Short Reads:

This was definitely the week in which I found myself disappearing less and less into the rabbit hole which is in the internet, and delving more and more into the excess of excellent material mounting up on my kindle.

Look, I know there are people out there who think Amazon are the anti-christ, and there may be an element of truth in that, but more and more, publishers are releasing material on an e-only basis. So, if you ain’t got a device, then you’re missing some great stuff.

One particularly exciting e-only publisher is Spineless Wonders, which I also mentioned last week. Well, this week, I found myself reading a long, short story (not quite a novella, not quite a short story) by the wonderful Claire Aman.

Why the Owl Gazes at the Moon is the moving story of Yvette, the tough-yet-vulnerable young woman dealing with the death of her junkie sister in a highway accident.

Aman is a writer’s writer. She writes with such restraint, and startling originality. What’s more, this story is inspired by an ancient Chinese proverb which will keep you thinking long beyond the story. For more information, visit Spineless Wonders.

Review of Australian Fiction is another digital-only publication which I highly recommend. For less than the cost of a coffee, you get two short stories by an Australian author delivered to your inbox every fortnight.

I’ve been subscribing for the past few months and have enjoyed the range of genres and types of writers that RAF represents.

For the current volume of six issues, RAF is showcasing Western Australian authors, following the recent announcement to halve funding for the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards.

To sign up, or read a free sample, visit Review of Australian Fiction.

LeapLong Reads

Again this week has been about branching out into different genres. I really do love Australian literary fiction, but once in a while, I think it’s healthy (and important) to read beyond my first love. Last week, I heard that 40% of Australian book sales are in the non-fiction category, which kind of floored me. Then I realised I should probably get with the program. So, I started reading Zoe Daniel’s Storyteller which, while it is certainly non-fiction, is more at the narrative end of the non-fiction scale.

I plan to write more about Storyteller, so I won’t say too much here, except to say that if you are interested in journalism, or Asia, or both, then it is a wonderful read.

I also finished Myfanwy Jones’ Leapwhich I wrote about here – another beautiful work of Australian literary fiction. Jones is also one that I would consider a writer’s writer, in the sense that her attention to language, sentence structure and imagery is really breathtaking.

Writing

This was the week in which I started re-drafting my WIP, based on some excellent feedback I received through a manuscript assessment.

While I’m slightly daunted by the amount of work I need to do (can someone please create some extra hours in the day) I’m also excited by the idea that I can make this thing better.

So far, I’ve had heaps of ideas and mentally written a number of new scenes, a couple of which have actually made it onto the page!

I’ve also had an idea for a short story, which has actually been kicking around in my head for a while. The problem has been that it required some research, which until now, I haven’t had the time to do.  But that’s the thing about writing, you never really have the time handed to you on a platter, you just have to make it. So that’s what I’m doing. Wish me luck.

 

 

 

2 Comments

  • Deborah
    Posted 14/08/2015 9:47 am 0Likes

    Great that you’re so motivated with your writing. Well done! And exciting that the manuscript feedback was good!

    I’ve got another of your posts unread yet so keen to read the interview with Myfanwy Jones. (I’m behind in everything!!!)

    I used to rail against the idea of ebooks but I get a lot of review books that way and just use my iPad. It’s very handy though I tend to use Bluefire Reader rather than the Kindle app as the former allows me to make notes as I go!

    • cassandrahamer@hotmail.com
      Posted 14/08/2015 6:41 pm 0Likes

      Ooohh. I haven’t heard of the Bluefire reader. Making notes as you go would make life a lot easier.. Thanks for the tip. Cassie

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