I’ve been to Mackay several times, and always enjoyed it. The Mackay writers are a great bunch, very warm and friendly, and it will be great to meet up [... continued]]]> Only a couple of days to go before I fly to Mackay in central Queensland to present three workshops at the Mackay Writers Silver Jubilee Weekend festival.

I’ve been to Mackay several times, and always enjoyed it. The Mackay writers are a great bunch, very warm and friendly, and it will be great to meet up with them again. They chose the topics of my workshops, and I had to smile as one of them came from when I was on a panel entitled “The Science of Lust” at the Science Writers Festival some years ago. So this workshop is called “Getting it on – the Science of Lust”. It sure is going to be interesting

My other two workshops are on crime writing and short stories, and the whole program offers something for every writer. Other presenters are authors Peter Watt and Simon Higgins and CEO of the Queensland Writers Centre, Kate Eltham.

When I organise WriteFest, the Bundaberg writers festival, I try to get presenters who can offer a diversity of topics so the program will appeal to as many writers as possible, but I really appreciate it when writers let me know what they want to learn about. All suggestions gratefully accepted.

The editors from Harper Collins interviewed 10 writers and asked eight of them for [... continued]]]> If the happy faces and comments in the Questionnaire were an indication, WriteFest was a great success. Approximately 100 attendees crowded Building 5 of the CQUniversity to attend the workshops and masterclass and take advantage of the day to learn and network.

The editors from Harper Collins interviewed 10 writers and asked eight of them for their full manuscripts. There were some very happy faces coming out of the interview rooms.

Editor Ali Lavau, authors Richard Harland, JJ Cooper and Frances Watts and dramaturg Peter Matheson revealed the secrets of their success while editor Deonie Fiford up-skilled ten writers in her masterclass. CEO of the Queensland Writers Centre presented a very informative workshop on the latest in digital strategies for writers.

It was a great day and worth all the effort. But now it’s back to what I absolutely love – writing! So watch out MM&M, I have the end in my sights and will work like mad to achieve this. But I will also be working on the workshops I will be presenting at the Mackay Writers Silver Jubilee Festival at the end of the month. And thinking about next year’s WriteFest. So if you have any suggestions as to what topics you think would be great covered in a workshop, just let me know.

Cheers

Sandy

I’m currently wearing my organiser’s hat and telling any aspiring authors out there that we’re able [... continued]]]> Sometimes I feel like I’m two people – the author who pounds a keyboard and hopes the story unfolding under her fingertips is going to attract the attention of an editor, and the organiser of WriteFest, the Bundaberg writers festival.

I’m currently wearing my organiser’s hat and telling any aspiring authors out there that we’re able to offer not only a fantastic day of workshops and a full-day masterclass at WriteFest, but that two editors (yes, that’s right, two) from Harper Collins have agreed to attend WriteFest to conduct editor-writer interviews. This is a wonderful opportunity for writers, doubly so because Harper Collins is no longer accepting unsolicited manuscripts.

So if you are interested in taking advantage of this great opportunity, check out bundywriters.com for all the relevant information. Submissions close Monday 22nd March – don’t leave it too late.

And check out the workshops and masterclass – there could be something there you’ve been looking for.

All writers know that feeling of being “one” with their story. The joy of it is wonderful [... continued]]]> It’s such a great feeling when the words flow onto the screen almost of their own volition. My fingers might be typing, but it’s as though they’re not there, as though my brain is feeding directly into the computer.

All writers know that feeling of being “one” with their story. The joy of it is wonderful – it keeps you writing through those hard times when your plot falls apart, when your characters won’t “come alive”, when every word you write feels like it’s being dragged from the deepest part of your psyche, reluctant to come into the world in case it’s the wrong one.

For the past week my story has been flowing. I’m hesitant to even say those words in case the well of creativity dries up overnight. Ellie is right where she needs to be, both physically and emotionally, Cass is her usual solid and dependable self, and Kandy is entering that scary land where wives doubt every word their husband utters.

We’ve had so much rain that when evening falls we feel like we’re living in Swamp Hollow. Frogs everywhere! Big and small green ones, fat mottled brown and cream ones about the size of a 50c coin that I call cranky frogs because if they’re not happy with something their croak has a distinctively angry tone, long brown-striped ones with skinny legs, and I haven’t pinpointed the ones that sound like they are sending out Morse code. Although the noise makes watching television a problem, it’s a delight to know that if the number of frogs is an indication, the health of our little patch in the world is quite good.

Most writers [... continued]]]> How did it get to be two weeks before Christmas? Like most people I know, I’m asking where did 2009 go? I wish I could say I spent most of it writing, but unfortunately life kept interfering. I have, however, made progress with MM&M and am happy with the way the story is going.

Most writers will admit that there comes a point in the story where the characters take over, or try to. Usually I let them because they often know where the story is going better than I do. At the moment Ellie has surprised me because she’s created a scenario that allows readers to understand her a bit more, and relate to what she’s going through.

Our little grandson helped me erect and decorate our Christmas tree last weekend. Kids make Christmas so much more enjoyable, don’t they. If only we could feel that same innocent sense of excitement throughout our lives. Unfortunately, life rarely pans out like that, and perhaps that’s why the plot for MM&M keeps taking me on twisted paths and exciting discoveries – it’s emulating life.

What do you readers wish for for Christmas?

It’s interesting how characters take on a life the author didn’t have planned for them. [... continued]]]> After two weeks with the flu and then a wisdom tooth extraction (hated to lose that one – I need all the wisdom I can get ) I finally feel well enough to continue writing Murder, Mayhem & Menopause.

It’s interesting how characters take on a life the author didn’t have planned for them. In MM&M one of the characters, Kandy, was only going to be a friend who occasionally joined the two main characters, Ellie and Cass, but somehow she’s morphed into a major character rather than a minor one. Kandy might think she’s fine with the way she lives her life, but there’s a shock in store for her.

Ellie’s life, on the other hand, isn’t fine. Her marriage break-up, having to find a job, and going to live with her youngest daughter hurtle her into a life very different to what she’s previously known. And then there’s the body she discovers … And the cop who makes her think there’s hope for a fifty-one-year-old woman trying to cope with menopause on top of everything else.

Funny, but whenever I type the book title, I get this craving for chocolate …