Zena Shapter's Blog, page 45

“The View From Here” Literary Magazine – A Considered Interview

The lovely Jen Persson has interviewed me over on The View From Here literary magazine:

http://www.viewfromheremagazine.com/2013/01/interview-with-zena-shapter.html

Jen read my website, my blog and my Facebook page before asking me these twenty considered questions, so some of them were very difficult to answer!!

Thank you, Jen, you did a great job

Let me know what you think – either below or at the end of Jen’s interview.

The View From Here
literary magazine

What Most Writers Have Planned For 2013… #TheYearOfYou

Okay, so I wasn’t expecting that result!

This January, I asked a bunch of writers what their writing goals were for 2013. Was their focus going to be novels, short stories, non-fiction… what? I was interested to see what everyone was planning to achieve, so conducted a poll on my Facebook page. Now here are the results:

Firstly, thank you to the Facebookers and Tweeps who answered this poll: Kate Forsyth, Sophie Masson, Kirsten Tranter, Ian Andrew Irvine, Kim Falconer, Lee Battersby, Jason Fischer, Andrew J McKiernan, Margo Lanagan, Martin Livings, Nansi Kunze, Imelda Evans, Jodi Cleghorn, Alan Baxter, Adam Byatt, Kirsten Krauth, Kirstyn McDermott, Kylie Scott, Laura E. Goodin, Leife Shallcross, Leigh Blackmore, Deb Kalin, Catriona Sparks, Chris Andrews, Catharina Sheely, Kimberley Gaal, Graham Storrs, Geoff Brown, Elizabeth Ottosson, Füzzy Mijmark, Anne Swan, Rowena Specht-Whyte, Adrian Bedford, Graeme R Ing, Aj Spedding, Lily Malone, Rick Bylina, Amra Pajalic, Sean Sweeney, Andy Rane – Author Page, Keryn Donnelly, Dorothy-Jane Daniels, Gerry Huntman, April Clement-Gray, Bevan McGuiness, Robynn Sheahan, Carrie Rubin, Author, Darin Calhoun, Louis Phillips, Robert Michael Easterbrook, Selden and McClain’s Manuscript Conjuring and Adjusting, Terri-Anne Kingsley. There are some exquisite writers among these names and in the interests of supporting our amazing writing community, I’d like to invite you to check out their websites, maybe find them on your preferred social media.

As you can see from these results, novels/novellas and short stories were highest among the votes. But I never expected the ‘work/life/writing balance’ option to get so much attention that it scored third place! Over finding a publisher! Over finding an agent! I only threw that option in because my priority this year is looking after my health more. Last year, I had some health scares. I’ll share them with you – not because I want a response, but because I want you to do something after you’ve read them:

Breast cancer – a standard check-up (thanks to Kim Falconer prompting me on Facebook) led to worried doctors sending me for an ultrasound and, when that was inconclusive, a mammogram. Ultimately everything was fine though. Phew!
Irregular heart beat – internalised stress led to a ventricular ectopic beat. Basically my heart was stopping 400 times a day, then suddenly remembering to beat so clustered two beats together to catch up. Luckily it’s a benign indicator of stress and I’ve already reduced it to a handful of beats a day by relaxing more (hello, wine!). Still, this scary wake-up call reminded me about the power of stress.
Inflamed tooth nerve – from grinding my teeth in my sleep. Again, due to internalised stress. Hi there, my old friend.
Back ache – yeah, you guessed it, from sitting still at the computer too long, trying to finish all those tasks making me stressed. I’ve taken to asking my kids to sit on my back to crack it back into life! [Don't try this at home]

Now, anyone who knows me would say: you, stressed – really? As far as I’m concerned, I lead an excruciatingly fortunate life and that belief permeates my general demeanour. But my body clearly has other concerns. Either that, or I’m getting old.

Most writers today have to balance writing against work, family, relationships, etc. But the irrepressible passion for writing that fills us up, also strains us – and as we get older, that strain takes its toll. Clearly, from my poll, you know this deep down.

So I want to make a deal with you – let’s all put our health first this year. I want you to take a minute, right now, to make a list (in your head or on paper) of all the health issues you feel creeping up on you – whether it’s because of old age, genetics, writing, or simple bad luck. Be as honest with yourself as I have been honest with you. Then, consider what would happen if those issues escalated. Would your writing suffer?

Of course it would! So, here’s an innovative idea – look after yourself! Go make that appointment. Take that break. Sleep-in. There’s only one of you and your writing won’t get to speak to the world if you’re not in the best place from which to write it.

You know it makes sense. 2013 is the year of you

What A Start To The Year!

My Mum, Dad and brother visited me this festive season, all the way from England. I was overjoyed to see them and feel their realness again. Conversations on Skype can only relate so much. At times, old family grievances returned. Still, as usual, I cried at the airport as they disappeared through Departures.

We didn’t stay in Sydney during their vacation, but instead rented a house together up the coast. Luckily that meant coming home to some surprises in the mail, which cheered me up…

First, there was my summer edition of Writers Voice, the quarterly magazine of the Fellowship of Australian Writers. There, on page 17, was an article about me written by Beatrice Yell, the ex-President of FAW’s Manly branch. It was all about my third consecutive win of the Manly branch’s annual short story competition. Thank you, Bea!

Fellowship of Australian Writers quarterly magazine “Writers Voice”, Summer Edition 2012

Then I had a contract to sign and brochures to distribute for some of my upcoming talks this year, on Social Media and Creative Writing. Here are the details:

Mosman Community College

February & March: Mosman Community College, Mosman NSW

12th – Introduction to Social Media: a short introductory session for anyone new to social media, not just writers… attendees will have a variety of motives for getting online.

16th & 23rd – Advanced Creative Writing: a two-part hands-on workshop for writers yet to receive the recognition they deserve.

20th Feb to 20th March – Practical Social Media: a series of five workshops showing attendees how to build actual online profiles, step-by-step.

 

 

NSW Writers’ Centre

May: NSW Writers Centre, Rozelle NSW

1st – Social Media for Writers: a seminar specifically for writers, guiding attendees through the minefield that is social networking… from a writers’ perspective.

 

Want to come along to any of these workshops/seminar? Then simply click on these links to Mosman Community College or the NSW Writers’ Centre to book your spot.

Award-Winning Australian Writing 2012

Finally, I ripped open a package containing my contributor copy of Award-Winning Australian Writing 2012 (Melbourne Books). My winning entry from the Oberon Writers’ Competition is there in black and white on page 174.

Want to read it? You can! Just follow this link to purchase

End of Year Blog Post

What a year. Fast. Quick. Over.

It’s gone so fast in fact, that I’ve barely had time to thank all the people who have made my writing this year so darn fabulous! So I’m going to do that now.

TO MY EDITOR FRIENDS

Oh my, your support knows no bounds. A brief text, phone call or email – and you’re there for me. You share your industry knowledge with me, tell me stuff you probably shouldn’t, and listen to me whinge – not always about writing! You have come to be like family to me and I’m priviledged to have you in my life.

TO MY BETA-READERS

Thank you for replying to my emails quickly, for reading my stories with enthusiasm and giving me such detailed critiques. Your encouragement has been both inspiring and motivating – strengthening my stories and polishing their finish. Thank you. I couldn’t write without you

TO MY HUBBIE

Thank you for sitting on the sunlounger with your double bourbon and coke, listening to me read my stories aloud. You may think I’ve outgrown your feedback, but I still listen to every word, even if it is about Disney flipper movements!

TO MY CHILDREN

Although you’re not old enough to read this, I want to thank you anyway. You’ve come to understand Mummy & the computer, Mummy & the books, Mummy & the ‘just-a-minute’ that often becomes many minutes indeed. Thank you for your growing patience with my trying-to-balance-everything cramming, and all the hugs too. I love you.

FINALLY – TO ALL THE NICE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD

Nice people are often easy targets, scapegoats for others’ internal angst (the niceness makes it easy). But I appreciate your bravery in staying nice anyway. Carry on. Don’t doubt yourself. The other nice people in the world will soon track you down and befriend you. I’ll track you down. Wait – you’re already here!

Writing means exposing yourself, but so too does life. It won’t always pay off. But mostly it will. So I hope you will all continue to open yourselves up. Just keep those you love close, and stay away from those who don’t matter.

In 2013, I look forward to sharing more of my writing life with you. I hope so too will you, all the while staying nice

The Next Big Thing

So, the incredibly talented Ditmar award-winning Joanne Anderton just tagged me in this Next Big Thing thingy (thanks Amanda Bridgeman for also asking me), meaning I now have to answer ten questions about my current masterpiece in the making…

Thanks Jo!!

1) What is the working title of your next book?

Towards White

Me in Iceland, 2001.

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?

So many places! I’m a devourer of social experiments and inconclusive scientific theory. If there’s a gap in the communal knowledge of humanity, I’m there! I love ideas. I love chatting to anyone and everyone I can find (don’t let me corner you at a party!). And I absolutely adore travelling overseas, searching out unusual stories and uncommon sights. The idea for Towards White came from all of that, and more! Let’s just say that the conservation of energy theory states that one form of energy must always become another form of energy. So where do you think the electrical energy in your brain goes when you die…?

3) What genre does your book fall under?

Commercial fiction with speculative elements. I love reading close-to-reality books of the unexplained, ones that take us away from the everyday yet stay so close it’s only when we shut the book we realise we’ve been away at all. That’s this kind of book.

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

Ones that cost millions of dollars to hire (because of course it’s going to be an international blockbuster!). He he, only kidding! Um, I think I’d prefer for readers to come up with their own ideas as they read the novel. My protagonist Becky Dales doesn’t come to the story with a clean slate. Like most of us, she’s a puzzle – one of those beautiful pastel Impressionist puzzles that only becomes clear after you reach the end. She’d need to be played by an actress who’s excellent at portraying complexity and undisclosed personal secrets. I like to put my characters in extreme or unusual situations too, just to see how they’ll react. So my characters would all need professional stunt doubles!

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

When Becky Dales travels to Iceland to repatriate her brother’s dead body, she discovers where the electrical energy in our brains really goes when we die.

Me in Iceland, 2001.

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Represented by an agency.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

Years. When I first started writing Towards White, I was still finding my voice as a writer. It took several attempts before I could even settle on a first draft that reflected my style.

8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

My beta readers have compared Towards White to many varied titles – some of which I haven’t read myself yet. So, here’s trusting to them

Miss Smilla’s Feeling For Snow by Peter Høeg (Rosinante)
The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg (HarperCollins)
Prey by Michael Crichton (HarperCollins)
The Passage by Justin Cronin (Ballantine Books/Random House)
Gene Thieves by Maria Quinn (Voyager)
The Man From Beijing by Henning Mankell (Harvill Secker)
The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks (Grand Central Publishing)
Diamond Eye by A A Bell (HarperCollins)
The Timestalker by Rhonda Roberts (HarperCollins)
The Stand by Stephen King (Anchor)

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I visited Iceland in 2001 and fell in love with the country’s austere beauty. I’d already been playing around with theories about the afterlife and the electrical energy in our brains. But from the moment I landed in Reykjavík, I knew Iceland was the only country for my story. Inspiration simply poured into my brain from there.

Me in Iceland, 2001.

10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

Murder, political intrigue, a particularly dangerous glacier, a car chase, a fistfight, a quest for truth, futuristic technology, a bit of the unexplained, a thought-experiment and a scientific theory guaranteed to get readers thinking – not that my characters have much time to dwell on anything too fantastical. Much like life, it just seeps inside them when they’re not looking…

–

Okay, so below are the five authors I’m tagging to answer these questions next. Check out their online platforms in a week, Wednesday, 5th December:

Ian Irvine – the author of 28 fantasy / thriller novels, including the bestselling Three Worlds fantasy sequence, an eco-thriller trilogy and 12 books for children

MJ Hearle – YA author of fantasy novels Winter’s Shadow and Winter’s Light

Kylie Scott – author of zombie erotica novels Flesh and Skin

Greg Barron – author of thrillers Rotten Gods and The Savage Tide

Aleesah Darlison – author of the YA fantasy Unicorn Riders series

What will kick-start the apocalypse? Your results are in!

2000 – the Y2K bug was supposed to bring an end to our world

1997/1999 – Nostradamus predicted Armageddon

2012 – now it’s the Mayans turn to predict our doomsday…

According to an ancient Mayan inscription carved on a stone staircase in the ruins of Guatemala’s La Corona, 21 December 2012 is the next ‘end date’ to cause us concern. What ‘end date’ means, of course, is up for interpretation. Will there be political or socioeconomic change? Will there be a natural disaster or technological failure?

With only a month to go before this ‘end date’, I thought I’d ask you – what is about to happen? I offered up some suggestions on Facebook, but also invited readers to suggest their own ideas. Here are the results*:

Poll results as at 22 November 2012

Big thanks go to the Facebookers and Tweeps who answered this poll: Ian Andrew Irvine, Claire Corbett, Kirsten Tranter, Catriona Sparks, Gillian Polack, Sean Wright, Nansi Kunze, Kylie Scott, Elizabeth Ottosson, Zoya Nojin, Chris Andrews, Brad C Anderson, Maria Kelly, Jodi Cleghorn, Füzzy Mijmark, Crisetta MacLeod, Beatrice Yell, Brett Eden, Rick Keuning, Mary Dreyer Hopper, Janet Lingel Aldrich, Debra Smith, John Chapman, Adrian Millard, Ray Paterson, Jaap Timmer, Alex Adsett and Adam Byatt

*Please note that, for ease of interpretation, I grouped together all those reader suggestions that fell under the idea of mankind causing its own downfall. These included:

War
Western arrogance in their own beliefs
Mislead theists
A single (particularly idiot) politician
Growing popularity of McDonald’s and other junk food
Too many people focused on their own needs/wants in so many areas – eg. water
Nanotechnology grey death
Androids with chips on their shoulders
Ian Irvine (!)

As for me, I didn’t cast a vote this time. I think we’re going to be here when the sun dies! These ‘end dates’ crop up from time to time, but nothing apocalyptic ever happens. Humans will go on forever. Life will find a way, as Dr Ian Malcolm says in the original Jurassic Park:

If there is one thing the history of evolution has taught us it’s that life will not be contained. Life breaks free, it expands to new territories and crashes through barriers, painfully, maybe even dangerously, but… well, there it is…. I’m simply saying that life… finds a way.

And if there’s one thing we humans cherish, it’s life. In every post-apocalyptic story I’d read or seen, there are humans struggling through. We’re an indomitable species.

I was watching the Doctor Who episode “Utopia” the other night (written by Russell T Davies), in which Doctor Who (David Tennant) stands at the edge of a canyon village on a distant planet. The village was once occupied by some form of living species, but is now abandoned.

“What killed it?” his assistant (Freema Agyeman) asks.

“Time,” he replies.

Me in Guatemala
(eight years ago!)

But time is nothing to be afraid of… Just look at any ruined city here on Earth (the Guatemalan temple where this latest ‘end date’ was found for instance) and imagine what its occupants would have said if told their city would one day be abandoned, that life as they knew it would be gone. Most likely, they’d have panicked! Just as people panic today when learning of a new ‘end date’.

All it is, is fear of change.

Despite Earth’s ruined cities and temples, isn’t humanity today thriving (apart from a little economic crisis!)? So what’s there to be afraid of, really?

Writers.

Those naughty writers! The idea of an apocalypse was of course created by storytellers, who wanted us to be afraid – for good reason. When we fear having things taken away from us – things we value or enjoy – it makes us cherish them all the more. So storytellers, since the dawn of time, have told stories that make us grateful for what we’ve got. Contentment is a highly prized state of mind.

So when 21 December comes around this year, don’t fear what the storytellers say. Simply read between the lines, and be thankful for the joys you can embrace, right here, right now.

As for the future – take note of the top two theories on my poll above and be good to the planet, and each other. Hugs help

PS. if the zombies come for us though, I’m told that a good shotgun will probably help too.

A Writing Weekend In Sydney #EWFSYD & #GCoz – Exquisite Exhaustion

You know when you’ve been to the gym, or you’ve gone for that extra long walk, and your muscles are throbbing? You’re exhausted, yet feel good for it? Well, that’s how my writery mind feels today. This is what my weekend entailed…

Friday night – GenreCon cocktail party

Main activity: catching up with familiar writing buddies and meeting new ones. Drinking champagne.

Saturday day – NSW Writers’ Centre: Emerging Writers’ Festival

Main activity: teaching a creative writing bootcamp I call ‘saturating wordage with vividness and voice’.

Sunday day – continued GenreCon festivities

Main activity: catching up with familiar writing buddies and meeting new ones. More champagne.

Did I see much of my family this weekend? Nah.

Did I do much writing? Nope.

But did I have a good weekend? H*ll yeah!

Writing is such an isolated profession… I’m sure that the vast majority of my friends can tell when they’re the only person I’ve spoken to all day! I do tend to let my chitchat out in one go.

A room full of writers at the Emerging Writers’ Festival, held at the NSW Writers’ Centre.

So when there’s a writing conference, festival or convention on nearby, I simply have to attend – if only for the sake of my friends! I don’t drive (yes, I know, my bad), so the travel was a little elongated for someone who actually lives in Sydney (12hours on public transport in total – what fun!). But it was so worth it.

Writers are lovely fascinating people, and I feel privileged to mingle among them.

Me teaching writers how to saturate their wordage with vividness and voice.

 

Plus, I got to teach some of my creative writing exercises to a workshop group full of enthusiastic writers AND one of them said afterwards:

“I learnt more in that hour than I have the whole festival!”

Thank you, Nick Dickinson. Given the awesome panels at the festival, your compliment was clearly an exaggeration. However, it was one I much appreciated.

For those who missed both the EWF and GenreCon, here are some highlights…

Sam Twyford-Moore introduces the panel (left to right): Mark Dapin, Jane Gleeson-White, Charlotte Wood & Lisa Dempster.

The ‘Seven Enviable Lines’ session with Charlotte Wood, Jane Gleeson-White and Mark Dapin was an inspirational start to the EWF. Writers were encouraged to follow their passions and not get put off by rejection, edit others and be edited, get organised, take days off, read off-genre, avoid cliché, decide to be confident but don’t live too much inside your brain and, perhaps most importantly, pay super!

There were a few discussions throughout the day about social media. Given that I’ll be teaching writers at the NSW Writers’ Centre all about social media next year (watch out for my ‘Social Media for Writers’ seminar), these discussions interested me greatly.

David Henley & Jennifer Wilson chatting about digital epublishing.

David Henley suggested in ‘Exploring the Digital Space’ that writers and readers were being distracted by interactivity. He values well-told stories, good solid content he doesn’t need to think too much about when reading. Whereas Jennifer Wilson argued that readers today live an interactive life, and writers should conceive interactive alternate plot lines for their epublications to give them greater complexity, and thus appeal to puzzle-craving brains.

Left to right: Tim Sinclair, Pip Smith & James Bradley discussing form.

Later, however, in the session on ‘What Shape Must It Take’, James Bradley called interactive forms within a novel format gimmicks, weird artificial add-ons that don’t work.

The session that attracted the biggest crowd, however, was ‘The Pitch’. Representatives from Harper Collins, Random House, Allen Unwin, Hachette and Eureka Street gave writers advice on how best to submit and also how not to submit.

A plethora of publishers advise aspiring authors!

The best ‘how to’ advice was from Michael at Eureka Street, who advised writers to include “a kind word for your editor” in covering letters.

The best ‘how not to’ advice was from Mel at Harper Collins, who assured writers that it really wasn’t a good idea to send your manuscript:

in an envelope filled with glitter, or
including reviews by your mum!

The hardest advice to hear was from Vanessa at Hachette, who reminded writers of one very real fact – some writers never get published.

Mingling writers, agents & publishers at GenreCon 2012.

Meanwhile, at GenreCon, panellists were grouped by topic, not by genre, which lead to multi-genre insight into the practice of writing and publishing.

Whether you’re a supporter of romance, crime, speculative fiction, or youth adult – there was something to learn and someone to idolise there.

Here are some photos to illustrate the point:

Fantasy author Joe Abercrombie and I.

Speculative fiction novelists Narelle Harris & Daniel O’Malley.

Writers, agents & publishers mingle again. Editors too!

Crime novelist P M Newton & I.

Fantasy novelist Tansy Rayner Roberts & Horror novelist Kirstyn McDermott.

Dark fantasy author Jason Nahrung and I.

The finale of the convention was also its highlight for me – the great plotters versus pantsers debate.

Plotter Kim Wilkins opened the debate, stating that writing should be planned with no less consideration than bridge building or brain surgery. Pantser Anna Campbell countered with sensual tales of Maximus Pantsus and horsey fun.

Kate Eltham MCs the great debate: plotters versus pantsers!

Plotter LA Larkin forewarned that pantsers often change their characters’ hair colour mid-novel. Whereas Pantser Lisa Heidke threw her notes over her shoulder to illustrate the thrill of spontaneity (then promptly lost her train of thought!).

Plotter Narelle Harris said that planning turned writing into magnificent creatures with backbone, whereas pantsing was akin to jellyfish. Pantser Daniel O’Malley claimed that planned writing doesn’t ring true, as life is unexpected – then he marched up to MC Kate Eltham and kissed her smack on the lips!

The audience clapped and cheered to decide the winning side of the debate, which we all decided was… genre fiction!

Thank you to all of the organisers for my awesome writing weekend in Sydney. My face is sore from smiling, but I wouldn’t have it any other way

PS. If you think you missed out and want to join in next time, GenreCon will be in Brisbane next year. In the meantime, hoards of writers, agents and publishers will be descending on Canberra in April for the Natcon/Conflux 9. Book up now!

Reporting on Sydney’s free love… con!

Freecon is a free entry science fiction event run by volunteers – of the awesome variety!

This weekend in Sydney, free love reigned… of the speculative fiction variety.

Having been invited to join a host of local authors to promote and celebrate speculative fiction in 2012 – there was only one thing a girl like me could say…

Yes, yes, yes!

Towering high above Sydney in the Peter Johnson Building at UTS, surrounded by enthusiastic fans whose encyclopaedic knowledge of the genre terrified even the best of us, we authors read from our most recent works of fiction, discussed all things writing, and gorged on the never-ending supply of free cheese sandwiches.

Here are some photos of the event.

First, I read aloud my short story Trigger (CSFG, 2011). Following after Richard Harland’s reading from his upcoming steampunk fantasy Song of the Slums, I had a captive yet expectant audience.

Me, about to read.
Yes, yes – I know the photo’s a bit blurry.

An expectant crowd listens as I set them a challenge – to guess the ending!

Reading “Trigger” (CSFG, 2011)

Next was the writing panel: Is there more to life than writing speculative fiction? Our panel had a mixed response. With Thoraiya Dyer sitting eloquently on the fence, Stella Tarakson and Sam Bowring listing the many writing alternatives available to writers today, Richard and I had our work cut out for us convincing the crowd that, for us, NO – THERE IS NOTHING ELSE!!!

Me emphatically stating my case.
From left to right: Sam Bowring, Richard Harland, Garry Dalrymple, me, Stella Tarakson, Thoraiya Dyer.

Is there more to life than writing?
Nah!

Later, a group far too large for the room crowded around my laptop while I chatted to them about social media, and what it can do and can’t do for writers. Goodness knows why I share such gems of wisdom with my competitors! I guess the free love atmosphere of the convention got to me. With all kinds of speculative fiction goodies going for ridiculous prices on the sale table, it was hard not to feel generous of spirit.

This big black screen here?
That’s what readers will find if you as a writer have no online presence!

Clearly Richard Harland was also feeling generous, because he offered me his awesome steampunk hat when we posed for photos after the con.

Richard Harland’s famous steampunk hat.

Thank you to everyone who attended the convention, and especially those who pledged me their fandom after I read aloud my story. I appreciate your support, look forward to seeing you again soon, and promise never to let you down (if I can at all help it!).

Don’t forget – I’ll be appearing at the Emerging Writers Festival this coming Saturday (3rd November) at the NSW Writers’ Centre. My creative writing bootcamp starts at 3.10pm. Don’t be late!

For tickets, simply follow the links at the end of this pre-festival interview, where I talk about discipline, distance and the dangers of being a copycat, here. It’s going to be a fantastic day full of panels and discussions about writing, writers and literary life. Goodness knows why, but I’ll be sharing some of my tips and tricks on writing too. So why not come along and join in the fun?

Me – on Page 3!

What a great week I’m having!

Now, to top it all off, I’ve become a Page 3 Girl!

(do you see what I did there? He he…)

My thanks go to my local newspaper, The Manly Daily, for their awesome write-up and great photo of me published this morning on page 3.

Me on Page 3!

There was a little photo of me on the front page too, so I could technically say that my writing has now made front page news!

Me – making front page news!
(kinda)

And with an incredible readership of over 150,000 people, I can also now say that the first paragraph of my novel has reached thousands. He he!

If you can’t read the text on the photo, just follow this link to read the full article online: Zena in the Manly Daily.

And thanks too to all the readers, fans, family and friends who spotted me in the paper this morning and sent me their congratulations. It means a lot to me that you took the time to send me your best wishes – and that I got to surprise you by peeking out of your paper over breakfast

The Hat Trick Reading

As regular readers will know, I recently won the short story competition run by the Fellowship of Australian Writers Manly branch… three years in a row!

Three years in a row.

Three different judges.

Three separate wins of ‘first place’.

Hat trick!

I know! I couldn’t believe it either. Who does that?

Well, I guess I do! And on Saturday, I was at Warringah Mall Library reading aloud my winning story. Here are some photos of the event:

And the winner is… President Jean Allas and ex-president Beatrice Yell announce the results.

…yay! It’s me!

Listening to the judge’s comments before reading aloud my winning short story.

Judge’s comments: “A beautifully written, poignant narrative, involving a sick child and a mother’s unbearable angst.”

I was very nervous, as I always am when reading aloud my writing to groups of people. But I know it’s good practice for when I’m, you know, a famous novelist! (Come on, publishers! What are you waiting for?! He he!)

Although, the way some fans were congratulating me afterwards, it kinda felt as if I was already famous! Such is the soulful warmth fans can provide. Thank you, fans!

Me with my certificate – 1st place!

The Manly Daily, our awesome local newspaper with an incredible readership of over 150,000 people, is about to write a little piece about my win. How exciting is that?!! They may even publish an extract from my debut novel (you know, the one I’m trying to get published right now). So watch out for that later this week…

I’ll also be sharing some of my tips and tricks on writing award-winning fiction at this year’s Emerging Writer’s Festival. So for anyone in Sydney on Saturday 3rd November – why not come along to the NSW Writers’ Centre and join in the fun?

The Emerging Writers’ Festival will be held on Saturday 3rd November. Don’t miss it!

There’s a pre-festival interview with me, where I talk about discipline, distance and the dangers of being a copycat, here. Follow the links to find details about the festival and how to purchase tickets. It’s going to be a fantastic day full of panels and discussions about writing, writers and literary life. I’ll be running one of the four creative writing bootcamps, between 3.10pm – 4pm.

Don’t miss out!

If you can’t make it, why not follow the festival conversation on Twitter? Just use the hashtag: #EWFSYD

In the meantime, I’m off to add my first place certificate with the other certificates I’ve been collecting of late… so pretty!

Beautiful encouragement.