Our next First Friday Club meeting falls on 4 October and features Hazel Lam, Senior Book Designer at HarperCollins.

“Horatio Squeak is about giving unlikely friends a chance and being brave despite your fears. It’s not enough to listen to your true feelings — one needs to voice those thoughts, even if it is just a squeak!” – Michelle Wanasundera reviews Horatio Squeak by Karen Foxlee.

‘Just write. Even if no one ends up reading it, every piece of writing you produce goes towards honing your craft!’

‘[Collaborative writing] can work wonderfully. Having someone you trust give an opinion about your latest idea helps a lot.’

‘Try to get words down if you can – every little bit adds up. But don’t be hard on yourself if some days it doesn’t happen. I’ve had plenty of days that have been wiped off and I’m still trying to tell myself that ‘it’s okay’.’