KATHRYN VAN BEEK
  • Blog
  • Pet
    • Pet Podcast
  • Bruce the Cat
    • Bruce Goes Outside
    • Bruce Finds A Home
  • The ManyEnding Story
  • About
    • Portfolio
    • Illustration
    • Press
    • Contact
  • Shop

Moeraki retreat

8/2/2021

 
I'm two days into a week-long writing retreat in a quirky little crib in the pretty fishing town of Moeraki, where I'm working on some stories for a new collection. 

I've been writing a fishing story called Sea Legend, and I'm in the perfect spot for a re-edit, with a view out over the sea from the table on the porch. As I worked on the story last year I had research help from a skipper and a former fisherman. The fisherman has stayed in touch and I sent him a copy of the story yesterday. He read it and came back with a couple of notes on gutting fish, but also very kindly said, "The feel of the story seems to match the experiences I had, the banter etc."

Whew, I didn't read The Catch, Into the Raging Sea, The Old Man and the Sea, Song of The Sea, Last Man Off, Trawler and The Perfect Storm, and watch about 77,000 YouTube videos for nothing! (The Perfect Storm and The Old Man and the Sea are both excellent. As for the YouTube videos, there are so many crazy sea videos out there and they're just fascinating. There is some terrifying footage of ships struggling on huge swells. But this timelapse of sunsets and sunrises at sea is very beautiful and soothing.)

Today I started working on a curious little story inspired by a recent hedgehog rescue. Hopefully by the end of tomorrow I'll have a sense of whether or not it's worth pursuing. 

I also had a chat with director Charlotte Wanhill about a possible second season of web series Misconceptions, and I submitted a funding application for support writing that second collection of short stories. Fingers crossed!

Here's a sneak peek at what I'm working on...

I often write about topics that alarm me – climate change, animal cruelty, inequality, misogyny. As a result, the overall tone of Pet was one of ‘unease’, and I would like my next work to be more uplifting. Delight is joyous, hopeful, seductive. Bad deeds are punished, good deeds rewarded, and the beauty of nature abounds. Mythical creatures such as the Canterbury Panther share the pages with everyday wonders such as Queen bees, spotted toadstools and wild strawberries. In these stories the ‘goodies’ usually win and the villains – including an inconsiderate netball player and a lawbreaking skipper – get their just desserts.

Comments are closed.
    Kathryn van Beek

    Author

    Kathryn van Beek (she/her) is a Pākehā New Zealander of Dutch and English descent. A Robert Burns Fellow and a Winston Churchill McNeish Writers’ Fellow, Kathryn has a doctorate on the topic of using writing as a tool for positive change.  

    Sign up to receive infrequent but interesting news. 

    Follow Kathryn on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky. 

    I have also put the power of the pen to good use by advocating for better miscarriage information and support. Click here for details.

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    February 2025
    August 2024
    April 2024
    January 2024
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    February 2023
    May 2022
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    March 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015

    Categories

    All
    Advocacy
    Bereavement Leave
    Book
    Bruce Finds A Home
    Bruce Goes Outside
    Bruce The Cat
    Children's Book
    City Of Literature
    Creative Hub
    Creative Writing
    Crowdfunding
    Crowd Funding
    Dunedin Writers Festival
    Essay
    Holidays Act
    Kickstarter
    ManyEnding Story
    Miscarriage
    MIsconceptions
    NZ Pacific Studio
    Opinion
    Otherhood
    Overland
    Pet
    Picture Book
    Publishing
    Residency
    Review
    Short Story
    Takahe
    The ManyEnding Story
    Web Series
    Writing
    Zine
    Zinefest

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Blog
  • Pet
    • Pet Podcast
  • Bruce the Cat
    • Bruce Goes Outside
    • Bruce Finds A Home
  • The ManyEnding Story
  • About
    • Portfolio
    • Illustration
    • Press
    • Contact
  • Shop