Jane Smith | Author
Jane Smith
Phone: +61 2 9918 2168
Reviews
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25.01.2022 Misuse of the word ‘incidence’ is becoming so common that I think it’ll be one of those words that will change its meaning over time. But we’re not there yet, so I’ll try to unravel the confusion. For the full tip, see: https://www.janesmitheditor.com//writing-tip-25-frequently #writingtips #howtowrite #writingadvice
24.01.2022 As an editor, I often work with new authors. I find that the same questions come up time after time about the publishing industry - whether to self-publish or submit to a traditional publisher; what the different levels of editing are; what's involved in the publication process; how to promote a book; how to improve writing skills and more. I thought it might be useful to have a manual that addresses these questions in a concise and practical way. So here it is: my document 'Writing, editing and publishing: advice for new authors', freely downloadable from my website: https://www.janesmitheditor.com/resources.html . Please share and use. Feedback would be welcome.
23.01.2022 Coming up soon: Q&A about Ship of Death. You need to register to get the Zoom link, but you don't need to be a library member: https://mnclibrary.org.au//jane-smith-live-online-stories/
22.01.2022 Book launch coming soon
22.01.2022 I was taught English by a strict traditionalist. She taught me what an infinitive was and warned me that I should never, ever, ever split one. She was wrong! For the full tip, see my blog: https://www.janesmitheditor.com//writing-tip-21-split-infi #writing #writingtips #writingadvice #editing #writingcoach #howtowrite
22.01.2022 Thanks Lions Club for inviting me to join you last week. It was a real treat.
21.01.2022 Writing tip #15: Let your characters reveal themselves. It’s easy and therefore tempting to describe your characters for the reader up front and just get it all over and done with. Resist the urge! This is a very common mistake, and to avoid it takes careful thinking and planning. Read the full tip here: https://www.janesmitheditor.com//writing-tip-15-let-charac #writingtips #howtowrite #writingcoach #editing #writingtip #writingcommunity #fictionwriting
21.01.2022 Writing tip #29: Cull your characters. Readers can only keep track of so many characters in a novel. Too many minor characters can make them confused and disengaged. Read the full tip here: https://www.janesmitheditor.com//writing-tip-29-cull-your- #writingtips #howtowrite
20.01.2022 Writing tip #17 discusses the use of the non-gendered pronoun 'they'. For the full tip, please visit my blog: https://www.janesmitheditor.com//writing-tip-17-the-non-ge #writingtips #writingtip #editing #editing #writingcoach #writing #writingcommunity #howtowrite #writingadvice
19.01.2022 Writing tip #16 is about the frequently misused word 'comprised'. ‘Comprised’ and ‘composed’ have related meanings but they’re NOT interchangeable. For the full tip, please visit my blog https://www.janesmitheditor.com//writing-tip-16-frequently #writingtips #writingcoach #howtowrite #writingadvice #writing
19.01.2022 Just arrived!!!!
18.01.2022 Virtual book launch live in one hour!
17.01.2022 I always, always wanted to be a writer. Still can't quite believe it's real - but copies of my latest book arrived today. Thanks Big Sky Publishing and thanks Pat Kan for the great art work ... again!
16.01.2022 Here's another nice review of my new kids' fiction series 'Carly Mills, Pioneer Girl', published by Big Sky Publishing. Pleased to see good reviews coming in as we prepare for the release of book 2! http://readingtime.com.au/carly-mills-pioneer-girl-a-new-w/
14.01.2022 Question: What's better than a Tommy Bell, Bushranger Boy book? Answer: FOUR Tommy Bell, Bushranger Boy books! Box set of the first 4 books coming in May. Order here: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/gb1O0B or from @bigskypub "An exciting, easy-to-read, action-packed fictional romp through Australian bushranging history" (Sandy Fussell, Sunday Telegraph) #kidsbooks #kidsbookshelf #middlegradebooks #australianhistory #timetravel #historyteacher #ozkidsbooks #bushrangers #historicalfiction #childrensbooks #kidlit
14.01.2022 The winners of the Carly Mills book giveaway have been finalised! Congratulations to Highlands Christian College, Forest Hill College, Flagstaff Hill Primary, St Francis Xavier (Goodna), Toowoomba Anglican School, The Pittwater House Schools and bonus! - Bracken Ridge State School. The @indigenousliteracyfoundation will also receive a donation of $210 today. Thank you to all who participated; I hope you and your students enjoy the book. Don't forget to access the free teaching notes here: https://www.carlymillspioneergirl.com/for-teachers.html #carlymillspioneergirl #bookgiveaway #giveaway #EmpowerHer #WomensHistoryMonth #kidsbooks #englishteacher #raisingreaders #WomensHistory #GoForItGirl #girlpower May be an image of standing, fireworks and night
14.01.2022 I’ll admit it: this one drives me more nuts than it should. When people say ‘potentially’ (and they say it far too often, in my opinion!) they usually mean ‘possibly’ but the two words are not strictly interchangeable. For the full tip, please see https://www.janesmitheditor.com//writing-tip-22-frequently. This series of brief tips addresses the common writing problems that I’ve encountered as an author and editor. Following them will help make your writing clear, accurate and stylish. For the full series, see my blog: https://janesmitheditor.com/writing-tips #writingtips #writingcoach #writingadvice #writing #writingcommunity #editing #howtowrite
14.01.2022 It might seem obvious, but it’s worth pausing for a moment and asking yourself: what is your aim in writing your novel? What is your target audience? Most importantly, what do you want your readers to gain from reading your book? This will help you decide what to keep and what to ditch. For the full tip, see: https://www.janesmitheditor.com//writing-tip-30-define-you #writingtips #writingadvice #howtowrite #writingcoach
13.01.2022 Writing tip #19 is 'Keep your sentences simple'. I don’t mean all your sentences should be short; on the contrary, varying your sentence length will aid the rhythm and flow of your writing. What I mean is that it’s best not to cram unrelated ideas into one sentence and try to make them fit. For the full tip, see my blog: https://www.janesmitheditor.com//writing-tip-19-keep-your- #writingtips #howtowrite #writingadvice #writingcoach
11.01.2022 Looking forward to joining Port Macquarie Hastings Library Service for this chat on 4th September. Please register to join us.
10.01.2022 Carly Mills: Official launch
10.01.2022 Tip #23: Know your quirks - favourite words. Sometimes we use particular words or phrases more often than we should, and we’re not even aware of it. For the full tip, see https://janesmitheditor.com//writing-tip-23-know-your-quir #howtowrite #writingtips #writingadvice
08.01.2022 Writing tip #26: Cut the small talk. Pleasantries have little place in dialogue in a novel. They slow the pace right down. Read the full tip here: https://www.janesmitheditor.com//writing-tip-26-cut-the-sm. #writing #writingadvice #writingtip #writingcoach #writingcommunity #writingtips #howtowrite #editing
08.01.2022 I hope you'll join me for a chat on Saturday at 3pm - LIVE at The tragedy of the 'Emigrant' - Ship of Death by Jane Smith
08.01.2022 Friends! I hope you can join me on Facebook Live for the launch of 'Carly Mills, Pioneer Girl'. I will be at Jeremy's Book Exchange on Friday 16th October at 7pm with Diane from Big Sky Publishing and a group of teachers and local humanitarians, including Genevieve from PEACE Positive Empathy And Community Engagement. We'll be celebrating the books and having a lively discussion about the wonderful achievements of women through history. Please mark your diary and join us then - just jump onto my newsfeed here at 7pm on Friday 16th Oct. #womeninhistory #kidslit #kidsliterature #kidsbooks #middlegradebooks #middlegradefiction
07.01.2022 Dame Nellie Melba helped to put Australia on the cultural map. A woman who refused to accept the view that a life on the stage was not suitable for ‘respectable’ women. #historyforkids #nelliemelba #carlymillspioneergirl #womeninhistory #mightygirls #australianhistory
06.01.2022 It’s just occurred to me that Captain Moonlite was actually ahead of his time with regard to social responsibility and infection control. So misunderstood for all these years! See www.janesmithauthor.com or www.bigskypublishing.com to buy the 'Tommy Bell, Bushranger Boy' series. Free teaching notes available! #bushrangers #middlegradebooks #middlegradefiction #australianhistory #kidsbooks #kidsbookshelf #kidlit #historyteacher #adventurestories #crimestories #tommybellbushrangerboy #ozkidlit #bigskypublishing
06.01.2022 Contrary to popular belief, disinterested does not mean bored or uninterested. It means impartial, or not having an interest where the word ‘interest’ refers to a benefit or advantage. Think of ‘disinterested’ as not having a vested interest, or not having something to gain. Here’s a thought that may help: You would expect a judge to be disinterested but not uninterested in your case. But language evolves, you might protest and yes; you’d be right. Pretty soon no one will remember that ‘disinterested’ once meant impartial. But now you know, and you can decide how you want to use it. I rather like the original meaning. Full the full series of writing tips, see my blog: https://www.weebly.com/editor/main.php#/
06.01.2022 Details bring a story to life: the sights, sounds, smells and feelings. In fiction or narrative non-fiction, these details are crucial. But they do need to be credible! Write a timeline and check every detail. For the full tip: https://www.janesmitheditor.com//writing-tip-24-details-ma #writingtips #writingadvice #writingcommunity #writingcoach #writing #howtowrite #editing #WritingHack
05.01.2022 "This is a great book for any primary age school kid" (Hayley Hunkin, CKT). 'Shoot-out at the Rock' is the first 'Tommy Bell, Bushranger Boy' book - soon to be available in a box set of 4: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/gb1O0B or @bigskypub #kidsbooks #kidlit #childrensbooks #middlegradebooks #historicalfiction #bushrangers #historyteacher #timetravel #australianhistorybooks ##middlegradeadventure #adventurestories
03.01.2022 I work part-time as an archivist, and last week I took home an archival box of newspaper clippings to sort out. Next morning I woke to this. It's heartwarming to think little George might share my love of history. (Lucky I had removed the contents!)
03.01.2022 With book 2 in the ‘Carly Mills, Pioneer Girl’ series coming out soon, I’d like to remind teachers that lots of fantastic free resources relating to the books (including teaching notes and quizzes for kids) are available from my website: https://carlymillspioneergirl.weebly.com/ . Thanks Allison Marlow Paterson - Author and Big Sky Publishing for the teaching notes for book 2.
03.01.2022 What on earth is 'ship's biscuit'? And how many peas could you eat in a day? Find out answers to these pressing questions and more on the 170th anniversary of the arrival of typhus-stricken ship 'Emigrant'. I'll be LIVE on Facebook to chat about the 'Ship of Death' at 3pm on Saturday 8 August.
02.01.2022 I am honoured to have been the interviewee on Sonia Bestulic's 'Chatabout Children' podcast for Book Week this year. Here it is: https://chataboutchildren.com/spotlight-on-childrens-autho/
01.01.2022 Spotted at the @royalbullsheadinn ! #australianhistory #bushranger #kidsbooks #kidsbookstagram #historicalfiction #historicalbuildings #nationaltrust #toowoombahistory
01.01.2022 Amazing discovery! I was recently contacted by a man (Allan) who had unearthed an old watercolour painting that had been in his family for generations. The family believed it was painted by the bushranger ‘Captain Starlight’ when he visited their station Yarawa (near Mungindi) during the floods in 1890. I’m pretty sure it’s genuine. AND it fills in another little gap in his timeline. According to family history, Starlight/Pearson/Gordon had ‘all the ways, manners, and appearance of a most perfect English aristocrat’. It seems he was also full of his usual lies. This painting was accompanied by several more. I’m sharing one of them here with Allan’s permission. What an exciting find!
01.01.2022 Writing tip #20 is 'Watch out for redundant words'. Most of us use redundant words without noticing. As you revise your work, look at every word and ask yourself: is it necessary? Does it benefit the sentence? (And don't get me started on the current fad of throwing ‘moving forward’ or ‘going forward’ into every second sentence.) For the full tip, see my blog: https://www.janesmitheditor.com//writing-tip-20-watch-out- #writingtips #writingcoach #writingadvice #howtowrite #writingcommunity #editing
