When Peta James decided to make a lifestyle change, she never imagined it would lead her to becoming a published children's author. But that's exactly what happened after she took the Writing Picture Books course at the Australian Writers' Centre.
“I'd had a lifestyle change and a job change – best described as a reverse tree change!” Peta told us. “That gave me the freedom to dedicate time to writing that I hadn't allowed myself previously.”
This newfound freedom prompted Peta to pursue her long-held love for picture books. “I've always loved picture books, even as an adult,” she says. “I love the interplay between words and pictures, how both elements (if done well) enhance the other.”
Learning the craft
Peta found the Writing Picture Books course invaluable in understanding the mechanics of creating a successful picture book.
“Learning the structure of how a picture book is laid out, the format and ‘rules', if you like,” was particularly useful, Peta shared. “The instructor feedback was great, and bouncing ideas off other students was insightful. A few of us would regularly critique each other's work in a shared safe space.”
The skills Peta learned in the course directly contributed to the creation of her debut picture book, Lucy the Sheepdog, published by Tiny Seed Publishing.
“Lucy the Sheep Dog is about a dog who Farmer Pete thinks will be perfect as his new sheep dog,” Peta explained. “She tries, and tries, and tries to herd the sheep, but the sheep are big and woolly and cranky and mean to her. Farmer Pete also has a chicken problem, which to his surprise Lucy is able to solve. So it's a story about being brave and persistent, identifying your strengths, and doing what you're good at and enjoy. Which isn't necessarily what other people think you should do.”
A dream come true
For Peta, becoming a published author was a long-held dream. “Like most kids who were bookworms, the obvious next step seemed to be to write my own story. Apparently when I was young I'd write stories and draw pictures to entertain myself,” she said.
Her love for books was nurtured from a young age. “My mum – who this book is dedicated to – taught me to read and write before I started school, which gave me an advantage in English class,” Peta recalled. “It's a cliche, but books were a huge part of my childhood.”
After completing her manuscript as part of the Australian Writers' Centre course, Peta refined it further. She then submitted it to Starfish Bay publishing, who expressed interest in publishing it.
One of the most exciting parts of the process for Peta was choosing the illustrator. “They sent me some samples of several illustrators' work, but nothing quite hit the mark for me. So they kindly sent me a few more, including work by Maia Batumashvili, and her illustrations just felt right. I love the detail in her illustrations and how she's portrayed the perfect expressions on Lucy's face!”
While getting the publishing offer was thrilling, Peta said the reality truly sank in when she held the physical book. “To be honest it was when my copies were delivered to me that it really sunk in – holding the physical book in my hand was quite surreal.”
Balancing writing and life
Currently working full-time, Peta fits her writing around her other commitments. “I work full-time, so I write sporadically,” she said. “I've got umpteen ideas on the back burner – I'll often see something, or overhear something, and think ‘there's a story in that', and write myself a note to follow up.”
For those considering taking a course at the Australian Writers' Centre, Peta highly recommends it. “It's so convenient to be able to do a course remotely and in your own time within the schedule provided. It gives you the flexibility to work around whatever else you have to do in your life.”
