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  • Adrienne, Events, Writing

    Reminder- Writing Class With John Marsden

    02.08.11 | Permalink | Comment?

    This has nearly sold out; only a few places left. Hurry, hurry.

    Dets: Saturday 13th August, 10-12pm, Wellington Central Library (mezzanine room, near Clarkes Cafe), $30.

    To book: 04 387 3905 or childbkwgtn@xtra.co.nz


  • Adrienne, Events, Writing

    A Writing Master Class with John Marsden

    27.07.11 | Permalink | Comment?

    Wellington City Libraries, The Children’s Bookshop and MacMillan Publishers announce

    A Writing Master Class for Teenagers with John Marsden.

    Best-selling Australian author and teacher John Marsden (author of the Tomorrow when the War Began series) will be presenting a writing class for young writers as a fund raiser for Christchurch.

    Saturday 13th August 10am to 12pm, Wellington City Library, Victoria St. (Mezzanine Floor), for 13-18yr olds.

    Cost $30 -at the request of John Marsden all proceeds will go to the Red Cross Christchurch Earthquake Appeal.

    Strictly limited to the first 30 people on a first come/first served basis- to book please contact the Children’s Bookshop, Shop 26, Kilbirnie Plaza, Kilbirnie, Wellington.  

    t: 04 3873905

    f: 04 3873288

    e: childbkwgtn@xtra.co.nz


  • Adrienne, Events, Happenings, Pencil it in your diaries, Writing

    Creative Writing Workshop

    07.07.11 | Permalink | Comment?

    Fancy yourself as a bit of a writer?

    Register now for a place at the Creative Writing Workshop, places are limited, so be quick about it.

    28th July at Karori Library, 10 am – 3 pm, $40. Email juliafletcher113@hotmail.com to book. For 13-18 year olds.


  • Competition, Library Serf, Writing

    The BNZ Literary Awards 2011

    06.04.11 | Permalink | Comment?

    The BNZ Literary Awards are possibly New Zealand’s most famous awards for short story writing. Previous winners include such luminaries as CK Stead, Frank Sargeson, Maurice Shadbolt and Keri Hulme.

    There is a Young Writer’s award for secondary school students (prize is $1,500, plus the kudos of winning your school a further $2,000).

    Entries for the Young Writer’s award close on 31 May 2011.

    Most interesting (from a teen blog perspective) is the Short Short Story competition they are running this year. Here at the teen blog we love short short stories, so we approve of this addition. The short short story competition runs from 25 April to 16 May and must be submitted through Facebook – note the closing date is different for this award, and don’t miss out! 150 words: no problem.

    For more information, and to enter your story, visit the BNZ Facebook page (if you like them they’ll also send you alerts and updates about the competition).


  • Adrienne, Internet, Isn't that cool?, News, Social Networking, Writing

    No longer a Figment of your imagination

    13.12.10 | Permalink | Comment?

    Figment is “a community where you can share your writing, connect with other readers, and discover new stories and authors. Whatever you’re into, from sonnets to mysteries, from sci-fi stories to cell phone novels”, you can find it all at Figment – it’s like a social network for those that love to write or read original stories. Check out the contests, forums or blog while you’re there, or just oggle at how cool the webpage looks.

    You never know… you could be discovered as the next Stephenie Meyer.

    (Us folk here at Teen Blog are alway happy to receive your writing anytime too!)

    Figment Pic


  • Happenings, Library Serf

    Wellington Zinefest 2010

    16.11.10 | Permalink | Comment?

    zinefest2010The 4th annual Wellington Zinefest is on this Saturday 20th of November from 12-5pm at Mighty Mighty (104 Cuba Street). Zinefest is a market day where you can peruse and purchase heaps of local, national and international zines and self published music.

    We will be bringing zines from our collection of over 1,000 to join in the fun at Zinefest and creating a comfy reading area for you to relax and recover from all the DIY excitement.

    Come along! Wellington Zinefest is proudly sponsored by Wellington City Libraries.

    What’s a Zine?

    The word zine (an abbreviation of the equally elusive word fanzine) has come to describe DIY magazines of an independent nature. Fanzines don’t have the same commercial ambitions or restraints as magazines. Fanzines are often a labour of love. Some are collaborative, others are created by just one person. Some are comics, some cover obscure local bands, others pay homage to the hugely famous (though in a creepy stalker kind of way), some are art objects in their own right. This year Wellington Zinefest has also invited participation from those creating DIY music (records, CDs and tapes).

    If you’re interested in crafting a zine then have a look at Whatcha mean, what’s a zine? by Mark Todd (a different Mark Todd to the one of Olympics fame).


  • Adrienne, Competition, Writing

    Re-Draft 2010

    23.07.10 | Permalink | Comment?

    Re-Draft, an annual competition for teenage writers is on again. Your work could be selected for publication by judges Tessa Duder and James Norcliffe. Check in your school library for last year’s copy of the Re-Draft book ‘Fishing for Birds’ and you’ll find the entry form in the back. Good luck!


  • Interview, Jack, Writing

    An Interview With Tamsyn Murray

    01.06.10 | Permalink | Comment?

    tamsyn_murrayNoted author, Tamsyn Murray, recently agreed to an exclusive interview with Teen Blog, which was nice. Born and raised in the UK, she’s got one YA book to her credit, My So-Called Afterlife (a colleague describes it as “gripping”, so it’s very good) with another on the way very soon. We asked her about writing, reading and cricket …

    At what age did you begin writing? And when did you know it was something wanted to get paid for doing?

    I’ve always loved writing stories and can remember dreaming up characters and scenarios from a young age. English was definitely my favourite subject at school but I didn’t start to wonder if I could write professionally until 2008, when I read a how-to-write book and everything fell into place. So I like to think I spent the first thirty-five years of my life learning how to write. Either that or I wasted them!

    What other YA authors do you read and enjoy?

    I’m an enormous fan of Neil Gaiman, who writes across a range of ages, and I loved The Graveyard Book. Other YA books I’ve read recently include The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, Wasted by Nicola Morgan and Girl, Aloud by Emily Gale – three very different books but all outstanding.

    Where did the idea for My So Called Afterlife come from? I assume the title is a nod to Clare Danes…

    The idea for My So-Called Afterlife came when I was wondering what would happen if the building a ghost haunted got knocked down and something else got built on top – would the ghost haunt the new building? What if was something like a toilet? Then the character of Lucy appeared in my head, stamping her Ugg boots and demanding I tell her story. The title arrived after the book was finished and, yes, I was a fan of My So-Called Life.

    A lot of the readers on this blog are aspiring writers, and judging by the short story competition entries we receive, they are also very talented, give them some tips on getting that first book published.

    The best thing I ever did was find my literary agent. She made suggestions on where I could improve the book and knew which publishers to send it to once it was ready. It’s thanks to her that my novel found a home so I’d recommend aspiring writers try to find an agent on the same wavelength. They might take a percentage of your earnings but without mine, I’d be earning a lot less!

    My So Called Haunting is due to be released soon, what can we expect from novel number two?

    A different main character, for a start! My So-Called Haunting introduces Skye, a fourteen year old psychic who moves to London to stay with her aunt, Celestine. As Skye struggles to settle into her new life, she’s also developing a crush on the most unattainable boy in the school, Nico.

    When her aunt asks for her help with a troubled teen ghost called Dontay, she’s glad of the distraction. But then Nico starts paying her attention, and she’s soon facing a battle to keep her love life and her psychic life separate.

    As things get ever more complicated, it looks as though Dontay’s past might cost Skye her future.

    We enjoy haiku and you enjoy cricket, write us a cricket themed haiku.

    Erm, ok. This is my first ever haiku and I suspect it’s not very good! But here goes:

    Bowler sights pale stumps
    a crack of ball on willow
    summer is a game

    *      *      *      *      *      *

    my so-called lifeMy So-Called Afterlife is available for issue on our catalogue, click on the title to place a reserve. For more Tamsyn Murray news, go to her website where she has all the details of her work, along with a link to her frequently updated and very interesting blog.


  • Events, Grimm

    Writers and Readers Week

    19.02.10 | Permalink | Comment?

    The Festival of the Arts begins on the 26th of February, and as usual it includes the Writers and Readers Week (starting with the Gala Opening on March the 9th). This year there are a couple of interesting young adult authors attending, namely Neil Gaiman (The Graveyard Book, Coraline etc) and Margo Lanagan (Tender Morsels), including one session together being interviewed by Kate de Goldi in which they discuss what makes a book children’s (or young adults’) literature (and is it not as worthy as ”adults’”?). We might go and report back on what the answer is.

    Other interesting writers to be featured:

    And finally: for Shaun Tan fans don’t forget The Arrival (read the book too). It looks very cool.


  • Competition, Simon, Writing

    2009 Short short story comp PRIZES

    18.11.09 | Permalink | Comment?

    We announced this year’s Short Short Story Competition (maybe it will be an annual thing!) yesterday. There are some great prizes and here are some photos of them.
    These are the books:

    ssscprizes3
    ssscprizes1
    And inside them is … Darren Shan’s signature! I want them but I can’t as one of you guys will get to win them.

    Only authors are allowed to write in books! And sometimes librarians.

    And as well as the books there is a t-shirt and a bunch of movie passes to see Cirque Du Freak : The Vampire’s Assistant when it opens on January 7th 2010.

    ssscprizes2Here’s a photo of the lot! Thanks, Paramount!

    All this could be yours! Only if you enter the competition. All the details are here.

     

    [Ed: some of the bunch of movie passes will go to excellent short stories that weren't the winner but were fabulous anyway]


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