edward scissorhands was an editor

Cut here

Townsville’s literary scene is shaping up well. Workshops and events all over the calendar – and this is one you won’t want to miss. Shelley Kenigsberg will be at Thuringowa Central library on Saturday 29 May with her workshop The Kindest Cut: Editing for Writers. Fiction and non-fiction writers at any stage of development should book in now through QWC because your work’s going to come out looking shapelier. More balanced.

I have the impression from Shelley’s work that a good editor is like an author’s inner Edward Scissorhands. The Ed. works with the author to shape, to cut, to build, to capture a rhythm, to ensure the emergence of the true work. They realize a vision together – and that’s a win for readers because they don’t have to chew through a tangle of redundant words, images and characters to get to the meat.


Every word its place. In Shelley’s workshop writers will examine elements such as writing style and word choice, voice, viewpoint, dialogue, beginnings, ends and middles, flow, balance and structure. Shelley freelances, and is also owner of SK Publishing and coordinator of the Macleay College Diploma in Book Editing and Publishing. She has developed and presented courses for editors globally. She even edits in paradise!


Some of us have a few squiggles and a bit of knowledge in our repertoire to handle copy editing – fixing grammar, spelling and semantics errors. Structural editing? It can make a book fly! And readers certainly notice if the editing hasn’t been much chop. Shelley quotes Le Guin quoting Chekhov when she advocates cutting out your first three pages to find where your story really begins. I’m still editing my 22ish line poem about Brisbane after fabulous structural editing advice from Julie Beveridge. Editing’s a journey.


If you’re ready to take that journey, book through QWC for the Townsville workshop.


Develop your passion - check out the Society of Editors and pop The Style Manual in your pocket.


And don’t be shy. If you go to Shelley’s workshop – tell me how amazing your work is post-edit.

For this post I'm guest blogging for QWC - check out the Empty Page Blog

and I guest blog @ Sally Murphy's about children's poetry

Shout about it! Sally Murphy has a new book out - Toppling;  a verse novel. To celebrate its release Sally asked authors, readers, teachers and librarians to participate in a blog tour on her blog during March.
We were asked to respond to the topic, What I like about children's poetry.
Here's my post from over there (reposted below) - check Sally's blog during March for others' musings on children's poetry. And read Toppling!


summer watermelon moments

What fun to be guest blogging on Sally’s site on what I like about children’s poetry!
I like the zing of verse novels; their raw emotional intensity. They look just like other novels sitting on the shelf, but open them and you find words, carefully chosen words strung together in free verse with the power to crumple your heart and open your mind.


I discovered YA verse novels while working in a school library, first Steven Herrick’s, then Margaret Wild and Catherine Bateson’s titles. I was amazed how these authors could tell such compelling tales using so few words and so much white space. On the first page the reader is introduced to the characters, the narrator and the situation and then quickly flung into the action. The reader feels a part of this wild ride. It can be a quick read because of the economy of words, but intense.


Children love poetry written for them because it speaks of their experiences, their lives. Think of Laura Purdie Salas’ Stampede!: Poems to celebrate the wild side of school. And to have these poems read aloud or performed! Audiences quickly make the connection that poetry is life captured on the page (or stage). Congratulations to Sally, who’s adding to the genre with Toppling.


My challenge: add a poetry wall to your home, your school, your place of work. Encourage people to write their poems in ink, on postcards or post-its, or project poems onto the surface. Use magnetic poetry. Poetry forces you to clarify your thoughts.
Just like that pure moment when you bite into your first summer watermelon!

check out a verse novel - and feel yourself falling into the story

Best wishes Sally!

wordbox4writers in MARC!

*smile* Hume Library in Victoria has wordbox linked in their Dynix catalogue, also visible in MARC. As a librarian that makes me smile.
They have the old url but I've alerted them to the new site just now.

So if wordbox was a book it would be hanging out at 808 at Hume. Interesting.


082: 14 $a 808 $b WOR $2 a14

082: 04 $a 808.02079 $b WOR $2 22

245: 00 $a Wordbox $h [website] : $b for young Australian writers and readers!

260: $a [Australia] : $b wordbox.bravehost.com, $c [2006?]-

top writer blogs no. 122!

some days are diamond. the-storyspace is a runner up at no. 122 on Jonathan Crossfield's The Top 50 Australian Blogs for Writers.
http://www.jonathancrossfield.com/blog/top-50-aussie-writer-blogs
Angela Mayer and Justine Larbalestier's blogs came out on top, but the-storyspace is in there amongst some amazing Australian writers: Kirsty Murray, Catherine Bateson and Julia Lawrinson. Our first blog award! *Just a bit excited here*




I will have to invest a little more time here at the-storyspace so it can rise in the ranks. More reviews, guest bloggers, etc. Reaching out to young readers and those who work with them.

Thanks Jonathan !

wordbox4writers - new in spring 2009

Due to constraints soon to be imposed on Bravenet websites, I am rebuilding wordbox over on wordpress - the new site, a work in progress, is at wordbox4writers.
Please bookmark it, tell teachers, librarians, children, authors,

competition organisers, etc.
More news to come

love you skerricks

I feel all warm and fuzzy. Ruth from Skerricks likes my story space. See her shout-out here. She has some amazing display ideas, and is so supportive of students' reading. Love that. That's what web 2.0 is all about people. Communication and information sharing and networking and participating in things here and there. Could you, would you, blog on a train, in a school, on a plane? With a friend, with a colleague?

You will meet new and interesting people

and you'd better get back to your L2TD exploration - deadlines, deadlines!

licence 2 test drive SLQ

Just surfing around today and I came across a new online program from Mary Kajewski at SLQ, so I signed up.
Licence 2 Test Drive is the State Library of Queensland's online program to learn more about emerging technologies on the web that are changing the way people, society and libraries access information and communicate with each other. It's open to all SLQ, Qld public library, Indigenous Knowledge Centre and Queensland government library staff - register before May 16. For school librarians and library staff, Syba Signs has The How 2 of Web 2.0: Online Learning Program commencing May 4.

Okay, so I started on blogs a few years ago and created one for my CSU subject Information Technology in Libraries last year. For L2TD, Mary invited us to respond to the questions in bold.

What do you think about lifelong learning?
Now I've finally got my degree is that the end of my professional learning? No way. It's another beginning. The process has to be continual and ... lifelong... because the world and the people in it are constantly changing, growing, developing and workers (particularly information professionals) must as well. There are many professions where CPD is compulsory. I have long participated in formal and informal CPD; this is one in a continuing list, and I know Mary K's programs to be useful and engaging (Emerging Technologies 2006). As an information professional I am committed to enabling others to participate in lifelong learning.

On Learning 2.0 - CPD programs where staff teams can work together or concurrently to explore new concepts and technologies. You get innovation, discussion, networking... it's all good. I celebrate Helene Blowers who started the 23 Things (which is what I was searching for earlier).
What do you hope to learn from the program?
By participating in licence 2 test drive I want to learn more about 2.0 applications that I don't generally use in my daily work - but WILL. I mean, my final CSU report The twenty-first century TAFE Library: Creating learning possibilities by bringing together people, information and technology was all about that.

What other blogs have you discovered? What do you like about them?
One of my favourite librarian blogs is Brian's Swiss Army Librarian on reference services. Favourite school librarian blog: Ruth's Skerricks. I have spent part of my CPD reading and contributing to industry blogs. Actual library blogs of note: SLQ's Exhibitions blog, and Wired 4 Teens. I'd like to find more Australian public libraries using blogs interactively. I like these blogs because they're inspirational, and provided for the purpose of information sharing. Love that.

Can you see a use for blogs inside the library? and How about a blog for a client audience?
I absolutely support libraries using 2.0 platforms to share information with clients and the wider community and to inject the library into other communities. It's a great platform to upload clients' reviews, photos from events to aid promotion, an interactive online bookclub or community space. As Andrew said recently, infiltrate other online communities, be the resident librarian and engage with others in that community. He suggests sites with local relevance like a local band's MySpace or a political site, and I would add - the CWA, Arts Council, Writers Centres, Authors' sites, local car clubs, sports clubs, school blogs, etc. Excellent point. Librarians need to be seen to be outside the physical boundaries of 'The Library'. Our expertise can be applied anywhere at anytime.

So I'll slap on my 'L' plates now and head on down the highway...

You will meet many fellow travellers along the way.

library 2.0

Everyone* in libraries is experimenting with 2.0 apps nowish. I cannot believe the number of blogs I've visited that have started up in September, showcasing their ventures into LibraryThing and YouTube and RSS... School libraries, public, unis and TAFEs. Medical libraries?
This from BCC: Libary staff learning and developing web skills together.
I've been doing just the same through uni - made a gorgeous blog (10/10 for design), loaded it with apps. and reviewed a few articles. Had fun. Learned a lot. I'm writing a report now titled The twenty-first century TAFE Library: Creating learning possibilities by bringing together people, information and technology**. And creating a slideshare presentation.

The unconference is the thing (at SLQ, thanks Mary). And here are the 23 Things from PLCMC.


** adapted from TAFE Qld's Library Network mission statement.

'night.

if you're not blogging...

... go to Lili's class on 28th Feb and learn all about it (Mary Kajewski from SLQ's OPAL showed me). Scott Karp at Publishing 2.0 notes some good reasons why print journalists should start a blog. A few of those could also apply to writers and artists - my favourites: creating a platform for journalism (read: the written word) that isn't dependent on a corporate entity's financial fortunes / learning how to use the technologies that are transforming media / not defining yourself as (only) a print journalist. My favourite is Keri Smith's wish jar journal ~ totally creative, and I learnt a bit about how to write code from her site.