Dawn Meredith - Author

 One of the YA writers I greatly admire is Cornelia Funke. Writing in her native German, she then has her work translated into English.The result is a uniquely phrased and beautiful way of writing. For my current novel, I wanted some help with getting that all-important premise sorted, before I actually start writing. My usual method is 'discovery'. As I write the book, I find out the character's passion and motivation. Although it unearths many unexpected pleasures, this is a complicated, frustrating way to write, which results in far too many drafts and a lot of confusion. So I vowed I'd do it differently this time. I asked myself, "which of my favourite authors writes a brilliant, concise blurb and has a proven track record?" One book immediately sprang to mind: Cornelia Funke's Reckless.                        Here's the blurb: Through a mirror... is a dangero...

local artist, Queenstown New Zealand We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done. -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) American Poet   Sometimes, in our quest to achieve, we focus solely on what we want to do and forget to look back and see how far we've come. It doesn't help that we live in a world where everything is up-to-the minute and has to constantly prove itself relevant. We might start to wonder if we have been left behind . That's where friends are so important. They remind us that we are dedicated, talented, persistent and that we will succeed, because we've proven that we have the gumption to keep pushing through obstacles and self-imposed mental/emotional barriers. We think outside the box. We re always looking at things from a unique perspective. As writers, artists or musicians we have already achieved a level of success most people would find amazing. Just reaching out...