Column: Books and Writing
Stories of Me: a reflective review
I recently saw Stories of Me, a documentary on the life of Paul Kelly, at the Luna cinema in Perth on a stormy day. I had needed to feel inspired. Being a writer – working day-in, day-out on stories that often resist my best efforts – I … Read more
Column: Books and Writing
The subject of submission
Have you ever written a story that was so good you just had to get it out there? Have you ever wondered where and how you might send your story, taking into account the dos and don’ts of the industry and any number of specific submission guidelines? … Read more
Column: Books and Writing
Blinded by the lights: three weeks in Iowa
This article is about Iowa. Iowa City is the home to the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, a world-renowned Master of Fine Arts writing program. It features among its alumni John Irving, TC Boyle, Ann Packer and Nam Le. Over the years its teaching faculty has included John Cheever, … Read more
Column: Books and Writing
You belong here: an unofficial history of the Emerging Writers’ Festival
Emerging Writers’ Festival (EWF), 2008: I can’t wait to meet Nathan Curnow. Is he the one with the goatee and the nice-guy vibe? No, that’s Kirk Marshall. What about the foxy redhead? No, that’s– Hang on; I think it’s that guy … the one in the bunny … Read more
Column: Books and Writing
‘A staggeringly high level of quality content’: e-books, DRM and the pitfalls of conventional wisdom
I recently talked with editor and publisher Zoe Dattner, who has worked in the publishing industry for more than 10 years. She began her career in the marketing department at Macmillan before quitting in 2003 to co-found small publishing company Sleepers, one of the initiating presses that … Read more
Column: Books and Writing
Ever-decreasing circles: Overland and the modern submissions model
Australian literary journal Overland recently changed their submissions process. The submissions guidelines now read: Overland relies on its subscribers for survival. For that reason, the editors prioritise submissions by subscribers. While all work will be read, we cannot guarantee response times to submissions by non-subscribers. When queried … Read more
Comment
The Importance of Being Egan: experimentation and Australian literature
Each year the Guardian presents its summer short fiction special. It’s an interesting read, if only to chart the trajectory of fiction in the United Kingdom, and to a lesser extent, assess larger trends in global literature. Included in the 2011 edition were stories from four established … Read more
Issue Six
Commercially Viable: the future of broadcast television
In Issue Six of Kill Your Darlings, Laurie Steed described the strange fate of NBC‘s ‘Chuck’. Here, Laurie examines further television’s Faustian pact with advertising. I have an agreement with television: it can sell me stuff as long as I can watch entertaining, innovative programming. To reiterate, … Read more
