The Trouble With Second Novels
This afternoon while it was 38ºC outside, I sat at my desk and opened my current manuscript. It had been a while since I’d written and, although I've missed creating sentences, I'd needed the break. I've been working on my second novel for most of this year. So far,...
Win a Manuscript Assessment and Raise Money for Authors For Farmers
AUTHORS FOR FARMERS is an initiative started by the wonderful Australian author Josephine Moon, who's been working hard behind the scenes, banding together fellow authors from around the country to fundraise for drought-affected farmers. All...
Messages From Readers
I'm not sure if readers are aware of how much authors love hearing from them—it really does make our day! It's always a thrill to hear from people who've enjoyed reading your book, and it's even more special when they share their own stories and memories prompted...
Unworthiness: This is How It Starts
Earlier this year, my friend Denise Mills asked me if I'd write something for her blog about feeling 'unworthy'. The topic is something I've spent a lot of time thinking and writing about, having felt 'unworthy' for much of my life. I sent Denise a piece I wrote...
Mildura Writers Festival and the Tina Kane Emergent Writer Award
I returned home around midnight on Sunday after spending four wonderful days at the Mildura Writers Festival. I should clarify that while I've returned physically to Perth, my mind, and heart, are still in Mildura. The festival was one of the most special weekends of...
Shirley Patton: The Sisterhood and It’s Never Too Late to Follow Your Dreams
I'm thrilled to be able to shine a light on another début author, one with whom I have a few things in common—we've both moved states, although Shirley moved from Western Australia to Tasmania and I did it the other way around, and we both came to writing slightly...
Kate Murdoch: From Painting to Writing—Change and the Creative Path
I'm so pleased to introduce you to Kate Murdoch, the author of Stone Circle, a historical fantasy novel set in Renaissance Italy. As you'll read in this essay, writing wasn't Kate's first artistic pursuit. Prior to becoming an author, Kate had exhibited widely as a...
AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT MY MOTHER
I've tried to avoid doing this, hoping that by ignoring my mother's attempts to intimidate and harass, she would stop. But it's reached the point where I feel I must warn people about her. I also want to stand up for myself: Nothing I've written about my mother...
Social Media For Writers
A couple of weeks ago, I asked you to send me your questions about social media. I received quite a few, too many to answer all in one post, so I chose the questions that seemed to have the broadest appeal. As you'll see, my answers are lengthy as I've tried to write...
Novel #2: An Update.
Alternatively titled: How a Pantser Became a Plotter* I'm being a bit naughty today and playing hookey from my work-in-progress. I've worked pretty solidly on it for three weeks, and I'm a bit tired, so I've decided to write other things instead today. Which is...
Lauren Chater: Survival Lessons—How Writing Changed My Life
Riding the ups and downs of the lead-up to publication can be rather nerve-wracking and is much easier if done with a friend, so as authors whose début novels came out within a couple of months of each other, Lauren Chater and I have become friends over the past...
How I Got An Agent
A few weeks ago, Lauren Keegan invited me to be part of her monthly blog series, How I Got An Agent. You might remember Lauren from this amazingly honest and moving post she wrote for Writers in the Attic last year. She wrote about rejection,...
Launch of ‘The Sisters’ Song’
I know it feels like months since The Sisters' Song was officially launched by Natasha Lester, but I've been rather busy and haven't had a chance to put the photos together and make a video. However, my diary was actually clear today, so it's done. And for those who...
Writers in the Attic: Michelle Johnston
I'm happy to say that Writers in the Attic is back for 2018! To ease the pressure on myself a little, I've decided it will be more of an occasional series, but I promise it will be just as interesting and varied! My dear writing friend, Michelle Johnston, is kicking...
Publication: The First Four Weeks
Now that school has returned, I'm looking forward to getting back into some semblance of routine. It's been utter chaos in the attic since my book was released: I haven't known which day of the week it is, I've forgotten to eat, I don't know what's in the fridge or...
