Key takeaways from the panel discussion were to “just get started”, to join a writers’ group where possible for invaluable support and to not get discouraged by rejections.
Award-winning poet, novelist, short story writer and playwright Apirana Taylor, of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Ruanui descent, emphasised the value of sharing work with peers.
He said he was lucky to have supporters like renowned author Patricia Grace and described how they would share their work and offer feedback.
Clare Mabey told the group about using the online platform Substack, which allows writers, journalists and content creators to publish newsletters, podcasts and other digital content and monetise their work through subscriptions.
The co-founder of Verb Wellington literary festival said she enjoyed Substack because it allowed her to be part of a community of readers and writers who could communicate through group chats.
Other takeaways from the panel discussion were the importance of getting a good editor and not being put off by rejections from publishing houses, which were primarily focused on the commercial value of work.
Rebecca Gibbs, Melanie Koster and Marie Gill agreed that doing further study, whether it be taking creative writing courses, doing master’s programmes, or night school classes, was helpful as a way to have the pressure of deadlines and get your work critiqued constructively.
The group believed it was worth entering competitions as a way to get work published if successful.
Storylines offers awards such as the Joy Cowley Award for a picture book text and the Tessa Duder Award for a young adult novel manuscript.
The Storylines tour had already visited 13 schools in Gisborne and Wairoa before their presentation at HB Williams Memorial Library on Tuesday night.
On Thursday, they were travelling up the coast to Whangara School, Tolaga Bay Area School, Tokomaru Bay, Makarika School and Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Waiu o Ngati Porou.
On Friday, they will visit Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Uri a Māui, Gisborne Girls’ High School and Waerenga-o-Kuri School.
Trustee Rosemary Tisdall said they tried to get to as many schools as possible across the country, including rural and remote schools.
She said some students may never have met an author or illustrator before, so it was great for them to engage with the group and realise what was possible.
The tour is designed to inspire children, young adults and their whānau to enjoy the magic of books and reading, especially reading books created for them by New Zealand writers and illustrators.
