http://www.oisinmcgann.com/blog Wondering Aloud Thu, 19 Aug 2010 08:59:07 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Here's news of an event any reader of this blog – or someone they know – might be interested in . . . Does your child or teen love books and talking about books? Then this is the event for you - a fantastic literary lunch for young readers, with an ... http://www.oisinmcgann.com/blog/?p=1507 I don't know if I'd qualify as a real petrol-head – on what most writers or illustrators earn, buying a car is a rare pleasure. But I definitely love driving, and I always grab at the chance to try a car I've never driven before. It's not the speed I'm ... http://www.oisinmcgann.com/blog/?p=1475 Last Wednesday, I took our young football nut to the new Aviva Stadium – or the old Lansdowne Road, whichever way you want to look at it – to watch Ireland play Argentina. He was well excited to see players such as Messi, Mascherano and Rodriguez strut their stuff. He ... http://www.oisinmcgann.com/blog/?p=1480 Yes. Believe the hype. It's that good. Three of the most fundamental elements of any story are character, setting and the problem that forms the basis of your plot. Having to teach this on courses (particularly to children) has really forced me to tackle the defining of these elements in simple ... http://www.oisinmcgann.com/blog/?p=1454 One of our roving Weird-Wide News reporters wandered into a big toyshop last week (you would think they had better things to do). But while pushing themselves around in a trolley, they  spotted a whole wall of Armouron toys. I was amazed to hear they were finally out (nobody told ... http://www.oisinmcgann.com/blog/?p=1445 It's a necessary quality in any writer that they be curious. It's a circular thing really; you're curious about life, so you write about it to help you sort it out in your own head and communicate those thought processes to others. And once you're in the habit of writing, ... http://www.oisinmcgann.com/blog/?p=1376 I've long been a fan of Pixar, and when we first start seeing hints that 'Toy Story 3' was on its way, I was really, really hoping they were going to stay true to form. Last weekend, Maedhbh and I dropped the baby into her granny and took our football/computer game ... http://www.oisinmcgann.com/blog/?p=1408 Last week, I joined a bunch of writers and illustrators to have a lunch with Children's Laureate, Siobhan Parkinson. The location was Airfield in Dundrum, which has nothing to do with airplanes, but is in fact a farm in the suburbs of Dublin which has a small cafe/restaurant, a farm ... http://www.oisinmcgann.com/blog/?p=1410 On Sunday, Maedhbh and I drove down to Waterford with our stubbornly independent toddler to attend the launch of 'Enchanted', an exhibition of children's illustrations in the Garter Lane Arts Centre that was taking place the following day. The exhibition is part of the Sprog Children's Festival, which runs in ... http://www.oisinmcgann.com/blog/?p=1387 Well . . .  no, not quite. But I was recently interviewed by Olive O'Brien for her new children's book blog, Lilliput Library, on the Hello Magazine's website. One question that came up during the interview with Jackie Hayden in the Riverbank Arts Centre on Saturday was how one goes about getting ... http://www.oisinmcgann.com/blog/?p=1378