My ponderings
40 years of dreams now a reality
Today marks 10 years since I married the love of my life. We’ve already marked this anniversary, the day I married the man of my dreams, by going on the trip of my dreams, to Prince Edward Island in Canada. If you are a true kindred spirit, you will perhaps already know the reason for this destination. It’s a destination I fell in love…
You don’t need to do it all on your own!
Writing is a solitary process, by nature. It takes a lot of tapping away at your computer to get the words down, not only to write the story but then with edits and rewrites. But that solitary process can be helped by joining others who are all doing the same, in many ways. Getting words down: While it might not seem that getting together…
Time for a change?
It was around this time last year my husband was offered a new job. It was a fantastic opportunity, but it was also 1776 kilometres from where we lived. Not only did we have to pack up the house we’d settled well into, but I also had to leave behind a job I loved, and people I loved. Some of those people were part…
Finding your people
I had been wanting to be a writer for so long, yet I didn’t know what sort of writer I was. I’d joined a number of writing groups over the years and tried my hand at writing in a few different genres. A bit of crime, some young adult, even contemporary women’s fiction. I knew I wasn’t a literary writer, as that is not…
Get WRITING
After years of writing short stories (and that includes my time working as a journalist), I have spent several months working on a longer story. A full-length novel. To help me get through it I first completed the Novel Writing Essentials course, then the six-month Write Your Novel course, both through the Australian Writers’ Centre. We wrapped up the Write You Novel course this…
Finding the competition
I was thrilled to be longlisted for the Adaptable program through Queensland Writers Centre this year. And while I didn’t make it to the shortlist, I still feel like I have won. Why? Because the story that made it to the shortlist, The Handyman, has had a heck of a journey. The Handyman started as a short story submission for the monthly Queensland Writers…
The business of being an author
There’s more to this gig than just writing. What does it take to become an author? It’s more than coming up with a great idea for a story and then sitting down for days / weeks / months / years and getting that story written. The more I delve into this business, the more I realise that it really is a team effort -…
Writing as a career
A change is as good as a …. new career. I have actually been writing as a job for over a decade. It’s funny to look back at now, but I could have been doing it for many more years (and even decades) if I had followed career advice I was given while still at school. I was actually encouraged by my Yr 12…
Attention Romance Writers
Even if you are just starting out as a writer, like I am, I’d encourage you to check out writing competitions with Romance Writers of Australia. It was through entering the Sweet Treats competition in January 2020 that I had the first news that my short story was going to be included in their annual anthology! All of their competitions come with feedback, which is…
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