Location: Australia
Member Since:
April 28, 2014
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David McRobbie
Biography
David McRobbie was born in Glasgow in 1934. After an apprenticeship he joined the Merchant Navy as a marine engineer and sailed the world, or some of it. Eventually he worked his passage to Australia, got married and settled down for a bit only to move to Papua New Guinea where he trained as a teacher.
Subsequently he found work as a college lecturer, then a researcher for parliament. Back in Australia in 1974 he joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as a producer of radio and television programs for young people.
In 1990 he gave up this work to become a full time writer for children and young adults. He has written over thirty paperbacks, mainly novels, but some are collections of short stories, plays and ‘how-to’ books on creative writing.
Three of his novels were adapted for television, with David writing all of the sixty-five scripts — the first being The Wayne Manifesto in 1996, followed by Eugénie Sandler, PI then Fergus McPhail. These shows were broadcast throughout the world, including Australia and Britain on BBC and ITV.
The BBC adapted another of David’s novels for television — See How They Run, which became the first BBC/ABC co-production.
At the age of 79, David is still at work. His most recent paperback novels are Vinnie’s War, (Allen & Unwin) published in 2011, about childhood evacuation in the second world war. This was followed by To Brave The Seas, in 2013, a story about a 14-year-old boy who sails in Atlantic convoys during WW2. Both books are available online.
Subsequently he found work as a college lecturer, then a researcher for parliament. Back in Australia in 1974 he joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as a producer of radio and television programs for young people.
In 1990 he gave up this work to become a full time writer for children and young adults. He has written over thirty paperbacks, mainly novels, but some are collections of short stories, plays and ‘how-to’ books on creative writing.
Three of his novels were adapted for television, with David writing all of the sixty-five scripts — the first being The Wayne Manifesto in 1996, followed by Eugénie Sandler, PI then Fergus McPhail. These shows were broadcast throughout the world, including Australia and Britain on BBC and ITV.
The BBC adapted another of David’s novels for television — See How They Run, which became the first BBC/ABC co-production.
At the age of 79, David is still at work. His most recent paperback novels are Vinnie’s War, (Allen & Unwin) published in 2011, about childhood evacuation in the second world war. This was followed by To Brave The Seas, in 2013, a story about a 14-year-old boy who sails in Atlantic convoys during WW2. Both books are available online.
Where to buy in print
Series
Roads To Writing 1. Making Your Characters Speak
by David McRobbie
Roads To Writing 2. Finding Story Ideas
Roads to Writing. 3 Exposition
Roads To Writing 2. Finding Story Ideas
Price:
$2.99 USD.
Roads to Writing. 3 Exposition
Price:
$2.99 USD.
Books
The Fourth Caution
by David McRobbie
Price:
$7.99 USD.
Words: 88,420.
Language:
English.
Published: March 21, 2021
.
Categories:
Fiction » Young adult or teen » Poetry
The Fourth Caution Is a time travel adventure, set in the present, the past and the future.
The Crimes of Tom Callow
by David McRobbie
Price:
$7.00 USD.
Words: 51,460.
Language:
British English.
Published: November 18, 2019
.
Categories:
Fiction » Historical » Australia & New Zealand
In Victorian London, Tom Callow, believes that an inheritance should be his but instead it goes to Blythe Armstrong, a teenage girl living in far off colonial Sydney. Blythe is invited to England to finalise details of her estate. Tom decides to travel to Australia to 'do away with' the young heiress. But things never go as planned.
This is a crime novel, with a touch of comedy.
Brisbane Stories
by David McRobbie
Price:
$5.99 USD.
Words: 74,160.
Language:
Australian English.
Published: April 8, 2019
.
Categories:
Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Courtroom
This collection of mature level stories is based around the city of Brisbane in Australia, and tells of young adults in school or in the workplace who are bullied, badgered or intimidated by more powerful players. In the stories, the unwelcome situations are resolved by the young people themselves or by a wrong move on the part of the antagonist.
Two Kinds of Knowledge
by David McRobbie
Price:
$2.99 USD.
Words: 6,880.
Language:
English.
Published: April 1, 2019
.
Categories:
Nonfiction » Education & Study Guides » Teaching methods & materials / reading & phonics
Two Kinds of Knowledge challenges students from 10 to 13 to name items within a given category, such as naming towns or cities with a river running through them. There are forty challenges with the aim of expanding students' knowledge, vocabulary and reading and research skills.
Roads to Writing 5. Conflict
by David McRobbie
Price:
$2.99 USD.
Words: 13,200.
Language:
Commonwealth English.
Published: October 18, 2017
.
Categories:
Essay » Literature
This essay shows how to use conflict in creative writing. It provides many examples illustrating the use of conflict in many kinds of writing.
Roads to Writing 4. Mystery Fiction
by David McRobbie
Price:
$2.99 USD.
Words: 11,010.
Language:
Australian English.
Published: October 6, 2016
.
Categories:
Essay » Literature, Nonfiction » Education & Study Guides » Study guides - Literature
This essay looks at the craft of writing mystery fiction — plots, the detective, suspects and how to lay clues.
Roads to Writing. 3 Exposition
by David McRobbie
Series: Roads To Writing 1. Making Your Characters Speak.
Price:
$2.99 USD.
Words: 10,500.
Language:
Australian English.
Published: September 7, 2016
.
Categories:
Essay » Literature
Exposition is an essential part of all storytelling and is explored in this essay. There are examples that invite the reader to create exposition as well as clumsy extracts that the reader can edit and improve.
Roads To Writing 2. Finding Story Ideas
by David McRobbie
Series: Roads To Writing 1. Making Your Characters Speak, Book 1.
Price:
$2.99 USD.
Words: 10,630.
Language:
Australian English.
Published: September 21, 2014
.
Categories:
Nonfiction » Education & Study Guides » Teaching methods & materials / language arts
Roads To Writing 2 looks at the important business of finding ideas for stories — and what to do with them. Part One deals with ideas in general, Part Two shows a method of workshopping while Part Three discusses the role of planning for stories. The final part is a workshop where David McRobbie examines two of his successful stories and shows where the ideas came from and how they developed.
Roads to Writing 1. Making Your Characters Speak
by David McRobbie
Price:
$2.99 USD.
Words: 10,310.
Language:
Australian English.
Published: August 21, 2014
.
Categories:
Nonfiction » Education & Study Guides » Literacy » Composition & creative writing, Nonfiction » Children's Books » Writing
Roads To Writing is the first book in a proposed series on creative writing. This one deals with handling dialogue, which for some is a tricky business. But it needn’t be. The rules are quite simple and with these wise words and examples to guide your fingers, you’ll soon know all about inverted commas, the ‘he said - she said’ bit and how to make better use of dialogue in your writing.
Ten Things You Didn't Know About Ghosts
by David McRobbie
Price:
$3.99 USD.
Words: 34,630.
Language:
English (Scottish dialect).
Published: July 16, 2014
.
Categories:
Fiction » Adventure » Action
Beatrice McMullin, a 12-year-old orphan meets a ghost sister and brother who need her help. Before becoming ghosts, the girl and boy were given an important task to perform. It’s a well-known fact that ghosts are ghosts because they still have business with the living. Beatrice agrees to help, then finds herself caught up in a crazy hunt for some royal regalia, with just a bit of comedy thrown in.
Robo-dude
by David McRobbie
Price:
$5.99 USD.
Words: 18,300.
Language:
Australian English.
Published: July 6, 2014
.
Categories:
Fiction » Humor & comedy » General, Fiction » Children’s books » Computers
Shaun is no ordinary teenage boy, in fact he’s not a boy at all. Shaun is a robot, otherwise known as Robo-dude, a domestic helper around the house. He has been bought by mother and daughter, Sandra and Chloe Wilson to bring some order into their busy lives. But things don’t run smoothly after all and it falls to Shaun to bring matters to a head.
In Prior's Pocket
by David McRobbie
Price:
$5.99 USD.
Words: 32,860.
Language:
Australian English.
Published: July 3, 2014
.
Categories:
Fiction » Young adult or teen » Mystery & Detective, Fiction » Young adult or teen » Mystery & Detective
Teenager Bill Fields uncovers a well made 1927 vintage model house, which is identical to the one he lives in. A family of tiny figures occupy the model house and so absorbed does Bill become with them, he soon finds himself in the house with them.
And they have a mystery — so turn to Bill for help.
Mandragora
by David McRobbie
Price:
$9.99 USD.
Words: 70,930.
Language:
Australian English.
Published: June 19, 2014
.
Categories:
Fiction » Young adult or teen » Thriller & Suspense, Fiction » Historical » Australia & New Zealand
Two shipwreck survivors, a seventeen-year-old girl and a young seaman, shelter in a cave to wait out the storm. They find warmth, security and love. When they leave the cave something evil is left behind.
A hundred years later, another young couple uncover the place where the lovers found sanctuary. But some things are best left undisturbed. Here are four of them.
Stars
by David McRobbie
Price:
Free!
Words: 12,150.
Language:
Australian English.
Published: June 10, 2014
.
Categories:
Fiction » Children’s books » Readers / Chapter Books, Fiction » Children’s books » Law & Crime
Somebody turned on the art room ceiling fans to their highest position and their wind ruined a beautiful work of art. Charlie Thomson gets the blame, so he sets out to clear his name in this mystery yarn which has a crime, suspects, a detective and clues. And this story, like all good mystery yarns, also has a denouement — the bit at the end where the detective unmasks the real culprit.
She
by David McRobbie
Price:
$3.99 USD.
Words: 28,290.
Language:
Australian English.
Published: May 25, 2014
.
Categories:
Fiction » Young adult or teen » Thriller & Suspense
Livy, the She of this story, challenges Rob to a dare. He reluctantly undertakes the challenge then finds the object of the dare is far from innocent. In fact it's part of a criminal conspiracy — and there are people keen to recover their property. She is a fast paced thriller with a hint of comedy.
Falling Up Stairs
by David McRobbie
Price:
$2.99 USD.
Words: 15,520.
Language:
Australian English.
Published: May 5, 2014
.
Categories:
Fiction » Children’s books » Action & Adventure / Pirates
The teenage years are like Falling Up Stairs — quite painful but you eventually reach the top. Here are two stories about boys who are in the middle of their hurtful journeys. Matthew just wants to win the girl of his dreams — but the dreams intrude into his realities. Geoffrey, in the second story, just wants a well-ordered life — hard to do when he finds himself caught up in a bank robbery.
David McRobbie's tag cloud
british crime
bullying
comedy
comedy about relationships
comedy about success and failure
creative writing
crime comedy
demonic possession
dialogue
dialogue punctuation
hazing
historical
historical ya
intimidation
mystery action teens
mystery fiction
present day
primary school
reading skills
research skills
robots androids
school based mystery
story about a ghost helping
teenage
thriller
time travel
travel in time
working cooperatively
writing a short story
writing for publication