WEbook submission: Rolling stuck

Another WEbooks nanostory submission. The theme this time is 'story loop'. Mine takes place on a train.

WEbook submission: Shuffling sideways

Some nights I'm so tired I find it hard to write anything. The WEbook nanostory projects are fantastic for finding inspiration. The one I'm contributing to is themed 'What I did last summer' and each submission has to be exactly 50 words. That's not a lot of space to tell a story. It can be any genre, as long as it relates to summer holidays and is 50 words, no more, no less. My latest submission is 'Shuffling sideways'. If you're struggling to get going, give it a try. It won't hurt a bit!

Scribe fiction prize - for 'seasoned' writers!

It's nice to see that first-time novelists who aren't in the 'youth' category are being recognised with the inaugural CAL Scribe Fiction Prize! While I have nothing to enter this year, who knows what I might be able to do for next year. I do have a story idea for a novel, but I need to do a lot more writing and learning about the craft before I attempt anything like that.

But if you have a manuscript that's ready to go and you're over 35 years of age, here's the link.

WEbook submission: Squeezing a watermelon

If you haven't checked out WEbook yet, it's a cool place to workshop your writing, as well as make your own contributions to 'projects'. They also have challenges. I submitted a 50-word nanostory here, called 'Squeezing a watermelon'.

Haiku: Milky smile

Breastfeeding baby,
Little snorts of happiness.
Drunken milky smile.

Short story submitted

Lipmag is seeking contributions for its first fiction anthology, titled Eve's Harvest. I've submitted a short story called 'Release'. Wonder if it'll get accepted for publication?

Haiku: Rosy

Rosy cheeked baby,
Lips the colour of cherries.
Ate red chalk again!

Undertow

My heart is like an ocean
Filled with aching needs.
Unspoken me pulled under
By a relentless ebbing tide.
How can I break free from the undertow?

Haiku: Aquamarine

Aquamarine sea
At the bottom of the cliff...
Inviting me in.

Haiku: Puddle jumping

Daughter in gumboots:
Let's go puddle-jumping mum!
Splashing up a storm.

Don't use words

Speak to me
But don't use words;
You've already
Said too much.
Reach into me,
And know my needs;
I can be saved
By your touch.

Frozen

Jo froze on the inside as the target emerged from the train and walked past the newsstand where she was waiting. She sucked in her breath, slid her hand inside her coat pocket and found the paper-wrapped gum she kept for moments like these. She unwrapped it with one hand and slowly moved the stick up into her mouth. It used to be cigarettes she used to give her a reason to loiter, but since her cancer scare she had given them up. Jo started chewing and made her move. The target was walking quickly. If he was checking for a tail, Jo couldn't see it. That meant one of two things: either he was unaware of her presence, or he was on the grid. A fellow spook. Shit. That would make this morning's work all the more difficult. She knew there couldn't be any cock-ups today. Spartan was counting on her. Jo was maintaining a good distance from the black-coated man, while at the same time making it look like she wasn't in a hurry. A tricky balancing act, but one that she was confident she'd mastered over the past five years in the service. She was just about to phone in to control when her target stopped dead and spun around. He took off his glasses and stared straight at her as she faltered. Hello Josephine.

Haiku: Procrastinating

Procrastination
Is an art to master...
When the pressure's on.

In print

Being a bit dubious about the worth of Twitter, I didn't really bother checking it out until my brother's better half suckered me in. The status update box bounds you to 140 characters - not a lot of wriggle room in which to express yourself. It occurred to me that 140 characters is plenty for Haiku. I reacquainted myself with the 'rules' for Haiku and decided that, given my time constraints, this form of creative expression was one I could probably embrace productively. I broadcast a few and then realised I would not be the only micropoet out there and discovered a whole new world on Twitter. I was studying for a Public Policy exam at the time, and Haiku gave me the perfect opportunity to procrastinte in a slightly constructive way! I wrote a few in between cramming. Then one of the feeds I follow on Twitter prompted me to submit one of my Haiku for possible publication in a new journal being published in the US - The Arts Politic. I was surprised when, a few days later, the editors contacted me wanting to publish the Haiku I had submitted, in addition to another one I had broadcast. Woohoo! In print! Here's the link. Turns out I 'won' the competition - I didn't realise they were only publishing one 'winner'. What a surprise. I guess that makes me a published poet!!!!!!!!!!!

Haiku: Baby sleep

Worry that you've died
Each time I approach your door...
Sleeping peacefully.

Haiku: Morning fog

Mountain disappears.
Morning fog in Canberra:
I can't see the trees.

Ten seconds a day

That's about the sum total of time I have each day to write. So I'd better use it! This blog will be my record and motivator. I will try to write a post a day. Maybe that's why I like Haiku so much!