Coming into Winter

With a week of freezing weather before WriteFest I thought we’d be rugging up and having our workshop presenters huddled around heaters instead of enjoying beautiful Bargara Beach where they were staying. But the cold eased, and except for the odd shower the sun shone, so coats and umbrellas stayed in the cupboards. It was a great day, and attendees were very appreciative of the workshops by presenters author and psychologist Dr Leah Giarratano, games writer Leanne C Taylor, writer and QWC Program and Marketing Office Aimee Lindorff, author Anne Gracie and blunt and sharp-edged weapons expert Ray Floro (watch him in action on YouTube). We had to supply Ray with a full leg of lamb for each workshop so he could demonstrate the damage that knives, big and small, can inflict on human flesh and bone.  This resulted in lots of gasps and shudders from the audience. He also recounted incidents from his many years teaching defence force personnel and police officers – very enlightening. And the well-carved legs of lamb went to the RSPCA for their animals. 🙂

Just a few pics from the Meet-and-Greet Dinner on the Friday night and from the WriteFest day on the Saturday:

Authors Helen Lacey and Louise Cusack
Authors Helen Lacey and Louise Cusack atWriteFest 2011
Author Anne Gracie and weapons instructor Ray Floro
Presenters, editors, and the WriteFest committee

Now the excitement is over and the final details almost wrapped up I can get back to writing Conceptions and Misconceptions.

Writers Festival

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.