I am slowly but surely building a novel from my messy draft. Some days I only have time to edit a few pages - slim progress on what seems like an impossibly large job. But even pyramids were built stone by stone, so surely I can finish a book the same way. There are writers for whom editing is not such a huge… Continue reading Stone by Stone
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Good News
First, my plane did not crash. (Make that planes, five of them, and not a single one crashed. What luck!) So I am back at home, alive, perfectly able to edit my draft novel/monstrosity before anyone reads it. But after two weeks vacation, I really don't feel like it. We're having a mild spell in central Canada, the days are getting longer… Continue reading Good News
Writing vs. Editing
On Monday, I finished the first draft of my new novel for the 10+ age group. (No time to blog with that on my plate.) As I was writing the last scenes, I brimmed with excitement, tears, sighs, joy, wonder, etc. The words, "I love it!" kept bubbling out of me, often accompanied by sniffles and smiles. My… Continue reading Writing vs. Editing
Illustrations and other Surprises
I opened an email last week to find a message from my editor at Kids Can Press with a file attachment showing the revised roughs of my first picture book. What a treat! I can't include a picture here, of course. You'll have to wait for the finished book - now scheduled for release in Spring… Continue reading Illustrations and other Surprises
Rewards of Research
I've been researching nursery rhymes for a silly early reader. I've discovered long-winded versions of many short familiar rhymes. The famous little star twinkles through five verses; children go round the mulberry bush half a dozen times; Jack and Jill go home and get whipped by their mother; the girl with the curl stands on her head and bangs her heels against the window.… Continue reading Rewards of Research
Catherine Austen 