Author Journal · Page 2 of 35 · Wendy Orr

Wendy Orr's author diary: the journal following a writer's working life and the progress of new books, from idea to manuscript to publication.
Rhinoceros poems and strange things writers do
7th Nov

Rhinoceros poems and strange things writers do

I always love hearing from readers, but some requests are more unusual than others. I received this letter from Germany on Friday. They also enclosed copies of verses they’ve received from Doris…
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Rhinoceros poems and strange things writers do
7th Nov

Rhinoceros poems and strange things writers do

I always love hearing from readers, but some requests are more unusual than others. I received this letter from Germany on Friday. They also enclosed copies of verses they’ve received from Doris…
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My Top 5 First Draft Tips
21st Oct

My Top 5 First Draft Tips

With NaNoWriMo creeping steadily closer, I thought I’d give my top 5 tips on pushing through your first draft.  Sometimes I need to remind myself of my own rules, so even if…
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Blending traditions – pumpkin pie for AFL grand final
7th Oct

Blending traditions – pumpkin pie for AFL grand final

Part of being a migrant is developing your own rituals, blended from your country of origin and your new home. That holds true even for privileged migrants like me – privileged in…
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Difficult to judge; delightful to read: the Environment Award for Children’s Literature
8th Sep

Difficult to judge; delightful to read: the Environment Award for Children’s Literature

I was thrilled to have Rescue on Nim’s Island win the Environment Award for Children’s Literature, fiction, and the Puggles award in 2015, so I was honoured to be one of the…
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The gift of bonded pair rescue cats – Harry the Rescue Dog’s Rainbow Street Animal Shelter blog
28th Aug

The gift of bonded pair rescue cats – Harry the Rescue Dog’s Rainbow Street Animal Shelter blog

Harry the Rescue Dog hasn’t posted in his Rainbow Street Animal Shelter blog for a while, so in penance, we’re sharing a cat story today. Australian edition Have you heard of bonded…
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Dragonfly Song Giveaway:  Books & Skype Talks
29th Jul

Dragonfly Song Giveaway: Books & Skype Talks

Kersey Creek’s photo from OneSchoolOne Book Have I ever said how much I love Skype talks? I think the biggest percentage I do are with schools in the USA that are studying…
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Dealing with Writers’ Block – Part 1: Letting go of the previous story
13th Jul

Dealing with Writers’ Block – Part 1: Letting go of the previous story

I’ve never really believed in writers’ block – but I do think there are a lot of different reasons why we might have trouble writing at any one time. And right now…
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Dragonflies: myths, meanings and mysteries
1st Jul

Dragonflies: myths, meanings and mysteries

Dragonfly photo sent by my cousin when she heard the title Happy birth day to my newest baby: Dragonfly Song. You’ve been a long time coming. The dragonfly theme in the book…
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Book Launch! And Blog Tour.
22nd Jun

Book Launch! And Blog Tour.

It’s finally here – Dragonfly Song will be in stores across Australia next Monday.  (The wait might not have seemed as long to you, but it’s been on my computer for a…
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When Hollywood Comes Knocking – Part 3: Green Light!
17th Jun

When Hollywood Comes Knocking – Part 3: Green Light!

So your film’s been optioned, it’s spent years in development and now the script has been approved, the cast and crew are pretty well set… and finally you get that call. I…
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When Hollywood Comes Knocking: Part 2 – Development Hell
10th Jun

When Hollywood Comes Knocking: Part 2 – Development Hell

Continuing from last week’s post: now you, your agent, your publisher and your film lawyer are all happy – you’ve signed that option agreement and have a nice little chunk of money,…
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