Brightside Story Studio

September 15, 2020

Yasmin A. McClinton on Being a Sensitivity Reader

Yasmin is a talented editor, writer and English teacher who recently won the Sisters in Crime Eleanor Taylor Bland award for her unpublished novel. One of her areas of expertise is sensitivity reading, a field of growing importance as authors become more aware of their responsibilities when they write minority characters. Join us for a discussion about appropriation, agency and author intent. Continue reading Yasmin A. McClinton on Being a Sensitivity Reader

September 1, 2020September 15, 2020

Nicole Webb From Newsreader to Author

Journalist Nicole Webb worked her way up to become a newsreader at Sky News Australia, but then gave it all up on a whim to move overseas. After six years in Hong Kong and then Xi’an, China, she returned to Sydney a different person and completed her memoir, China Blonde. Read on for more about the transformative nature of her expat life and writing journey. Continue reading Nicole Webb From Newsreader to Author

August 6, 2020September 1, 2020

Calling Expat Writers

An invitation to the Facebook group Expat Writers for bloggers, authors, editors, memoirists and anyone else who puts fingers to keyboard about their experiences living away from home, even if it’s simply write emails to their friends. Continue reading Calling Expat Writers

July 23, 2020August 6, 2020

Adrift

They say pictures speak louder than words, and this picture of a boat adrift sums up my mood today. With Covid-19 running rampant across the world, the outlook feels bleak. Continue reading Adrift

July 3, 2020July 23, 2020

The Importance of Understanding Novel Genres

When I first decided to write a book, I didn’t give much thought to genre. In blissful ignorance, I rejected the idea of ‘writing to a formula’ and merrily scribed whatever took my fancy. Years later, I see this has been my biggest mistake on the road to traditional publication. Continue reading The Importance of Understanding Novel Genres

June 11, 2020July 3, 2020

Short Fiction: His Frosty Companion

I wrote this short piece for Australian Writers’ Centre Furious Fiction competition, the criteria included starting with the word ‘five’, something that needed repairing, and the phrase ‘a silver lining.’ Continue reading Short Fiction: His Frosty Companion

May 21, 2020June 11, 2020

Writers Victoria Flash Fiction 2020 – Part Three

Writers Victoria held their second flash fiction competition in 2020, the perfect distraction for writers in isolation. Each day in April, they posted a prompt and we wrote a 30-word response.

Here are my last 10 stories. I eked out an honorable mention on the last day! Continue reading Writers Victoria Flash Fiction 2020 – Part Three

May 6, 2020May 21, 2020

Writers Victoria Flash Fiction 2020 – Part Two

Writers Victoria have just finished their second flash fiction competition, the perfect distraction for writers in isolation. Each day in April, they posted a prompt and we wrote a 30-word response.

Here are my second 10 stories. Continue reading Writers Victoria Flash Fiction 2020 – Part Two

April 15, 2020May 6, 2020

Writers Victoria Flash Fiction 2020 – Part One

Writers Victoria are running their second flash fiction competition, the perfect distraction for writers in isolation. For 30 days they will post a prompt and we have to write a 30 words response.

Here are my first 10 stories. Continue reading Writers Victoria Flash Fiction 2020 – Part One

March 20, 2020April 26, 2020

Social Distancing the Melbourne Way

I walked to my local shops today and witnessed people elbow-bumping. It looked natural, as if they’d been doing it their whole lives. I guess that’s part of our new lifestyle. Meanwhile, as I revise my latest novel, I’m struck by how many times my characters hug or shake hands. Will people read this and say, … Continue reading Social Distancing the Melbourne Way