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Bruce the Cat at Blueskin Bay Library

30/6/2019

I had a really special morning on Saturday reading Bruce Finds A Home to the kids at Blueskin Bay Library. We heard another reading about a lost cat needing to find its home, and some lovely volunteers from Dunedin Cat Rescue came along and talked to kids too. Then the kids coloured in some Bruce colouring sheets. They did a great job of colouring in the sky, with beautiful Dunedin sunrises making quite an appearance, along with a wonderful Matariki star cluster.

I bought a fundraising catnip toy for our cat Jager (Bruce's 'big sister', and also a rescue cat) and she's was absolutely delighted with it.

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National Flash Fiction Day

22/6/2019

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I was honoured to be asked to read at Ōtepoti's National Flash Fiction Day today, where a group of local writers celebrated the shortest day by reading some extremely short fiction - the winners of the Flash Fiction and MIcro Madness competitions.

I read the Micro Madness piece Donor, by Tim Saunders from Palmerston North. I chose to read Tim's piece because there were shades of human / animal connection, a hint of death and a sense of history and future all contained in 46 words.
You can read all of the top Micro Madness stories here.

The Micro Madness winner, Susan Wardell, read her winning story Tī kōuka to us.

I also had the opportunity to read Over the Fields from Ballyturin House, 1921, by Rose Collins from Canterbury. Rose won second prize in the flash fiction competition for her mysterious and haunting story about an IRA ambush in Ireland. Tim Saunders came third, and I really enjoyed his dark yet humorous story, T is for Tiger.
The full list of winners can be found here.

It was a real treat hearing so many stories written, and read by, so many different writers.

A huge thank you to the wonderful Iona Winter for organising the event. Thank you also to Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature, Otago University Press, Dunedin Libraries, the University Book Shop, and everyone else who contributed to the day. I'm already looking forward to next year's event!

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NZSA National AGM 2019

18/6/2019

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Photo of Dunedin Railway Station: Wikipedia Commons

This year the New Zealand Society of Authors AGM was held in beautiful Dunedin. I attended the afternoon sessions at the library - here are my rough notes.

To podcast or YouTube – getting your voice out there: Vanda Symon

You can use podcasts and videos to read excerpts from your work
A podcast or video also enables you to record your voice for posterity
A lot of people are creating video book trailers

Thanks, but no thanks – why agents turn people down: Chris Else

Agents work on commission
Present yourself professionally to the agents you approach
Don't be cute - be professional
The agent will want to know the title, genre, length, audience, and about the plot / characters / subject / tone / setting
They will also want to know about your experience, credits, location and occupation
Avoid puffery and 'the hard sell'
John Cranna added that High Spot Literary Agency might be worth approaching

Getting the good word on copyright: Paula Browning

Check the IP clauses in your employment agreements
If someone commissions you, they retain the copyright - not you
The copyright term for writers is life plus fifty years

Te Reo in your writing – a when to, how to guide: Iona Winter

Ask yourself why you want to use Te Reo and if it's relevant to your story
Get used to speaking some everyday words in Te Reo. There are so many free resources out there
Start with place names, flora, fauna ... be curious
Te Reo can anchor your writing here in Aotearoa
When using Māori characters, do really good research and get Māori alongside you from the start
Chris Else added that specificity draws readers in - it's what readers like

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Bruce the Cat at Blueskin Bay Library

National Flash Fiction Day

NZSA National AGM 2019

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