School of Creative Communication

Ingrid Jonach is about to publish her first book The Frank Frankie (Pan Macmillan, July 2007).
You are invited to the launch

Its sequel The Frank Frankie 2 (Pan Macmillan) will be published in July 2008.

'The Yum Cha of writing' by Ingrid Jonach

How has your degree helped you get to where you are now?

My degree has opened a lot of doors for me. It is true what they say about having that piece of paper! I was working at The Canberra Times in various administration roles before I even graduated and once I did I was given a cadetship. While I had never considered journalism as a career before, my course was about writing, so it made sense to take it as a minor.

My end goal was to be an author. My degree gave me the confidence to self-publish a children’s picture book A Lot of Things in 2005. The following year I signed a two book deal with Pan Macmillan. This is for two chapter books about a nine-year old school girl who launches her own newspaper called The Frank Frankie. There is no doubt that my course, in particular the Writing for Young People subject, contributed to this result.

What appealed to you about these courses when you did them?

My course was the Yum Cha of writing. I had a taste of everything over the three years, from script writing to poetry.

I read literature that would normally be avoided, both obscure and well-known classics. And I learned the meaning of deus ex machina, which is used more than you can imagine.

Meeting other writers was invaluable. My mentors were fellow students, as well as uni staff.

What skills and abilities do you think the degree developed for the challenges of working in your field (eg taking risks and presenting new ideas, working with others, ability to communicate in a changing environment, understanding cultural contexts, acting responsibly and ethically, being adaptable)?

Writing can be a solitary hobby, but it is not a solitary career. You need to be able to research your stories, accept criticism from editors, and hand your work over to an audience.

My course showed me the benefits of collaboration. I have found working with others to develop scripts and books during uni helped me to work as an author in the real world.

My course also gave me the opportunity to take risks with my work. It was more than encouraged, it was mandatory. My lecturers and tutors were able to teach me when to be precious with my work and when to let go. This is a vital ability to have when your editor wants you to kill-off a character.

Would you recommend the degree/course you did to other people wanting to do what you do?

This course is for those writers wanting to push their limits, as well as pursue a career in writing whether as an author, teacher or publisher. You will not only be able to develop your strengths, but work on your weaknesses.

© Ingrid Jonach 2007