Sources of inspiration

My new book is currently at the printers!  Exciting.  This book has taken over a year to write, rewrite and edit.  Mary, my editor at Walker is fantastic with feedback and suggestions.  No mean feat tackling the editing of poetry.

It's all about animals, domestic, wild, Australian, farm.   I now research for information about that animal, then find a tone, a dramatic entry, a patterning to write the poem.

The whole collection is centred around a prose poem called 'Guinea Pig town '.

Some poems were written while overseas like the Flamingo poem, Narwhal gained its inspiration from a castle in Scotland.

But at the weekend we went to Werribee Zoo  and I loved the animals there- wish I'd had the photos I have now to write from...

I think the growth from this collection for my own writing craft, is the research needed to make that small animal poem full of vibrancy and detail.  Important poetic considerations from my viewpoint.

What's important in poetry to you?

Occasional Book Review

Hey Baby!   by Corinne Fenton

 Walker books

A great book has a great title- and what an eye-catcher this one is!

It serves as an invitation to join in the conversation, to observe, to revel in the remarkable photographs that accompany the text in this picture book.

Succinct words and fabulous animal photographs are the stars of this book.

This makes a delicious, caring read to share with a new baby or toddler.  What an affirming, positive, liberating experience.

Words are highlighted in colour.  For example splash is  printed in orange to ‘swim’ with the goldfish on the page and this  enriches the joy and reading journey of the book.

The intimate words and expression of love are underscored with the uniqueness, the preciousness of a baby.  And we see that baby right in the end pages of the book.

Never doubt for a second,  a splash, or a hold-your-breath moment…

I think my favourite page is the zebra- after seeing one of my grandchildren take her zebra softie to bed with her, I think a zebra shows us our own unique, genetic makeup.

Highly recommended.

Corinne Fenton writes wonderful picture books about childhood like Queenie the elephant and Dog on the tuckerbox.

History, craft and Writing

A new Year 2013!

And threads of history begin to weave their way through this new January.

I've begun workshops with the Post Office gallery, Bendigo in conjunction with the Art gallery as part of their holiday workshop programs.

We're working right beside the 'Growing up in Bendigo' exhibition.  What fun.  Looking at ordinary people's childhood treasures.

I was invited to submit also and eventually chose a beloved craft book given to me by my grandmother in the 1960's.  As I revisited it again I realise what a big part creativity has played in my life and continues to play.

The workshops involved making /writing memories and then crafting a memory box.  I thought that an hour and a half on a 41 C degree day would be too long, but it wasn't if anything we needed more time.

The age group is 8 - 12 years 

Here's a peek at some of the covered boxes.

Christmas is coming

I love the Christmas season, but not the rush.

I enjoy looking through my box of Christmas decorations, but still the one that inspires is a wooden bowl of seed pods I've added to over the years.  Initially it was bought at an auction and I love the wonder of shape and texture of so many seeds.  And I know children love this wonder also.

The one red berry is a gift of my long gone Grandmother who loved Christmas and loved giving.

I've added to the collection this year- a brush work squirrel I found at Homebase in London- most of the ornaments were brush- like.

Do you have a favourite ornament that brings a rush of memory or emotion?

Wishing you all the joy and peace of Christmas.

Reading, thinking makes writing

I am in London. It is chilly outside and Christmas glitter and lights are beginning to brighten shops.

I am helping my daughter as she waits for baby number 2 to arrive.  I am cooking, sewing, playing with Madeleine and reading(occasionally)  I bought a book at Foyle's books store- one I've tried to read from our local library, even as an audio book and just couldn't get past the blood.  Yes it's a YA novel and very successful.  And set in London.

This time around I'm surging through the plot line and enjoying it.

What has changed?

I've finished writing and editing my next book, and now can concentrate on several other manuscripts awaiting more work, or re-working.  One manuscript that has been germinating for years is a fantasy, a time switch.  Not quite YA, no where near as gory as the above novel, but one that wants to pack a character punch and plot line just as successfully.

It's all part of my journey as an author and while I'm away from home, I'm soaking in atmosphere and thinking and missing the Australian spring.

Oh and did I say I was also knitting?  Just a scarf for Madeleine...

Coming to the end...

As the end of year approaches too fast, my last workshops were conducted at Goulburn Valley Grammar.  Thanks Pauline for organising these.

I love reading my Family Myths poem to the years 7's and encourage them to think about family myths in their own family- here are some:

• we always have chicken surprise every night
• we always have hot veggies, no salad
• I always leave my car door open not closed properly
• always put milk last when using a teabag

What are your family myths?

And finally my own design- a Christmas ornament using what I have in my own craft stash.

Workshops and writing

Ooh what a big time lapse between posts, after our overseas trip my old faithful laptop died- here I am with a new whizz bang laptop, but feel the old one was easier to work...

I've had a spate of writing festivals to attend....
Here at the Ballarat children's writers and illustrators festival with Alison Lloyd and Jackie Hosking who chaired our panel, what a special time sharing and networking.

I've had a week's residency teaching poetry to a little P12 school in the Mallee- Murraryville and the culmination was an afternoon where students read their poems to parents and danced also( there was a dance teacher for the week also)- what a great combination of creativity.

I've also been writing poems  and redrafting for my next collection with Walker due out next year.  Many poems had their spark ignited in the UK.  A kernel of memory and experience locked into a poem!

As well, I've dipped into craft again to complete some projects for Madeleine and for Christmas...

The pattern came from here.