The Winding Narrative

My writing journey has been a series of hurdles. After each jump, I learn something I wish I’d known years ago. Here are some tips based on my experience, some short fiction and the story of my writing journey.

My most popular writing blogs are The Book Publishing Flowchart and The Pros and Cons of Writing Memoir. And did you know that the best way to help authors is by writing a book review? Check out An Easy Guide to Writing Book Reviews.

Find out about a Facebook group dedicated to writing about places away from home, Calling Expat Writers.

Writing Tips

Some of these posts have been written by request for NAC in my editorial role. If you wish to submit a manuscript to NAC, please read  My Top Four Editing Tips and How to Format a Manuscript in Word. If you are sending memoir, please read How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal.

Here’s more …
Yasmin A. McClinton on Being a Sensitivity Reader (note, this is cross-posted from interviews, as it is highly relevant to writing.)
The Importance of Understanding Novel Genres
A Guide to Social Media for Writers
A Guide to Websites and Blogs for Writers
Engineering the Story—How to Write a Novel in 80 Days
Australian Society of Author’s Literary Speed dating event is a wonderful opportunity to meet agents and publishers face to face. Learn from my mistakes in A Rookie’s Guide to Literary Speed Dating.
Have a laugh about My Top Three Editing Disasters and explore the challenges of finding The Perfect Time to Write.
To celebrate signing with Michael Cybulski of NAC, I wrote Five Reasons to Sign With a Literary Agent.
I began The Winding Narrative in part because the protagonist in my novel was a blogger. Here’s what I learnt: Real Versus Fictional Blogs.
To Be Oneself Or To Be Someone Else – the pros and cons of using a pseudonym.
Two fellow-students and I share the experience of Curtis Brown Creative six-month online novel writing course, Curtis Brown Creative Guest Blog.

Short Fiction

Short Fiction: Checkmate
Entries that short listed in AWC’s Furious Fiction: That Moment When, Santa’s Suitcase
My entries for the 2022 Writers Victoria flash fiction competition: Writers Victoria Flash Fiction 2022 – Part One, Part Two, Part Three
Short Fiction: The Hit
About The Cellist Stalker has links to Fenechty Publishing’s Anthology of Short Stories: Autumn 2021, and gives some background to my story in the collection.
My entries for the 2021 Writers Victoria flash fiction competition: Writers Victoria Flash Fiction 2021 – Part One, Part Two, Part Three.
Short Fiction: The End of the Line, a short story about the Sandringham train line.
Short Fiction: His Frosty Companion
My entries for the 2020 Writers Victoria flash fiction competition: Writers Victoria Flash Fiction 2020 – Part One, Part Two and Part Three
My entries for the 2019 Writers Victoria flash fiction competition: Writers Victoria Flash Fiction 2019 – Part One, Part Two and Part Three
Short Fiction: Blood Orange
Short Fiction: The Search Warrant

My Writing Journey

To celebrate milestones of this blog, see: The Winding Narrative Turns Five, Four, Three, Two and One.
For Christmas wishes: Happy Holidays 2021
The Writer’s Hour is a humorous account of an hour in a writer’s life.
29 Brown St was my first attempt at writing a novel.
The Adventures of Sexy Legs and Pipsqueak is about my first writing endeavors in primary school.
In The Value of Failure I discuss the inevitable rejections in the journey to publication.
Baby Steps, my first blog, set up the beginning of my writing journey.

Life

Adrift
Social Distancing the Melbourne Way
A Burnt Country