Squish Rabbit and I would like to wish all our downunder friends a very happy Australia Day. A day for barbecues in the sun. For picnics by the river. For frisbee and beers in the park. Or if you’re one Byron Bay friend of ours, apple dunking and three legged races.

Sound good? Well, all these were plans we had until the skies decided to bless Queensland once again with crazy weather. So instead we’ll be enjoying the rain from the safety of our home, while thinking of all those in the flood affected areas and hoping they stay safe.

We will, however, still celebrate our national day: instead with boardgames, well worn DVDs, an indoor barbie (sausages on the stove top – woo!) and still plenty of beer … it just wouldn’t be Australia Day without it.

Have a good one Australia!

On this day last year I celebrated the year gone with my first ‘How Not To Find My Blog’ post, where I joyed in (and puzzled over) all the random search terms that have brought people to my blog. Inspired by a similar post over on Allen and Unwin’s blog I thought I’d mark another blogging year with a similar round up. So here is a guide of how not to find my blog using Google (even though some very disappointed people did)*:

Random Searches:

• in the name of the dog dig (ok)
• fatten up your face (really?)
• “what kind of katherine are you” (the confused kind)
• funny pancake (mmm … I do like pancakes)
• gum boots pee (um, no. But I had plenty of gumboot mud at Woodford)
• lessonful quotes (yup, I am full of those)
• peanut exclamation (sounds delicious)
• alcohol mind map (I don’t recommend this – it doesn’t make for sensible mind-mapping) 
• pippa’s embarrassment (Julie – a new title, perhaps? There’s demand!)
• aristotle poetics drama (this makes my blog appear more intelligent than it is)

* As irony would have it, me blogging about these search terms now actually makes it MORE likely someone will find my blog using them…

Here’s what Cupcake (her online pseudonym) says:

“thought he was playing…he kicked his little legs”
“big tantrum – argghhhh!”
“they broke all the rules!”
“passed him by” (then sings it again – so sweet)

My favourite part is when she makes the squishing sound when Squish nearly gets stepped on. If only she could accompany me for all my readings – what great sound effects and emotional range! Hop on over to the LibLaura5 blog to see the original post, where this little cutie names Squish Rabbit as her favourite book of 2011 (doesn’t that make it all worth it?).

Squish has also made it onto a few other nice recommendation lists for books that came out in 2011. The wonderfully talented Chris Bongers did a fun round-up over on her blog about which books to buy for loved ones over Christmas. Where The Best Books Are also did a lovely summary post called ‘A Few of my Favourite Things’ and I love the way they capture Squish’s experience of the world:

One day he was bending over to marvel at a tiny red flower and a scaly-legged giant stepped on him. Being wee, his body bounces back. But his heart? Well, the hurt of being overlooked doesn’t go away.

My very own Squish Rabbit Christmas cards! This was a delightful gift from my US publisher, Viking. It turns out they select one book from their list each year to turn into a Christmas card, so they can send it out to all their contacts. They left it as a surprise that they’d chosen my book, so I only found out when a big box of cards arrived on my doorstep. I’m absolutely thrilled, as is Squish. It is, after all, this little rabbit’s very first Christmas.

Among my many treasured Chrissy presents I got some amazing bookish gifts this year. A favourite is the first volume of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman comic, which I’m a little addicted to and nearly through already. I also adore my new copy of Tim Burton’s deliciously dark and playful The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy. The two combined have re-jigged my desire to start developing up an idea I have for a strange / sweet / melancholy kind of graphic novel. But more on that another time…

I have just arrived back from Woodford, the amazing folk festival held on the Sunshine Coast each year, where I called in the new year. I dug up this photo from last year’s festival, where I got a henna tattoo to celebrate the year of the rabbit.

2011 has thoroughly spoiled me, with my first book out, two publishers I adore, overwhelmingly lovely reviews and so much support from YOU dear readers. Thank you. If this year to come is even half as good as the one just passed then I can count myself blessed. A big Happy New Year to you all and bring on 2012!

Squish Rabbit has now been out hopping around bookstores for four months in the US and three months in Aus. He’s certainly an active little rabbit who appears to be less shy than I first thought. Most recently he’s popped up in none other than The New Yorker, who have called him ‘whimsical’ and ‘charming’:

Battersby’s illustrations mix whimsical line drawings with touches of colour from fabric and paper collages

Squish appears in the December 5th issue, which is out on shelves now.

Squish and I have also visited a few other writerly-type-places recently. Reading Time, the gorgeous journal for the Children’s Book Council of Australia, recently published an article about my writing and illustrating process. They also did a lovely review of Squish Rabbit, saying:

The depth of the story is in the rabbit’s emotions which come through the pictures. Squish is drawn simply with a black outline, but has plenty of personality showing through the shape of his body, ears and eyebrows … Just right for 2-5 years olds, and anyone who has ever felt lonely or small.

Buzz Words (the e-zine for writers, illustrators, publicists and anyone involved with children’s books) also did a delightful review of Squish, saying:

This adorable children’s tale is not just a picture book with cute characters. Squish Rabbit’s simple wisdom will withstand the test of time … A perfect pre-kinder introduction to making friends.

Finally Cynsations, Cynthia Leitich Smith’s blog all about the world of writing and illustrating for young people, interviewed me about what it is like to be a new picture book author / illustrator. Here’s a snippet of what I had to say about where Squish Rabbit began:

Looking back on my childhood, Squish Rabbit certainly captures my emotional truths. I recall vividly what it was like to feel small in a big world …  I remember having important things to say, in a world where big people get listened to first. I recall having questions and thoughts and ideas bubbling up inside of me, and yet having no clue how to say any of it. This is ultimately why I started writing and drawing – to express all those things I had trouble voicing.

Now I’d best get off the black-hole-of-productivity that is the internet, as I have a very important date with my little rabbit. We’re still on deadline with his second adventure. The fateful date is creeping ever closer, and we still have a few scenes to complete…

Wish me luck!

Then the other day it happened. I got my first negative review. Intellectually I knew it was inevitable, but emotionally it’s never easy.

That said, it was far from a really nasty one. If the review was a crocodile it was at least smiling at me (although that made the teeth easier to see). There were some little positives in amongst it, but there were certainly a couple of statements that were bluntly discouraging. When you first read it you’re hyper-aware that it’s out there for the whole world to see. There’s no hiding from it. So here’s my incredibly serious, no at all tongue-in-cheek guide to how I coped with it…

1. Give yourself a day: on this day you have permission to feel however you want. Cry, stomp, rant, rage, walk in circles, eat a continent of chocolate, talk to the birds and abandon all plans to do intelligent worthwhile things. I have done all of the above in the past, although this occasion just called for a quiet day and a long walk
2. Rally the forces: Re-read your good reviews – your favourite ones that made you feel all shiny and proud. Especially those where the reviewer loved all the things the negative review seemed to dislike. Even more so the ones that directly contradict the bad review (take that, bad review!)
3. Argue with your dog: sit your dog down and tell him all about the bad review. Defend every negative point with awesome counter-arguments. Discuss your artistic intent. Wax lyrical about everything the reviewer missed or overlooked. You’ll find your dog a very understanding ear (and know that when he brings you the tennis ball he’s saying he understands your pain)
4. Indulge your inner storyteller: look at the reviewer’s name and imagine their backstory and why they might have written such a review. Maybe they’re a disgruntled writer and are jealous of your success. Maybe they have a deeply ingrained fear of rabbits (childhood trauma perhaps?). Maybe they’re the Guinness World Record holder for tallest person and can’t in any way relate to being little. Maybe they just didn’t like the book (hold on – scrap that last one. Too realistic and it won’t make you feel better at all)
5. Read other authors’ bad reviews: oh this sounds nasty doesn’t it? But it works a treat. Look up your all time favourite books on Goodreads and read their one star reviews. Puts everything into perspective. If there are people in the world who loathe The Book Thief, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, then I can cope with people not liking my bunny. Everyone is different (and clearly some are weird – who doesn’t like Mo Willems?!)

For more ideas, hop on over to Michael Gerard Bauer’s blog. He’s far braver than I am … he even quoted his bad review.

Anyone have any other ideas to share?

On November 5th a bunch of wee bunnies and readers gathered at The Little Bookroom to help me do just that. The lovely store owner, Leesa, did a beautiful job of decorating the store in true Squish style (plenty of carrots, apples and red balloons) and the delightful Wendy Orr launched my book. Musical maestro Richard did an amazing job of accompanying me on keyboard with his original music while I did a book reading. There was also a craft table with Squishy scribblings happening throughout the talks, I did an illustration demonstration and there were lots of delicious nibbles. Such a fun day. If you couldn’t make it but would like to get your paws on a signed copy, there are plenty in both of The Little Bookroom stores, as well as Dymocks (city), Readings (Carlton) and Brunswick Street Bookstore (Fitzroy).

At the launch with some peonies given to me by the lovely Neridah McMullin

As much as I enjoyed my time away I was really glad to get home. Not surprising considering my partner and I worked out on the plane back to Brisbane that in 8 months we have done 15 work related trips away – including New York, Sydney, Townsville, Toowoomba, Mackay, Broken Hill, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Byron Bay. Luckily we now have a few months at home (mostly), that is until the work starts up again in the new year…

In the meantime, here’s a sampling of photos from the launch day. Thanks to all those who hopped by!

The Little Bookroom, Carlton North

Colouring table

Little bunnies clutching crayons and carrots

Leesa making enthusiastic hand gestures

Wendy saying nice things

Bunny book reading

Awesome spec-fic writer, Bren, caught herself a rabbit

Signing and posing

So many rabbits (they do have a habbit of multiplying)

You can also read about the day and see more photos over at My Little Bookcase and at Claire Saxby’s blog.

Flick forward to early this year. Squish Rabbit was but months away from appearing on bookshelves and suddenly my publisher was asking about book two. They wondered whether maybe I’d considered doing another Squish book? Now I had tried to prepare for this moment. I had certainly considered other Squish stories, as he’s so alive to me and I know much about his little life. I had some notes about other possible stories and even some very basic drafts. But nothing I had done really prepared me for my first experience of writing to contract. Cue dramatic music…

Before that point, every story I’d created I had written for myself. Sure, I’d hoped to get published and I certainly had readers in mind, but in real terms I was following my own whims and ideas. No matter how determined or focussed I was in my writing, ultimately I was just chasing around my own muse. And besides the whole ‘not knowing whether I’d ever get published or not’, it was really quite glorious.

Writing to contract was completely different. My first book had a sell-in to bookstores that was encouraging enough for my publisher to ask for a second Squish story. Suddenly I had an editor with hopes and expectations. In fact I had a whole team I’d worked with. What if they didn’t like anything I sent them? If the chances of getting one picture book accepted were so rare, what was the possibility of me writing two they’d love? What if I only had one publishable book in me? What if they began to regret signing me up for two books? Would I have to give back the money? Oh horror of horrors … every iota of self-doubt I’d ever experienced kicked up into a dust storm inside me. So instead of ambling through the creative fields of my mind, I was paralysed. I couldn’t write a word.

Self-doubt always settles in me eventually. And with time, I realised a number of things that helped me push through this:

1. Always write for yourself first: No matter where the story is going, no matter who it is for, always begin by writing something for yourself. Something that moves you, that pulls at the strings of your mind, that calls to that secret little place where your inner child hides. I honestly believe that if you write something you love, you’re much more likely to write something someone else will too. And besides, editing can come later…
2. No story is brilliant from the beginning: You have to write crap before your story can get better. I’m sure this is a rule, written somewhere in the vast and dusty annals of ‘The Craft of Writing Awesome’. We can’t help but compare ourselves to all the amazing writers out there, and yet their picture books and novels that we read have often been through years of rewriting. Nothing we write on day dot will ever come close to it.… It. Takes. Time
3. Your publisher is not all seeing: I had this weird and creepy feeling that my editor could see everything I wrote. Every time I tried to write something down, my mind would conjure up how she would respond to it. My poor delightful editor (sorry Tracy!) turned into the voice of my inner writing critic. It was actually a revelation to me that she couldn’t see my first draft! Once I realised this, it freed me up to play again – to try out all sorts of different story options and to toil through many drafts

Squish and I would love to see all you Melbournites at The Little Bookroom for our morning of Squishy celebrations. The book will be launched by talented author (and all-round lovely person) Wendy Orr, who wrote Nim’s Island as well as one of my current favourite picture books, The Princess and her Panther. There’ll also be plenty of fun for cotton tailed kids and adults, with live music, an illustration demonstration, a book reading and craft table. Hope to see you there!

In review news, the delightful Deb Abela reviewed Squish Rabbit on the ABC radio ‘Drive’ segment with Louise Maher. There were moments where Squish had her laughing so much she had trouble getting her words out! Very sweet. You can read the review here or listen to the audio file at the bottom of the page. Here’s a snippet of what she said:

This story is illustrated by a mix of collage and drawing giving it a rich layered texture that is both as inviting and delightful as a long, warm hug.

Over at Hooray for Books!, an independent bookstore in Virginia, one of the staff names Squish Rabbit as one of her favourite picture books (alongside Oliver Jeffers‘ The Incredible Book Eating Boy - huge complement). Hop on over and read the review on their blog. I love this one – it’s so special when a reviewer really gets inside the heart of a story:

It’s always a pleasure to find an author who understands that childhood is not all sunshine and birthday parties; that children sometimes feel loneliness, and feel it deeply. “Squish Rabbit,” however, is not dark in the slightest; it’s matter-of-fact and elegant in its emotional honesty … I highly recommend it as a thoughtful read-aloud, even for the wee ones.

Boomerang Books is my pick of online Australian bookstores, and over at their Kids’ Book Capers blog they’re currently celebrating a week of literary rabbits. The lovely Tania McCartney has just interviewed Squish – she asks some really sweet questions and does a beautiful job of hosting this little cartoon rabbit. If you read the interview you’ll also get a sneak peek of Squish Rabbit’s second book (which should be coming out August 2012). Kids’ Book Capers’ other resident blogger and fellow rabbit lover, Dee White, has also interviewed me as well as done a lovely book review here.

Exciting times. Now I’d better hop back to the drawing desk. Still more spreads to complete for Squish’s second adventure…

I have been holed up in my writerly burrow, working to deadline on book 2. I’ve been researching the shape of a squirrel’s paws, quietly observing the oddities of chickens, and creeping back into the mind of one very small rabbit. What fun.

Once I can carve out a little more time, I’ll be back on the blogosphere with posts about:

1. The Melbourne launch of Squish Rabbit (Saturday 5th November)
2. What it’s like writing to contract
3. Creating a picture book series
4. Pictures of strange rabbits (which I’ve been collecting on my travels)

I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by  …..~  Douglas Adams