May Gibbs Trust 2017 fellowships

Dear SCBWI members

Applications for May Gibbs Trust 2017 fellowships are now open

Published authors or illustrators of at least one book for children or young people are invited to apply for a May Gibbs Trust creative time residential fellowship.
Visit maygibbs.org.au and click on all the information provided under creative time fellowships.

The aim of our fellowships is to enable children's authors/illustrators to take up a one-month residency to concentrate intensively on their work and to advance their creative skills. Residencies are away from home in delightful rent-free accommodation provided by the Trust.

Please note that specific eligibility criteria apply. Check the attached FAQs for details.
If you’ve read the FAQs and are ready to apply, contact Sally Chance, Fellowships Coordinator, for details of what you’ll need to do next: contact@maygibbs.org.au

Completed applications must be received by midnight on Saturday April 30 2016
Good luck!

Warm regards,
Sally

Living the Dream - Story City

As children's authors, we often live the lives of our heroes vicariously. It's much easier, safer and cleaner that way. However, part of me still relishes the breathy feeling of discovering the missing link for myself, trekking down the baddies armed with nothing more than a sharp pencil, and surviving a mutant alien invasion with all of my limbs intack. It's thrilling stuff living in the heart of your own adventure and being your own hero, and the reason choose-your-own-adventure style storytelling is so popular with young and old alike. It's also why I decided to 'choose' a different path in my story creation, for a short while at least.

Last year I embarked on a writing adventure that challenged my ability to pen such a story suitable for the digital format. Story City is a FREE downloadable app using GPS and geocaching technology to inspire people to get active and physically immerse themselves in real-life choose-your-own-adventure stories. It ingeniously unites our modern-day love affair with technology and the need for fast access entertainment with a solution to stave off obesity and anti-social behaviour that can be associated with our overuse of modern devices. In otherwords, it gets us out there on the streets living and breathing stories in the real world.

Of course many of the multi-genre and variously rated stories don't take place in the real world as such. Themes are as diverse as your imaginations but they all share a common thread; their settings are based on real-world locations giving users a fascinating sense of place. Users can choose stories that most appeal to them, then from a starting point, they are in full control and can choose where and how the adventure unfolds. Each tale has several endings. The beauty of this style of storytelling is that there can be no true disappointing ending. If you aren't satisfied with the path you chose, go back and choose another! Even if you choose the same direction over and over again, chances are the location will evoke a different sense of reality for you; the weather may be different, the sounds, smells and people surrounding you may have altered subtly. The scope for continued enjoyment is off the Richter Scale with Story City! Ultimately, it's plain old-fashioned fun, suitable for young and old, Luddites and techno junkies, locals and tourists.

The Gold Coast team headed by Emily Craven - photo courtesy Jenny Stubbs

In addition to this, Story City uses local writers, illustrators, musicians and voice-talent to produce the stories. There is nothing better than homegrown to add a delicious dollop of authenticity and pride.

When I was accepted to be part of the Gold Coast team, I was thrilled to be part of the Story City family which has live working stories in Adelaide,  Brisbane and the Gold Coast with more planned for other regional and capital centres and a notable list of commendable authors and artists including fellow SCWBI members, Isobelle Carmody, Kim Wilkins, Tim Baker and Trent Jamieson to name just a ridiculous few. But I also shivered with panic (on the inside where nobody would notice, mind) I mean I usually struggled to come up with one acceptable ending, let alone up to eight!

Original artwork by Ken Best

Despite scathing deadlines and a collection of plot lines more convoluted than a bowlful of spaghetti and the odd dejected child wondering when she was getting her next meal, I managed to produce The Chapel of Unlove. Mine's a quirky, spoof type tale based in the surreal surroundings of Sanctuary Cove at the north end of the Goldie (where I live). It's fantastical, fun, and kid-and-family-friendly but touches on a few of the delicious life-parodies one can encounter here on the Gold Coast which naturally involves pirates and Elvis impersonators. What more could you ask for?!

Working collaboratively

I encourage anyone with a passion for adventure and a quest to be their own hero to experience the stories of Story City. If the chance to be a contributing artist or writer comes to your town, I urge you to consider pouncing on it. Preserving the art of storytelling in a multi-sense way whilst actually making stories immediately accessible in the hands of our audiences is a marvellous opportunity not to be missed. I learnt a lot. I'm edging over into the realm of plotter vs panster thanks to this project. And I had a heap of fun along the way.

Over the next month or so, I hope to divulge more of the hows, whys and whos behind my Story City Creation. You can follow those posts at Dim's Write Stuff. Visit the Story City website to register your interest as a future contributor or simply learn more about the team behind the stories behind the adventures!

Story City Gold Coast is presented by Story City and funded by the Regional Arts Development Fund. The Regional Arts Development fund is a Queensland Government and City of Gold Coast Council partnership to support local arts and culture.

Dimity Powell is a published children's author and SCBWI member residing just around the corner from Bat Man on the Gold Coast. She is the official Blogger coordinator for this year's 2016 SCBWI Sydney Conference. You can follow her reviews on Kids Lit at Boomerang Books Blog or visit her at Dim's Write Stuff.

SCBWI Success Story - Lois Bury

Big shoes to fill after Pamela Rushby’s piece in last month’s newsletter, I was there for her pitch and loved it, how exciting that it has now accepted now for publication!

My story goes back to 2010 when I was nursing in the area of Diabetes Education, a sad time as my brother was then diagnosed with mesothelioma (asbestos related lung cancer) and I said to myself. …...’what would I REALLY like to be doing in life?’  Well, I wanted to be an artist, not knowing what form that would take or which direction to go in, I stopped work and started drawing birds!  As we had visited Bruny Island many times, it seemed possible to sell work on Bruny at a gallery in Dennes Point.  A passing comment about illustrating caught my attention (it is amazing how one listens out for conversations and opportunities) and it was ‘game on’ from then on.  I attended the 2012 Sydney Conference with no idea what I was doing, taking a portfolio of horses, goats, ducks, dogs, all very arty and well-drawn but not what is necessarily needed in publishing!  It was a steep learning curve and even though I didn’t get many points for character development, narrative and visual quality, I was hooked.

Attending SCBWI meetings in Melbourne, Adelaide, Maldon and Sydney, putting my name down for assessments and hogging the only chair in the children’s literature section of Fullers Bookshop in Hobart (I am classed as a senior) I fell completely in love with this world.

I have finished illustrating two books now, and about 8 months after the 2014 Sydney meeting I was phoned by Brian Cook, a literary agent and asked if I would like to join his stable of illustrators.  Well, I am amongst some esteemed company and although I have had discussions with NLA and Penguin, I am waiting for my third book to jump out at me.  Getting your work out there and going to as much as possible is still vital, the hard work doesn’t and hasn’t stopped. So, I am now working on a new portfolio for a meeting in Melbourne in May with KidLitVic…….no horses, goats, ducks or dogs...well not as many.

Thank you to SCBWI for making my world so much fun!  I love the support, friendships gained and the professionalism of all involved.

http://www.loisburyart.com.au