Treehut Publishing Ltd

Kia ora Class 5! I am experiencing this very strange mix of feelings: grieving that bookweek came to such an abrupt ending but enjoying sleep-ins and slow breakfast coffee in the sun, enjoying walking through my quiet neighbourhood and connecting with all the roads I did become so familiar with last year. This lock down I have a dog on a leash, and Merlin really doesn't enjoy a leash, so walks are somewhat more adventurous this lock down.

And I was completely surprised about the ions of happiness flowing through my veins when I opened this blog! Hope you are happy to be back here too, we are going to have a lot of fun.

After last week's inspirational visits from Elissa and Joanna, I bet you guess what's coming. I have started the Treehut Publishing Company.

 Let's Make a Book

You've learned all about the process, you've seen the drafts that authors revisit and revisit, you've seen Joanna's AWESOME illustrations- which weren't even used for the book, she did them for herself- and you remember what Elissa said: You can think all you want about writing, but in the end, you just have to get your butt in the chair and write.

Hold on, I hear you say, I don't have an editor. How can I workshop my draft? Please let me introduce you to: MYSELF. Send me your written work, either take a photo or scan and email it to me or type it into a document, I don't really mind, whatever works for you. I will read it and send you your feedback, so you can workshop that into your next draft, until you are ready to publish your final copy.

(Friendly request, please write super CLEARLY so I can actually read it)

Of course you can ask anybody else in your bubble to give feedback too, or phone a friend, read your story to each other and talk it through. Good friends don't just say :"Oh, that's great work!" They say, "I really enjoyed the beginning of the story, but the bit where Edith loses her hat doesn't make really sense to me. Why did she lose it?"

Anyway, you know how to give feedback, we often have practiced this in class in our sharing circle.

Here are the rules of your book;

That's right. There are none. You can write a novel, a children's picture book, a graphic novel (word of warning: that's much harder than writing a novel!) or a compilations of short stories. If you are more into non-fiction, write a magazine about anything that interests you, becoming a roving reporter. Write a Walks in your Neighbourhood guide, complete with maps and point of interest. Do a re-write of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" (yes, this truly does exist and it is a fantastic book) This is lockdown, have fun with it whatever you do.

This is going to be a long term project, you won't finish it in one day, maybe not even in one week. Do every day a little bit (get your butt in the chair). In the next few blog posts, I will guide you through the process with tips and ideas.

(Hey- did you just notice that I am writing as well? I am drafting and editing and proofreading and workshopping these posts! That's my contribution to Treehut Publishing Ltd.)

When we get back to school, in our Treehut Classroom, we will have a Book Fair of all our publications. I can't wait to see them all.

So for today; Start dreaming. Start plotting. Start Planning. Meet your characters. Brew a conflict. Think setting. And then get that butt into your chair.

Bonus Feature

The Diary of Merlin The Dog in the Tough Times of the Leash.

I'm really not sure what's happening. Suddenly, all my people are home all day. Don't get me wrong, I like the company, but those afternoon naps on the sofa were quite nice. I just had to make sure that I heard them arriving in time so I could jump of the sofa and put on my puppy eye cute face. No such chance these days, they are everywhere, these humans. And that's not all. Usually, when they put my collar on, I get to jump in the back of the car. That's always a fun ride, I can bark at all the dogs I see and they can't get me. Then I get to run on the beach. Angela told me that she tries to track how much I run, she estimates about 15 km a day. She doesn't understand you see- there all all these seagulls which try to Attack the World, and it is my job to keep the beach free of them. It's not an easy job, but I am a Responsible Dog. But guess what- no beach, no car rides, no seagulls. I have to walk on a LEASH. On the FOOTPATH. It's not fair. I am protesting. I am rebelling. What are they thinking?

These are tough times for a dog. Not sure I'll cope. Please send help.