Category Archives: thoughts

Waiting

By elise | Published: September 28, 2011

While I sit in the park jiggling the pusher while the boys sleep I’ve been looking at some old drafts of stories. For a start I love Dropbox. It lets me access my documents from any computer and work on the latest version. Including on the phone. Brilliant! Secondly I’m really happy with the latest [...]

Also posted in advice | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Working, sort of

By elise | Published: September 16, 2011

I’m sitting and rocking the twin pusher with my feet right now and I’m thinking. For starters, I’m wondering how the term ‘untoward’ came about (‘from’ seems about as meaningful – toward what? And un-toward? I’ll be off the OED methinks for that one). I’m also thinking about a draft I just did of a [...]

Posted in thoughts | 3 Comments

One day

By elise | Published: June 14, 2011

Oh how I’d love to write about all of the drawing I’m doing. I do have one new moleskine image… A boy climbing a big old silver birch… But it’s not ready yet. What a change these boys have wrought! Seven days a week working has dropped to a clawed-back one, the brush and pencil [...]

Posted in thoughts | 1 Comment

Writing surprises

By elise | Published: June 2, 2011

I had an interesting and fun time at a school on Monday doing sessions with the kids, this time with two awesome groups of grade 3s, and also a year 9 writing group. That was a session looking at the different ways picture books can work, especially when dealing with more adult ideas. We looked [...]

Posted in thoughts | Leave a comment

Drawing

By elise | Published: April 7, 2011

…in a cafe. What bliss!

Also posted in moleskines | Leave a comment

Update

By elise | Published: January 21, 2011

So, it feels like time for a bit of an update while I wait for these lads of mine to arrive. Last year wound up much faster than I expected. There were some very exciting projects that I was all set to do – a possible library mural, a book with Penguin and finishing off [...]

Also posted in General | 4 Comments

Mondoodle 28-12-2010

By elise | Published: December 28, 2010

I didn’t even realise it was Monday yesterday! And then I worked it out when I found out that today is Tuesday already. Genius. Funny how days sneak around on holiday… Anyway, I was watching the latest Dr. Who Christmas special the other day and I found myself encountering what must be a common dilemma [...]

Also posted in moleskines, Mondoodle | Tagged | 4 Comments

Merry Christmas

By elise | Published: December 25, 2010

Hello dear friends I just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a belated happy Hanukkah and wonderful festive time with friends and family (or perhaps a long-awaited quiet moment by yourself)! You can’t quite see it but the baby bump is Big (4 more weeks I think) and the Christmas tree is [...]

Also posted in events | Tagged | 3 Comments

Advice: drafting and reading aloud

By elise | Published: October 1, 2010

Next installment taken from email Q&As Now we all know that picture books will be read out loud to kids. So this means that it is absolutely vital for writers to read their work out loud as they draft it so we know how it sounds. However, even that is not fool-proof. Read on: We [...]

Also posted in advice, good posts | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Mondoodle 27-09-2010

By elise | Published: September 28, 2010

Here are a couple of quick sketches done out in the street with a little bit of watercolour put on later. It’s lovely getting to draw people when they’re not looking. I’m actually very shy of doing this very often. I know it’s important to practise but I’d hate people to feel embarrassed about it. [...]

Also posted in Mondoodle | Tagged , | 2 Comments