Every time I attend Conflux, Canberra’s annual speculative fiction convention, it’s different. The uniting theme is of course different and exciting (this year it was ‘Grimm Tales’), as are the guests of honour (this year we had Ellen Datlow, Angela Slatter, Meri Amber and as MC Kaaron Warren – all…
This long weekend, I really wanted to go to Brisbane for Contact 2016. I know, first world problems, right? Contact 2016 was the 55th Australian National Speculative Fiction Convention and many many talented and lovely writers attended. As for me… finances! I’ve loved going to speculative fiction festivals ever since my…
How can I describe what it’s been like the last few days – being surrounded by 250 friends and like-minded people? The 52nd Natcon / Conflux 9 was just that. The layout of Rydges Capital Hill, Canberra, meant I could walk into any room, linger in any corridor, and be…
There are hundreds of self-help writing manuals on the book market, prescribing how writers should write. I’ve read my share of them, I even publish my own tips for writers on my website from time to time, because I want to save those writers further behind me on their writing…
Three personal updates Update 1: My writing is being studied at university! It’s quite an honour to have my writing studied at university. In fact, wow! Okay, so that statement probably makes it sound more than what it is. But my writing really has just been studied, analysed and dissected…
What I learnt at Conflux 7: From Here to There Looking back over the four-day writing festival that was this year’s Conflux, it might be quicker to list what I didn’t learn during my stay in Canberra. But I’m not a negative kind of person so, although it’ll take longer,…
A few weeks ago, I asked an author pal of mine for help with synopsis-writing. Lucky me – I received some fantastic advice. So fantastic in fact, I thought I’d share what I learnt with my readers. With that in mind, I asked a whole heap of other authors for…
