What did we do 
at our 2012 meetings? 

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Last updated: February 25, 2013

See reports on previous meetings in  2011 | 2010 | 2009 |

November 2012

This was our last meeting of the year. 

Judy Bartosy and Dorothea Lavery were made life members of the SWWV.
Congratulations to them both and thank you for all your dedication to the SWWV over many years.

Errol Broome and Dorothea Lavery

Judy Bartosy

Our spotlight speaker was Marguerite Kisvardai (Varday) who spoke about her latest book. Marguerite's latest book Watershed Years is a novella based on the lives of people on the famous Snowy Mountains Scheme. It's anecdotal, vivid and moving and directs attention to an important place and time in Australia's history. There's also a sinister stranger and a murder mystery. Congratulations Marguerite. The book is available from Marguerite for $22.

The judge of our Christmas Competition, Joan Ackland, read her report on the entries and announced the winners. See all the winners with photos plus Joan's  report on the Competition Results page.  Meryl presented the winners with bouquets of native flowers from her garden.

Joan Ackland reading her judge's report

The meeting concluded with a buffet lunch.

October 2012

Hazel Edwards, famous Children’s Author and Teacher spoke on Authorpreneurship : The Business of Creativity. She presented an entertaining and informative talk on every aspect of how we can project ourselves into the writing market, either as an Ebook or in traditional form.

 Hazel has published 200 books, some of which have been translated into ten languages including Mandarin.  She has been awarded the honour  of  the National Ambassador for 2012  Year of Reading. Hazel is also known as being the Nanjing-Australian Cultural Exchange Author 2009 and Antarctic Expedition Writer 2001 and Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge Ambassador.  Hazel is also Director of the Australian Society of Authors.

 Also present at the meeting was Toby Jessop who has used his skills as an animator to illustrate a short story called Titanic Dog which was written by Hazel Edwards. Hazel advised us that she invented the dog so that she could give a happy ending to her story for children about the Titanic. Toby’s ten minute DVD was shown to members and it was thought that the story could be enjoyed by young children and adults because it presented a positive form of the tragedy by a dog which survived because it could swim. 

28 September 2012: 

As the meeting was a workshop session, each member read a piece of her work and the others made helpful comments. Then Treasurer, Linda Blackshaw, gave a workshop on Prompts for Writing. She briefly discussed prompts such as book titles, quotes, lines that appeal, postcards, photos and writing about someone you admire. Covering the blackboard with columns containing lists of 12 characters, 12 settings and 12 catalysts/motives/verbs and dates, she urged us to read them and then make up lists of our own. Linda also offered us themes to write about: Alone in the Dark, Out of Sorts and Bird of Paradise.

Maybe this is another topic to delve into more deeply on another day – Fiction or Faction? or Creative Non-fiction?

Note: Beth Wunderlich has resigned as Vice President for personal reasons. Lynne Murphy is now Vice President..

24 August 2012 : Annual General Meeting

All Committee positions were declared vacant and a new committee was elected.

The committee elected for 2012 - 2013 consists of the following members:

President: Shirley Whiteway
Treasurer: Linda Bradshaw
Minute Secretary: Lynne Murphy
Membership Secretary:  Judy Bartosy
Committee Members: Rebecca Maxwell, Nina McPherson

		Left to Right: Our literary Patron Errol Broome, Minute Secretary Lynne Murphy, Past President Tricia Veale, Committee Member Rebecca Maxwell, President Shirley Whiteway, Beth Wunderlich, Newsletter Editor Lauren Tompson
Meryl presents a bouquet from her garden to President  Shirley Whiteway.	BethWunderlich and Meryl	Meryl presents Postal Workshop Co-ordinator Judith Green with a bouquet.
Meryl, Errol and Shirley	Meryl and Lynne	Rebecca and Meryl

After the annual general meeting, a brainstorming session took place.

27 July 2012
ERROL BROOME: WRITING FOR CHILDREN  
Report by Veronica Schwarz

Our guest speaker was our very own Literary Patron and fellow-member, Errol Broome.

Errol began by saying that rules are really guidelines and we need to know them so we can break them. 
But you do need to know them first.

Errol set out to write short stories for adults. She quickly realised that the first story she was working on 
(later entitled “Wrinkles”, was actually a story for children. This led her to realise that for her, the topic decides the genre .

A useful beginning to gather topics is to list ten things about yourself or ten things you dislike. In these lists 
you will find topics for your writing.

Her advice is to let the story flow. Do not stop. Edit later. Let the characters take you where they want to go.

Ask yourself: Do I know my characters? How they FEEL, how they think, what they like, what they eat. 
(Show, don’t tell – mostly using dialogue.) You have to know all about your characters although the story may only reveal 
one-tenth of this, the other nine-tenths will influence that. You also need more action than narrative for children.

The theme is what the book is about. The plot is what happens.

Jump right in and start swimming.

The climax is a turning point for the hero and the hero must make it happen. Then end the story quickly.

Viewpoint is vital. While first person is fresh, immediate and crisp, third person is usually preferred by publishers.

Similarly, publishers seem to prefer past tense to present tense.

Use sound words (onamatopoeia) such as wet words (splashed, gurgled, squelched), soft words, hard words, scary words.

GETTING PUBLISHED is getting harder.

Picture books are welcomed by publishers because they cannot be turned into eBooks. They are usually for children aged three to six.

Don’t write for children because you think it’s easier.

Research publishers and always check their latest guidelines on their websites. These can change frequently.

CHECK LIST

1.       Do I know my characters?

2.       Does my story have a problem or a goal?

3.       Does something happen?

4.       Do I have a strong opening line?

5.       Is there a climax or turning point?

6.       Does it have a “proper” ending?

7.       Have I shown not told?

8.       Where can I cut? Or use a better word? (Use strong verbs rather than use adverbs.)

9.       Do I really understand it myself?

 FINAL TIP

Do not send manuscripts in December or January.  

SPOTLIGHT SPEAKER FOR JULY: Jenny Hearn

When Jenny was young, she told stories to her  brothers and sisters. When her grandmother died she was given a writing desk. Of course, this meant she had to write! But then life took over and it was not till she was in her forties, that she started in earnest. She listened to someone in the Benalla Art Gallery reading a poem they had written and she realised  she could do better. The brutal killing of a harmless snake inspired her to write a sonnet and she won a prize for it. Her writing had begun. In New Guinea, she turned an account of mining wives into a poem. She began reading romance and writing a novel. She notes that publishers a) prefer young writers because they are not going to spend time on older writers and b) they don't want an Australian writing a story set in England or elsewhere. She is currently writing a novel set in Tasmania about a sealer and an Aboriginal woman. She was recently stimulated by Jeff Lemon's article "How to Lose your Poetic Licence" which was a response to a poem by Gina Reinhart. Report by Veronica Schwarz

No Report from June meeting.   :(

25 May (at Ross House)

Presentation of the Kathryn Purnell Poetry Prize.  The Judge  Kristen Henry 
announced the winners and presented the Awards.

Click here for the results and Kristen's comments.

Ten Minutes in the Spotlight: Linda Blackshaw	Cher Chidzey read the first chapter of her new novel.  Alice Landau read a short piece of humourous writing.
Linda	Cher	Alice

Report by Judy Bartosy

Linda spoke of her early childhood as she was an avid reader of books, starting at the tender age of six.  
Later she became fascinated with Greek mythology and wrote a short story called 'Oracles'. This story remained 
her inspirational piece to further her writing in a world of fantasy.

She told us that her writing journey was triggered by breast cancer.  Linda said that she loves to talk and discuss 
most subjects but the main things she wants is to write, write and write.  Linda is presently working on a  fantasy novel, 
not decided on the title yet and it will take time to finish and have the book published.  

Cher Chidzey read a chapter of her forthcoming book called  'Quest'.  She describes with sensitivity and great feelings 
the varied aspects of dislocation of people who leave their homeland to look for a free and better life. Australia is and was 
a generous host to people settling here from different parts of the world.  Transition to a new country would take some time 
but every opportunity is being provided to help overcome difficulties for newcomers, like learning a new language and 
fitting into a new way of life.

Alice Landau also read an amusing short piece called  'Don't talk about the weather'  That is what her mother used to say.  
Because when people talk about the weather they would not have much more to say.  But when Alice came to Australia 
she was surprised that the weather turned out to be a favourite subject when meeting people, then again more conversation, 
followed of course. But she still remembers  her mother's remark and that makes her smile.

                                                     General Business:

Rebecca Maxwell addressed the Chair and spoke of her difficulties  in getting around at The Wheeler Centre.  She proposed 
that we move our meetings back to Ross House. That is more centrally situated, close to all public transport and offers easy 
access to all amenities. Rebecca asked Shirley to have the members vote on this.

Judy Bartosy in support of Ross House said that we have very limited storage place at The Wheeler Centre and our stuff for 
tea/coffee, even cups, has to be taken in every time by Shirley or herself.

Shirley agreed to have the members vote on moving the meetings back to Ross House and asked   to vote by show of hand.  
The majority voted in favour of Ross House: 20 voted  Yes and 2 abstained.  

 Ross House accepts booking applications only in December for 2013, Shirley will apply to have the meetings on the 1^st floor 
meeting room, accommodating about 30 people and that would be suitable for us.                          

APRIL 2012

By Lauren Thompson

Eti Marmur and her husband, Izzi Marmur, work for Milestones books, a recently formed publishing company established by Izigraphics Pty Ltd. They talked in great detail about the services they provide authors, including working closely with them to reach publication. The company focuses on memoir. Alice Landau explained how the two of them helped in the editing process with her book, Snippets from My Family Album: Csepel Island to Caulfield.

FEBRUARY 2012  Sharing Our February meeting was a time of sharing, books we had read over the holiday season and pieces we had written. RESIDENTIAL SEMINAR FOR 2012 A discussion of the seminar took place and it was decided overwhelmingly to hold the seminar at Cowes, Phillip Island. The date is yet to be determined but will be in October or November. The cost for accommodation, all meals and workshops will be $300 per participant. Spotlight Speaker Sandra Topp was our Spotlight speaker. She spoke of her writing journey as it was triggered by breast cancer. Sandra Topp		SHARING BOOKS  WE HAD READ OVER THE HOLIDAYS Agnes Chatfield read "Too Many Men" by Lily Brett. Lynne Murphy read Noel Coward's autobiography.		Janet Howie read "All that I am" by Anna Funder Alice Landau read "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot.
Blaise Van Heck read"Journey" a book which she edited, based on the stories of survivors of breast cancer or their families.		Lin Van Kek also spoke about the book "Journey"		Rebecca Maxwell read "The Life of Joice NanKivell Loch" (Australia's most decorated woman, by Susanna de Vries and "Ride the Wind. Choose the Fire", the story of Joan of Arc, by Veronica Schwarz and compared them.
Del Nightingale read "The Hare with Amber Eyes" by Edmund de Waal.		Shirley Whiteway read "Lover, Husband, Father, Monster" by Graeme and Elsie Johnstone.		New member Milan Montoro read an article she had written.
SHARING WHAT WE WROTE OVER THE HOLIDAYS Veronica Schwarz, Betty Caldwell, Linda Blackshaw, Paula Wilson and Shirley Whiteway read pieces they had written over the holiday period.  While there was no time for critiquing, members appeared to enjoy these very much.    Veronica			Paula  Betty
Shirley			Linda

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