Rosebank Fellowships

Yesterday I sent off my application for 2011 Writing @ Rosebank Fellowship. In Macedon there is a writer's cottage where some lucky writers will be spending three weeks on their chosen manuscript, (to be decided on 16 September). After I was chosen as one of the applicants to meet with Jenny Darling, Literary Agent, based on her reading ten pages of my junior novel manuscript, I decided that I would apply for the creative residency at Rosebank Farm through the Victorian Writers' Centre. If I am chosen for the residency, I will further develop my manuscript which I began two years ago. I think that three weeks of writing will help me achieve more than I could spending three months at home! We shall see.

Moment with a Mentor

Today I received a phone call from the organisers of the 'Write around the Murray Festival' to be held in Albury next month.

A session called 'Moment with a Mentor' asked for applications from authors who would like to get advice on how to get a manuscript published. Part of the process was to submit a ten page extract from a completed manuscript and upon selection, a $25 fee would be requested. I was one of six applicants chosen and will have the opportunity to spend 30 minutes with Jenny Darling of Jenny Darling Associates, one of Australia's leading literary agencies.

I have never met a literary agent and am totally looking forward to this experience.

What I learn from results

Although I did not get a place in this year's Marshall Allan Hill Writing Award, I am able to take something away from the results.
My entry may not have been the most appropriate style or story for the judges and therefore it is crucial to get everything right. Subject matter, relevance to the Award and voice are something I will work on next year. Again, I was proud to be shortlisted.

Waiting for results

Today Jelli-Beanz Publishing announce the winner and commended entries of the Marshall Allan Hill Writing Award. I was one of ten authors shortlisted for this award. To be shortlisted is always an honour so for that I am really happy. I will let you know today how I went. Thanks to Jelli-Beanz and Marshall's parents for this opportunity.

Kids Book Review: Review: The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies#comment-form

Kids Book Review: Review: The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies#comment-form

Bits and Pieces

Things that I've been working on lately are:
A short story competition for Words in Winter;
A short story competition for National Water Week;
Wondering if I'll hear soon from publishers about my picture book manuscript;
Researching a famous Australian for a future story;
Joined a Webinar in the US which was fascinating and enlightening as it was all about writing for children;
Have borrowed stacks of books from the library, mainly children's books;
Applied for May Gibbs Creative Literary Award Fellowship;
Written down ideas for next picture book MS;
That's all I can think of right now. But it's all great stuff.