February Meeting: 11 February 2025, 9:30am for 10am start, at Brisbane Square Library
Workshop – Great Beginnings by Anna Campbell, Award Winning Historical Romance Novelist
February Meeting: 11 February 2025, 9:30am for 10am start, at Brisbane Square Library
Workshop – Great Beginnings by Anna Campbell, Award Winning Historical Romance Novelist
On 5 October 2024, a group of writers from Women Writers Queensland visited the Bribie Island Community Arts Society (BICAS) as part of our annual 5-day Writers Retreat. The beautiful Toc H, Coungeau House, Banya Street, Bongaree, was again a welcoming sight. It was to be my first retreat, and Toni Risson’s welcoming presence on […]
I’ve always believed that the journey of researching and writing about family history is just as important as the destination, but the research will often take us along unexpected paths. Uniting the current generation with earlier generations about a forgotten past is a worthy undertaking, but the project is often complex and can take a […]
When I need to listen to or read plain and clear words that have a way of stealing up on you, I go back to Ernest Hemingway. Many authors do this well, not just Hemingway of course, but when I get bogged down or my mind starts cluttering up, I reach for Hemingway. An audiobook […]
An internet search for freelance editors will return over twenty-six million results so you will certainly find editors who will offer their services for reduced rates, but how do you choose one that is right for you? You will want an editor who is a good fit for you, one you can work with and […]
Rejection and criticism are inevitable parts of being a writer. No matter how good your writing is, you will always encounter people who don’t like it, don’t understand it, or don’t appreciate it. But that doesn’t mean you should give up on your passion or let the negative feedback get you down. Here are some […]
Some people dive into canyons with elastic around their ankles. Some plunge into shark-infested waters with small tanks of air on their backs. Others open their laptops and dive into subjects they know nothing about. Each adventure requires a leap of faith, the belief that, ‘I can do this’. Probably. I spent the last two […]
If you’re an Aussie writer looking for a publisher, you might be feeling lost. There are so many options out there, but how do you know which one is right for you? Well, don’t worry, I’m here to help. In this blog post, I’ll share some tips on how to find a publisher for an […]
In one of my many journeys I enjoyed with Cross Country Tours Australia, I came across a dead, yet upstanding iron bark tree. Its roots were partly exposed by the cutting of a gigantic, gaping hole next to it. The crown of the tree was now, what looked to me an angry face, accusing me […]
A simple question but one that is often misunderstood. “Is your book an autobiography?” A question I’m often asked. “No, it’s a Memoir.” To differentiate, an autobiography MUST start from the beginning of the author’s life and the work must cover inciting incidents, antidotes and fun experiences in chronological order. In other words, it is […]
I wish I could write a novel but whenever I put my mind to creating something from a blank page, that’s exactly what I’m left with. The stories that get my imagination zinging are of characters who dwell in my ancestral closet, like my great-grandmother who in 1932 built a one-room house on the beach […]
I recently wrote and complied a booklet about the Bribie Island Women Writers’ Retreats to share with other women writers the importance of the retreats in the yearly activities of the group. If possible, this will be uploaded to our website at a future date. Our retreat is a time when we can meet over […]
Once it was called Maiwar Home of the peacemaker platypus Steering warring beasts Towards peace and reconciliation. Now it’s the Brisbane River A slippery bendy brown beast I think I’m in one place Then discover I’m in another. First Nations, convicts, free settlers Ebb and flow like its tides The river surges, retreats, resurges Both […]
July saw 75 attendees enjoying a sumptuous high tea at the Cambrian Centre in Booval. The tables were scattered with ladybugs and butterflies, and bundled, old, and precious books bound with scarves and ties performed their role as elegant centrepieces. ‘Gladys the Tea Trolley Lady’ was a highlight, with some attendees aghast when they entered […]
When you begin writing your story or novel, thinking about things like proper layout, margins and indents can feel like obstacles to putting your ideas down on paper. Publishers, editors, agents and competition organisers require that all writing be formatted in certain ways. Apart from being visually appealing a properly formatted document is easier to […]
Bribie Island Writers’ Retreat The 2022 retreat will be held 7-9 October At the retreat, writers can dedicate quality time to their works-in-progress; join structured workshops; begin new work; discuss writers, writing and books and generally share good times with like-minded people. The retreat runs for 2 nights, from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon. This […]
God made man because he liked to hear a story – so say the Africans, and the richness of worldwide mythology proves God chose wisely. My favourite Mythological writer runs the Westcountry School of Myth in Dartmoor. Martin Shaw wrote The Lindworm, Fox Woman and The Night Wages. He asks, what if the stories owned […]
Getting PublishedBy Mocco Wollert How do I get published? The answer is simple, and I will give it at the end of this article – please no cheating and looking at it first! Some people tell me that they do not care whether their piece is published or not. I am not one of them. […]
Get out your pens, pencils, paper or typewriters, computers or laptops, it is time to enter the Estelle Pinney Short Story Competition which closes on July 31st, 2019. For more details and to print out the details of the competition click on the link below. Estelle Pinney Short Story Comp
What a great meeting with Karen Tyrrell giving us so many ideas about marketing our books!! So much information which is of great value to our members. Thank you Karen, and lovely to meet Steve too. Women Writers at the March Meeting Karen is very busy these days promoting her books, doing workshops, and presenting […]
New Year – New Start for Goals Do you start the new year with some goals? We used to call them “resolutions” but that terminology is fading. I am sure many of us start the new year with some key things to achieve. Writers do! Perhaps it is to write more words each week or […]
A Pearl Called Marj ‘Always keep a pole handy.’ This from Marj Wilke, a woman who is to the Society of Women Writers of Queensland what Alan McGilvray was to cricket. ‘A light one,’ she adds, ‘but long enough to hang onto when you’re up a ladder.’ It turns out that grasping said pole secures […]
This is for members – we have asked members who attended the last meeting and Bribie Island Retreat to complete this form, and give us feedback or ideas. If you could complete the form, and send it to secretary@womenwritersqld.org.au, it would be much appreciated. You should be able to click on the link below and […]
My Journey with Writing My journey with writing began with reading. I had always felt comfortable with words and language and read voraciously from a very young age, working my way through most of the classics before I was a teenager. In my mid-teens, I knew I wanted to be a writer. If you are […]
Wouldn’t it be good to even be on the shortlist for the prestigious award – Prime Minister’s Literary Awards! Check Details Entries to the 2017 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards are now open. The 2017 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards mark 10 years of celebrating great Australian literature. Here are the details from the website. Entries close on […]
On Wickham Terrace, in what used to be the specialist medical precinct of Brisbane, stands the historic Inchcolm building. These days there are medical practices in the precinct, but other businesses have replaces some of the older businesses. Medical Centre I remember going to my medical specialist way back in 1974. I remember the building […]
Our ‘Let’s Talk About Alice’ panel began with words from M.K. Hume’s King Arthur: Dragon’s Child. “Now, in the twenty-first century, Karl Marx’s grave in a London cemetery is no longer a rallying cry to the poisoned idea that the end justifies the means…’ Lauren Elise Daniels at Brisbane Square Library November 26th, 2016 Marilyn […]
The Alice Literary Award was the inspiration for a presentation at The End Room of the Brisbane Square Library. While a little late starting, the panel session was most interesting. Laurel Daniels set the tone with readings from the works of each of the panel members, followed by a details ‘bio’ of their achievements. As […]
Marilyn Hume is one of the many women writers who has chosen to disguise their gender by changing their name, or in fact hiding it. By writing as M K Hume, she has received greater success than she believes she would have otherwise. I have not met Marilyn Hume – was hoping to meet her at […]
SWWQ Member Mary Mennis left Brisbane yesterday (October 31st) on the Pacific Aria. with her husband Brian. They will go to PNG; Alotoau where there is a Canoe Festival and the opening of a Museum. Then they will go on to Kitaya, Trobriands, Rabaul, then to Kiriwina Island. They will then travel to Conflict Island […]
The 2016 Alice Award Winner announced in Launceston in August is Dr Clare Wright. Until this week I had not done any research on the winner, I feel sad that it has taken me so long to find out about her. Dr Clare Wright She is described in Wikipedia as an Australian author, historian and […]
The Value of Critiquing Critiquing is an important benefit of being in a group of writers. One of the most popular benefits of membership with SWWQ is the Postal Magazines. There are several of these “magazines” under the guidance of our Postal Magazine Editor, Sue Wagner. The idea is that a group of members will participate […]
Thanks to Dr Google, I found this explanation on the difference between Criticism and Critiquing on a website. Visit here for the full story. In writing, we speak of Critiquing. What is it? Critiquing versus Criticism One of the things that happens as a writer is you are subject to other people’s comments and opinions. […]