Rebecca Chaney
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rebeccajchaney.bsky.social
Rebecca Chaney
@rebeccajchaney.bsky.social
Aussie author of STU AND THE SKETCHY TIME STOPS. HM '24 Kids' Choice Kidlit Writing Contest. '22 WriteMentor mentee. SL '21 Fresh Ink Emerging Writers Prize. RU '20 Writing NSW Fellowship.
https://rebeccajchaney.com/
https://linktr.ee/rebeccajchaney
Librarians and educators, with Christmas zooming toward us – sorry, too soon to mention Christmas? – perhaps you’re already prepping for 2026.

Maybe you're getting library & classroom reads lined up and you’re feeling great about the digital reading options available to patrons and students...

1/5
November 11, 2025 at 8:22 AM
What a feeling, you know the one. When you write a book, edit a book, get editorial feedback on your book, rewrite the middle of your book...and send it out for more feedback.

1/2

#book2 #thesketcherseries #middlegrade #mg #middlegradeauthor #middlegradewriter #humor #adventure #sciencefantasy
November 6, 2025 at 6:31 AM
I just finish a discussion about book formatting, and this comes up in my feed. Spooky! 👻 🧙‍♀️

Meme artist unknown.

#halloween #halloween2025 #ghost #witch #writingmeme #halloweenmeme #bookformatting
October 30, 2025 at 12:03 AM
A win, for now.

Federal government rules out changing copyright law to give AI companies free rein.
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...
Artists tell AI to 'solve the problem' as copyright carve-out ruled out
Labor has ruled out changing copyright laws to give tech giants free rein to train artificial intelligence models on creative works, after the proposition was met with widespread backlash from artists...
www.abc.net.au
October 27, 2025 at 3:27 AM
With Halloween creeping up on us, who doesn't like some spooky stuff in their reading?

What would you do if you could stop time?

#stuandthesketchytimestops #bookquote
October 24, 2025 at 11:57 PM
My editing process. The Snoopy side of my brain kills those darlings, the Woodstock side won't let them go. 🙃

#book2 #thesketcherseries #middlegrade #middlegradeauthor #kidlit #kidlitauthor #humor #adventure #fantasy #sciencefantasy #editing #writerslife #writinglife #amrevising #amediting
October 22, 2025 at 7:15 AM
What would you do if you could stop time?

#stuandthesketchytimestops #thesketcherseries
October 15, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Happy Love Your Bookshop Day and a big shout-out to my local (and favourite) bookshop, Bookface Erina, for its continual support!

#lybd2025 #loveyourbookshop #loveyourbookshopday #loveyourbookshopday2025 #stuandthesketchytimestops #thesketcherseries #middlegrade #mg #kidlit #bookfaceerina
October 10, 2025 at 11:32 PM
In my book, Stu and the Sketchy Time Stops, a sausage dog follows the family home and never leaves. When the below amazing true story broke earlier this year, I kept thinking, "What if it was the other way around? What if Stu's dog disappeared instead?" Like this one.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...
The psychology of bringing 'mad' sausage dog Valerie in from the wild
Valerie's disappearance on South Australia's Kangaroo Island unleashed a 529-day hunt. She dodged rescue attempts and traps and had some wondering whether the sausage dog was mocking them and having t...
www.abc.net.au
October 8, 2025 at 2:58 AM
It's always exciting to see pics of your book in the wild, especially on the other side of the world! STU AND THE SKETCHY TIME STOPS has found his way to Marlow Library in the UK! TY @ianbrownlie.bsky.social for sharing this pic!

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October 6, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Today's newsletter is how snakes (toy, not real!) were a slithering surprise hit at my latest book event, last Sunday's Books and Beyond book market.

I hope you enjoy! 🐍

rebeccajchaney.substack.com/p/sell-snakes

#stuandthesketchytimestops #middlegrade #kidlit #kidlitnewsletter #bookmarketing
Sell Snakes!
Or How Small Slithering Specimens Increased My Book Sales
rebeccajchaney.substack.com
October 5, 2025 at 5:03 AM
I had so much FUN at the first Books & Beyond event with #middlegrade author friend Fiona Lloyd (if there was a prize for the most chatty stall, we would have won it). 😜

Congrats to author friends @selinafenech.bsky.social and Vivienne Fraser for putting on this event.

#stuandthesketchytimestops
September 29, 2025 at 1:11 AM
No, I'm not trying to draw wonky eyes, but I do spy with my little eye... Stu! The thrill of seeing your book in bookstores never goes away.

#StuandtheSketchyTimeStops #TheSketcherSeries #middlegrade #kidlit #kidlitchat
September 26, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Come and say hello to fellow middle grade author, Fiona Lloyd, and me at next Sunday's Books and Beyond Book Market at Ourimbah on the NSW Central Coast! It will be fun!

#booksandbeyond #bookmarket #meettheauthor #middlegrade #mg #kidlit #stuandthesketchytimestops #booksigning #middlegradeauthor
September 22, 2025 at 3:15 AM
Did you know that 1 in 3 Australian children reach the end of their primary school years without the reading skills they need for life?

This was just one of the statistics discussed at last night's insightful chat between Australian Children's Laureate 2024-2025, Sally Rippin (on left in pic),

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September 19, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Being in nature, whether that's out in my garden fighting weeds or taking a walk on the steep hills around my place that remind me I'm not as young (or fit) as I used to be!
#kidlitchat
TOPIC: How do you recharge your creative energy? Is it by digging into more work? Time off? Going to a concert? Performing a concert??? What works for you... and how do you make sure you do it? (Psst. Please remember to do it!) #kidlitchat
September 17, 2025 at 1:09 AM
One of my favourite quotes in my middle grade speculative adventure, Stu and the Sketchy Time Stops. 💜

#stuandthesketchytimestops #book1 #thesketcherseries #bookquotes #bookquote #middlegrade #kidlit
September 17, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Acclaimed Australian children's author, Morris Gleitzman, thinks being childish is exactly what we need right now, and I agree!
www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...
Morris Gleitzman on kids, potholes and fixing the grown-up world - ABC listen
Morris Gleitzman is back with Childish, a funny and heartfelt story about kids fixing what adults can’t, starting with potholes.
www.abc.net.au
September 5, 2025 at 5:15 AM
Today's newsletter, the final in a trio about the Writing NSW Kids & YA Festival, includes chats about graphic & verse novels, comics & poetry, and how to create and maintain a thriving career in an everchanging industry. Enjoy! 💜
#kidlit #newsletter

rebeccajchaney.substack.com/p/quirky-quo...
Quirky Quotes, Serious Statistics, and Topical Takeaways from the Writing NSW Kids and YA Festival 2025 – Part Three
Yep, still a mouthful to say...
rebeccajchaney.substack.com
August 27, 2025 at 5:17 AM
Oh, I missed a great #kidlitchat today! For what it's worth, I still haven't learned when to move on from projects. 😐 I'll be scrolling back through the #kidlit community's answers to this question for suggestions!
TOPIC: How do you know when to move on from a project? Is there an expiration date on your work? And how do you deal with the mountain of defunct research, drafts and sketches--not to mention the emotional toll of saying goodbye? #kidlitchat
August 27, 2025 at 5:16 AM
Today's newsletter is the second in a trio about this month's Writing NSW Kids and YA Festival in Sydney, including discussions on why series fiction is still a winner with kids, why Australian teens need Australia stories, and creating #kidlit communities.

Enjoy!

open.substack.com/pub/rebeccaj...
Quirky Quotes, Serious Statistics, and Topical Takeaways from the Writing NSW Kids and YA Festival 2025 – Part Two
I still Think That's a Mouthful of a Heading
open.substack.com
August 20, 2025 at 3:32 AM
Middle grade books gave me the escape I needed from reality and I guess that child still lives within me. #kidlitchat
I love writing middle grade as this is the age of hope and discovery, where kids start to wonder about the world around them and where they fit in. For me personally, it was the age when my parents split and my world grew chaotic. A time where I grew up fast.
#kidlitchat
TOPIC: Why do you create/read the stories you create/read? Like… if you write MG, what makes THAT the age range you focus on? Yes, we all do lots of stuff, but if you gravitate towards one thing... why? #kidlitchat
August 20, 2025 at 1:46 AM
I love writing middle grade as this is the age of hope and discovery, where kids start to wonder about the world around them and where they fit in. For me personally, it was the age when my parents split and my world grew chaotic. A time where I grew up fast.
#kidlitchat
TOPIC: Why do you create/read the stories you create/read? Like… if you write MG, what makes THAT the age range you focus on? Yes, we all do lots of stuff, but if you gravitate towards one thing... why? #kidlitchat
August 20, 2025 at 1:34 AM