Tall Tales | Short Stories

March - May 2019

ISSUE 264 Sarah Kanake questions Carver

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ISSUE 264 March - May 2019 ISSN 1444-2922

Editorial and Production Contents Sandra Makaresz Editor George Levi 6 A Big Night Guest Artist Barbed Design 8 The Makers of First Class Stories Design Paradigm Print Media Sarah Kanake Printing

10 Tall Tales Submissions Jane Smith Members can submit Milestones or details of Events or Competitions and Opportunities, or 12 The Wit’s End pitch articles for WQ, by emailing us at [email protected] Jakob Blacksmith QWC reserves the right to edit all submissions with regard to content and word length. 14 Why Should You Write Short Stories? Advertising Sarah Fallon Advertising rates, deadlines and dimensions and other information on how to advertise in 16 Creating a Home for Short Stories WQ is available at qldwriters.org.au/advertise. Kirsten Alexander For advertising enquiries please contact [email protected] 18 Why are Writers so Obsessed with Process? QWC members enjoy a reduced advertising rate. Before booking an advertisement potential Tara East advertisers should read QWC’s Advertising Terms and Conditions at 20 Writing and Fighting qldwriters.org.au/advertise Dennan Chew Staff Lori-Jay Ellis 22 One Night Stand Chief Executive Officer S. E. Russell Samantha Hope Project Manager 24 Milestones Elle Appelgren Head of Digital 25 About QWC Membership Ella Chalmers Customer Service Officer Callum McDonald 25 Events Connor Harvey Project Officers 26 Competitions and Opportunities Management Committee Andrea Baldwin Chair Ann Wilson Vice Chair Kym Hausmann Treasurer Sandra Makaresz Secretary Andrea Brosnan Sarah Thornton Ordinary Members

WWW.QLDWRITERS.ORG.AU.MAGAZINE 3 ISSN 1444-2922 ISSUE 264

PUBLISHED BY

Editorial Sandra Makaresz Editor

GUEST ARTIST George Levi I’m currently enjoying a day at Kooralbyn Valley, about a half hour west of Beaudesert, surrounded by kangaroos, water dragons and a couple George Levi is a Brisbane based of noisy crows. It’s the perfect location to sit and talk about writing, artist who works for a brewery which is why I’m here - supporting the amazing writers undertaking during the day and sits up sketching the QWC/Hachette Australia Manuscript Development Program. at night. Alternating between Now in its tenth year, the selected emerging writers are working with photography, illustration and digital Hachette editorial staff Vanessa Radnidge, Brigid Mullane and Sophie design, she occasionally combines Hamley, as well as agent Jane Novak and writing mentor Kim Wilkins. all three mediums just to see what Some of the writers are feeling nervous – putting your work out in happens. She watches Jurassic Park front of others is risky. But there is a sense of possibility here, and that roughly once a month. is something we often lose over the long haul of writing a novel.

While everyone is busy, it’s a lovely place to proof this edition of WQ. There’s the distinctive, visual poetry of Jessica L. Wilkinson and flash fiction from Sandy Curtis. Sarah Kanake has written an interesting piece on the short story controversy involving Raymond Carver and his editor. While new young writer, Jakob Blacksmith, has a tall tale to tell. CEO, Lori-Jay Ellis, has selected Qld Writers Centre workshop participant, SE Russell, to feature her writing. I hope you enjoy them all. You might even be inspired to write a tall tale or short story of your own.

The Queensland Writers Centre, Management Committee and staff present WQ in good faith and accept no responsibility for any misinformation or problems arising from any misinformation. The views expressed by contributors or advertisers (including advertising supplying inserts) are not necessarily those of the Management Committee or staff.

Queensland Writers Centre is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

4 WQ Jessica L. Wilkinson COTILLON Choreography: George Balanchine, for Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo, 1932 Music: Emmanuel Chabrier (Dix Pièces Pittoresques, and the third of the Trois Valses Romantiques for piano)

Book: Boris Kochno This poem comes from a book-length manuscript titled Music Made Visible: cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew A Biography of George Balanchine. cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut Born in Russia in 1904, Balanchine sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut was trained at the Imperial Ballet cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew School before defecting in 1924 with Slivered moons in the semicircle of mirrors cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut a small group of colleagues—they Madame Karinska has pins in her mouth, sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut were employed by Serge Diaghilev cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew feeling into fabric, the perfect bodice for his Ballets Russes, and George cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut ut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut for movement and charm. Instruments was given the title of ‘balletmaster’ cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew shortly afterwards. On Diaghilev’s cut cut cut cut sewof magicsew cut cut cut against cut sew the sew graincut cut ofcut trialcut sew sew cut cut cut cut death and the prompt disbanding of sew sew cut cutand cut cut error. sew sewVelvet, cut cut sequins, cut cut sew satin. sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut the Ballets Russes, George worked cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew disparately for several companies cut cut cut cut sewToumanova* sew cut cut cut is cuta doe-eyed sew sew cut beauty cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut in Paris, London and Copenhagen, sew sew cut cutpreparing cut cut sew sewfor cuther cut first cut cutball; sew she sew is cut wrappedcut cut cut sew sew cut cut before being brought to America in cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew 1933 by Lincoln Kirstein, where they cut cut cut cut sewin tulle sew cut and cut stands cut cut sew on sewa chair. cut cut (Her cut cut mother sew sew cut cut cut cut together founded both the School of sew sew cut cuthas cut cutcautioned sew sew cut that cut youngcut cut sew girls sew do cut not cut sitcut cut sew sew cut cut American Ballet and the New York cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew City Ballet. cut cut cut cut sewin the sew café).cut cut Comingcut cut sew of sew age cut in cut the cut glovedcut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cutballroom—a cut cut sew sew prequel cut cut cut of cut charged sew sew cutnotes cut cut cut sew sew cut cut The poems in Music Made Visible are cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew titled according to the chronology cut cut cut cut sewand sew hands cut cut above cut cut the sew head, sew cut falling cut cut cutdown. sew sew cut cut cut cut of Balanchine’s choreography, each sew sew cut cutShe cut cutwill sew meet sew cuther cut fate, cut cutdealt sew insew tarot cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut poem titled for one of his ballets. cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew Each poem not only refers to the and palm. Pirouettes whip up a frenzy cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut movements and music of that ballet, as the room spins, dizzying guests; a storm sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut but also draws on personal and social circumstances at the time of cut cut sew sewunchecked. cut cut cut cut Mr. sew Balanchinesew cut cut cut is cut very sew sewpleased cut cut cut cut sew sew the ballet’s making. ‘Cotillon’ was a cut cut cut cut sewand sew buys cut cuta fancy cut cut chocolate sew sew cut from cut cut Pasquier’s. cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut ballet he choreographed during his cut cut sew sewThat’s cut cut cutgood cut forsew you,sew cut he cut says. cut cut She sew scribbles sew cut cut cut cut sew sew ‘wandering’ European period, while cut cut cut cut sewin her sew diary:cut cut cutOh, cut Oh, sew Oh,cut cut Tamaritchka. sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut working forBallets Russes de Monte cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew Carlo. The lead dancer was Tamara sew cut cut cut Careful.cut sew sew Careful. cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut Toumanova, one of three ‘baby cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut ballerinas’ brought to prominence cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew by Balanchine, and the ballet was sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut about the fate that follows a young cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut cut cut cut sew sew cut girl attending her first ball. This poem draws on archival sources relating to Balanchine, Toumanova and and *Tamara Toumanova, one of the three ‘baby ballerinas’ brought to formidable costume maker Barbara prominence by Balanchine Karinska.

WWW.QLDWRITERS.ORG.AU.MAGAZINE 5 in, naming a vast and diverse range of contributions to A Big Night Queensland writing. Many nominees have worked away quietly for decades, never making headlines except in the lives of those they assist. The Johnno judges decided to create an Honours List to acknowledge some of the most significant contributions alongside the overall Johnno winner.

Queensland Writers Centre Christmas Party and Johnno Awards Overall Johnno Award winner for 2018 is Kristina Olsson.

Speech pathologist Alice Owen was celebrated for over 15 years’ work with Brotherhood of the Wordless, a group of writers who use Facilitated Communication to overcome speech difficulties. Tina Marie Clark was acknowledged for her services to children’s and young adult writing over the past 14 years. Thea Biesheuvel has worked for several decades as a teacher, mentor, WC’s 2018 Christmas Party was a bang-up affair editor and publisher of new writers, particularly in the State Library of Queensland’s Poinciana women. Bel Ellis’s award celebrates her bookshop QLounge. QWC members, staff and guests Little Gnome which offers a hub and haven for readers mingled to celebrate the year’s achievements in the and independent authors in Wynnum. And Sean Mee fizz and glitter of bubbles and city lights reflected from has brought new Queensland writing to the stage the river. Steve Watson gave a moving and fascinating over many decades in his roles with La Boite Theatre, Acknowledgement of Country. Daylight Moon lent their Playlab, QUT Creative Industries Faculty, and now the delightful blend of warm words and cool harmonies Queensland Music Festival. to the evening, and such was the conviviality we had trouble throwing folks out at evening’s end (some may The overall Johnno Award winner for 2018 is Kristina still be there). Olsson, nominated as ‘a wise, giving and inspirational teacher who has supported countless writers at all stages of development’. Kristina generously fosters the Established in 2001, ‘the art and craft of writing at many levels, from teaching beginners the basics of craft, to launching and reviewing Johnno’ is named for what new publications by her peers. Kristina accepted her many consider the seminal award to an overwhelming round of applause – there were few in the room who haven’t been touched by her Queensland novel. work in one way or another.

A major focus this year was revitalising the Johnno Awards, Huge thanks to everyone who made the night possible which acknowledge outstanding services to writers and – Lori-Jay Ellis and the QWC staff and Management writing. Established in 2001, ‘the Johnno’ is named for Committee, the State Library of Queensland, Steve what many consider the seminal Queensland novel, and Watson, David Malouf, Daylight Moon, MC Andrea we were thrilled to have its author David Malouf – QWC’s Brosnan, our wonderful Johnno Award Winner and founding patron – present this year’s awards. Honours Listees, everyone who nominated, everyone who was nominated, everyone who helped get things For the first time, nominations for the Johnno Award organised, and – especially – everyone who was there. were opened this year to the entire membership of Let’s do it all again next year! QWC. Not surprisingly, a flood of nominations rushed

6 WQ WWW.QLDWRITERS.ORG.AU.MAGAZINE 7 In 1970, Carver wrote a letter to his friend and editor (Esquire’s fiction editor) Gordon Lish. It read, Hombre,‘ The Makers thanks for the superb assist on the stories. No one has done that for me since I was 18, I mean it. High time I of First Class think, too. Feel the stories are first class now, but whatever the outcome there, I appreciate the fine eye you turned on them. Hang tough.’ Gordon Lish was, for many years a Stories hazy figure at the edges of Carver’s fame. Lish was (sort of) famous in literary circles. He’d been fired from Knopf (by Knopf himself) and was known in the industry as a Sarah Kanake forceful editor. Did that refer to his pen, or his tongue? I’m not sure anyone really knows.

There were, over the years, numerous letters back and forth between Carver and Lish. Some of these letters have been published. What is clear early on, is that Carver knew what he owed to Lish and his sharp red pen, but the rest of the world did not. Lish talked about his work on Carver’s stories. He claimed he had changed Carver’s work, often dramatically. He said he’d cut out pages of some, hundreds of words in others. Carver never responded to Lish’s claims and he never gave much in the way of kudos to Lish publically. No one really believed Lish. Not really. After all, Carver was a master of minimalism. How many words – let alone the pages of edits Lish claimed – could there have been for Lish to cut.

aymond Carver was a short story writer, essayist Was Raymond Carver really and writing teacher. He lived from 1938 to 1988 all that he was cracked up to Rand in that time he didn’t just write dozens of short stories, he developed a type of story, and be? stretched, or perhaps more rightly compressed, his writing so much that he really did create something new. Geoffrey Wolff said Carver’s stories were “shorn of Over the years Gordon Lish spoke about his ornamentation” and I reckon this is a wonderful way to relationship with Carver less and less and some in the describe not just what he did, but what he contributed publishing industry saw him as a coattail rider, a remora to writing in general. Carver’s work was so significant in to Carver’s shark. fact that he is credited with revitalising the dead art and Things changed when Lish sold his papers (letters, subsequent popularity of the short story in the 1980s. drafts etc) to the Lilly Library in Indiana. Few people Carver was touted as a short story genius, capturer of have seen these papers and there has been little to no the working poor, a master of minimalism, a man who writing about them, in part because of the pressure could somehow look down the barrel of mundane real from Carver’s estate. But to those who have seen them, life and shoot a bullseye every time. He enjoyed years such as D.T Max, one thing is clear. Lish wasn’t just an of middling literary celebrity before dying at the age editor, in some cases he was virtually rewriting Carver’s of 50 from a mix of abusing booze and cigarettes and work. Carver took aim, sure, and even fired, but it was eventual lung cancer. The New York Times called him the editorial advice of Gordon Lish that helped stories “the most influential writer of short stories in the second like ‘Fat’ and ‘Cathedral’ hit their bullseye. Over time half of the 20th century”. the relationship between Carver and Lish became Now, at the risk of pissing off hordes of second-year strained. Carver’s responses to editorial feedback got hipster writers (of which I was one) I’d like to pose the pissy. ''Everything considered, it's a better story now than question, was Raymond Carver really all that he was when I first mailed it your way -- which is the important cracked up to be? thing, I'm sure.'' Lish was said to have referred to himself

8 WQ as Carver’s ventriloquist and Carver’s work as his own surrogate writing.

Lish was said to have referred to himself as Carver’s ventriloquist and Carver’s work as his own surrogate writing.

Of course Lish didn’t edit all of Carver’s stories or collections, and some scholars and readers have commented on the change from the stark abstract minimalism of Carver’s early work in collections such as ‘Will You Be Quiet Please’ and the less minimalist, less abstract later collections. New York Times journalist Giles Harvey wrote, "the publication of 'Beginners' (2009) has not done Carver any favors. Rather, it has inadvertently pointed to the editorial genius of Gordon Lish.”

The story goes on, but let’s leave it there, because who really cares right? Who cares about the dueling pens of two old white dudes?

I sort of reckon we all should.

As writers and readers and passionate supporters in the short story medium we need to understand not just the stories we read and appreciate, but how they came to be. Minimalism isn’t a single player sport. Carver could no more shave off the last layer of ornamentation in his stories than I can on my writing, or you can on yours. Contemporary short story writing, and publication is often a team effort. A symphony of words, strikes, second goes around and print (or post). I reckon opening a contemporary anthology (particularly in Australia) is a pretty simple way to see these voices in harmony. If we are lucky we will have a Lish, or a Carver. But in the industry today, these two roles are more commonly filled by many voices, many editors, many shavers of ornamentation, many makers of first class stories.

Sarah Kanake is a novelist, short story writer and doctor of creative writing. Her first novel, ‘Sing Fox to Me’ was published by Affirm Press in 2016. Sarah lives on the Sunshine Coast with her husband, daughter and three dogs. She is one half of the country music duo The Shiralee.

WWW.QLDWRITERS.ORG.AU.MAGAZINE 9 who stole from the rich to give to the poor. And he wasn’t non-violent either; he was just a lousy shot.) Or Tall Tales take , who was caught out swimming nude when the coach he was waiting to rob arrived too early. Or Captain Starlight, who posed as a doctor, killed a policeman, escaped the noose, and became a government accountant – and then, while drunk, accidentally swallowed cyanide!

Jane Smith I was in a pretty good mood and keen to oblige.

To my delight, was shortlisted for an ABIA in 2015, and I flew to Sydney for the awards. Over dinner, Denny – one of Big Sky’s directors – told me his idea: a kids’ adventure series based on the stories. And I’d be just the person to write it, he said, since I’d already done the research.

My initial reaction was lukewarm. To be honest, I was tired of and I wasn’t sure that fiction was my ‘thing’. But I was in a pretty good mood and keen to oblige.

This may have had something to do with the magical replenishment of my champagne glass every time I turned around. So I said something intellectual like ‘uh-huh’. istory writing, for me, combines the thrill of The trip home next day was long and tedious. To keep discovery with the pleasure of shaping those ourselves alert, my husband and I discussed Denny’s discoveries into stories and sharing them H idea. How could I make a bushranging adventure with an audience. I’ve learned that with historical relevant to contemporary primary-school kids? Easy: research, the greater the challenge, the more satisfying throw in a time-travelling protagonist who tells the the result. There’s nothing like that bingo! moment reader ‘first hand’ about colonial life: the clothes, the when something you’ve been searching for all day environment, the hair-dos. (Neatly supporting the miraculously falls into place. national curriculum’s emphasis on change over time— Researching bushrangers has provided me with many bonus!). But how would our hero time-travel? Using a of those moments. In 2014, my ‘Australian bushrangers’ magical something from the gold rush era? Answer: a series was published: a non-fiction series of five short hat! A bushranger’s cabbage-tree hat that sends him titles written for children. All the myths and legends back in time when he wears it. surrounding the bushrangers made the process of teasing the fact from the fiction tricky. (‘Fake news’ is by He’d need sidekicks, we decided. Two friends: a no means a modern phenomenon.) But even putting mischief-maker and another who acts as his conscience. aside the stories that turned out to be tall tales, the true There would be parallels between these sidekicks stories I discovered were astonishing. When I pitched and the outlaws and troopers that the protagonist – my books to Big Sky Publishing, I wrote that ‘… the truth Tommy Bell – meets in the past. These characters (both is amazing enough; it doesn’t need to be fictionalised contemporary and historical) would provide plenty of to be entertaining’. I learned later that this was the line material for moral dilemmas. that grabbed their attention. I’m often asked whether I think it’s OK to glamorise Take, for example, Captain Thunderbolt: an affable bushrangers (by people who haven’t read my books). daredevil who occasionally returned his takings—if In case you’re wondering: no, I don’t! But some his victims gave him a good enough sob-story. (He bushrangers enjoyed public sympathy, and I wanted was not, as legend would have it, a Robin Hood figure to show why. Of course, some simply had more charm

10 WQ than others. Captain Thunderbolt was, by all accounts, a fun guy (when he wasn’t committing armed robberies). Jane Smith is a librarian and author with a particular interest Others – like Frank Gardiner and – in history. Her publications include the non-fiction ‘Austra- were dangerous manipulators, and Frank Pearson (aka lian Bushrangers’ series and the ‘Tommy Bell: Bushranger ‘Captain Starlight’) was downright weird. I wanted to Boy’ historical fiction series for children, as well as the adults’ keep their voices authentic but accessible to kids, which biography Captain Starlight: The Strange but True Story of a meant playing around with dialogue. Their diversity Bushranger, Impostor and Murderer. Jane’s Captain Thunder- allowed for a wonderful range of adventures. bolt was shortlisted for an ABIA in 2015, and Shoot-out at the Sometimes Tommy’s a victim, sometimes an observer, Rock was a CBCA ‘notable’ book in 2017. and sometimes – when in the company of smooth- talkers like Thunderbolt – he’s tempted to join the gang.

In any case, the bushrangers were an important part of our history, and their stories should be told. I try to tell them accurately. My non-fiction books are based on careful scrutiny of primary sources. Even with my fiction, I didn’t want to add to the huge volume of misinformation that’s already in circulation. I wanted to keep their escapades true to life, but with a time- travelling boy thrown in.

By the time we got home from Sydney, I had the series outline and the characters in my head. The details developed from there.

Their diversity allowed for a wonderful range of adventures.

In 2016, the first two ‘Tommy Bell, Bushranger Boy’ books were published. They’re short, lively stories full of action and humour. The series is ongoing (six so far, with more to come) and I have plans for a spin-off.

Kids love adventure stories. Luckily, Australia’s past is overflowing with them. The challenge is to pick out the best tales, be sparing with irrelevant detail, emphasise the action and keep it punchy. There’s enough raw material in our history to keep an author busy for a lifetime.

WWW.QLDWRITERS.ORG.AU.MAGAZINE 11 Brooks rubbed his hands down his face, ‘I don’t know The Wit’s End how much more I can take of this. The never-ending pit stops, the constant babbling, the god damn white wine spritzers. It’s been two days...’ We’d seen the inside of every bar in almost every village in Tuscany.

‘You ever notice when he laughs his whole-body shakes?’ I asked. ‘It’s like his bones are playing Chinese whispers.’

Brooks stared at me for a moment, ‘Christ’s sake man, Jakob Blacksmith we were supposed to be in Florence two days ago. The others will have left without us.’

I nodded. ‘By now they’re long gone… back up north probably – toward Milan. When we get to Florence we can give Thomas the shake… If we don’t run into any polizia between now and then.’

‘Shit!’ Brooks pounded the table making the cutlery jump. ‘I keep forgetting about…” his voice became a whisper as a waiter drew near, “the stolen car. What are the odds we make it to Florence without being pulled over?’

I used my right hand to stop my glass from shaking. ‘It’ll be alright Brooks. Drink your birra, it’ll take the edge off.’

t was mid-morning of the Italian kind – the sun lazy Brooks saw his way to the bottom and I followed suit, we and humidity draped over our shoulders. It felt as a grabbed our belongings and walked out together. It only late afternoon back home does – which made the occurred to me a few feet from the exit that we weren’t I planning on paying. The waiter made a double take and tall birra I was swilling slightly more appropriate. We sat on the far side of a restaurant in Pienza. About a I signalled that we were going for a cigarette. I could see half-an-hour drive from where we set off two days ago. him running over the possible scenarios in his head. He I’d ordered two espressos with breakfast, but there is looked away satisfied that we weren’t the type to lighten only so much heat one man can handle before the liver his back pocket. I couldn’t help but feel the familiar pang becomes parched and starts to sweat. If this occurs one brewing in my chest all the way to the car. We found must move to the bar with haste. Thomas already asleep in the backseat of the convertible. The champagne clutched to his chest. If only the waiter My dear friend Brooks sat to my left. He was in deep had had more of an imagination, I thought. conversation with the froth at the bottom of his pint glass. Thomas, the Swiss-Italian, was there. He’d ordered The morning now started to take shape. The heat a bottle of champagne with breakfast and was asking simmered and made the air thick with haze. I drove. the waiter to recork what was left. Brooks and I had Brooks had never learned to drive. I was hopeful that met him two days ago in a village named Castelmuzio. It with Thomas comatose in the backseat we could put looked out over Le Crete Senesi – the soft Tuscan hills – some distance between us and the rolling hills. Get in every direction. We were stranded, penniless, three some asphalt under these tyres. sheets to the wind and four hours from Firenze – our We were an hour into the journey when Brooks told me, desired destination – when, from beneath a cream matter-of-factly from the backseat, that Thomas was fedora and pitch-black sunglasses, Thomas, in between dead. He’d leapt over to wake him up a minute or so sips, offered us a ride. before. At first, I didn’t believe him. I’d had to rile winos The waiter returned with the recorked champagne. from deep slumbers before. A pint administered over Thomas grabbed the bottle from the slush of the ice the head had been known to do the trick. bucket and excused himself. ‘I’m sure he’s…’ I turned to find Thomas’ flabby upper

12 WQ

half held awkwardly by the seatbelt. He was still Flash Fiction clutching the champagne as Brooks held open his by Sandy Curtis eyelids. The car swerved and bottles of red wine at various levels rolled and clinked under the seats.

‘What about cameras?’ Brooks asked. I’d suggested we dump Thomas by the side of the road after a bout of STORY TIME open palm slaps failed to stir him. I recalled a night, a “Sit down and be quiet,” the few nights ago, in the streets of Milan when my friend teacher said and watched the eager Michele told me, as he kicked the side mirrors off of expressions on the little faces as her parked cars, that Italy didn’t have street cameras. I told students settled, cross-legged, on the Brooks this. carpet. She picked up her iPad and started reading aloud. ‘Michele is a drunk... and you believe him? Let’s just call the cops...or some paramedics or…’ “The war had been raging for many ‘And say what Brooks?’ I asked. ‘Have you forgotten years. Everyone was weary of the whose car we are driving?’ fighting, the deaths, the rationing of food and clothing. Soldiers watched We argued in the rearview mirror all the way to Firenze. their comrades die, watched the I eventually agreed we’d pull over and ask someone wounded writhing in agony, and for directions to a hospital when we hit the city. I cursed the generals who sat far away wasn’t sure we’d make it. I was beginning to feel the from the battlefields and sent young rage climbing up my spine. Taking hold vertebrae by men and women to be sacrificed vertebrae. The burning in the neck. The tunnel vision. for their own desire for victory and A blood-alcohol level balancing for the first time in two glory.” days, whisky silos appeared to be flagging us down from the side of the road, the birras they leant and yelled off She glanced at the intense little of overpasses, the head began to ache. faces, sighed, and continued. “On Christmas Day the soldiers on both We made it through the roundabout, across the bridge, sides decided it really should be and the wrong way down a one way street, before a day of peace, so they put down the front left corner of the car mounted the curb and their weapons, raised their arms in landed back on the cobblestone with a bang. A hubcap solidarity, and shared their meagre escaped from under us. For those sat outside of the rations and stories of home and cafes, the small street turned into the Teatro della family. At day’s end they told the Grancia – a paint-stripped theatre we’d spent a hopeless officers they were going home. evening in the night before. The stolen champagne in The officers told the generals and the back popped, the crowd jeered, and the car facing politicians to get stuffed and went us beeped. home with their soldiers. And the I began to reverse and looked over my shoulder to find world lived in peace.” a previously dead Swiss-Italian rise again. He wiped the She turned off the iPad. “And that, champagne from his eyes, grinned his red wine grin, children, is what is called a fairy tale.” and started to laugh with his bones. Sandy Curtis

Jakob Blacksmith is a struggling musician and writer who grew up in Brisbane. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2018. He writes creative non-fiction and short stories inspired by the barflies, boozers and vagrants who have taken his mon- ey in pool games at all hours of the day and night.

WWW.QLDWRITERS.ORG.AU.MAGAZINE 13 teach you how to present the tip of the iceberg while a Why Should novel will teach you to show the whole thing. Novels and short stories are different beasts. They produce different effects and require different ways of thinking to produce you Write Short them. Even if a short story is excellent practice for writing novels that is not it’s only virtue. Stories? Even if a short story is Sarah Fallon excellent practice for writing novels that is not it’s only virtue.

There are many reasons a writer, at any stage in their career, should write short stories that have nothing to do with novels. Here are just a few:

Too many ideas and no where to put them.

Many writers suffer from an overabundance of ideas. If you attempted to construct a novel out of evey passing daydream you’d end up with a whole lot of half written scraps clogging up your computer. Not to mention, not every idea does a novel make. Some ideas are perfect for short stories. The short story allows you to explore a single idea fully without needing to clog it up with subplots and love triangles just to reach the expected word count.

Experimentation.

hy should you write short stories? Type that Have you ever tried writing in second person? How question into Google and plethora of articles, about in reverse chronological order, the point of view many on major writing sites, will tell you of the setting or in future tense? Sounds difficult to pull Wwriting short stories will help you become a novelist. off, right? But isn’t it also a little exciting? To attempt But is that the only reason? Are novels the pinnacle of such things in a novel is a big risk and far more likely literary expression we all strive for, the ends for which to put the reader off, but in the condensed space of a all other writing is merely a means. I don’t think so. short story it could be magical. And if it doesn’t work at Short stories, poetry and novellas all have their unique least you learned something in the attempt and didn’t challenges and virtues which can be explored for their waste five years. own sake.

The idea that writing short stories is merely a form of Brevity is the soul of wit. practice on your way to bigger and better things gives the format a disservice. Writing short stories may improve Novels are expansive. Let’s be honest, they have a lot of your prose, develop your writing habit, give you the filler, like those long descriptions of food and feasts in encouragement of finishing shorter works, and thicken chunky fantasy novels. Short stories, on the other hand, your skin in the face of rejection. All skills that can be are beautifully brief. They have to set the scene quickly put to service in the pursuit of writing novels. But it will and move on. Backstory, subplots, and gaggles of also teach you to be concise, elusive, how to truncate superfluous characters have no place here. Every detail information and suggest endings rather than round them must be essential to the story at hand. off. As Hemingway may have put it, the short story will

14 WQ Every detail must be essential to the story at hand.

This can be quite a challenge and it can also be detrimental to the aspiring novelist. Once your brain is attuned to this kind of brevity it’s hard to switch to expansive mode. However, it is also very liberating to only have to focus on one or two things and put everything to making those few things shine. When done well, the short story has an amazing ability to stay in the reader’s mind for days, weeks, even years.

A whole separate market.

Short stories have an enormous market for writers to tap into in the form of journals, websites, competitions and anthologies. Because there are so many of these outlets and short stories can be produced relatively quickly, writers can reach a more diverse readership and even get the attention of industry professionals. Many a writer has built a career on the back of short stories.

The short story is a beautiful, succinct and imaginative genre and often a joy to write. It can be a vehicle for experimentation and exhilaration. It may help you write novels on a prose level, but why would you relegate it to only that purpose. Beware writing short stories in the hope that they will one day transform you into a novelist. That road can often lead to disappointment. Instead, write them for themselves. For the thrill of it. To test the limits of your creativity and your artistry. That is a road full of possibilities.

Sarah writes short fiction with surreal and whimsical tenden- cies. Her short story ‘Roots’ won the 2017 Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing and her story, ‘Crow’ won the inaugural Micro- fiction and Mentorship Competition from The Writing Junction. Her other fiction and nonfiction is published online and in print in places like Overland, SQ Mag and Aurealis. She likes dogs, choc chip brownies and 80s fantasy films. To find out more visit her website, www.sarahfallon.net.

WWW.QLDWRITERS.ORG.AU.MAGAZINE 15 In addition to writers being up against the volume of Creating a Home submissions literary magazines receive, and the scant number of outlets, many magazines have submission periods of only a few months, outside of which they for Short Stories won’t read your work. You might wait up to a year for a response. You might be asked to pay to submit. You may need to be a subscriber or student, under thirty, published, unpublished. Your story might be the wrong length. You might even live in the wrong city. (I won’t dive into the conversation about how geography Kirsten Alexander affects publication, other than to say it shouldn’t. Brigid Delaney wrote an article about that topic for the Guardian. In short: ‘In Australia the literary scene that counts is Melbourne’s.’) Getting a short story published in a good magazine is tough. here’s a particular type of magical thinking employed by short story writers: This story will find Ta home in the magazine of my dreams. My lack of profile, the number of submissions they receive, networks Getting a short story and nepotism – all irrelevant. Quality will win out. This story published in a good will not languish in my submittable list or in a slush pile. This one will be long listed, shortlisted, then win the prize. I might magazine is tough. be offered a publishing deal, like the woman who wrote ‘Cat Person’, the one who was published in the New Yorker. There are more aspiring writers than there are available Here are some facts. The New Yorker gets more than story slots. Also, while it’s hard to get exact circulation 400 short story submissions a week. It publishes or subscriber numbers, if you look through magazine one story a week. The published story most often media kits (where the most optimistic numbers appear), comes via an agent, as ‘Cat Person’ did, not from you might be surprised at how low the figures are, both submissions. Tin House magazine also gets about 400 print and online. So getting your story published is hard, submissions a week. They publish one new writer per issue. The most recent figure I could find for The Paris and if you do, unless you’re published in one of the Review said they received 15,000 story submissions top-tier magazines, hardly anyone will see your work. (If in 2013. (The Paris Review only accepts hard copy you’re truly keen on print go for Overland. Their 2016 submissions, ‘through the mail’ and won’t send you a print circulation figure of 11,000 per issue is among rejection letter unless you send a stamped envelope the best and their website reaches 80,000 monthly for your rejection letter.) Granta publishes four readers.) Most literary magazines – because of design, themed issues a year. But you can’t send in writing tone, outlet, intent? – are read by people who want to related to an upcoming theme because they’d rather be in literary magazines, people who know one another, not tell you what they are. (Thumbs up to Griffith people who live in the right cities. I suspect most writers Review for being less coy.) The most recent Granta want to be read more widely than that. offers six pieces of fiction, one an extract from a published novel. The Big Issue’s 2018 fiction issue Books are an option, of course. Last year’s The Best also received more than 400 submissions (what is it Australian Stories (now Best Summer Stories) published with that number?) and published thirteen of them. twenty stories in 2016, twenty-one stories in 2017. Best The wonderful online Review of Australian Fiction Summer Stories offers twenty-eight in 2018. And while published two stories by Australian writers every it’s great the number is rising, there’s stiff competition two weeks but is gone, as are Sleepers Almanac, here too. The editors of story compilations want high- Cutwater, Wet Ink, and a dozen others. Glimmer Train profile writers, familiar names, the same writers being recently announced it’s shutting its doors. Even my published in the bigger literary magazines. I won’t preferred Australian story outlet, Kill Your Darlings, discuss the dizzying difficulty an unknown writer faces closed its print edition in 2017. trying to find a publisher for a collection of stories. (Or a known writer, for that matter.)

16 WQ And yet, people love reading short stories. They always have. Feel free to come at me and argue that, but I’ll stand by it. Stories are just not being offered in a way that works for modern readers or writers. I suspect readers want a choice,rather than the one or handful of stories the editor of a magazine has selected for them. And they want an easy way to make that choice without jumping from site to site. I think readers want to be able to choose a story that suits their mood, from a deep collection, without having to shell out for a whole book or magazine of which they will only read a small part. And writers want an audience and a way to earn money. Thinking about all of this led me to create Storymart.

I suspect readers want a choice.

Storymart is a website (stay with me) dedicated to short stories that aims to be something different: a subscription-based short-story library/shop/treasure chest. The team at Storymart are currently gathering quality short fiction from living writers across the world to offer to subscribers when we launch, Netflix-style. We’d like to publish stories by writers committed to their craft, who truly want to connect with readers. And we’d like them to earn money via readers’ subscription fees. We have room for more stories than any magazine ever can. We’re interested in previously published work (because published stories don’t always find the audience they deserve, through no fault of the writer). And we take simultaneous submissions (because we’re not jerks).

Writers have bristled at this being online. Don’t get me wrong. I have the clichéd stack of books next to my bed and I’m about to publish my first novel through Penguin Random House – in paper and an eBook. I’m Illustration by James Stackhouse thrilled. But as someone who values writers and story, Storymart is – hand on heart – a genuine attempt to address several problems that exist for readers and writers and it can only work online.

Trust me with your writing and don’t stop submitting Kirsten Alexander is the co-founder of Storymart. Her novel elsewhere. If your real dream is publishing in A-list Half Moon Lake is published in Australia and NZ by Penguin literary magazines perhaps Storymart can help you Random House (available in the US and Canada through Grand on your way. Our standards are nothing to do with Central/Hachette in 2020). available space. So send me your stories. I’d really like to Contact Kirsten at: [email protected] or submit your read your work. stories at www.storymart.com

WWW.QLDWRITERS.ORG.AU.MAGAZINE 17 arise. You could say that ‘Tell us about your writing routine’ is the literary equivalent of talking about the Why are Writers weather, but this frivolous question serves as more than a mere icebreaker because within this small request lies So Obsessed a myriad of even smaller questions: •• Do you write in the morning or at night? with Process? •• Do you write longhand or use a computer? •• Are you a pantser or a plotter? Tara East •• Where do you prefer to write? •• Do you aim for a specific word count, page count or a set number of hours each day/week/month? •• Do you research before, during or after the first draft?

Writers have a lot of questions when it comes to process, but this fascination is not limited to newbies.

Two years ago, Charlotte Wood, a successful and established author herself, released her book The Writer’s Room. Here, Wood has curated a myriad of insightful interviews between herself and some of Australia’s best- known authors. Though the content of each conversation varies, Wood always encourages her interviewee to talk about their writing process. Some authors respond to such probing questions vaguely (perhaps because their process is loose or frequently changing), others describe their rigid or elaborate routines in fine detail.

These conversations were initially only available online. However, the interviews were so popular that the publication of a print edition became viable, which proves just how hungry writers are for this conversation. We don’t want to read these insightful interviews on our laptops and forget about them, we want a physical henever two or more writers find themselves copy that we can highlight, dog-ear, and return to again in a room together, there are a handful of and again whenever we need a touch of guidance or Wtopics that inevitably bubble to the surface: inspiration. Writers not only love talking about process, money, publishing, current projects, favourite authors, they love reading about it too. latest reads, and most importantly, process.

If you are new to creative writing and developing your craft, an interest in other writers’ habits is ‘Tell us about your writing understandable. We’ve all been a beginner at some routine’ is the literary point in our lives and we all know that the best way to develop our own skills is to learn off someone who equivalent of talking about can do the thing that we want to do. Of course, it’s also advisable that you actually practice the craft you the weather. intend to become good at.

If you want to learn the piano, you go to a piano teacher. If you want to learn another language, you take classes or buy an audiobook. Whenever a known author is interviewed, questions regarding their process inevitably

18 WQ Despite the almost cliché nature of the topic, writers two names I never thought I’d see in the same sentence! continue to ask each other questions about process. Joe Hill writes his first draft by hand, but then edits the Fortunately, we’re also happy to answer them. work while typing the second draft, and J.K. Rowling has Sometimes these answers are dull and predictable, experimented with both longhand and typing. but sometimes they are surprising, ingenious, and entertaining. By exposing ourselves to other writers’ Every writer’s process is different, and yet we keep approaches, we may gain insight into our own creative asking the same question. We keep searching for some routine or learn new techniques that can be adopted kind of hack in the hope that there is a hack. We want into our own practice. to hear a clever sound bite that promises an easier way to get inside our own story. One simple tool or word of advice that will guarantee our success. No one wants to By exposing ourselves to hear, “just write.” other writer’s approaches, No one wants to hear, “if you do the work, the work gets done.” No one wants to hear, “finish writing the novel, we may gain insight into edit it, email it out and maybe you’ll get published.”

our own creative routine or When asked about her own process, Elizabeth Strout recounted a conversation with her neighbour who learn new techniques. had just finished painting his apartment. When she’d finished gushing over this domestic accomplishment Our continuing obsession with creative practice and complimenting him on the tremendous is driven by our need to understand how writing achievement of painting an entire apartment by himself, works. We’re all looking for a way to articulate what he replied: “There’s no magic to it.” can sometimes feel like a very mysterious and fickle practice. All artists struggle to explain how they The same can be said of writing: there is no magic, you transformed an idea into a creative artefact. This just do it. discussion of process helps give shape to what can otherwise be perceived as an almost mystical unfolding.

That being said, the question of process also contains Tara has four sparkly degrees on her office wall and an addic- a subtle and self-conscious subtext: “Is your process tion to ivory towers. Her fiction has been published by October better than mine? If I adopt your habits, will I become Hill Magazine and TEXT journal among others. In 2017, she was a better writer?” Deep down, we all hold the same shortlisted for The New England Thunderbolt Prize for Crime subconscious belief: there is a secret to writing, we just Fiction. She maintains an active writing blog at taraeast.com need to find it.

However, discovering this secret is impossible as every author has a different answer. Lee Child writes his Jack Reacher novels without an outline and without revision (jerk). Stephen King is a pantser too, but he typically produces three drafts of each novel and prefers to write at home. J.K. Rowling uses outlines and writes where and whenever she can.

In terms of hours clocked, Maile Meloy, Kate Morton and Steven Pressfield stick to two-four hours a day (typically in the morning). Others like Chuck Wendig, Dani Shapiro, and Margaret Atwood keep standard working hours, starting at nine in the morning and finishing at five in the afternoon.

Despite advances in technology, we are still weighing the pros/cons of longhand versus typing. Jackie Collins wrote all her books by hand, as does Quentin Tarantino;

WWW.QLDWRITERS.ORG.AU.MAGAZINE 19 sharp jabs at a steady beat. Then suddenly change it up Writing and with a flurry of punches. The same thing applies to storytelling. If your plot Fighting progresses at a uniform pace, the reader becomes less involved. For a fast-moving story, slow it down at times with descriptions of environment, or your character’s thoughts and sensory experience. For a slower plot, a sudden acceleration of events excites your reader. Also, variations of word size, sentence length, and formatting Dennan Chew will enhance your writing. Practise, practise, practise… then practise some more

It may not feel like you’re getting better when you’re hitting the bag or getting pummeled in sparring. Weaknesses can seemingly persist forever… until the magical moment arrives when you can perform that spinning back kick. It’s only through repetition and persistence that such moments can be enjoyed. As Bruce Lee said, ‘I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.’

Similarly, when you’re writing and writing, day after day, it can feel like nothing is improving. But changes 5 Things Writers Can are happening all the time. Significant changes. Your words, skills and creativity are all fusing together. Neural Learn From Martial Artists pathways are being created and solidified. The more he pen is mightier than the fist! Well, depending you write, the more magic you can expect. on who’s holding the pen. Or making the fist. TWriting and fighting may seem unrelated, but there are some striking similarities between the practices and some important things that we can learn The more you write, the from each. more magic you can expect.

Mix it up In martial arts, if you’re throwing continuous punches Going beyond and kicks at someone without varying the pace, your If you only rehearse your favourite combat techniques, rhythm becomes predictable. you’ll develop some valuable weapons. Maybe even a kick good enough to put fear into Bruce Lee. But limiting yourself to your preferred movements makes you a Without varying the pace, predictable and one-dimensional fighter. Successful martial artists are constantly looking for ways to learn your rhythm becomes new things and broaden their arsenal. predictable. If you write the same sort of stories, through the same point of view of the same character, you’ll get really good Your opponent will adapt to your timing, making it easy to at doing the same thing. If you explore and practise areas defend and counter-attack your strikes. One of the things where you aren’t comfortable, whether it’s description, that made Muhammad Ali so great was his ability to mix dialogue or a change in POV or genre, you will open new his tempo: he would dance around the ring, throwing dimensions of your writing. And yourself.

20 WQ Everyone needs a sensei As a fighter, there’s only so much you can observe about yourself, by yourself. Even when analyzing tapes of your own training or competitions, you only see the performance through your perspective. Smart martial artists surround themselves with people who give constructive feedback and ideally with expertise beyond their own.

As writers, we need outside perceptions to spot the things that we cannot.

We need outside perceptions to spot the things that we cannot.

It is essential to receive and digest opinions on aspects of our writing that require attention, revising, or parts that simply don’t make sense. It’s equally important to hear praise for the things that worked well.

A beating is a blessing Okay, getting knocked out in front of your friends, family, or a crowd is embarrassing and soul crushing. People often give up after a spectacular beating. The fighters who pick themselves back up and study the reasons why they lost become far better than they ever were.

While writing’s not likely to leave you with a black eye and concussion, the beating can come in the form of feedback from friends, colleagues, mentors, and critics. Or, the best kind of beating, editors and publishers who reject your cherished manuscript. But it’s precisely this sort of criticism and rejection that gives you something to work on and take your writing to the next level.

Dennan Chew is a published author who writes crime, comedy, and suburban gothic. He has taught and competed in boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts (MMA). Dennan also has a Bachelor of Commerce, Master of Business, and is completing his Master of Creative Writing. He is currently working on his debut novel, Plan B.

WWW.QLDWRITERS.ORG.AU.MAGAZINE 21 Sue pulled on her jeans and top and swished One Night Stand toothpaste around her mouth. Panda eyes and birds- nest hair stared back at her from the mirror. Great. Gaytime looked like he’d stepped out of Vogue. She took a deep breath and headed out.

Gorgeous and he cooked: coffee, orange juice, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, and toast, awaited her. All she’d had in her fridge was a block of mouldy cheddar and a tube of expensive eye cream. S. E. Russell ‘Sit. Eat. Before it gets cold.’ It was divine. Sue felt better with each bite. The headache faded, and the nausea ... had she imagined it? She popped the last forkful into her mouth and sat back replete.

Gaytime came out of the bathroom, dressed in his jeans and t-shirt.

‘Gotta fly, Babe.’ He popped on a pair of aviator sunglasses and grinned. ‘Thanks, it’s been real.’

‘Um, sure,’ Sue said. ‘Need me to call an Uber?’

Gaytime laughed. ‘Funny. You’re real funny.’ He bent and kissed her on the lips. She was Deborah Kerr to his ue found a feather the morning after her fortieth Burt Lancaster, waves crashed on the beach, fireworks birthday. She’d stumbled out of bed, head exploded, it all came flooding back. Skin on skin, trails of Spounding, cotton-wool mouth, feeling every one kisses, oh, the positions! of her years, and limped to the bathroom. Sitting on the toilet, head in hands, she spotted it lying on He broke the kiss. Crossed the apartment to the sliding the bathmat. Long and white, it shone with oil-slick doors. Opened them and stepped onto her balcony. iridescence as she twirled it in her fingers. Sue stared as he jumped onto the railings, posed, and dropped without a sound. Shit. Was he on drugs? The clothes she’d worn last night were in a heap on the Adrenaline pumped her legs across the room after him. floor; skinny jeans and a sequinned top. Next to them Afraid of what she might see, she peered over the edge. were another pair of jeans and t-shirt, both black, both fashionably ripped. Definitely not hers. Shit. None of her He was floating, doing backstroke as he checked friends wore clothes like that. messages on his phone. His wings vibrated beneath him, a shimmering cloud, a thousand pearly white feathers. She didn’t remember much after the tequila shot The breeze caught a stray feather and deposited it at contest. She did remember climbing on the bar Sue’s feet. He gave a cheeky wave and was gone, no and telling everyone she was single. Again. And she more than a speck against the morning sky. remembered his eyes. Golden like a Gaytime. Totally delicious and damn the consequences. After that Sue’s phone rang. It was her friend Claire. ‘Hey, Suz. everything was hazy. Great party. Where’d you get to?’

‘Hey, Babe.’ Gaytime stood in the doorway. He looked Sue picked up the feather and twirled it in her fingers. better in her pink dressing gown than she did. ‘Well...’

‘Um, hi?’ Sue mumbled, bending forward in a lame attempt to cover as much of herself as she could. Sharita left Innisfail, Far North Queensland to travel the world and find adventure. Her adventures include investment banking ‘Ah, you don’t remember. Don’t worry it happens in England and naturopathy in Singapore. She now lives in sometimes. Oh, sorry about that. Must have dropped Brisbane and has returned to her first love, writing. Sharita is a it earlier.’ He plucked the feather from her fingers. ‘I made breakfast.’ member of Vision Writers and the Queensland Writers Centre.

22 WQ QWC Membership Benefits Membership form To join the Centre please complete the information When you become a member of QWC, you become part of a vibrant writing community with access to a wide variety of resources and below or join online at qldwriters.org.au. information. Please complete and return to: Queensland Writers Centre, PO Box 3488, Writing Queensland (WQ) magazine South Brisbane Queensland 4101 | F 07 3842 9920 | Exclusively for QWC members, the quarterly WQ Magazine features [email protected] articles from industry professionals and writers. Applicant’s details Members-only programs and services Name ______(costs apply) Organisation (if relevant) ______The Writers Surgery offers members 90-minute consultations to Postal Address ______discuss their projects (including grant applications) face-to-face, by Skype or by telephone with an experienced editor or published ______author. Year of the Writer series is a suite of master classes to help you plan, ______Postcode ______write and edit your novel. Telephone ______

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• Olvar Wood Writers Retreat offers a 10% discount to QWC working days’ notice is given, participants may use the paid funds as credit members on all their writer services: olvarwood.com.au towards the cost of attending another workshop, seminar or event (space • $5 memberships at Dendy Cinemas permitting). All credit must be used within 30 days of issue.

WWW.QLDWRITERS.ORG.AU.MAGAZINE 23 Lesley Synge won the 2018 Lorna Ian Laver, Sunshine Coast writer, McDonald Essay Prize, and was won a Commended citation for his Milestones interviewed on a Brisbane wharfie short story Ricochet in the Fiction featured in Home, an exhibition category of the 2018 New England Eileen O’Hely’s Just Desserts was at SLQ. She also had poems Thunderbolt prize for Crime Writing. shortlisted for the Lane Cove Literary published in Blue Pepper, Plumwood Awards Theatre Script Prize. Mountain, Right Hand Pointing, Social Lisa Southgate’s stage play Guilt was shortlisted for the Rodney Caylie Jeffery’s second book Alternatives, and Stylus Lit. Seaborn Playwrights Award, 2018. Under the Lino was launched during Barbara Hunt’s short story Tough Guilt explores parental guilt through Brisbane Open House to critical Love received the Simplicity Funerals the eyes of the dead Irish writer success. Caylie was also published Award in the Grieve Volume 6 Hunter James Joyce. in Within/Without These Walls, a Writers Centre Anthology. Brisbane Open House anthology. Edwina Shaw’s novel Thrill Seekers Mocco Wollert had her poem A Barbara Hunt’s essay Just a Coo-ee has been released in a new imprint Child’s Bush Dawning and a tanka from Yeppoon placed second in The through Raven Books UK, and is published in the October 2018 issue Lorna McDonald Essay Prize, 2018. available in bookstores in the UK and of Positive Words. Australia. K W George’s piece Pankow, Petra, Emma Ashmere’s short story and Me has been published in The Damen O’Brien’s poem Once Standing Up Lying Down was Big Issue. Upon a Time won The New Guard shortlisted for the Overland/Fair Knightville Poetry Prize. Australia Prize 2018. Mocco Wollert had a long letter published in the October issue of Emma Schneider has released her Coralyn Swift has written 50k for Your Time. debut picture book, Jacob and His the first day of NaNoWriMo, for the Out of the Ordinary Playground. 5th year in a row. Margie O’Hara has written and Darryl Dymock’s creative non-fiction illustrated four new children books in short story, Melons and mudslides: Brian Farber’s historical science 2018. fiction novel Hitler’s Zeitmaschine a day on the Hill at the Gabba, was has been self-published and is now Mocco Wollert had her poem published in the Within/Without available from major book sale published in Mia Mia, the quarterly These Walls anthology. outlets. magazine of the Anglican Mothers Shelley Bank’s first novel One Union. Dannika Patterson’s debut picture Weekend has been self-published. book Jacaranda Magic (Ford Street Mocco Wollert’s poem Good-bye to Shelley has also launched a blog that Publishing) has sold out of its first a father and her German translation encourages people to read. hardcover print run within two were published in Azure. Richard Yaxley’s novel This Is My months of its release date. Song was announced as the winner Tony Pritchard has published their of the Young Adult Literature prize Fiona Robertson was shortlisted for third book, a travel memoir about in the 2018 Prime Minister’s Literary the 2018 Richell Prize and the 2018 canoe trips down the Darling River. Bridport Short Story Prize. Awards. Aiki Flinthart has just launched her Damen O’Brien’s poem A Survey of Thea Biesheuval’s poem 10th novel, IRON. First in the Sci- Australia’s Religions was shortlisted in Reformation placed second in the fantasy trilogy, the Kalima Chronicles. the Newcastle Poetry Prize. International Proverse Poetry Prize She was also shortlisted in the USA (single poems) 2018. Damen O’Brien’s poem Blood Moon Writers of the Future competition. was longlisted in the Lane Cove AJ. Adsett‘s play The Inquest won Literary Awards. Irene Waters’ first memior best unpublished script at Act-1’s Nightmare in Paradise was released 2018 Theatrefest. Damen O’Brien’s poem The Cold by Zeus Publishing in November. Snap was winner of the Open Age AJ. Adsett‘s self-published debut section of the Ipswich Poetry Feast. Carleton Chinner has been invited novel Terror Australis is now available His poems Precarious Balance and to sit on the GeyserCon NZ panel To in eBook and paperback through all Giant were Highly Commended in Boldly Go: Ships in SFF alongside Star good online book stores. the same section. Damen was overall Trek writer Alena van Arendonk, and Pat Ritter’s 23rd book The adult winner of the Ipswich Poetry fellow writers Kodi Washere and Dave Suffragette was published via Feast. Hadwin. Smashwords.

24 WQ Raymond W Clarke’s article The Bushrangers Lady, the story of Captain Thunderbolt and his Events Aboriginal wife, was commend in the 2018 New England Thunderbolt Prize At the 2019 Lord Mayor's Australia for Crime Writing. Day Awards two Brisbane writers, Susan Hawthorne’s book Cheryl Sullivan and Tess Rowley, Bibliodiversity: A Manifesto for were recognised as unsung heroes. Independent Publishing was The awards pay tribute to people published in Czech in November and in the community who go above a second Spanish edition released and beyond to improve the lives of in Argentina in December. That is a total of five languages and twenty others and contribute to the city's territories. vision of a diverse, friendly and strong community. Susan Hawthorne is an invited Lee Finn, Cheryl Sullivan and Lori-Jay Ellis guest of the Hindu Lit for Life Festival to be held in Chennai in January 2019. Veronika Schwarz’s first book Riemannian Modulation in Max About QWC Membership Reger’s Lieder’ was published in October 2018. Founding patrons Group Members Institutional Members Verity Croker’s novel Jilda’s Ark Thea Astley Brisbane Writers Group ACT Writers has been published by Harmony Ink Bruce Dawe Brotherhood of the Australian Society of Authors Press. Geoffrey Dutton Wordless Bundaberg Book Links David Malouf Writers’ Club Brisbane Square Library Carolyn Martinez’s picture Michael Noonan Burdekin Readers’ & Byron Writers Festival books The Umbilical Family, Jill Shearer Writers’ Assoc Inc Children’s Book Council Discombobulated, It’s Raining Shoes, Oodgeroo Noonuccal Carindale Writers Group of Australia – Qld Branch and Places to Poop have been (Kath Walker) recently published with Hawkeye Fairfield Writers Children’s Book Council Honorary Life Mem- Publishing. Garden City Creative- of Australia – National Branch bers Writers Immanuel Lutheran College Helen Taylor’s short story Christmas Hilary Beaton Geebung Writers Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Wish was shortlisted in the Furious Martin Buzacott Mackay Writers Group Mount Ommaney Library Fiction Competition run by the Heidi Chopey Macleay Island Inspirational NT Writers’ Centre Australian Writers’ Centre. Kate Eltham Writers Group Northlakes Library Kevin Gillespie Robbie Kirk’s Jan-Andrew Laurie Hergenhan Our Words, Our Stories NSW Writers’ Centre Henderson’s 23rd book Edinburgh Helen Horton Ravenshoe Writers Group Queensland Poetry New Town has been published by Lynette Kellow Society of Women Writer’s Festival Queensland University Amberley Press and he has just Craig Munro Queensland Inc of Technology (Kelvin Grove) launched The Green Light Literary Philip Neilsen Stanthorpe Writers Riverbend Books Rescue Service. Robyn Sheahan-Bright Townsville Writers & SA Writers Centre Damen O’Brien’s poem On the Day Meg Vann Publishers Centre Sunnybank Library You Launch won the Gwen Harwood Katie Woods Tropical Writers Inc Sunshine Coast Libraries Poetry Prize. Vision Writers Group St Patrick’s Senior College- Bernadette Rowley’s novel Elf Write Links Library Princess Warrior was released on the Writers Rendezvous Tasmanian Writers’ Centre 14th of January. Writing with a Vision Townsville Library Wynnum Creative Writers The University of Queensland Fiona Robertson was shortlisted for Yon Beyond University of Queensland Press the Aesthetica Creative Writing Award Voices on the Coast 2018 (and was published in the Writers Victoria Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual WritingWA 2019).

WWW.QLDWRITERS.ORG.AU.MAGAZINE 25 Competitions and Opportunities

2019 Peter Carey Award The Valerie Parv Award in Griffith Review 66: The Novella Project VII. The Peter Carey Short Story Award Where else can you have a Deadline: 29 March, 2019 is back for 2018, opening for entries chance to be mentored by one of Entry Fee: $30-$60 on February 1st and closing at Australia’s most successful authors? 6pm March 26th. Organised by the Entries arriving before or after the Moorabool Shire Council, the award deadlines cannot be accepted. Call for submissions: Growing Up is for stories between 2000 – 3000 Note: you cannot ‘reserve’ a place Disabled in Australia words, and is open to all Australian by paying your entry fee. The only residents. way to claim a place in the contest A new anthology is open for submissions from all writers in Long listed entries will be judged by is to submit your entry. Australia who identify as disabled, Jane Rawson, author of the novels Deadline: Monday 29 April 2019 deaf, Deaf or chronically ill (under A Wrong Turn at the Office of Entry Fee: $44-$110 Unmade Lists and From the Wreck. the social model of disability). The The winning entry receives $1000, collection will be edited by blogger 2019 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short while the runner-up wins $500. and appearance activist Carly Both stories will be published in the Story Prize Findlay, author of the forthcoming Spring 2018 edition of Meanjin. Australian Book Review welcomes memoir Say Hello. Carly has entries in the 2019 ABR Elizabeth been widely published, including Deadline: Thursday 21 March Jolley Short Story Prize, one of the in The Guardian, The Age, The 18:00 world’s leading prizes for an original Sydney Morning Herald, Daily Life, Entry Fee: $10 short story. The ABR Elizabeth Jolley Mamamia and Frankie. Short Story Prize is worth a total of Deadline: Friday, 31 May 2019 Daisy Utemorrah Award – WA $12,500. Entry is open to anyone in Premier’s Book Awards the world who is writing in English. The Daisy Utemorrah Award is Entries must be a single story of 2,000 to 5,000 words in length. Call for Submissions: The Australian for an unpublished manuscript of junior or YA fiction by an Aboriginal Deadline: Monday 15 April 2019 Prose Poetry Anthology and/or Torres Strait Islander writer. Entry Fee: $15-25 Submissions are now open for The Graphic novels for junior or YA Australian Prose Poetry Anthology, readers are also accepted. Woollahra Digital Literary Award to be published in 2020 my Melbourne University Publishing. Deadline: Tuesday 30April The Woollahra Digital Literary Submissions should be works Entry Fee: Free Award is a national literary award supporting innovation in previously published in a journal, Audrey Daybook 2019 Short Story Australian literature and publishing, magazine, newspaper, anthology encouraging writers producing or volume of poetry. Poets should Prize work in a digital medium. The award submit no more than four prose In a world where the extent of our seeks submissions of a literary poems for consideration by the creative flair is often limited to 280 nature that are digitally born – editors and no more than three characters, Audrey Daybook seeks published online or in electronic pages of work in total in a Word to foster the art and practise of form. document (no PDFs). Excessively good old-fashioned story writing. long submissions, or submissions 2019 marks the launch of the Deadline: 11 March, 2019 inaugural Audrey Daybook Short Entry Fee: $10 of more than four poems, will not Story Prize competition, where be read. Please include a 50-word we will publish a different reader’s Submit to Griffith Review 66: The biographical note and your contact short story in each issue. We invite Novella Project VII details, including address, email and Audrey‘s community of amateur, Submissions are now open for phone number. aspiring and accomplished writers Griffith Review’s annual novella Deadline: 1 March, 2019 to enter! competition. Winning entries will Entry Fee: Free Deadline: 6 February 2019 – 7 share in a $25,000 prize pool, August 2019 supported by Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, and will be published

26 WQ WWW.QLDWRITERS.ORG.AU.MAGAZINE 27 QUEENSLAND WRITERS CENTRE Level 2, State Library of Queensland, Stanley Place, South Brisbane qldwriters.org.au

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