get to know an aussie author: jeni mawter 2013

About JeniI live in Sydney, Australia

I have published picture books, junior fiction, young adult fiction, poetry, non-fiction, verse narrative, song lyrics, scripts, and lots of other stuff.

Jeni’s Latest Book

Jeni’s Funny Photo

Writing Funny Stories Roald Dahl, Matilda   'Do you think that all children's books ought to have funny bits?' Miss Honey asked.

'I do,' Matilda said. 'Children are not so serious as grown-ups and they love to laugh.'

What’s funny?

We find humour in SURPRISE!

We find humour in:Characters: who talk and act funny

a huge burly man with a high-pitched voice a policeman who is scared of the dark A clown tripping before they get to throw a pie

We find humour in:

Situations: when what we get isn’t what we expect.

peanut butter flavoured fairy floss

a thief who gets robbed

a teenager in a kindergarten class

Funny Situations1) Make the situation absurd.

Think of something sensible you had for breakfast:For breakfast I ate a bowl of cereal.  Add something ridiculous:For breakfast I ate a bowl of elephants.  Then get sillier:For breakfast I ate a bowl of blue elephants.

Funny Situations1) Make the situation absurd.

For breakfast I ate a bowl of blue elephants wearing rollerblades.

For breakfast I chased a bowl of blue elephants wearing rollerblades on their trunks.

 Rhyme if you like:

For breakfast I chased a bowl of blue elephants wearing rollerblades on their trunks,Upstairs and downstairs till I caught them in their bunks.

Parody = Making fun of real situations

The beagle is a funny breed

Quite well-known for their greed

Rubbish bins provide a treat

And leftovers are obsolete.

by Jeni Mawter

Embarrassing SituationsI went to school with my jacket on upside down. I dived into the local swimming pool and my costume fell

down. I was at the mall with my family when I ran into my teacher.

I was at the mall when I walked head-first into a glass door.

I fell over in the mud in front of all my class.

Substitute Babies are cute … Not!

Meeting Our Baby

Little baby, soft and sweet Looking like … … a pickled beet! Eyes all scrunchedMouth all screamyHead so baldNose all streamy Only Mum could love that faceYou sure it’s from the human race? By Jeni Mawter

Questions?

www.jenimawter.com www.literaturelive.net