This is Why

Dragonkeeper Trilogy, Writing | Posted by Carole on Wednesday 26 November 2008

Since Dragon Moon was published, I’ve had quite a lot of emails and blog comments asking me to write a fourth Dragonkeeper book. I always say the same thing. It’s not going to happen. I don’t want to write a fourth book. After all her adventures, I think Ping should have a nice quiet life. She deserves it.

Some people get quite cross with me. They seem to think I’m just being difficult. Or they think I’ve run out of ideas. It’s neither of those things. It’s wonderful that people liked the books so much that they want more. But if my heart isn’t in it, it wouldn’t be any good anyway.

Writing a novel takes a lot of time, about a year for one of my books. It can be stressful, getting it all to work. You have to slog away at it every day, whether you feel like it or not, whether it’s working or not. So it has to be something that I want to write. I know that sounds selfish, but for me it’s the only way to do it.

I’m not the only one that feels that way. I heard Graeme Base talking on the radio the other week and he said the same thing. “I never do market research,” he said. “I just do the stuff that I feel suddenly inspired by and that I will get joy from doing and which I honestly believe is worth two years of my time.”

You never know if a book is going to be successful. I only write the stories that I really want to write, that I have to write, that I would still think were worth all the effort, even if they didn’t do well.

So I haven’t run out of ideas. I’ve just got different ideas. What I’ve run out of is enthusiasm for continuing that story with those characters. And even if someone did write to me and give me a fabulous idea for a fourth book, I couldn’t use it, because it wouldn’t be my story. (And if it was a big hit, bigger than Harry Potter and I got a seven picture deal and became a millionaire, then the person who gave me the idea would sue me!) I have to stick with my own ideas.

The interview with Graeme Base, was on Life Matters on ABC Radio National on 5 Nov and you can listen to a podcast of the full interview.

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COOL and KROC

Dragonkeeper Trilogy, News | Posted by Carole on Monday 17 November 2008

Last week was when the announcements were made for various Australian children’s choice awards—YABBA in Victoria, KOALA in NSW, COOL in ACT and KROC in Northern Territory. I went to the YABBA award ceremony at Ashburton Primary School. Dragon Moon was shortlisted for the new category of Fiction for Years 7-9. It didn’t win the YABBA but it did win the COOL and the KROC, and it was Honour Book in the KOALA.

It was a very tough shortlist with books like Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin, Evil Genius by Catherine Jinx and Runestone by Anna Ciddor, so I am very proud to have won.  Thanks to everyone who voted for me.

Check out all the YABBA, KOALA, and COOL winners (I couldn’t find a website for the KROCs). Congratulations to them all.

Thanks to Karen Tayleur for the photos.

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Overseas Publishers

News | Posted by Carole on Friday 7 November 2008

I get quite a few queries from readers around the world who want to know when my books are going to be published in their country. Unfortunately, I usually don’t know! I have very little contact with my publishers in other countries.
I can tell you all about the Australian releases, but if you want to know about my books in other countries, you should contact the relevant publisher.
My webmaster has added contact details for these publishers down the right-hand side of the Books page on my website.

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