Contents
Baby Steps
Some Good News
Upcoming Writing Comps/Opportunities/Events
Short-B-Read Publication Update
Giveaway
1. Baby Steps
My one-year-old has started taking some tiny, tentative steps (yep, it’s gone SO fast!). He started with just one step a few times over a couple of days before trying out two steps. And get this, the first two steps were taken IN THE SHOWER.
I’m not surprised really. My daughter decided his name would be Fearless when he was just a tiny little human in my belly. It’s a perfect fit, I think, as I watch him standing on the edge of my daughter’s picnic table picking up toy fruit from a basket and tossing it behind him before he can even fully stand on stable ground.
This is what he’s like, all day, every day. Learning new things and practising them over and over again, and taking risks.
I envy the fearlessness that little kids seem to have because I never feel fearless or like I’m the kind of person who takes risks. And yet, the baby steps I’ve been taking with my writing say otherwise. I’ve been sharing my writing with others regularly, entering writing competitions, constantly working on new stories, continuing to learn, and always honing my craft—those things might not seem scary to most, but they’re scary to me.
Despite all my fear, the risks and baby steps I’ve been taking are paying off in tiny ways too (check my good news below for evidence of that). I’m seeing progress and getting ever closer to one day having a published book (plus more to follow) out in the world.
Just as my littlest babe will soon be walking more steps than I can count, my own baby steps will turn into momentum that will feel as though I’ve been doing it all for years.
As I look into taking on The Craft & Business of Illustrating (& Writing) Children’s Books course with The Children’s Book Academy, I’m trying to remind myself that even though I’m a total amateur when it comes to illustration, baby steps and one foot in front of the other are all I need (I’m sure my family who’ve played Pictionary with me are probably having a good laugh!). I don’t know how far I’ll have come a year from now, but it’ll be at least one step ahead of where I am now.
On that note, keep moving forward and taking baby steps even when it feels like you’re not making any progress. One day you’ll turn around and find that you’ve come a very long way after all.
2. Some Good News
You might recall I entered a contest called 50 Precious Words a month ago. It was a writing contest I loved because, wow, what a challenge—write a story in 50 words or less—not exactly easy.
Well, the results are in, and while I wasn’t a winner, I did get an honourable mention!
There were 770 entries, 51 winners, and 85 honourable mentions—and I am absolutely honoured and ecstatic to be included in that list with so many amazing entries.
Honestly, I’d been having a bit of a hard time when that honourable mention came my way, so it really lifted my spirits at a time when it meant so much.
The comments and linky list aren’t loading on the 50 Precious Words blog post so you probably won’t be able to find my entry, but here it is if you’re interested in reading:
A FRIEND FOUND
By Melissa-Jane Nguyen
50 Words
Kids playing, chasing.
Having fun,
While my heart’s racing.
Kids dancing, singing.
Having fun,
While my ears are ringing.
Who’s that?
A kid’s standing next to me,
Smiling,
As happy as can be.
I smile too,
She gives my hand a squeeze.
Time for fun,
Now my heart’s at ease.
3. Upcoming Writing Comps/Opportunities/Events
I’m working on a calendar of events that I’ll continually update, but for now, here’s a list of some upcoming writing events.
April 15-16: WriteMentor Summer Programme—A mentorship for writers who have a completed picture book (three texts required for PB), chapter book, middle grade, or young adult manuscript. The aim is to help writers improve their craft with an agent showcase taking place at the end. Choose three mentors. No entry cost.
April 16-30: PBChat Mentorship—A mentorship program for picture book creators to help them work towards their path to publication. The mentorship runs for three months with the aim of assisting in craft and development as well as providing insider insights. The mentorship is free.
April 26-May 2: Sydney Writers’ Festival—A well-known, world-leading literary festival that takes place in Sydney, Australia. ‘The Festival plays a vital role in Australia’s literary landscape. It provides a highly visible platform for the work of local authors, encourages broad public engagement in books, and increases audiences for both Australian and international literature.’ With over 130 events, there’s something for everyone. Cost varies depending on the event.
March 8-May 3: Picture Book Writing Competition—A Sutherland Shire Writers’ Festival competition for unpublished picture books with a 500-word limit. First prize wins $500 and a mentorship with Clare Hallifax of Scholastic Australia. Entry costs $20.
June 16-26: Emerging Writers Festival — With a combination of online and in-person events, ‘EWF provides opportunities for emerging writers to develop professionally, and supports them to engage new and larger audiences.’ More info to come on this one.
Twitter Pitch Parties
There are SO many Twitter pitch parties coming up so they get their own section. All follow these basic rules: pitch your manuscript within a tweet and use the appropriate hashtags. Agents and/or editors either ‘like’ or retweet a pitch to show interest — which is basically an invitation to send a query to that agent or editor and you (usually) get to jump the queue in their submissions pile. Check out the info for each event because there are variations on rules.
April 15, 2021, 8am — 8pm EST: LGBTNPit | Pitch party for queer, trans, and non-binary authors. Use the hashtag #lgbtnpit and read the rules here.
May 1, 2021, 8am — 8pm BST: WMPitch | For writers of children’s fiction from picture books to YA. Use the hashtag #WMPitch and check this link for accompanying hashtags and rules.
May 4, 2021: APIPit |For self-identifying writers/illustrators of Asian/Pacific Islander descent. Use the hashtag #APIPit and check out the rules for more info.
May 6, 2021, 9am — 9pm EST: KissPitch | For writers of romance and women’s fiction. Use the hashtag #KissPitch and be sure to use accompanying hashtags for sub-genres and categories.
May 20, 2021, 8am — 8pm EST: PitDark |For writers of ‘dark’ literature, which can include: horror, dark fantasy, murder mysteries, psychological horror stories, paranormal, non-fiction works about darker subjects, and more. Check the link for a more extensive list.
4. Short-B-Read Publication Update
The Short-B-Read April newsletter is out and it’s all about saying no. After being in lockdown much of last year and restrictions now eased in many places, people seem to be going crazy with events and catching up. While that’s great, it’s also overwhelming for many of us.
So, my sister has written about how we can keep on saying no to allow rest and time for ourselves when needed. She’s even included a handy list of things to say if you really don’t know how to say no.
Also included are some of the latest stories on SBR, upcoming events, and some cool resources straight from successful authors: a YouTube series by V.E. Schwab and a podcast by Amie Kaufman that includes bite-sized 10-minute episodes.
5. Giveaway
Last but not least, I’m giving away the winner’s choice of a picture book critique/edit, article or personal essay critique/edit, short story critique/edit, partial novel critique/edit (up to 2000 words). If you’re not sure whether your project fits into these categories, feel free to get in touch to discuss.
I specialise in copyediting — I like the little details and focusing in on those tiny inconsistencies that can still make a big difference overall. So a critique/edit will likely include a copyedit, but will also depend on the individual needs of your writing.
To enter:
1. Subscribe to my newsletter if you haven’t already.
2. Leave a comment or respond via email to go in the running.
3. Optional for a bonus entry—share via social media and let me know in your comment.
Good luck! The winner will be announced on May 13.
April Updates (Plus a Giveaway)
Love the newsletter!! I am looking forward to the giveaway!!!
Thanks for all the updates! Congrats on the honorable mention! I'm excited for the giveaway