Thursday, February 13, 2014

From Australia With Love Blog Hop: The write kind of local pride with Lauren K. McKellar


Australian writers rock. We know it, and we love them. But it’s not always easy to discover the Australian talent that is right under our noses.

From Australia With Love Blog Hop introduces you to 18 Aussie authors across a variety of categories and genres. Each author is hosting three of their fellow blog hop participants between now and Valentine’s Day to let you find out more about them. So follow them on twitter, like their Facebook page and visit their blogs during the blog hop period to discover more great Australian writers.

And to show how much these Aussie authors love their readers, they’ve donated some great prizes for you to win!

Today we have much beloved Aussie Chapter Book writer Melissa Gijsbers stopping by. 

The write kind of local pride

I love being an Aussie writer. There; I've said it. It's out there in the open.

Many people think being an Australian writer can be difficult, and that things would be so much easier if we lived in another country such as America, or England. I don't necessarily think so, and here's why:

-The language barrier. Sometimes, American readers may not understand what we mean by, say, Ute, or thongs, or the proper application of Vegemite. I know that can be a pain, but I've never come across a book so full of colloquialism and localisms that the reader would not be able to understand it. Or, at least couldn't take an educated guess.
I like Australian English, and think it's relation to British English sets us apart, and followers what are sometimes a clearer set of rules. Both are good; neither is better, but I certainly don't see Australian English as being a hindrance.

-The difficulty 'breaking in.' In Australia, it's commonly spoken of that it's easier to get a book deal first, an agent second, and that breaking in to the 'Authors' Club' is pretty much impossible.

I do acknowledge that it's tricky; hell yes! But with the borders of our global world getting smaller, and the popularity of smaller press, and the accessibility of international agents through mediums such as Twitter and Facebook, I no longer think we're at such a disadvantage.
Not only that, but with some of the major Australian publishers offering digital-only lines, getting in to the Authors' Club is a little easier.

-The community. I know there are good writing people worldwide, but to my surprise, some of my closest friends have become other Aussie writers, and I don't know what I'd do without them. Whether it's because we're from the land down under, or perhaps due to a shared taste for shrimps on the barbie--I'm not sure, but I know that Aussie writing people are good writing people. So please, come play with us in the worldwide social media playground! It's our spiders and snakes that are deadly, not us.

Lauren K. McKellar’s first self-published novel, The Problem With Crazy, is released this week. It is a NA Contemporary.

About The Problem With Crazy 



The problem with crazy is that crazy, by itself, has no context. It can be good crazy, bad crazy … or crazy crazy—like it was when my ex-boyfriend sung about me on the radio.

Eighteen-year-old Kate couldn’t be more excited about finishing high school and spending the summer on tour with her boyfriend’s band. Her dad showing up drunk at graduation, however, is not exactly kicking things off on the right foot—and that’s before she finds out about his mystery illness, certain to end in death.

A mystery illness she could inherit.

Kate has to convince everyone that her father is sick, not crazy. But who will be harder to convince? Her friends? Or herself?

The Problem With Crazy is a story about love and life; about overcoming obstacles, choosing to trust, and learning how to make the choices that will change your life forever.

LINKS





1 comment:

  1. Interesting write-up! Writing is an art form that reaches a multitude of people from all walks of life, different cultures, and age group. As a writer, it is not about what you want.free idioms

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