Laura Holloway was on maternity leave from full time work and, although busy with her baby, found she had extra mental space to explore her dreams of writing.
“I’d always loved reading and had lots of story ideas, but had never found the time or mental space to take writing seriously while working full time. Although looking after a baby is tiring in its own way, it gave me more time and space to daydream and play.”
Although she had lots of ideas, Laura knew she needed knowledge and structure if she wanted to see any of her stories in print one day. She enrolled in Writing Picture Books and Reinvent Yourself and began to take her writing more seriously.
“By committing to the course, I felt like I was admitting that I really wanted to succeed. Becoming a published author was no longer an idea I was playing around with, but something that I was taking tangible steps towards achieving,” Laura told us.
Those dreams are now a reality, with Laura’s debut picture book Peek-a-boo Lottie out now with Five Mile.
The start of an exciting journey
While on maternity leave, Laura spent a lot of time reading picture books and hanging out at the library. That’s when she started to lean into her writing.
“My first stories were often scrawled on scraps of paper while feeding or typed into the notes app on my phone while walking with the pram.”
She was determined to write and publish a book, but didn’t know where to start.
“I had plenty of ideas, but needed some help understanding how to structure my stories and make them publishable. I wanted a knowledge foundation on which I could build, as I find the vast amount of information online can be overwhelming and contradictory. I had been listening to AWC podcasts and found them really insightful, so it made sense to choose an AWC course.
“I also wanted to better understand the industry and figure out how to get my writing seen. One of the main draws of the Writing Picture Books course was getting feedback from an industry expert, as well as the accountability of weekly homework – I work much better with a deadline!”
Crucially, committing to the Writing Picture Books course was a step towards Laura taking herself seriously as a writer.
“By committing to the course, I felt like I was admitting that I really wanted to succeed. Becoming a published author was no longer an idea I was playing around with, but something that I was taking tangible steps towards achieving.”
Turning a love of games into a book
Laura’s debut picture book, Peek-a-boo Lottie, follows a little girl’s day as she engages everyone around her in her favourite game – peek-a-boo! However, each person uses a different language as they play.
“It’s a fun story that celebrates cultural and linguistic diversity in an accessible way. I’m so thrilled to be working with Five Mile and have Kristen Willis on board as the illustrator – her illustrations are better than I could have imagined.”
The story came from Laura’s experiences with her youngest daughter, who loved to play games with people when they were out and about. The multilingual element came from Laura’s background as an English as an Additional Language/Dialect teacher.
“The story went through many, many drafts over a few years. I entered the manuscript in the CYA conference competition … and came first place in the category. Shortly after, I submitted to Five Mile through their ‘slush pile’ and was surprised to get an email back less than two weeks later!”
Laura was convinced they had made a mistake and took a while before she felt comfortable celebrating her achievement! But now that her book is on shelves, she is finally enjoying the ride.
“I’d recommend the Writing Picture Book course to writers who are just starting out. It can build foundation skills. save making some rookie errors and help build confidence. The tutors and other students are really encouraging, and you may even end up with a new manuscript by the end of the 5 weeks!”
While on maternity leave, Laura spent a lot of time reading picture books and hanging out at the library. That’s when she started to lean into her writing.
Laura’s debut picture book, Peek-a-boo Lottie, follows a little girl’s day as she engages everyone around her in her favourite game – peek-a-boo! However, each person uses a different language as they play.
