100 story building

Writers can make the worst audience. We’re observant – we notice the over-expansive gestures, the nervous hand movements, the change in voice timbre, the long look at notes, the unusually long silence between points, the nod of approval when someone asks an intelligent question, the red flush up the neck if the technology doesn’t work, the genuine smile as someone mentions a well-loved book …

We also have so many questions. Who handles the submission process? Do I need an agent? How do I find an agent? Explain show and don’t tell again, please. What do you mean – the slush pile is 1200 manuscripts deep? Can I have your email address? What’s the difference between a structural edit and a copy-edit? Can I make you my Nana’s sausage rolls in return for a publishing deal?

And we’re so hungry for any knowledge that will improve our manuscript or smooth our way to a publishing contract. Luckily for myself and fourteen other writers, Elise Jones, senior editor at Allen and Unwin, had all the answers for us in her workshop at 100 Story Building last Saturday. And she certainly did not show any of the negative traits above!

Elise is definitely the friendliest editor I have ever met. And she was so passionate about not only her industry, but also her workplace at Allen and Unwin. She was generous in sharing her insider knowledge and tips, and her handouts really weighed my bag down on the train and tram home!

But it was the way Elise spoke about her relationships with the authors she works with that highlighted the calibre of Allen and Unwin’s editors. She talked about the authors and their books with respect and passion, and it was clear how much she loved her job, how much fun she had with the authors and how much she cared about making their books into their best possible version. As a freelance non-fiction editor, I understand how connected you become with authors and how invested you become in the success of their books, but Elise took this to a whole new level. She was inspiring.

I sat next to my middle-grade fiction friend, Renee – I want her books to be published so my kids can read them! Between us, we asked Elise a lot of questions – apologies to the other participants if we took up too much time!

Then, we listened to Kim Kane, author of picture books, middle-grade fiction and a young adult novel talk to us about her experience of publication with Allen and Unwin. Kim’s word to describe the difference between a published author and an unpublished author was tenacity. This is not to discount talent, but tenacity – sending your work out again and again, dealing with rejection again and again, revising your manuscript again and again – is what really matters.

Twenty-three drafts over five years with many rejections for my first book – think I’m starting to learn the meaning of the word tenacity!

There is a place, deep in a Footscray shopping strip, where Mr Raw, a dinosaur teacher teaches his dinosaur students on the 28th floor, while Reg, on floor 72, can turn your dead friend’s skull into an ornament. Maybe there’s a pool of sharks on the 47th floor or a disco on the 99th floor.*

But it is on the 100th floor at ground level, where all the action really happens. A small group of staff and volunteers guide kids in workshops for reading and writing. At the 100 story building on the 100th floor, there are holiday workshops for making comic books, packing a backpack for a hero’s quest or inventing a choose your own adventure book. During the term, there are free classes after school for kids, often kids with English as their second language. The staff and volunteers provide bookclubs and writing classes. It is a great place to hang out – comfy chairs and cushions to read in, long tables to write at and plenty of bookshelves filled with books and quirky objects. My kind of place!

The mission for the 100 story building is ‘to provide opportunities for the most marginalised children and young people in our community to build the literacy skills, confidence and sense of belonging that are fundamental to future success’.

A small group of kids form an editorial team and produce a quarterly magazine with contributions from well-known writers and illustrators like Sally Rippin and Sherryl Clark.

My three kids did a workshop on comic books a few days ago. They had plenty of time to explore the 100th floor but were warned to stay away from the trapdoor leading to the underground floors!

They learnt about the arc of the story to build tension in their writing and were encouraged to ‘stretch the truth’ of their stories. Then they drew up their plan, and wrote and illustrated their own comic book. All comic books were copied and the copy rolled up to put in a special vending machine, where we bought another child’s comic book story.

Simon, Brendan and Lachlan were funny, gentle, enthusiastic, kind and creative – my kids engaged with them immediately.

We have bought a subscription to the Pigeon Post magazine – such a worthwhile contribution. My kids are so lucky to grow up surrounded by books and language and stimulation and creative holiday classes – all tools to help them grow up to be their best possible, literate, communicative selves. So important to do something to give all kids the same opportunities!

Mr 11 wrote a comic book about a skater coming head to head with a wizard – riveting stuff. Miss 9 exaggerated a knee injury story – her suffering was terrible! And Mr 6 created drama and tension with a showdown between Batman and the Joker. Three new stories to add to our collection!

I have definitely mixed up some of the floor numbers! Refer to the amazing illustration on the 100 story building window for correct details!