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Photo of a Santa decoration

On the List – Flash Fiction

Kylie Fennell

‘You’re on it!’

‘Are you sure?’ My voice trembles and sweat clings to my palms. 

I don’t have the guts to check the list myself, not after last year’s disappointment.

‘It says it right here, “Rose Adamson”.’ My best friend, Jill, jabs at the computer screen with her shellac nails, decorated with tiny Christmas trees.

I dare to take a closer look. She’s right. My name is there, near the top of the list.

‘It’s a Christmas miracle!’ Jill gushes.  

I’m glad she’s here for my victory, especially considering the whole thing was her idea in the first place. 

I feel something between relief and vindication. The opposite of how I felt last year when I’d been so sure of myself. 

I knew I had a gift for writing. No-one was a match for my wit and cleverly crafted commentary. I knew how to use words to get people talking. And talk, they did. In every respect, I was an accomplished writer and I didn’t care what people thought of me…until the list – a shocking reminder of the fragility of writers’ egos.

I tried to brush the list off as unimportant. It was just one opinion, but for some reason, it did matter. It tapped into something primal, something deeply ingrained. It attacked the core of my being. 

So I spent the next 12 months working harder than ever. I chose each and every word with extreme precision. I wrote with care. I thought not just of the readers but the impact of my words. I forgot about what was “expected” of me and my words bled on the page with honesty as well as heart. Then there was nothing to do but hope, wish and wait for judgment. 

And now I’ve done it! I’ve redeemed myself. I’ve proved myself worthy. I’m no longer being punished for being “the country’s nastiest literary critic”. This year I’m on the right list.

‘Shit!’ Jill frantically taps away at the computer keys.

‘What is it?’

Jill’s fingers freeze over the keyboard and she stares at the screen. She shakes her head, and her tiny sleigh bell earrings tinkle tauntingly. 

‘I’m not on it,’ she says with the devastation of a child who didn’t get the latest games console they wanted for Christmas.  

I scan the list. Jill’s name isn’t on it. I check again to no avail. We both know what it means.

Jill steps away from the computer. ‘I can’t look. You’ll have to do it for me.’

‘Are you sure?’

Jill nods slowly, her usually rosy cheeks devoid of colour.

I scroll right down to the “other” list and my throat constricts. 

‘Just say it.’ 

‘You’re on the…’ I can’t finish the sentence.

Jill slumps into a chair, oblivious to the stuffed reindeer splayed underneath her. ‘I guess I deserve it,’ she says in a tiny voice. ‘Hacking into Santa’s iCloud account, two years in a row, was a sure way to get myself on his naughty list.’

sparse desert alien landscape night time

Never Again – Flash Fiction

Kylie Fennell

“An adventure into the unknown,” my friends said, “it will be fun”. They lied.

I’m not sure why I agreed to it. I had lived all of my 41 years in the safety zone, always colouring inside the lines and never straying too far from my creature comforts of home. The riskiest thing I’d ever done was order my jungle curry hot instead of medium – that had been a mistake too.

Maybe it was a mid-life crisis that prompted me to go. Maybe a temporary bout of madness. It didn’t matter how I got here. It only mattered how I was going to get out alive.

The landscape and isolation are completely foreign. A vast, untamed wildness teeming with unseen creatures. Their haunting cries pierce the night. I don’t know what I’ll do if I meet any of them face-to-face. I’ve been warned my protective clothing will do nothing to withstand their stings, claws, or fangs. ‘Protective clothing’ seemed a misnomer considering how ineffective it is against the creatures and the suffocating heat. The exposed parts of my body are red raw from sunburn and insect bites, made worse by my incessant scratching.

We have our duties. Tend to the fire. Prepare meals from long-life packets and whatever can be caught by the more intrepid adventurers among us. Showers are non-existent, as are toilets. It had never occurred to me that I’d have to ‘dig a hole’. It most definitely was not in the brochure.

The dirt, dust and sand insidiously finds its way into every crevice and clings to the film of sweat covering my body. Water is a precious commodity. The oversized bottles are reserved for drinking water and cooking. Not for brushing your teeth I’m told – a wasted exercise since everyone already reeks.

The others seem to thrive in this unforgiving environment. They are enraptured by the land virtually untouched by man. They gaze at the night sky and marvel at the boundless nature of the universe and our insignificance in contrast. 

Not me. I sit closest to the largest guy among us, hoping our carnivorous animal friends will choose him as a meal over me. I count the seconds until everyone is ready to retire for the night, for I dare not venture back to my quarters alone. 

It is the ‘extra hot’ lentil curry that finally tips me over the edge. I’ve already drunk my water ration for the day and my guts are churning. I excuse myself, clutching my stomach, knowing what is on its way. I scramble to find my spade but it is too late. I curse, wondering if washing soiled clothes is an approved use of water. And I pledge there and then, never to go camping or so much as visit the Australian outback again.

wine hearts and wine

You Had Me at… Flash Fiction

Kylie Fennell

The following flash fiction story was shortlisted in the Australian Writers’ Centre’s Furious Fiction contest a little while ago. We were given half a dozen descriptive prompts to include, such as, ‘cold and greasy’. I hope you enjoy it.

‘Sweet and pungent,’ he says with authority before sloshing the wine around his mouth. In fervent concentration, his eyebrows dart around like hungry caterpillars trying to escape. ‘Be free little guys,’ I think to myself, ‘Save yourself’. Or did I say it out loud? It was hard to tell. Unlike my sipping and swilling date, I prefer the gulp and guzzle school of wine-tasting.

I down my glass. The disapproving look he casts me is reminiscent of being summoned to the school principal’s office. Was he a school principal? I can’t recall, but a review of his heavily slicked-back hair, his blue Wall Street shirt with white collar and shiny, silver cufflinks, confirms that he’s a professional twat.

After dating a string of kale-eating, teetotalling, wannabe ninja warriors, I’d been attracted to the part of his profile that said he enjoyed a good wine.

He suggested wine tasting for our first date, bringing me along to his wine appreciation club, which is nowhere near as much fun as it sounds. It involves hours of painstakingly detailed analysis of wines with little of the ‘enjoyment’ you’d expect from drinking said wine.

As I procure myself another glass of wine he excuses himself to go to the bathroom.

‘Cold and greasy with a bitter aftertaste.’ I’m startled by the deep voice behind me.

I spin around to be greeted by a jeans and T-shirt wearing man who could easily pass as a Hemsworth brother.

‘Sorry? Which wine are you describing?’

‘I’m describing your date.’

I choke on my wine.

He flashes a dimpled grin. ‘I don’t know crap about wine…or more accurately, I don’t give a crap, as long as it tastes all right. So I’m describing the wine club members instead.’

I can’t resist a smile.

‘Why don’t you try?’ He indicates his date, a petite woman gesticulating and loudly disagreeing with one of her fellow members about something to do with tannins.

‘Okay then. Light-bodied and acidic with a shrill, piercing finish.’

‘Ohhh, that’s harsh.’

I’m about to apologise when he laughs. ‘No that was a good one. Go again.’ He looks in the direction of an older man whose tanned face speaks to a lifetime working outside. His navy blazer appears to be covered in white cat hair.

‘A great vintage, but a little scratched and weather-worn.’

He counters by describing a man, wearing a tweed jacket with elbow patches and an ink-stained tartan tie, as ‘crisp and dry with nutty undertones’.

We succumb to a fit of giggles ignoring the collective shushing and stares from around the room. Eventually, we recover. ‘We’re going straight to hell,’ I say.

‘I thought we were already there. Say, do you want to get out of here?’

‘It depends.’

He raises a questioning brow.

‘On your description of me.’

He strokes his chin in mock thought.

‘Unapologetically complex and exuberant with just the right amount of spice.’ His eyes twinkle. ‘Did I pass?’

‘You had me at cold and greasy.’

This Month’s Writing Tip: Enjoying the “Process”

Kylie Fennell

I recently saw an interview with the cast of a Quentin Tarantino movie with the actors saying they celebrated regularly throughout the whole filmmaking process, and not just at the end. Apparently Tarantino subscribes to the belief that if you are involved in a creative pursuit, you should enjoy all of the process not just the “red carpet” bit at the end.

This resonated with me because as an author the “process” can be exhausting at times. Writing a book can take a long time. Editing a book can take a long time. And publishing a book can take…you guessed it, a long time. So, if you don’t enjoy the whole (or most of the) process, what’s the point?

I’ve found that there’s always some aspect or several aspects of writing that an author doesn’t enjoy. For some this may be marketing themselves. For others it might be asking for feedback. For me, I find structural edits a hard slog – some days it feels like you’ll never get the damn book finished, right?

While I think it should be expected that you won’t like everything about the job of writing, there are definitely some things you can do to make the hard parts, less hard.

Here are a few ideas:

  • Break big tasks into smaller achievable chunks.
  • Do the stuff you like the least, first up in the day – get it out of the way so you can move on to the things you do like.
  • Remind yourself that there will be an end to whatever stage or task you’re working on.
  • Focus on your end goal and how that will feel.
  • Talk to other writers who understand the “process” and can commiserate, cheer you on and even offer helpful advice.
  • Ask for help – if it’s something you don’t know how to do, then ask someone who does know.
  • Outsource to a professional – if it’s something that make sense to outsource, and you can afford to do so, delegate the task to a professional.
  • Have other projects on the go. If, for example, you don’t like the editing process and you know it will go for a while, have a side project where you’re working on something you do like. Perhaps, have a short story on the go, or start planning a new novel. Just be careful, though, not to fall victim to “shiny new object” syndrome.
  • Work to a favourite playlist. I have a bunch of playlists that I go to when I need extra motivation. I’ve found for instance it’s very difficult to hate what I’m doing if Salt ‘N’ Pepa is playing in the background – but maybe that’s just me : )
  • And most importantly, celebrate every step of the way! Share with your (writing) friends and family when you have completed a stage or task. Choose something meaningful to you to mark your achievement, whether it’s taking a long bath, reading a book – or treating yourself in some other way.

Writing, in my opinion, is the best job in the world, so why waste your time hating on the “process”?

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How to Really Support Other Writers

Kylie Fennell

It started with a tweet from a high profile author who directed some less than supportive, and ill-informed comments at (aspiring) authors who start marketing themselves before they are published. In another tweet, the author took exception to authors offering writing advice unless they were well established and traditionally published. 

I don’t know the reasons behind the author’s comments, she may in fact have been trying to be helpful. In any case, her tweets seemed to have the opposite effect. 

It led me to write this post about ways writers can really support each other. 

Respect Each Other’s Journey

Every writer’s journey is different. There is no ‘one size fits all’ definition of what makes a successful writer.

Success is not dependent on how many book deals you have and whether you have been traditionally published. While a book deal may be the ultimate goal for some of us, for just as many it is not. And if you want to be traditionally published and haven’t achieved that goal (yet), it doesn’t mean you haven’t succeeded as a writer.

Success comes in many forms: finishing that novel in the first place; submitting a short story to a competition; getting 200 words down while you’re toddler is asleep; being brave enough to share your work with a writer’s group; self-publishing a book, or simply improving as a writer.

Let’s celebrate everyone’s unique journey and all wins, big and small.

Share Your Knowledge & Experiences

One of the things I love most about the writing community is how generous fellow writers are with their knowledge and experience.

If you have relevant experience and knowledge you think will help a fellow author, by all means, share it. However, I do suggest that you specify your point of reference. Be clear if you’re sharing learnings based on your personal experience.

If you’re an expert in a certain area (based on years of experience and qualifications) mention that. 

You don’t need to be traditionally published or have ‘X’ number of books under your belt to be able to give helpful and valuable information to other writers. But you also shouldn’t offer ‘advice’ on a topic that is not your area of expertise. 

In my case, I’m a Certified Practising Marketer with the Australian Marketing Institute, with 20 years of marketing and communication experience, as well as tertiary marketing qualifications. I am also a professional writer (I do it for a living) and am a published author. 

I don’t have a big publishing deal, but I have expert marketing knowledge, as well as personal experience that may help other writers, so I will do my best to share it in a positive way.

Lift Each Other Up 

We all need a little kindness and encouragement from our fellow writers.

If you’re anything like me, you have great writing days and bad writing days. You have days when you’re proud of yourself and other days when you just want to give up.

What we need is to be part of a community who understands all the ups and downs of writing and supports each other. Be ready to cheer others on and offer support with the hope they will do the same for you. 

Have the Right Motivations 

If you REALLY want to help other writers, don’t make it about you. Offer help and support with no expectations of getting anything in return. Be honest and authentic in your intent. Give generously and with an open heart and mind. This is the true meaning of ‘giving’…and often ends up with ‘getting back’ when you least expect it. 

Share the Love

Follow fellow writers on social media and engage in their posts. Sign up to their newsletters. Buy their books. Review their books. Attend their events. Share other writers’ content. Every little bit helps.

Be cool

Inevitably there may come a time when you feel the need to share an opinion that may not be popular. There’s nothing wrong with disagreeing with someone or having a differing opinion, but I suggest doing so in a professional and respectful way. 

The business of writing is already tough enough without being subjected to judgement and negativity from within our own community.

I truly believe that helping other writers lifts us all closer to success.

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How Collaboration Can Make You A Better Writer

Kylie Fennell

I don’t make a secret of the fact that I credit my writing group with making me a better writer. I’ve written and posted a lot about how other writers can provide invaluable critique and encouragement, but what about the idea of collaboration?

Can a truly collaborative project make you an even better writer? Can working together on one project bring out the best in each other’s work? Can collaboration kickstart your author platform and open publishing opportunities?

The short answer in my experience is: ‘Yes’ to all of the above.

Fifteen heads are better than…

Nearly twelve months ago, I attended GenreCon – a leading genre fiction conference held in Brisbane by the Queensland Writers Centre. A light-hearted dinner conversation about our different writing projects sparked an idea for a collaborative, multi-genre anthology. We chose the common setting of ‘lighthouses’ for our anthology after one writer mentioned her real-life interest in lighthouses.

We saw the anthology as an opportunity to get our work out into the world and have some fun.

Each member of the initial group invited at least one other genre writer they knew to join the project and in no time we had fifteen writers on board.

A ‘Collaborative’ Anthology

Most anthologies, writers are familiar with, have a submission or application process, driven by the person or organisation planning on publishing the anthology. Typically, writers are invited to submit their story for consideration, and their work may or may not be selected for inclusion.

The authors featured in this kind of anthology usually engage directly with the ‘publisher’ about their work. It’s not uncommon for the writer to be unaware of who the other featured writers are, or have any communication with them.

A collaborative anthology such as ‘Lighthouse’ employs a different approach.

It works on the assumption that everyone in the group will have their story published (as long as it meets agreed quality guidelines) and will work collaboratively with the group members to review and edit each other’s work.

In practical terms our collaboration consisted of:

  • A private Facebook group for discussion, information sharing and decision making
  • Assigned editing buddies (each writer had two buddies within the group who reviewed their work before it went to the Lead Editor). There were two rounds of editing buddy and Lead Editor feedback
  • Proofreaders (each writer was assigned two proofreaders who weren’t their buddies)
  • Final review/checks by Lead Editor and Project Team.

In total each story was reviewed by a minimum of six people within the group.

The Value of Multiple Sets of Eyes

Having multiple people review each story, meant there was a better chance of spotting any potential issues with a story, but more importantly it meant getting different perspectives.

Of the fifteen authors, we had crime, romance, sci-fi, fantasy, dystopian and speculative fiction writers. Each writer had their own individual strengths and brought something new to the stories they reviewed.

We had established rules of engagement at the beginning of the project, to ensure all feedback was given respectfully and was constructive. The result was that each writer and story evolved to be its best.

The collaborative editing process also saw writers hone their editing skills. I for one, recognised common issues with my own writing and learned, from other writers, how to avoid those same issues in the future.

Spur Each Other On

Our team approach to this project meant each person took on a role in marketing the anthology. Some writers who hadn’t had a chance to set up their author platforms yet, felt motivated to do it for the anthology, so they wouldn’t let the team down.

The group encouraged and supported each other’s marketing efforts, sharing and engaging with group member posts and content.

Being part of an anthology sees your core marketing team go from one person to the whole group – in our case we have fifteen people supporting and cheering the rest of the group on.

The Results Are In…

For me, collaborating with other authors has definitely been a rewarding experience. The proof, I believe, is in the final product – our anthology.

Lighthouse, published by Lorikeet Ink, is now available to purchase. To secure your copy go to www.lorikeetink.com/lighthouse

Lighthouse – An Anthology, is a unique collection of fantasy, sci-fi, romance, crime, historical fiction, dystopian and paranormal short stories from established and emerging Australian authors.

Each of the fifteen stories is set in a lighthouse – some real lighthouses readers will recognise, others imagined.

Feedback

The Biggest Thing Standing Between You and Writer Success

Kylie Fennell

Okay, you got me. There are actually many variables that determine whether you succeed as a writer – not just one thing. If there was an exact magic formula there wouldn’t be a need for anyone to blog about this stuff…but…there is, in fact, one critical factor that determines just how good you get as a writer. And that one thing is feedback.

Over the last twenty plus years, I have worked as a journalist and editor on daily newspapers and magazines. I have written all forms of marketing and communication content for globally listed companies, government, SMEs and not-for-profits.

The reason I tell you this is to demonstrate I’m no stranger to feedback. In my first gig as a cadet journalist in the 90s I quickly learned how to write better.

Pumping out half a dozen and more stories a day, I had to write fast but also well enough to avoid the sub-editor angrily stomping down to my desk and pulling apart my story line by line. I’m not sure about newsrooms these days but sub-editors back then didn’t mince their words when it came to feedback. If they knew about the feedback sandwich, they certainly didn’t subscribe to it.

I later worked for a head of a government department who was known for scribbling ‘What is this BS?’ in giant red letters across anything he didn’t like – fortunately I never received one of those.

Now I’m not saying these were great ways to get the best out of a writer or that everyone should have to experience this, but it definitely taught me a lot about the importance of feedback and how to deal with it. 

Specifically, here are the key things I’ve learned.

1. Be Open to Feedback

Everyone….I mean EVERYone needs some form of feedback and editing.

No matter how experienced you are as a writer, we can all do with a second pair of eyes.

Often as writers, we are so close to our work that we don’t notice things that might stand out to another person.

You may have read your work a hundred times (and sometimes it does feel like that) but completely missed a typo. As the writer you also have all the pieces of the puzzle in your mind, you know the background and whole plot, but you may not have translated enough of those puzzles onto the page for the story to make sense to the reader.

A good reader/editor will tell you which parts or syntax that weren’t clear to them. They may even make useful suggestions about how to improve a sentence, phrase or segue.

2. Be Brave

Presenting your work to others for feedback for the first time is a big step. Putting your precious words out to the world (even if it’s just to one other person) takes bravery.

I mentioned earlier that I was used to the idea of feedback…but that was in relation to my news and corporate writing.

When it came to my creative writing, it was a completely different matter.

For many years (nearly a decade) I tinkered away at my first novel – my first serious attempt at creative writing. Those years of writing and refining and attending courses were important to learn my craft but only up to a certain point.

The harsh reality was that my novel wasn’t going anywhere until I was prepared to share it with someone.

I was writing in a vacuum. I felt safe in my vacuum but it was a confined space. Nothing can truly grow in that kind of environment.

It was only when I was brave enough to share my novel that I was able to really improve my work – and the rate of improvement was rapid! Only after that point did I enjoy any form of success with my creative writing. I started entering competitions and submitting my work to industry professionals. 

My work started getting recognised and I took what feedback I was given and improved my work more.

3. Ask the Right People for Feedback

I tweeted recently about how my mum insisted on reading my draft YA fantasy novel, even though she doesn’t read YA and “hates” fantasy.
This is an example of someone I shouldn’t be asking for feedback.

The people you ask to review your work, will depend on what kind of feedback you’re looking for.

Here’s who you may like to ask for what.

  • Avid Readers of Your Genre – These readers can give you very useful feedback on whether your story and characters meet their expectations. They are more likely to be invested in your story so their feedback may go beyond structural feedback to character voice and line edits.
  • Family and friends – If your family and friends don’t read your genre, prepare yourself for the fact that they may not enjoy your story, regardless of how good it is. Unless they have a writing background their feedback may not be particularly useful. If they insist on reading your work, let them, but you can’t be sure of hearing what you want to hear. If you’re expecting a pat on the back and to be told how awesome you are, then you may be disappointed. For those of you whose family and friends are the cheer squad types, take the encouragement. Use it to boost and motivate you, but don’t kid yourself. This kind of feedback does little to make you a better writer.
  • Writing friends – People in your network or writing groups that are professional writers, or are on the same creative writing path as you, can provide really helpful feedback (as well as support and encouragement). Regardless of the genre they write in, writers “get” other writers. They can provide invaluable feedback at a structural and line edit level. Just make sure though you are working with people whose opinions you respect and trust.
  • Grammar police types – We all know those people – whether their friends, family or workmates – who know their em dashes from their en dashes. By all means ask these people for help once you’re ready for proofreading. 

4. Seriously Consider All Feedback

If you have asked someone for feedback and they have taken the time and effort to give it, then you should seriously consider all of their suggestions.

It’s completely natural to not agree with every piece of feedback you’re given but it’s important to take a beat and challenge your thinking when it comes to each and every suggestion…even if it means you have to do a lot of work.

Ask yourself, would their suggestion make the story better?

If you’re not completely sure, engage the person who gave you the feedback in a discussion about their suggestion or ask for a second opinion.

Generally, when I have ask a specific person for feedback (they will be someone I trust) I will take on board around 90% of their changes. 

Of course, if you’ve been given feedback that is not in keeping with your voice, story and characters, feel free to ignore it – perhaps even explain why to the person who gave the feedback.

5. Feedback You Must Take on Board 

There are some forms of feedback I believe you should always take on board. These have nothing to do with stylistic feedback or authorial voice, it is to do with clarity.

If a reader has flagged something that doesn’t make sense to them, or is unclear, then I personally believe you should listen to them.

The way I see it is that if one person didn’t understand something, there’s a good chance that others won’t.

Unclear writing jolts a reader out of a story, which is the last thing you want to happen.

While it is possible that your writing is clear and it was just one particular reader who had an issue, the fact they mentioned it is enough reason to check the section and/or get a second opinion.

Yes, feedback is tough. Feedback can hurt. But feedback is also the single most important tool for becoming a better writer.

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Writing Dialogue True to Each Character’s Voice

Kylie Fennell

Capturing a character’s unique voice is an ongoing challenge but I feel like I’m making real progress with my latest work-in-progress.

My main character is a 17-year-old girl and I was once that age so I figure I have a bit of a headstart. To get even further into my character’s head I dusted off diaries I had written as a teenager.

Reading your teenage words by the way is not for the faint-hearted. It took me weeks to get over the experience.

I apologised to my Mum for being a self-involved cow back then and reassured myself that I’ve (mostly) left those angsty teenage behaviours behind.  

Then after a recovery period I started writing in my character’s voice.

Overall I’d say the exercise was worthwhile as the voice is feeling true and real to my character but I’ve hit another snag.

I have at least four secondary or minor characters who are all men of a similar age.

Some only appear in one or two scenes so there isn’t much opportunity to introduce the characters in great detail, or otherwise distinguish them from each other. As a result, the characters are blending into each other a little.

With little space to work with, I’ve decided to try and work some dialogue magic so they don’t all sound the same.

Here is what I’ve learned about writing dialogue that is unique and true to each character.

Have a real person in mind

If you don’t have first-hand insight or experience as the character you are writing dialogue for, then try to picture someone in your broader network who does represent the same kind of character.

Is there someone from your school days, work, your wider family or circle of friends who reminds you of your character?

Maybe there’s a customer you’ve encountered through work or someone you’ve overheard on public transport, at the checkout or next to you at the hairdressers.

They may not be the exact same type of person but they may share some of your character’s key characteristics.

What struck you about how they spoke and expressed themselves? What kind of language did they use? Were there any words in particular they favoured?

Look for things such as:

  • Word choice
  • Formality
  • Length of their sentences
  • Rhythm
  • Feeling – the emotive effect of their words and the level of feeling in them.
  • Who are they talking to? Consider how they would speak differently depending on their audience.

Use all of this for inspiration for your character.

Have a favourite character in mind

Maybe you don’t know someone in your network but you have a favourite character from a book, film or TV who you can use for inspiration.

If you don’t already have a favourite character in mind, then read/watch/listen to something in the same genre you are writing in, or featuring characters of similar ages and backgrounds and identify common themes or language they use.

Write Through It

Sometimes the only way to truly get to know a character is to write your way through it.

Write dialogue for your character that you don’t even need for your book. Invent a scene in your head, something that’s completely out of context of what you’re writing and just start putting words on the page in their voice.

It may be them speaking about what they did on the weekend, or what their biggest fear is. Choose any topic that will get you starting to piece together how they would speak.

For my main character I conducted an ‘interview’ where I asked her twenty or so ‘getting to know you’ questions and then answered them in her voice. I haven’t used any of the content directly in my book but it heavily informed not only the character’s dialogue but also how she may act in particular situations.

Check Your Dialogue

There are a few ways to check whether your dialogue sounds natural and unique to each character.

First up, read your dialogue out loud.

The quickest way to find out if dialogue sounds like something a person would say is to actually say it out loud. DO NOT skip this step.

To check whether dialogue is unique to a character, take a section or sections of dialogue featuring different characters. Remove all dialogue tags and names, as well as anything else that would identify the characters, then try and identify the characters from the dialogue alone.

This may be seem easy for you since you wrote the dialogue. The ultimate test is giving it to someone familiar with your work and see if they can identify who said what, or even if they can identify if there are different speakers and accurately distinguish between each of the examples.

So what are you waiting for? Start a conversation with your characters today and you’ll be on your way to writing unique dialogue that is true to each of them.

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With a Little Help From My Friends

Kylie Fennell

Why every aspiring author needs a writing group

With everything going on in this crazy world right now, we can all appreciate how important it is to have good friends (albeit virtually) around us.

I’ve very fortunate to count among my friends an amazing group of writers who I’d be lost without.

Now I’ve been plugging away at this creative writing thing for more than a decade but it’s only been in the last couple of years of being in a writing group have I experienced some true wins.

Winning at Writing

What do I mean by true wins? Winning for a writer can mean a lot of things but these are just some of the wins I attribute to my writing group.

People who understand

It takes a writer to understand what it’s like to be a writer. Other people in your life may struggle to understand what you are doing and why on Earth you are bothering. I found my tribe in my writing group. People like me. People who just get it.

Pep talks

Every writer goes through moments of doubt, self-criticism and the dreaded imposter syndrome. Sometimes we get bad news about a writing opportunity or are rejected by an agent or publisher.

It doesn’t matter why I may need a pep talk, just that I know my writing group is right there to give me a much-needed boost.

Motivation

Creative writing isn’t a job for most of us. It’s not a thing where you “have to show up”. It is more likely to be something we squeeze in around our day job and all of the other commitments in our lives. And let’s face it, writing can be mentally exhausting at times so it’s not unusual to feel unmotivated every now and again.

With regular check-in and coordinated virtual write-ins we motivate each other to turn up and put the words on the page.

Accountability

Recently our writing group implemented ‘Monthly words’ where each of us has to submit a chapter or equivalent to the group for review and feedback.

We have a deadline and calendar reminders and it’s a way of forcing us to whip at least one thing into shape and get over the fear of sharing our work. It also helps us to identify and rectify potential plot issues before they get too big.

Partners in crime

Our writing group often shares and participates in writing opportunities and competitions.

Every month we all try to write and submit something for the Australian Writers Centre Furious Fiction competition as well as other contests.

We share our work among the group and cheer each other on right up until the last minute of the submission window.

Having someone right next to you in the trenches means you’re more likely to get the job done and have fun along the way!

Advice

Having a brainstrust of skilled writers with diverse professional and life experiences means you always have someone to ask for when it comes to writing advice.

Whether it’s about punctuation, structure, comparison titles, or something random like, ‘what do you think this character would be wearing?’, I know I can count on the group for stellar advice.

My writing group is particularly good also at helping with sanity checks.

Feedback

As hard as it can be getting and giving feedback on writing, it’s the only way to get better.

I appreciate the fact that our group members are not only generous in their feedback but they highlight things they loved as well as the potential areas for improvement.

The critique opportunity and the fact someone is looking at your work with fresh eyes is invaluable.

More than one typo has been picked up by the group which I never noticed despite reading the same page 100+ times.

Social opportunities

While we stay connected via text messages, social media, video calls, and email, our group also schedules regular in-person catch-ups (when not in social isolation).

The catch-ups might be a simple coffee, lunch or dinner. Sometimes we coordinate to go to an industry event, conference or writing retreat together.

We talk inevitably about writing but also anything and everything else going on in our lives.

We aren’t just writers, we’re friends!

Celebrate success

There’s nothing like having an in-house cheer squad especially when it comes to celebrating and sharing successes.

No writing achievement (big or small) goes by unacknowledged in our group.

Actual Writing Wins

The reason why most writers join writing groups is to get closer to individual writing goals.

All of the benefits outlined above are a massive bonus, but I can honestly say my writing group has helped me achieve several of my personal goals.

I believe my writing has significantly improved since being part of the group and with their encouragement and feedback, I have pursued many opportunities.

Thanks to my writing group I have been fortunate enough to have my work recognised via several awards, including Queensland Writers Centre Flash Fiction (winner), and Australian Writers Centre Furious Fiction (shortlisted out of 1300 entries), as well as second in GenreCon’s short story competition 2019. I was also shortlisted in The Long Way Home’s short story competition with the story published in their anthology. 

And I’m not the only one. Every member of our group is pursuing their writing goals and achieving success (and some award wins) along the way.

Finding a writing group

There are many ways to find a writing group such as:

Joining a writers centre – search for one in your state/territory/country. They often have listings of writing groups in your local area.

Look on social media – there are many writing groups set up on social media. Search for something in your genre or area of interest and join in the conversation.

Try your local library – your library may have a writers group that already meets there or can direct you to one they know of.

Make your own – this is what our writing group did. We met each other at an Australian Writers Centre (AWC) event and got chatting (with a little prompting from AWC National Director Valerie Khoo). We just clicked.

The most important thing about a writing group is finding writers who share the same goals as you. Whether you all write in the same genre is less important (I love the fact our group members all have different styles and can offer diverse views).

For example, if you are looking for a group to critique your work to get it ready for publishing, you may not want to join a group of retirees who are writing for a hobby only.

So go out there and meet other authors at events. Find someone you click with. Ask around about writing groups and if you can’t find your tribe, create it!

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Why I Have a Rejection Goal and You Need One Too

Kylie Fennell

Saved away in one of the files on my computer is a numbered list of names. There are names of writing competitions and opportunities, publishers and literary agents.

Each of the names has notes next to him. Dates of when something was sent or submitted. Some of the text is marked with strikethrough and details of a response received. Some of the text is marked as pending. The remaining items have no further updates next to them – the lack of detail is actually a telling feature of this list.

The list is a record of rejections. It records my progress towards my rejection goal.

Yes, you read that correctly. I have a rejection goal.

What is a rejection goal?

A rejection goal is the concept of setting a target number of rejections to achieve within a certain period eg. get 50 rejections by the end of this year.

The idea of setting out to be rejected may seem counterintuitive if your overarching goal is to be accepted in your chosen field. In the case of aspiring authors, it may be to get an agent or a publisher or win a writing competition. A goal to ultimately succeed which isn’t typically associated with being rejected.

So why bother having a rejection goal?

The motivation for having a rejection goal is not the desire to be rejected, but the actions you will have to take to get you to a point of possible rejection.

It comes down to one single truth. To be rejected, you have to put yourself out there. You have to take action with your creative work. You have to look for opportunities and go after them. Rejection is evidence that you are pursuing your overarching goal.

The benefits of rejection

For me, the biggest benefit of rejection is the feedback it provides.

The only way to improve your craft is through practise, feedback and refining your work. Having a rejection goal gives you all of these things.

Sometimes you get lucky and someone will give you specific feedback as to why your work wasn’t right for them. Some competitions you enter will offer detailed feedback you can use to improve your work. And of course, no feedback is feedback as well.

For instance, if I have sent a pitch package to a potential agent and I get a form response or no response, I take a moment to reflect whether there’s something in my pitch that could be refined.

Sure sometimes I find myself double-guessing myself, especially when you don’t know the real reason for your rejection, but every rejection is an opportunity to do a health check and improve what you’re putting out there.

Is my synopsis up to scratch? Does my first chapter grab the reader’s attention? Have I provided good comparison titles?

Every time I’m rejected I look for a chance to hone my work and craft. And guess what?

When you put yourself out there enough and use rejection as a learning experience you’re increasing your chances of succeeding.

You never know when you may just get the exact outcome you’re looking for. Maybe instead of being rejected you succeed!

So what are you waiting for? Set yourself a rejection goal, take action and don’t forget to congratulate yourself along the way, because every rejection takes you one step closer to your overall goal.

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