Post by Guest Blogger Virginia Miranda
Three Towns, Three Writers, Three days of Inspiration
Ten women on a bus, driven by the very patient Chris from Coorparoo RSL, departed Brisbane on August 1 for their “Write Out West” workshop tour.
First stop, the Black Cat Café, Millmerran for lunch. A tiny town which offered us country fare, so we left well sated and watered.
St George
After a long journey, our driver found the Jacaranda Country Motel in St George, where we were early to bed. Saturday morning, up bright and early, ready for our first workshop, our trusty driver delivered us to the St George Library.
First presentation – Maureene Fries – Finding Your Focus.
Imagine the surface of a smooth, clear lake. You pick up a pebble from the shore and throw it out over the water, it arcs and then… plop! You have a centre point and from this springs many concentric ripples. Now, I want you to replace the pebble with an object you can literally hold in your hand. Any object you like.
The suggested objects were many, from gemstones to rings, knives to keys. And the stories began to unfold. A stimulating workshop to get the creative juices flowing.
After a yummy morning tea Shelley Dark presented – The Structure of Story.
All stories are about change. This is the engine that drives the magic. Shelley taught us about the central dramatic question – what question does your story promise to answer?
Followed by the A+B=C of the story.
A – the protagonist with a flaw who has a goal or wants something. B – the pressure applied to the flaw. C – a changed person at the end.
The Story Circle was explained – divide a circle into three, two even sections on the top with the largest at the bottom.
Begin your story with a hook, an inciting event. Move to the point of no return and now you are in the bottom half of your circle. Here we have the first pinch point, next the midpoint or mirror point, followed by the second pinch point. Now we are moving to the all-is-lost moment and the last third, the climax and denouement. Depending on the length of your story, you can divide the number of words into three portions.
Writing for Publication
Bernadette Condren presented – Writing for Publication – after lunch. Bernadette showed us the many paths to publication, including magazines, newspapers, online forums, and publishing companies. She warned us to be vigilant in our research of all the avenues available, as there were many wolves in sheep’s clothing.
St George, Roma and Dalby
All three workshops were a great success, in St George Library, Roma Library and in Dalby at the Bunya Room. At each venue, a great group of enthusiastic women attended.
A couple of our Brisbane members took advantage of some spare time in Roma and hitched a ride with Chris to the Sculptures Outback. An amazing exhibition.
All three workshops generated heaps of interaction. The rural women often feel isolated in their writing pursuits, so lots of questions and discussions transpired in St George, Roma and Dalby.
Thanks
Women Writers Qld appreciate the support we received from Storyfest as well as the funding from Balonne & Western Downs Councils and Coorparoo RSL for their contribution towards our travel arrangements. Storyfest have sponsored our presenters for the past two years. We look forward to our continued partnership with Storyfest.
Write out West will continue to maintain its focus with our rural members into the future. As many of these women cannot attend our meetings, these workshops offer practical tools and are essential for their creative growth.
Post by Guest Blogger, Virginia Miranda
Virginia began writing in high school and was first published in the Brisbane State High School Year book, 1966.
In 1976 her story ‘The Enchanted Valley’, a story about Fraser Island in the future, was published in the QIT magazine, Unit 76.
In the 70’s and 80’s Virginia’s short stories were published in ‘Me’ magazine.
As Public Relations Officer for Beenleigh Air Sea Rescue, she wrote a weekly column in the Albert &Logan News.
Virginia is a member of Byron Writers Festival, Brisbane Writers Centre, Brisbane Writers Festival and The Society of Women Writers. She is the Secretary/Treasurer of the Fellowship of Australian Writers Qld.
In 2014 she began a 52 Week Flash Fiction Challenge on Facebook. Her first book ‘FlashFiction Volume One is a compilation of these stories. The book was recently launched at the Cleveland Lions Community Centre, to wide acclaim.
“They say the best examples of a fine Chianti are a visceral tasting experience; an intense sense of place developing with just a single sip. The same can be said of this collection of flash fiction shorts.” Review by Dimity Powell – Children’s author.
Her style is emotive and evocative, demonstrating her love for the written word.
‘For me writing is about the words, how they come together, where they take the reader. The art of good Flash Fiction is to deliver a subtle message in the least amount of words. I believe my book has achieved this.’
Virginia’s Website – www.inkblurb.com
Facebook – Virginia’s Inkblurb
