CKT's Blog

When I embarked on a career in the writing industry, I knew it meant stacks of ongoing learning. In the same way being able to cook didn't meant I could open a restaurant, being able to put together sentences didn't mean I could just launch in and become an author and editor. After researching my options, I undertook four certificate courses: Creat...

One thing I look forward to each year is the announcement of writers' festivals around the country. I'm like a big kid in a candy store working out which ones I want to sample next. The seduction of speakers I've not yet encountered tempting my creative taste buds. Which festival offers speakers more suited to where I am on my creative journey? Whi...

We are always looking for ways to further support the writing community, and for the past few years, we have been the major sponsor of the KOALA Awards.  KOALA is a non-profit organisation run by volunteers (teacher/librarians, public librarians, teachers, publishers and other supporters of children's literature). Every year, young readers fro...

A homonym is words that sound and are spelt alike , yet have different meanings. Example – fair (pale), fair (market) and fair (unbiased). The fair maiden considered the price was fair when she attended the market fair . A homograph is words that are spelt the same , yet sound different and have different meanings. Example – bow (bend at waist) and...

I think one of the biggest problems facing new writers is finding time to write and to revise our work. Very few have the luxury of being able to afford to be full-time writers, and everyone still has to juggle family and friendships as well as work commitments, so time is always a precious commodity, let alone finding time to write. Writing can al...

You're a children's author!!!! Awesome, well done! Seriously, this is the best job in the entire world, so welcome to the club. So does becoming a better writer simply mean writing more, or reading books about writing for children, or going to writing workshops? Yes, it means all those things, but don't lock yourself in. My writing actually improve...

Another Word or two from Eileen Magee— still practising to be a Famous Author (!) Queen , the band from the 70's has a song titled " Fat Bottomed Girls." A line in the lyrics goes… " Fat bottomed girls you make the rocking world go round." I always think this can be easily translated to " Fat bottomed girls (and boys), you make the writing world go...