Entries Tagged 'Writers Groups' ↓

Did you have a rejuvenating festive season, finding lots of lovely writing time, or enjoying a break from the page to get out and live? I had three weeks off the grid, on the beach and then the Great Barrier Reef - no internet, no mobile, no techo-tentacles at all – and it has given me a fresh torquoise clear-headedness as I dive back into my writing projects.

Non-techno Tentacles

It also gave me time to reflect on my goals about being a member, and sometimes a leader, of various online communities. The incredible benefits of being able to find information and support anytime of day or night, no matter where I am, were brought home to me as I indulged in writerly thoughts far from any screen. Gone are the days when one needed a a head full of knowledge and a parlour full of colleagues to write successfully. Now we need skills more than knowledge – the writing skills of old, sure, but also research and networking skills different to anything known a generation ago, or even a decade.

Speakeasy 2010 will continue to focus on promoting these skills among writers, informing our reader/writers about developments in online communities and digital publishing, as well as providing current news on publishers, agents, competitions, festivals etc. So what’s been happening while I was off snorkelling? Lots!

Over at a Newbie’s Guide to Publishing, Joe Konrath has distilled five years of blogging wisdom into one great post about how to survive and thrive as a writer.

Many writers use online forums as a way to participte in a writing community. If this sounds like you, I recommend a quick look at the 3 tips outlined by the adventurous writer: learn the local netiquette, choose a forum group that requires a level of commitment that suits you, and remember forum communities are a two-way street (not a one-way self-promotional vehicle).

For those writers who made a NY resolution to get the hang of Twitter, check out the inkygirl writer’s guide, which has a comprehensive range of tips and info on planning and practicing effective engagement with the twitterverse: such as using #amwriting and #writegoal to find fellow writers online, tracking your retweeters with tweetmeme, or taking some time to consider an overall strategy for Twitter as part of building your personal brand online.

My 2010 goals for the AWMonline writing community are: to engage with industry experts to provide a range of training and resources for our members; and to work with our A-team of awesome volunteers to provide a totally clean and current database of industry contacts. With so many talented and dedicated writers of all stages and genres in our membership, I know 2010 will be another wonderful and even more inspiring year.

So, what are your writing goals for the year? And, bearing in mind that Konrath suggests we set achievable goals and reward ourselves when we reach them, what are some of the rewards you plan for yourself? Do you plan a simple celebratory meal with friends/family, or a trip to AussieCon4, or an e-reader? The possibilities are endless – and so are the opportunities!

More reports are reaching us about "jobs" for authors being offered through Seek.com. This latest one headlines with the promise of "generous" royalties, and guarantees editorial services at cost price as well as the latest in e-marketing.

We do not know the company involved, and leave you to make your own investigations should you wish to follow it up. But as a general rule, remember that writing your book is a craft, but from then on it’s all business. When approaching any publishing service, ask lots of questions to understand what they offer, check each line item in the entire publishing/editing/marketing package to ensure you understand any fees payable, and make sure all the publisher’s information is transparent.  Seek legal advice before signing any contract. Keep your dreams of publication alive in your heart, but make your financial decisions with your head…

In other news, Harlequin Press are forging a path among the big players in publishing, with the launch of their digital-only publishing house, Carina Press. Check out this Juno books post for more details.

Write On!

Come and get your write on with the Racers tonight, featuring Writers of the Future winner, Jason Fischer. Jason is based in Adelaide, South Australia. He attended Clarion South in 2007, was shortlisted in the 2009 Ditmar Awards for Best New Talent, and is a contributing member of the Daily Cabal project. He has stories in Dreaming Again, Apex, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, and Aurealis Magazine. Check out Jason’s blog – he has a way with puns and an eye for the obscure and funny!

Writing Race Special Guest Jason Fischer

Join us at 7.45pm (AEST) for an hour of power writing from 8-9pm…

If you haven’t read it yet, have a look regular Racer Dr Kim’s latest post, Don’t Be a Cry Baby, with a special lift-out section for motivating writers. Hilarious. And true.

Writers Groups FTW!

Are you a member of a Writers Group? You are? No way! AWMonline loves Writers Groups!!

We know how hard Writers Groups have been working all year, and especially in NaNoWriMo, so we want to show our support by extending you an exclusive offer. If your Writers Group signs up as an institutional member (which means all the members of your Writers Group can access AWMonline for one low fee), you will receive an extra month’s membership for free!

Contact admin@awmonline.com.au or phone 07 3839 1243 for more information. Hurry, this offer is only valid until Friday 20 November.

Crime fiction writers and readers in Australia have a lot to thank the Scarlet Stiletto Awards for – they have launched many of our favourite authors. In 1991, convenor Carmel Shute set up Sisters in Crime, the organisation respnsible for finding and promoting so much new talent in Australian women’s crime fiction. I caught up with Carmel to chat about the history of this vibrant group, the latest Scarlet Stiletto Awards, and the new anthology of award winners, The First Cut.

MV: This is the 16th Scarlet Stiletto Awards – can you tell us how they started?

Back in 1994, Sisters in Crime wanted to unearth new female criminal writing talent and decided a short story competition was the best way to do that. Like many of our best ideas, it took shape over a boozy dinner. We were keen to keep the award within the tradition of the Golden and Silver Daggers presented by the Crime Writers’ Association in the UK so decided to call it the Scarlet Stiletto Award – a play on stiletto the weapon and stiletto the shoe with a suitably tartish touch! As well as receiving $750 in cash from HarperCollins, the overall winner is also presented with a trophy – a scarlet stiletto shoe with a steel stiletto heel plunging into a perspex mount.

MV: What big names in crime writing have been launched after winning a SS Award? 
 
A number of winners of the various categories in the Scarlet Stiletto Awards have gone on to have novels published – Tara Moss, Cate Kennedy, Angela Savage, Josephine Pennicott, Alex Palmer, Liz Filleul, Margaret Bevege, Patricia Bernard, Bronwen Blake, Jo McGahey and Cheryl Jorgensen – though in the case of Cate Kennedy, who won the first two Scarlet Stiletto Awards, it wasn’t in the crime field.

 Lisa Burnett with Scarlet Stiletto winner, Tara Moss

MV: What’s new about SS Awards this year?
 
This year that the prize-money has been boosted to a total of $4200 by two new sponsored awards: The Olvar Wood Late Starters Award for writers 50 or over, consisting of a $650 Weekend Package at Olvar Wood Writers’ Retreat in Palmwoods on the Sunshine Coast and ScriptWorks Great Film Idea Award ($200). Download an entry form from the Sisters in Crime website http://home.vicnet.net.au/~sincoz/
 
MV: Can people read Scarlet Stiletto winners’ stories anywhere?
 
The first 13 years’ winning stories can be found in Scarlet Stiletto: The First Cut (Mira, 2007), now available for $30 (postage paid) from Sisters in Crime, GPO Box 5319, Melbourne 3001.
 
MV: What do you think makes for a winning submission in the short story competition?
 
Good writing! The stories that most often fail to meet the mark are ones where men (mostly husbands) get killed off for no particularly compelling reason. Sisters, if you desire to get rid of your husband, you don’t have to plunge your sewing scissors into his jugular. There is always the divorce court.
 
MV: You have been putting energy and effort into SinCOz and SS for years. When and how did you become involved in SinCOz and SS? What motivates you?

Women’s crime fiction exploded in the eighties and early nineties. Every time my female friends and I got together. It seemed that our conversation invariably turned to the latest ripper read. Many of the books originated in the United States where Sara Paretsky had formed Sisters in Crime at the 1986 Bouchercon crime convention to fight for a better deal for women crime writers.

In 1991, I produced a 45-minute documentary entitled “Sisters in Crime” for Radio National’s Coming Out Show. Based on interviews with US writers Paretsky, Sue Grafton and others, it explored the phenomenon of feminist crime writing and offered a free bibliography. The response was enormous (for Radio National anyway) and a group of us in met in my lounge room in St Kilda to plot. Right away, we decided our organisation would involve readers, not just writers, and offer a forum for discussion and debate. Sisters in Crime Australia launched itself (with a debate!) at the Feminist Book Fortnight in Melbourne in September 1991.  I’ve never had such fun – and the debates are our regular events in Melbourne continue to expand my knowledge (and enjoyment) of crime fiction. I just love crime fiction and the terrific organisation we’ve created.

MV: What are you most interested in at the moment in Australian women’s crime writing – trends/opportunities /industry developments? 

Sisters in Crime’s overriding mission to get women crime writers published  and debated. With the Productivity Commission report hanging over the Australian publishing industry like an executioner’s axe, we’re naturally very nervous at the moment. It’s taken a lot of effort to persuade Australian publishers to ‘risk’ taking on Australian women crime writers. We’d hate to see them just opt for the latest hot crime book from overseas.
 
MV: SinCOz is an amazing, vibrant resource for crime writers. Can you tell us how regional SinCOz members (or aspiring members) can connect with their local group, or with other activities? E.g. Are there plans to start recording or podcasting SinCOz Melbourne activities?

Sisters in Crime has chapters in Melbourne (where most members live and most events happen), Perth, Brisbane and Sydney where the organisation is called Partners in Crime. We’d welcome some new members to help revitalise the Brisbane chapter. We’re planning a brand new interactive website later this year. We already record events (to use as a basis for article in Stiletto magazine) but will think about podcasting. The latest Stiletto – all 88 pages of it – is just out. To join, download a form from the existing Sisters in Crime website http://home.vicnet.net.au/~sincoz/

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Join us at AWMonline tonight for the regular Writing Race, 7:45pm for an 8pm start. Enjoy an hour of dedicated writing in the company of your AWMonline Writing Race buddies.

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