny McPhee arrives and immediately sets to work to sort out the children, when Cyril's big feelings and secrets finally come out, and Nanny McPhee must quickly save the day ... or else!

10 stars! Thompson is a fabulous writer! What makes this book, before stated, 'one of a kind' is that included in the story is also a diary Thompson kept from on the film set of 'NM & the BB'. It is actually mixed into the story, such as they have:

THE STORY

... "ate immensely slowly, sometimes over a period of weeks"

THE DIARY

Raining. Dark....

THE STORY

.. Vincent, eyes set upon..

(Etc, etc)

As you can see above, it is in this interesting and never before done format. An excellent novel and I cannot wait to view the film on April1st!

The Remarkable Secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen writtenby Deborah Abela - Review

2010-03-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

'Aurelie' is a good favourite of mine. It was published mid-last year (in 2009) and is the first book Deb Abela has written by herself since she wrote the hugely-successful ten book series about a 12 year old spy named Max Remy. She also co-wrote the 'Jasper Zammit, Soccer Legend' series with a real live soccer legend Johnny Warren. But 'Aurelie' is her first single, non series book by herself since Max.
In the past, I have also interviewed Deb a couple times, the most recent when Aurelie first came out.

'The Remarkable Secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen' is about 12 year old Aurelie Bonhoffen. Her family own Bonhoffen's Seaside Pier, an amusement park on a pier! How whacky! Aurelie absolutely adores her family, but especially her curious two uncles - Rolo and Rindolf. But she wonders why everything and everyone in her family is so odd, and so strange at times. Something is missing. There's things her family are not telling her. Keeping secret from her. And Aurelie wants to find out. When she finally turns 12, Aurelie stumbles upon her familie's secret! Her family are all.....GHOSTS!
But, before Aurelie can begin to come to terms with this new found secret, she quickly finds herself a strange new fried from her school, and he tells Aurelie of a dangerous plot that some very evil people are planning to destroy the pier.
Can Aurelie, and her ghost family, stop the plot, or will it be too late? Can being a ghost be an .. advantage? Only reading 'The Remarkable Secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen" will help you in that answer! Published by Random House Australia, and published in 2009, it is without a doubt one of Abela's best and most fantastical novel yet!! :-)

Abela writes in such a humorous and interesting way, that the reader shall find it hard not to be pulled into this magnificently well-crafted plot. Shortlisted for 'Best Children's Book' for 2010 Aurealis Awards, it is Abela's best book, and I see what could be a seedling within the story that may set the wheels in motion for a sequel to soon be out.

9 out of 10!!!

Word Definitions

2010-03-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

Author = someone who writes a novel, poem, essay, etc; the composer of a literary work, as distinguished from a compiler, translator, editor, or copyist.

Book = a written or printed work of some length, as a treatsie or other literary composition, espiecally on consecutive sheets fastened or bound together.

Creativity = resulting from originality of thought or expression

Manuscript = a book, document, letter, musical score, etc, written by hand.

Novel = a fictitious prose narrativ of considerable length, usually having a plot that is developed by the actions, thoughts, speech, etc, of the characters.

Novella = a tale or short story of the type of those contained in the Decameron of Boccaccio, etc.

Page = one side of a leaf of a book, manuscript, letter, or the life.

Publication = the publishing of a book, periodical, map, piece of music, engraving, or the like, etc.

Beautiful Images of Books & Writing

2010-03-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

What Do you Need to Write?

2010-03-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

Do you need any particular or special things to actually sit down and let all those words pour out of your pen, quill, typewriter, computer, pencil, chalk on a blackboard, or paintbrush on a cave wall?

When I write longhand, I need my:

preferred favorite 'Parker' black pen (can only use black ink. Blue doesn't cut it. Don't get me started about Red.)

my hardcover notebook. Blue-lined. 300 pages. Just perfect.

a hardcover book of at least 450 pages next to me so I can caress it regularly. I have no explanation for why I need a hardback book near me, but it is just a desired habit. I think hardcover is the best way to go.

I need to wear pyjamas or else I get easily distracted looking at the logos on my shirt.

When I write on my laptop I need:

my pages of notes and synopsis and outlines and character profiles I may have for that particular story, book, or script on the desk next to me.

a glass of Orange Juice or Sarsaparilla half-full at the top of the laptop on the right-hand upper-side.

a pile of favourite and attractive looking books stacked up on the desk for me to gaze at and feel inspired by them all.

iPod headphones in ears, with 'Paparazzi' by Lady Gaga playing to full blast. I need sound or music, and if it is too silent, I cannot think or concentrate at all.

When iPod is not working, must have the 1st Season of 'Murder, She Wrote' playing on the laptop so I can hear murder being committed, whilst I write about it.

Do you need anything else to write, other than pens or notes or music?

Have to have Microsoft Word? Need to wear a ballerina's tutu when writing? Must be nibbling pretzels? Can only be wearing blue slippers?

"Owl Ninja" by Sandy Fussell - Review

2010-03-20T18:29:00.000-07:00

(LEFT: Sandy Fussell, author, holding her book)

Sandy Fussell is defintely the Australian Queen of Historical Fiction. Here she is, at it again with her wonderful history genre in the second book in the acclaimed series, Samurai Kids. The first book, 'White Crane' is also reviewed on this blog site, earlier.

Fussell certainly knows how to spin an entertaining and suspenseful tale. She has proved that with her earlier books 'White Crane' and 'Polar Boy'. Owl Ninja outstands them all so much, that it does not need to be proved again. The plot is clever and fascinating: the Samurai Kids and Sensei are up in the Cockroach Ryu when they receive a visit from Onaku, the Sword Master that works in the village below the mountain that the Ryu sits upon.

While Onaku and Sensei talk, the Samurai Kids hear a loud drum being beaten, echoing throughout the valley and the mountains. Sensei tells them that it is calling all the Ryus to war and will sound for ten days, but he says that the Cockroach Ryu is not going to fight. They shall be staying at the school.

But at the end of the ten days is when all the Samurai shall have to use their swords and war. Sensei and the Samuria Kids do not want to fight, and want to try to put a stop to the war.

Sensei tells them that the only person who can stop the war and the drum's beats is the Emperor. Sensei knows the Emperor, as he used to serve him. But the Samurai must travel to reach the Emperor. They meet the mysterious Owl Ninjas. Can they help the Samurai stop the war? Will the schools end up fighting? Why are the Owl Ninja so mysterious?

4.5 stars!

Fussell writes with creativity and immense originality in this uniqe second book of the 'Samurai Kids' series. Rhian Nest James' illustrations highlight the book's wonderfullness, as she did with 'White Crane'.

Sandy Fussell's blog is at: www.sandyfussell.blogspot.com

(NOTE: This review was written last year. Since then another two books have come out in the 'SK' series, as well as two unrelated 'SK' books by Sandy Fussell, both historical fiction as well, though.)

'Chat with Me' = Interview with Dee White #4

2010-03-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

Today I am very fortunate to be interviewing first time trade author, Dee White (and author pal!!), who took ten years and 22 drafts to write her first trade-published novel 'Letters To Leonardo'. However, don't be fooled. The book is not just a compilation of letters, but it's an actual STORY!!

1. Why did 'Letters to Leonard' need 20 drafts?

The story changes direction a lot as I developed the characters more and they started to control their own destinies. Also, I had a lot of trouble coming up with an ending that wasn't predictable or cliched

2. The book took you 10 years to write. What was it like working on your first trade-published novel for ten years, editing, doing 22 drafts, and then, when it was accepted, having an editor come in and take it apart again?

Actually, the editor didn't take it apart. She was actually very kind - she left things pretty much as they were, but showed me how to enhance it by developing characters more and looking at cause and effect.

3. How does it feel, now be having a first trade novel JUST released two days ago?

VERY VERY VERY EXCITING! Did you get that. It's VERY EXCITING:-)

4. What are your current/next writing projects?

I have just completed Cleopatra's Cat, which was the original 'follow up' novel to Letters to Leonardo. Am currently working on an adult novel and a thriller YA trilogy.

Thank you for being here Dee, and please, everyone come back soon to see more interviews!

'Chat with Me' = Interview with Wendy Orr #3

2010-03-20T18:19:00.000-07:00

For this interview in article format, children's author Wendy Orr (published nearly thirty books and best known for 'Peeling the Onion' and 'Nim's Island', which was adapted into a major motion picture in 2008) and I had a very nice twenty minute phone interview, with me, of course, interviewing her. Wendy herself has praised this article, and I've received many good and positive comments about it!
Wendy's blog is at www.wendyorrjournal.blogspot.com

Nim’s Island: not the film, but the book!

By Brenton Cullen

The award-winning family film, Nim’s Island (2008), has dazzled and wowed audiences. But the person probably most wowed by the film, is Australian author, Wendy Orr. She is the woman who wrote the original book, Nim’s Island (Allen and Unwin, 1999), of which the film was based on.On a Wednesday evening, I phoned Wendy Orr and we had a nice discussion about her, her writing, and the success of Nim’s Island. Wendy has a lovely voice, and with a Canadian accent, her words are perfectly clear and easy to understand.

Wendy’s love of reading came from her parents, who read her books constantly in her early childhood years. She has always had a passion for writing books, and she credits this to all the stories she has read. She enjoys writing immensely, and likes it because she says that reading stories helped, but she wanted to find out the ending and whether or not it was going to be quite suspenseful. So she started writing , just so she could write these stories and be able to find out the endings herself because she would be writing them.
When asked if she thinks her career has picked since the success of Nim’s Island, she answers that she thinks Nim’s Island, the book, has sold more copies, with a reprint available 2008 with the cover of the film on the front. But her 1990’s Young Adult book, Peeling the Onion, based on a true event that occurred in her life, has sold the most copies in Australia.

The stars of the Nim’s Island film, Jodie Foster and Abigail Breslin, were delighted to have been working on the film. Wendy says that Jodie Foster’s son had not particularly liked reading until he picked up a cop of Nim’s Island to read for a summer reading course. This was before the film of Nim’s Island had been considered. Wendy says that this was Jodie Foster’s son’s breakaway to reading, and she feels that this is very special.Wendy thinks that Abigail Breslin had read the book while filming Nim’s Island.

I asked Wendy if the characters in the book Nim’s Island were parts of her or inspired by real people in her life. She says Alex Rover, the reclusive adventure author, does have parts of Wendy herself in her, but exaggerated a bit. Wendy says that she does indeed work in the same way as Alex, getting research from the Internet and atlases and encyclopaedias. But she does not think she has ever had an email from a 11 year old girl deserted on an island!Wendy had a bit of involvement in the film of Nim’s Island. She is happy to report that she was a consultant on the screenplay of the film, and also helped with the work on the first two drafts of the film’s screenplay. She did this work with the producer and original screenwriter of the film, Paula Mazur.

A typical writing day for Wendy Orr is flicking on her computer and answering all her emails, at around 8 am. At 10 am, she starts to do the proper writing of her upcoming books (a series of stories set in an animal shelter, and another adventure novel for preteens, currently titled Raven’s Peak ).Halfway through the day she’ll stop for some lunch, and then take her dog for a walk. Then back to the computer until 6 pm, until she stops for a bit longer to have some exercise and walk the dog again.

Wendy is also very lucky to say that her book, Paradise Palace, for children, is being turned into a television series, and also her adult novel, The House at Evelyn’s Pond, is being pitched for a film as well. And Nim At Sea, the 2007 sequel to Nim’s Island is currently being discussed about also being turned into a film.As for a third story about our beloved Nim Rusoe, Wendy says she has part of a story idea in her head, but is busy with other projects, so she may write another book, but not for a little while. ‘But I am still working on an idea,’; she says.
Pure magic.

NOTE: All images used in these interviews are all taken from Google Images links.

'Chat with Me' = Interview with Tiffany Mandrake (aka Sally Odgers) #2

2010-03-20T18:11:00.000-07:00

Today I am interviewing author, Sally Odgers, who has published nearly 300 books for children and adults alike since she had her first book published when she was 19 years old. Sally has written a series of books for young girls called "Little Horrors" series, under the pen name of Tiffany "Tiff" Mandrake.

>1. How did you first conceive the idea for The Little Horrors series?

Tiff lives at the Academy, so she just copies down everything that she hears about. On the other hand, and I assure you it’s pure coincidence, I did write a story about a fairy with a taste for kidnapping and extortion a few years ago. I mentioned this story to an editor, and she asked if it was suitable for children. I told her it wasn’t. And she said, “might it be, maybe?” That’s the point when Tiff popped up and said I wasn’t to write it because SHE was doing it.

2. Why write under a pen name?

Authors often write under pen names. There are lots of reasons. (A), the author is writing something totally different from his or her usual work, and doesn’t want his/her usual readers to be puzzled or disappointed. (B), the publisher wants the author to appear to be something other than what s/he is. Often publishers want an author to seem younger, prettier or more interesting, so a sixty-year-old author named Mrs Joan Smith might “become” a twenty-five-year-old author named Jass Mohinder.. or even Joshua Stone! (C) the author is well known as a reliable mid lister and would like his or her new book(s) to get some attention from reviewers. I leave it to you to pick the reason in this case.

3. Miss Kisses' Academy of Sweetness. Quite goody-goody and sugary. Did you have any daughters or know any young people ("fairies") that were this way?

I have a daughter, but she is not sugary. However, I have seen people who are TOO good, in that they make excuses for everyone who does something horrible, and believe that these people just need to be understood. I’m inclined to think these Too-gooders may do as much harm as people who refuse to make excuses… But that’s just one way of looking at things. I’m not one of those people who believe all children (and all animals) are innocent little darlings. And I’m sure Tiff isn’t either!

4. How many books are in this series? And, will you be writing any more about Flax or Mal?

Two books have been published and two more are contracted. Whether there are others to follow will depend on the reception these get, and whether they sell. If there are more, Flax or Mal may show up in a guest role.

5. What is your current writing project?

Tiffany is having a rest, apart from putting together her Encyclopaedia of the Fairy Breed. I am working on quite a few projects, including the Book for Fiji, which I’m editing.

6. Did you write this book just normally or has your husband caught you sneaking looks out the garden window trying to spot young bad fairies? Or do you go to the beach constantly and think you have just glanced at a particular mischievous mermaid?

I have no idea what Tiff thought she was doing, but my husband knows I’m a bit odd. I have always liked rivers and the sea, rocks and bush and hidden valleys. I’ve never seen a bad fairy, though.

7. What do you want your fans to get out of these books?

I hope fans are entertained. If they find themselves remembering characters and settings, or quoting bits of dialogue to themselves, then that suits me fine. And obviously, Tiff hopes they’ll buy LOTS of her books. She’ll probably hex them if they don’t!

'Chat with Me' = Interview with Libby Hathorn #1

2010-03-20T18:07:00.000-07:00

This blog post has an interview in which I conducted last year, with bestselling author Libby Hathorn. Libby's latest novels are 'Georgiana: Woman of Flowers', 'Fire Song', and 'Zahara's Rose'. Libby has published over 55 books for children.

1. How did you go about getting your first book published? What was it?

My very first book was about our dog Kyo, and a friend of mine I’d known from school illustrated it. We showed it to a publisher who made encouraging noises but didn’t want to publish it. Then, because I was a teacher, another friend suggested I write a text book. I loved teaching poetry and so I wrote a book called Go Lightly which was teaching teachers to teach poetry. It’s funny because I’m still doing the same thing now through a program I run in schools to celebrate poetry and the arts called 100 Views.

2. How did you celebrate when you heard your first book was going to be published?

In those days we probably couldn’t afford champagne, but we had a dinner out on the promise of an advance for the manuscript. It was an amazing feeling because up to that time, I’d only had some poems published in journals. It’s still cause for celebration even though I’ve had many books published – that moment when you first see this wonderful artifact- your latest book- and you just drink in the cover, the size, the title, the lettering, the spine even before you open it to read any of your words.

3. Are you a fan of Van Gough for you to write a book about him (The Painter)?

I adore the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh – there is something both earthy and yet spiritual in the deft, frantic handling of the paint on the canvas. And I lived in Amsterdam in a tiny flat that my Dutch publisher had found for me and my husband, when I wrote that book and went to the Van Gogh museum every day. To look long and hard at those paintings was something so special and I tried to present Bernard, my main character in The Painter, with that same shock of recognition of knowing you are looking at something indefinably great.

4. How do you write your books?

Each book is a journey of its own. Each book is written for different reasons, but each book reflects some deep concern or interest of mine at the time. Way Home and Feral Kid were written because I came face to face with a homeless child; The Lenski Kids and Dracula was written for fun because I’d had to baby-sit the three worst kids in the world. And so on.

5. If you had to invite three of your own characters to a party, which ones would they be?

What a great question. Well, first I’d have Georgiana Molloy. She’s a real person who lived in WA in the 1830’s and I’ve based a whole novel on her life as I’ve read all her letters and been to Augusta where she lived a pioneering life. This novel entitled Georgiana; Woman of Flowers comes out in April 2008. Then I’d ask Lara, who was my main character in Thunderwith, a special novel written 19 years ago, and still in print, because she was the young girl I’d like to have been – brave and true despite the hardships that came her way. And finally, I’d ask Rosa, a strange little girl who is the main character in a fantasy novel I’ve been writing for years- I hate to admit this- but 10 years springs to mind. It’s almost completed. Rosa would bring magic.

6. How did you get the idea for `Thunderwith`?

I stayed on my brother’s farm in the Wallingat Forest, north of Newcastle and near Seal Rocks, and the setting was so evocative because it was a week of storms; and a strange wild dog visited us and the story seemed to fall out of the storm clouds. I shamelessly used his farm and some of his kids as inspiration. The setting was significant in that book- almost a character.

7. What did you do when you heard that `Thunderwith` was going to be made into a movie, and that you would be writing the script?

I was in New York at that time and we flew straight to Hollywood, which sounds fantastic and was! We stayed at a wonderful old hotel called Chateau Marmont where some famous actors had stayed in the old days, and met with the folk from Hallmark Hall of Fame who were doing the movie.They gave me two books on how to write a filmscript and I was terrified at the idea.

8. How long did it take for you to write `All About Anna and Harriet and Me`, and did you get any rejections for the book?

It was the only book I’ve ever written in response to a competition. I wrote it every night for a some months late at night, as I was working full time as a librarian at the time and had two small children. I was sure I’d win the competition and it’d be made into a TV series but instead it was rejected altogether. This is where you have to’ tough it out’ as a writer and I just sent the ms on to another publisher, Oxford University Press, who loved it and published it!

9. What do you do when you run out of ideas?

I live opposite a park and I go walking, sometimes with the dogs, and often with friends. If I feel really ‘flat’ and I can manage it, I got to the Blue Mountains where the scenery and the atmosphere seems to recharge me. I always feel like writing poetry when I got there- a good sign for a story coming on. If I can’t go there, I hang out at art galleries because I get inspired to write by some paintings. Not about them mind you, but because of them. Again some strange energy gets going which translates somehow into words and ideas for me.

10. What are you working on at the moment?

A marvelous secret novel set in the Blue Mountains which was begun on a plane of all places. Kind of a’ bolt out of the blue idea’ but so very strong, so consuming I’ve been feverishly writing it for the last few months. And the fantasy that’s been cast aside again whilst I finish the other!

11. Who encouraged you to write as a child?

My parents were pretty encouraging and read lots of poetry to us, especially Australian bush poetry. I was lucky to have an uncle who both wrote poetry and painted, and he and my grandmother told me I’d one day be a writer. I think that is significant when you are just a young child.

12. Do you plan your books beforehand, or what do you do?

No, I don’t really plan them first of all. Sometime I circle an idea for months or even years before I feel truly ready to write. This is ‘kind of’’ falling in love with the idea. Sometimes (rarely) the idea comes as a ‘bolt out of the blue’ like Thunderwith and the new secret novel I’m working on now. However the idea appears, eventually I cut to the chase and write the scene that has seized my imagination. It doesn’t have to be the beginning at all. And then begins this wonderful journey of story, because I’m never quite sure where it is going to take me. But at some time during this process a plan is hatched, yes!

13. What's your favourite holiday?

I love exploring Asia and keep going back for new experiences. I’ve been to India where I had two books launched, China where I had one book launched, Vietnam and Thailand so far. I’ve been to Tokyo only recently and want to go back there as see all of Japan as soon as I can. That’s not to say I don’t go to Europe. I had a magical time in Italy several years ago, and dream about going back.

14. How many fan letters and emails do you get per week?

Sometimes none and sometimes too many, when a whole class is studying some of my books and they all write! I do try to answer but must admit that sometimes I just don’t get round to it and that’s why I’ve put an FAQ on my site.

15. What has been your most successful book?

In terms of sales Thunderwith has outsold anything else that I’ve written so far. In terms of satisfaction, the fantasy that I really never want to finish.

We're Back!

2010-03-20T17:50:00.000-07:00

After over an entire month of "no-blogging" I have been put back on my feet, and ready to blog again. I have re-designed the entire blog and taken away a lot of the annoying and ugly features and sort of 'prettied' the blog up. Also noticeable is the format is different and I have once again (for the 2nd time now) changed the title of my blog. When I began my blog back in July 2007, I named it "The Writing Life" and my immature 11 year old self posted meagre and meaningless ramblings of 'blog posts' which were rifled with bad spelling and horrendous grammatical errors. These posts were things no one would be interested in, except the dirt in my back garden.
At the start of 2009, just over an exact year ago now, I retitled the blog to "A Mixture of my Thoughts", for when I changed the focus of my blog and began posting things like 'Newsletters', about happenings and occurrings in my life, and as well as blog posts on my attempts to cook twenty five recipes in a month. It did not go well!
So now, after taking nearly a two month hiatus on blogging (and even after threatening I'd never blog again on this blog in a post from January), I have COME BACK! I have again retitled this blog to be named as "Teen Writer", and uploaded beautiful images of books and typewriters and manuscripts, and plan to make my blog much more 'literary' and less about my old boring life which mainly includes checking Facebook addictively every fifteen minutes, and handwriting pages and pages of notes on how humans could finally be invisible and ideas on how the world shall be in 2050, and make it have, instead have reviews of recent books, posts on literary doings and opinions abouts books, updates of progress of manuscripts, interviews and chats with authors and other fascinating people who have much to do with the publishing world, and have much knowledge on literature. And all sorts of other 'writery' stuff like that.
So, coming up a bit later on, I am going to be posting many many interviews with authors mainly in Australia but also in UK or United States of America. I am going to call these set series of interviews ' Chat with Me '.

2010-02-18T17:25:00.000-08:00

Writing Contest Results are in! For the contest I ran, which finished tomorrow early morning. The winner (unfortunately no runner ups :( ) and the winner with the BEST STORY is;

LINDA MACLAY who wrote CARROT TOP!!!

Congrats!

Done

2010-02-17T15:02:00.000-08:00

It's finished. Completeo! En gono!
I have made a very difficult decision.
This blog is over. It is compelte. It is done.
I am not going to make any more new blog posts on here because - I'm tired. And busy. With the company, the cooking, writing, doing author school visits, and battling high school on top of it all (just 2 years left).
So, after three and a half LONG YEARS, lots of readers, lots of comments, and lots of blog hits, I am closing it up.

Goodbye readers. Hope to see you elsewhere in the future. But for now...

It's the END.

Chocolate Slice

2010-02-12T21:12:00.000-08:00

I know how I promised I'd be cooking all the recipes in the "Kids in the Kitchen" cookbook late last year, and I did ... only thing is that I FORGOT TO BLOG ABOUT MY EXPERIENCES DOING THEM!
So, ignoring all that I'm cooking again, maybe a few recipes a weekk, but mainly just on the weekends, so I'll post the experiences cooking them here. F
First off, let's start with CHOCOLATE SLICE:

On Friday morning, I was home from shcool sick with the flu. Rather than lying around all day being bored, i watched seven episodes of my fave "Murder, She Wrote" read two books, surfed the Net, did absolutely NO WRITING (and have not for nearly a whole week), and then decided to do some cooking. I had first off planned on doing Sugar Biscuits from Julia Child's cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" but did not have enough ingredients, so instead settled on baking 'Chocolate Slice' from 'Day to Day Cookery' written by I.M. Downes.
Theis book is at least 20 or 30 years old, as is just a big pile of 200 pages with recipes on it, and no pictures of how the foods should come out.
So, I was making 'Chocolate Slice' from 'Day to Day Cookery', and had also planned on baking 'Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies', but then decided against it: Chocolate Slice would take up most of the morning that was left, and then having to wash all the stuff up, and then have to repeat that process again, more difficult, with the Cookies? Uh-ah!!
Anyhoozle, I got out all the ingredients necessary for the Slice; you know the usual: butter, eggs, self-raising flour, cocoa , etc, etc, etc; and then chucked them all into a big plastic bowl together.
Oh all right, all right, not exactly "chucked" but just "carefully mixed". After that, while I was still mixing the micture which was not yet "together", I noticed that recipe clearly stated ( though obviously not clear enough for my eyes! :) ) that "Put the cocoa powder into themixture with hot water!" DAMN IT! HOT WATER??? AND NOW THE MIXTURE'S NEARLY READY!! AAARRGHH!
No, actually I didn't do that, but nearly felt like it (cooking frustrates me sometimes ... damn therapist... heheheh!! LOL :P ) . So, instead, I calmly went over to the sink, picked up a small container and filled it with hot water.
However, once the mixture immediately turned to watery sludgy MUD, i thought: "Hmm... did I put too much water in?'
After, when I was trying to put the mixture into the tray to bake in the oven, the answer was clear: YES, DARN!!
It was more like brown-coloured water than Chocolate Slice mixture that went into the tray, I'll tell you that much,

Nineteen minutes later, after the Slice had been fully cooked and baked in the oven at Moderate Temperature (which is WHAT, BTW, I.M. Downes?) did I let the Slice cool for fifteen minutes.

After cooling had been complete, I cied it with sprinkles and green icing around the edges, and luckily ... it did not taste watery. Have not had whole slice yet, but part of the end is gone thanks to my little brother.

BTW, a PayPal Donations button has just been added. Donate any amount of money you would, to help contribute to the payment of setting up a real proper website with a custom domain name, and to help assisst with the bandwith costs for the website. Any amount is welcome, and always deeply appreciated! Please, pelase, DONATE! Button is on the blog's homepage.

Brenton

Sorry!

2010-02-10T23:40:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! OK, seriously, I am so so so sorry for not having a new blog post for like seven zillion years!! But, I have been incredibly busy, what with a hujungous amount of crap going on in my life at the moment.
First off, I have just entered in Year 9 at high school about 25 days ago, I have started acting class again and am having a great time with all my acting buds (Shout out to Claire, Madi, Jack, and Peta!! You to "Ica"!!), have expanded my writing and am furiously trying to get a commercial book publication this year IT IS MY GOAL!!, have completed a crime novelleta for adults, and am also currently working on a couple scripts for kids as performing, have done some film scripts, and also am continuing planning a fantasy trilogy for teen girls called WANDS about fairies on a mission in the human world.

Just got back from acting class when Mum told me a Chatsworth Primary School in Gympie rang and want me to do a school visit down there... WAHOOO!!! OH MY GOD, I AM SO EXCITED!!! BOW DOWN O ME, BOW DOWN TO ME!!! @@@!!#$%$$
But, in all seriousness, I'm doing 2 workshops and 2 talks and will be paid something like $230, my prices for 'half a day'.
To see all my more 'detailed' info about my author and library visits and CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP PRICES for them on my website at: www.brentoncullenwriter.weebly.com

Signing off,
Tatata!!

Writing Contest

2010-01-09T01:29:00.001-08:00

Interested in a WRITING CONTEST, all you writers??? What do you have to do? What categories are there? First off, to enter the contest, you just have to write an original story that is either a crime genre, fantasy genre, science-fiction genre, or an adventure genre, for children or adults, and it must be 1,000 words (for a short story) to 25,000 words (for a short novel). Anyone of ANY AGE can enter, and the stories shall be judged on Originality and Best Quality. The winner with the best story will receive, as a prize, their story published by Lulu.com. Entries are open NOW!! and they close February 20th 2010. Best to get your stories in early! The three runner-ups will receive a written report on their story. Email: authorguy@live.com.au to email entries in Word document.

You can enter as many times as you like, under your real name, or a pseudonym. The font must be something simple like Times New Roman 14, or Arial 14, and the every page must be numbered. The title page MUST say STORY TITLE, your AUTHOR NAME, POSTAL ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, and EMAIL ADDRESS, as well as the NUMBER OF WORDS in your story. Winners announced February 20th on www.bjcullen.blogspot.com

Enter now!! Tell your other writing friends!!

Sorry

2009-11-12T00:35:00.000-08:00

Hi folks. Sorry I didn't get a chance to blog last night: I had six hour rehearsals for SKITS production "It's So Emotional".
So, last night for dinner, I cooked Chicken Kiev, with Fish and Salty Oven-Baked Spicy Wedges, which tasted ABSOLUTELY SCRUMPTIOUS! (if I do say so myself!).

Sandwich

2009-11-08T13:31:00.000-08:00

Making the sandwich today. 4 hours to go. See you this afternoon. There'll be a blog post ....

Kidnappings

2009-11-08T00:49:00.000-08:00

Everyday, all over the world, in every single town, every single country, every single state ... people go missing. Disappear. Gone... Forever.

I myself am really interested and fascinated by people "mysteriously disappearing".... some of the most that interest me are ones like Daniel Morcombe, Eloise Worledge, Amelia Earhart and kidnappings like the 1972 "Faraday Primary School kidnapping".

I'm off now to watch the rest of "20 to 1" and .... OMG!! HAVE JUST HAD FABULOUS IDEA! must go, c you soon!

Unsolved Mysteries (Azaria, Daniel, Madeline, Eloise..)

2009-11-08T00:31:00.001-08:00

Double Fudge Brownies

2009-11-07T19:39:00.000-08:00

When I woke up at 9 am this morning, I groaned because ..... I knew I had to make the Double Fudge Brownies today, the first of my 25 recipes I am going to try and accomplish in three months.
So, UP I jumped. !!! (Slight exaggeration, I stayed in bed for another twenty-five minutes and THEN .. slowly dragged myself up.)
No aprons in the house, so I just decided to make do with some old clothes: Now, first thing's first, I preheated our stainless steel oven to 160 degrees Fan-Forced, and covered a tray in baking paper and left it on the end of the bench. I then got out a medium-sized mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, a cloth: and the needed ingredients for the brownies. I mixed the mixture on the bench, maybe a little too hard and fast as it caused a great glop of it to spill out of the bowl and land on my bench. Whilst trying to sponge up as much of the upset mixture as I could, it cascaded over the side of the bench and onto the newly waxed-and-mopped white tiled floor. Swearing obscenely, I attempted to scoop it up, and then went back to mixing. I dumped the eggs, butter, vegetable oil, and 2 tbs of water into the mixture, where it made what looked like a piece of big, yucky gooey S*%T. The recipe said to beat it immediately for 1 minute with a wooden spoon until firm: so I beat it for a total of five minutes, and it still was not firm-looking! But, thank god (luckily), a couple minutes later, the mixture finally became firm enough to be poured/scooped/put into the tray: Propping the glass, fragile bowl up on my left arm, and using my right hand (bearing a metal silver spoon), I tried to push the mixture out of the bowl and into the tray.
Unfortunately for me, the "precious little mixture" didn't seem to want to go into the tray. Instead, it decided to be stubborn and TOO FIRM and not move AT ALL!! AAAGGGHH!

My next attempt involved whipping and beating the mixture for a little while longer (while plopped down in front of the TV to watch an old rerun episode of "Mother & Son", the episode was called "The Budgie", one of my faves) until I thought the mixture would be good enough to finally WANT TO ooze out of it's bowl and into the tray.
Boy, was I wrong.

Still being as stubborn as ever, I could get only a small heap of the gooey chocolate mixture to glaze out of the bowl and into the baking paper-padded baking tray. So, instead of the simple way, I had to scrabble around to find another clean silver spoon and scrape out the entire mound of chocolate mixture into the tray. And, once I did, .... it was extremely flat. I hadn't mixed enough of the mixture up yet, still! So, even though it was pretty flat, I ignored that fact, and chucked the tray on into the oven anyway, set at 160 degrees Celsius fan forced.

It had to bake for approximately 15-35 minutes. Even this annoyed me. Not very good "approximate": is it 15 minutes, 16, 17, 20, 25, 29, 30, or 35 minutes for it be cooked perfectly, huh? Eh? Well, what's that? WELL?! HUH!! Anyway, I just put the Oven Timer on for around about half an hour, hoped for the best, and just went back to watch Mother and Son while I waited for the brownies to cook.

THIRTY FIVE MINUTES LATER.....

The brownies were ready and luckily had risen in the oven. I decorated them with some multi-coloured sprinkles, some blue icing and some white flakes, and ... "Voila!"

We ate them.

NOTE: (Tomorrow's recipe is a: "Chicken Sandwich, with Tomato and Lettuce, and Cheese".)

SKITS Rehearsals UPDATE

2009-11-06T22:27:00.000-08:00

I felt like a complete asshole this afternoon when my sister Shona dropped me off at the Presbyterian Church Hall for the rehearsal practice for SKITS*: only to find out that, six minutes later, after checking every single door that I could find that entered into the hall, and considering breaking in through the bar-covered window (somehow!), that The Hall was LOCKED. I was at the wrong place.
Quickly scrabbling for my mobile, I managed to phone Shona back, let her know about my current situation and she took another nine minutes to drive from the shopping center back to the Hall.
Now in the car, we made the four minute drive across town to the Uniting Church Hall, another hall where we regularly have SKITS on at. Unfortunately, once I realized the windows and doors were ALSO locked to this hall, I threw my SKITS bag* up in the air, and stamped my foot. "WHERE THE HELL IS SKITS ON TODAY!!!???!!?"

Six minutes later, I have another idea. Try Debby's house (the director of SKITS and founder). Maybe it'll be on there today. It probably won't be, since Debby told me to my FACE that it was on at the before mentioned Presbyterian Church Hall. So, in another three minutes, I arrived at Debby's house.
Walking straight on by myself (SKITS members have been permitted to do so whenever), I found myself in Debby's living room, with Debby, and the fellow kids in SKITS crowded around with their scripts.
"Oh, hi, Brenton" Debby remarked. "I couldn't get hold of you on the phone. The Presbyterian Hall's in use later, so I changed it to my house. Have any trouble getting here?"
.........

Blackouts, Thunder, Lightning- All Good Ingredients for a One-Seve Batch of Storms

2009-11-06T00:06:00.000-08:00

Last night, I accompanied my mother to a viewing of "Julie & Julia", starring Meryl Streep as The Famed Chef, Julia Child! As it was the opening night of the successful film ... three people turned up (not including my mother and myself, of course). By the way, each of the other three viewers just HAPPENED to be teachers from my school. Luckily, no contact was made between us to do with late homework and request for two month-long extensions on fairly difficult mathematical assignments.
Anyways, this was the only film on, so the five of us (and the two people running the cinema) were alone int he whole theater building, when, just as the trailer for "2012" (coming to a theater near you SOON!!) was halfway over, what should happen but... the power went out!
Trust me, peoples, I cannot TELL you how much fury occurred in that theater!!
So, of course, while the entire building was absolute PITCH BLACK, I had to go to
the bathroom ... twice. So, by the extremely useless and terribly weak barely-usable light of my mobile phone, I made my way downstairs and ... ran right into a closed door that I THOUGHT was open (remember, it was pitch black, couldn't even see your hand in front of your face), and then finally locating the doorknob, opened the door, tripped, hit the wall again, and found my way to the toilet. Only trouble is, I got the wrong door by mistake and found myself in a very nice, broom-laden cleaner's cupboard. Interesting experience, I must say!
Finally feeling my way against the walls, I found the toilet, located precisely eleven meters from the said cleaning cupboard.
After finishing, I proceeded on back upstairs to the theater, where I somehow managed to once again collide with a door, trip going UP the stairs, but finally managed to get back to my seat in the dark where Mum and I talked for ten minutes, until ... HURRAH! THE POWER IS BACK ON!!

Break A Leg (And I Just Might!)

2009-10-31T13:46:00.000-07:00

As it happens, hard work to the MAX!! comes with acting. So, that is why me and the other eleven kids in SKITS ("Show Kids In Theatre School", an acting group in my town for kids), have been constantly training and rehearsing and learning and working hard for the past six and a half weeks for our upcoming production "Let's Be Emotional", premiering on it's Opening Night on 4th December later this year. And BELIEVE MEEE... we have definitely been emotional! There's always complaints, and sores, and annoyance at going over lines again and again, as well as the extremely difficult task of learning the Waltz (which everyone thinks looks easy, but most certainly is not! 5 hours of lessons, we still ain't dancing properly), and the Michael Jackson 'Thriller' dance which was surprisingly easy.
And so, for the next ENTIRE month (starting today) and the three days in December before the production opens, we have three hour rehearsals EVERY SINGLE DAY of the WHOLE MONTH!! WHOA! Anyway, it doesn't matter, because we enjoy it.

Bewitched Update

2009-09-26T01:08:00.001-07:00

Well, it only took me five days to write the 114 page First Draft of 'BEWITCHED', a feature film remake of the classic TV series from 1960-1972. And it's actually ABOUT the series, not the 'Ephron mess' that was the 2005 film 'Bewitched' with Nicole Kidman and the pain-in-the-#$^%& of Will Ferrell (he is SOOO ANNOYING!!)

Since finishing the script two days ago, I have revised the first draft, put in a second draft, which is the 1st draft with scenes cut, changed, added, tampered with, a new subplot added, and a whole new ending added onto it, which now stretched to 122 pages. I have also done 15 pages of a second version of Bewitched, with an entirely different plot. If that doesn't become the final Bewitched script, I'm going to use it as a sequel.

I have also started on a script adapted from a blog of a screenwriter that I have been in touch with about; written a pilot script of a TV show called "THE CASTAWAYS", and written three Bewitched TV scripts just for my own enjoyment, of course! And I have written a complete outline of my next screenplay I am going to start after the second Bewitched version of the script is done: I call it ENID, and it's a biopic script about the life of classic writer, Enid Blyton. It focuses on from her marriage to Hugh Pollock, her writing career, her harsh stabs of criticism, and rumors of sexism, snobbishness, and even a rumor of how she neglected her two children just to write her books as she was more concerned with her writing than them. And it also focuses on her second marriage, and ends when she peacefully passed away in her sleep in 1968. Rest in peace, Enid.

Also, I wrote a 11 page "bible" for a TV show about a family of five witches and warlocks that move to a Mortal neighborhood. I plan to aim it all ages, especially adults and kids in late teens. It'll be sophisticated, and I plan to call it SUPERNATURAL.

Bye for now,,,,

Brenton

Bewitched Update

2009-09-26T01:08:00.000-07:00

BEWITCHED

2009-09-23T01:44:00.000-07:00

52 pages ..... if keeping this up, I'll have the 1st Draft COMPLETE-O in about five or six days, Fastest I ever wrote ;)

BEWITCHED

2009-09-21T18:20:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. I got tired of that old template for the Blog Homepage, so I decided to change it to the new template that is now up.

I have good news on the "Bewitched' screenplay front: I have written 25 pages in 2 days.

RIGHT NOW, I'm up to the scene where Darrin is at work and who should come in but Shirley, his old girlfriend?

LOL

Cya, !

Works In Progress: UPDATE!!

2009-09-19T04:55:00.000-07:00

Just to update on a post a little while ago (but still on this blog's homepage), I have now:

-Completed MISSING YOU

-Completed the first draft of the pilot script DENISE AND COSMO, which is based on Libby Hathorn's book SO WHO NEEDS LOTTO?

-Started writing the script of BEWITCHED a remake film of the hit TV series and much closer to the show than 2005's BEWITCHED was.

-completed a draft of a biopic film called ENID, focusing on the career of writer, Enid Blyton

Nim At Sea

2009-08-28T15:33:00.000-07:00

I was scouting around my bookshelf, looking for my copy of Nim at Sea, the sequel to Wendy Orr's 'Nim's Island', and finally found it. It was then, I remembered the book was about to be leased on an option to be made into a film as well ...

Roald Dahl, World's Best-Loved Author!

2009-08-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, I Roald Dahl HAS been credited as the World's No. 1 Storyteller! He's my third fave author, behind JK Rowling and Alexandra Adornetto. Here's my entire "Dahl" Collection:

AUDIO:
The BFG

VIDEO:
Matilda
James and the Giant Peach

DVD:
Matilda
The BFG

BOOKS:
Fantastic Mr Fox
The Magic Finger
THE BFG
The Witches
George's Marvelous Medicine
Danny the Champion of the World
The Twits
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
James and the Giant Peach
Switch Bitch!
Matilda

Biopics

2009-08-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

There is actually a lot of biopic feature films around nowadays like the upcoming 'Amelia', about Amelia Earhart, or 2006's (is that a word LOl??) 'Miss Potter' of, well guess who, Beatrix Potter of course! I actually wrote two drafts of a Roald Dahl biopic called 'Mr Dahl' a couple months ago.

Keeping on the topic of Roald Dahl, "Fantastic Mr Fox", his 1960's book has been turned into a stop-motion feature film that comes out the end of this year, and the book is only the second part of the film, with new plot strings and many new characters and places included in it.

CYA!

Works In Progress

2009-07-30T17:52:00.001-07:00

I have several works in progress at the moment including:

MISSING YOU, TV Movie script, Drama/Crime, (15 pages so far, 80-90 planned, if produced, I plan to act as one of the leads, 13 year old Jack Martin)

THE DRAGON MASTER, Feature Film script, Fantasy/Comedy (Based on my book of the same title)

BEWITCHED (better remake of TV show, NOT crappy 2005 film) NB: Currently outlining this script, have not yet started

DENISE AND COSMO (script adapted from Libby Hathorn's 1991 book SO WHO NEEDS LOTTO?). First draft complete. Editing stages.

Differences.

2009-07-19T00:38:00.000-07:00

Differences Between Book Version of 'The Dragon Master' and Film Script of 'The Dragon Master' (First draft of script, but!):

1. In the book, Damiana only finds out her parents are alive and prisoners when she gets to Argol Mansion. In the film script, her Aunt and Uncle tell her while she's still at home and she sets out to rescue them instead.

2.In the book, Garron, Damiana's best friend, is one of the major main characters: In the film script, he is totally cut out.

3. In the book, the town of Honsonia is extremely tight and deeply controlled with excessive rules. In the film script, that is toned down quite a lot.

4. In the book, Mr and Mrs Arogl are not itnroduced or met until the fourth chapter when Damiana and Garron burst intot heir mansion. In the filmscript, Damiana meets them at a town meeting on the third page of the filmscript.

That's it for now, but I'll try to post some more 'Differences' as they come.

Make-Over

2009-07-11T16:51:00.000-07:00

As all you visitors to my blog can see, it's undergone a somewhat HUGE makeover. A new blog title, new homepage, new features, and new select choices. A complete make over, you might just say.
A recent new addition (like, started yesterday) to my blog is that of a cooking challenge that I have set myself: I am going to cook 25 recipes in one month, from the "Kids in the Kitchen" cookbook. Since I started it yesterday, here's a little 'Welcome' notice I wrote yesterday to begin the challenge:

Here, in this new addition to my blog, I have begun a new feat: I've always like cooking. I wanted to be a famous chef like one of my idols, Julia Child, when I was grown-up and have a big restaurant called "Cullo's" (don't worry).

This blog has the purpose of detailing three months in my life, as I attempt to cook 25recipes all from the "Kids in the Kitchen" cookbook. It'll be chock full of tears, sweat, glory, eggs, flour, butter... but most of all ... ambition. Can I make it? Check back each week for my blog posts chronicling the hardships as I attempt cook these 25 recipes.

I cooked Double Fudge Brownies this morning.

I'm posting this post now, and in another couple minutes I'm posting the blog post I wrote chronicling my experiences cooking the Double Fudge Brownies.

Interview with Dee White, Author of 'Letters To Leonardo'

2009-07-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today I am very fortunate to be interviewing first time trade author, Dee White (and author pal!!), who took ten years and 22 drafts to write her first trade-published novel 'Letters To Leonardo'. However, don't be fooled. The book is not jsut a compilation of letters, but an actual STORY!!

1. Why did 'Letters to Leonard' need 20 drafts?

The story changes direction a lot as I developed the characters more and they started to control their own destinies. Also, I had a lot of trouble coming up with an ending that wasn't predictable or cliched

2. The book took you 10 years to write. What was it like working on your first trade-published novel for ten years, editing, doing 22 drafts, and then, when it was accepted, having an editor come in and take it apart again?

Actually, the editor didn't take it apart. She was actually very kind - she left things pretty much as they were, but showed me how to enhance it by developing characters more and looking at cause and effect.

3. How does it feel, now be having a first trade novel JUST released two days ago?

VERY VERY VERY EXCITING! Did you get that. It's VERY EXCITING:-)

4. What are your current/next writing projects?

I have just completed Cleopatra's Cat, which was the original 'follow up' novel to Letters to Leonardo. Am currently working on an adult novel and a thriller YA trilogy.

5. Where do you see your writing career in 10 years' time?

100 Things To Do Before I Die

2009-07-02T20:39:00.000-07:00

1. Publish at least 25 books
2. Meet JK Rowling
3. Have two filmscripts made into movies
4. Succeed in getting funding from ACTF to make a miniseries of six episodes I wrote.
5. Meet my author heroes/friends/mentors in person (Sally Odgers, Libby Hathorn, Libby Gleeson, Duncan Ball, Morris Gleitzman (am seeing him at Voices on the Coast!!, etc, etc)
6. Build a school in poor countries for poor children and families
7. Make more shelters for homeless children
8. Read everybook in the Harry Potter series five times each- IN PROGRESS
9. Meet the wonder author, Mem Fox.
10. Be rich.
11. Make sure my mum gets support in her pensioning years (7 to go, mum!!)
12. Travel the world.
13. Touch a pyramid
14. Visit USA, Japan, China, Canada, and London.
15. Visit every state in Australia
16. Own a house in France
17. Live in Sydney
18. Live in Melbourne
19. Live in Brisbane
20. Write my autobiography
21. Invent something ( I dunno WHAT yet?!?)
22. Co-write a book
23. Finish my sequel to my 2007/2008 book 'The Magic Toyshop'
24. Start my restaraunt 'Cullos'
25. Start a theatre company, KidPlay Theatre Co., or as an alternative title, Treehouse Theatre.
26. Live in a bush/rainforest/close to a bush/rainforest
27. Make peace with D. Bates
28. Write ten plays,
29. Write fifteen children's picture books
30. Figure out a way to get kids to WANT to READ and WRITE on their OWN for ENJOYMENT, not adults FORCING them too. That's even worse.
31. Be an actor
32. Meet Ruby Langford
33. Research more to find out what HAPPENED to Amelia Earhart
34. Research or discover who betrayed Anne Frank
35. Have a mansion
36. Complete my biography of 'The Simpsons' TV show star, Nancy Cartwright
37. Write a one-person play
38. Meet Nadia Wheatley
39. Start an Australian literary magazine devoted to publishing ONLY young writers!
40. Finish this list and get to 100!

REJECTIONS!

2009-07-02T20:35:00.000-07:00

Two rejections today: a sixth rejection for a draft of 'My Grandma Evelyn' picture book, as well as I got rejected to receive funding for a TV pilot script for kids, 'The Wonder Forest' with the ACTF stating it's best to have a producer and approach drama script writers to help. Any TV writers experienced in helping flesh a seven page script to a 30 minute TV pilot script, please email authorguy@live.com.au

Thanks!

Edits

2009-06-13T21:56:00.000-07:00

Some edits on a picture book mansucript from 2004. This is when I had no idea of the correct format of a picture book manuscript.
-As you can see, I had a bit of frustration with it.

Mrs Doubtfire

2009-06-12T23:10:00.000-07:00

Does anyone remember the 1993 hit Mrs Doubtfire film? I loved it. It was great. And when I heard there was a sequel planned for 2007, I was ecstatic. But then it was delcared "scrapped". I was disappointed. So I wrote an outline of my own spec script, Mrs Doubtfire 2.
I have four pages to the screenplay having started yesterday.

Agatha Christie

2009-05-15T20:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in the mailbox I received my ordered-from-Booktopia.com.au copy of 600 page book, Agatha Christie: An Autobiography, which is ... well, see if you can guess from the title?!?! :-)
Anway, as it is EXTREMLY large, and with such small print on the pages (one of my pet peeves when reading novels) I just had a flick through for now to read the parts on her writing, and they were really fascinating.

I really enjoy reading fo the writing processes or life stories or autobiographies or biographies of authors, as I think it is really interesting. How do they manage to knock out 7 150,000 words manuscripts so quickly? (Guess who this is?.

In an interview I read with an excellent writer, also my rolemodel (in my opinion, and my favourite writer in Australia) Alexandra Adornetto (17, written three books so far, and three MORE out in the next three years?) said she writes 5000 words a day, and has just finished 100,000 words on her 350 page Young Adult novel, called HALO, about angels.
And I wonder, deeply, and curiously ... how does she write 5000 words a day with school and everything else that must happen? It truly is interesting. And she is already nearly compleetd the other two also 100,00 word books in her trilogy of the HALO series. So, totalling that up, her six books would be approximately 45+65+65+100+100+100 (I have been in contact with Adornetto and she told me how long her first three books of hers were!) all add up to her having written: 467,000 words so far in her career. Some more professioanl authors have not yet reached that, I bet.
Wow.

Peace.
Brenton

The Struggles of Screenwriting

2009-05-15T03:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes, yes, the titles true: I have just recently, within the past few months, been dwindled into writing scripts. My first project was a short film screenplay called BODY PARTS, which was a horror one. It is now with a company as well as a producer, and I am excitedly awaiting their final opinions. My second script foray is a TV Show pilot script called COLLEGE GIRLS.

Book Censorship!!!

2009-05-08T02:51:00.000-07:00

The title, is, by all means, one thing I HATE!! And cannot, at all, absolutely, stand! And sometimes I ask myself why? Why do books get censored? Why do we have 'Banned Books Week'? Why do books get republished with the "censored" material taken out of it again?
Well, I myself do not have all the answers to these questions.

Here is the list of 'Most Frequently Challenged Books in 2008' and the reason why they were banned!:

1. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group

2. His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman
Reasons: political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, violence

3. TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

4. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, violence

5. Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
Reasons: occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, violence

6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited to age group

7. Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

8. Uncle Bobby's Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen
Reasons: homosexuality, unsuited to age group

9. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

10. Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper
Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

"Sexually explicit and unsuited to age group" for No. 10? This book is aimed at sixteen year olds, and, actually, as I am a teenager and in high school, I can tell you that these teens talk of sex, drugs, smoking, and offensive language: plus, I do not think that teens have learned this from books (most don't read except magazines), but from just growing up, and from society. And this issue on books promoting the "occult" and religious themes. Ok, yes, some people wanting to ban these books DO think that books like 'Harry Potter' are trying to promote witchcraft and the occult, but, really, msot books don't promote occults and how good witchcraft is, but in 'Harry Potter' it never says about Harry telling Ginny or telling his son to join occults, but it shows defeat of bad guys, using witchcraft, because that is jsut who Harry is: a wizard. I strongly believe, along with probably a lot of other authors (certainly the ones who have had their books banned) that book banning is unhealthy and promotes extremely bad images for young kids who love reading! These themes and images are a result of these people disapprovng of themes in certain books, when all they have to do is stop reading them THEMSELVES, not convince the whole world to ban these books, have a bonfire and burn 'To Kill A Mocking Bird', 'Bridge To Terabithia', 'Junie B. Jones', 'Harry Potter', and many others.
In the comments section, please leave your name, all to be copied into a petition to attempt to help stop Book Banning. For now, I am aiming to get 500 names!

The Bad Things About Twilight and How Stephenie Meyer Cannot Write

2009-05-07T02:48:00.000-07:00

The recent craze of the Twilight series, by Stephenie Meyer, seems to have taken the world's (mostly) girls by storm. I had several of my friends, as well, say "Oh, read it! They are so good!"
So I read a copy of the first book, Twilight ...
My result?
Terrible.
It was boring, cliched, unenjoyable characters, and big writing "no-no's": the second book, the same, third book, finally, Meyer seems to have finally achieved a BIT of writing skill, and yet,
the forth, was absolutely horrible!!!
Stephen King made comments about Meyer and JK Rowling recently: how Meyer cannot write to save herself (I agree. She needs to get some skill and I think it's jus popular of the "cuteness" of what people consider Edwad Cullen has (No, I am not related to him, a I have been asked nine times) and the romance) and then he said how JK Rowling is an exceptional writer!

Leave comments for your say!

Sally Murphy Interview

2009-05-01T18:47:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone! Today I have an interview with Sally Murphy, whose verse novel, Pear Verses the World was released yesterday!

1. This being your first verse novel, was it harder for you to write?

Pearl was quite hard for me to write in one way, but easy in others. I found actually finding the story and writing the words fairly easy – the words just flowed as I found my way through the plot. But I found this book emotionally hard to write. I cried buckets of tears whenever I worked on the scenes surrounding Granny’s death. I really grieved for this character.

2. How did the idea for 'Pearl Verses the World' come around?

One night as I was getting into bed a poem came to me, speaking of loneliness and isolation. I wrote it down, and left it alone. Soon afterwards, other poems came to me, and I realized I had a story about a girl who was very sad and very lonely. There was a story which needed to be told and I needed to sit down and be the teller. It took me a little while to work out what was making Pearl so sad, and to then mould this into a story – but the ideas came and the story flowed.

3. What is a day in the life of Sally Murphy, when writing too?

On my days at home (that is, when I’m not working my day jobs), I usually use the first part of the morning to get the kids off to school and do some housework, so that the decks are cleared when I sit at my desk. At 10 am I stop for coffee and a read of whatever book I am currently reviewing. After that I work at my desk until 3 o’clock, stopping for lunch (and another read). During that time, I will deal with emails, do research, write reviews and also work on promoting my published books. And, of course, actually write. I try to get the emails and distractions out of the way then close all those things down and open up my work in progress and write, giving myself a time limit – usually an hour at a time. Then I allow myself to take a break from the writing and deal with some of those other tasks before going back to writing. I must say though that my days vary tremendously, especially when a publisher wants something done – edits, proofreading, teaching notes, whatever. If a publisher wants something done, I always give that preference over anything else.
After the kids come home from school, my time is devoted to family tasks, but I also get time to check emails, read, and sometimes will work again once they are in bed – usually reviewing or promotional tasks.

4. Which are your favorite books?

Anything for children and young adults, although at the moment I am especially fond of verse novels. I’m not sure I have a favorite because there are just so many wonderful books out there.

5. Was it a hard round to get 'Pearl Verses the World' published, as poetry and verse have been a bit outdated for a while?

Actually I disagree - verse novels are definitely not outdated, and neither is poetry in general. Lots of readers enjoy both verse novels and individual poems, and publishers such as Walker Books enjoy publishing the form. The wonderful thing about poetry is that will never be outdated, as it continues to grow as a form.
As for getting the book published, no it was not difficult. It was actually my quickest trade acceptance ever, and the path to publication delightfully smooth.

6. Was writing a verse novel a more fun process than novels or picture books?

Not more fun, but definitely a challenge, and I love a good challenge. And certainly this is the book of which I am most proud to date, because I think it deals with emotions and situations which are important to people of all ages.

Thanks for being here, Sally!
Check out the following blogs for the rest of Sally's rapid blog tour to promote her book!

May 1 Spinning Pearls ,

May 2 The Writing Life , (Here already!)
May 3 Tips for Young Writers ,

May 4 Persnickety Snark

May 5 Let’s Have Words

May 6 Just listen Book Reviews
May 7 Look at That Book

May 8 Write and Read With Dale

May 9 Tales I Tell ,

May 10 Robyn Opie’s Writing Children’s Books ,

Interview With DC Green

2009-04-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

I sent off some questions to the best-selling writer DC Green for him to answer .... and now, 47 years later he was able to answer them, as he had been quite busy with more of his wonderful novels! Here it is .... :-)

1. How do you write your books??
I have a small army of super-intelligent bandicoots who do all my typing, come up with most of my ideas and carry my surfboard.

2. Stinky Squad. Erasmus James. Quite quirky titles. How on Earth do you manage to come up with all this?
Titles are super important.
Stinky Squad is a book about Stinky Squad. They are a bunch of loser teens with gross mutant powers like acid vomit, super-sticky zit pus and wall-melting farts. The Stinky Squadders have to save Oztrailer from 20 million zombies, nuclear bombardment and an evil leader named Howard John.
Erasmus James is about Erasmus James. He’s a boy genius who hates horses and chooks. He’s also the first boy to zapp to another planet, which just happens to be a planet of ninja horses and mutant chooks. Have I mentioned this book can be downloaded FREE at my website? Heh.

3. How long have you been a writer?
When I was six I used to rip pages out of my big brother’s school book to make my own comics. My brother got mad and chased me around the house. I thought, ‘Writing is cool.’ When I was still in high school, I had my first article published in Tracks surfing magazine. That was four years ago, give or take 20 years.

4. Do you read children's fiction to keep up with what your main audience of fans read and want to read?
I’ve read thousands of children’s books, always for pleasure. I try to write about what no one else is writing about. I don’t want to be called a copycat!

5. What books do you recommend for kids?
a) Whatever books they love reading.
b) Any books I have written (e.g. Three Little Surfer Pigs).

6. What does the DC stand for in your name? (I know, readers, but not going to tell!!)
My initials are a state secret. People who learn the truth get hunted down by men in black coats. Sorry, Brenton. It was nice knowing you.

Thank you, Dc, well as I can see the black-coated men at my door right now, I better be off!! But quickly check out DC's blog at www.dcgreenyarns.blogspot.com

Submissions And Queries

2009-04-11T04:10:00.001-07:00

Today I did hardly any new writing, but instead worked on some planning for a non-fiction book "Interviews With Aussie Authors", which is about, well, the title basically gives it away! I also sent out 26 email queries and submissions to agents and publishers! Looking forward to the following weekdays, for some (hopefully) accepting replies.

Happy Easter! And Good Night!

TEASER TUESDAY

2009-04-10T02:53:00.001-07:00

OK, Ok, I know it isn't Tuesday, but I found this little activity on Sandy Fussell's blog (www.sandyfussell.blogspot.com) and couldn't resist doing it here:

The Teaser Tuesdays is meme is hosted by Should Be Reading. It's easy and fun. Open your current read at a random page and share two sentences from somewhere between lines 7 and 12. There's one important rule - no spoilers!

Here is mine, when I just did it now:

THE KEY TO RONDO written by Emily Rodda

'Thank you very kindly' they heard a voice say in a piercing whisper.

Leo parted the leafy curtain and peered through the gap.

Well, there you have it! Try it out for yourself, bloggers!

2009-04-09T20:07:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! I was hunting through the bookshelves at my school library when I came across two really rare finds: Terri written by Dianne Bates, and Hey Phantom Singlet written by Simon French. They are both the very first books of the amazing and talented writers, published in 1981 and 1975, respectively. Although, to tell the truth, Bates' first book was actually pretty dreadful and lacked suspense interest, and likeable enough characters, but I found Hey Phantom Singlet really funny and also realistic.

Well, I am now off to write a whole new draft of The Dragon Master, a book of mine. I am still not happy with the seventh completed and revised draft I have now, too childish, amateurish and silly, really.

Review of 'Jessica Joan' written by Wendy Orr

2009-04-07T02:06:00.000-07:00

I know this is a pretty old book, but in scouring my three bookshelves I found it and decided to
type up a review I saw I had handwritten in 2007. Here it is:

Jessica Joan written by Wendy Orr is about a quiet, and keep-to-herself type of woman named, Jessica Joan. She goes hopping daily with her little list of items, butthe shoping days turn quite unexpected one week when she brings home more than food ....

4 stars!

Orr writes an engaging picture storybook, preferably for ages 6 to 8. Clever, quirky, and funny, it also adds a bit more of brilliance with Ann James' remarklable illustrations.

LOATHING LOLA written by William Kostakis

2009-04-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

Published by Pan Macmillan Australia, 2008

19 year old author, William Kostakis, has written his marvellous debut novel in between high school and the first few years of university.

Loathing Lola focuses on 15 year old "goody-goody" Courtney Marlow. She wins a competition to star in a reality TV show, Real Teens, and she wins. But Courtney finds out soon that reality TV life isn't all it's cracked up to be. Tired of her stepmother, Lola, and her antics to be on the TV show, Courtney ends up throwing books, pies, you name it, at her.
Little does she know the show is scripted and Courtney soon finds out that this is all a set-up to fire her and introduce a new television star!

3 stars!

Kostakis is a clever and quriky writer and the book was enjoyable, but his characters, Courtney and Tim, I found a bit unrealistic and needed tightening. However, I praise Kostakis on his writing of the character, Katie ... a modern and REAL teenager, something older writers are terrible at portraying.

I look forward to seeing what Kostakis shall produce in the future, and I feel YA fiction and perhaps a dabble in teenager's fantasy may be where his hugely impressive talent lies.

Owl Ninja, Book 2 of 'Samurai Kids' series, written by Sandy Fussell

2009-04-05T01:15:00.000-07:00

Sandy Fussell is defintely the Queen of Historical Fiction. Here she is, at it again with her wonderful history genre in the second book in the acclaimed series, Samurai Kids. The first book, 'White Crane' is also reviewed on this blog site, earlier.

But at the end of the ten days is when all the Samurai shall have to use their swords and war. Sensei and the Samuria Kids do not want to fight, and want to try to put a stop to the war.

4.5 stars!

New Blog

2009-04-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I decided I wanted a change from the same-old-same-old blog, so I chanegd the template for a bit of a difference. And I like it better than the old one.

Research Troubles

2009-04-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

In my current WIP, (Untitled), I have about one thousand words, for just two pages. That's because the print is in Arial 10. This is the opeing sentence, BTW:

I’m Yi Wang and I am the youngest member of the Chinese Warriors

I am having trouble locating types of clothes Chinese wore in the fifteenth century, as well as some common food.
Also, would you continue reading this book, going on from the opening sentence, above? What questions DO YOU think asks the reader?

Please elave your answers in the 'Comments Section'. Please. Thanks

Samurai Kids written by Sandy Fussell

2009-04-04T17:59:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Sorry for the badly pixlated picture, but Walker Books didn't have a very good one on their website!

A four-book series that began with BK 1, 'White Crane', published last year, has become quite acclaimed among primary school children. The third and second last book in the series was just released 4 days ago, entitled SHAOLIN TIGER. A review of SHAOLIN TIGER will apear in a little while, once I have completed reading it, of course!

Fussell's Samurai Kids series is a magnificent, beautiful, and poetic prose. Especially, for 'White Crane' being her first ever children's novel! In fact, an interview conducted by me, with Ms Sandy Fussell shall be online shortly.

Here is a my own personal review of 'White Crane':

In Sandy Fussell's first historical children's fiction novel, 'White Crane', Niya Moto, the only one-legged Japanese Samurai Kid, and all his friends at the Cockroach Ryu, are being taught by their powerful, and ancient, teacher, Sensei Ki-Yaga. The children do not want to believe the village rumours of Sensei being a Tengu, a human who is punished by turning into a black crow, for doing a terrible deed.

Then, the Samurai Kids and Ki-Yaga must travel through mountains, rivers, and forests to reach the Samurai Games. In a showdown with the Dragon Master, and his pupils from the Dragon Ryu (meaning: school), who will succeed? But, even more important, who will be the winner for the Samurai Games?

Fussell's novel is absolutely beautiful, but just one negative comment: some parts I found a bit boring, but that is it. Overall, a top-notch, beautifully-written, delightful piece of work, especially since it's a first book! I should think that Fussell could probably be talented at poems or verse novels. But I look forward to what else she shall write, and I am hoping for perhaps some fantasy fiction. 'White Crane' receives 5 stars! Sandy has also published Polar Boy, another historical work set in the 12th century. (NOTE: If anyone would like to review this book, please email it to me at author.guy@hotmail.com and I can post it here), and an Aztec book, MEXICA RUNNER, is set for 2010.

Rhian Nest James' eye-drawing illustrations on each chapter and title page add much more to

the book's uniqueness. She is a fine illustrator, and I would think that she will produce even MORE talented work for future novels. Fussell and James are the ultimate pairing for wonderful historical fiction. I myself rather like historical fiction, but do not really like that of Jackie French's. French is certainly up against some top competition with Fussell's books.

Buy a copy of Sandy Fussell's magnificent nove, straight awayl!! Published by Walker Books Australia, it is for sale at all good bookstores for $14.95, 245 pages. Look out for the other books in the Samurai Kids series, OWL NINJA and SHAOLIN TIGER. Book 4, titled MONKEY FIST, is being published August 1, 2009.

A Typical Writing Day

2009-04-03T20:05:00.001-07:00

A Typical Writing Day

6 am: wake up, look at clock, read the next chapter of Shaolin Tiger by Sandy Fussell

7 am: gather my writing notebooks, turn on the computer, answer all the emails in my inbox, even the ones offering me three million dollars and free trials to websites.

7:40 am: open up current writing project, stare at last sentence written the previous day, ignore the blank page, look out the window

8 am: check out the blogs of my writing friends, leave comments, log onto Facebook, and chat to friends

8:30 am: watch videos on the Internet, go back to the writing project, type a sentence, delete it, type another sentence, read the chapter, delete the whole chapter

9 am: brainstorm ideas for what the next chapter shall have in it

10: 30 am: type four pages of chapter 5, get stuck, exit out of the writing file, back to Facebook

11 am: check emails again, reply to them if there are any there

11: 30 am: open up the writing file of a verse novel titled Fire Storm, write three more poems for it, edit them, delete them, write three more, and delete just one of those

12: 50 pm: send off emails to writing group members, email latest draft of picture book to mentor, Sally Odgers,

1:00 pm: have a break, go and have some lunch of three toasted ham sandwiches

2:10 pm: re-write ending of abandoned picture book, then edit it, rewrite it again, then write a hundred words

2:16 pm: delete eighty-nine of those one hundred words

2:50 pm: take another break and read Chapter 3 of Firesong written by Libby Hathorn

4 pm: make a blog entry on my blog www.bjcullen.blogspot.com

4: 13 pm: feed my dog, and horse

5 pm: check emails again, reply to them all

6 pm: print out the day’s whole writing work, edit it at my other desk in my room, then look through my writing notebooks and insert another four story ideas

7 pm: write seven poems for Fire Storm, and then, feeling inspired, write another three sperate poems
9 pm: put the three poems into a package along with a letter, addressing it to NSW School Magazine. Make note of this submission in my 1 of 3 ‘Despatch Book’

9: 08 pm: turn computer back on, and type up the extra poems for Fire Storm

9: 27: check messages on Facebook and Myspace, then reply to an email from Tegan at Hachette Livre.

9:36 pm: turn computer off again, and go to bed, and read up to Chapter 8 of The House That Was Eureka by Nadia Wheately, inspired by the historical touch, write nine pages of notes, and ideas for a historical story called ‘The Anzac Man’. Then make another note that I can’t begin writing until next year, towards the middle.

10:43 pm: turn off lamp and go to bed. Aaah! The joys of being a writer!

Writers, Bloggers,

2009-04-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

I recently signed up to "follow" a few writing blogs, written by fellow Australian authors. These included that of Sherryl Clark, Sandy Fussell, Jeni Mawter, and a blog that is not run by an author but is writing related, called Persnickety Snark run by a lady named Adele. But, I don't know, this really did just get me thinking. Authors are natural bloggers. They have blogs with publishing news; agent news; latest rejections; drafts; tales of "I HATE WRITING, WHY WON'T THIS BOOK JUST FINISH ITSELF?"
And they are interesting. My own personal favourite is the blog of Sherryl Clark (see above), for all the long writing news, or draft news, entries.

I am a blogger, and an author, as well. And I love blogging. It is a way for lonesome writers to really "connect" with the world, and let them know just exactly what is going.

April News

2009-04-01T03:01:00.000-07:00

Hi guys!
Well, Happy April Fool's Day to all! And on a strange note, guess who had a third book out today? Sandy Fussell, and the book was SHAOLIN TIGER in the acclaimed SAMURAI KIDS series.
Today I finished re-writing the ending of a picture book I started a year ago, GRANDMA EVELYN AND ME, and it has had a lot of edits. Sally Odgers, a good friend and well-known author, is mentoring me through it. I have also sent out some queries to agents and editors for Grandma Evelyn, so now that the book is close to completion, I hope to hear some positivity back from them!

The Dragon Master, which I have been working on for just over a year and a half now, has just gone through about a seventh draft of edits and revisions, and am now waiting for Sally Odgers to get back to me( she is mentoring me on this too! Lovely lady, indeed!)

I have a school visit lined up for Tuesday next week, down in NSW at Rainbow Ridge Steiner School, for just about half a day. It will be the talk, 'Behind the Books' a workshop, 'Wriitng Fantasy', a reading from one of my books, and then Q&A session from the kids. They are Grades 5/6/7, so a few years younger than me.

No more news
Brenton

The Start of my 'In The Mailbox'

2009-03-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

When I was recently zooming around fellow writing blogs, I came across 'In the Mailbox' at www.sandyfussell.blogspot.com
It is where once a week or so, I shall post info about a book I recently read, bought, or had sent to me (in my mailbox).
And the book for this week is 'Flax the Feral Fairy' written by Tiffany Mandrake (a.k.a. Sally Odgers) with beautifully drawn illustratons by Michael Chatterton. At first I just picked this book up for $10.99 in my local Book City because I was friends with the author, and was also conducting an interview with her about the book, even though I had never read it!
Flax the Feral Fairy is an excellent, funny, fantastical, and magical story for younger children probably around 7 to 8 years of age, and up.

Fire Storm- Verse Novel

2009-03-27T03:34:00.001-07:00

Here is the just the first part of the first draft of my first ever verse novel, Fire Storm. Please leave some comments/criticism in the comments section!It is for mid-teenagers, so it has a few swear words, but that is just how it flows with the audience, genre, and story. Brenton

FIRE STORM

A Verse Novel

By Brenton Cullen

THE FIRE

Lean out the window
Tell the world
You all effing suck!

I hate them so much.
They make me sick
The frigging idiots!

A storm is coming
Not far away, now
Black, dark clouds
Yellow strikes in the sky

Wind rushes
Hurls about
Animals come in for shelter
More clouds
Darkness
Rain begins to fall

Pit-pat
Pat-pit
Drip-drop
Drop-drip

Pouring
Pouring
Starting to get heavy
Puddles on the grass,
On dirt track

Rain beating down
Upon the tin roof
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Door flies open, window rushes in

SMASH!
A vase falls
Cracked
Breaks
Never fixed

Mum runs in
Hands over ears
Wind’s blaring
Jason,
Get in cellar!
Storm’s bad!
Bushfire coming!
Hurry!

Down the stairs
Two at a time
Feet hit the ground
With a plonk

Over into the living room
Push the couch away
Scrapes on wooden boards
Trapdoor hidden
Open it
Down I go

Dark
Creepy
Shadows everywhere
Hear the lightning
Thunder rumbles
Dangerous

Flick the switch
Light floods through
Boxes in corner
Hide, hide behind them

Stop!
Wait!
Oh, no!
Crackling noise
Flames alight
Feeling hot
The fire is coming

The flames are licking
At our front door
The door bears down
The fire’s succeeded
In the house
Time to run!

Out from the box
Up the trapdoor
Hot.
Burning.
Burning hot.
Smoke
Filling the room
Barely see
Down on the ground
Crawl
Keep moving

Mum screaming
Can’t find her
Where is she? Where is she?

Screaming stops
Loud THUD!
Found Mum
On the floor
Chest is tight
No air
Gone

Wipe away tears
Come on
Keep going
Got to get out
Keep going
Gotta go for help

The neighbours
Run for them
For help
Help!
Help!
Out the door
Go! Go! Go!

Sneakers thudding
On the ground
Twigs snapping
Branches falling

Keep going, Jason
Break into a sprint
Gotta reach the neighbours
Got to
Got to
Get help
Life-and-death
Mum
Gone
Hurry!

I’m there
Bang on the door
Help!
Help!
Fire!
Storm!
Mum’s dead!
Quick!
Help!

Door opens
Miss Polly’s there
What’s wrong?
What’s the matter?
No
Bushfire
Storm
Mum
Dead
Need help!

Calm down, Jason
Settle
It’ll be all right
Now, I’ll send John over
Must call the fire brigade

Call out.
John! Get over to Deb’s place
Fire
Storm
Deb
She’s dead
John leaves
Traipses off to what’s left of the house

Go inside
Polly offers me lemonade
Tells me to settle down

And stop worrying
No! No!

Who can drink fucking lemonade
And frigging not worry
When everything I had
Is destroyed
And my Mum’s bloody dead?

Don’t say it
Thinking it, though
Say no
Don’t wanna
Even think about the bloody thing

Ring.
Ring.
Hello?
Polly’s on the phone
Been a bushfire
Burned down a house
Woman’s dead
Bulhawk, Number 46
Turn right on Bullkin Avenue
Yes, my husband is there
He’ll meet you
Huh?
Oh, John
Thanks a lot

Hang up
It’s good, hon
John’s there
Fire brigade’s
On their way
It’ll be OK!

No
How will it be OK?
Mum
Gone
No more
Forever
Left
Ended
Destroyed
Help

Remember Mum
Telling me a
Couple years ago
Auntie Lina and
Uncle Benji will look
After you if I die
Before you’re 16

Who?

You never met them
Lina’s your Dad’s
Sister
They live in
Cattleworth
Up north

O.K., Mum

Back sore
Chest hurts
Legs ache
From all the running
Have to go to Cattleworth
Deb’ll help me
Take me there

Probably

Interview with Author, Deborah Abela

2009-03-26T22:10:00.000-07:00

Q1. The Remarkable Secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen is your latest book. Tell us a little about the process of writing it?

My family is very haunted and I've been wanting to write about ghosts for a long time. Them I went to England and visited a seaside amusement park called Brighton seaside Pier and just loved it. I knew then that I would set a story about ghosts, a young girl and her family on a pier just like Brighton.

>> How do you plan your books?
I usually take an idea or a location, eg Malta, Venice, France. Then I think
what kind of adventure could happen here? After that I try to expand the
idea and think of the baddie, the main problem of the book, new gadgets and
generally how the story will play out. It always changes as I write it but
that is also exciting as I often think of better ideas as I work on my
stories.

>> How old are you?
I am 41

>> Are you married with kids?
I live with my beautiful partner, Todd, who is just as lovely as Linden.

What are some more titles we can see from you in the future?
One I'm working on now is called Grimsdon. It is about a flooded city where some kids have been left behind. There are flying machines, sea monsters and an evil harbour lord and I'm having lots of fun with that one. I wish I could have a flying machine.

>> How did you go about getting your first book published?
I wrote the whole book after it had been in my head for some time. I sent it
to a few publishers but luckily for me one of those publishers really liked
it and even wanted more. So now there are almost 10 Max Remy books and 3
Jasper Zammit (Soccer Legend) books.

>> How did you get the idea for it?
I worked on a kids' TV show called Cheez TV for years. It was a cartoon
hosting show and I loved the cartoons on it so I knew my first book would be
an over the top adventure comedy, but with a girl as the main hero.

>> Which book was it?
Max Remy Superspy Part 1: In Search of the Time and Space Machine.

Do kids write to you and suggest ideas for new books and titles? Have you ever used any?

Yes lots of times...I actually held a competition for Max Remy part 10: The Final Curtain for kids to write in and suggest gadgets. The winner was Josiah Saxby from Perth and I used his gadget in the story, plus he also plays a small part in the book.

>> Did you always want to be a writer?
Yes. I always loved books and from the age of 7 thought that I'd like to
write myself. That's when I stared writing.

>> If you were not a writer, what would your job be, do you think?
I'd love to be an adventurer or a mountain climber but I'm not very brave
and I'm scared of heights so it's probably a good thing I'm a writer.

>> Which three characters out of these would you invite to your house for a
>> dinner party: Max Remy, Aurelie Bonhoffen, Jasper Zammit, Eleanor, or Linden?

Can I only have three? Max is based on me, so I know her quite well, so maybe Jasper, Linden and Aurelie.

>> What are your favourite foods?
I love food...some of my favs are pastizzis (Maltese cheese pastries) nearly
all Italian food, (except for the bits with meat) salads, Lebanese food like
hummus, tabouleh and lentils. Yum.

>> What is your favourite book that you have written?
Because I put so much work and time into each book, I feel like I know them
really well,� like I have gone on an adventure with my characters,
experienced all their highs and lows, so each one becomes a very special
book for me.

>> What are your top five books that you didn't write?
Gosh....there are just so many. I know that's a cop out but I have never
been able to narrow it down to only five.

Connie and the Pigeons

2009-03-26T13:58:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! Today I will be reviewing a recent picture book by Mabel Kaplan, the title of which is 'Connie and the Pigeons'. It is based on the true story of the first Qantas plane flight from Australia, and then when two Aussies found Connie in a dumpyard in the 1990's and brought her back to Australia.

'Connie and the Pigeons' is a lovely book, with extremely enchanting pictures. I found myself poring over them in shock, as they were wonderful. The text is also great and fits in perfectly with the book. Although, to me, it did not really feel like a picture book, but more of a short, junior fiction novel. It is quite a bit longer in length with a large amount of text, but this all fits into and with the beautiful story and pictures that are swept across the delicate pages.

"A top-notch book, I give it four stars, and recommend it for ages 7 and up."

2009-03-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

Guestbook

2009-03-20T18:10:00.000-07:00

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The Brenton News

2009-03-20T17:10:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! I have decided to start a monthly newsletter here on my blog. It will feature updates on my wriitng, books, news from my little old country town here and so forth. Here is the first issue:

MARCH 2009

INTRODUCTION

The writing here in Wondai has been going all right- I have started planning a new book about an orphan, set in Brookefield, a rural area in Brisbane, QLD. At the moment, this book is currently labelled: UNTITLED -13. Also, I am working on a story I had abandoned in February after writing just three chapters. Now, I am back, actively working on it. I am pleased to announce that it shall be so named ON THE DOORSTEP. If you actually read a bit of the first two chapters, it will be quite easy for you to see just why the book is called that.

In the meantime, I have just finished putting some edits and comments on a mansucript 'City of Monsters' by DC Green, a children's author who asked me too. Also, I feel ashamed to say this, but I have just replied to a short letter from : Libby Gleeson which she sent in Decemeber of 2008. Not because I have not felt like it (though there were times .....) but because I have been extremely busy, also with the EMAIL type of mail. I was in shock when I opend my inbox this morning at 6:00 am to find forty nine emails had managed to get in between yesterday morning and this morning ......

TOWN NEWS

In about eleven minutes, there is a garage sale on: my mum and I will be going down to there. I am on the hunt for some second-hand books and I need a new writing desk. The older one in my room just cannot bear it for much longer ....

Brenton

An Interview With Author, Wendy Orr

2009-03-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

Photgraph Credit: Roger Gould

Hi everyone! Last Wednesday, Wendy Orr, the children's writer, and I had a lovely phone discussion about her, her writing, and the success of her book, Nim's Island, being turned into a blockbuster film also called "Nim's Island".

Here is the interview:

Nim’s Island: not the film, but the book!

By Brenton Cullen

The award-winning family film, Nim’s Island (2008), has dazzled and wowed audiences. But the person probably most wowed by the film, is Australian author, Wendy Orr. She is the woman who wrote the original book, Nim’s Island (Allen and Unwin, 1999), of which the film was based on.
On a Wednesday evening, I phoned Wendy Orr and we had a nice discussion about her, her writing, and the success of Nim’s Island. Wendy has a lovely voice, and with a Canadian accent, her words are perfectly clear and easy to understand.
Wendy’s love of reading came from her parents, who read her books constantly in her early childhood years. She has always had a passion for writing books, and she credits this to all the stories she has read. She enjoys writing immensely, and likes it because she says that reading stories helped, but she wanted to find out the ending and whether or not it was going to be quite suspenseful. So she started writing , just so she could write these stories and be able to find out the endings herself because she would be writing them.
When asked if she thinks her career has picked since the success of Nim’s Island, she answers that she thinks Nim’s Island, the book, has sold more copies, with a reprint available 2008 with the cover of the film on the front. But her 1990’s Young Adult book, Peeling the Onion, based on a true event that occurred in her life, has sold the most copies in Australia.
The stars of the Nim’s Island film, Jodie Foster and Abigail Breslin, were delighted to have been working on the film. Wendy says that Jodie Foster’s son had not particularly liked reading until he picked up a cop of Nim’s Island to read for a summer reading course. This was before the film of Nim’s Island had been considered. Wendy says that this was Jodie Foster’s son’s breakaway to reading, and she feels that this is very special.
Wendy thinks that Abigail Breslin had read the book while filming Nim’s Island.
I asked Wendy if the characters in the book Nim’s Island were parts of her or inspired by real people in her life. She says Alex Rover, the reclusive adventure author, does have parts of Wendy herself in her, but exaggerated a bit. Wendy says that she does indeed work in the same way as Alex, getting research from the Internet and atlases and encyclopaedias. But she does not think she has ever had an email from a 11 year old girl deserted on an island!
Wendy had a bit of involvement in the film of Nim’s Island. She is happy to report that she was a consultant on the screenplay of the film, and also helped with the work on the first two drafts of the film’s screenplay. She did this work with the producer and original screenwriter of the film, Paula Mazur.
A typical writing day for Wendy Orr is flicking on her computer and answering all her emails, at around 8 am. At 10 am, she starts to do the proper writing of her upcoming books (a series of stories set in an animal shelter, and another adventure novel for preteens, currently titled Raven’s Peak ).Halfway through the day she’ll stop for some lunch, and then take her dog for a walk. Then back to the computer until 6 pm, until she stops for a bit longer to have some exercise and walk the dog again. Wendy is also very lucky to say that her book, Paradise Palace, for children, is being turned into a television series, and also her adult novel, The House at Evelyn’s Pond, is being pitched for a film as well. And Nim At Sea, the 2007 sequel to Nim’s Island is currently being discussed about also being turned into a film.
As for a third story about our beloved Nim Rusoe, Wendy says she has part of a story idea in her head, but is busy with other projects, so she may write another book, but not for a little while. ‘But I am still working on an idea,’; she says.
Pure magic.

Written by Brenton Cullen © 2009

Tiffany Mandrake, author of 'Flax the Feral Fairy', Sits Down For A Q&A

2009-02-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to The Writing Life Blog. Today I am interviewing author, Tiffany Mandrake.

>1. How did you first conceive the idea for The Little Horrors series?

Tiff lives at the Academy, so she just copies down everything that she hears about. On the other hand, and I assure you it’s pure coincidence, I did write a story about a fairy with a taste for kidnapping and extortion a few years ago. I mentioned this story to an editor, and she asked if it was suitable for children. I told her it wasn’t. And she said, “might it be, maybe?” That’s the point when Tiff popped up and said I wasn’t to write it because SHE was doing it.

2. Why write under a pen name?

Authors often write under pen names. There are lots of reasons. (A), the author is writing something totally different from his or her usual work, and doesn’t want his/her usual readers to be puzzled or disappointed. (B), the publisher wants the author to appear to be something other than what s/he is. Often publishers want an author to seem younger, prettier or more interesting, so a sixty-year-old author named Mrs Joan Smith might “become” a twenty-five-year-old author named Jass Mohinder.. or even Joshua Stone! (C) the author is well known as a reliable mid lister and would like his or her new book(s) to get some attention from reviewers. I leave it to you to pick the reason in this case.

3. Miss Kisses' Academy of Sweetness. Quite goody-goody and sugary. Did you have any daughters or know any young people ("fairies") that were this way?

I have a daughter, but she is not sugary. However, I have seen people who are TOO good, in that they make excuses for everyone who does something horrible, and believe that these people just need to be understood. I’m inclined to think these Too-gooders may do as much harm as people who refuse to make excuses… But that’s just one way of looking at things. I’m not one of those people who believe all children (and all animals) are innocent little darlings. And I’m sure Tiff isn’t either!

4. How many books are in this series? And, will you be writing any more about Flax or Mal?

Two books have been published and two more are contracted. Whether there are others to follow will depend on the reception these get, and whether they sell. If there are more, Flax or Mal may show up in a guest role.

5. What is your current writing project?

Tiffany is having a rest, apart from putting together her Encyclopaedia of the Fairy Breed. I am working on quite a few projects, including the Book for Fiji, which I’m editing.

6. Did you write this book just normally or has your husband caught you sneaking looks out the garden window trying to spot young bad fairies? Or do you go to the beach constantly and think you have just glanced at a particular mischievous mermaid?

I have no idea what Tiff thought she was doing, but my husband knows I’m a bit odd. I have always liked rivers and the sea, rocks and bush and hidden valleys. I’ve never seen a bad fairy, though.

7. What do you want your fans to get out of these books?

I hope fans are entertained. If they find themselves remembering characters and settings, or quoting bits of dialogue to themselves, then that suits me fine. And obviously, Tiff hopes they’ll buy LOTS of her books. She’ll probably hex them if they don’t!

Thank you for being here, Sally!

Visit Sally at www.spinningpearls.blogspot.com

If you would like to learn more about Flax and about Tiffany, catch the rest of her tour at:

Sunday 22 February Sally Murphy’s Writing for Children Blog http://sallymurphy.blogspot.com/
Monday 23 February Robyn Opie ‘s Writing Children’s Books Blog http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com
Tuesday 24 February Let’s have Words http://www.letshavewords.blogspot.com/
Wednesday 25 February Dee Scribe Writing Blog www.deescribewritin

Tiffany Mandrake, author of 'Flax the Feral Fairy'

2009-02-19T00:47:00.001-08:00

Hello. This Saturday, I will be posting an interview with Tiffany Mandrakeright here on The Writing Life Blog. It will be in regards to her two recent books 'Flax the Feral Fairy' and 'Mal the Mischievous Mermaid'.

My Blog Tour

2009-02-19T00:38:00.000-08:00

Starting on 21st February, this Saturday, I shall be going on a blog tour to (only so far) www.sallymurphy.blogspot.com, the blog of author Sally Murphy, and Dee Scribe Writing Blog, www.deescribewriting.wordpress.com/. So, please come along and read the interview and leave some comments.

Brenton

I Was Interviewed By Author, Sally Murphy

2009-02-07T18:23:00.000-08:00

Here is an interview of me that was done by Sally Murphy. This is originally from her blog, www.sallymurphy.blogspot.com:

Seven Answers to Seven Questions: Brenton Cullen
Today young author Brenton Cullen joins us to share his answers to my seven questions. Welcome Brenton.

1. Tell us a little about your publication credits. If you have none, tell us about the genres you prefer to write, and your current projects.

Well, I have had stories published in magazines and an anthology that will be released next week. I have also published two books, a children's one, and a non-fiction one. Recently I have completed a fantasy novel manuscript for ages 9-12 and that is with a publisher who has expressed some interest in it. Currently, I am planning two more books in a series, the fantasy novel being the first book, and working on an unrelated manuscript, as well.

2. How long have you been writing for children?

Since 2002. I have written fifty four manuscripts (plays, poems, stories included) but only two have been published!

3. How much time do you spend each week writing and/or revising? And how much time on other writing-related tasks such as promotion, researching markets and so on?

Well, as I am on school holidays, I am writing nearly every single day, averaging approximately two-three hours a day. But while I am at school, I do it in the afternoons for about an hour, and pretty much the same on weekends. Revising for me, usually comes at the end of a manuscript so it depends when I finish that specific book.
I am about to start research for a book Mess in the Middle Ages, so that will have to be squeezed in somewhere!

4. How much time do you spend reading children’s books? And what are you reading right now?

To answer your first question, ALL THE TIME!! Right now, I am re-reading Von Gobstopper's Arcade by Alexandra Adornetto, and am about to start on Money Run by Jack Heath.

5. What advice would you give other would-be children’s writers, or share with other professional children’s writers?

New writers, get advice from publishers and author, and get a writing mentor. I cannot give advice to experienced writers: it's like telling JK Rowling how to write Harry Potter!

6. What is your favourite online resource for children’s writers? Why?

I don't really follow those online resources. But I do read magazines like Writing QLD and Reading Time, which are not online, because they are very interesting and helpful.

7. Do you have a website or blog? What else do you do to promote your published works and/or your writing skills?

My blog is at www.bjcullen.blogspot.com
I send around notices to magazines or newspapers asking if I could write a column and my first publishing venture was a column in my local newspaper. Promoting my published works is with bookmarks, book signings, etc, etc.

Thanks for joining us, Brenton. If YOU would like to be featured here, drop me a line and I'll ask you my seven questions.

Random House ROCKS!!

2009-01-11T21:21:00.000-08:00

I sent a query email and the first couple chapters to Random House Australia and they are very interested and wanted to see the full manuscript!!!! So I sent it to them, and am now eagerly awaiting their reply!

Wendy Orr has told me this is amazing and rare, as they get lots of manuscripts and must really like it to want to see the full manuscript.

Also, a question for any author out there (please answer by leaving a comment): What does an acceptance letter say? And, how would you hear about it if it wasn't an acceptance in the mail or an email?

Please answer. Bye

Von Gobstopper's Arcade

2008-12-18T00:27:00.000-08:00

I bought a copy of Von Gobstopper's Arcade by Alexandra Adornetto, the last book in the series and I am very sad about that, from Book City. I was only permitted to read the first chapter by my mother, Jackie, as it is a Christmas present.

Funny that I got a copy from a bookshop as it is not being released for another 3 weeks!

If anyone knows about this or the reason, please leave me a commnet or email me.

The Dragon Master

2008-12-16T20:28:00.000-08:00

I finished The Dragon Master four minutes ago. Finally, after eleven months, I have finished what I set out to do. Now onto the sequel! I started THE DRAGON MASTER on
19th January, 2008 and I finished it on 17th December, 2008.

:) :*

2008-12-13T16:58:00.000-08:00

Here is a Family Tree I drew for THE DRAGON MASTER characters, that will appear throughout the three book series. Bertha and Arthur are introduced at end of Book No.1 with Helena and Hugh in Book 2.
But don't think none of them will die! This family tree was just a quick scribble of mine. Here's a hint: three of the people here will die. Not telling who, though!!

Brenton

WANTED: Co-Writer

2008-12-07T23:55:00.000-08:00

I am looking for someone to co-write a book with. We could do it over email. if you are interested, please email me at author.guy@hotmail.com, or just leave me a comment on this blog with your email address.

The book will be one for kids, 9-11 years old. I am looking for someone to write the last five chapters. As I have already done the first five chapters. Please email me asap if you are interested.
If you have had experience in writing, and publishment of books, or stories or plays, that is great and muchly preferred.

2008-12-07T23:49:00.001-08:00

http://browseinside.harpercollins.com.au/index.aspx?isbn13=9780732286187

Check out the link above to read THE SHADOW THIEF by Alexandra Adornetto, a personal favourite of mine. I recommend it for clever plot, storylines, and characters but not for much else.

Untitled Novel

2008-12-06T21:45:00.000-08:00

Have started handwriting a new untitled novel out in a exercise book. Main character is Sam, involves her Grandma, brother, favourite teacher, and Mum, and a special twist with a revealing tale from Grandma's past. it is set in 1982 in Kingaroy (where I live) and that is all I currently know about it.

Will keep everyone posted, if requested!

High School Visits and Library Fun

2008-12-06T21:39:00.000-08:00

Thursday, my Year 7 class and I went to Kinagroy State School High where we will all be going for our Transition Day. It was, overall very fun, and we did two high school lessons: PE, we did ROCK CLIMBING!!!! OH, IT WAS SO FUN! And we did SOSE, which was the most BORING subject ever!

I went to the library .... and it is HUGE! I saw lots of great books I cannot wait to read again! BTW, Sally Odgers, if you are reading this, as I have not yet sent you an email, Her Kingdom for A Pony is great, and also, tell your sister, Anne, The Calf on Shale Hill was fairly all right, though I did not think it was really, excellent writing. Sorry. I have read other books by her and they were FANTASTIC!

I saw TERRI, by Di Bates, and John Marsden's first book. I think the latter was pretty bad, and you can see how much of a first novel it is.