Dim's Write Stuff

 I know, these are food shots and not very brilliant ones. But that hardly matters when you're gobbling down fist fulls of bonsai gingerbread men and mouthwatering fruit mince pies. It's beginning to taste more like Christmas now. For recipes and more Christmas fun, check out the PS Who Stole Santa's Mail? downloads page on my website . You'll be whipping up rounds of Santa's favourite sweet treat in no time. Created by Dimity, iced by her husband, consumed by the neighbourhood children  

Like many things I attempt by hand, they can be a long time in the making and never quite perfect. But it's sure fun having a go at getting them right. So now, here, just in time for Christmas - Dim's shiny NEW WEBSITE . It's bright and has lots of bits of me in it. I hope you like it. Let me know either way. Enjoy.

Christmas. And... Dim's new Web Site . One lower in calories than the other but just as delectable. Stay tuned...

The argy-bargy that sometimes accompanies the gratuitous use of the terminology 'awards' on social media profiles is entertainment I often find chuckle worthy. Colour me mission brown and call me Splinters if you like, but as a habitual fence sitter, I appreciate both sides' argument: stating you are an award winning author having amassed nothing more than a feeble handful of competition placings compared with someone whose work has gained notable international or national recognition is a bit of a stretch of artistic license and one we have all indulged in from time to time, yours truly included. It does not seem to matter that those very competitions you so diligently entered and conquered no less touted themselves as 'Awards' in the first place. The causal observer may not distinguish the semantics of the situation so easily as they can the sublime subterfuge of it. Nonetheless, if you enter something and are rewarded in some fashion for it, the fact of the m

Who would have thunk it? Career advise from a sportsman that makes sense (to a non-sportsperson). T20 Player of the Year , Glenn Maxwell sums it up nicely. Apply these inspirational words of wisdom as necessary to your own; day, life, writing project, sporting event...I did. Maxi's Top Tips: Play to your strengths Prepare early Be patient Be brave - don't be intimidated Take the initiative - be confident and look for opportunities Avoid over analysis- don't over think things, it can distract you from getting the little things right. Take things slowly - try to stay relaxed and don't rush Stay positive Be selective  Keep your eye on the ball - don't lose sight of your goals PRACTISE   ‘Sometimes if you concentrate only on trying to do big things, you end up forgetting the small stuff that’s really important.’      Wise words, Maxi. I think I have a new hero... If you want to discover more about   Glenn Maxwell or his cricket inspired

  “If you want intelligent adults, give our children stories, because each story increases the neurons in a child’s brain. If you want creative adults who can mine the asteroids or find three million ways to cope with drought, pollution or global warming, give them stories now.”  Jackie French AO. Jackie French's take on the power of story. What follows is my truncated take on her impassioned speech last night at Riverbend Books in Brisbane on why books matter and must always matter. Books give kids the ability to choose what they want to be and who they could be, not necessarily describing to them who they are already. One kind act can change a life . Kindness is as contagious as evil and anger. BOOKS MATTER – books improve, enhance, stimulate and, strengthen our intelligence. It’s a scientific fact. CREATORS MATTER - as creators, what we do matters. LIBRARIES, TEACHER LIBRARIANS AND BOOKSHOPS MATTER . - Kids need guidance when it comes to

Madeline Cain: The Adventure Begins by Emily Craven My rating: 4 of 5 stars I'm comfortably well acquainted with many of the stories set in and around Brisbane here in SE QLD. It's a climate and people and ethos I can relate to being my birth-state. I'm even better acquainted with Rundle Mall's balls, Glenelg's beaches and the quintessence of North Terrace having grown up in Adelaide, which is perhaps why Emily Craven's Madeline Cain Adventures reeled me in in the first place. I was keen to revisit the city of my youth and the breeding ground of a trillion new experiences and life long mind-images; a bit like those of maturing teen, Madeline Cain. In this introductory episode of her adventures (there are three books in total thus far), this almost 18-year-old and her tight ball of buds share their last few fraught post matriculating months with the world at large as Gen Y is wont to do...on the world wide social web. Madeline

The sun shines with forcible brightness here in SE Queensland most days but at times, the radiance of those that I meet in my quest to fill pages for young people with my inner most hopes and dreams, outshines it all. Two such luminaries within my tribe are author, photographer, June Perkins and fine artist and children's book illustrator, Helen Magisson . Together, they have embarked on a adventurous and exquisite project, creating a lusciously illustrated book of poetry for children, Magic Fish Dreaming . To float this dream collaboration, a Kickstarter funding campaign is underway. Whilst we can not always support every worthy project and needy cause, I urge you to have a look at this project that not only encapsulates the work of two very gifted artists but showcases the very essence of Far North Queensland, my birth place and one of the most richly diverse places on earth. Read on for information about Magic Fish Dreaming's creators, the Kickstarter crowd funding pr

Original artwork by Ken Best You've seen my last post telling you all about Story City , the exciting new FREE APP that takes you, the reader, to the very heart of the story, and allows you to quite literally smell the roses, or tread the pavement or in some harrowing cases, stave off mutant zombie cockroaches...well of course you have. Well, wait...there's more. Story City is based on choose-your-own adventure style storytelling that has been re-imagined specifically for the digital age. Not only are the stories compelling, entertaining and informative with something for all ages to enthuse and drool over, they also encourage exercise, curiosity and discovery. Families can do the adventures together, as can tourists or those less familiar with the public spaces they reside in. Tim Baker An eclectic collaboration of local artists, musicians, voice-over talent and writers produce these amazing adventures and now you have the chance to MEET THE LEGENDS in perso