VISIONARY ISSUE 272 Paul Mason – Writing for Comics Robyn Sheahan-Bright – Australia Day Honours List Mar 2021 – May 2021 PUBLISHED BY ISSUE 272 Mar 2021 – May 2021 ISSN 1444-2922 EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION Contents Editor Sandra Makaresz Associate Editor 4 Meet Robyn Sheahan-Bright AM Callum McDonald Guest Artist QWC Co-ordinator 1991-1997 Paul Mason Design In conversation with Judy Gregory Aleisha Yu Printing CPX Printing & Logistics 6 Demystifying the Art of Videogame Storytelling SUBMISSIONS By Brooke Maggs Members can submit Milestones or details of Events or Competitions and Opportunities, or pitch articles for WQ, by emailing us at [email protected] 8 Writing With a Vision QWC reserves the right to edit all submissions with regard to content By Wendy Dartnall and word length. ADVERTISING 10 3D Storytelling and Virtual Visions Advertising rates, deadlines and dimensions and where other information on how to advertise in WQ is available at qldwriters.org.au/advertise. For By Mez Breeze advertising enquiries please contact editor@ qldwriters.org.au QWC members enjoy a reduced advertising 12 Writing At The Centre rate. Before booking an advertisement potential advertisers should read QWC’s Advertising Terms By Katherine Wasiel and Conditions at qldwriters.org.au/advertise STAFF 16 The Long and Winding Road Chief Executive Officer Lori-Jay Ellis By Shelley Davidow Program Managaer stories Callum McDonald Social Media Officer 18 Writing for Comic Books Charlie Hester By Paul Mason Graphic Designer Aleisha Yu Project Officers 20 How To Write A Song Craig Cauchi Aimee Cheung Dani Sharp Sue Wighton Sebastian Williams MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE 22 Chasing The Wild Pineapple Chair Paulette Flint – by Lesley Synge Kym Hausmann live Vice Chair Ann Wilson 23 Competitions & Opportunities Treasurer Mary McWeeney Secretary Ma 7 22 S ar 26 Publisher Update Judy Gregory ORDINARY MEMBERS Sandra Makaresz Tickets on sale March 19 28 Member Milestones Andrea Brosnan Sarah Thornton Angela Samut bwf.org.au 29 QWC Membership Benefits WWW.QLDWRITERS.ORG.AU.MAGAZINE 1 PUBLISHED BY ISSN 1444-2922 ISSUE 272 Uncle Herb Wharton AM 2020 Johnno Award recipient Editorial Sandra Makaresz GUEST ARTIST Editor Paul Mason An elder of the Kooma people, Uncle Herb Wharton had Each recipient of the Johnno, awarded by the Queensland a rewarding 2020 with both a Queen’s Birthday Honour Writers Centre management committee at the end Cover Illustration and the Johnno Award. of each year, now receives a commemorative ‘Johnno “Visionary” Award’ book. Its pages are blank: a call to action to keep Late last year our regional representative, Michael Lloyd, Queensland stories being told. Biography: Visionary is the theme of this issue of WQ and I think you’ll be amazed at the drove the many hours from Longreach to Cunnamulla to There were a lot of laughs between Michael and Uncle Dr Paul Mason is an award-winning mix of old and new ways of exploring this theme. From storytelling in video personally present Uncle Herb with his Johnno Award. Herb. And there was excitement about the possibilities of cartoonist, and animation concept games and virtual reality, to the visionary leap of an author opening their work They enjoyed a long chat on Uncle Herb’s verandah, the blank pages. Uncle Herb promised to get started on designer, working for companies up to the possibility of collaboration through our Adaptable competition. despite the hot wind blowing through. his next story. We hope he might have already begun. such as Frew Publications, Gestalt There is so much to inspire us about the future of writing and the timeless Comics, and A Stark Productions. nature of great writing. He is a sessional lecturer in visual storytelling, art direction, animation Our cover design is by comic book artist and writer, Paul Mason. It contains pre-production, and comics in the a small tribute to the braille alphabet that we hope you’ll find interesting and Bachelor of Animation program at thought provoking. Take a look – you might be inspired to find out more. the Griffith Film School. www.masoncomics.com.au 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. 2 WQ WWW.QLDWRITERS.ORG.AU.MAGAZINE 3 Meet Robyn Sheahan-Bright AM QWC Co-ordinator (ED) 1991–1997 in conversation with Judy Gregory Dr Robyn Sheahan-Bright was Queensland Writer Centre’s Stuart Glover was responsible for literature), and the Writers’ Week on 30 September 1993 and was one of the important, as is adopting a business-like approach to the (QWC) inaugural co-ordinator (ED) and held the position Australia Council for the Arts. A real highlight for me was most memorable events I attended during those years. In work. In today’s environment, those things also include from 1991–1997. In August 2011, Robyn was awarded the the second Queensland Writers’ Train, which took place 1996, the Warana Festival and Warana Writers’ Week were being aware of online developments. Many writers are prestigious CBCA (Qld) Dame Annabelle Rankin Award for in 1992. I joined the train from Brisbane to Winton, and renamed, and Brisbane Writers Festival was established. adept at this sort of promotion, and the current public her services to children’s literature. In 2012, she received it was an unforgettable experience. Watching Thea Astley QWC was represented on the festival committee. health crisis has shown us how important it can be. Sadly, the CBCA Nan Chauncy Award, created to honour people saunter onto the stage in Longreach was one of the many great writers I know are not as recognised as they who have made an outstanding contribution to the field of funniest moments of the journey. She brought the house Right from the beginning, QWC aimed to support should be. It’s important for writers to believe in the value Australian children’s literature. In 2014, she was awarded down. Queensland’s writers through advocacy, information of their work and resist the temptation to allow rejection and professional development, just as it does today. QWC’s Johnno Award for her significant contribution to or disappointment to erode their self-belief. During my time at QWC, we celebrated many awards, We managed the Writers in the Library project, using the development of Queensland’s writing community. including three Queensland writers winning the libraries as venues for a statewide program of workshops Professional support networks and advice are valuable Australian/Vogel Literary Award (Andrew McGahan, – something that continues today. We established QWC’s for all writers – that’s why QWC and similar organisations QWC was established as an incorporated body in 1990 1991; Helen Demidencko, 1993; Darren Williams, 1994), employment service and manuscript appraisal service, remain as important today as they were in the early 1990s. by a voluntary committee chaired by the indefatigable Dr and Gregory Rogers winning the 1994 Kate Greenaway published the newsletter, organised monthly readings Craig Munro, and I was employed as the organisation’s Medal – the first Australian to do so; and Gary Crew and held seminars on the business of writing. inaugural co-ordinator (later Executive Director) on 14 winning both the CBCA Older Readers Award for Angels’ January 1991. The first AGM was held shortly after I began Gate (joint winner with Isobelle Carmody’s The Gathering) In some ways, the world of writing is different now to how work. I subsequently worked with committees chaired and the CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award for First it was in the 1990s. There are many more writers and by Adjunct Professor Philip Neilsen, and finally, Terry Light illustrated by Peter Gouldthorpe, in the same year, illustrators working in an overcrowded marketplace, and O’Connor. Helen Horton was another stalwart founding 1994. These awards helped to focus people’s attention on more public appearances, regional festivals and touring supporter, and acted as secretary during some of those the Queensland writing community and provided great taking place. Digital developments in publishing mean early years. From a sole staff member supported by a motivation for local writers. that authors need to have an online presence (either dedicated committee and volunteers (sadly, too many personally or via publishers or agents) and that they have to mention here), we later employed a senior program QWC organised many celebrations of literature during access to multiple delivery formats. There are also new officer, Helenka King, and eventually a number of other the 1990s, including the Covers Exhibitions in partnership challenges to copyright. program officers. Initially, we were based in the old DPI with Children’s Book Council of Australia (Qld) (held at the building in William Street, in a few unrenovated rooms in Myer Centre and then toured), and the Black Writers Tour But other things don’t change at all. Writers’ incomes a largely empty building. It’s difficult to believe now that of Far North Queensland in partnership with the University have remained stagnant, hovering at around $12,000 we had only an electronic typewriter for several weeks, of Queensland Press. Two regional writers’ conferences per year earned from writing. And the things that writers before acquiring a computer! The Wickham Terrace were held in Cairns in 1992 and Rockhampton in 1995, need to do to develop their craft haven’t changed – read premises we moved to in 1994 were more spacious, but working with our regional writers’ representatives. We widely, write well, write often and develop an individual no more salubrious. We were temporary government were also pleased to witness the establishment in 1994 voice.