Karen Collum">Australian Children's Author

Move over 13, you’ve been knocked off your perch as my favourite number. Thirteen used to be my favourite because I don’t believe in superstition or bad luck and it was the number of the house I lived in for the first 21 years of my life. However, as of today, 54 is my new favourite number. Wanna know why? Keep reading →

I love October. October means it’s nearly November and November means not only my wedding anniversary (13 years this year) but also NaNoWriMo. But 50,000 words in 30 days doesn’t just happen. Not for me, anyway. I know some amazing authors who have no plan when they start to write. They are pantsers (fly by the seat of their pants) and do it in style. I love the idea of being a panster and the romantic notion of allowing my characters to direct the action and path of the novel. The reality is I’m far too anal to be a pantser. I’m most definitly a plotter and have come to embrace my need to know the end in the beginning and everything inbetween. Keep reading →

As most of you know, I’m a big fan of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I was first introduced to NaNo by my author-friend, Trudy J Morgan-Cole (who is pretty much responsible for me taking the plunge and submitting my manuscripts and therefore being published) in April last year. I decided to bite the proverbial bullet and give it a go and found it more than a little addictive. Keep reading →

Well it’s been an interesting week at my house. I am now over 35 weeks pregnant and am half expecting my boys to arrive at any given moment in time. Each night I go to bed and wonder, “Is tonight the night?” For some reason I can only imagine myself in labour at night…I may fall apart at the seams if it happens in daylight!!

But the insomnia that goes with being this heavily pregnant (”heavily” is actually a really good adjective for the situation I might add) – and that is that I am having time to write.

I have started a novel – yes, another one – but this one is going to be different; not because I’m a better writer (which I think I am compared to 5 years ago), or because it’s more interesting (once again, I think it is!), but purely because this time I am going to finish it! It’s hard to believe, I know. But armed with me NEO I actually think it’s possible. Keep reading →