{"id":2939,"date":"2011-10-05T16:02:08","date_gmt":"2011-10-05T06:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.zenashapter.com\/blog\/?p=2939"},"modified":"2025-10-11T16:56:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T05:56:09","slug":"the-conflux-7-experience-canberra-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/the-conflux-7-experience-canberra-2011\/","title":{"rendered":"The #Conflux 7 experience, Canberra 2011"},"content":{"rendered":"

What I learnt at Conflux 7: From Here to There<\/em><\/h3>\n
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Some of our exceptionally supportive writing community (left to right, top to bottom) me with: Natalie Costa Bir, Tracey O'Hara, Patty Jansen, Jo Anderton, Alan Baxter, Kim Westwood and Jack Dann.<\/p><\/div>\n

Looking back over the four-day writing festival that was this year\u2019s Conflux<\/a>, it might be quicker to list what I didn\u2019t<\/em> learn during my stay in Canberra. But I\u2019m not a negative kind of person so, although it’ll take longer, I\u2019ll stick with the positives.<\/p>\n

Some of you might not know this (unless you were there and gathered from my constant state of exuberance), but Conflux 7 was the first time I’d been away from my family in ten years (sad, right?!). So, if I\u2019m being honest, I\u2019ll admit I felt a little anxious when Abigail Nathan (MD, Bothersome Words<\/a>) and I set off for Canberra last Friday morning. But Abigail just smiled to herself when I mentioned this, knowing. And now I know too…<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve said it before, during my April post What Makes Australian Authors Tick?<\/a><\/em>, that here in Australia we have the most supportive writing community. But, seriously, Conflux 7<\/em> represented the absolute epitome of this.<\/p>\n

Shared celebrations<\/h3>\n
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Alan Baxter tweeting about Kaaron Warren and Jo Anderton's book launches.<\/p><\/div>\n

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From the very first book launch, where Angry Robot launched novels by Jo Anderton (Debris<\/em><\/a>), Trent Jamieson (Roil<\/em><\/a>) and Kaaron Warren (Slights, Walking the Tree, Mistification<\/a>, Dead Sea Fruit<\/a><\/em>)…<\/p>\n

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Me signing "Winds of Change" (I'm on the bottom left). Photo: Jodi Cleghorn<\/p><\/div>\n

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…to the CSFG launch of their 2011 short story anthology Winds of Change<\/em><\/a>, which includes my space adventure story Trigger<\/em><\/strong>…<\/p>\n

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Dawn Meredith reading from "The Anything Shop".<\/p><\/div>\n

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…through to launches by Dawn Meredith (The Anything Shop<\/em><\/a>) and Gillian Polack (Five Historical Feasts<\/em>)…<\/p>\n

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Author Nicole R Murphy launching books by Mary Victoria and Simon Haynes.<\/p><\/div>\n

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…by Mary Victoria (Oracle\u2019s Fire<\/em><\/a>) and Simon Haynes (Hal Junior: The Secret Signal<\/em><\/a>) \u2013 the atmosphere was of genuine pride, in each other.<\/p>\n

It was such a pleasure to be there.<\/p>\n

Shared experience<\/h3>\n
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Getting intimate: Natalie Costa Bir and Jack Dann.<\/p><\/div>\n

Thanks to the Conflux 7 committee (chaired by Karen Herkes), multiple streams of programming (starting from 9am each day \u2013 yikes!!!) meant a constant choice of attending panel discussions, garden readings, intimate kaffeeklatsch, or highly personalised and moving speeches by the guests of honour: Natalie Costa Bir, Lewis Morley, Marilyn Pride<\/a> and Kim Westwood<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Smiles were inspired by Master of Ceremonies Jack Dann<\/a>, who was accompanied by his talented wife Janeen Webb<\/a>)<\/p>\n

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Me? I learnt some verbal jujitsu, how to write with dinosaurs, all about fantasy accoutrements, the great libraries of fantasy and dropping dead donkeys.<\/p>\n

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"Fantasy Accoutrements" Panel with KJ Taylor, Duncan Lay, Jo Anderton and Devin Jeyathurai.<\/p><\/div>\n

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"Great Libraries of Fantasy" panel with Leigh Blackmore, Kyla Ward, Gillian Polack and Lynn Triffitt.<\/p><\/div>\n

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"Drop the Dead Donkey" panel with David McDonald, Mik Bennett and Conor Bendle.<\/p><\/div>\n

There was advice on the craft of short story writing, writing for competitions, the publishing journey, which publishing path to choose and what editors do.<\/p>\n

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"The Craft of Short Story Writing" panel with Kim Westwood, Kaaron Warren, Jack Dann, Helen Stubbs and Cat Sparks.<\/p><\/div>\n

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"Starting the Journey" panel with Duncan Lay, Jo Anderton, Natalie Costa Bir, Nicole Murphy and Erica Hayes.<\/p><\/div>\n

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“Publishing \u2013 What path should you take” panel with Natalie Costa Bir, Alan Baxter, Nicole Murphy and Cat Sparks.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
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"What does an editor do?" panel with Jack Dann, Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Abigail Nathan, Natalie Costa Bir, Nicole Sparks and Devin Jeyathurai.<\/p><\/div>\n

One of the most important things I learnt was the importance of keeping erotica panels adults-only! Boy oh boy \u2013 Nicole R Murphy<\/a>, Jane Virgo, Tracey O\u2019Hara<\/a> and Erica Hayes<\/a> \u2013 boy oh boy!<\/p>\n

I also learnt that I get severely star-struck around editors high up in the publishing world. It\u2019s understandable, I suppose, since they possess the power to make a writer\u2019s dreams come true. Still, I know that those present when I met Harper Collins\u2019 Stephanie Smith will never forget my reaction: with water streaming from my eyes, I had to hide behind a friend just to compose myself. As anyone who knows me can verify, I don’t get speechless very often. But even when I could speak to her again, all my voice could manage was a squeak. Nevermind, at least it entertained my friends!<\/p>\n

Shared fun<\/h3>\n
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All aboard (left to right, top to bottom) me with: Laura E Goodin, Rowena Specht-Whyte & Tracey O'Hara, 'John', Kathleen Jennings, 'Laurie' & Helen Stubbs, Natalie Costa Bir, Alan Baxter & Rowena (again), Rowena (again), Rob Porteous, Natalie (again) & Abigail Nathan.<\/p><\/div>\n

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This year\u2019s banquet was aboard the Graf Zeppelin and our MC Jack Dann braved the dangerous swaying of the zeppelin to again bring smiles to us all, while Talie Helene<\/a> regaled us with her beautiful singing and Gillian Polack\u2019s historically-accurate menu filled our tummies (Gillian \u2013 that orange cake was divine, and I\u2019ve put Hungarian paprika on my shopping list for recreating that perfect spice in our dinners!).<\/p>\n

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Thai for lunch (clockwise from left): Rowena Specht-Whyte, Lily Mulholland, Abigail Nathan, Alan Baxter, Kaaron Warren, Tracey O'Hara, Keri Arthur, Natalie Costa Bir, Me & Jodi Cleghorn.<\/p><\/div>\n

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There were also an abundance of impromptu writery gatherings and I made so many new friends, I grew sad when the end of Conflux 7 drew near.<\/p>\n

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Chinese for dinner, top row from left: Cat Sparks, Kaaron Warren, Shauna O'Meara, Jodi Cleghorn, Peter Marz, Steve Cameron. Bottom row from left: Steve Cameron (again), David McDonald, Nick Tchan and me.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Luckily, however, as announced in the closing ceremony, Conflux 8 (Sept 2012: On the Beach<\/em>) and Conflux 9 (Natcon, April 2013: Steam, angels, junk<\/em>) are already being planned. Yippee!<\/p>\n

Conflux 7 awards were then presented to: Kathleen Jennings, Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Crisetta Macleod, Margi Curtis, Shauna O’Meara, Jane Virgo and Marilyn Pride.<\/p>\n

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Being presented my award by Jack Dann and Nicole R Murphy.<\/p><\/div>\n

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But to top it all, I came away with an award too, for a short story I’d written about someone making an extra special journey, From Here to There<\/em>, leaving the safety that had once given them comfort, to face their fears. How apt.<\/p>\n

Thank you Conflux \ud83d\ude00<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What I learnt at Conflux 7: From Here to There Looking back over the four-day writing festival that was this year\u2019s Conflux, it might be quicker to list what I didn\u2019t learn during my stay in Canberra. But I\u2019m not a negative kind of person so, although it’ll take longer,\u2026<\/p>\n

Continue reading<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,5,7],"tags":[22,29,92,105,130,132,143,156,160,175,189,202,247,267,294,302,303,314,318,331,347,350,357,362,367,373,377,380,390,403,410,423,439,440,449,475,564,574,620,668,669,701],"class_list":["post-2939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-australian-authors","category-bookish-inspection","category-writer-advice","tag-abigail-nathan","tag-alan-baxter","tag-bothersome-words","tag-cat-sparks","tag-conflux","tag-conor-bendle","tag-csfg","tag-david-mcdonald","tag-dawn-meredith","tag-devin-jeyathurai","tag-duncan-lay","tag-erica-hayes","tag-gillian-polack","tag-helen-stubbs","tag-jack-dann","tag-jane-virgo","tag-janeen-webb","tag-jo-anderton","tag-jodi-cleghorn","tag-kaaron-warren","tag-keri-arthur","tag-kim-westwood","tag-kj-taylor","tag-kyla-ward","tag-laura-e-goodin","tag-leigh-blackmore","tag-lewis-morley","tag-lily-mulholland","tag-lynn-triffitt","tag-marilyn-pride","tag-mary-victoria","tag-mik-bennett","tag-natalie-costa-bir","tag-natcon","tag-nicole-r-murphy","tag-patty-jansen","tag-shauna-omeara","tag-simon-haynes","tag-talie-helene","tag-tracey-ohara","tag-trent-jamieson","tag-winds-of-change"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2939","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2939"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2939\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9115,"href":"http:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2939\/revisions\/9115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}