Have Courage

"Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow that talent to the dark place it leads."

~Erica Jong~

(c) Pamela Weatherill 2008

Punctuation and grammar

You don't need to be a purist or classically trained in punctuation or grammar. In fact - sometimes purposefully sitting outside the norm can be a really enthralling thing for your reader (see e e cummings as a classic example of this).

I am not that great at either myself.

Spend some time reading about punctuation.

Try to make some improvements to your grammar just for the fun of it.

And ...

Read one of those "Write the right word at the right time" kind of articles or books. Any little speck of information you pick up will strengthen your writing.

It's a little like the old "learn a new word a day" trick. Writing well is about grammar and punctuation - try reading a piece which does neither well - you will agree!


(c) Pamela Weatherill 2008

Peer Mentoring Workshop

If you are interested in growing your support systems as a writer, a useful way to do this is Peer Mentoring.

If you are interested in learning more about Peer Mentoring for Writers, you might like to attend a workshop I am leading at the Fellowship of Australian Writers (WA) on March 29. Details available through the Fellowship web site.

(c) Pamela Weatherill 2008

Self Publishing Writers

If you have chosen the 'path less traveled' and are self-publishing - there are both advantages and disadvantages to this approach.

Here is a publication from the Australian Society of Authors (ASA) 'Hints for Self Published Authors' that is invaluable. Full of hints AND contact lists where you need them ...

While you are visiting the site - consider joining the ASA.

(c) Pamela Weatherill 2008

One for the freelance writers ....

You must be mad to want to write freelance as a career ... the work is hard and long and often boring ... less glamour than movies and TV would have you think. Yet somehow, mothlike, many of us return to the screen to face another day of writing, researching and running workshops.

Payment for doing what you love (or for writing something you loathed but the paying client wanted) is a common concern . I had to share this quote with fellow freelancers ... The writer Robert Benchley once said:

“The freelance writer is a man who is paid per piece or per word or perhaps”.

(c) Pamela Weatherill 2008

2008 Prime Minister's Literary Awards

One for Aussie Authors ...

Entries are now open for the 2008 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, a new initiative celebrating the contribution of Australian literature to the nation’s cultural and intellectual life. The Awards recognise literature’s importance to our national identity, community and economy.

A prize of $100 000 will be awarded to the work judged to be of the highest literary merit in each of two categories:

• Fiction
• Non-Fiction

The Australian Government is preparing legislation to exempt the Awards from income tax, but at this time the legislation is yet to be passed.

Authors, publishers and literary agents are eligible to enter books written by living Australian citizens and permanent residents. Works must be first published in English and first offered for general sale between 1 January and 31 December 2007.

Entry forms for the Awards and guidelines, outlining eligibility criteria and providing further information, are available on the Arts and Culture Web Site.

(c) Pamela Weatherill 2008