Jacinta Lou – Writer

Author: Jacinta Lou

  • Four O’clock in the Morning! What the…?

    Four O’clock in the Morning! What the…?

    Friday morning I generally get up at six so I can get ready and walk the dog before I go to my daughter’s house at seven fifteen to take my grandson to school. So this Friday, I looked at my Fitbit, yes six am, got up, showered, got dressed and asked Google about my day. To say I was shocked when she told me in her clipped British accent (I have mine set to UK) the time was FOUR twenty five did cause some frantic looking for my phone to check and yes, with sleep in my eyes and my Fitbit set to night mode, and without my glasses, I had misread the time. Didn’t I feel like a dill?

    No wonder the dog was still asleep!

    Never mind, I did wordle, listened to a podcast and cooked myself breakfast. I still had time to get the washing on the line and plan my day!

    I dropped my grandson off at school at 8:30 am. With some extra time on my hands, I parked my car at the new park and ride and took a bus to Hobart to get a book I ordered. I had never used it before but I met a lovely young lady at the bus stop who promised to go on before me so I would know what to do with the green card I’d purchased previously, just in case I ever needed to catch a bus!

    I know what you are thinking. How hard is it to catch a bus? I live in southern Tasmania where the closest bus stop is two kilometres away, and the walk is on the verge on the side of a road trucks and cars speed along and it’s just scary. Before that I lived almost twenty years in a town without a bus. So now I can drive to the next town and park my car for free and it’s great!

    Safely on the bus, I enjoyed the short trip to Hobart and thanked my new friend. I found the bookshop, a fabulous place called Cracked and Spineless. It’s a shop filled to the ceilings with new and second-hand books and is a must visit if you are ever in Hobart. I could just get lost in there. But I’m trying not to buy so many books. Trying but not succeeding! I came out with the book I wanted, plus another.

    My plan was to jump on the next bus back and make this a very efficient use of time. I’d be home for morning tea. But it was such a lovely day, and I didn’t have to worry about the cost of parking, so I decided chips on the docks were a great idea.

    But on the way, I saw the open topped double-decker tourist bus that drives around Hobart and I thought, what a fabulous way to see the city! So I found myself being a tourist! I loved it. As a driver, you just don’t see much, and sitting up high in the brisk Hobart air was exhilarating! Well, it was for me. Hobart is built in the foothills of kunanyi, Mount Wellington, so as we travelled closer to the mountain, the weather cooled and those tourists dressed for a sunny day soon regretted wearing shorts.

    The tour ended back at the docks, so I continued with my original plan of chips on the water front. I discovered one of the punts in Constitution Dock has an outdoor seating area facing the dock, so bonus for my fish and chips on the dock. Yes, I added fish. I’d built up a hunger being bussed around!

    Finally, I was back on a bus headed to my car. I was back home by one, so, in theory, lots of time for writing, but I’d been up since four, so the couch won me over. I watched the latest Little Mermaid, so still in the world of fairy tales and kidlit.

    As I reflected on my day, I realised recent changes to public transport had indeed made it easier to use busses and I will definitely be using them more often. If I just catch the bus in and go straight back, I get more time. I won’t have to find a park and I’ll save money.

    But will I be able to stick to that? I’m not sure it matters. It was lovely to enjoy the city without worrying about traffic (yes, Hobart has traffic), getting stuck on the outlet or waiting in queues for the multi story car park. Or spending half an hour getting to town, rushing to pick up a book (it’s always a book. No bookshops where I live.) and racing back to the car before the free parking expired. If I hadn’t caught the tourist bus and stopped for fish and chips, my detour to Hobart would have only cost me $3.10, but I loved being a tourist for the morning and enjoying Hobart without the other worries, so no regrets.

    As a writer, it’s easy to spend my time in my head. At my computer. Or staring into space while my mind races through ideas. But it felt good to get out into the world and see my home town as a tourist. Lots of fodder for new stories, plus a very enjoyable day.

    When was the last time you let yourself be a tourist in your home town?

    Let me know in the comments.

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  • The Matildas

    The Matildas

    Tonight the Matildas will play the game of their lives on their road to the world cup. I’m excited and nervous, even though I am a very new fan.

    And I have a confession to make. I have never been into sport. Shock, horror, gasp! How can an Aussie NOT be into sport? I played sport in primary school. Netball and softball. But I was the player who tripped over and skun her knee on the cold asphalt surface. Netball in winter in Tasmania. I have scars.

    My softball position was left outfield but the number of balls I didn’t catch still gives me nightmares so I think my teammates would have preferred I was Left Right Out. So in high school I found myself enjoying the life of the nerdy kid who read books, spent lunch hours in the music room playing my trumpet and dancing!

    I never saw sport as something I would ever be good at and even if I was, I did kick a football further than my brother in primary school, there were limited opportunities for females to plan a career around sport.

    My love of dancing was inspired by a girl in my neighbourhood who would organise neighbourhood kids to meet every night to rehearse for a concert. We danced and played cut out cardboard instruments to her record collection, dressed in amazing outfits she made for us. On trend for the seventies. When I think about it now, this was the best after school care before that term was even a term! We lived in a pretty rough neighbourhood, so this teenager’s ingenuity probably kept a lot of us out of trouble. There weren’t many opportunities. Especially for families with only one car. (Tasmania has never had great public transport.) It certainly made some wonderful memories and inspired a love for dancing and the music of the seventies! So at high school my friends and I would create routines and strutt our stuff in the privacy of the music department.

    A couple of us eventually found dance classes, and it was dancing that lead me back to sport. Not as a player, but as a cheerleader for what was then, the state football league. The only role women had in football at that time.

    It was during this time and later, as a police officer, I saw behind the scenes of sport, male sport, and what I saw and experienced made me very determined not to reward these men by watching them play. I know, irrational, perhaps. Sport was now something I didn’t play or watch. Well, I did play badminton, and I took up running, but other than that, sport was not part of my life. Well unless I was in Melbourne and going to the MCG to watch cricket and yes, even a football match to honour my parents who had recently passed. They did love their sport! ( I often wonder if I was adopted.)

    So it wasn’t until my eldest granddaughter started talking about Sam Kerr, I took an interest.

    My granddaughter took up soccer, she started wearing clothes with Sam Kerr’s name or picture on them and a soccer goal appeared in the yard. Her family even organised their holidays around games this Sam Kerr was playing in! There was even a selfie!

    Time to investigate.

    I quickly educated myself and discovered the Matildas. That’s what you get for banning sport from your screens and not having free to air television. I’d missed out on seeing the rise of this amazing group of women who not only play great soccer (football) they devote their time to being the role models they themselves didn’t have. Hence Sam Kerr and the Matildas are household names and even I will watch tonight as they play England in the World Cup Semi final.

    I love how my granddaughters now have real role models in the world of sport. They certainly get a better opinion of sport than I did and the message, anything is possible with hard work.

    But why are they so inspirational? And what’s that got to do with writing? They are inspirational because they truly care about the sport. Not from a position of ego, but from a position of inspiring others. They work hard and are at the top of their sport because they have grit. They want to win, but they want the team to live on when they retire. They work hard to be professional athletes and they demonstrate that girls from all backgrounds can aspire to be a part of a sports team. Some are mums who want to show professional sport doesn’t have to stop when you have children.

    They have inspired many people, who, like me, have never taken an interest in sport. At the shop today a lively conversation was happening amongst a group of customers who were so pleased women’s sport was being played at this level and how much their children were enjoying it. The Matildas have created a buzz and they are showing us that hard work, determination and following your dreams may help you achieve them. Just having talent is not enough. You have to work on your craft, constantly improving and if you fall down, learn from it and move on.

    So back to writing. Hard work, determination and following your dreams may work there too. Talent is not enough. You have to work on your craft, constantly improving. And if you fall down, learn from it and continue on.

    Good luck Matildas! You truly are an inspiration, and not just to young girls. I saw an advert for walking soccer played locally. Am I game? Stay tuned!

    Matildas, you rock!

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  • Car Trouble and Comfort Zones

    Car Trouble and Comfort Zones

    Is there anything worse than car trouble? I’m sure there are a million things worse, but when you live in the bush with no public transport, car trouble can feel like the end of the world.

    But I’m a hermit, I hear you say, and that is true, but I still need to get to the shops, take my grandson to school and, most importantly, pick up books from the post office or the library. It’s a 30 km round trip, so too far to walk. Car trouble is serious!

    I’ve known my car was dying for a while, so only drove it when I had to while I saved for a replacement. But my anxiety driving it increased to the extent I had to take action.

    Facebook market place. I’ve always bought from car dealers, but as this last one came from a dealer with preexisting problems they wouldn’t cover, I saw no advantage going back, so I searched for vehicles, and more importantly, reputable sellers. It’s a minefield out there.

    My rusty investigative skills came in handy. If a deal looked too good to be true, I looked up the seller to see if they were even in Tasmania. Quite a few weren’t. If I answered an add and the seller was pushy or wanted a deposit before I’d even seen the car, block and move on. Eventually, I found a car advertised by someone with a mutual friend. Now that in no way guarantees the car, but I did trust the seller was a real person and I answered straight away. I now own that car and the mechanic said it was safe to drive and in good condition for its age. One problem solved.

    Now I had to sell my dying car. Still going but not healthy. Aha – this is the reason I buy from car yards. I can get rid of my other car with no hassles.

    I advertised on FB, making sure I worded the advert to specify the car was dying and only suitable for a mechanic or someone who wanted it for parts. I had zero expectations.

    Within minutes, my phone was blowing up with responses. Over thirty before I switched it off. The person I sold it to was initially very pushy, so I wouldn’t deal with him, but had I understood the industry, I would have sold my car for the asking price in five minutes. As it was, I sold it for the price I wanted within twenty minutes and organised to meet the next day to complete the transaction.

    I WAS NOT going to meet an unknown person with a tow truck in the bush at night! Some comfort zones are safety zones. No need to stretch those!

    It seems there is a whole word of people who buy cars like mine and rebuild, resell or scrap and getting in first is quite competitive, hence the pushiness. You learn something new with each new experience.

    So what has any of this got to do with writing picture books? I’m glad you asked. This year has been a year of stretching myself and gaining confidence in my writing and myself as a writer in a very competitive (but very kind and not pushy) industry. I’ve conquered some fears with CYA and I’m working up to submissions.

    Once upon a time I would never have e dreamt of selling a car on my own. Even buying filled me with dread. I tend to drive within the car’s capacity until I’m forced to take action.

    Parents are good sounding boards, even if they don’t know about the subject. Dad always knew the questions to ask and what to look for, but I’ve lost mine so this one, I had to do alone. And I think facing my fears with CYA made me strong enough to face my fears about buying and selling my car.

    I think if you aren’t putting yourself out of your comfort zone, just a bit, that zone shrinks and your world gets smaller. I’ve seen it in myself and others, especially after lockdowns and retirement.

    It’s easy to live a small life. But, as Malcolm Fraser once said, ‘life wasn’t meant to be easy!’

    What if you faced a fear or three and stretched what is comfortable? What would happen then? What if you made your life, ‘not easy’ a little bit at a time?

    For me – I now have a car I feel safe in and can leave the property more often. I also know I will never put up with a broken car because the process of changing it is hard.

    Stretching the comfort zone becomes an ever-increasing circle.

    I stretched by having assessments at CYA. That gave me the confidence to do something about my car and now I’ve done that and sorted out all the insurance, registrations, etc. I will use that sense of accomplishment to submit some stories.

    Coffee first!

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  • The Morning After CYA

    The Morning After CYA

    The CYA conference 2023 is over, oh and before I forget, CYA stands for Children, Young Adult, and Adult Writers’ and Illustrators’ Conference. Well worth a look for writers and illustrators of all genres. Any way, back to what I was saying. The conference is over so for me, getting manuscripts ready for the competitions, booking assessments and preparing submissions, attending assessments and the conference over four weekends on zoom has kept me busy from January till yesterday and I am exhausted.

    Was it worth it? Yes, I think so. Too tired to tell right now. But I’m going to say YES! I received some great feedback both positive and constructive and listened to some great presentations along the way. In the breaks we were put into breakout rooms on zoom and so it was also a great opportunity to meet other writers. I have a better idea of where my writing sits and even though no contracts were offered to a chorus of dancing unicorns, the dream is still alive. Well at least it will be once I’ve had some sleep.

    Assessments can be confusing and I’m sure I looked like a stunned mullet half the time as I worked my mind around the differing views of editors on the same manuscript. But that’s part of it. Finding a home for your writing is about finding the person who sees it the same way you do, or who can give you feedback to get it where you want it to go.

    It’s challenging sitting and listening to words that don’t support your vision of your amazing, perfectly crafted manuscript. And I’m sure it’s challenging for editors to give constructive feedback. It’s a lot easier to receive these words in written form via manuscript assessments, but I decided to do it via CYA this year and I’m glad I did. I think. I got to meet some amazing editors and there aren’t many opportunities to meet face to face, especially in Tasmania.

    My approach to assessments was just to listen and take notes as you only have 15 minutes to look at two picture books. So I probably bumbled through responses when asked questions. I wanted to know what they thought. But they wanted to know about me as well. I’ll be better prepared next time – and yes, there will be a next time.

    My only question was, do my stories have potential? And it seems the ones I had assessed do so now I have to do the ‘Verk’, as Jen Storer would say, and edit, rewrite, restructure until I feel they are ready for another assessment or I submit them to publishers. And that’s a whole other journey!

    Stay tuned as I work to keep the negative Nellie and imposter syndrome at bay!

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  • Finding My Tribe

    Finding My Tribe

    Writing is a solitary activity. And, unless you are writing to contracted deadlines, it’s purely voluntary. No-one is making you write! Well, except for that little voice in your head urging you on. Write, write, write! (Or is that just me?)

    The point is, we writers write because we want to. Write because we have to. Write because we need to communicate, clarify our thoughts, tell a story and we do it by writing.

    So if it’s such a solitary, self driven activity, what are writing festivals and groups all about? I must admit, I used to wonder why a group of writers wanted to get together. It seemed a weird thing for a bunch of predominately introverted people to want to do. People in large numbers (shiver) It didn’t seem like something I would ever enjoy.

    I’m a self-confessed loner, recluse, hermit, and I’m generally happy with my own company. But since entering the world of children’s literature, the kidlit community, I’ve found myself joining groups, attending more live events and fully immersing myself in the community and loving it.

    I have discovered since calling myself a writer, like most things in life, it’s better with friends. Meeting other writers either in person or online, becoming part of a community who will understand your struggles, celebrate your wins, commiserate on your rejections, adds a depth to this writing gig I couldn’t have imagined. And I love it!

    Maybe I’ve found my tribe.

    Writing is still a solitary endeavour. It’s still up to me if I write or not, but now I can talk to others who understand what I experience without explanation. They just get it because it’s their reality too.

    And the very best part, for me, is supporting other writers on their journey.

    So whether I get published or not, I will celebrate everyone who does, because I have some idea what they went through to get there.

    So as I sit at my computer, looking out at the bush, I can talk to other writers, read their stories and see their journey. Celebrate their wins. Empathise with their losses. Have long conversations about all things kidlit.

    What we rarely discuss is why we do it. Why we struggle for weeks, months, years to find that perfect word to finish a story. Why we rewrite, restructure, re edit our writing to prepare it for submission. Why we agonise over every typo we find after we hit submit. Why we share our rejections and know each one is a step closer to a yes.

    We already know. It’s in our blood.

    We are a tribe.

    ©Jacinta Lou

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  • CYA – First Assessments – Self Belief Growing!

    CYA – First Assessments – Self Belief Growing!

    Is it too early to ask for CYA gift cards for Christmas?

    I had two assessments this weekend and I’m so relieved I didn’t shred my stories and run away and hide. Turns out both editors are of the opinion I can write which filled my heart with joy!

    Both of these editors had different stories so I got feedback on four stories which will help me decide whether to keep working on them now, or in the future.

    No offers of contracts with unicorns cheering in the background but a real feeling I am heading in the right direction!

    I have more assessments to come. Hoping for more useful feedback! Wishing for unicorns 🙂

    Imposter syndrome, feeling like nothing you do is good enough etc is incredibly annoying and can be debilitating. It is for me.

    I’ve struggled with self belief for ever, so when someone thinks something I did was good, it feels like, wow – happy dance, huge smile, want to hug the world! And its a genuine surprise.

    I will take this external validation and tuck it into my growing self belief in myself as a writer. I must have a little bit of belief, right? Or why am I doing it?

    The most important message I gained from these assessments is to trust myself.

    I am a writer and I will publish books for children!

    I really want to succeed so I don’t want this pesky Negative Nellie who lives in my head to muck things up for me. Might be a story in that.

    How have you silenced your negative self talk? Perhaps you have never had any? Love to hear your stratagies!

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    © Jacinta Lou 2023

  • Imposter Syndrome and CYA

    Imposter Syndrome and CYA

    CYA is happening!

    It’s two days till I meet my first editor for a CYA assessment. I’m looking at the stories I sent her and I want to pull them back through the internet and throw them in the bin. What was I thinking?

    But – the money has been paid, the assessment booked and I’ve had my lesson on how zoom operates during assessments so there is no going back.

    It’s been months since I booked my first assessments. Yet it feels like it’s happened way too quickly!

    As my anxiety grows, I wonder what it is I’m scared of? I made such a mess of submitting my stories (I was recovering from pneumonia) but the amazing folk who run CYA untangled the mess and stories were sent to editors. Are they the best stories? No. Does it matter? Well, maybe, but no.

    These are assessments, not pitches, so the hope is the editor will give me enough guidance to improve my stories. Assessments, not pitches. I keep reminding myself.

    Of course, in the back of everybody’s mind, including mine, is the hope the editor will be so impressed they will ask to see your stories again. Wouldn’t that be amazing!

    In fantasy land, they come to the assessment with a contract ready for you to sign while unicorns cheer from the sidelines!

    But we don’t live in fantasy land…except when we are writing!

    The real fear is they will look at my stories and wonder why I bothered. A bit like I am wondering now. Am I exposing myself to these wonderful editors as someone who cannot write? Is this how others feel two nights before assessments begin?

    I’ve seen similar posts on FB and in writing groups so I know I’m not alone, but those other people can write. What if I can’t!

    Of course, none of this could be happening and we wouldn’t be having these amazing opportunities without the amazing CYA team. Particularly Tina and Shawn. They dealt with my stress and booboos when submitting like the true professional they are. I’ll be better next year – I promise! And of course if I’m making mistakes, there must be others? Tell me there were others.

    And thank you to the editors and industry reps who are spending the time assessing and talking to those of us who will be hanging off their every words, hoping they will move us forward in our quest to be published!

    Hats off to the CYA Team! And best of luck to my fellow writers and illustrators who are facing their fears and putting themselves, and their work in front of the industry we all want to be a part of.

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  • Am I a Poet?

    Am I a Poet?

    I have always written poems. On scraps of paper, serviettes and sometimes even on something I can’t lose! But I have never called myself a poet. I wonder what it would take?

    My poems were selected for the inspiration for international Mural Fest in 2009 and 2010. I completed a work of poems and stories to accompany photos of old huts and cottages after that, but still I didn’t call myself a poet.

    I’ve written poems for friends in grief, for weddings, funerals, and just when words call me.

    When a friend was diagnosed with cancer, when I’ve tried to make sense of a world that often seems senseless. But still I didn’t call myself a poet.

    So today when a poem I wrote for children was published on the Australian Children’s Poetry Blog, I wondered if it might be time to consider calling myself a poet.

    Outside My Window by Jacinta Lou
    I’ll share it anyway as a poem I wrote.

    ©Jacinta Lou – Poet?

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  • AI – How do I feel about it?

    AI – How do I feel about it?

    As an aspiring author of picture books, I feel very nervous about AI. I feel less nervous when I see how it can benefit writers with editing tools etc but it means I need to lift my game.

    I have AI on my google docs so I asked it to write me an article about how picture book writers feel about AI.

    Here is what it wrote.

    AI Generated by Google Docs

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly evolving field with the potential to revolutionize many aspects of our lives, including the way we create and consume art. For picture book writers, AI could offer new tools and techniques for developing stories and illustrations, as well as new ways to reach and engage readers.

    However, there are also concerns that AI could pose a threat to the art of picture book writing. Some worry that AI-generated stories and illustrations will be so realistic and engaging that they will displace human-created work. Others worry that AI will be used to create propaganda or other harmful content.

    Ultimately, the impact of AI on picture book writing is likely to be complex and multifaceted. It is important to be aware of the potential benefits and risks of AI, and to use it in a way that enhances rather than diminishes the art of picture book writing.

    Here are some specific examples of how AI could be used in picture book writing:

    • AI could be used to generate story ideas or plot twists.
    • AI could be used to create illustrations or animations.
    • AI could be used to personalize stories for individual readers.
    • AI could be used to create interactive stories that allow readers to choose their own path.

    It is important to note that AI is still in its early stages of development, and it is not yet clear how it will be used in picture book writing in the future. However, the potential for AI to revolutionize the art of picture book writing is exciting, and it will be interesting to see how it develops in the years to come.

    As for how I, as a picture book writer, feel about AI, I am both excited and cautious. I am excited about the potential for AI to help me create new and innovative stories and illustrations. However, I am also cautious about the potential for AI to replace human creativity. I believe that the best stories and illustrations are created by humans who are passionate about their work. AI can be a valuable tool, but it should not be used to replace human creativity.

    Now back to me. What did you think? I think I agree with the last paragraph. I don’t think it will ever replace human creativity, but it may mean we have to be better, have more soul, think outside the box.

    I also asked my google AI to write me a story about a lazy lizard who wanted to be a poet.

    Here is what it came up with.

    Once upon a time, there was a lazy lizard named Lazlo who wanted to be a poet. He would spend hours sunning himself on a rock, dreaming of the day when he would write the most beautiful poem in the world.

    One day, Lazlo decided that it was time to put his dreams into action. He gathered up a few sticks and leaves and started to write. But after a few minutes, he got bored and went back to sunning himself on the rock.

    The next day, Lazlo tried again. This time, he wrote for a little longer, but he still got bored and gave up.

    This went on for days. Lazlo would try to write, but he would always get bored and give up.

    One day, Lazlo was sunning himself on the rock when he heard a voice.

    “Why don’t you try writing about something you’re passionate about?” the voice said.

    Lazlo looked around, but he couldn’t see anyone.

    “Who said that?” he asked.

    “I did,” the voice said. “I’m the voice of your conscience.”

    “I don’t have a conscience,” Lazlo said.

    “Of course you do,” the voice said. “Everyone has a conscience.”

    Lazlo thought about this for a moment.

    “Maybe you’re right,” he said. “I do have a conscience.”

    “And what is it that you’re passionate about?” the voice asked.

    Lazlo thought about this for a moment.

    “I’m passionate about being lazy,” he said.

    “Well, there you go,” the voice said. “Write a poem about being lazy.“

    Lazlo smiled.

    “That’s a great idea,” he said.

    And so, Lazlo wrote a poem about being lazy. It was the best poem he had ever written.

    And that is the story of how a lazy lizard became a poet.

    So that is what I got with a basic prompt. The more complex the prompt, the more complex the story. And you can change the prompt to change the story.

    I’m still confused about where it fits and the ethics of AI generated stories. Do we have a new class of stories and films? AI generated? Human generated? Or are they all human generated?

    As a writer who cannot build a website, I am absolutely unqualified to know the answers but as an aspiring writer of picture books I’ll be keeping a close eye on developments.

    Please note most of this post was generated by AI, with my prompts. Am I to become a lazy blogger?

    Time to polish my stories and get them out there!

    © Jacinta Lou – can I claim that if it’s generated by AI?

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  • Leaving the comfort zone: Websites, Instagram, Facebook and more!

    Leaving the comfort zone: Websites, Instagram, Facebook and more!

    Deciding to become a full-time writer means I have also had to learn to use social media and more! What happened to the image of the writer tapping away day and night, producing reams of typed or handwritten pages? There may be some who can still do that, but for most of us trying to establish ourselves in the children’s book industry, we need to have a social media presence before we have a book published!

    The first course I did with the Australian Writers Centre led us through the maze, which is the industry, and gave us guidance on how to navigate it. That’s on top of writing amazing stories!

    Websites, Facebook pages, Instagram accounts. All things publishers are looking for. Can you promote your book? Have you a presence out there in the world? Have you followers?

    I knew how to use Facebook so, tick! But I had to learn Instagram and I’m still learning but I have over 400 followers, so tick.

    Websites. Well, this is it so far and I’ll admit it’s not great. I’m trying to learn more, but it has got me beat.

    Soooooo the first thing I will do when I get a book contract is pay someone to build me a super dooper website. In the meantime, please be kind to my attempts. I am way out of my comfort zone.

    Oh, and did I mention, I’m sure I did. The most important part of becoming an author is writing an amazing story!

    Is there an app for that? Stay tuned. Next time, we will talk about AI (artificial intelligence) from the perspective of someone who cannot build a website!

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