About me
I spent my childhood making up stories, comics and imaginary worlds in the company of Enid Blyton, E Nesbit, Lewis Carroll, Noel Streatfield and other brilliant children’s authors. At school I carried on writing in the back of my exercise books, often in code in case of discovery!
I’ve had various jobs including sales assistant, psychiatric nursing assistant, usherette in a children’s theatre, and finally secretary for an insurance company. I studied for a degree in humanities in the evenings, and after having two children I now work for a playgroup as well as from home painting pet portraits on commission (visit my website at www.louisetreleavenportraits.com for a look) – and of course writing!
The interactive story on these pages isn’t my first experiment in web-based fiction – I also created www.plasticst.blogspot.com, a soap set in a land of plastic characters with its own behind-the-scenes documentaries and theme tune!
You can email me at lou.treleaven@sky.com.
Read on
(Note – these links are for my horror stories for adults and content on the sites may not be suitable for children.)
You can read more from me online at at the Spook City website
the Thrillers, Killers ‘n’ Chillers website
or in print in the anthologies Fangtales,
and Daily Bites of Flesh, all available from Amazon.
Competitions
Second prize in the poetry section of the Cats Protection Writing Competition 2011 – poem published in the Autumn 2011 issue of Your Cat (Who Killed King Rat?)
Second prize in the RWA Chick Lit Writers of the World ‘Get Your Stiletto in the Door’ competition 2010, Young Adult section (The Ghost in My House)
Winchester Writers Conference 2011
Writing for children 4-7 years, highly commended (Danny and the Dark)
Writing for children 8-11 years, highly commended (Spaced Out)
Winchester Writers Conference 2010
Writing for children 8-11 years, second place (Monstrosity Park)
Winchester Writers Conference 2009
Writing for children 8-11 years, commended (Letter to Pluto)
Annette Showler
April 16, 2011
I just wondered what prompts you to write about the dark side of life?
loutreleaven
April 18, 2011
Interesting question! Well, I’m fascinated by the human imagination and the way we can take ourselves to different places through both reading and writing, so I suppose writing about the ‘darker side’ is a way of taking the reader and myself somewhere unusual. But in more practical terms, there seem to be more opportunities for short horror or speculative stories to be published on the web and in indie anthlogies than other genres so it’s a good way to test the water and get your name out there. I do like writing about lighter subjects as well, and especially humour. I recently came second in the Cats Protection League poetry writing competition with a poem that was definitely not horror – apart from the dead rat that featured in it!
Annette Showler
April 19, 2011
Hi Lou! Thanks for the revealing answer! It seems we all long to see our names on the front cover and diversifying from our “normal” genre can help, as you say!
I have been writing poems and Christian devotional literature as well as songs on and off for years. A few months ago I decided to try my hand at short romantic fiction and have sent 9 stories to Woman’s Weekly for consideration. It was like a breath of fresh air writing something fictional, and so different from my normal stuff! It actually gave me a buzz to make up the ending!
I’m also spending time on children’s pieces now which again is therapeutic and exciting.
Thanks again for the superb list of would-be publishers you have prepared for us! I will of course keep a look out for your work!
Best wishes
Annette x
Annette Showler
April 24, 2011
Sorry to have missed you at Silsoe today. I had in my mind that the show was Monday! Even made mention of it on my Facebook page last week! What a shame! But I will keep looking and learning from your pages here.
After many years of writing factual articles, I need to let my imagination run riot a little at the same time, enter into novel writing with plot, characters in tact. I hope to learn more from your ex articles here.
Thanks again.
Gus Ponaire
September 8, 2011
Lou – It’s funny, but like yourself I too spent much of my childhood drifting off and now that i am 43, I am beginning to think that childhood phase should have ended. Anyway, I just want to say that stumbling on your page was one of the best stumbles of my life – I have written in the academic world – and been published – but my heart lies in children’s fiction and your web page and advice are excellent –
Many thanks,
JW
loutreleaven
September 8, 2011
That’s so nice to hear – thank you for your lovely comment. I think one of the qualities of being a children’s writer is having that ability to drift away into a dream and lose yourself for a while as you never know where you may end up! Good luck with your writing. It sounds like you have a solid background of writing experience behind you which will be a great foundation.
C.Court-Smith
January 2, 2012
Hi Lou,
I just wanted to say that I have found your page so very useful; especially the list of publishers and information regarding writing for children.
I hope it would be o.k to list your page on my own, incase people happen to stumble upon it and may find your page just as useful.
I found the inmformation clear and easy to understand, unlike some of the other pages I have found.
Many thanks!I
loutreleaven
January 4, 2012
Of course you can, that would be great.
Trudy Gunther
February 14, 2012
Do you still have interest in receiving unsolicited manuscripts for children’s book to date.
loutreleaven
February 15, 2012
Hi Trudy, have a look at this post listing children’s publishers accepting unsolicited manuscripts. Hopefully it will give you the information you need.
Berni Stevens
February 23, 2012
Hi Lou,
Whether the publishers will accept it or not I have to wait and see. It’s darker than Fledgling so they may not . . .
I’ve been meaning to ‘visit’ for a while, but have been busy finishing the sequel to Fledgling. Now it’s done
Holly has just told me that Fangtales is the best selling Wyvern book to date – how cool is that?
Hope the writing and painting is going well
Berni xx
loutreleaven
February 23, 2012
Hello Berni – congratulations on finishing your next book. Dark is in so I’m sure the publishers will love it! Great to hear Fangtales is doing well too.
Sue Hardy-Dawson
April 16, 2012
Hi this is quite uncanny, I’m a published children’s poet and illustrator, work as a childminder with my daughter and do pastel drawings of pets and people. I also write really dark adult fiction I think because most of the time I work with and write for young children. I came upon your sight looking for somewhere to send a couple of picture book ideas and have found it very useful bt when I clicked on your information I couldn’t believe how many similarities there were. Sorry also dyslexic so spelling may be wrong I generally warn editors although I have a wonderful proof reader.
loutreleaven
April 17, 2012
Hi Sue, you are right although you are a bit more successful than me! We must be a certain type although what that is I am not sure! Enjoyed reading your poems on http://sludge-bog-stew.blogspot.co.uk/.
Sue Hardy-Dawson
April 17, 2012
So pleased you enjoyed them, there’s more on poemcat if you’re ever at a loose end. Re successful, a little maybe but it depends how you measure success, I love what I do and could never stop even if I never earned another penny.
However it’s taken a while and I still need a day job, I got my first poem in a mainstream anthology in 2002 when my children were still young. Most of the cutbacks in publishing have happened in the poetry lists so most of the poets I know rely on workshops in schools; again less plentiful in these belt tightening times.
Love your pictures, I think we have a similar style when drawing animals. Do you work in other mediums?
loutreleaven
April 18, 2012
I’ve experimented with watercolour and oils a bit, but always come back to pastels because I love them so much!