Melissa Garside had always dreamed of becoming a published author, but was also realistic about this long-held goal. “Just like I always wanted to be a princess when I was little, I never really believed that it would happen and I had absolutely no idea how to go about it,” she tells us.
Yet this princess has found her happily ever after – in the form of her debut children’s novel, Lexie Moon & The Word Burgling Bungle, out now with Riveted Press!
A new creative pursuit
As a primary school teacher with children of her own, Melissa was naturally drawn to children's literature. “I'd finished some postgraduate studies a few years earlier and was itching to take on something new, although perhaps something a little less serious,” Melissa explains. “I knew I wanted to write and I was drawn to the joy and wonder of children's books. I started to look for online writing courses.”
For Melissa, the Writing Picture Books course was eye-opening, revealing how much she had to learn about the industry. “Before taking the Writing Picture Books course, I had no idea how little I knew about writing and publishing,” she recalls. As a busy teacher and parent, she also loved the flexibility of online learning.
“Although I’d read hundreds of picture books and taught writing to primary students, I had no real idea how to go about making my own book,” Melissa says.”I needed a course that would give me a good introduction to writing a picture book and what to do next.”
“I’ve since enrolled in several self-paced online courses at the Australian Writers’ Centre that target specific aspects of writing and being a writer, such as Writing Chapter Books for 6-9 Year Olds and Cut, Shape, Polish. I’m currently half-way through Presenting to Kids, which has so far been excellent. I’m learning a lot and I’m looking forward to putting it all into practice!”
The journey to publication
The impact of the courses was significant for Melissa's writing journey – not only in helping her believe that publication might just be possible, but also providing a practical road map to get there.
“Lexie Moon & The Word Burgling Bungle took me four-and-a-half years from when the first words landed on a page to publication,” Melissa shares. One of the reasons was that the manuscript went through significant transformations. “It began life as a picture book with a completely different plot, title and protagonist. Feedback from my critique buddies made me stop and rethink the whole thing, and I decided to rewrite it as a junior fiction book.”
This was the point that Melissa took the Writing Chapter Books course and the eventual manuscript was worked into a 13,000 words and 21 chapter story ready to share with the publishing world.
Her breakthrough came at the CYA Conference. “I had an editor assessment with Rowena Beresford from Riveted Press. She gave me some very encouraging feedback and asked me to make a few revisions and then send her the complete manuscript.”
The moment she received her contract remains vivid. “I had been expecting an email from the publisher for a little while, but really had no idea if it would be good news or not,” Melissa says. “I woke up, reached for my phone and saw the words ‘I'd like to offer you a contract' that had arrived in my inbox in the very early hours of the morning – editors do work hard! I was very excited and wanted to shout and sing about it, but everyone else in the house was still asleep, so I had to keep it to myself until they woke up.”
Gadgets and gizmos galore!
Lexie Moon & The Word Burgling Bungle is a fast-paced junior fiction novel for 7-10-year-olds about an innovative and adventurous young inventor. Her latest invention, The Vocabuliser, helps people say tricky words like spaghetti and Worcestershire. But the device is stolen by a notorious gadget thief who uses it to steal people’s words, leaving them completely speechless! Can they stop him before mayhem breaks out across town?
The book combines suspense, humour and wordplay to create a fun read that tackles themes such as family, intellectual property rights and the ethical use of technology. It’s beautifully illustrated by Lauren Mullinder and is published by Riveted Press.
Learning and growing as an author
Today, Melissa balances her writing career with teaching English to adult migrants. “I'm lucky to have a hugely rewarding part-time teaching position, in which I get to play with words all day and teach adults how to write in English. Being part-time, it also gives me two days off a week to concentrate on my writing.”
As for those hoping to get published, Melissa emphasises taking deliberate action. “Find a way around that barrier. Learn about the craft of writing. Learn about the publishing industry. Get involved with the writing community. Join a critique group. Get feedback on your writing. Go to conferences, festivals and workshops. Do courses and get yourself in front of people in the industry. And of course, write! If you're willing to put in the work, you just might get there!”
“The ‘So you want to be a Writer’ podcast has also been a big part of my growth as an author. I’ve learnt so many writing tips, gained confidence and best of all heard about the writing journeys of others like me, helping me believe that maybe I could do it too.”
Melissa also knows that the courses she has taken at the Australian Writers’ Centre have had an enormous impact on her writing. “The first course I took not only helped me believe that publication might just be possible, but also showed me some practical steps on the path to getting there,” she says. “That course led to many other opportunities in the writing world, including manuscript assessments, competitions, conferences and festivals, writing organisations, critique groups and of course, more writing courses. All of these have helped me grow as a writer and have eventually led me to getting my first publishing contract.”
The impact of the courses was significant for Melissa's writing journey – not only in helping her believe that publication might just be possible, but also providing a practical road map to get there.
Lexie Moon & The Word Burgling Bungle is a fast-paced junior fiction novel for 7-10-year-olds about an innovative and adventurous young inventor. Her latest invention, The Vocabuliser, helps people say tricky words like spaghetti and Worcestershire. But the device is stolen by a notorious gadget thief who uses it to steal people’s words, leaving them completely speechless! Can they stop him before mayhem breaks out across town?
Today, Melissa balances her writing career with teaching English to adult migrants. “I'm lucky to have a hugely rewarding part-time teaching position, in which I get to play with words all day and teach adults how to write in English. Being part-time, it also gives me two days off a week to concentrate on my writing.”
