Author: Jacinta Lou

So Much has Happened!
As I sit here tonight, I’m reflecting on the last six months. Has it only been six months? So much has happened!

I made a decision. This year is the year of assessments and honing my craft! So I began the year with two manuscript assessments with a publishing house. Several manuscripts found their way to Sally Odgers at Affordable Manuscripts and I entered a few in the CYA aspiring competition. More feedback!

I booked assessments with several editors and publishers at CYA and they will take place in July. I’m so nervous but there is no backing out now. The manuscripts are in their hands! Well probably in their email inbox waiting till closer to the date!

I’ve completed courses and workshops with the ASA, Jen Storer, Zanni Louise’s Sunshine house and Larrikin House. Learning about this industry gives me insight into how to navigate it as well as tools to support other creatives as we journey together.

I’ve been active in my SCBWI critique group and two private groups of fantastic aspiring writers from around Australia.

I became the New Books and Awards coordinator for the SCBWI Australia East blog which gives me the chance to see how many amazing books are being created and published by members, and I have been active as the social media person for SCBWI Tasmania as well as a committee member.

We recently partnered with TasWriters to put on StoryGig in the last weekend in May. I was very fortunate to be asked to present one of my unpublished works to children in the Square. Posy the Pink Witch certainly made an impression! I also had the opportunity to read one of my works in progress to a room full of established creators at a SCBWI networking event! Yes I was terrified but what I have discovered about those who create for children, is everyone is incredibly supportive.

Getting to know Tasmanian creatives has been a highlight of this year! Oh, did I mention, SCBWI Tasmania also held two Sketch and Scribble events so far this year? We did! Both at the beautiful Botanical gardens!

So where I am at now is finishing off courses. Creating new work while many of my stories are waiting to be assessed and doing lots of walking on the beach to nurture my soul.

I can’t believe half the year is almost over!

I’ve submitted two stories to publishers. Both to more than one publisher. So far I have been met with silence except for one email letting me know it wasn’t what they were looking for at this time. I was excited someone had taken the time to read it and respond!

I hope, after my assessments, I will have the courage to submit more!.

This week I’ll be working on my latest manuscript and weighing up the critiques I have received from my wonderful critique partners.

Talk again soon!
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4th Jun 2023
Last week in the hen house
Last week, I watched Rex and his seven chooks meet up with a family of native hens (Turbo chooks). The hens didn’t seem to mind sharing the paddock with the turbos but Rex had other ideas and confronted them. The Turbos weren’t phased by the bossy rooster, but did slowly move back from where Rex had his hens. I couldn’t get close enough for a photo but watched as the two families sorted out the space.

The following day, just after I opened the hen house, a cheeky currawong flew in and tried to get some vegetable scraps. I have never seen a rooster move so quickly to get back into the hen house yard and chase the cheeky currawong away, empty beaked. Feathers did fly and Rex strutted back and forth for about ten minutes, guarding the hen house. The currawong waited till Rex was at the far side of the paddock and went in, with his mate, to clean up left over scraps. They won’t cross Rex again in a hurry.

One of the joys of living in the bush, is watching birds sort out the pecking order, so to speak.
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4th Nov 2022
A grand Rooster
This grand fellow is called Rex, but it hasn’t always been his name. He began his life as an egg in the hen house. His father, Rex and his mother, Nutmeg. He was one of nine eggs but the only one to hatch. He was born (hatched – what is the right term for a bird?) and named Popcorn. At this stage it wasn’t known if he was a rooster or a hen, he was just very adorable. Not long after his birth (hatching?) his brave father, Rex, was killed by a quoll, defending the flock. A sad day for everyone.

Popcorn grew and eventually became a rooster even grander than his father so his name changed to Son of Rex and then to Rex. He still gets called Popcorn from time to time but with a family of seven hens to protect, we think he prefers Rex.

He is every bit as brave as his father, who was also born (hatched) on our property but he has more hens and keeping them together in one place proves difficult.

We see, and hear Rex, running back and forward around the yard and the henhouse keeping a watchful eye on his flock. They free range through the day so he has his work cut out for him. (If you are ever feeling a bit down, watch a very grand rooster run. It will soon have you smiling, if not laughing.)

Rex lives in Tasmania so he doesn’t have to worry about foxes or dingos but he does have to be vigilant to feral cats and quolls.

He shares his yard with the native hens (turbo chooks) and their families. Theirs is an easy alliance with plenty of food for all. The currawong raid the coop as soon as the gate is opened, having worked out, through trial and error, how NOT to get tangled in the bird netting.

My goal is to write the adventures of Rex and his feathered friends, native and migratory, as either short stories or picture books. At the moment I’m enjoying watching them as they go about their day. Moving to the bush has turned me into a bird watcher!
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3rd Oct 2022
My Writing Companion
This is my writing companion, Bella. When I say writing companion, what I mean is my partner in crime. The crime of procrastination!

Bella is a lap dog and she takes her job very seriously. I adopted her when she was almost three and since then it is impossible to sit without her trying to get on my lap.

Using a laptop with a lapdog is fraught with danger. I don’t recommend it. Occasionally she will allow me to rest a book on her but NEVER the laptop. She refuses to give up her prime realestate and in her determination has walked across the laptop on more than one occasion managing to delete my work. Just lucky she is cute.

I had to obtain a desktop computer to enable me to work without the fear of losing my efforts, or, more importantly, upsetting the pug. It’s taken a few months but she has come to terms with losing my lap to the desktop – as long as I don’t write for too long.

When I sit back on the couch, she pounces and takes up her spot. I can’t move then, can I? Like I said, she is my partner in procrastination. She sometimes walks on the remote and turns on NETFLIX. Then I’m really stuck.

Stuck is the wrong word. I could get up and write if I wanted to… I really could, but being the lap for a lapdog is a very important job and I, like my pug, take my job seriously.

Apparently my lap is required on the couch. Till next time.
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29th Sep 2022
Update
Apologies for being away for so long. I temporarily lost access to my page, but it’s all fixed, so back and raring to go. Ive been busy writing and I’ve submitted some manuscripts. Starting to feel like a real author 🙂

I’m realising it’s best to submit and forget to enable me to continue working. The first time I submitted a manuscript, I felt like I had sent a piece of my soul out into the great unknown. Would it be read? Would it be appreciated for the blood, sweat and tears it took to write it? Would I ever hear? Well, I can only answer the third question. I didn’t hear back. And that seems to be the norm with so many talented writers sending in so many manuscripts to publishers hoping to secure a contract. But I will not be discouraged. It is early in my journey and I have to earn my stripes, so to speak, so I have joined several critique groups, listen to podcasts constantly, engage in conversations with other kidlit authors and read kidlit and work on improving my writing.

As we speak, I am waiting to hear from several submissions. And when I say waiting, what I mean is I hit send and then moved onto something else. I may never know if my stories, my babies, were even read. I’m slowly learning to move on after submission. It is a matter of survival; survival of my creativity.

And you would think with so much competition it would be a cutthroat world, but the world of children’s literature is full of wonderful people who dedicate themselves to their craft and to encouraging each other. It’s an amazing community. So even if I never get published, my stories are read by other authors and I have found myself in one of the most amazing, supportive, and fun communities I have ever encountered. That alone is success, and I am proud to be a member of the kidlit community.
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26th Sep 2022
Connecting with my inner child
Reconnecting with my inner child with an old Atari and space invaders. Writing can be a solitary venture and I sometimes get stuck in my head and forget to have fun. I’m writing for children. Fun is important for me as a writer to keep myself connected with my audience and to get out of my head. Remembering to have fun gets harder as I get older. I might have to put a reminder in my calendar haha.
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31st May 2022
It’s been a while…
Wow, I can’t believe how long it’s been since I posted. As an aspiring children’s book author, I spend a lot of time honing my craft and put updates on my facebook page. So just to catch up, since July 2021, I have completed a couple of courses with the Australian Writers’s Centre, Writing for Children and Young Adults and the Picture Book Master Class. During the first of these courses, with tutor and author Stephen Hart, I came up with an idea for a young adult novel so I spent November trying my hand, and mind, at Nanawrimo. Trying to write 50,000 words in one month! I didn’t quite get there but I have a good start on the novel so can return to that at a later date.

I also continued my efforts with short stories through Globe Soup. My goal, as always , is to improve my writing skills and come up with great stories. So with Globe Soup’s seven day writing challenges, I have been long listed and have received two honorable mentions. But I’m trying to pull back and concentrate my efforts on Picture books. Perhaps writing short stories, flash fiction and poetry is my current form of procrastination to keep me from my goal.

Soooo now I am halfway through a six-month course, with Zanni Louise and Anna Pignatoro, Writing and illustrating picture books. It’s a brilliant course though I have to say I will NEVER be an illustrator, but it’s fun to try.

The path to becoming a published author can be long and the world of picture books is very competitive and difficult to get into. But what fun would it be if it was easy?

I’m learning so much about facebook, Instagram and all other social media and in between I write, talk about writing, share stories with other aspiring authors in critique groups and try to stay focused on my goal; to publish a picture book. But I’m still going to write the odd short story or three.
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27th Apr 2022
What do picture books do?
I write a lot on Facebook using pictures of a child to tell tales of the day’s events from her perspective, using her voice and my Facebook friends look forward to these. I keep doing it because it entertains my friends and in these times; I think we all need entertainment. But when it comes to writing picture books, what do I actually want to achieve?

I’m not a fan of children’s books that talk down to children, or take the voice of an authority figure but I still want to write in a way that helps kids. But why? Is it the role of picture books to teach? To guide? To warn? Or is the role of picture books to enrich, build self-esteem, increase resilience? Tell a kid they are ok as they are?

I think it can be both. Picture books can be just plain fun but even the just plain fun books are teaching, modelling, enriching the lives of children.

I was in the military and one of my goals is to write books relevant to the veteran community with general appeal. The children of veterans can witness their parents’ suffering. Other children may not. Or perhaps they do, but it’s not something anyone talks about. How does a child feel when a parent comes back from fighting? Is it the same as a child whose parent has been away for another reason? Working away? An extended hospital stay? From a child’s point of view they were away and now the family has a period of change when the parent returns. What’s that like for a child? Is there a way picture books can help a child recognise their own feelings and reassure a child these feelings are ok?

The answer is yes and there are a gazillion books on the market with that aim. My goal is to add more so there are books out there to suit every situation and every child.
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3rd Aug 2021
Procrastination
I still haven’t released my manuscript. I’m reflecting on what is holding me back. Fear of failure? Fear of success? There is no down side to sending it. The process is,

Research publishers who publish children’s picture books. ✅

Do they accept unsolicited manuscripts?✅

Do they publish your style of book, will it fit their list?✅

Do they welcome first time authors? ✅

Do they come through the email and stand in your living room scoffing at your ridiculous attempt❌❌❌

Never ever ever. In fact, unless they decide to offer a contract, you will never hear from them again! Simply put their estimated time frame into the diary and send to someone else when it expires.

So WHY can’t I just press send🙄 I think I need a deadline.

How do you get yourself to do something when procrastination takes hold.
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2nd Aug 2021
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26th Jul 2021