20 Books to 50K, Adelaide: a review

On January 6, 2023, my wife Sue and I, with about one hundred others, attended the 20 Books to 50k one-day seminar in Adelaide. Attendees were from all over Australia, and there were casual get-togethers the night before and afterward, to network.

If you are in the dark about 20 Books to 50K; that is not a set formula, but it is aimed at people who aspire to ethically make money from their writing purely by self-publishing, either exclusively on Amazon or across a spectrum of sales channels. And to succeed, you must understand how to market your writing and how to grow your author business. So, you need the right tools—ideas and strategies—and know when and how to use them. And your failsafe is your wider support networks.

Good writing sells, but the cream does not automatically rise to the top. Platforms such as Amazon are crowded with millions of offerings. It takes know-how to put yourself in a position where readers will see your work—and be persuaded to part with their money for your content, whatever that might be. Then, it’s an art to keep those people on board so they buy from you again. The good news is that it can be done, but if it’s not done properly, your efforts will just be part of the literature fog.

Craig Martelle, who is an urban fantasy, thriller and sci-fi author from Alaska, chaired the seminar. Here is a small sample of his fictional offerings.

Martelle, together with Michael Anderle, started 20booksto50k as a Facebook Group in early 2016. It has 68000 members now—so, yeah! His mission through 20booksto50k is to aid the professional development of authors via shared opportunities, camaraderie, and targeted philanthropy. He looks to spend everything he makes, not just on advertising and business costs, but on helpers, other authors and travel. Because Craig’s mission is to empower writers to make writing their business (rather than a hobby or side-hustle), he bankrolled the other seminar speakers and venue hire, meaning the attendees only had to fork out for the catering. Like, wow!

He saw family in Australia, ran the seminar in Adelaide, then did a little tourism before popping across the ditch to run another seminar in Auckland. 

Here are his craft books (links to Amazon). He was rather busy in 2022, also churning out 10 new fiction books, as well, plus some collaborations.

If you are interested in viewing YouTube content of his craft seminars, there was a three day event in Las Vegas last year: search “20Books Vegas”. If that doesn’t hit the spot, you are hard to please!

My main takeaway from the seminar was:

Writing to market

Writing to market does not mean writing to the latest trends. For instance, I personally have no desire to write in sub-genres that, by their nature, cannot honour Christ. One such romance sub-genre, reverse harem (RH), is at the top of the pops right now. And, at the gathering, I talked to well-meaning, otherwise sensible people who were writing just that, as it would sell.

But trends come quickly and can disappear at the same speed. But romance itself will always be in style. It is generally an honourable genre. After all, Christ gave up his life to buy back his bride, us, so we could have union with him, God. It is not called the Great Romance for nothing. 

Writing to market involves writing in categories so people know what to expect. There is literary fiction which is always character-driven and usually a study of the human condition when faced with real life challenges and then there is genre fiction. Readers who want mystery might expect to follow a crime or some abnormality (such as a disappearance) from its happening to its solution; and likewise, genres such as romance, life story, thriller or suspense, speculative fiction, women’s fiction, etc., all have their standard form and content which caches the storyline. There are some genres that fit together well, like mystery-thriller or historical romance.

The problem comes when a story, the story you are trying to sell, doesn’t fit so nicely into one of these established categories. The power of the market is a rather broad but finite range of product-types, each having its own niche in that market. But just like that product you can’t find on the supermarket shelves, if your work is an unusual mix of genres, it can be difficult to place.

So, if you are struggling to select the appropriate ‘shelf’ of the online bookstore for the book you have written, your readers may not enjoy your book because it was not quite what they expected. And if it’s not on the first page of a targeted search, you are not going to get chance buys, as few potential buyers will browse past the visible window.

As well as genre, readers are guided by familiar tropes. Now, there’s a whole separate topic here—tropes are to do with your story premise—for example: good versus evil, or rags to riches—use them too much and the story is hackneyed. Use them too little and the readers get lost without familiar guideposts.

So, I guess, writing to market is really important if you want the general public to buy and read your books.

Of course, if your market is your family or a niche group, then all good. You know what they expect. Carry on. You’ve got this!

Writing Sprints

The seminar wasn’t all speculative, as most of the participants had already published something. They simply needed guided affirmation that they were doing the best they could. 

Sue enjoyed the seminar too, although she had seen some of these concepts before. The greatest benefit for her was networking with other authors doing well. To maintain the rage, she organised writing sprints (timed periods of writing) with people she met at the seminar. This was as much for accountability, as the shared experience.

But you can't go to a seminar about writing, without well, um...writing. All attendees were given a writing sprint exercise--three times during the day.

And the question for today, is how do you describe the smell of peppermint to someone who has never had the sense of smell?

Try it now. Think laterally. Set the timer. You have five minutes. Happy writing!

Marc Jeffrey is an Adelaide-based author and poet who loves to craft words in times when his beautiful wife and lively dog (Shih tzu cross Chihuahua) are asleep. He writes of hope and justice, depositing his characters in the nexus between the ‘what is’ and the ‘what if’ – while wondering if he can leave the house without waking anyone up. 

He is long-time member of the ‘Literati’ writing group, that grew out of the Tabor Adelaide Creative Writing program. When he’s not writing, Marc listens to his favourite music, which ranges from Cold Chisel to Claude Debussy

Back to Beginnings

 This past weekend I spent much of my time in the pages of my debut novel. It’s been ten years since it was fresh off the press and, in advance of a new novel release later this year, my first book baby is getting a facelift for a revised edition to mark this anniversary.

For those who have navigated the book-release path, have any of you re-read something you published early in your writing journey? Did you want to put a pen through some of the passages your “older self” (in a writing context) would have never worded that way? Did the structure and pace still work for you? Did you find yourself falling in love with your characters and story all over again? Did you have a little cringe when you noticed things that could have done with a little extra context and background research? None of the above? All of the above?

For me, it was an “all” experience. But it also revealed to me how much I’ve grown as a writer since those early publication days (and reminded me how much I’m STILL learning—that never stops!). Several times I’ve heard authors apologise for their early work, yet I have gone on to thoroughly enjoy those stories. Yes, there may have been little pieces here and there that could have been reworked, but the heart and soul of the story was still solid and the characters captivating.

In those “sorry, it was my early work” moments, I’ve always had mixed feelings. As a writer, I sure do get it. Some of my manuscripts never saw the light of day—well, not yet—and I am SO grateful for that. However, those beginning works are also an essential part of our writing growth, and there cannot be any future “more developed” works without that first publication.

It can be a challenging thing to share your writing drafts when you’re in those early days, especially with someone outside your safe circle. To send all your blood, sweat and tears off to a professional for critiquing or editing can be enough to make one nauseous. Do you know how many writers never get published because they found the path to publication too hard? Many more writers give up than the ones that see their stories in print.

So if you are a published author, I encourage you to celebrate that achievement, including your first “book baby” and all the “firsts” it brought you.

If you are yet to be published, I encourage you to keep writing and learning and if you’re feeling discouraged and a bit bumped and bruised, it might be time to pick yourself up again, set some goals, and get back on that writing horse. It’ll probably buck you off a few more (multi-dozen!!!) times, but each hard landing and consequential bruises are valuable learning, so long as you allow them to be and don’t succumb to offense or discouragement.

And as CWD members, what a joy to celebrate each person’s writing journey! I love that about this group. (Not to mention as a reader I’ve discovered a wealth of awesome books along the way.) If you take nothing else away from this post, why not invest a few minutes to do something encouraging for a writer whose work has marked your world for the better? That might be a review, a recommendation, an email, or even a shout out in the comments below. Whatever it might be, do something. I know you will make some writer’s day. 😊

Queensland author Adele Jones writes young adult fringe and near-science fiction exploring the underbelly of bioethics and confronting teen issues that include disability, self-worth, loss, domestic conflict, and more. She also writes historical fiction, poetry, inspirational non-fiction and short fictional works, with themes of social justice, humanity, faith, natural beauty and meaning in life’s journey. Adele’s first YA novel Integrate (book one of the Blaine Colton Trilogy) was awarded the 2013 CALEB Prize for unpublished manuscript. As a speaker she seeks to present a practical and encouraging message by drawing on themes from her writing. For more visit www.adelejonesauthor.com or contact[at]adelejonesauthor.com

Things are Not what they Seem!

by Anusha Atukorala

When Covid came to visit South Australia, I settled down to a long season of hibernation, like a sleepy old bear at dead of winter. My only trips outdoors were to the supermarket or for exercise. No church. No coffees with friends. No nothing. Last September, Covid knocked on my door and then squashed me flat for several months! Once I got better, I was surprised to find, that like stumbling across a bright red rose in the middle of a scorching desert, Covid had brought with it a number of unexpected blessings. For a start, I now had the greenlight to step out of my front door and to start doing life again. 

What a precious gift!

God had led me out of my former church - and it was time to find a new one. After visiting several churches, I was a little discouraged. Would I ever find a church that was right for me? Silly question and I should have known better. God is always faithful. The first time I visited my now church home, they had a service of celebration, with God as the focus – not our human agendas but Jesus alone! Of course, it was the right home church for me. 

Thank You God!

Recently, I was delighted to hear of a prayer initiative at church which would span four consecutive weeks. The mid-day time slot worked well for me, so on the first Wednesday, I drove to church excitedly, spotting numerous cars in the car park. I thrilled to the fact that so many had turned up to pray. When I went into the sanctuary, though, it was empty. One of the pastors came out … only two of us were present for that lunch time prayer-session. I’d been fooled by the cars in the car park. Apparently they were there for a weight watchers session next door! Very disappointing!

It’s easy to draw the wrong conclusions through outward appearances, isn’t it? In reality, it turned out to be a wonderful God-exalting time of praise and prayer. A holy hour it was! I can now vouch for the fact that sometimes, two is the best number after all.

If two of you shall agree on earth concerning anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in Heaven. Matthew 18:19-20  

Thank You Jesus!

Dear friend, how are you doing today? Has life bashed you around ... like a delicate silk scarf being tossed around in a dryer? I do understand. Life happens, often with its own ideas of fair play, leaving you and me gasping for breath and scratching our heads in bewilderment. But here’s the thing. What we might think is no progress as Christian writers may actually be our best stint after all. As we writers know so well, often, things are not what they seem! It's true in the stories we write and it happens in real life too! The problem is that while I enjoy plot twists in the novels I read, I don't relish those plot twists in my own life. 

God is at work behind the scenes in ways you and I have no idea. Against my better inclination, I have been forced to concentrate on my health issues for a number of years, so my writing has taken a back seat. But what seemed to be years of little output are in retrospect years of research. His plans … ah! They are the good ones. They are the best ones. I’ve spent hours at His feet, seeking Him, finding Him and learning all about living well and what life in the kingdom of God looks like. What better way to get ideas and input for my next book than through life’s training school? Thank You God!

So tell me, dear friend, what has your journey been like in the last year or two? If your progress has not been as fast as you’d like, a New Year might be the right time to change that? Don’t be fooled by the enemy’s proposal that it’s too late. Not true. He’s the Father of lies, so don’t believe him. Are you discouraged at the lack of your book sales? (I hear you! It’s time I did something about mine. Arrrrgh!) Do you feel a failure? You are never a failure when you’ve been obedient to what He’s called you to do. Success in the world’s terms and God’s are very different, as different as a stagnant pool compares to a swirling stream.

Do you think that you’ve little to offer the world? Now that's the enemy’s voice! Who you are and what you do matters! It matters a lot. 2023 might just be your best year yet. He has good plans for you. Your path might look different to others’. But that’s totally okay. It’s only in eternity that you will understand what God did, with what you may think were detours or wasted hours and years.

Is God writing a different story through your life than what you envisaged or hoped for? Are you tempted to take back His pen into your own hand? Let’s not be fooled by the enemy’s whispers, whenever trouble dogs our steps. God’s Authorship is one we can trust. It may look as if He’s not in control but we know better, don’t we? We can trust His Word. We can trust Him to write a page-turner in and through our lives.

Let’s pick up our pens and write as He leads. He will bless the world through our yielded hearts. If you feel down or discouraged, do know that God’s got you in His mighty Hands. The Holy Spirit goes before you. He sings songs of deliverance over you today. And as you trust Him, He will use you this New Year, 2023 to bring His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

Keep writing. Keep living.

Keep being YOU!

The world needs you. And God does too!

Anusha’s been on many interesting detours in life, as a lab technician, a computer programmer, a full time Mum, a full time volunteer, a charity director, a full time job chaser, until one golden day (or was it a dark moonless night?) God tapped her on her shoulder and called her to write for Him. She has never recovered from the joy it brought her. She loves to see others enjoying life with Jesus and does her mite to hurry the process in her world through her writing and through her life. The goodness of God is her theme song through each season, as she dances in the rain with Jesus.

Her first book Enjoying the Journey contains 75 little God stories that will bring you closer to your Creator. Her 2^nd book ‘Dancing in the Rain’ brings you hope and comfort for life’s soggy seasons. Her 3rd book, ‘Sharing the Journey’ is a sequel to 'Enjoying the Journey'.

 

Do drop in on her two websites to say G’day! She’d love to connect with you.

Dancing in the Rain - https://anusha-atukorala.webnode.page/

Light in the Darkness- https://light-in-the-darkness00.webnode.page/

The Interaction of Characters and Their Settings

 

Have you ever read a book that had some lovely passages of description, but you still wanted to skip over them? You might be the kind of person who prefers action, and you want to get on with the story rather than knowing the intricacies of Aunt Muriel’s petunias. But another reason is that the description is sitting all by itself and not interacting with poor Aunt Muriel.

I was a social psychology lecturer for 25 years, and environmental psychology was one of the topics I taught. In a nutshell, environmental psychology looks at how people and settings co-influence one another.

• People affect natural and built environments in both positive and negative ways.
• Natural and built environments affect people in positive and negative ways.
• Unlike the boy band, these effects do not just go in One Direction. They interact with each other, such that people affect the environment, which in turn affects people, who in turn affect the environment and so on. (And yes, I realise One Direction has broken up.)

So, what has all of this got to do with writing fiction? Think about it in terms of your setting. Are your characters interacting with their settings or are you just telling us what’s in the setting? Let me give an example.

Interacting With Settings

An Example

I read a manuscript extract in which a woman came home and went into the kitchen to make dinner. The author then gave a long paragraph describing the kitchen. She had really put a lot of thought into it and had excellent skills at technical writing. The walls weren’t just blue or yellow, they were particular shades, like the types you would find on a painter’s chart. Kitchen utensils and pots were hanging from hooks on the ceiling. There was a clear description of the layout of the room, including a window over the sink that looked out across the yard.

However, there was just one problem. The description was static. It was as if the character stood to one side while the description of the setting played out. There was no interaction between the character and the setting. 

Show, Don't Tell

Some good old ‘show don’t tell’ would have gotten across the same information. Instead of the author telling us that pots were hanging from the ceiling, the character could reach for one of the pots and put it on the wooden bench. She could open up the pantry cupboard and move aside the cereal boxes to find the pasta. She could go over to the sink and look out the window while rinsing the cutting board she needs to use. That kind of writing is much more engaging than simply giving us a description. By showing the character interacting with the environment, we're not only getting an idea of the setting, but we're also learning about the person.

Avoid Information Drops

Another advantage of having your character interacting with the setting is that you can drop information in a bit at a time when needed, rather than doing the dreaded info dump that encourages a reader to skip over the boring bits. We don't need to know that Grandpa's hunting knife is in the kitchen drawer until someone uses it to carve the Sunday roast.

Setting as Character

In some books, the environment plays such an important role that it is like a character in itself. For example, Susan May Warren set about half of her novel The Way of the Brave on the snowy slopes of Denali in Alaska, where the characters had to fight the elements to stay alive. If you write biblical fiction, think about what it would have been like for Noah and his family to spend so long in the Ark while waiting until the ground was habitable again. Or what would it have been like for the Israelites to spend 40 years in the wilderness? How would you have liked living in a tent with your family for all those years?

Questions to Ponder

Now think about your current work-in-progress.

• Are your characters riding the boundary of their drought-stricken farm to check the livestock? Show us the desolation of the land and the riders.
• Are two people walking through the CBD of a large city? Maybe the traffic is so loud that they have trouble hearing each other, so they have to shout or move to a quieter location.
• Are they stuck in a crowded elevator? Give us a sense of the claustrophobia and panic as it sets in. Is he loosening his tie? Is she thumping the call button?
• Do they go fishing and toss their empty drink cans into the river? Or do they spend Saturday mornings doing litter parade at the beach?
• Do they rearrange the tables and chairs in a coffee shop so that everyone in their group has plenty of room, or do they squish up so there’s four in a booth that usually seats two?

There is a myriad of possibilities, but whatever decisions you make, be sure that your descriptions are advancing character or plot. Don’t just have it rain for the sake of it. Have it rain so we can see how the caterer copes with the quickly rejigged garden party, or so the hero and heroine have to stand close together under a tree to stay dry.

Do you have examples of novels that have done a particularly good job of showing the person interacting with their environment? I’d love to hear your examples.

Author Bio

Nola Lorraine (aka Nola Passmore) has a passion for faith and social justice issues, and loves weaving words that inspire others with courage and hope. Her inspirational historical novel Scattered was published in 2020, and she also co-edited the Christian charity anthology Glimpses of Light with Jeanette O’Hagan. She has more than 150 short publications, including fiction, poetry, devotions, true stories, magazine articles and academic papers. She and her husband Tim also run a freelance writing and editing business, The Write Flourish. She’d love to connect with you through her website: www.nolalorraine.com.au

Photo Sources

Author photo by Wayne Logan at WRLPhoto.

Surfing dog by StarFlames on Pixabay.

Happy New Year from Omega Writers!

Welcome to 2023!

Omega Writers has lots planned for 2023 ... with more ideas in the pipeline. Make sure you don't miss out on any important information by signing up as a member of Omega Writers. Click here to find out more.

The 2023 CALEB Award

The 2023 CALEB Awards will be for unpublished writers in the following categories:

• Unpublished Adult Fiction
• Unpublished Young Adult Fiction
• Unpublished Nonfiction

The contest is open to Australian and New Zealand Christian writers with a completed manuscript. Note that the 2023 contest is for unpublished writers. However, published fiction authors will be permitted to enter the nonfiction category, and published nonfiction authors may enter one of the fiction categories.

Entries will open on 1 April and close on 30 April, so now is the time to finish your manuscript to ensure you're ready to enter.

Conference

Omega Writers won't be running an in-person conference this year, but there will be an online conference in October. Dates, speakers, and cost will be available later in the year.

As always, members of Omega Writers will be able to register for a discounted rate.

Chapter Groups

Local Omega groups and special interest groups will continue. Omega currently has several groups who meet in person on a regular basis. These are based in:

• Sydney
• Wollongong
• Brisbane
• Toowoomba
• Melbourne
• Geelong
• Adelaide
• Tasmania

There are also two Zoom groups:

• Tasmania
• Fantasy/Science Fiction

Click here to check the Omega website for further details.

Un-Cramming The Year With Your Gift

Celebration is a vital part of life. It is good to do so. But…… We seem to cram this in.

The season of Christmas and New Year you have just been through might feel a bit like that for you. This time of year (the beginning of 2023) we may be feeling we need to recover from holidays. At the end of last year, you may have taken time, not just to get across the line of another year, but to appreciate all the achievements of the year that was (that’s good), and then you may have experienced a barrage of celebrations. We have parties, celebrations of cultural significance, church happenings, community events, work parties, family get togethers, neighbourhood happenings, decorating, wrapping, eating, more parties, more outings, and an encouragement to be completing the year successfully and with joy and not feel exhausted starting the next one. We many it feels like a cluttered mess. For many individuals and families this time of year may also bring back memories of loss, challenge, or it may presently be a time of struggle for them. The mantra of “Joy to the world” might have been accompanied with “Stop the world, I want to get off”.

Christmas and New Year is a punctuated season full of the giving of our time, focus and energies alongside those material gifts we buy, make, wrap, post, and give each other. At the heart of the so-called “Christmas spirit” is something potentially beautiful (despite its often-commercial hype). Giving is an act of lovingkindness, of thinking about others before ourselves. It takes time and preparation and compassion. It can be a gift of authentic appreciation. True generosity means there’s no obligation in sight. Perhaps this ideal is encapsulated in the saying: “It is more blessed to give than to receive”. In truth, many people might rather be getters than givers. But there is significant power for good in giving of ourselves (especially things that are less materialistic or consumer oriented, like hope, peace, patience, kindness, service, care, support). Perhaps equally as powerful is humble and appreciative receiving.  It can sometimes be humbling to accept a present, no strings attached. Maybe, that itself (willing to receive) is a gift. Humility is perhaps one of the most powerful gifts we can give to each other. Being humble enough to receive someone else’s gift given in grace and being willing to give our gifts in humility is a powerful offering. This means making time and space to embrace the story and the relationship that brought the gift to you. Giving is at the very core of our humanity and of our faith. It is a holy thing.

"3 Buys Men"

How has this ancient sacred act of giving-and-receiving been so often turned into something that has become so profane? Materialistic hype, rather than meaningful helps or even miraculous harmony.  Good things can easily morph into being dangerous and harmful when simple humility and the gift of relational mutuality is taken out of the equation. During the rush and intensity of the end of year celebratory season, it is hard not to let obligation corrupt our generous spirit. It is also difficult to mitigate giving-fatigue and compassion-fatigue as we’re bombarded with images of need, natural disasters, and new diseases, while being accosted with requests for our generosity from charities and those in need. Australians are trusting charities less, with concerns over how donations are spent and frustration with being pestered to give. When you hear too many heartbreaking stories without also hearing about solutions, progress, or change, the world’s problems feel unfixable. Donating to fix an unsolvable problem feels useless—that’s why demonstrating impact and providing messages of hope is so important. This is where our influence individually and collectively as writers is so valuable. We can help by giving thought to ‘changing the narratives’.  

 

As writers we have the opportunity to provide the gift of ‘a different narrative’ that blesses others with sustainable and engaging hope-empowerment: One about changing the world. After all, core to our faith existence is ‘good’ news. I love telling stories of how our community and others are addressing issues, the ways being attempted to fix things, the change being made, and stories about the people being helped and helping others. The truth is, how we tell a story has the ability to either give or take power away from us, our view of reality and therefore, who we become. For example, sickness can undoubtedly be devastating for many - whether it’s losing a loved one, not being able to see your friends and family, dealing with losing your job, having to shut down your business, or feeling isolated and lonely; and these often feel out of your control. However, the thing that you do have control over is the story you tell about those events - and how they impact your self-concept and future. Last year our family faced the challenge of having several close family members who received a devastating cancer prognosis. The authentic and real message was that they were sick, very sick and needing to face the struggles of hospital visits, life changes, chemo regimes, loosing hair, being weak, feeling depressed, hurting, and honestly just being devastated. But even more powerful is the equally authentic and real message that all the adjustment has meant that we have come closer together as a family as we have determined to fight through the challenges together. We have new language and a depth of communication that we have never had with each other. Our love for each other is deeper than ever.  Despite the struggles we have all found some joy in the battle and that is the narrative that we embrace. As we spent time at Christmas and new year, we held on to the glad tidings we had discovered through the trials of the year that was. Even in sometimes horrifying circumstances a story of hope can be found. We are glad that even though some things are still significantly tough we have found peace in discovering the simple joy of the love we share with each other. This has meant learning and acting on the craft of stopping the rush of circumstance to make time for discovering the changed narrative. The art of storytelling has a huge impact. Now that is something to celebrate.

Here is another thing to celebrate all year: God has given you your writing gifts to use for His glory. God has equipped you to reach people that may possibly not be reached by anyone else, and it is the giftings He has given to you that accomplishes it. Romans 12:6 says,

 “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them.”

Your gifts are unique to you, and just might be the unique gift someone else needs to receive. You might even think your talent is weird and unpopular, but sometimes it is those of us who feel like we have the least to give who accomplish great things for God, and simply are a blessing to others. Your gift does make a difference.

There is a song that gets played at our place many times at the end of each year (Which is a bit ironic, as it declares that its message should be lived all year round) ‘Christmas Wish’ Written by Bob Farrell and performed by Stacie Orrico. 

“It's always the same at every Christmas
When love comes alive around the world
We open our hearts
When love is in the air
It seems such a shame to me
It's a season that comes only once a year

My wish for you
If I could give any gift I wanted
A present to every boy and girl
I'd make it a miracle that came from God above
A picture of peace on Earth
Where each person is touched by the power of (His) Love

So let's make the Christmas wish together
It's like the best of dreams come true
Let's make the spirit last forever

This is my Christmas wish for you”

This year I am encouraging myself with a new year’s resolution, to give and receive deeper and more meaningfully across the entire year. I plan to un-cram my year by making time for my gift of writing to bless others. This won’t discount enjoying the season of celebratory generosity at the end of the year (material gifts, thankyou cards, lots of time with people in celebrations, and end of year reports), or at the end of a sponsorship campaign, or after some victory, it will just mean I give better throughout the year. Through the good times and the tough, the highs and lows, giving praise reports and gratitude no matter what the circumstance. So I am going to give space and time for my gift to be developed and used and become substance to share with others. I am going to make a concerted effort to review my narratives to ensure that some good can come out of them. I am going to un-cram the year with my gift.

Our gifts of kindness - of caring, of helping, of sharing the best of ourselves, of writing and creating hope-bringing narratives - are the gifts that keep giving. Imagine the power of this aspect of celebrating showing up in unexpected spaces and times like random acts of kindnesses all year round. Imagine the gift of our writing bringing life-filled, hope-inspiring messaging for people who just need light in their darkness, love in their loss, healing in their hurt, joy in their sorrow. There are simply endless ways this could happen. Let the gifts flow.

The act of mutual generosity (giving and receiving of ourselves) points to what just might be the ultimate gift the world is hoping for in 2023 …. Peace!

 

JOY TO YOUR WORLD. 

CWD Highlights - October-December 2022

Christian Writers Downunder is a diverse group of writers, editors, bloggers, illustrators. As a group we support each other through our Facebook page and blog.

Today's blog will highlight some of the achievements of our members from October-December 2022

New Releases

Core Values: Love by Rebekah Robinson & Anne Hamilton

Rebekah Robinson & Anne Hamilton released Core Values: Love on 28 November 2022

The DNA of God Series, book 1: Galatians 5 describes the growing DNA of God in our lives as a list of attributes, or fruit, emanating from His Spirit. This first volume explores the love aspect of God’s nature, and its outworking in the hearts of believers respective to His other flavours.

Buy link:
https://www.bookdepository.com/Core-Values-Rebekah-Robinson/9780645609004


Rebekah Robinson lives in Brisbane, Australia and loves God and people.
Anne Hamilton is an accomplished, multi-award-winning author of over 20 books.

Lady in Irons by Sara Powter

Sara Powter released book 3, A Lady in Irons in her Unlikely Convict Ladies series was released on November 6th.

Katy is mourning the death of her husband after he dies in a shooting accident. Barely coping, she awaits the birth of their child. If it’s a girl, she must hand the family home over to her husband’s brother. The day after giving birth to a daughter, she and her daughter are literally left on the side of a road. She collapses and is found by someone whom she thought had died in a fire ten years before. Perry, badly scarred himself, nurses her back to health. They marry and move in with her widowed friend, Mary.

After some years, she discovers her husband and friend in each other’s arms. Now living in a love triangle, she flees. Grasping the only straw available, she intentionally gets arrested so that she can be sent to a colony far away. By doing this, her marriage can be annulled. What happens in the Colony is not what she expects. Governor Macquarie comes to her rescue. But what of Perry and her children?

You can find it here

Pursuing Prayer by Dienece Darling 

Melbournian Dienece Darling writes inspirational fiction to encourage and entertain Christians and has released her first reader's magnet to subscribers of her blog.

Pursuing Prayer

Everything should have been Catherine’s and hers alone.


In London 1733, Catherine Fox expects to inherit everything from her father until he remarries just before passing away. With a possible heir jeopardizing their future, Catherine’s husband is furious. Not even the possibility of the babe being a girl soothes him, but surely, sharing her inheritance with a sister must be better than losing everything to a little brother. Perhaps prayer will help. Only, can she trust God to give the right answer?

As time passes, Catherine begins to wonder if the pursuit of prayer ever results in anything more than bruised knuckles against the closed doors of Heaven.

Pursuing Prayer is free to subscribers of Dienece's blog. Sign up via Free Short Story | Dienece Darling

Max Nutt's New Book by Elizabeth Klein

Elizabeth Klein has a short story published Thursday, 1st December 2022 called Max Nutt's New Book in Christmas Tales 7 on  by Storm Cloud Publishing. 

Elizabeth's story is about a mouse who is pressured into writing his second book but has writer's block. When the juices get flowing again, his book turns out to be another best seller.

Awards

CALEB Awards 

The winners of the CALEB awards was announced at the CALEB Awards Dinner at the Omega Writers Conference Kingscliffe.

Unpublished Nonfiction

Stephanie Walters won the Unpublished Adult Nonfiction manuscript prize. She received a Manuscript Review and Feedback from Nicole Partridge, Journalist, Writer and Literary Agent to the value of $400

Published Nonfiction

Emily Maurits won the Published Nonfiction award with Two Sisters and Brain Tumour.

Published Young Adult Fiction

Kristen Young won the Published Young Adult Prize with Elite, the second book in her Collective Underground series

Published Adult Fiction

Meredith Resce won the Published Adult Prize with In Want of a Wife, the second book in her Luella Linley Licence to Meddle series.

Congratulations to Stephanie, Emily, Kristen and Meredith

Historical Novel Awards

In the middle of December, Book 1 of Sara Powter's Unlikely Convict Ladies trilogy has been long-listed for the Historical Novel Awards while Dancing to Her Own Tune is a finalist. The awards are announced on 31 December 2022

Congratulations Sara

Competitions

The Rhiza Edge Short Story Competition for 2022 is now open!

Rhiza is looking for stories for Diverging Worlds: Short stories in dystopian and steampunk worlds, a collection of short stories in steampunk or dystopian worlds. The anthology will be edited by Lynne Stringer and Emily Larkin

Stories (up to 5000 words) need to be clean and 12+ friendly as we sell these books into schools.

Stories need to be in a Dystopian or a Steampunk world.

Entries can be submitted up to May 2023

Interested? Read more here.

Events

Rendered Realms at Supanova

Lynne Stringer, Adele Jones and Jeanette O'Hagan (or the Rendered Realms team) once again had a table at Supanova Brisbane in early November.  It was good to see the crowds back and fun as always to enact with avid Spec Fic fans, especially the book lovers.

Next year, Rendered Realms may explore other events as well as Supanova and Oz Comic Con. 

Sara Powter at Sydney Book Fair

At the end of November, I had a stall at the inaugural Book Fair in Sydney, which she found  eye-opening, having never done anything like this before.

Sara Powter also participated in the NaNoWriMo competition. She completed 50k words done in 2 weeks and the full book completed ( a shade under 90K words). I was so early in submitting my words that they were not even ready for me.

Omega Writers Conference 2022 Kingscliff

One of the highlights of the year was the Omega Writers Conference 2022 Kingscliff. Writers from across Australia and New Zealand attended the three day event in at the Peppers Resort at Kingscliffe. The keynote speaker Stephen James kept the attendees entertained and inspired with his flare for storytelling and games and I can attest to the value of his worships. Lystra gave a challenging and much needed session on the need for respect, consultation, patience and listening when writing about First Australians. With different streams and also connect groups, the long-awaited conference was a great way to refresh, renew and connect with other like-minded writers. 

The next in-person conference will be held from 20 to 22 September 2024. We will hold an online event in 2023.


Did you have a new release or event or brag point that didn't make it to the Highlights Post? Keep an eye out for the next call for information from members - the next Highlights post will be in end of March 2023.

Congratulations to all our members for your milestones and achievements.

Jeanette O'Hagan

Fifteen Great Picks from 2022

Throughout the year, our blog team share their insights and wisdom - it may be inspirational, a story of writerly struggles or triumphs in a messy world; tips about the writing life and writing craft, or an interview of one of our members. Sometimes it's moving, or funny or thought-provoking or all three.. Always, it's the result of thought, research, experience, passion, creativity. 

On today's blog we highlight 15 great blogs from 2022 (in no particular order). Out of close to 80 posts, it wasn't easy to choose and there are many others equally deserving of notice. 

The CWD Admin team would like to give our blog team a huge thank you for your contributions throughout 2022 (and over the last decade). We have a wealth of information and inspiration on the blogsite - accessible on multiple subjects and themes. Read, ponder, be inspired and challenged. 

Jeanette O'Hagan

1. Of Birthing Books and Babies by Jo Wanmer

A baby begins with a lone egg. A book begins with the beginning of an idea, just like a seed in a womb. Fertilization, a sperm or a boost of another idea or concept, pushes the writer to start to grow and develop the seed. Expectantly, we begin to create something for others to absorb. 

A baby in the womb develops quickly. By the end of the first trimester it even has individual fingerprints and, if a girl, more than a million eggs stored in her ovaries. (babycentre.com) Our books' skeleton's form quickly too. 

Read more here.

2. The Gift and the Blessing by Rosemary New

Reading a good Christian book is a blessing.

Writing a good Christian book is a gift from God—a ‘pay-it-forward’ blessing for readers. How long might it take for the writer’s gift to merge into the reader’s blessing?

In my book, it was 22 years.

I heard these words from God one day in 1993: “I want you to write a book.”

I was shocked. Stunned. The last time I had written anything like a book was as a 7-year-old, 

Read more here.

3. The Value of Unpublished Words by Nola Lorraine

• A traditionally published book = Value
• A quality self-published book = Value
• A homemade photocopied booklet = ?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the value we place on various types of writing. As writers, we want to find an audience for our work. In my role as an editor, however, I’ve often had to tell authors that their manuscript needs more work if they want it to be published. Sometimes a LOT of work. Many take feedback on board and polish up their drafts, but I know there are others who’ve felt discouraged and maybe even doubted whether they’re meant to be writers. This is never my intention, as I always try to be encouraging, but I have no control over how people will respond to my comments.

I think one of the problems is that we tend to equate value with publication, but they’re really two separate things. 

Read more here.

4.  Wonderful Criticism by Charis Joy Jackson

I hate criticism. OK that’s not true, I used to dislike it, but now, I’ve discovered how much constructive criticism has made me a better writer. I’m still learning and I hope I will still be honing this craft well into my 90’s. But most of all I hope by reading this, it will help you change the way you look at criticism.

Let’s be honest, none of us really like it. 

Read more here.

5.  Writing for Children: The Genesis of Pepper Masalah by Rosanne Hawke

What does it take to write good stories for children.  Multi-award winning children's writer, Rosanne Hawke explains -

When I was six I wrote a story about a cat sitting on a mat. Those were the words I could safely spell but what I really wished was to write an exciting story with interesting words.

Writing for younger readers involves our best writing, interesting words, exciting plots with genuine characters and voice. You may say that’s the same for any age group and you would be correct. So what’s different? For younger readers you’ll also need a child (or animal) main character and a topic that children will be intrigued by. Hmm, take a cat and a storm.

One night on our farm a huge storm blew up and my black cat Harry disappeared. 

Read more here. 

6. The Typical Teenager? by Claire Bell

My adult daughter commented on how many of her friends had been recently tested for autism and/or ADHD. They perhaps had always felt ‘different’ from their peers and decided to find a non-blaming reason for it. My own children always felt ‘different’ too, but put it down to the family having Christian values, or not having grown up with a television. How many young people feel ‘different’? Are they any more different than their peers, or are they simply different from the common narrative we perpetuate in fiction and media of the ‘typical teenager’?

Read more here.

7.  Reliably Write by Adele Jones

At the close of the session attendees were invited to ask questions. This led to a discussion about narration viewpoints and character/reader perceptions in the context of young, perhaps naïve, protagonists. In essence, an “unreliable narrator”.

“An unreliable narrator is a storyteller whose perspective isn’t totally reliable if we want to get the full picture or the whole truth.” ~ Kaelyn Barron


The unreliable narrator is an interesting concept and a well-used literary device. My personal leaning is that no viewpoint is ever truly reliable 

Read more here.

8.  Health for Writers by Marc Jeffrey

Sitting kills you

Well, the answer is ‘sitting’, described by a state government as the new smoking. It’s just no good to sit. Mind you, bus drivers will still bark ‘sit down’ to the unruly students at the back of the bus!

But (a little) more seriously, I get it that today’s society sits way too much, usually bingeing subscription TV. 

Read more here.

9. When you have no energy to write by Elizabeth Tai

The struggle to establish myself in a new niche was more daunting than I thought. I endured toxic jobs, crammed massive amounts of knowledge and struggled to maintain a foothold in impatient corporations that were more than willing to toss you out if you couldn’t catch up.

As I struggled with these challenges, writing stories about spaceships and aliens faded into the background. The worry of putting food on the table and saving enough for retirement was all-consuming.

And then the pandemic hit. I found myself without a job like thousands around the world (though of my own choosing — long story) and having to grapple with lockdowns, social distancing, isolation and family health crises.

I wish this was a “10 things to do if you don’t feel like writing” post. But I have no easy answers except to share my experience as I try to revive my dying flame of creativity.

Read more here.

10.  Creativity's Path by Jeanette O'Hagan

The path to creativity doesn't run smooth

One of the highlights of my childhood was winning the first prize in an art competition (in Grade 3). I loved to draw and paint as a child. I also had a passion for reading inspired by my parents reading the the Chronicles of Narnia to my brothers and me each night. Lewis’ imaginative stories transported me to another world, their strong symbolism and courage an inspiration. 

Read more here.

11.  The Curious Convergence of Chaos and Creativity by Mazzy Adams

While I focused on the final onslaught of Indie Publishing Licence to Die, the hotchpotch of folders, images, and documents filling my computer’s ‘desktop’ screen mirrored the paper jungle overtaking my desk.

Despite that, with focussed persistence, (and a willingness to read or listen to the same instruction six or sixteen times if necessary) the final product emerged FROM CHAOS, complete, published, and ready for the reading world.

Did I have to work hard to make it happen? Yes. Was it difficult or challenging? Frequently. Did it bring me joy? Yes (between the tears and the teeth-grinding). Will I keep writing, keep producing chaotic first drafts, edit them, submit them to scrutiny, edit them again, typeset them, design covers and promotional material, and fulfil the million-and-one other requirements for bringing a new book into the world? 

Read more here.

12. Meeting God in Every Plot Twist by Susan J Bruce

As writers, we love creating ‘plot twists’ in our stories, but we don’t like the plot twists life throws at us. When hard, horrible, or crazy stuff happens, do we believe God will help and strengthen us, or do we get in a flap like the hens in the Chicken Run film? 

Read More Here.

13. No barriers by Jo-Anne Berthelsen

Soon after my first novel Heléna was published in 2007, I became curious about where all those early copies would get to. I remember wishing I could install a tracking device on them so I could see who read them and what interesting adventures they had along the way. Of course, I also realised that could be discouraging. After all, some might end up unopened on dusty bookshelves somewhere or, worse still, in the recycling bin! On the other hand, some readers might love the novel and even lend it out—or buy it as a gift. Some copies might end up in libraries too and hopefully be borrowed often. The possibilities were endless!

Read more here.

14.  The One who makes the Difference! by Anusha Atukorala

I soon realised that this striking cloud made a difference. Wherever I went, the evening began to sparkle–all because of that Pretty Pink Parade. The horizon was laced with it. Gum trees grew tall in its presence. Our world was ablaze with colour because of its smiles. It was a reminder then, that just like this PPP, there is a Divine PPP who can turn an ordinary day into a special one and transform an unyielding moment into a joyful one. 

Read more here.

15. Shining Light into Darkness by Ruth Bonetti

Ruth Bonetti reflects on Advent Candles, St Lucia Day in Sweden and Hanukkah and the light of Christmas and leaves us with these challenging questions - which perhaps apply as much to 2023 as to the Christmas Season.

What light can you shed on this Christmas season?

How will you bring the Light of the World into your writing this Christ-mass season?

Read more here

So that's it for this year. 

We hope you've enjoyed this selective review of the many great blogs of 2022. And we'd like to thank all our active CWD members and bloggers who interact, comment and support each other and the group - and to wish you all a blessed and joyful Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour and Lord and a wonderful New Year in 2023.