October is always an exciting time of the year with lots of artistic initiatives taking place around us, awards submissions opening here and there and Halloween looming up on the horizon. So, coming mid-September, I was genuinely hopeful and since I had just delivered the full storyboard for Miles and Jones #4 , I felt like I had plenty of time ahead to work on personal projects before starting the final pages.  I looked at the SCBWI Artober Prompts and started to draft a story based on those. This quickly morphed into a storyboard and soon I had a ten to twelve pages of a short comic story based on these prompts. I was really excited and then I realized that there was a 2 weeks school holiday in October and that we booked a bach at the beach for a week. I had also promised family that we would visit them, time suddenly shrank. I also discovered that a US literary agent specialising in comic books, was launching a 6 week-long marketing course on how to launch your graphic no...

  Ella Gordon is an illustrator based in Ōtautahi, New Zealand. She's been illustrating (and writing) stories since she could hold a pencil. Her first picture book was published in 2022 and since then she's illustrated more than 10 books! She's also had artworks displayed in Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, and other galleries overseas. You may have seen her books featured on  Suzy's Book Corner , or at your local bookstore.  What is your writing or illustrating day like? When and how do you create? I create all the time! I try to be disciplined and work "normal" hours so, Monday to Friday, you'll find me working on picture book illustrations and other commissions from my studio (or somewhere equally as comfy) with my cats, and probably an audiobook in the background. I work digitally, but in the evenings and weekends, I love to create with other mediums, I love to write, paint with watercolours, and I just started lace tatting - basically, I l...

Angie Belcher has been lurking around the writing fraternity for an eternity. In the late 1990’s, she had work accepted by Learning Media which set her on a path of educational writing. She’s watched other New Zealand writers strive and succeed while she sat back and watched. Finally, she got into gear and sent some work to traditional publishers. The Woven Flax Kete (illustrated by Denise Durkin) The Girls in the Kapa haka and The Boys in the Waka ama (both illustrated by Debbie Tipuna) were published, followed more recently by Pipi Dance (illustrated by Lily Uivel) and The Big Boil-Up (illustrated by Zak Ātea). Angie’s work is heavily in influenced by living in Maketū. Both Pipi Dance/ Te Pikari Pipi and The Big Boil-Up/ Te Kai kōhua Nui have been translated into te reo by Pānia Papa. What is your writing or illustrating day like? When and how do you create? Whoever said ‘ retirement was relaxing’ lied. I’ve never been so busy, so now I try to set aside one day per week as my ...