Category Archives: On Publishing

Professionals -v- Amateurs

couychDear Writers,

Professionals have a range of bios of varying lengths and depths that can be tweaked at a moment’s notice when an editor asks you for it.

Amateurs shudder, throw themselves on fainting couches and howl ‘Whatever shall I say about myself in the third person!?’

So, noobs, here is your task
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The Night Stair

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

So, with “St Dymphna’s” in the bag for now, I’ve started on a new Bitterwood Bible story. Here is an extract from “The Night Stair”.

The Night Stair

The Steward is a tall man, entirely bald, gaunt in the face, yet rotund in the belly. His legs
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Literati 2013

literati-button-smallThe program for this year’s Gold Coast Literati Festival is now available here.

I’m on the bill and very excited to be going – I’ll be giving a masterclass on polishing short stories.

You can also come along and see the likes of Katherine Howell, Matt Condon, Kari Gislasson,
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Review of Nightmare Issue 7

Nightmare-71Over at Fantasy Literature, Terry Weyma reviews Nightmare seventh issue, which includes “The Coffin-Maker’s Daughter”, Elizabeth Hand’s “The Bacchae”, Marc Laidlaw’s “Bonfires”, and “Gravitas” by Weston Ocshe.

Go here to read.

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In which I sneak into Harry’s place, steal the cupcakes and drink all the coffee …

From the exquisite Kirsty Mitchell

From the exquisite Kirsty Mitchell

The lovely Harry has included me in his series on Women in Genre.

I don’t know why, but I have a thing for fairy tales. Despite most female characters in fairy tales fall in two categories – subordinate, good girls or wicked, petty
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Meanwhile, over at Harry’s place

‘The Journey Home” (2013) © Kirsty Mitchell Photography

‘The Journey Home” (2013) © Kirsty Mitchell Photography

… the delightful and talented Haralambi Markov is devoting this month at his blog to posting about the female writers in speculative fiction who have influenced him and his writing. It’s a fascinating and personal series,
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Jo Anderton on Angst

Jo-Anderton-photo-225x300Alan Baxter’s series continues today with Jo Anderton talking about the stuff that makes her angsty and how she beats it up and kicks it to the kerb.

Go here.

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Over at Alan Baxter’s place …

fainting couchOngoing Angst! Of Successful Writers!

Yes, the successful people get it too – sorry if you thought there was a point where the writerly angst went away!

Alan is running a series with writers answering questions about angst and how they (or don’t) cope. Standby for Kaaron Warren, Jo Anderton, Lisa
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A.K.A. Livia Day

trifleMulti-award winning Fantasy author, Doctor Who commentator, PhD owner, caster of the pod Galactic Suburbia, and newly minted crime author, Tansy Rayner Roberts is one of the leading voices of the Australian Speculative Fiction Scene. I had a chat with her about her new novel, A Trifle
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The Writing Life: A Really Big Echo Chamber

Here’s the thing about being a writer: we’re all terribly insecure to one degree or another. Although we’ve chosen a solitary profession, preferring largely to spend time with imaginary friends rather than flesh and blood ones, we still want some attention. Some sign that we’re not writing
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