Each month, the Australian Writers' Centre offers an intriguing challenge for anyone who'd like to try their hand: to complete a five hundred word short story (or less) in fifty five hours including certain words/settings/phrases/objects. The key ingredients are released on the first Friday of the month. I have completed a number of these challenges and have only once been long listed. Still, it's a lot of fun and very competitive as entries come from all over the world. October's Challenge:...

I entered the Rose Francombe Short Story competition earlier this year and my hope was to be long listed or even...dare I dream... short listed. So you can imagine my surprise and joy when my story came first. I've never come first in anything in my entire life so this was pure magic for me. Sally Odgers, the prolific, talented Tasmanian author, provided advice to strengthen my work and I submitted it. I can't explain how much this experieince has encouraged me. Behind this one win, there...

Hello everyone! I'm absolutely thrilled to share some exciting news. I've been selected as a recipient of the Tasmanian Writers and...