It happens to all of us. At some point in life, we all become familiar with grief in a way we’d always hoped to avoid. For me, that happened last year. The death of my father in law was shocking and not shocking. Not shocking because he was 91 years old. Shocking because the cancer took him so swiftly. Now,…
There are times (many) when I think of the ego involved in writing. What makes my voice, my thoughts, my ideas, worth recording, let alone publishing? What gives me the right to think I can and should write? Who cares what I have to say? Then a writer comes along who makes you realise that writing need not be about…
I was 19 when I traveled overseas, alone, for the first time. The only book I packed was The Lonely Planet Guide to the USA. It was my bible, telling me where to go, how to get there and where to stay. In those days, the internet was something you could only use in a cafe, and even then, it was just…
Labels help and labels hinder. When it comes to finding my daughter’s school hat (which she loses at least once a day) the fact that it clearly has her name on it is a huge bonus. When it comes to the genre term ‘historical fiction’, the label is a hindrance. A catch-all phrase, usually applied to novels by women. Some…
Two very different books. Two very different genres. Two very different writers. Two very different target audiences. But at the heart of both – sex. More specifically, sex within the context of a relationship, but also outside of that context. In The Dangerous Bride, we meet Lee Kofman in a Melbourne fetish club on the night before her wedding, kissing…
There’s a little excel spreadsheet on my computer, which I refer to as my hall of fame and shame. It’s where I keep track of the pieces I’ve submitted to competitions or literary journals. I write the name of the story, when it was submitted, and in the third column I record the outcome. It makes for mixed reading. In…
Domestic noir. It’s great, right? All those twists and turns, secrets, and multi-layered plots and characters. No wonder it’s huge. So, it’s a great thrill to welcome Sara Foster to the blog today – Australia’s (via the UK) own Queen of domestic noir. Her new book – All That is Lost Between Us – is a work of psychological suspense, set…
Is there a more complex creature than a young girl? Desperate to fit in, yet also stand out (only in the right way, of course). Too cool to hold hands with a parent, yet yearning for love in all its forms – familial, platonic, and romantic. Such a rich confusion of thoughts and emotions. Such perfect fodder for writers. Is…
Okay, so it wasn’t just Nigella and I living it up at the Sydney Opera House. There were 1500 of our new besties. And some bright sparked asked Annabel Crabb along to ask the questions. I know! Annabel! It was like someone reached into my brain and started putting together my fantasy dinner party list. Anyway, it was quite the…
IN BRIEF:A short story collection which is rich with pathos and sparing with words. As a writer, Murray Middleton is wise beyond his years, and humble beyond his generation.