A gazillion years ago I had a job in advertising. One of the mantras of the ad agency I worked in was ‘The good is the enemy of the great’. I heard that so often while I was working there I got a bit eye-rolly about it. But every so often I remember and it makes … Continue reading
It really shouldn’t be so unnerving. I’ve seen roughs. I’ve seen a photo on my computer. But it’s just not the same thing as when you actually hold your book in your hands for the first time! A big, padded envelope was sitting in the porch and I just knew my Chloe copies were inside! … Continue reading
Last month I wrote about why funny books mattered. This month I’m following up with my top tips to writing funny: Disasters! Things going wrong can almost always guarantee a laugh. And the more disasters, the better. Think about your teacher losing the keys to the classroom down the toilet and then having to stick … Continue reading
Kids love to laugh. Everyone knows that. So, how hard can it be to bash out a book that makes kids’ giggle? As an author of funny (I hope) books for under 12s I’ve lost count of the number of people who’ve told me they have a formula for writing a bestselling children’s book. It usually goes … Continue reading
Earlier this year This Book is Funny, a campaign to get funny books in the hands of children, selected my book ‘Dave Pigeon: How to Deal with Bad Cats and Keep (most of) Your Feathers’, illustrated by Sheena Dempsey, as one of the books for their 2016 poster. Aside from being OVER THE MOON about … Continue reading
This could have been a very long post, but I’ve held back and limited myself to the top ten things I love about being a writer. Here they are: 1. I get paid for making things up. (When I was a kid, I got into trouble for that kind of thing.) 2. I can take … Continue reading
Hiya! I bet you’ve all heard the phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, but often it’s hard not to, isn’t it? After all, what makes you pick up a book by an author you’ve never heard of? Do you prefer pictures or photos – or neither? Does the colour of the cover make … Continue reading
Hi everyone! So, this month I’ve been thinking about balance… No, not that kind of balance. Or that or that. OR that one below… although actually maybe that – that looks fun! I mean balance in life. It’s the summer holidays in a few weeks and before that I am working hard finishing a big … Continue reading
Jo Franklin is preparing for th e launch of Help I’m an Alien. This is what happens at a launch party. Continue reading
To celebrate the June 2nd launch of ‘Unicorn in New York II: Louie Takes the Stage’ (the second book in my ‘Unicorn in New York’ series) I’m offering readers the opportunity to name a character in the third book, ‘Unicorn in New York III: Louie in a Spin’. You can name him/her after yourself, a friend, a member of … Continue reading
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