You might know the old slave's tale, "The Milkmaid": A girl was on her way to market carrying a jug of milk on her head. As she walked, she began to daydream about the money the milk would bring her. “With the money I make from the milk, I’ll buy a basket of eggs," she thought.… Continue reading Friday’s Fable: The Would-be Writer
Author: Catherine Austen
I'm a Canadian author of books for all ages. My short stories are published in literary journals including The Fiddlehead and The New Quarterly. My books for young readers have won multiple awards, including the Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book Award and the Quebec Writers Federation Prize for Children's Literature. I live with my family in Gatineau, Quebec.
Back to School
Oh, that lovely schoolbus roar. Yes, it has begun - here in Quebec, school is in session. (As of yesterday.) Packed lunches, 6:30 alarms, goodbye waves, and - at last - peaceful offices. My entire family takes August off. When my children are not unplugged at the cabin, they are hogging the computer. I have half-forgotten how to write. (Lame excuse,… Continue reading Back to School
Evolution of a Novel
My new middle-grade novel, 26 Tips for Surviving Grade 6, comes out next month from James Lorimer & Company. Just in time for back to school. It's a comedy aimed at reluctant readers, and it's my first book with a female protagonist: Becky Lennox. I love that girl. Her story didn't take a long time to write, yet it was… Continue reading Evolution of a Novel
When the To-Read List becomes Too Long
There was a time when the known world was so small that a person could actually hope to read ALL of the books ever written (or at least that they knew of). Imagine that. I so badly want to be that person! But no such luck. There were about 1,000 new books published today and I only read… Continue reading When the To-Read List becomes Too Long
Contents and Covers
I do it. You probably do it. Most people I know do it. We judge books by their covers. (And more than books, of course, but that's a topic I'm not getting into here.) After all the work that goes into writing and editing a book, whether someone will pass it by or pick it up depends an awful lot on the… Continue reading Contents and Covers
Catherine Austen 