As you can see, I’ve been having something of an easy time with two guest bloggers following each other. First, thanks to Amanda for her blog. As I mentioned three weeks ago, she has now taken over as editor of Chapter and Verse – so you’ll be hearing more from her over the next few months. Read the rest of this entry »

Why Bother?

As a children’s writer I visit many schools where I enjoy the privilege of meeting and working with my readership. I’ve found that kids can be an author’s greatest support but also his (sometimes unintentionally) harshest critics. As well as learning what children like to read – or why they don’t! – there are other benefits in talking to them. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s so important to have a support network, for each area of your life. As a parent, I know that it’s vital to have friends with children, who are happy to listen to you moan about lack of sleep and turn a blind eye when you arrive at their house in odd shoes. Likewise, a big part of working life is camaraderie between colleagues and motivation (and, if you’re lucky, mentorship) from your employer. Read the rest of this entry »

First, thanks to Sue for her good advice last week on finding topics to write about and then the best ways to go about researching them. Read the rest of this entry »