The start date for the next Kim Wilkins YONline course offered in the AWMonline Learning Centre is April 1. This course will be tutored by author Belinda Jeffrey, with audio lectures and class content from Kim – meaning you have access to the wisdom and support of two great authors for the price of one. So if you need help writing your novel, now’s your chance!

My second novel-length project will be getting some serious attention soon, when I start YON (Year of the Novel, for the uninitiated) with Trent Jamieson. QWC’s The Empty Page Blog has kindly invited me to post a pic of my writer’s desk as part of Project: Bringing the Ugly. So here’s where I’ll be hanging out a lot over the next ten months…

Of course, I have a proper desk in my study, with bookshelves and dust and piles of paper everywhere – but I usually lug my laptop and notes out onto the deck! It’s the serenity, and the proximity to the coffee machine, and the view…

The Writing Race is on again tonight, if you are looking for some writerly motivation and camaraderie (8-9pm AEST).

Margaret Simons in conversation with Matt Condon at a QWC Wordpool event

For creative writers, the pay rates are no better. This article on The Writer Career Arc (or why we love the Susan Boyle story) points out that ‘… the literary apprenticeship is a lengthy one for the majority, …getting published at all is difficult, and to get paid enough to not do anything else but write is virtually a dream.’

Writing is a labour of love, and the financial incentives are few. But remember: many people do make a living out of their writing, so you can, too. Think creatively about opportunities, build your author platform as well as your craft, and don’t give up.

Hoodlum’s award-winning narrative online accompaniment to British drama Spooks allowed viewers to log on after the show and participate in a range of activites that enhanced and extended their engagement with the program. The online narrative also fed back into the television show, creating an exciting interactive platform for viewers, and a fantastic opportunity for multi-platform storytellers to develop new creative techniques.

To advance your understanding of the technical and creative elements of interactive fiction, read this interview with Nick Montfort, author of Twisty Little Passages. As Bob Stein, founder of the Institute for the Future of the Book says, if you want to see the future of creative writing, look to the computer game creators of today.

For a beautiful example of the digital enhancement of print media, have a look at this mind-blowing Augmented Reality book – make sure you watch the video of Le Monde des Montagnes (World of Mountains) in action before you read the whole article, or it will spoil the magic.

From television shows and computer games with mass appeal, to eclectic high art projects … there are so many worlds to explore as a creative writer, if you keep an open mind to emerging technologies.

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Reminder: Writing Race tonight, 8-9pm AEST for AWMonline subscribers. Come along and get your Write ON!

Plus, you may also want to check out CAL’s presentation on the issue for Australian authors.

And just a quick aside, have you seen the McGraw Hill gaff, where their CEO blabs some of the closely-held details of the Apple Tablet prior to tomorrow’s launch (AEST time)? CNBC have pulled the video footage already, but you can still see the initial quote and the grumpy comments!

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!

But don’t worry, your copy of AWM 2009/10 is still good! The eleventh edition of AWM won’t be out until late next year. It just means that anyone who has a listing in AWMonline is receiving lots of gentle (for now) reminders to make sure all your details are up to date. Listees, just head over to www.AWMonline.com.au, log in with your Username (always an email address), and click on Password Reminder if you need it. Then go to My Details > Listings Management, click on "Edit" next to each listing, check your details and click SAVE (even if you don’t change any details).

Need help? Send in a contact form and we’ll get back to you asap.

As I help people to update their listings, I get to have lots of interesting conversations with agents, publishers, writing groups and organisations, competition organisers, magazines and journals, etc etc… The Australian writing and publishing industry has been holding its breath all year, awaiting the outcome of the dreaded review into restrictions on the parallel importation of books. A long exhale of relief resounded around our country last month, and the industry is bustling with plans for next year and beyond:

• The Aurealis Awards finalists for 2009 have been announced. Congratulations to all the fabulous Australian speculative fiction writers on the list, including Writing Racers Sean Williams, Peter M. Ball, and Angela Slatter. “Our Aussie authors are some of the best in the business,” says Ron Serdiuk, Awards Coordinator. “Many of the names on this list aren’t just prominent within the science fiction and fantasy genre. They include Scott Westerfeld and Andrew McGahan, authors who are critically acclaimed and enjoyed throughout Australia and the world."
• SPUNC member and independent publisher, Aduki Press, has a new owner. After four years building Aduki from a small newsletter publisher to one of Melbourne’s healthiest small publishers, Emily Clark has decided to move on to pastures new and sell the business. New owner, Chris Chinchilla, says he is "keen to take our books and ideas to many new fronts, especially how [Aduki] can fit into the rapidly evolving world of content publishing. However, have no fear, I am definitely intending to maintain our focus on community, environment, food, migration, politics, social justice and travel as well as our existing networks and communities."
• Books Alive, the Australian Government initiative administered nationwide by the Australia Council for the Arts, is calling for entries in a book cover design competition.The winning designer shall receive $2500, their winning cover design shall appear on approximately 200,000 copies of the free book, and the cover design shall also feature in a massive media and marketing campaign. Entries close at 5 pm, Friday, 5 February 2010. See last year’s winning cover here.
• Scarlet Stiletto Awards were announced while I was away. A big congrats to all the wonderful women crime writers involved!

There are so many resources to inspire, motivate and support the Australian writer – we are very fortunate. If you are feeling overwhelmed or under-appreciated, contact your writers centre and start getting (re)connected! And have a great week of writing, everyone.

QWC: Where do your words come from?

There is a part of my brain that I can’t consciously reach (but which alcohol targets like a guided missile – so I don’t drink) where the magic word potion is brewed. It’s fueled by reading, observation, and play.

QWC: Where did you grow up and where do you live now?

I am a total Brisbaniac. I also spent a large portion of my teenage years on the Cold Ghoast, where my fair-skinned and curvacious brunette form was much under-appreciated.

I like to live where tee shirts are emblazened with political slogans rather than advertising ones.

I know more than anyone should about the lived consequences of white-shoe business dealings across the Great South-Beast. In my stories, I like to take revenge for residents of cultural deserts with poorly planned infrastructure. But then, I also have a thing for Monster Trucks, so what do I know?

QWC: What’s the first sentence/line of your latest work?

‘All boobs and bones.’

QWC: What piece of writing do you wish you had written?

My next book already.

QWC: What are you currently working towards?

I am taking full advantage of the critical feedback from the lovely people at Hachette, as well as the intelligent encouragement of Bec Sparrow, and writing my patootie off up here with the gang of eight at the O’Reilly’s retreat. I plan to have completed a second draft of my humourous crime novel within two months. Then I’ll continue with my next project (refer above).

QWC: Complete this sentence: The future of the book is…

… giving me lots of interesting ideas.  Marieke Hardy’s serialised Mbook is an exciting poject to watch unfold. The capacity for digitally enriched content and online community engagement is a rich creative wellspring!

This post is part of the Queensland Writers Centre blog tour, happening October to December 2009. To follow the tour, visit Queensland Writers Centre’s blog The Empty Page

Author JJ Cooper

Top Tips from the Interrogator…

On writing:

Tip from my interrogating days:

Generally, our thinking process can be broken into two groups of people – those who can ‘Mind Map’ and those who think ‘linear’ (logical sequence of events). If you know someone who contantly changes subjects and is always able to get back on track somehow – they’re mind-mappers. If that confuses you – you’re a linear thinker.

This is important to know for how you write.

I can’t follow books that jump all over the place and I lose interest relatively quickly because I think in a linear fashion. Now, mind mappers are also able to follow a linear fashion, but will jump ahead more unless they are glued to the pages. This is good for writing like mine because it is very fast paced and has plenty of twists for the mind-mappers (because they enjoy trying to guess the ending). Hence, I’m able to accomodate most readers with the way they think. Linear thinkers enjoy following the timeline and soak up the detail whilst mind-mappers feel the rush with the pace and the twists send them into a good spin.

Maybe it’s something you’d like to consider.

On editing:

My chapters are deliberately short. Each has a beginning, middle and end, and finishes on a ‘teaser’ that aims to have the reader wanting more. I aim for around 1,500 words per chapter.

After ten chapters I edit. Because I don’t outline, I find it good to go back after ten chapters to ensure my plot is on track and any sub-plot are set up right or ready to tie in. It also helps me track the characters and ensure they have the right amount of time on paper. This style of editing as I go has worked well for both my books as they are written in a linear fashion.

At the end of the books there is really not much editing required. Maybe two or three light run throughs and it’s good to go to my publisher. Working with my editors is a great experience and very positive if you are not afraid of taking great feedback and suggestions.

On publishing:

Firstly, consider trying to secure the services of a reputable agent before heading to a publisher. Here’s why – a reputable agent knows the industry and knows what traditional publishers are looking for. They know how to manage authors and the publication process. They’ll secure you a better deal than you’d be able to get. They have the industry contacts. Also, if you try for a publisher and are rejected, an agent would be unable to submit your project to that publisher should you land an agent.

If you are submitting to publishers, follow their guidelines to the letter. Spend a lot of time on researching that publisher and what they specialise in. Have the MS gleaming before submission and write a cracking query.

Use the resources of your local writers centre – they’ll point you in the right direction.

Start marketing yourself before submission. I have a blog (free) dedicated to my writing and talking about my process before submission. My agent checked it out before offering submission and commented that she knew I’d be handy at self-promoting my books (which we all need to do). My acquisition editor checked my blog and used it as a tool to ’sell’ my book to her marketing department – they knew I’d be doing my bit to sell my book/s. In the end I received a two-book deal. That’s fairly rare in the industry and I believe my self-marketing added value to the process.

But, ensure anything you put on the net under your writing name is professional and never write negative stuff about the industry in general or of individuals.

 Thanks for inspiring us by sharing these insights into the craft and business of your writing, JJ.

The parallel importation of books decision has been finalised: in a win for writers and readers alike, the Productivity Commission’s recommendations have been completely rejected by the Australian government.

In face-savingly stern terms, the Australian government is directing the book industry ’to respond to the increasing competition from imports without relying on additional government assistance’, rather than be forced to rely on the (unwanted) government handouts proposed by the Productivity Commission.

The same could be said to the Coalition for Cheaper Books. The government is not going to help you shore up your profits by eating into the narrow margins enjoyed by suppliers all through the book industry, from authors to publishers to printers to independent booksellers!

Congratulations to all the writers and readers who have won this battle to protect Australian culture. And a big shout out to Sheryl and the team at Savings Aussie Books – enjoy your celebrations, ladies, they’re very well earned!