Author Archives: Meg McKinlay

About Meg McKinlay

Children's Writer & Poet

What Do Ducks Eat?

So I’m writing these duck books. Because I love ducks. But it seems that with duck-love comes responsibility. It seems that if you love a duck, you must not feed it Belgian chocolates. My eagle-eyed editor reads my manuscript and informs me that chocolates are not good for ducks and can actually be fatal. This is not good for my story-duck, Max, who is very fond of them. And whose fondness for said chocolates is very important to the story.

When my editor tells me of this unfortunate fact, I take a moment to pause. I say “Damn you, facts! Why must you always get in the way of a good story?”

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Handwriting

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Note to self: always always always have a notebook by your bed.

Still, at least I had a pen. And a hand. There are three different story ideas on this hand. All I need now is the time to write them, right after I finish this rewrite, and the next one, and the next two novels in the queue, and that grant application, and this editing project, and the academic semester.

Hmm. Must sleep less, write more. Preferably not on hands, though.

Welcome Home!

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When I got home from Rottnest, I found this:

It’s The Big Dig – my very first copy and it looks great! And oh yes, I know you’ve seen the cover on here before, but this is the book, the actual book, and there’s nothing like it, nothing like seeing that actual package with the little bear and knowing your book is inside and that it weighs exactly 230g.

Coming to a store near you from July 1st!

SCBWI Rottnest Retreat

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Ahh! A glorious long weekend of writing, chatting, bikeriding and occasional dancing. Stats below:

Days: 3
Average Temperature: 23
Drops of Rain: 0
Words Written: Plenty. Beyond that, I can’t say, as I resolved not to take my laptop, which turned out to be a very good decision.
Novels Planned: 2
Kilometres Cycled: 67
Quokkas Sighted: 29
Speed at which I want to turn around and go right back again: Lightning

Thankfully, we are already calling it the ‘first annual’ retreat, so perhaps I only have twelve months to wait before we can do it all again.

Internationally Published

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While I wasn’t watching, this happened:

Old news, you say? Isn’t Going for Broke just so very last year? Well, yes, I suppose it is, at least in Australia. But look closer, if you can.

Look at this:

Pounds! UK only!

On 4 May, Going for Broke was published in the United Kingdom! Somehow, I seem to have slept through it. But no matter. I am awake now.

More information here. I wonder what they’ll make of my boys?

Regenerate Poetry Reading/Fundraiser

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Dear poets and friends,

Recently the poetry community was struck with some terrible news. As a result of the bush fires in Kinglake our dear friend and sister poet Ella Holcombe lost both of her parents.

We are holding a fundraiser here in Perth to support Ella. “Regenerate: The Greening of Kinglake” will be an evening of poetry and song, featuring poets such as Kevin Gillam, Andrew Burke, Lucy Dougan and Sarah French, together with a silent auction of donated goods.

I will be reading at the fundraiser and would love to have your company on the night. As suggested by the venue and timing, this is an event for adults, rather than children.

The Big Dig Is Dug!

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As you may know, The Big Dig is my next book in the Lightning Strikes series. I’ve been madly going back and forth with my editor trying to finalise the manuscript for the last month or so (it is more important than you can possibly imagine to make sure all the commas are in the right places!) and now it’s finally done. And even better than that, I have a cover, which is fantastic. By which I mean that it is fantastic that I have a cover, because the book would look naked without one, but more importantly that the cover itself is fantastic (see how important those commas are?). The real thing will be even more sparkly and fabulous, but for now, here is a taste:

In other news, I have completed the manuscript of Duck the Second and sent it off to my editor. Cross your webbed digits for me!

Broome Time

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If you’re wondering why I’m looking so tanned and relaxed it’s because I’ve been in Broome! Okay, it was only for three days and there wasn’t much time for lying around in the sun, but it was a fantastic trip nonetheless. I spent time with Years 8 and 9 from Broome Senior High School, then an afternoon with some keen readers and writers from Cable Beach Primary School. We talked about how stories get started – about images that fall into your head and priests on oceanic balloon flights and chihuahuas that get blown away in storms and about ways in which you can take all your wild and crazy ideas and turn them into stories.

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Duck the First

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It’s officially official! The contracts for Duck for a Day are signed, sealed and delivered and at this stage, the book is scheduled for publication in 2010.

Duck for a Day is an illustrated chapter book for ages 6-9 and it’s about a girl who has to contend not only with a new teacher but also with a duck named Max who is most definitely not your average class pet. The entire manuscript grew from the words “The duck was different. The duck had demands”, which popped into my head one day and refused to leave. I have seen some early sketches by the illustrator and they are simply gorgeous. I can hardly wait to see the finished product. But I will, of course, and while I’m waiting, I will write more books.

About ducks.

Sadness

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Apparently, ‘unco’ is no longer a word. I have had to pull it from The Big Dig at the eleventh hour, having been confronted by a sea of blank faces when I tested it out on some readers.

The closest one of them came was a very tentative, ‘Umm, uncool?’

Come on, people! Save this word! We need unco. How else am I going to describe my dancing?

(also no longer meaningful – ‘tanktop’. Eh, no great loss there).