Episode 28 - The Children’s Book Author
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Transcript
This transcription is automated, therefore it may not be 100% accurate. It is to be used as a guide only as the AI bots may have some things wrong.
0:00:00 - (Nicole): This episode of bring your kid to work is brought to you by Lioness Media.
0:00:04 - (Nicole): It's time to bring your kid to work.
0:00:07 - (Nicole): Hey everyone. It's time to bring your kid to work. It's the family podcast that explores the world of work through the eyes of parents and their kids. Each week we interview one parent and their child to chat about what they do for work, what they like, what they don't like, and how they got there in the first place. Let's find out who we're talking to today.
0:00:29 - (Nicole): Our two wonderful guests today are Aleesah.
0:00:32 - (Nicole): And her son Finn.
0:00:33 - (Nicole): Aleesah Darlison is a multi published, award winning australian children's author. She's written over 50 books for children, including picture books, chapter books, novels and series. Aleesah's novels include the Fantastic League of Llama series and the Netball Gems series.
0:00:50 - (Nicole): And bring your kid to work.
0:00:52 - (Nicole): Listeners get to hear about a brand new book coming out on the 1 May.
0:00:56 - (Nicole): I'm so excited.
0:00:58 - (Nicole): Aleesah brings with her one of her four sources of inspiration, her youngest child, Finn. Finn is a sports mad nine year old who wants to be a professional.
0:01:07 - (Nicole): Golfer when he grows up.
0:01:09 - (Nicole): It was fantastic getting to know these two. We had a great conversation that I love.
0:01:13 - (Nicole): I know you're going to enjoy it.
0:01:14 - (Nicole): Too, so let's get on with the show.
0:01:18 - (Nicole): Welcome to your both to bring your kid to work. I'm so excited to welcome two incredible guests today.
0:01:24 - (Nicole): I've got Finn and I've got Aleesah.
0:01:27 - (Nicole): And this episode is called the children's.
0:01:29 - (Nicole): Book author and I'm really excited to.
0:01:32 - (Nicole): Chat to Finn and Aleesah about books and life and work and all those things.
0:01:36 - (Nicole): I'm going to start with you, Finn.
0:01:38 - (Nicole): Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? How old are you? What grade are you in?
0:01:42 - (Nicole): That kind of stuff.
0:01:43 - (Finn): I'm nine years old and I'm in grade four and I like playing soccer and golf.
0:01:51 - (Nicole): Oh, soccer and golf, yeah.
0:01:54 - (Nicole): Fantastic. Are you someone who goes and plays on a driving range or do you play on a course, like the whole thing?
0:02:01 - (Finn): We do a bit of both, yeah. Every. Probably every week.
0:02:08 - (Nicole): Wow.
0:02:09 - (Aleesah): Every day.
0:02:11 - (Nicole): That's fantastic.
0:02:13 - (Aleesah): Yeah, he loves his golf, loves his soccer, and he's got a few competitions coming up in the holidays, so that'll keep him busy.
0:02:20 - (Nicole): Nice.
0:02:20 - (Nicole): Now, Finn, who did you bring with you? Who's that person sitting next to you?
0:02:24 - (Finn): This is my mum. She's in Woolworth Bar.
0:02:27 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:02:28 - (Nicole): What kind of books does your mum write?
0:02:30 - (Finn): She writes children's books mostly.
0:02:33 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:02:34 - (Nicole): And good books.
0:02:36 - (Nicole): I know because your mum's won awards and has written like more than 50 books.
0:02:41 - (Nicole): Yeah, yeah.
0:02:42 - (Nicole): It's pretty impressive, isn't it?
0:02:44 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:02:45 - (Nicole): So as a children's book author, what do you see your mum doing all day for work? What does she do?
0:02:50 - (Nicole): She likes doing her work and talking.
0:02:57 - (Finn): To lots of people about their books too.
0:03:00 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:03:01 - (Nicole): As a day goes on, if you're sitting there watching mum doing work, is she having meetings? Is she writing in a notebook? Is she on a computer? Is she on the phone? What is she doing?
0:03:11 - (Finn): She's mostly on her computer.
0:03:14 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:03:15 - (Finn): Emailing people and telling them what they could improve and how their story is.
0:03:24 - (Aleesah): That's when I'm mentoring people and doing assessments. Yeah, gotcha.
0:03:30 - (Nicole): Yeah, yeah, a lot, yeah, a lot of that. Aleesah, welcome.
0:03:35 - (Nicole): Very excited to have you.
0:03:36 - (Aleesah): Oh, pleasure.
0:03:38 - (Nicole): Writing books sounds like something that a lot of people think that would be a brilliant job for them because they get to sit and think and write wonderful words.
0:03:48 - (Nicole): But it's not just sitting in front.
0:03:49 - (Nicole): Of a computer, is it?
0:03:50 - (Nicole): You've got to do a lot to.
0:03:51 - (Nicole): Get those books out in the world.
0:03:53 - (Nicole): That's right.
0:03:54 - (Aleesah): Originally when I started writing, I thought, oh, it's something I can do at home while the kids are at school or while they're sleeping when they're really little. And I thought, yeah, definitely you're based at home, but there's a lot of travel involved, there's a lot of promotions involved. Publishers like and expect you to promote your work as well. And as an author, you have a lot of income streams also if you want to make it a career, not just a side job.
0:04:16 - (Aleesah): So you will be doing those mentorships, those assessments, you're visiting schools, libraries, festivals, talking about your work, you're teaching others to write, you're writing your own work, but yes, you're doing a whole load of different things.
0:04:30 - (Nicole): So.
0:04:30 - (Aleesah): So it's a very diverse job. It's really interesting. I absolutely love it, all the facets of it. I just wish I had a little bit more time in the day to cover everything.
0:04:43 - (Nicole): No, there's not.
0:04:44 - (Aleesah): And I think what you can tend to do when it's your own, like writing business or author business, you create work for yourself. Whenever you see opportunities, you follow them up. So that can be, you know, that kind of plays on your mind all the time.
0:04:59 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:05:00 - (Nicole): Because sometimes you can over schedule yourself and then you realize, oh, I've got no time to actually, I don't know, have a shower, have some sleep.
0:05:05 - (Aleesah): Yes. Or write or sit and think and dream, which is also important. And sometimes, you know, we feel guilty for that spare time, or we fill up that spare time with looking at our phones or, you know, watching tv. But you sometimes, as an author, you just need that time to create and think and let your mind wander.
0:05:25 - (Nicole): Yeah, you do. Because where do your ideas come from otherwise?
0:05:28 - (Finn): A lot.
0:05:29 - (Aleesah): It's been handy having children because I get a lot of ideas from my kids, and that enables me, you know, not only to have the ideas, the issues, their imagination, the way they talk, their activities. So that has been a veritable treasure trove of ideas for me, for books.
0:05:47 - (Nicole): Oh, so that's a good tip for authors. If they want more ideas, they should just make more small humans, and then.
0:05:54 - (Aleesah): You'Ll never have time to actually write. Yeah, it's a bit of balance there. Maybe just borrow some from next door or, you know, from your sisters or brothers, you know, go to a shopping center and just observe how children behave. Yeah, that's pretty funny, too. And it's a good source of characters, I bet.
0:06:12 - (Nicole): I bet.
0:06:13 - (Nicole): Finn, your mum's obviously been writing for a little while. You've been watching her do this. Is that something that you're interested in.
0:06:19 - (Nicole): Doing when you grow up?
0:06:20 - (Finn): Not as much, but I would like to play golf a lot.
0:06:28 - (Nicole): Yes.
0:06:28 - (Finn): But I still like doing, like writing some stories with her and drawing and doing all sorts of book type things.
0:06:40 - (Aleesah): You've been writing a story at school at the moment, haven't you?
0:06:43 - (Finn): Yeah, it's a traditional story about Japan.
0:06:46 - (Nicole): Oh, that sounds interesting.
0:06:49 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:06:49 - (Aleesah): Put a lot of thought into it, a lot of time and effort. But you got edited, didn't you, by your teacher?
0:06:55 - (Finn): Yeah, a lot.
0:06:58 - (Nicole): Is that a fun process, Finn?
0:07:00 - (Finn): No.
0:07:01 - (Aleesah): No, not at all.
0:07:02 - (Nicole): Do you find that a fun process for yourself, Aleesah?
0:07:05 - (Aleesah): Not always. It's funny because you will get edited no matter what happens. Your publisher will give you feedback and edit, and you, your manuscript comes back with lots of read things through it. And it's always when you first see it, it's like, oh, no, I've got a lot more work to do. But then once you read through it, you realize it's all to make your story better. And for me, working just editing my own stuff, I know I've got to write it 10, 20, 30 times before I send it anywhere. And that can be for a picture book of 500 words, or it can be for a novel of, you know, 50,000 words.
0:07:39 - (Aleesah): So it's all part of the process. The really important thing is getting those first words down onto the page. It's no good having them in the head gotta have them on paper. And once that's down, I feel so good. And then I know I can just sculpt and polish, hopefully get that story ready to submit.
0:07:57 - (Nicole): Well, I read something recently that said your head is for having ideas, not for storing them. So you need that space, don't you? Gotta get them out so that you've got room for next lot of ideas to come.
0:08:07 - (Nicole): Absolutely.
0:08:07 - (Aleesah): And I would go absolutely batty if I kept all the ideas in my head. I just. I have so much flowing through mine. And it's not just creative ideas, it's all those other things, all those jobs you need to get done. It doesn't mean we have to use every idea straight away. But if you think of, like, a novel, it can hang on one idea. You might need 5100, a thousand great ideas sewn together or woven together to make a novel work. So the more ideas you can collect, the better you'll be with your writing.
0:08:35 - (Nicole): Oh, that is an excellent tip. Is that what you've been doing with your book, Finn? Collecting lots of different ideas and figuring out which ones you want, which ones you want to reject?
0:08:43 - (Finn): Yeah, I'm asking a few of my friends about some things when I need to think about some hard things. And I do like getting feedback to help my story, but sometimes it can.
0:08:58 - (Nicole): Be annoying, especially when you've got a really. That you feel really passionate about.
0:09:05 - (Aleesah): Yeah. Like a lot of writers, it's very hard to let that go. It's that whole saying of kill your darlings. You think you've got a great concept or character or line, but it just doesn't fit in. You've got to get rid of it. But if I'm doing that, I will do a save, as with my file, or I'll put it somewhere else. So that idea, those words still exist somewhere.
0:09:26 - (Nicole): So it makes me feel better, but.
0:09:28 - (Aleesah): Not in this particular story.
0:09:29 - (Nicole): So you put it in a coma rather than killing the darling.
0:09:33 - (Aleesah): Absolutely.
0:09:34 - (Nicole): Finn, if you're wanting to be a professional golfer, what is that going to take? What do you think you have to do to be a professional golfer?
0:09:41 - (Finn): I have to definitely practice as long as I can every day. And I just now believe in myself and try my hardest.
0:09:54 - (Nicole): Those are excellent ways of getting to be a professional golfer.
0:09:58 - (Nicole): And what is it you love about golf?
0:10:00 - (Nicole): Why do you want to do that for a job?
0:10:01 - (Finn): It's just really, really fun. And you get to earn lots and lots of money and big trophies. And I can definitely play with my friends a lot on that sport.
0:10:16 - (Nicole): Yeah, for sure.
0:10:17 - (Aleesah): It's a lot of practice. It's a long road to the top. It's a bit like riding, actually. And those little things he said, you know, believing in yourself and practicing every day, it applies to anything you want to be good at.
0:10:28 - (Nicole): Yeah, that's so true. Every day, just doing a little bit more.
0:10:30 - (Aleesah): His dad coaches him at the moment, and he's caddy. I'm the kind of backup caddy. So we do a lot of walking on golf courses. Great place for finding ideas.
0:10:39 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:10:40 - (Aleesah): And seeing lots of snakes, too, at the moment. And, yes, when we get older, I'm going to look after all of these animals. We're going to have a menagerie. And, like, I write a lot of animal stories. It's a great way for me to do my research firsthand.
0:10:54 - (Nicole): Yeah, for sure it is. Because you've got to learn about the animals behavior and what they like and what they don't like to be able.
0:11:01 - (Nicole): To write about them, right?
0:11:02 - (Aleesah): Yeah, absolutely. And a lot of it's not actually in books. We're still learning a lot about animals. So you have to ask experts. You have to visit zoos, wildlife parks, go for walks in the bush, or if you have those animals yourself, like, really getting to know them inside and out and, you know, on a daily basis, all their little quirks and unique characteristics.
0:11:23 - (Nicole): So I know you've got the League of Llamas series. Is that something you had to do for the League of llamas? You had to go learn about llamas, see them out in their environment?
0:11:32 - (Nicole): Yep.
0:11:33 - (Aleesah): Finn came along with me, too. We've been to a lot of llama Farms and that was so much fun. A friend of mine, Maura Pielo, she also took me to the llama farm down near Canberra. I've been in a couple in Queensland. It's just the best.
0:11:48 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:11:48 - (Aleesah): They're gorgeous animals. I love them so much and they make the most amazing sounds. You've had a few photos taken with llamas, haven't you?
0:11:54 - (Nicole): Yeah, yeah. Have you been an author for your entire career, Lisa, or did you do other things before this?
0:12:00 - (Aleesah): No, I was in my marketing for many years. When I was 16, I won a competition and had stories published, short stories published. And I said to everyone, I want to be an author. And everyone said, oh, it's new.
0:12:12 - (Nicole): That's too hard.
0:12:13 - (Aleesah): You'll never make it. So instead of studying creative writing, which I didn't realize you could actually do at university, it wasn't as much of.
0:12:20 - (Nicole): A pathway back then.
0:12:21 - (Aleesah): I went to uni and studied marketing, worked in corporate marketing, but in the background, even at uni. And for many years while I was working, I was always writing stories. And I just thought, oh, it's a hobby, because that's what I was told it was. But then I started having my own children, thought, yes, I'll do this work from home, but I've got to do it right. And I started to learn to write properly, research things, different ideas and concepts I wanted to write about, and also to immerse myself in industry.
0:12:51 - (Aleesah): So learning from other authors and attending festivals and workshops. And then the penny really dropped. And that's when I started writing properly and submitting to publishers.
0:13:01 - (Nicole): But it sounds like you've been writing your whole career, just a different way of writing.
0:13:05 - (Aleesah): Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. But it is very different. And then people say, oh, well, you studied marketing, you must be good at marketing books. But again, that's different to marketing financial products or pharmaceuticals, which is where I was working before, but some of the skills still apply, but you have to make it really fit into the industry that you're working in. Children's writing is a little bit different to other writing as well, and you.
0:13:30 - (Nicole): Have fewer words to use, so you have to be really careful to choose them correctly. Do you test those things on your kids, Lisa?
0:13:37 - (Aleesah): Yes, they have. Especially my daughter. She was often my beta reader when she was younger. So I will test things on them. I'll run past them with character names and concepts, or I'll just use them as the character traits that they've got or things that they've done. But my kids have often been involved in a lot of my stories, even barely there. My picture book is about a boy with his teddy bear that's getting really old. That's based on my eldest son, and he's 20 now.
0:14:07 - (Aleesah): So, yeah, little bits of their lives have been sprinkled into the stories as well as mine, and then they've been involved in many, many ways, coming to book launches and things like that as well. Yeah, they've been pretty supportive.
0:14:20 - (Nicole): Yeah, well, it sounds like it, because obviously getting ideas and things like that and quite happy to share those things with your mum, which is brilliant for. Which is your favourite of your mum's books. Do you have a favourite?
0:14:31 - (Finn): Maybe super slump?
0:14:35 - (Nicole): Yeah, there's so many to choose from.
0:14:37 - (Finn): And letting a league of endangered animal tails, if you change to dye those.
0:14:42 - (Aleesah): Yeah.
0:14:42 - (Finn): Yep.
0:14:43 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:14:44 - (Aleesah): So, yeah, there's a picture book series, the endangered animal Tales series. So we've got poppy the punk turtle. She's a bottom breathing turtle. Rusty, the rainbow bird.
0:14:52 - (Nicole): Mm hmm. You got cocoa.
0:14:54 - (Aleesah): Cocoa, the pan fish. The fish with hands, and banjo, the boiler with bounce. Yeah. So many animals, not enough time.
0:15:02 - (Nicole): No, exactly. Well, the good thing is there's a whole world of animals that you can choose from. So you can just keep going.
0:15:07 - (Aleesah): Absolutely. I've got a lot of topics to write on still.
0:15:11 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:15:11 - (Nicole): It's brilliant, Finn. Mum was saying she worked in marketing before being an author. But most people have a job when they're, like, high school or in university. Do you know what your mum's first job was?
0:15:23 - (Finn): Working at a grocery store.
0:15:26 - (Aleesah): I did work in a grocery store for several years, putting myself through uni. But before that, I was in a plant nursery.
0:15:32 - (Finn): Oh, yeah.
0:15:33 - (Aleesah): Do you remember me telling you about that? Yep.
0:15:35 - (Nicole): Oh, wow. And how was that? Oh, I loved it.
0:15:38 - (Aleesah): I used to get wet all the time from the hose, though. It was no good at watering it, but, you know, have to water a lot of plants.
0:15:44 - (Nicole): I loved it.
0:15:45 - (Aleesah): I learned a lot about plants, which is really great for stories as well. And I love plants and flowers, and I try to share that with the kids, too, but, no, it was a lovely job. Yeah.
0:15:56 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:15:56 - (Nicole): Nice. Do you think you'll have a first job yourself, Finn?
0:16:00 - (Finn): Probably not. I just want to keep doing golf.
0:16:04 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:16:05 - (Aleesah): I might work in a pro shop.
0:16:08 - (Finn): Yeah.
0:16:09 - (Aleesah): When he wins his competitions at the moment, he gets a voucher to spend at the pro shops. So that can be, you know, 20, $30. So he feels like he gets his little earnings there to spend on the things that he enjoys.
0:16:25 - (Nicole): That's impressive, Finn. You know, I miss about five times out of six when I try and swing a golf club. I'm terrible at it. I am very impressed with anyone who can play.
0:16:35 - (Aleesah): I need a bit more practice, too.
0:16:36 - (Nicole): What about uni for you, Finn? Do you think that's something you're interested in?
0:16:40 - (Finn): Maybe I might go the golf uni.
0:16:44 - (Aleesah): You can go through the college system in America and play golf that way and also go to uni.
0:16:52 - (Nicole): Well, it'd be pretty cool, if you do want to go to university, that you could do it and play golf at the same time, and that'd be fantastic. And so apart from golf and soccer, what are the other things that you love then, Finn?
0:17:03 - (Finn): I like playing basketball with my hoop outside.
0:17:07 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:17:08 - (Finn): Cricket. I play some cricket games with my friends.
0:17:14 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:17:15 - (Finn): Sometimes in the season.
0:17:17 - (Nicole): And are you a reader as well? Do you like reading books as well as writing your stories?
0:17:21 - (Finn): Yeah, I like reading.
0:17:23 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:17:24 - (Finn): I like diver Wemby kid, mum's books. And I also like Marvel things like comics or something.
0:17:33 - (Nicole): Yeah, yeah.
0:17:34 - (Nicole): Anything that you can get your hands on that has got a great story and great pictures and things, I think. Go for it.
0:17:40 - (Finn): All sports books, like golf books and stuff.
0:17:44 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:17:45 - (Nicole): My son loved those tiny Timmy books.
0:17:48 - (Finn): Oh yeah, I have a few of those eyes.
0:17:50 - (Aleesah): Yep, we've read a few of those. Anything relating to sport. He loves reading and funny stuff as well.
0:17:55 - (Finn): Aaron Blaidy.
0:17:56 - (Aleesah): Oh yeah, we've got cat on the run, his new series. So starting that one.
0:18:01 - (Nicole): Yeah, brilliant.
0:18:02 - (Nicole): You got to go from pug to something else. I love that idea. And Finn, what about at school? What do you love at school apart from the sports? Because that's clearly a love of yours.
0:18:12 - (Finn): I do like doing maths because sometimes we do some fun math games and I usually pick my friends to be in my group and things. And I like English writing some stories and I like science because we get to do some experiments.
0:18:34 - (Nicole): Finn, what number are you in order of kids? Because there's four of you, isn't there?
0:18:38 - (Finn): Yeah, I'm the last one.
0:18:41 - (Nicole): Yeah. You're the youngest?
0:18:43 - (Aleesah): Yeah, I'm the youngest by seven years.
0:18:47 - (Nicole): Nice big gap.
0:18:48 - (Nicole): Yeah, big gap.
0:18:51 - (Aleesah): Well, the oldest is 20, so there's eleven years between first and last year.
0:18:55 - (Nicole): What can you imagine yourself doing if you weren't a children's book author only? So what would you do instead?
0:19:00 - (Nicole): Do you think I'd be doing a.
0:19:01 - (Aleesah): Lot of crying because I worked really, really hard to be an orphan? I really, really wanted it. Like a lot of people. What would I be doing? I love psychology. My oldest is studying history, but as part of that he gets to study psychology, sociology and philosophy. I'd love to do that. I would have just loved to be an academic and just study all different things. At uni my brain is like a sponge. I love learning, always love learning as a child. And even now, you know, my brain just switches on when it's learning.
0:19:34 - (Aleesah): Really weird.
0:19:35 - (Nicole): It's great.
0:19:36 - (Aleesah): But I've just got to feed. I've got to feed that love, that hunger for learning. And so probably do psychology or philosophy or sociology. I love studying people and places. Archaeology. Yeah, that's pretty cool too.
0:19:50 - (Nicole): All of the peopling that sounds like author is a great job for you because of all the research you have to do. You have to learn new things all the time.
0:19:58 - (Aleesah): Yeah, absolutely. And creating characters. It is about sticking to a psychology for a character, making sure they are realistic and believable and consistent, and studying different places, studying different animals, plants, and animals. So it does work well.
0:20:17 - (Nicole): You don't have to be a bit.
0:20:18 - (Aleesah): Of a jack of all trades, but it does work well.
0:20:21 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:20:21 - (Nicole): That does sound good for you. That sounds like a really good job for you.
0:20:24 - (Nicole): Aleesah and Finn for you.
0:20:27 - (Nicole): A good job for you. You're thinking is not sitting inside and writing, but being outside in the environment. Does that sound right?
0:20:33 - (Nicole): Is that.
0:20:34 - (Nicole): Yeah, you prefer to be out and about?
0:20:36 - (Finn): Yeah, I love being outside.
0:20:39 - (Nicole): Yeah. That's good, because there's lots to see.
0:20:43 - (Nicole): And lots to learn out there.
0:20:44 - (Finn): Yeah.
0:20:45 - (Nicole): Is that something your dad does? Is he outside when he works?
0:20:47 - (Finn): He works in his office mostly, but when he gets home, he takes me out to the golf course.
0:20:55 - (Nicole): Nice.
0:20:57 - (Aleesah): His dad's very sporty as well. Loves sport. Obsessed with it. I love the outdoors in terms of appreciating nature, going for a bushwalk, going to a zoo or wildlife sanctuary, etcetera. And Finn would, you know, he loves all of that, too. But the physical activity in the sport. Yeah. That comes from his dad a lot.
0:21:16 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:21:17 - (Nicole): We can leave it to them. We'll just appreciate the nature. That works for me, too. When do you get big, Finn? Is there anything that you're, like, super excited about?
0:21:28 - (Nicole): What are you looking forward to?
0:21:30 - (Finn): Maybe being able to go to a pub and have fun with my friends.
0:21:37 - (Nicole): Yeah. Trivia nights at the pub sounds great.
0:21:40 - (Finn): Oh, maybe being able to be free and dry.
0:21:46 - (Nicole): Yes.
0:21:47 - (Nicole): Only if you've been drinking water at the pub.
0:21:49 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:21:50 - (Nicole): Can you then drive? Yeah. That's very important to remember.
0:21:53 - (Aleesah): I'm very surprised you said that. But, you know, we've got three older teenagers and, you know, young twenties, so we're always warning them about being careful when they go out drinking or going to the pub or socializing. What does that influence?
0:22:09 - (Nicole): Yeah, these are things to look forward to.
0:22:11 - (Nicole): Absolutely.
0:22:12 - (Aleesah): Driving. I think that'll be good. Having a bit of freedom.
0:22:15 - (Finn): Yeah.
0:22:15 - (Aleesah): Visiting your friends.
0:22:17 - (Nicole): Well, then you can drive yourself to the golf course. Is it within buggy distance or do you have to get a car?
0:22:22 - (Finn): We have to get a car.
0:22:24 - (Nicole): Fair enough. I love those golf buggies.
0:22:26 - (Aleesah): But we've got golf courses everywhere on the Sunshine coast and they're really, really supportive. They've got great programs for kids.
0:22:33 - (Nicole): Great.
0:22:34 - (Aleesah): Sunshine coast is one of the best areas for young golfers. Yeah.
0:22:39 - (Nicole): Well, you're in the right spot then, Finn, which is perfect.
0:22:42 - (Nicole): I love it. Being an author, Aleesah, it's a fairly individual pursuit.
0:22:48 - (Nicole): What gets you excited about connecting to other people through your books, then?
0:22:54 - (Aleesah): I think being able to share the stories and ideas that I have getting their feedback. Kids, tell you straight up, I love hearing about other people's stories and characters as well and their journey and I think just sharing these things that come from your mind that a complete imagination. But then with a few words you can really just blow people away. And I respect a lot of other authors as well. Sometimes I'll be reading a book and the lines are just so amazing. I get my highlighter out.
0:23:28 - (Aleesah): I just wish I had written that and it just makes so much sense. So I think I've always loved words and so if people can appreciate how I've put words together and how I've created a character and made them feel something from reading the story, you know, some people say they cried when they've read one of my books and, and that's good. Or some people will say that they've laughed and to laugh and cry in the same story.
0:23:56 - (Nicole): That's really good.
0:23:57 - (Aleesah): You want that roller coaster of emotions. So I really want to affect people with my writing. I love it when they've read my books. I know there are a lot of other authors out there as well, you know, where all kind of clamoring in the space, but there are people who genuinely still love books and words and stories, which is fantastic. But I also just love hanging off the words of other people as well as a solitary pursuit. I'm very, very good at sitting at my desk and writing. Absolutely love it.
0:24:27 - (Aleesah): I do like connecting with other authors, though. It's like a kindred spirit wherever you go. If, if as an author, you catch up with an author, they just get you and vice versa. So that's really nice to have that connection.
0:24:43 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:24:44 - (Nicole): What's on your bedside table right now, Aleesah?
0:24:46 - (Aleesah): What have we got on the bed? We've got a Roald Dahl and we've got cat on the run. But I've got a few other books down here. Paul Murray, the bee sting. And I'm reading tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow as well.
0:24:58 - (Nicole): Great book.
0:24:59 - (Aleesah): That's all one book. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. They're grown up books. But I do read a lot of children's books.
0:25:05 - (Nicole): Yeah, you would have to.
0:25:07 - (Aleesah): And I review picture books for my little darling's facebook page. So I love reading picture books.
0:25:14 - (Nicole): And it's such a specialized talent to be able to have so few words and create a real feeling in people.
0:25:22 - (Aleesah): Yeah. And to be able to create that emotion and, you know, humor, etcetera. But then the illustrations as well, just beautiful picture books are like miniature works of art, portable works of art. So they really should be appreciated for that.
0:25:39 - (Nicole): Definitely. I have a lot of picture books that I've kept of my kids and chapter books and all sorts of things. I've got lots of books that I've kept. Have you kept all of your kids books?
0:25:50 - (Aleesah): I've kept an awful lot. Just so many books. And I was judging for the New South Wales premiers literary awards, the children's literature section, for a couple of years in a row. And there were like 100, 120 books to read each year for that.
0:26:08 - (Nicole): Wow.
0:26:09 - (Aleesah): So if I have access, I will usually donate to one of the local schools or I will pass them on to some of my author friends who I know have wanted to read them or are writing in that genre and who will appreciate them. So those books always go to a poem where they're going to be valued. But yeah, we've got quite a lot of books around running out of shelf space.
0:26:29 - (Nicole): Yeah, that's always a sign of a happy reader when you're running out of shelf space. Finn, what's on your bedside table? Are you reading at the moment?
0:26:38 - (Finn): I've got a few diary of a wimpy kid books, a Star wars comic, and I've just got one of my teddies.
0:26:50 - (Nicole): Fantastic. Teddy's enjoying the books while you're away talking to me. I have loved chatting to you both today and I know that there are new books that have just coming out and are coming out. Aleesah.
0:27:05 - (Nicole): So Finn, do you know the names.
0:27:07 - (Nicole): Of mum's most recent books that we can talk about so that everybody knows about them when they listen to the podcast?
0:27:13 - (Finn): Super sloth. Number two.
0:27:16 - (Nicole): Number two.
0:27:17 - (Finn): This one. Revenge of the chicken.
0:27:21 - (Aleesah): And there will be a third book in that series too. So much fun to write about a story. I love them. And the new one just about to come out.
0:27:28 - (Nicole): Oh, we get a preview.
0:27:30 - (Aleesah): Grace the amazing on 1 May that will be ours.
0:27:34 - (Nicole): Wow. Oh, we get a sneak peek.
0:27:39 - (Aleesah): It's a work of fiction, but it's based on the relationship I had with a very special teacher. I think I had a forgive kinder. That's what we call it in music class. Kinder. One, two and three. I was at a very small. The teacher character in this is based on that teacher that I had. So I like to think that this took me a whole lifetime to write. And it did really. There's a whole lot of backstory with it as well, but I'm really, really proud of it. Really, really happy with the story and I just can't wait for people to read it. I hope they like it, too.
0:28:11 - (Nicole): Oh, I cannot wait to get my hands on grace the amazing. That's so exciting.
0:28:16 - (Nicole): I'll send you a copy.
0:28:19 - (Nicole): Sorry, I just got very excited then. That would be amazing, Aleesah. Finn, is there anything about work or life or study or any of that stuff that I didn't ask you, that I should have asked you? Is there anything you needed to tell me?
0:28:32 - (Finn): Well, golf, obviously.
0:28:36 - (Nicole): Just more golf.
0:28:37 - (Finn): Yeah.
0:28:38 - (Aleesah): How do you think people should approach life?
0:28:41 - (Finn): You should always believe in yourself and never give up and be yourself. Don't try and copy other people and just try your hardest on your dreams and follow your dreams and just always be kind to people, even if they're not kind to you.
0:29:02 - (Nicole): You are dropping the truth bombs today, Finn. Thank you for that. I like the be yourself one because.
0:29:09 - (Nicole): I like the saying that says be.
0:29:11 - (Nicole): Yourself because everyone else has already taken.
0:29:14 - (Aleesah): And there'll only ever be one of you. Only ever. There'll never ever be another you anywhere, ever.
0:29:21 - (Nicole): Aleesah, is there anything about being an author or life, work, that kind of thing that I didn't ask you that I should have? What do people need to know if I've missed anything?
0:29:30 - (Aleesah): Oh, your questions have been amazing. I think maybe about starting out that it can take a long time. It's not instant, it's not overnight. It's probably not going to be the first story that you write, the first manuscript that you write that gets published, because you're just practicing. So just hang in there and never give up because you never know what's around the corner. You know, there have been times, it took me three years to get my first publication deal, and there were times there that I just thought, I'm never going to make it. It is too hard. But I just hung in there and it worked out.
0:30:06 - (Aleesah): Once you get your foot in the door, things just grow and grow and grow. So it does feel like it's hard. There is a lot of work in getting published, and it can be a long lead time, but there's also a lot of work after that point, too. And I think just enjoy the successes along the way because they are wonderful achievements.
0:30:27 - (Nicole): Yeah.
0:30:27 - (Nicole): And just getting ideas out of your head and onto a page is a great achievement, whether it gets published or not.
0:30:32 - (Aleesah): Very important. Yes. Yes. We often get. Well, I often get told I've got a great idea for a book. It's like, yeah, have you written the story? Oh, no, no, no. But maybe there is a story there that could be a bestseller. Definitely got to get it onto a paper because publishers aren't mind readers? Not yet.
0:30:50 - (Nicole): No, not quite.
0:30:51 - (Nicole): So it's good to get it on the paper. I appreciate that idea.
0:30:54 - (Aleesah): Yep.
0:30:54 - (Nicole): Aleesah and Finn, thank you so much for joining me on bring your kid to work today. I've really loved chatting to you both. Thank you, Finn.
0:31:01 - (Aleesah): It's been our absolute pleasure, hasn't it, Finno?
0:31:04 - (Finn): Yeah.
0:31:04 - (Aleesah): Thank you so much for having us. And thank you for your brilliant questions. It's been wonderful. I love talking to you.
0:31:10 - (Nicole): I love talking to you, too. And thank you for your brilliant books. And I'm so excited about grace the amazing.
0:31:15 - (Nicole): I can't wait.
0:31:16 - (Aleesah): All right, I'll get you a posting address.
0:31:19 - (Nicole): You're such a sweetheart. Thank you so much, Aleesah.
0:31:24 - (Nicole): How cool was that? We got to talk to an award winning author and her incredible golf loving son. I'm so excited that we got to hear about grace the amazing. Can't wait to find that in the bookshop from the 1 May. I loved that we heard not just about the writing process and the inspiration that Aleesah finds in the world, in her kids, in life, out in nature, but also about the whole publishing part and the promotion part of being an author. So going to schools, having those conversations with kids and getting them excited about the books that you're writing, it's all part of being an author.
0:32:04 - (Nicole): So I love that we got to.
0:32:06 - (Nicole): Hear about that because you think being a writer means just writing all the.
0:32:10 - (Nicole): Time, but there's so much more to it.
0:32:12 - (Nicole): So I'm glad we got to have that chat today. Really excited about Finn's golfing career. After I stopped recording, I finally remembered to ask him who his golfing heroes were. And he's a big fan of Tiger woods and Rory McElroy, and I'm sure he's going to be following in their.
0:32:29 - (Nicole): Footsteps a little bit and learning more.
0:32:30 - (Nicole): And more about golf and getting better and better as he keeps practicing. As you know, I love sharing these stories with you. I love hearing about all different kinds of jobs. So whatever job you've got that you would love to talk about on this podcast, please let me know because I would love to have a chat to you and your kid about what happens at your work. We've got two great new guests next week.
0:32:52 - (Nicole): I can't wait to share that with you as well.
0:32:54 - (Nicole): Talk to you then.
0:29:50 - (Nicole): Bring your kid to work was recorded.
0:29:52 - (Nicole): In meant on the lands of the Jaggera and Turable, people who've been sharing their stories for more than 60,000 years.
0:29:59 - (Nicole): Thanks for listening to another episode of bring your kid to work. If you haven't already, make sure you give us a review on your podcast player of choice. It helps other people find the show and follow bring your kid to work and subscribe wherever you're listening now and send your favorite episode to a friend. These stories are too good to keep to ourselves. And don't forget to follow us on Instagram and TikTok at bring your kid to work and on Facebook at bring your kid to work the podcast and did you know you can join the conversation join bring your kid to work career conversations community on Facebook for great career tips and conversations about the journey of work, workplace culture, and parenting while working.
0:30:41 - (Nicole): We're always looking for inspiring guests to be a part of our show. If you have a fab idea for a guest, drop us a line at admin@bringyourkidowork.com au or dm us through the socials. We would love to hear from you. Thanks again for listening. Bring your Kid to Work is a Lioness media production this episode was produced and edited by me, Nicole Lesio. Our music is composed by Rikuo with graphics and design by Anastasia McCuka.
0:31:10 - (Nicole): Follow bring your kid to work on your podcast player and all the socials and visit.com to see our blog transcripts from our episodes and to sign up to our newsletter for the latest updates. Talk to you soon. Close.
0:35:59 - (Nicole): Bring your kid to work was recorded in mean on the lands of the Jaggera and Turrbal, people who've been sharing their stories for more than 60,000 years. Thanks for listening to another episode of bring your kid to work. If you haven't already, make sure you give us a review on your podcast player of choice. It helps other people find the show and follow bring your kid to work and subscribe wherever you're listening now and send your favourite episode to a friend.
0:36:28 - (Nicole): These stories are too good to keep to ourselves. And don't forget to follow us on Instagram and TikTok at bring your kid to work and on Facebook at bring your kid to work the podcast and did you know? You can join the conversation join bring your kid to work career conversations community on Facebook for great career tips and conversations about the journey of work, workplace culture, and parenting while working.
0:36:51 - (Nicole): We're always looking for inspiring guests to be a part of our show. If you have a fab idea for a guest, drop us a line at admin@bringyourkidowork.com.Au or dm us through the socials. We would love to hear from you. Thanks again for listening. Bring your kid to work is a lioness media production. This episode was produced and edited by me, Nicole Lessio. Our music is composed by Rukkuo with graphics and design by Anastasia Makkuhka.
0:37:20 - (Nicole): Follow bring your kid to work on your podcast player and all the socials, and visit bringyourkidowork.com to see our blog transcripts from our episodes, and to sign up to our newsletter off for the latest updates. Talk to you soon.