Creating the Crocodile

For the better part of a year, Aaron Fa’Aoso and I have been working on a new book. And, as of today, I reckon it’s just about done. Spirit of the Crocodile is a novel for middle grade readers (let’s say kids aged 8-12, although of course it depends). Crocodiles, crazy dares and climate change – it’s all in there. But what does ‘just about done’ even mean? How did this book come to be?

Usually fiction authors – including those who write for children – write their story, polish it up to the n^th degree, submit the manuscript to agents or publishers and then hope like crazy that someone decides to take it on.

But Aaron and I are lucky enough to be represented by Danielle Binks and Jacinta di Mase at Jacinta di Mase Management: the best literary agency in Australia. They were also responsible for introducing us back in 2019, to work on Aaron’s memoir So Far, So Good.

Thanks once again to Jacinta’s behind-the scenes nudging and prompting, Aaron and I were approached by a freelance series editor, Lyn White. Lyn is responsible for a suite of middle grade books called ‘Through my Eyes’, focussing on the experience of children living through difficult circumstances (mainly conflict zones and natural disasters).

Lyn asked us to write a stand-alone novel for her, set in the Torres Strait and featuring children dealing with the real-life impacts of climate change. Well, how could we refuse? Aaron said yes because he’s always keen to showcase his beloved Torres Strait. And I said yes because I wanted to see if I could write fiction.

Aaron and I mapped out a basic narrative arc, articulated some themes and then Lyn approached highly regarded Australian publisher Allen and Unwin, with whom she’s worked for many years. They said yes, we’d like 40,000 words please and we all signed a contract late last year. It was a pretty bold move on A&U’s part, although a few months later Aaron and I submitted some sample chapters, so they could be sure that we were heading in the right direction.

To be honest, I kind of hoped fiction would be easy. After all, novelists get to make stuff up. But actually it was every bit as hard as non-fiction – especially because we needed to be accurate about the geographic and cultural aspects – but also because compelling plots and lively characters and page-turning narrative drama don’t magically write themselves. This I know, because I tried that technique too. Sigh.

In the middle of this year Aaron and I submitted our completed draft manuscript of about 43,000 words: the result of many hours of conversation, workshopping and hard work at the keyboard. A month or so later it was returned to us, full of editorial suggestions and comments. Most were pretty straightforward, a few we thought hard about but decided not to accept, but the request to add another chapter at the end was pretty confronting. And absolutely correct. Our original ending was much too abrupt.

So cue another month or so of reviewing and revising and rewriting. All up I think we only added another 5000 words, but we certainly polished up the other 43,000.

And now the manuscript has been returned to us, in a format called ‘first pages.’ This pdf document is formatted like the book will be, complete with title page and copyright info, maps, author notes and acknowledgements. Aaron requested it in the electronic version, while I had them send me a hard copy. That almost sums up our different approaches!

We’ve worked through the document carefully, and have made only very minor suggestions. A couple of typos to be fixed; a character’s name changed throughout; the corrected spelling of a phrase we use from the Kala Kawa Ya language of the northwestern islands of the Torres Strait.

Aaron and I have this week drafted our acknowledgements and thank yous, so they’ll need to be included. And we have a few more suggestions about one of the maps. But truly, I think we’re nearly there and on track for publication day: 4 March 2025.

And the cover? I’ve seen it and it’s beautiful. But I can’t share it with you just yet, so you’ll have to be patient! I hope you’ll love it, and the story it contains, as much as we do.