Ten-Minute Blog Break - 30th April

It's been another great week for SCBWI blogging and I've been literally spoilt for choice (What exactly does that phrase mean? Will I start throwing tantrums or smelling like sour milk?). Whatever, there's plenty of good stuff to talk about...


The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has leapt off the page to become an multi-award-winning play. SCBWI blogger Julie Day provides a uniquely well-informed review of the production on the Disability Now website. Well-informed, because Julie herself has Asperger's Syndrome, a condition she shares with the play's protagonist.

Over at Notes from the Slushpile, Jo Wyton has been compiling a very funny list of writers neuroses. It's not an exhaustive list though, because I definitely have some she's missed. Twitch.

Moving into the world of illustration, there's a new artzine on the block. Yes, you might not have known about artzines in the first place, but get with the plan, because Tiny Pencil has arrived! Edited by Katriona Chapman and Undiscovered Voices winner Amber Hsu, Tiny Pencil will be "publishing twice-yearly anthologies showcasing exciting and extraordinary work by artists working in graphite." For more information, check out Katriona's post on Big Little Tales, or read Amanda Lillywhite's review of the first edition.

Elsewhere, I followed a couple of interesting links from the SCBWI-BI Facebook group. Bridget Strevens-Marzo posted a link to an article asking: Are children's books reinforcing materialism?, which sparked off a spirited discussion. Then Teri Terry posted this link to an article on the necessity of suffering for your art, by musician James Rhodes. A lively and provocative read, it nonetheless reminded me why I never want to be a concert pianist!

Nick

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Nick Cross is a children's writer, blogger and all-round digital guru. In 2010 he featured in Undiscovered Voices with his zombie comedy Back from the Dead, and you can now read his winning extract on his blog.