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
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
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
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
The Winding Narrative has reached its second anniversary, so it’s time to review progress on my writing journey. In my second year, I wrote 38 posts and nearly 35,000 words. Here are some highlights: I joined the editorial team for literary agency, NAC. This gives me the opportunity to work with authors of fiction … Continue reading The Winding Narrative Turns Two
Wouldn’t it be great if we had a surefire formula for publishing success? Should you conform to genre conventions and write about topical issues, or remain true to your instincts? Well look no further – to answer this question, I’ve developed the Publishing Success Flowchart. Continue reading The Publishing Success Flowchart
In my last blog about Houston, I explained how I came to be co-directing a production for my children’s school. I was uniquely unqualified for this role. Sure, I’d written and co-directed shows before, but I’d never worked with children. I wasn’t a teacher. I hadn’t even coached a sports team. The closest I’d come to any sort of kids group facilitation was being a cub scout leader when I lived in Lagos. Continue reading Collaborating With Children
If you want to submit a manuscript to an agent, but don’t understand the basics of formatting on Word, this post is for you. To avoid the telltale signs of an amateur – tabs or spaces to indent paragraphs, or returns in place of page breaks – read on for a step by step guide. Continue reading How to Format a Manuscript in Word
The year was 1955, and fresh out of Ballarat teachers college, Bob Romanes was assigned to the A1 Mine Settlement School, south of Mansfield, near Woods Point. Join me for a glimpse into this unique slice of history as he talks about about death, theft and depression. Continue reading Bob Romanes, Teacher A1 Mine Settlement
Today, I post the final 10 of my entries in Writers Victoria flash fiction competition, which they ran to celebrate their 30th anniversary. For 30 days they posted a prompt at 8:00 am and we had until midnight to write a 30 words response. I was lucky enough to win April 7 for the prompt Saltwater. … Continue reading Writers Victoria Flash Fiction 2019 – Part Three
