Monthly Archives: March 2015
James Bradley’s Clade
Sydney author James Bradley’s new novel Clade has recently been released into the wild. His three previous novels, Wrack, The Deep Field and the international bestseller The Resurrectionist, have all been widely translated, and won or been shortlisted for
Read more…
New novella: Fitcher’s Bird
Art by Arthur Rackham
I’ve started a new novella today, Fitcher’s Bird, a modernisation of the old fairy tale mingled with a serial killer story. Because I’m cheerful like that, me.
Once upon a time there was
Read more…
QWC Blog Post – Starting your story: if the door won’t open use a window
In the lead-up to my short story clinic at QWC, I’ve written an article for the Queensland Writers Centre blog about how to start your short stories.
The thing to remember is that the short story starts in medias res – in the
Read more…
The Bitterwood Posts: The Undone and the Divine
Kathleen’s sketches
This story has quite a few inspirations feeding into it. I wanted it to carry on action from the earlier tales “The Burnt Moon” and “The Badger Bride”, and show a little more of Adelbert’s
Read more…
Simon Kurt Unsworth: The Devil’s Detective
UK writer Simon Kurt Unsworth has been writing some fairly stunning and disturbing short fiction for quite some time – if you’re a fan of his, then hold onto your hat because his first novel has just been released into
Read more…
A Nasty Fairy Tale: Bluebeard’s Daughter
Arthur Rackham
Continuing the process of remembering how to write short fiction, I’ve started a tale tentatively titled “Bluebeard’s Daughter”. I’m trying to roll in a bunch of fairy tale motifs – without making them cheesy – to
Read more…
The Heart is A Mirror for Sinners
One of Arthur Rackham’s illustrations for J M Barrie’s Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens
“The Heart is A Mirror for Sinners” has been finished
Read more…
The Bitterwood Posts: By My Voice I Shall Be Known
Sketches by Kathleen Jennings for By My Voice I Shall Be Known
In “By My Voice I Shall Be Known” I wanted to combine elements that contained echoes
Read more…
Le Guin on writing fantasy
This is an extract from Ursula Le Guin’s review of Ishiguro’s Buried Giant, and I think it sums up very well some of the problems that occur when lit writers assume writing genre is an easy thing.
“A wild country inhabited by monsters,
Read more…
Reminder: Goodreads Competition
Just a reminder, my Goodreads competition will close in a couple of days. You can win:
1 x hardcover of Sourdough and Other Stories
1 x hardcover of The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings
1 x limited edition bookbag with art by Kathleen
Read more…