Show, Stories, Collaboration and AntipodeanSF
Well we were able to meet up with David Conyers and his family recently during the local town Show, and we made a good day of it doing the Show things, even if it had been a bit wet the day before and it was a somewhat sodden underfoot. It certainly didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits, though. Taking advantage of the face-to-face time to actually talk in person about writing was rewarding. No email, no telephone. It doesn’t happen very often, and some of my writing contacts and friends are all over the world, so you get it, it was a good day.
Here’s a picture of the day, and no – we didn’t go on it:
Gawler Show 2009
I got the chance to talk about my involvement in the Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine and mention some of the fun that comes with editing your own issue. I’m slated for Issue 47 which is due out next year just before Aussiecon 4 in Melbourne 2010. It has been fun picking all the short and long stories and poems. Obviously being a Science Fiction writer I couldn’t avoid some of the stories that I read, they screamed out pick me and I had to grab hold for my issue, but there is a good blend of light and dark, speculative and science in the issue and I’m pleased so far.
Talk moved on to collaborative writing, and we decided that we would give it a go – something difficult over email – but we’ll see how it goes. I think the trick will be to get the right balance of communication going and I’m excited to see where we will take David’s superb story plot. I’ve done heaps of research, but at the end of the day it still boils down to good plot and dialogue from credible characters.
David was helpful in my joining the Australian Horror Writers Association, and now as a paid up member I am keen to polish off some of my darker stories that are in various shades of completion and see what people think. Given time I hope that I can find the right voice to balance my style with some darker shades of writing. Time will tell. (Oh, you get this really cool AHWA member’s card too when you join, and get to use their logo – see below.)
Today I was pleased to get another short flash fiction piece accepted by AntipodeanSF. Nuke as always is very supportive, and I was happy to learn that it is in Issue 136 in October 2009. It’s short, and hopefully will make you think – I won’t tell you the title this time, either. Go have a look for yourself, and as always read the other great submissions that appear there.
Cheers,
David
cheerful