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
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
Sandra Lording, police officer turned photographer, moved to Mansfield two years ago. For the first eighteen months, she was ready to return to Melbourne, but thanks to connections made through work and helpful locals, she settled. She now works for the Mansfield Courier and is growing her photography business. She’s been kind enough to share … Continue reading Sandra Lording, Mansfield Photographer
Good news is fun to share, but when things aren’t going so well, it takes a lot of courage to tell your story in public. This week, Barb has stepped up to speak about her move from Melbourne to Mansfield, which was, “The biggest, toughest transition I’ve ever made.” Continue reading Barb Grant’s Tough Transition to Mansfield
I had a math teacher at school who used to say, “I’m a mathematician, not an arithmetician.” She loved the logic of maths, but made errors in addition or multiplication. This is a bit like my style of editing. I love structural and line edits, but I can overlook details. Continue reading My Top Three Editing Disasters
I wrote this short piece for Australian Writers’ Centre’s Furious Fiction last year. Among other criteria, it had to be set in a supermarket. The story seems appropriate close to April Fools’ Day. In it, I pose the question, how do you deal with frustration? *** Night shift. Andy beatboxes as he stacks Milo onto … Continue reading Short Fiction: Blood Orange
