Sydney Writers' Centre blog

Start new year off with a laugh

One of the best things about being part of the Sydney Writers' Centre is the amazing students who pass through our doors. I'm always inspired by how wonderful and lovely everyone is. I'm always telling people that I feel so lucky because the Centre seems to attract such nice people!

Over the years, I've gotten to know some students very well and I'm always thrilled to hear about their writing successes. The amazing thing is that I hear about these writing successes on a daily basis!

But I'm also thrilled to hear about their OTHER (non-writing) goals. So whether they have given birth to a baby, run a marathon for the first time or achieved some other goal - it's always inspiring.

So I was so excited to hear from Susannah Hardy recently. Susannah is my former student (and mentoree) and she is not only a talented writer, she is ALSO a talented actor (on the left of the picture). And she's starring in a series of comedies at the Darlinghurst Theatre in January 2009. Here is some information:

DON’T  STARE TOO MUCH!
The  sexy comedy about the dos and don'ts of the dating game.

Preview: Saturday 3  January & Sunday 4 January
Season: Wednesday 7  January - Saturday 31 January
Tuesday - Saturday  7pm Sunday 5pm
Adult $35, Concession  $30

DON'T STARE TOO MUCH!  is a unique, witty response to the innumerable relationship self-help books  such as ‘Time Tested Secrets for Capturing the Heart of Mr.Right', and  ‘If I'm So Wonderful, Why Am I Still Single', portraying the hilarious  quest for love and perils of seduction.

With a beautiful  score featuring a soundtrack of well-known love songs you meet every bad date  you've ever had and find out why some of the good ones didn't stick around!

MADEMOISELLE  FIFI
A  highly original comedy about decadence, debauchery and rebellion.

Preview: Saturday 3  January & Sunday 4 January
Season: Wednesday 7  January - Saturday 31 January
Tuesday - Saturday  8.30pm Sunday 6.30pm
Adult $35, Concession  $30

OR Both shows for $50  

Four Prussian  soldiers occupy a chateau in 19th century France, surrounded by excess,  they have little to do besides indulge in drink and destruction.  When teasing one of their comrades, nicknamed Mademoiselle Fifi, is no longer  amusing, they decide to have a party and invite some local French ladies of  the night.  As Fifi's true colours are revealed the evening descends into hilarious and shocking chaos. (Susannah is pictured on the right.)

I'm certainly going to check these out. I hope to see you there!

All the Buzz about Children’s Books

Do you want to write or illustrate children's books? Then you might be interest in Buzz Words, an online professional monthly magazine for  writers, illustrators, librarians, teachers, editors and children’s
book lovers.

The issues are delivered on the 1st and 15th of every month. It features free-entry writing contests and  interviews with specialists in the children's book publishing industry - such as editors, authors, illustrators, agents, booksellers and publicists.

It's great to see this Australian resource - compiled by Di Bates -  catering to a growing sector of the publishing industry. You can find out more here.

$10,000 short story prize

Now that the Christmas activities are over and you're finished with opening presents and over-indulging (I certainly did!), it's time to make good use of the rest of your holiday break.

Sharpen up that short story you've started and enter it into the Josephine Ulrick Short Story Prize 2009. But hurry because entries close 30 January 2009.

This is an excellent short story prize with $10,000 going to the winner. Second prize is $5,000 - also nothing to be sneezed at. And there will be two commended entries at $2,500 each.

This competition is run by Griffith University. For more information click here.

VIDEO: Getting media attention

Valerie Khoo, director of the Sydney Writers' Centre, was recently interviewed by Flying Solo's Robert Gerrish for BNET. Valerie talks to Robert about Getting Media Attention.
If you're interested in getting media attention, you'll love our one-day workshop "Media Releases That Get Results".

Alan Marshall short story award 2009

Writers are invited from all around Australia to enter their short stories into the Annual Alan Marshall Short Story Award 2009.

The competition closes at 4pm on Friday 20 February 2009.

The competition is named in honour of author Alan Marshall AM. OBE. HON LL.D (1902-1984), whose most well known books are his autobiographies, I Can Jump Puddles, This is the Grass and Pioneers and Painters.

For all the competition details and the entry form, click here.

Competitions with Fish Publishing

Fish Publishing is an independent publishing company based in the West of Ireland.

They have been running writing contests since 1994.

They publish writers in anthologies of high production and literary standards. The annual Fish international short-fiction prize has become an established event on the literary calendar. Numerous winners of the prize have gone on to publish many widely-acclaimed works.

Fish Publishing offers a comprehensive Critique and Editorial Consultancy Service. They say: “Our editors are highly experienced in the areas of providing writers with critical analysis and developmental assistance. They have been working with Fish for many years, providing support to writers at all stages of their writing.

They can help writers to realise their full potential with one-to-one help and critical input. The Critique Service offers appraisals on short stories, while the Editorial Consultancy Service provides authors with the opportunity to request assistance on specific areas and to then re-submit the work as it progresses. “
Fish Publishing runs several literary competitions every year.  Look at their Writing Contests page to see all their current and recent writing competitions.

Because they have a growing international participation in Fish competitions led to the introduction of a system for entering stories online through the Fish website. If you’d like to enter from further away, click Online Entry to visit Fish-On-Line.

Readers who want to connect with other readers

Whoever said that people are reading less obviously hasn’t checked out online book buying lately. There are readers everywhere and they are all logging into sites and listing what books they’ve read or want to read.

People are swapping books, reviewing books and buying books. People are chucking books to their friends on We Read, leaving books behind on bus seats on BookCrossing and uploading their entire bookshelves on LibraryThing.com.

Then you have Shelfari.com where you can list the books you are reading and post them on your website or blog. You can literally display your books on a shelf.

A few years ago Google started its own library where anyone with a Google account can log into their Google library and list their books. http://books.google.com/

There is a site I use regularly called LivingSocial books and I have listed what I am reading, what I have read and what I would love to read. I rate books, read reviews and even have made ‘friends’ who I chat with about books online and we recommend each other books.

And now there is a new one called BookTagger which has a great blog http://blog.booktagger.com/ This site allows you to say which books you are reading or loved or want to buy and you can also create a widget for your website/blog.

If you’re a book worm and you love reading, there are so many sites now which offer all sorts of information. It’s a fantastic way to stay in touch with who is reading what/where and making ‘friends’ with people online.

Have a look at all these sites and tell me which one you like best?

Shopdropping

Yes, it’s actually reverse shoplifting.

So you’re a budding artist, writer or musician and you somehow want to get your work on display in stores …

You go into the shop, move a few things around, price and place your item on the shelf. Or you place art or photography in a can or product which has already been barcoded so people can purchase your work.

A book store in Ohio became so overwhelmed by people shopdropping their own books (including pricing them) that they began to sell the books.

This New York TImes article  was published in December 2007, but I have no doubt that people will be shopdropping in the coming Christmas season.

What do you think?

Win a copy of Kerry Greenwood's book Murder on a Midsummer Night

Iconic Australian author Kerry Greenwood began the Phyrne Fisher series in 1999, Murder on a Midsummer Night is the 17th novel of the series.

Kerry describes her series as a mystery for the alert reader. Think of a beautiful and charming women who lives in Melbourne the 1920's who experiences all sorts of interesting and exotic adventures.

Melbourne is in the middle of a heat wave. And Phryne Fisher is on a quest to solve two crimes. There is the apparent suicide of a man on St Kilda beach and Phryne is involved in trying to find a lost, illegimate child who could be heir to a wealthy old woman's fortune.

Phryne Fisher has to keep her cool while getting into the midst of a group of Bright Young Things.

If you haven't read a book about Phryne Fisher, it's time you met this elegant and sophisticated crime solver. She is an extraordinary woman.

This prize is bought to you by Slim Ink Book Rental which is the perfect way to indulge your passion for reading - whether you are a light, casual, keen, avid or voracious reader!

The latest releases and best sellers in paperbacks can be delivered to your home for a low monthly membership fee that includes reply paid postage.

With everything from the classics to children's books (from 9 years onwards), this is a convenient way to set up your library and select the books you want to rent and how often. There is no joining fee and you can stop receiving books at any time! All that's needed is a credit card and internet access.

The competition closes at 5pm on 10 December 2008.

If you'd like to subscribe to our newsletter and enter the competition click here.

Writing about innovation in business

The world is changing rather rapidly. Everything you need to buy, know or ask can be ordered, sourced and discussed on the internet.

Barack Obama is President Elect of the United States.

So what else has changed? Well … change.

People have changed the way they run business and others have changed their ideas about what business is.

We have men like Richard Branson who is not a stiff upper lip, suit-wearing stereotype of a business man - but a passionate, dynamic risk taker.

We have people who market themselves on the internet and become celebrities like Ali Brown who learnt how to publish and design ezines. She shares her professional advice as a copywriter and ezine publisher but is also passionate about empowering women in business.. She’s leading by being a role model and has become a woman of empathy.

Business is now on a more personal and authentic level than ever before. People divulge, share and reveal past relationships, their childhood stories and their personal history. While we still do business with people who remain on a professional level; we have access to their blogs, pictures of their children as well as their marketing advice.

We are also changing when it comes to innovation. We are rewarding small businesses which provide a more personal service. We have started rewarding people who treat us like equals and acknowledged our busy lives ands our circumstances.

Businesses are getting recognised and rewarded for authenticity, for listening to customer feedback and for offering services which connect each other. Rather than the aloof, purely professional manner people conducted business in the past.

10 years ago, you could not look at a company blog or read about a business owner if you did not know the person.

Now you can Google information about the company and the staff. You have online access to all sorts of information. You can follow the company’s progress, chat with them on forums or become their ‘friend’. Most companies are using social networking (like LikedIn, Facebook, Myspace and Twitter) as a marketing tool.

They are finding that they are more connected to their markets and are more aware of what is happening in those industries.

We looked at ActionCoach my buiness awards 2008 winners and noticed that most of this year’s winners are small businesses have small teams and they are extremely innovative.

Have a look at the ones we particularly liked:

Messenger Marketing
Beerenburg
Jimmy Possum
Service Central
GoGet CarShare
Hungry Giant
Beechworth Honey

And my personal favourite which won The ActionCOACH Award for Outstanding Excellence and the St George Award for Best Start Up Business, Aussie Farmers Direct

Aussie Farmers Direct bypasses the distribution chain and buys directly from the food producers. It then delivers the produce through a franchise household delivery service. Their aim is to reinvent old fashioned service and to connect the farmer with us, modern consumers.

The great thing about small businesses is that they have great stories to tell. There are always angles involving innovation and triumph of the human spirit. It’s an exciting time to be an entrepreneur – or to tell the stories of inspiring entrepreneurs.

To do so, you might want to try Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers here at the centre.