Ten-Minute Blog Break - 25th August

Logo by Melany Pietersen
The author photograph is a surprisingly contentious thing. I can remember being advised (ten years ago!) to get a set of official photos ASAP, so I wouldn't look too old in them - I feel that ship has now sailed. Yet, I've also experienced great confusion when meeting authors who looked nothing like their youthful photos.

Kathy Evans is grappling with the same issues as she blogs about her author photoshoot, and her tricky dilemma about whether to keep the real or airbrushed version of herself. But then she resolves any lingering frustrations about her decision by destroying a copy of 50 Shades of Grey!

I try to keep up with internet trends, so I have to admit to feeling even older when I didn't know what a Flipagram was. It turns out to be an Instagram meets YouTube doohickey that lets you combine still photos with music on your mobile to create a video. I don't know if Clare Helen Welsh knew what a Flipagram was either, but anyway she has an industrious niece who has put one together to give a sneak preview of Clare's debut picture book Aerodynamics of Biscuits.

Sticking with picture books, we find Claire O'Brien presenting the third instalment of her Spread of Wonder series, analysing illustration and storytelling techniques. This time, she's looking at The Robot and the Bluebird by David Lucas.

Sally Poyton has an awesome new job working at The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Great Missenden. Read all about what Sally will be doing in her blog post - if you can reign in your jealousy, of course ;-)

Last, but definitely not least, is this post by Vanessa Harbour about sex - and adult perceptions of sex - in YA fiction. Do make sure you read the two posts she links to - the New York Daily News article in particular has a priceless quote from a YA agent that may have you spluttering tea over your keyboard!

Nick.


Nick Cross is an Undiscovered Voices winner and has recently received the SCBWI Magazine Merit Award, for his short story The Last Typewriter.

Click here to read Nick's latest blog post for Notes from the Slushpile. His brand new children's short story The Drowners can be found in issue 9 of Stew Magazine.

1 comment:

  1. Great pick of blogs Nick - so much learnin'! I want to make a flipagram now...thanks for including me and my wrinkles :)

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