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Author Archives: Meg McKinlay
Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You
I’ve begun receiving final confirmations and details of my Book Week events and have noticed an alarming trend. Many of the documents seem to refer to me as ‘the performer’ and my sessions as ‘performances’.
Should I tell them I can barely carry a tune? That I have absolutely no sense of rhythm? That I’ve never really considered those qualities to be necessary for a writer (although the ability to spell the word ‘rhythm’ occasionally comes in handy)? It looks like I may have to rethink things a little. I’m sure I have those old juggling balls in a box around here somewhere …
Not That Nathan Foley
It’s been brought to my attention that the main character in Going For Broke shares a name with a certain AFL player. And that’s not all. Another reader has pointed out that Nathan Foley is also a member of Hi-5.
This is food for some thought. It’s not that I thought my Nathan would be the only Nathan. But it does suggest to me the wisdom of Googling potential character names before setting them in stone, just in case. The last thing I need is to accidentally name a character after some less-than-savoury figure, or even someone whose real-life attributes somehow undermine or parody those of my character (although the ironic potential of naming an advocate for refugee rights John Howard or a conservative, morally upstanding teen Britney Spears is not lost on me).
Hello, yeah, it’s been a while, not much, how ’bout you?
If you recognise the lyric I’m quoting above, you are probably too old to read my books!
So, it’s been a while, and there are reasons for that. I’ve had some time off, but am starting to find that writing space again. Here’s a summary of what I’ve been up to over the last month:
Writing: completed a picture book and a short novel and sent them off with fingers crossed. Uncrossed fingers again because I was finding it difficult to type, and started a new novel. This is another short one and is coming quite quickly so far, which is usually a good sign. I’m also working on a picture book, something I’ve been playing around with for a year or so. It’s very conceptual and a bit tricky to write, but I’m in love with the idea, so keep hammering away at it. Hopefully I’ll find a way through soon.
Launching: attended the launch of the FAW(WA) anthology Lines in the Sand, which contains my poem ‘Ancestor Games’.
Actually/that/just/seems/kind of/a little
No, I didn’t forget to finish that sentence. Because it’s not a sentence. It’s a collection of words with which I am currently engaged in mortal combat.
Every writer has words like these, words they throw in all over the place which serve little purpose, words which can usually be cut to make the writing tighter. These are some of mine, and now that I’m in the final stages of my novel and I’ve done all the major cutting and rearranging and wailing and gnashing of teeth, it’s time for the small stuff. It’s time for these words to be hunted down and destroyed.
Have You Been Struck Yet?
My new book, Going for Broke, is part of a new series called Lightning Strikes, which has just been launched by Walker Books.
There are six books in the initial launch, with more to follow later this year. Along with Going for Broke, the first release includes Queasy Rider (James Roy), The Black Baron (Robyn Opie), Jinxed (Jill McDougall), Sucked In (John Parker), and The Great Shave (Clare Saxby). It’s a crazy crew of fast-paced stories about everything from racing cockroaches, bloodthirsty eyeballs and bad hair days to, of course, amazingly amazing world record attempts.
Go on, check them out!
Launched
Today, I’m launching my new book, Going for Broke. Sadly, you are not invited. But don’t take 
it personally, because no-one is invited. This time around, I decided that a launch party was beyond me. That doesn’t mean that the book isn’t launched, though. In fact, I’m launching it right here, right now.
Imagine, if you will, some hardwood floors, some overstuffed couches, a balcony overlooking the street. Picture a room full of enthusiastic friends and some random people who just wandered in from the Fremantle night. Imagine some gourmet pizza, a bar in the corner, a ‘kids table’ left sadly unappreciated while my target audience instead heckle passers-by from the balcony.
Oh When the Saints …
All Saints’ Literature Festival was fantastic. It was also three weeks ago, time which has rushed past me in a haze of work and school holidays and, yes, even a little writing. This year’s festival, Storylines, brought together writers, illustrators, journalists, storytellers and a whole range of other people besides, to give talks and workshops, and to perform, debate and discuss.
This was my first time presenting (although I managed to sneak in last year to meet my Walker Books editor and fellow children’s writer Sue Whiting) and I had a great time. I did a range of presentations, including general ‘Meet the Author’ talks focusing on my recent books, ‘Meet the Poet’ talks, using my own work to talk more generally about some of the principles of poetry, a Japanese Literature classroom session with some All Saints students and a haiku workshop. I was so impressed with the students who attended ‒ they were attentive, thoughtful, engaged and, in some cases, very, very funny. What was also impressive were the distances some had travelled to get there, including a group from as far afield as Leinster, who worked with me to write what I’m sure is a world first ‒ a haiku about a pet moth.
In short, it was an excellent few days and an experience I hope I’ll be able to repeat in the future. Next on the agenda is Book Week, when I’ll hopefully be coming to a library or school somewhere near you.
That Was The Year That Was
It’s been a year since I started this site, and this ‘notablog’ thingy, so I thought it was time for a recap. Here are my stats for the year:
1) The Good:
books published: 2
books contracted but not yet published: 2
grants awarded: 1
poems published: 5 (not including Cleanskin poems)
school presentations/workshops: 14
poetry readings: 3
2) The Less Good:
books written but not contracted: 3
poems rejected: 7
stories/articles begun but unfinished: 8
3) The Utterly Random:
references to my dog and/or breakfast cereal choices: 0
days I missed having to get up in the dark and take the bus to ‘a real job’: 0
As you can see, getting published doesn’t mean everything you write will then be published. This is as it should be. I still have a lot to learn about writing and who I want to be as a writer. This year, I’ll continue to feel my way and no doubt collect a few more rejections in the process. Hopefully, a few acceptances too.
So, that was the year that was, that was. All things considered, it’s been a pretty good one.
I Feel All Sparkly
Last week, I presented at the CBC’s “A Night With Our Stars“, held at Westbooks. I’ve attended this event before, but never presented, since my first novel came out only last year. It’s quite something − twenty writers, three minutes each, one insistent rattle to tell you when you’ve rambled on for too long, and on top of all this, the acute sense of strangeness at being billed as a ‘star’.
But what a great way of bringing children’s writers together with teachers and librarians and other people interested in children’s literature. I got to talk about my books (for only slightly longer than three minutes. I knew my propensity for speed-talking would come in handy some day − so there, speech therapist!), catch up with other writers, chat to teachers, sign some books, and I even found a few people who admitted in hushed tones to a fondness for poetry. I knew they were out there somewhere.
Thanks to Westbooks and the CBC for hosting this great event. Hope to see again you next year!
Meg McKinlay 