I’ve received plenty of TLC during this first sprint from the members of the May Gibbs Trust. And last week, when I met nearly all the Trust members at a welcoming dinner, I felt I was part of one big family of book lovers and creatives.
Author Archives: julia
I’ve won a signed book!
I seem to be on a lucky streak – I’ve won quite a few books in internet giveaways recently. But my best win so far has been the most recent one – a book illustrated by Tim Warnes, one of my favourite picture book writer/illustrators. It’s called Weasel is Worried, but also goes by theContinue reading “I’ve won a signed book!”
Migration Themes
How many of you are migrants, descendants of migrants, or siblings, parents or cousins of migrants? I suspect that covers almost everyone on the planet. I am the migrant daughter of migrants, who in turn were descended from multiple generations of migrants. One of my children migrated to Canada. I’ve never had to deal withContinue reading “Migration Themes”
Combining words with pictures to record your Covid stories
A workshop to stimulate your creativity, and maybe a recipe for survival in these uncertain times. As I enjoy writing as much as I enjoy creating pictures, I always love having the opportunity to talk about both, and how one sparks off the other. When my friend and fellow-poet Maria Vouis asked me if I’dContinue reading “Combining words with pictures to record your Covid stories”
A new year, and a new direction
When I started this blog I thought I was going to talk mainly about picture books. I had no idea that after a year of studying picture books, writing and illustrating my own picture books, and submitting multiple times with no tangible success, I would suddenly be inspired to write a middle grade novel.
Mentorship part 3: Overcoming Impostor Syndrome.
When you write and illustrate a story it’s very easy to feel impostor’s syndrome three times over: ‘Am I a lousy writer? Am I a lousy illustrator? Do I suck at both?’
Mentorship Part 2: the story evolves
Almost two months into my mentorship, and Elton’s Ears is taking shape in new ways that I’d never anticipated. The story is just about resolved at last: Raven is merely hinting at a way that Elton might find his way home, allowing Elton to do all the thinking for himself. So the next stage isContinue reading “Mentorship Part 2: the story evolves”
Mentorship, Part 1: Kill your Darlings
When I submitted my manuscript for the #PBChat Mentorship program, I thought I had taken the story as far down the road to completion as possible. That is, I’d shown it to a peer critique group, I’d worked on the dummy book for several weeks, and I’d put it in a drawer for several weeks,Continue reading “Mentorship, Part 1: Kill your Darlings”
Opportunity Knocks
When I began writing this blog last month I said I would occasionally talk about my own picture books, as well as describing the picture books, both recent and ancient, that impress me. I wasn’t expecting to have any exciting news about my own work for a long time to come, but I was mistaken!Continue reading “Opportunity Knocks”
Blog
As this is my brand new website (my old website was getting overloaded with diverse topics that have preoccupied me over the last 20 years), the focus in this blog is going to be on my first, current and future passion – picture books. I have always loved picture books, but I was never asContinue reading “Blog”
Julia Wakefield 