Author Journal · Page 34 of 35 · Wendy Orr
Wendy Orr's author diary: the journal following a writer's working life and the progress of new books, from idea to manuscript to publication.

3rd May
Life imitating fiction
Writing has been slow lately, and readers of The House at Evelyn’s Pond might be interested, or amused, to know that it’s partly because my daughter has just moved to Vancouver. Of…
Read

19th Mar
Across the Dark Sea
A reader has just asked me about the three books that are coming out this year, so it seems like a good time to talk about the first one. Across the Dark…
Read

2nd Feb
Working with editors
I sent the ‘first’ draft of the Nim’s Island sequel in to my publisher and editor at Allen and Unwin two weeks ago, and was rewarded with a very fast read by…
Read

1st Jan
Happy Writing Year
New Year’s Day in Australia, and I’m probably up earlier than many people as husband Tom is in the volunteer CFA (country fire authority) and was on standby because with a temperature…
Read

10th Dec
December Deadlines
So much for my resolution about writing in this weekly! However I’m sure I’m not the only one finding that time flies at this time of year. The first draft of the…
Read

9th Oct
First Draft Traumas
I’ve been writing hard on the first draft of the Nim sequel – and I always forget what a strange combination of fun, hard work and sheer terror a first draft is.…
Read

11th Sep
TYPICAL WRITER’S DAY
Start with emails, at about 8 a.m., with my breakfast tea: answer two from readers and write to my son James, niece Alana, and friend Jacqueline in France, who was disappointed to…
Read

5th Sep
BEAUTIFUL BC
My daughter Susan in the middle, with my nieces Chelsea on the right and Alana on the left. Visiting family is always the best part of a trip, and a big birthday…
Read

7th Aug
Book Planning in New York City
What a fantastic city New York is (I know that many people have commented on this before, but it was my first visit – and I hope, not my last.) The best…
Read

28th Jun
A Visit to Hollywood
After two years of emails and phone calls, I finally got to meet the people involved with taking my Nim’s Island to the screen. Yes, it’s a big change for someone who…
Read

28th May
The title search concludes: Across the Dark Sea
After months of searching and much angst, I’ve finally come up with a title for the National Museum book about Trung, the little Vietnamese boy who arrives in Australia with his father…
Read

16th May
Workshopping
Peeling the Onion readers might be interested to know that I’ve just returned from a week of intensive, innovative, physiotherapy in Sydney… so we can hope that Anna has something similar after…
Read