Jacinta Lou – Writer

Tag: new author

  • Celebrating My First Book Contract: A Writer’s Journey & Imposter Syndrome.

    Celebrating My First Book Contract: A Writer’s Journey & Imposter Syndrome.

    This week I was thrilled to announce I have a two book contract with Wombat books. Two early readers and I am absolutely thrilled. So thrilled and excited I have plastered the internet with the news. I may have gone a bit over board ?

    As writers we work alone. Writing, editing and thinking. Most of the work we create never sees the light of day. Dealing with rejection becomes a way of life. It can feel like a waste of time. I’m sure from the outside it looks like it. But writing is not just a calling. It’s a craft. A skill. And like any skill it requires practice.

    For the last few years I have been writing picture books. I have had success by being awarded an ASA/CA mentorship in 2024. I was also matched in the ASA’s Picture Book Matchmaker. My pitch resulted in a request from the publisher to see the manuscript. To date, there have been no contracts. Yet.

    So when I decided to enter my first attempt at an early reader into Wombat Books open submission in February this year, I did so with zero expectations.

    You can imagine my shock when they asked to see the manuscript!

    Months of rewrites followed and creating another book for the series, and I was offered a contract.

    Throughout the process I felt like the success of this story was unearned. It was my first attempt at an early reader. I had completed several junior fiction courses but hadn’t made it happen. I felt like an imposter.

    Imposter syndrome strikes again. And this is why we have writing groups. ( imposter or impostor? Both are correct so for consistancy on my blog I choose imposter! Despite AI underlining it. I choose to ignore AI)

    Without my kidlit community I wouldn’t have submitted this story. Without my fabulous critique buddies I would have given up on the edits and rewrites. Without their support and encouragement I would have failed to see that all my work on picture books had been the rehearsal for this moment. And without the perseverance of Wombat Books to get me over the line, I wouldn’t have made it.

    So even though we create in solitude – we succeed as a community!

    That’s why I have plastered the internet with my success. Not just for me, but for all the kidlit community.

    I promised myself a new website with my first contract so stay tuned while I try to make that a reality.

    I can’t wait to hold my books in my hands!

    Stand by for even MORE plastering of the internet!

    Thank you

    Jacinta Lou

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  • Time to go on! – Submission ‘Stage Fright!’

    Time to go on! – Submission ‘Stage Fright!’

    Like most writers, I started writing books for children when my children were small. I’ve lost all trace of anything written back then, but I still have some scribblings I did for my eldest granddaughter, which I may resurrect at some stage.

    In 2021, I did a picture writing course with Zanni Louise through the Australian Writers Centre and I fell in love. I did another course in 2022 through The Sunshine House, and I sent out a couple of stories to the crashingly loud sound of silence!

    I have been active in critiques groups and the kidlit community, so I decided 2023 was the year of assessments. Time to get my existing stories into shape to send out into the world. Or to shelve them. I had assessments with editors and of course, CYA. It’s been hectic!

    So here I am in the closing scenes of 2023 getting ready to send my stories out into the world of publishers!

    I still don’t think they are ready and I’ve heard stories of writers who have taken decades to write the perfect story, but I’m not sure I have that amount of time, so ready or not, here they come!

    I have zero expectations, but it was my plan to have stories to send out, so I’m sticking to the plan!

    I belong to a couple of fabulous critique groups and one in particular has a very encouraging cheer leader who brings us along with her enthusiasm. Yes! We can do this! Eeek – I hope at least one of us has success. That’s the best thing about writing for children. Although we all strive for the same thing, there is no sense of competition and we genuinely celebrate other writer’s success. Well, maybe there is a little disappointment, but we are mostly very excited for every writer who succeeds!

    So, in the past week, I have entered two stories to ‘Pitch it’, run by Just Write for Kids Australia, yesterday I was successful in booking two spots in the Australian Society of Author’s Literary Speed dating, to be held later in October and I sent a story out to a publisher! Tomorrow I’ll be sending out more stories and then I will start work on my next batch, patiently waiting in the wings, to get them ready to go out into the world!

    I’m not great at sending things out. I seem to get ‘stage fright’ once I know I am writing a submission and I stutter and stammer and write ridiculous things in my cover letters. Well I did last year. I cringe thinking about it. But in my defence, I did have pneumonia, so everything made perfect sense at the time. And why is it, typos and repeated words etc ONLY become visible AFTER you hit send?

    It’s been a year, so hopefully there have been so many submissions, commissioning editors will have forgotten me. Please let them forget!

    So, I’m on track. My babies are going out into the big wide world of publishing and I wish them every success in finding a home. I will welcome them back at any time, but I may push them out somewhere else and give them the best chance. I really don’t want them to be homeless.

    Now to work out how to conquer ‘submission stage fright’ and write great covering letters! Ironically, I have never experienced actual stage fright. Perhaps writing means more to me 🙂

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  • 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 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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  • 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

  • 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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  • Last week in the hen house

    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.

  • 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.