Despina Rosales


	Home Press Articles Animals Writing Classes Bellydance Pilates Yoga Contact	Writing It Began At The Beginning... It was C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe. (and my fourth grade teacher, Miss Amiet, who read it to the class) that started my love for reading. And my love of reading led to my love of writing. But it was around age fifteen that I read S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, and that was the first book I read that inspired me to want to become a writer. *Studying Writing (But Not Actually Doing* Any Writing)** My childhood love of reading and my teenage dream of becoming a writer stayed with me through to adulthood. However, I never attempted to get published (except for a Q&A in Dolly Magazine from when I did work experience there and a movie review for a university paper). This was because although one of my university majors was English Lit (the other was Sociology), up until my mid-twenties I didn't have the confidence to even try. So I prepared myself the usual way a book nerd does: via study. Over several years I did correspondence courses through the Australian College of Journalism and gained diplomas in the following: Freelance Journalism, Health and Fitness Writing, Professional Children’s Writing, Creative Writing, and Professional Editing and Proofreading. Finally, The Confidence To Write This was all happening while I was teaching and performing Bellydance full time, so while I studied I became brave enough to approach a colleague (Amera Eid, the publisher of Australia’s first Bellydance magazine, The Palace Magazine) about submitting some articles. Amera gave me my first published writing opportunity, and a few years later I was editing her magazine. Editing The Palace Magazine for several years lifted my confidence, but it was the acceptance of an article (If Your Were A Wolf In The Wild - see link below) and a short story (Corina's Hair Goes Wild - see link below) from The School Magazine that gave me the impetus to forge ahead with my writing. It was the first time someone who didn’t know me wanted to publish something I’d written, and it was a real confidence boost. For the next several years, I wrote many a children’s article about animals, and the occasional short story and poem. As is the way with writing, most got rejected, but many got accepted (although nowhere near enough to make anything that resembled an income). Check out the links below to have a look at the stuff I've had published. My First Attempt At A Book Meanwhile, late 2007 to early 2009 was spent writing a book called Little Dog In A Big City and in 2010 I acquired an agent to represent it. Sally Bird (Calidris Literary Agency: http://site.calidrislitagency.com) and I have joined forces to get a publisher on board. Woo-hoo! My Inner Nerd (Finally) Comes In Handy: Proofreading Mid-2009 I proofread Animals And Us by Faye Leister which is an activity book for kids ages 7 to 12 that teaches values of respect, empathy, integrity, responsibility, care and compassion for animals. To get a taste of it, check out these free downloads: www.animalsandus.com.au/activitypages.html or have a look at this PDF. You can also buy the book directly from Faye's site: www.animalsandus.com.au. The Future... My priorities are changing from wanting to be published to wanting to use my writing skills to help animals. You'll see I've already written a bunch of stuff for this site: http://www.despinarosales.com/articles.htm#Animal_Thoughts_-_Speaking_For_The_Voiceless_. Published In The School Magazine (Australian Publication): NOTE: Teachers and parents, please feel free to print out my stories, poems or articles to use in class or at home. Bee-hind The Scenes Part 1: text or PDF © Despina Rosales, 2005 First published in The School Magazine (Orbit, July 2005, Vol. 90, No. 6). Republished by ProQuest in 2006. Illustrations by Kerry Millard (www.kerrymillard.com). Bee-hind The Scenes Part 2: text or PDF © Despina Rosales, 2005 First published in The School Magazine (Orbit, August 2005, Vol. 90, No. 7). Republished by ProQuest in 2006. Illustrations by Kerry Millard (www.kerrymillard.com). Conversation With A Hippo: text or PDF © Despina Rosales, 2006 First published in The School Magazine (Countdown, June 2006, Vol. 91, No. 5). Corina’s Hair Goes Wild: text (no permission yet from illustrator to get PDF on here) © Despina Rosales 2004 First published in The School Magazine (Blast Off, February 2004, vol 89, No. 1). Illustrations by Tom Jellett. Dogs Anonymous: text or PDF © Despina Rosales, 2007 First published in The School Magazine (Touchdown, March 2007, Vol. 92, No. 2). Illustrations by Kerry Millard (www.kerrymillard.com). If You Were A Fox In The Forest: text or PDF © Despina Rosales, 2006 First published in The School Magazine (Orbit, September 2006, Vol. 91, No. 8). If Your Were A Wolf In The Wild: text or PDF © Despina Rosales, 2004 First published in The School Magazine (Countdown, Jun 2004, Vol. 89, No. 5). Illustrations by Noela Young. Interview With A Gorilla: text or PDF © Despina Rosales, 2006 First published in The School Magazine (Orbit, September 2006, Vol. 91, No. 8). Illustrations by Tohby Riddle. In The Ocean Deep: text or PDF © Despina Rosales, 2007 First published in The School Magazine (Orbit, May 2007, No. 92, No. 4). Lord Of The Wings: text or PDF © Despina Rosales, 2007 First published in The School Magazine (Orbit, March 2007, Vol. 92, No. 2). Republished by ProQuest in 2006. Names And Faces: text or PDF © Despina Rosales, 2007 First published in The School Magazine (Blast Off, April 2007, Vol. 92, No. 3). Illustrations by Kerry Millard (www.kerrymillard.com). Polar Bear: text (not yet published, so no PDF available) © Despina Rosales, 2007 Bought by The School Magazine, January 2007 (not yet published). Squid: text (not yet published, so no PDF available) © Despina Rosales, 2006 Bought by The School Magazine, June 2006 (not yet published). The Hermit Crab, The Octopus And The Anemone: text (not yet published, so no PDF available) © Despina Rosales, 2007 Bought by The School Magazine, May 2007 (not yet published). Unbeatable Cat: The Cheetah: text or PDF (PDF not available yet) © Despina Rosales, 2006 First published in The School Magazine (Blast Off, Feb 2006, vol. 91, No. 1). Unscramble These Clucky Phrases: text or PDF © Despina Rosales, 2004 First published in The School Magazine (Orbit, March 2007, Vol. 92, No. 2). Illustrations by Gaye Chapman (www.storyopolis.com/chapman.html). Published In School Journal (New Zealand Publication): Tigers On The Prowl: text or PDF © Despina Rosales, 2006 First published in School Journal (Part 3, Number 2, 2006). Published In Explore (Australian Publication): High Society: text or PDF © Despina Rosales, 2007 First published in Explore, 2007. Republished By Proquest (US E-Publication): Bee-hind The Scenes Part 1: text (PDF not available yet) © Despina Rosales, 2005 First published in The School Magazine (Orbit, July 2005, Vol. 90, No. 6). Republished by ProQuest in 2006. Illustrations by Kerry Millard (www.kerrymillard.com). Bee-hind The Scenes Part 2: text or PDF © Despina Rosales, 2005 First published in The School Magazine (Orbit, August 2005, Vol. 90, No. 7). Republished by ProQuest in 2006. Illustrations by Kerry Millard (www.kerrymillard.com). Lord Of The Wings: text or PDF © Despina Rosales, 2007 First published in The School Magazine (Orbit, March 2007, Vol. 92, No. 2). Republished by ProQuest in 2006.	NEW! Writing Quotes On the laptop, hard at work (really, I am!) Steven King offers sound advice to aspiring writers in his book On Writing: "If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot." (p. 139) "The more...you read and write, the more you'll find your paragraphs forming on their own." (p. 125) "If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that." (p. 142) This is the cover of the book Animals And Us (by Faye Leister) which I proofread. Check out Faye's site by clicking on the picture above or on the following link: www.animalsandus.com.au Here's interesting thought to ponder, again from Steven King's book On Writing (p. 142): "If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered." Dogs Anonymous was first published in The School Magazine (Touchdown, March 2007, Vol. 92, No. 2) and the illustrations are by Kerry Millard (www.kerrymillard.com). Dog-lovers, check out the entire play by clicking: text or PDF. More from Steven King's book On Writing (p. 69): "...stopping a piece of work just because it's hard, either emotionally or imaginatively, is a bad idea. Sometimes you have to go on when you don't feel like it, and sometimes you're doing good work when if feels like all you're managing is to shovel sht from a sitting position." Above is the first page of Conversation With A Hippo* (first published in The School Magazine, Countdown, June 2006, Vol. 91, No. 5). Have a look at the full article by clicking here: text or PDF. The legendary Ben Elton has this hilarious thing to say about writers in This Other Eden: "If crazies were a little crazy, writers were dangerous lunatics; embittered socially dysfunctional grudge-carriers..." The front cover of the mag where If Your Were A Wolf In The Wild was first published. The beautiful illustration is by Noela Young. Have a look at the article by clicking on one of these two links: text or PDF. Here's Gerald Warner Brace's view on writing: "The writer is one who writes...[he/she] withdraws to some quiet corner...and applies [him/herself] to [his/her] blank paper. Two hours a day are needed; three hours are better; four are heroic." Names And Faces - first published in The School Magazine (Blast Off, April 2007, Vol. 92, No. 3) - was illustrated by Kerry Millard (www.kerrymillard.com). Click here for the full article: text or PDF. "There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are." - attributed to W. Somerset Maugham (playwright, novelist and short story writer)

Writing

It Began At The Beginning...

It was C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe. (and my fourth grade teacher, Miss Amiet, who read it to the class) that started my love for reading. And my love of reading led to my love of writing. But it was around age fifteen that I read S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, and that was the first book I read that inspired me to want to become a writer.

Studying Writing (But Not Actually Doing Any Writing)

My childhood love of reading and my teenage dream of becoming a writer stayed with me through to adulthood. However, I never attempted to get published (except for a Q&A in Dolly Magazine from when I did work experience there and a movie review for a university paper). This was because although one of my university majors was English Lit (the other was Sociology), up until my mid-twenties I didn't have the confidence to even try. So I prepared myself the usual way a book nerd does: via study.

Over several years I did correspondence courses through the Australian College of Journalism and gained diplomas in the following: Freelance Journalism, Health and Fitness Writing, Professional Children’s Writing, Creative Writing, and Professional Editing and Proofreading.

Finally, The Confidence To Write

This was all happening while I was teaching and performing Bellydance full time, so while I studied I became brave enough to approach a colleague (Amera Eid, the publisher of Australia’s first Bellydance magazine, The Palace Magazine) about submitting some articles. Amera gave me my first published writing opportunity, and a few years later I was editing her magazine.

Editing The Palace Magazine for several years lifted my confidence, but it was the acceptance of an article (If Your Were A Wolf In The Wild - see link below) and a short story (Corina's Hair Goes Wild - see link below) from The School Magazine that gave me the impetus to forge ahead with my writing. It was the first time someone who didn’t know me wanted to publish something I’d written, and it was a real confidence boost.

For the next several years, I wrote many a children’s article about animals, and the occasional short story and poem. As is the way with writing, most got rejected, but many got accepted (although nowhere near enough to make anything that resembled an income). Check out the links below to have a look at the stuff I've had published.

My First Attempt At A Book

Meanwhile, late 2007 to early 2009 was spent writing a book called Little Dog In A Big City and in 2010 I acquired an agent to represent it. Sally Bird (Calidris Literary Agency: http://site.calidrislitagency.com) and I have joined forces to get a publisher on board. Woo-hoo!

My Inner Nerd (Finally) Comes In Handy: Proofreading

Mid-2009 I proofread Animals And Us by Faye Leister which is an activity book for kids ages 7 to 12 that teaches values of respect, empathy, integrity, responsibility, care and compassion for animals.

To get a taste of it, check out these free downloads: www.animalsandus.com.au/activitypages.html or have a look at this PDF. You can also buy the book directly from Faye's site: www.animalsandus.com.au.

The Future...

My priorities are changing from wanting to be published to wanting to use my writing skills to help animals. You'll see I've already written a bunch of stuff for this site: http://www.despinarosales.com/articles.htm#Animal_Thoughts_-_Speaking_For_The_Voiceless_.

Published In The School Magazine
(Australian Publication):

NOTE: Teachers and parents, please feel free to print out my stories, poems or articles to use in class or at home.

Bee-hind The Scenes Part 1: text or PDF
© Despina Rosales, 2005
First published in The School Magazine
(Orbit, July 2005, Vol. 90, No. 6).
Republished by ProQuest in 2006.
Illustrations by Kerry Millard (www.kerrymillard.com).

Bee-hind The Scenes Part 2: text or PDF
© Despina Rosales, 2005
First published in The School Magazine
(Orbit, August 2005, Vol. 90, No. 7).
Republished by ProQuest in 2006.
Illustrations by Kerry Millard (www.kerrymillard.com).

Conversation With A Hippo: text or PDF
© Despina Rosales, 2006
First published in The School Magazine
(Countdown, June 2006, Vol. 91, No. 5).

Corina’s Hair Goes Wild: text
(no permission yet from illustrator to get PDF on here)
© Despina Rosales 2004
First published in The School Magazine
(Blast Off, February 2004, vol 89, No. 1).
Illustrations by Tom Jellett.

Dogs Anonymous: text or PDF
© Despina Rosales, 2007
First published in The School Magazine
(Touchdown, March 2007, Vol. 92, No. 2).
Illustrations by Kerry Millard (www.kerrymillard.com).

If You Were A Fox In The Forest: text or PDF
© Despina Rosales, 2006
First published in The School Magazine
(Orbit, September 2006, Vol. 91, No. 8).

If Your Were A Wolf In The Wild: text or PDF
© Despina Rosales, 2004
First published in The School Magazine
(Countdown, Jun 2004, Vol. 89, No. 5).
Illustrations by Noela Young.

Interview With A Gorilla: text or PDF
© Despina Rosales, 2006
First published in The School Magazine
(Orbit, September 2006, Vol. 91, No. 8).
Illustrations by Tohby Riddle.

In The Ocean Deep: text or PDF
© Despina Rosales, 2007
First published in The School Magazine
(Orbit, May 2007, No. 92, No. 4).

Lord Of The Wings: text or PDF
© Despina Rosales, 2007
First published in The School Magazine
(Orbit, March 2007, Vol. 92, No. 2).
Republished by ProQuest in 2006.

Names And Faces: text or PDF
© Despina Rosales, 2007
First published in The School Magazine
(Blast Off, April 2007, Vol. 92, No. 3).
Illustrations by Kerry Millard (www.kerrymillard.com).

Polar Bear: text
(not yet published, so no PDF available)
© Despina Rosales, 2007
Bought by The School Magazine, January 2007
(not yet published).

Squid: text
(not yet published, so no PDF available)
© Despina Rosales, 2006
Bought by The School Magazine, June 2006
(not yet published).

The Hermit Crab, The Octopus And The Anemone: text
(not yet published, so no PDF available)
© Despina Rosales, 2007
Bought by The School Magazine, May 2007
(not yet published).

Unbeatable Cat: The Cheetah: text or PDF
(PDF not available yet)
© Despina Rosales, 2006
First published in The School Magazine
(Blast Off, Feb 2006, vol. 91, No. 1).

Unscramble These Clucky Phrases: text or PDF
© Despina Rosales, 2004
First published in The School Magazine
(Orbit, March 2007, Vol. 92, No. 2).
Illustrations by Gaye Chapman (www.storyopolis.com/chapman.html).

Published In School Journal
(New Zealand Publication):

Tigers On The Prowl: text or PDF
© Despina Rosales, 2006
First published in School Journal (Part 3, Number 2, 2006).

Published In Explore
(Australian Publication):

Republished By Proquest
(US E-Publication):

Bee-hind The Scenes Part 1: text
(PDF not available yet)
© Despina Rosales, 2005
First published in The School Magazine
(Orbit, July 2005, Vol. 90, No. 6).
Republished by ProQuest in 2006.
Illustrations by Kerry Millard (www.kerrymillard.com).

Lord Of The Wings: text or PDF
© Despina Rosales, 2007
First published in The School Magazine
(Orbit, March 2007, Vol. 92, No. 2).
Republished by ProQuest in 2006.

NEW!
Writing Quotes

On the laptop, hard at work (really, I am!)

Steven King offers sound advice
to aspiring writers in his book On Writing:
"If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot." (p. 139)

"The more...you read and write, the more you'll find your paragraphs forming on their own." (p. 125)

"If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that." (p. 142)

This is the cover of the book Animals And Us (by Faye Leister) which I proofread. Check out Faye's site by clicking on the picture above or on the following link: www.animalsandus.com.au

Here's interesting thought to ponder, again from Steven King's book On Writing (p. 142):
"If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered."

Dogs Anonymous was first published in The School Magazine (Touchdown, March 2007, Vol. 92, No. 2) and the illustrations are by Kerry Millard (www.kerrymillard.com). Dog-lovers, check out the entire play by clicking: text or PDF.

More from Steven King's book On Writing (p. 69):
"...stopping a piece of work just because it's hard, either emotionally or imaginatively, is a bad idea. Sometimes you have to go on when you don't feel
like it, and sometimes you're doing good work when
if feels like all you're managing is to shovel sh*t
from a sitting position."

Above is the first page of Conversation With A Hippo (first published in The School Magazine, Countdown, June 2006, Vol. 91, No. 5). Have a look at the full article by clicking here: text or PDF.

The legendary Ben Elton has this
hilarious thing to say about writers
in This Other Eden:
"If crazies were a little crazy,
writers were dangerous lunatics;
embittered socially dysfunctional grudge-carriers..."

The front cover of the mag where If Your Were A Wolf In The Wild was first published. The beautiful illustration is by Noela Young. Have a look at the article by clicking on one of these two links: text or PDF.

Here's Gerald Warner Brace's view on writing:
"The writer is one who writes...[he/she] withdraws to some quiet corner...and applies [him/herself] to [his/her] blank paper. Two hours a day are needed; three hours are better; four are heroic."

Names And Faces - first published in The School Magazine (Blast Off, April 2007, Vol. 92, No. 3) - was illustrated by Kerry Millard (www.kerrymillard.com). Click here for the full article: text or PDF.

"There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are." - attributed to W. Somerset Maugham
(playwright, novelist and short story writer)