The Australian Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature

Well, here is more exciting news! A few weeks ago the winner of the Australian Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature (try saying that ten times really fast) was announced. My publisher contacted me to tell me that Destroying Avalon was highly commended in this award. It’s a terrific honour!

So I googled the Australian Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature to see who the winner was and found nothing. The website hasn’t been updated (last year it was won by JC Burke for The Story of Tom Brennan)- couldn’t find any information- anywhere.

So then I stumbled across Delwyne Stephens blog (she is an Australian author of YA fiction) and I found this: (I quote)

“WHEELS was listed as a recommended read in the Australian Family Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature. I was thrilled because WHEELS was one of ten ‘recommended reads’ from a strong field.

The winners in the older readers catergory were Sue Lawson for “Allie McGregor’s True Colours” (Black Dog Books) with highly commended going to “Destroying Avalon” (Kate McCaffrey, Fremantle Arts Centre Press) and “Ten Things I Hate About Me” by Randa Adel-Fattah published by Pan Macmillan.”

Wheels is Delwyne’s book and so I’d like to take the opportunity to say congratulations Delwyne for getting the listing as a “recommended read” and thanks for the information about the award! Also congrats to both Sue Lawson and Randa Adel-Fattah- (all books on my reading list)!!

Insecurities of Writing

A couple of weeks ago I handed over my manuscript to my editor– after a big structural reworking. It had required a lot of re-writing, development etc to address the points (and there were at least 6 pages of points) from our editorial meeting.

The problem is once I’m home, letting go of particular phrases I might like the sound of because they don’t fit, or having to change aspects of the plot and therefore lose some element I like can prove quite hard. However, I try very hard to ‘let go’ and use my editor’s criticism to develop the novel.

I recently finished reading a mammoth novel (not about woolly creatures) but around 450 pages in length. It is by a ‘brand name’ author– incredibly successful and prolific. I hated it. There were passages that ‘clunked’ , descriptions that were cringe worthy, character development that was totally ludicrous and I came to the conclusion that good writing is like beautiful light fittings– the lovelier they are the less you notice them– the more ostentatious and elaborate the more intrusive they feel. I wonder if once an author reaches a certain level they just don’t listen to their editor any more– or maybe an editor is too ‘in awe’ to really comment. Then, do very successful writers get worse– the more they write?

I’m probably suffering from second book syndrome– the fear that the second will not live up to the first. And worse that it might not surpass it. I remember listening to Tim Winton on writing and he was asked “have you written your best work yet?” I remember slapping my steering wheel (I was driving at the time!!) and declaring loudly– for him, “Of course not.” To my mind no one has ever produced their best work until they are dead– otherwise what’s the point in trying?? But he was a little more (humble?) reserved in his answer– and said “May be not yet.”

So, my editor rang me today– to ask if she could edit directly onto the computer screen (as opposed to hard copy– which I then accept or reject). Of course I said– go for it. Anything that sounds awkward or laboured cut it– go to work with that editorial pen and carve the sucker up. I want to become a better writer– not a worse one. Besides behind every successful novel there has to be a good writer but an even better editor.