When Bethany Loveridge set out to write a junior-fiction series, she was convinced there was an “art and science” to writing for children – and that if she cracked it, she’d finally be signing those author agreements. She was right. Her debut, Josie Mack and the MEGA Division, is the first in an illustrated junior-fiction series out with Wombat Books, with cover and internal artwork by illustrator Jade Goodwin. And since Josie Mack was picked up, Bethany has signed another two books in the series plus seven more contracts besides! What a wonderful start to a career as an author.
Somewhere in that journey was the Australian Writers’ Centre course Writing Chapter Books for 6-9 year olds – the practical, self-paced course she turned to when she wanted to put together “a submission a publisher couldn’t refuse.”
Seven years in, and looking for the thing that worked
By the time she enrolled, Bethany had already been writing for more than seven years – through two mentorships, several writing retreats and two different critique groups. She also arrived with a dose of fatigue. “There are a lot of things – awards, courses, pitches and assessments, societies, and so on and so on – for aspiring authors to spend money on, and it can be hard to know what’s really of value and what’s worth your time and money, both limited quantities,” she explains.
Ideas, though, were never the problem. “Unlike money and time and energy, one thing I am never short of is ideas,” she says. “It’s super important to me that I don’t waste my time, so I wanted to find something super practical, self-paced, affordable, and reputable. This course ticked all those boxes, so then I only had my own procrastination to contend with.” She had a particular idea for a junior-fiction series she believed in, and she wanted to give it the best possible shot.
All the information in one place
What Bethany valued most was having the research gathered and distilled. “It’s incredibly useful to have all the information together in one place – what do other authors write about for junior-fiction readers? What do they avoid writing about? How long are their stories?” she says about the course. She still loves poring over books at the local bookstore or library, “but it made my industrious but tired heart happy to have the research presented like this.”
From there, she soaked up the techniques and advice taught in the course. “I also sucked up everything I could about including high stakes, tight word counts, forward-moving pacing, and writing to aim for that sweet spot that booksellers want,” she says.
Beyond the practical lessons, she enjoyed being part of a community. “Anytime I meet or hear from successful authors and illustrators it shrinks the (previously thought to be highfalutin) literary world a little bit, which makes everything feel more achievable,” she says. “Completing courses and being part of a community of practice makes me feel more legitimate. Like maybe almost a real author.”
The book of her childhood dreams
To understand Josie Mack, it helps to picture Bethany as a child. “As a child, I was happy to be by myself, usually out in the 12-acre yard with no shoes and a
head full of adventure,” she says. “I would sit by the creek and make mud castles, fashion (dangerously rickety) cubby houses, hug trees and dream about talking to animals. I have always loved animals.”
To this day, she says, she would rather visit Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary than any theme park. All of which is her “wordy way of saying that Josie Mack and the MEGA Division is the book of my childhood dreams.”
The story begins when a wombat named Ursula knocks on Josie’s window one night. Josie hopes her lifelong wish for a pet has finally come true – but Ursula is on an important mission for the Fellowship of Underground Nocturnals (the FUN), who need human help to solve their wildlife woes. After proving how well they work as a team, Josie and Ursula are invited to join the FUN’s MEGA Division, which will make them mega-sized. But will joining the MEGA Division be a mega mistake?
It’s an adventure built to engage young readers while quietly celebrating friendship, creative problem-solving and the impact humans have on Australia’s marvellous and unique plants and animals. And Bethany is quick to share the credit with her illustrator. “Jade has brought my characters to life as the sweetest little friends imaginable,” she says of Jade Goodwin’s artwork.
From job-hopper to full-time storyteller
When Bethany was younger she didn’t imagine she would be an author. “When I was young I thought you could grow up and be a doctor, teacher, or marine biologist. Those were the only three options,” she laughs. “Well, blood makes me squeamish and I’m afraid of whales and the open sea, so I became a teacher.”
These days she teaches part time and writes on Mondays and in whatever other pockets of time she can find. “What a privilege it is to work with young people now, filling their heads with literary dreams as I chase mine,” she says.
Her writing process is equal parts discipline and whimsy. “I am a fast writer but thrive when I have parameters,” she says. Before she starts a story, she dreams it up in her head – often as her head hits the pillow. “I will literally invite my characters into my mind as my head hits the pillow – okay, buddy, what trouble are you going to get into tonight and how will you get out of it?!”
Once the ideas have cooked, she builds a chapter-by-chapter outline “that plumps as I dream of another plot-point, or re-numbers itself when I plug a hole.” Only then, with her map in hand, does she sit down to write.
As for the moment she found out she got a book deal? “When I first heard I was going to be offered a contract, I felt like the towering wall between me and all the real authors had finally broken,” she says. “I knew it was just the start and that I would make a career out of writing for children.” As it happened, the day she signed was the same day as the CYA Conference in Brisbane, where she got to “whisper in a few friends’ ears and be extra merry.”
Almost a real author, and then some
From her home in Brisbane, Queensland, Bethany is now busier than she ever imagined with several writing projects on the go. When asked whether she’d recommend an Australian Writers’ Centre course to a friend, she doesn’t hesitate.
“It’s more than just a course run by a faceless institution, it’s a lovely community for learning and growth, with an excellent podcast, active social media, newsletter and other resources.”
Follow Bethany on Instagram and Facebook.
Course taken at AWC:
