Like how it’s so lovely to pore through each and every page of the book. Turning each page, savouring the feel of the paper, devouring every word, drinking in the awe and majesty of the pictures of ancient scrolls of China, the paintings of the Sistine Chapel, and the ruins of Greece ….. you are immediately transported to a world of your own.

Then I thought of today’s children. When information is so easily accessible. When it only takes a click, a touch, to be overwhelmed by images, text, sound. Are we having too much but knowing too little?

As I young writer, having started when I was 10 years old, scribbling on pieces of nicely-cut paper, and then pasting them on pretty much every inch of my bedroom wall, I took inspiration from the wretchedness I felt, growing up pretty much as a recluse since I had no real clique to hang out with – all I had were casual acquaintances, classmates who thought I was überly weird – and I guess when one’s hormones kick in, you can’t help but associate inspiration with angst and despair. At least during my time, we did.

Like any other young adolescent writer, I enjoyed absorbing all the angst I felt and translating that into melancholic chants, and somber realisations of how my life was leading into. This I pretty much dragged on until I graduated from Uni and then moved on to my Masters. Eventually though, I came to realise that all the angst did fuel a lot of the creativity; I also found out that when I was happy, I rarely had the inspiration to write at all… because I was already living out the emotions I longed for.

People all over have their own kooky ways of getting inspired. Some people would enjoy writing while sitting along the shores of an uncharted beach, while seagulls fly above freely, and the sunset blankets the ocean, while some would be perfectly comfortable with acing a narrative while slumping on the living room couch, eating a tub of ice cream and have earphones blaring alternative rock tunes onto their eardrums.

Either way, I guess as a writer, we all need to find our own way of getting inspired, to capture that moment where we could fully express the emotions we want out pieces to imbibe. In the end, making our readers (and fans) feel what we feel, and understand what we want them to, should be the inspiration altogether to find that one spark that would ignite the masterpiece all of us are destined to write at one point or another.

Keep writing, and keep searching for that one true inspiration. You’ll never know. You just might bump into it real soon.

From what I remember (gosh, it was forty-something years ago!), I looked forward to wearing the white tunic and blue pinafore everyday to school! And yes, school was fun! Yes, we had English, Maths and Science, and Chinese. And Chinese was my least favourite subject …. Coz well, no one speaks Chinese at home but, I’ll come to it in a later blog.

Let’s talk about my favourite subject, English. I was very fortunate, for two reasons.

One, Daddy speaks and writes fluent English. He had a HSC (Higher School Certificate), equivalent to today’s A Levels. He was a stenographer and later promoted to private secretary to his boss, an Englishman. In the 1960s, this was a big thing. Daddy worked in Mansfield Travel, frankly, I thought it was pretty cool, his job …. he takes shorthand, literally short hand, squiggles that have meaning to it and then transcribes it to a typewriter. A manual typewriter, that is.

Two, my school, CHIJ or Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus, prides itself on building values and character in the girls that walk in their doors. Steadfast but demure is what every Convent girl should be, and I am glad to say that it still is today. The teachers during my time were tasked with speaking and writing properly, and well, training came from the Irish nuns who also doubled up as teachers as well.

That’s Life! I will share snippets about how I discovered the love for the written word, to my favourite books, to everything you always want to know about life, minus the boring bits …..

Let’s start with school. I remember never going to nursery …. There wasn’t such a thing in the 1960s ….. you stayed at home till you are ready for school. But my mum decided kindergarden would be good for me, so walked me three blocks to a boarded-up place at the foot of a block of flats. I sat on the floor, the teacher shooed my mum away and I cried, non-stop for two hours. That was the end of kindergarden for me!

Do you often wonder how children during my time fared when there were no TV, no computer games, no PSPs, no handphones …… well, wait for the next installment of That’s Life!

And then it got me thinking. People scramble over who gets to be the best, and there really isn’t anything wrong about trying to achieve all your goals. But some people go over the top, and find themselves starting to become too obsessed with reaching for their stars that they forget that winning isn’t everything. It’s the journey that is more important.

I remember when I was in primary school. Competition in class was so cutthroat that people begged teachers for extra school work (as if there wasn’t enough to do in school). There wasn’t anything wrong with the competition, except that we became so engrossed with being on top that we forgot the lessons that we should have been learning as we climbed to the top – life lessons that could have helped many of us become better citizens of the world.

Here are a few of the things I learned during my journey as a student who was struggling to climb to the top:

1. A smile makes a difference. People take it for granted and sometimes even think it’s eerie to find people who smile back, but a smile does make a difference when you climb up to reach your goals. Maintaining a healthy, happy outlook has both physical and mental benefits. Plus, did you know that it takes lesser effort for facial muscles to smile than to frown? So why strain yourself with a glum face right?

2. A sincere ‘thank you” means more than just three words. Some people are starting to forget the virtue of gratitude. If you want to climb up to the top without gathering too many detractors along the way, it would be great to learn to thank people who helped you en route to the top.

3. Saying sorry doesn’t mean you’re a weakling. Admitting that you’ve made a mistake doesn’t mean you’re a dunce. It means you are well aware of both your capacities and incapacities, and shows willingness to learn. Mistakes aren’t there to pull us down; they happen to teach us life lessons. So jot down notes, and learn from them.

4. There are good people out there. Trust is something earned, not bought. Finding trustworthy people is a Herculean task, but we also need to understand that man was created innately good. Looking at people’s good sides rather than their bad sides help us appreciate them more, and help build better working or academic relationships with them.

5. Believe. If you believe hard enough, you might get it in the end. Ever heard of the saying what the mind thinks, the body achieves? Pretty much, that is true. Believing in a goal – an academic or life target – helps bring more direction and focus to how you find your path to the top.

Climbing to the top is no easy task. Getting there is a feat in itself. The journey can be arduous, but it’s worth the climb.

It is that time of the year again.

The stage is set for the launch of the region’s premier search for the next generation of young authors and digital artists in Southeast Asia, the Young Author Awards 2011/12 and the DigiTales Awards, on 21 May 2011 at the Auditorium of the Woodlands Regional Library, 10am to 1pm.

A regional search for budding authors in fiction writing, under the Young Author Scheme (YAS) and a national search for young journalists and digital storytellers, under the Young Journalist Scheme (YJS) and Young Digital Storyteller Scheme (YoDS) of Janus Education Services, the event is supported by the Media Development Authority (MDA), the National Library Board (NLB), the National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS), and the Singapore Book Publishers Association (SBPA).

Its first launch after it was incepted in 2007, the Young Author Awards and the DigiTales Awards take pride in lauding young talent and providing them with opportunities for both publication and exposure. Winning authors get an opportunity to be published as part of an anthology series, while winning digital artists are featured in the awards’ technology partner NewsMaker, under Eyepower Games.

Featured in this year’s launch are the following: a free workshop on improving composition-writing skills among primary and secondary students; a presentation of available software for language development among preschoolers; a book launch of inspirational author Oh Siew May’s latest book “Scaling Walls”; and a lucky draw with major prizes from our sponsors.

All short-listed finalists will be acknowledged during preliminary ceremonies this coming November 2011. Early this year, two of the books written by past YAA winners were translated into a television movie. One of them is entitled Helpful or Deadly by Ng Hao Qin, which he wrote when he was 11 years old, and was aired on Okto Channel 8, carrying the title Super Duper Smartimizer, a story about a boy who wanted to get smart the easy way by using his Grandfather’s quick-fix invention.

The Young Author Awards and the DigiTales Awards are made possible through the following sponsors: EmitAsia, Official Education Partner; NewsMaker, Official Digital Partner; Canon, Official Imaging Partner; with Nanyang Optical, Popular Bookstore, Pizza Hut, ODM Watches, and Brands Essence of Chicken.

Media interest and attendance for these events are most welcome. For enquiries, please contact



Carlo Pena at DID: 6336 8985 /
E-mail: carlo@januseducation.sg OR



Catherine Khoo at DID: 6336 0832 /
E-mail: catherine@catherinekhoo.sg.



Click here for the actual press articles (PDF).

A reader would be drawn into a story with well-rounded believable characters rather than cardboard-like or cartoon/stereotypical types. By all means, give your character a name, and simple physical attributes.

But what moves your story forward would be how your character feels and behaves in situations they are planted in. Take the story of Rosequartz (pages 7 to 14). It is a story of how a filly evades her enemies, Man. How does Michelle Neoh build the character of Rosequartz, her protagonist? Through the character’s thoughts and actions.

“How can I outsmart Man? …… ‘Here goes,’ I muttered to myself and with a ringing neigh, I leapt out from my hiding place.” Michelle did not tell her readers that Rosequartz was headstrong and reckless as any young filly would be, she showed it through Rosequartz’actions. Note how brilliantly she painted the young filly’s attempt to prevent being captured.

“Excited barks and howls from Man’s hounds could be heard and I could vaguely imagine slavering jaws snapping at my long neck, slobber dripping all over my neatly-groomed glossy coat. Morbid thoughts entered my head, poisoning my mind, and fear lent an extra burst of speed to my tiring legs.”

How else can you depict character? Nicholas Chan’s formula in Days in Malaysia was to use the eyes of another character.

“I fell asleep as my grandmother read The Lion King to me. She would so effortlessly narrate the parts and impersonate the characters — Simba, the wise baboon, the hyenas. She was phenomenal.”

Through this simple device, Nicholas gives the reader a sense of his childhood days and most important, his grandmother’s love for him. Isn’t it simple, how to effortlessly build your character. One method is through the character’s thoughts and actions. Another is the use of the eyes of another character. There are many ways to develop character. In my next installment, I would share a few more.

Now, for budding authors, if you dare…take this challenge! If you come across any great characters, leave a comment behind and tell me what device was used to build the character.

7 March 2011 – A roster of 38 shortlisted students representing various primary and secondary schools from all over Singapore gathered at the auditorium of the Woodlands Regional Library at 9am last 5 March in the finale awards ceremonies of the annual 2011 Young Author Awards (YAA), a nationwide search for budding authors in fiction writing, under the Young Author Scheme (YAS) of Janus Education Services. The event was held in conjunction with the Media Fiesta 2011, and supported by the Singapore Book Publishers Association, the Media Development Authority and the National Library Board, with endorsement from the National Book Development Council of Singapore.

Gracing the event as special guest was Deputy Chief of Mission from the Embassy of Israel, Mrs Michal Sarig-Kaduri, who talked about creativity among children, particularly among Israeli children as the YAA is planning to venture into going global by accepting entries from countries like Israel and the Philippines in future editions. Also featured this year was a talk by Serendip Showbiz Managing Director Desmond Moey, who discussed the possibilities of creating content for radio broadcast through the materials that are produced under the YAS. The YAS, whose adjunct arm the Young Journalist Scheme, is currently being molded to create content that may be fitted to air through the digital audio broadcast platform, a programme which shall go full blast sometime within the year.

Receiving the 20 merit awards, out of 38 shortlisted semifinalists for YAA 2010/11 were Josh Lim, Catholic High; Mark Yeo, Maris Stella High School; Justine Hong, Nanyang Primary School; Serafina Siow, Yuhua Primary School; Jezreel Rei Castro, Dunearn Secondary School; Dayna Chong, Clementi Town Secondary School; Nihal Hameed, Townsville Primary School; Surya Selvakumar, Henry Park Primary School; Nicholas Chan, Bishan Park Secondary School; Ryan Wang, Naval Base Primary School; Ayden Mohan, SJI Junior; Nanda Min Htin, Jurong West Primary School; Mutia Hanifa Indiraputri, Blangah Rise Primary School; Ee Chong Hui, Pioneer Primary School; Yogesh Hidaramani, Victoria School; Luqman Aqil, West Grove Primary School; Amy Tan, Raffles Girls Secondary School; Hans Hu, Xingnan Pri School; Shawn Tan, Anderson Primary School; and Rachel Lee, CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School.

Winning the special awards for Most Heartfelt Dedication was Han Yin Yii of Singapore Chinese Girl’s School for her story a Hard Life, while Emma Yong of Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School won the Best Cover Illustration Award.

Winning the top prizes for this year were the following: Emilyn Foong of Changkat Changi Secondary School, 3rd prize; Lee Tat Wei of Anglo-Chinese School (Primary), 2nd prize; and Tessa Tan of Methodist Girl’s School, 1st prize.

All shortlisted finalists were acknowledged during preliminary ceremonies conducted last November 2010. Five previous winners of the YAA will also grace the event, highlighted by YAA 2009/2010 awardees Pang Shui Hui and Kendrick Lam’s message to the winners.

Early this year, two of the books written by past YAA winners were translated into a television movie. One of them is entitled Helpful or Deadly by Ng Hao Qin, which he wrote when he was 11 years old, and was aired on Okto Channel 8, carrying the title Super Duper Smartimizer, a story about a boy who wanted to get smart the easy way by using his Grandfather’s quick-fix invention.

About Janus Education:

Since 2004, Janus Education Services, together with its publishing arm Experiences and Experiments, has been scouring the country for the next generation of writers with the aim of helping them actually publish their very own book. The YAS, which budded from an innovative-thinking English Head of Department from Anderson Primary School who approached veteran author-editor and Janus Education Services founder Catherine Khoo, was a novel idea that motivated students to write a book good enough to be published.

Ms Khoo says the Young Author’s Scheme was created to bring out the author in each child, and does not only inspire him to write, but also sparks his confidence and patience. With the vision of becoming the premier creative education portal and the leading publisher of media created by and for 8 to 18 year olds in Singapore, the Young Author Scheme intends to transcend from creative writing to creative educational platforms that lead to social responsibility advocacies and projects.

The Unique Classroom™ is the culmination of Catherine’s media savvy with innovative educational concepts: a think-out-of-the-box, highly interactive and fun series of programmes to accelerate the teaching of English. Its programmes have found a niche in more than 150 primary and secondary schools since it was first introduced in 1996.

Janus Education is organiser of two prestigious awards supported by the Media Development Authority (MDA), the National Library Board (NLB), the Young Author Award (YAA) and the DigiTales Award. Both awards feature extensive digital media support from media partners.

About Experiences and Experiments:

Experiences and Experiments is Singapore’s first boutique publisher of books exclusively for under-18s, by under under-18s. Launched in 2005, the Young Author Club is Experiences and Experiments Books’ first imprint. It stresses Catherine’s philosophy of “breaking the boundaries of education.” Penned and illustrated by preteens, the stories feature a variety of genres including angels and aliens, ghouls and ghosts, heart warmers, science fiction, magic and fantasy and the like, surprising readers with their own brand of charm and innocence, as seen from the eyes of the child.

In 2007, Experiences and Experiments took an extra step forward and created audio books anchored on previous books published under the Young Author Scheme.

For more information about Janus Education Services and Experiences and Experiments, log on to www.januseducation.sg.

For those of you who missed the Young Author Award 2010/11 ceremony last Saturday, I have the results!

Since November, the 38 shortlisted winners have been waiting to find out if their story made the judges’ top choices. Among the shortlisted participants were our top 3 winners and 2 special awardees.

In the lead-up to the awards, our special guests gave speeches concerning creativity in children, their experiences being a YAA winner and the potential opportunities including adaptations of their stories into TV and radio channels!

The winners were:

20 Merit Awards

1. Josh Lim, Catholic High
2. Mark Yeo, Maris Stella High School
3. Justine Hong, Nanyang Primary School
4. Serafina Siow, Yuhua Primary School
5. Jezreel Rei Castro, Dunearn Secondary School
6. Dayna Chong, Clementi Town Secondary School
7. Nihal Hameed, Townsville Primary School
8. Surya Selvakumar, Henry Park Primary School
9. Nicholas Chan, Bishan Park Secondary School
10. Ryan Wang, Naval Base Primary School
11. Ayden Mohan, SJI Junior
12. Nanda Min Htin, Jurong West Primary School
13. Mutia Hanifa Indiraputri, Blangah Rise Primary School
14. Ee Chong Hui, Pioneer Primary School
15. Yogesh Hidaramani, Victoria School
16. Luqman Aqil, West Grove Primary School
17. Amy Tan, Raffles Girls Secondary School
18. Hans Hu, Xingnan Pri School
19. Shawn Tan, Anderson Primary School
20. Rachel Lee, CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School

Most Heart-Felt Dedication

1. Han Yin Yii, Singapore Chinese Girl’s School

Best Illustration

1. Emma Yong, Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School

3rd Prize

1. Emilyn Foong, Changkat Changi Secondary School

2nd Prize

1. Lee Tat Wei of Anglo-Chinese School (Primary)

1st Prize

1. Tessa Tan, Methodist Girl’s School

Congratulations to all!