New Beginnings

A new blog for a new beginning. This blog is purely for reporting on my writing, where it is going and what I am doing.

In starting this, I am minded of the US writer Jessica Burkhardt. Jessica used the November National Novel Writing Month to start writing a novel without any prior planning. By the end of the month, she had a draft young adult novel written and edited over the month of December. Come January, an agent saw her mention the novel in her blog and come the end of the month, had signed with the agent. Not long after came a four book deal.

The blog helped bring Burkhardt to the attention of the agent. However it was her existing portfolio of published freelance articles achieved as a teenager that helped prove her writing merits, that she was serious about things and worth developing.

While I do not expect the same to happen to me, this blog does give the opportunity to talk about something that I am passionate about - my writing.

The New Zealand organisation, kiwiwriters, is running its own version of the National Novel Writing Month in June. This crosses my mid-year break from university and I have decided to participate. The target is 50,000 words for the month from each participant. Should I reach that target, I would be a long way towards finishing draft novel. For the story I have in mind, I think 90-100,000 words would be required.

The story is one that has been kicking around in my head for a while. While I have written more speculative fiction than anything else before now, this piece is more of a crime thriller, set in the Australian capital, Canberra. Even if nothing comes from it, I am sure that the writing of it will be a good exercise in itself. At the same time I have several short stories that I either wish to write or want to finish for submission to various anthologies. Another piece when finished is targeted for submission for magazines.

I currently have one piece out with an editor, hoping to hear good news in due course. There is a book launch in two weeks time for the anthology Short and Twisted, which features one of my very short pieces. Unfortunately I will not be able to attend which is frustrating as I was looking forward to being there.

Stay tuned for more...