Liz Grzyb and Talie Helene have compiled a list of the year's recommended reading - and I'm thrilled to once again have a story included.

It's an honour to be listed among these writers.

Thanks to Herika Raymer, Terrie Leigh Relf and Tyree Campbell at Cover of Darkness for publishing my story.

Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror: Recommended Reading List: 2012

Joanne Anderton, “High Density”, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #53
——— “The Bone Chime Song”, Light Touch Paper Stand Clear
Daniel Baker, “At The Crossroads”, Aurealis #51
Alan Baxter, “Cephalopoda Obsessia”, Bloodstones
——— “Crossroads and Carousels”, The Red Penny Papers
——— “Fear is the Sin”, From Stage Door Shadows
——— and Felicity Dowker, “Burning, Always Burning”, Damnation and Dames,
Eddy Burger, “Domestic Berserker”, Dark Edifice 3
Jenny Blackford, “The Sacrifice”, Aurealis #47
James Bradley, “Beauty’s Sister”, Penguin
Isobelle Carmody, “The Wolf Prince”, Metro Winds
——— “Metro Winds”, Metro Winds
Jay Caselberg, “Blind Pig”, Damnation and Dames
Steve Cameron, “If You Give This Girl a Ride”, Cover of Darkness 11
David Conyers and Brian M. Sammons, “The R’lyeh Singularity”, Cthulhu Unbound 3.
Terry Dowling , “Mariners’ Round”, Postscripts 28/29: Exotic Gothic 4
——— “The Way the Red Clown Hunts You”, Subterranean, Winter 2012
Thoraiya Dyer, “The Second Card Of The Major Arcana”, Apex
——— “Faet’s Fire”, Light Touch Paper, Stand Clear
——— “Surviving Film”, Bloodstones
Jacob Edwards, “Salt & Pepper”, Polluto 9¾: Witchfinders Vs The Evil Red
Marina Finlayson, “The Family Business”, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #55
Joanna Galbraith, “The Keeper’s Heart”, The Coloured Lens #3
Michelle Goldsmith, “The Hound of Henry Hortinger”, Pandemonium: Stories of the Smoke
Stephanie Gunn, “The Skin of the World”, Bloodstones
——— “Ghosts”, Epilogue
Lisa L. Hannett, Angela Slatter, “The Red Wedding”, Midnight and Moonshine
——— “Warp And Weft”, Midnight and Moonshine
——— “Prohibition Blues”, Damnation and Dames
Richard Harland, “A Mother’s Love”, Bloodstones
Narrelle M. Harris, “Thrall”, Showtime
Robert Hood, “Escena de un Asesinato”, Postscripts 28/29: Exotic Gothic 4
——— “Walking the Dead Beat”, Damnation and Dames
Deborah Kalin, “First They Came . . .”, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #55
Pete Kempshall, “Dead Inside”, Bloodstones
——— “Sound and Fury”, Damnation and Dames
Margo Lanagan, “Isles Of The Sun”, Cracklescape
——— “Titty Anne and the Very, Very Hairy Man”, Meanjin, Volume 71, Number 4.
——— “Significant Dust”, Cracklescape
——— “Bajazzle”, Cracklescape
S. G. Larner, “Duck Creek Road”, Bloody Parchment: Hidden Things, Lost Things and other stories
Martin Livings, “Birthday Suit”, Living with the Dead
——— “The Ar-Dub”, Living with the Dead
Tracie McBride, “Drive, She Said”, Lovecraft eZine 14
Andrew J. McKiernan, “They Don’t Know That We Know What They Know”, Midnight Echo 8
——— “The Final Degustation of Doctor Ernest Blenheim”, Midnight Echo 7
Kelly Matsuura, “Hours on the Voodoo Clock”, Free Flash Fiction
Nicole Murphy, “Euryale”, Bloodstones
Jason Nahrung, “The Mornington Ride”, Epilogue
——— “Breaking the Wire”, Aurealis #47
Ian Nichols, “In the Dark”, Apex Magazine 37
Shauna O’Meara, “Blood Lillies”, Midnight Echo 8
Christopher Sequeria, “The Adventure of the Lost Specialist”, Sherlock Holmes: The Crossovers Casebook
Helen Stubbs, “Sayuri’s Revenge”, Tales From the Bell Club
Anna Tambour, “King Wolf”, A Season in Carcosa
Kaaron Warren, “The Pickwick Syndrome”, Stories Of The Smoke
——— “Sky”, Through Splintered Walls
——— “Creek”, Through Splintered Walls
——— “The Lighthouse Keepers’ Club”, Postscripts 28/29: Exotic Gothic 4


And those in the Anthology:

Joanne Anderton, “Tied To The Waste”, Tales Of Talisman
R.J. Astruc, “The Cook of Pearl House, A Malay Sailor by the Name of Maurice”, Dark Edifice 2
Lee Battersby, “Comfort Ghost”, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine 56
Alan Baxter, “Tiny Lives”, Daily Science Fiction
Jenny Blackford, “A Moveable Feast”, Bloodstones
Eddy Burger, “The Witch's Wardrobe”, Dark Edifice 3
Isobelle Carmody, “The Stone Witch”, Under My Hat
Jay Caselberg, “Beautiful”, The Washington Pastime
Stephen Dedman, “The Fall”, Exotic Gothic 4, Postscripts
Felicity Dowker, “To Wish On A Clockwork Heart”, Bread And Circuses
Terry Dowling, “Nightside Eye”, Cemetary Dance
Tom Dullemond, “Population Management”, Danse Macabre
Thoraiya Dyer, “Sleeping Beauty”, Epilogue
Will Elliot, “Hungry Man”, The One That Got Away
Jason Fischer, “Pigroot Flat”, Midnight Echo 8
Dirk Flinthart, “The Bull In Winter”, Bloodstones
Lisa L. Hannett, “Sweet Subtleties”, Clarkesworld
Lisa L. Hannett & Angela Slatter, “Bella Beaufort Goes To War”, Midnight And Moonshine
Narrelle M. Harris, “Stalemate”, Showtime
Kathleen Jennings, “Kindling”, Light Touch Paper, Stand Clear
Gary Kemble, “Saturday Night at the Milkbar”, Midnight Echo 7
Margo Lanagan, “Crow And Caper, Caper And Crow”, Under My Hat
Martin Livings, “You Ain't Heard Nothing Yet”, Living With The Dead
Penelope Love, “A Small Bad Thing”, Bloodstones
Andrew J. McKiernan, “Torch Song”, From Stage Door Shadows
Karen Maric, “Anvil Of The Sun”, Aurealis
Faith Mudge, “Oracle's Tower”, To Spin A Darker Stair
Nicole Murphy, “The Black Star Killer”, Damnation And Dames
Jason Nahrung, “The Last Boat To Eden”, Surviving The End
Tansy Rayner Roberts, “What Books Survive”, Epilogue
Angela Slatter, “Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean”, This Is Horror Webzine
Anna Tambour, “The Dog Who Wished He'd Never Heard Of Lovecraft”, Lovecraft Zine
Kyla Ward, “The Loquacious Cadaver”, The Lion And The Aardvark: Aesop's Modern Fables
Kaaron Warren, “River Of Memory”, Zombies Vs. Robots

Things I Learned This Week.

I've just returned from Adelaide. Unfortunately I wasn't there for the launch of Midnight and Moonshine by Lisa L. Hannett & Angela Slatter (Ticonderoga) - I left Adelaide mere hours before it commenced. I was on a more dangerous mission - a school trip with almost 60 teenagers. And I learned a number of things during the week.

1. Modern top 40 radio sucks. I spent the week listening to drivel without melody, or lyrics of any substance.

2. Autotune and computerised backing tracks do nothing to improve these so-called songs.

3. Teenage girls, singing (bellowing?) along have the uncanny ability to find those exact frequencies that will grate on your nerves the most.

4. Some people need to learn manners. I do not like rude people. The same applies to those people who lack respect for others, are dishonest, think they know everything, or are incompetent.

5. The kids on the trip from my school were fantastic.

6. I could get used to the feeling of buying a magazine simply to read, and to discover a review of an anthology I'm in. Even if my story wasn't mentioned. (Epilogue, reviewed by Cat Sparks in Cosmos #48)

7. Adelaide is a fun place with lots to do.

And yes, I had a wonderful week - despite one day of illness - and look forward to the opportunity of going again.

Writer. Reader. Rider.

A few years ago, when I first started writing, I signed up for a Sean Williams' workshop. At the time I had no idea who he was. In fact, for some reason I thought he'd be an American.

I loved that weekend. I learned a great deal about the Spec Fic community, about writing and publishing opportunities, and came home enthused and energised. I also met a number of people - including a few with whom I've remained in regular contact.

The group read the submitted piece from a lady who sat on the opposite side of the room from me, and I really enjoyed it. It had a beautiful lyrical quality to the writing, a wonderful sense of measured pace and decadence in the created world that reminded me of one of Moorcock's Eternal Champion stories. I don't know if she ever finished that story - I'm still hoping to see the final product.

We chatted later - her name was Gitte Christensen - and over the years we've bumped into each other at conventions and the like, and stayed in touch.

Gitte is a quiet achiever. She's dedicated and focused, and a terrific writer to boot, and yet there are other writers with lesser bibliographies that I hear mentioned more frequently. Gitte has the credentials and continues to publish quality fiction. She's seen publication in Aurealis, Andromeda Spaceways, The Tangled Bank and Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations amongst a host of anthologies and other magazines. She's been a semi-finalist in Writers of The Future, and had a story included in the inaugural  The Year's Best Australian Fantasy and Horror collection from Ticonderoga. She was interviewed for Snapshot 2012, and maintains a fantastic blog. She has received terrific reviews for her work - for example, here, and here.

She's a writer I respect and admire. And beyond that, Gitte's just a friendly, humble writer. Keep an eye out for her and get to know her work.

Don't be one of those who asks "Gitte who?" 

What Is The Measure?

Anyone who reads these posts regularly would be well aware that I am a strong supporter of small press, particularly here in Australia. I truly believe they are publishing some of the most interesting pieces around at the moment. And, importantly, they provide opportunities to emerging writers like myself.

I'm fortunate enough to have sold my work to Tasmaniac, FableCroft, eMergent and Coeur de Lion, amongst others, and I have other publishers, such as Ticonderoga and Twelfth Planet on my hit list.

It's an amazing experience when you see a TOC with your name listed among name writers. I'm thrilled to have work sitting alongside Kim Westwood, Robert N Stephenson, Richard Harland, Thoraiya Dyer, Alan Baxter, Margo Lanagan, Sean McMullen, Jason Nahrung, Lee Battersby, Brendan Duffy, Cat Sparks, Robert Hood, Simon Petrie, Brendan Duffy, Jason Fischer, Patty Jansen, Lyn Battersby, Nicole R. Murphy, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Dirk Flinthart - and those are only the writers whose work I previously had sitting on my bookshelf. Many are names I'd only heard of until a year or two ago, yet now I've met some of them and am starting to build a friendship.

So why is it so difficult to get anthologies reviewed when they contain names like this?

Keith Stevenson, publisher and editor at Coeur de Lion, recently posted lamenting the lack of recognition his fabulous anthology, Anywhere But Earth, has achieved. With the quality and reputation of many of the writers on the TOC, and the international critical, award and commercial success afforded his previous publications, such as X6, it's incredible that the book seems to have disappeared with little more than a blip on the awards and review landscape.

The Australian Spec Fic community is healthy. There is no doubt of that. There are many emerging writers, an 'old-guard' that continues to be produce fantastic work and is supportive of us 'newbies', and a number of small presses pushing boundaries, taking risks and being inventive.

Stevenson (and others I've spoken to) don't do it for profit. From my understanding most of these presses lose money with every publication. It would be a shame for us all if it became so untenable that they were to either reduce or stop production all together.

Post a review on GoodReads, Amazon, anywhere else you can. Promote and support the community.  It needs us all.

2011 Aurealis Awards.

Congratulations to all the winners at last night's Aurealis Awards. I've read most of the winning titles, and enjoyed them all. I'd like to specifically mention a few of the winners.

I'm currently attending Jack Dann's workshop on Spec-Fic, and so I've gotten to know him a little as a mentor. Ghosts by Gaslight, edited by Jack Dann and Nick Gevers is a fantastic collection. Congratulations, Jack.

The late Paul Haines was, of course, my mentor for several months, and then became a friend with whom I was in regular contact. The Past is a Bridge Best Left Burnt from The Last Days of Kali Yuga is wonderful, and fully deserves the award.

I first met Thoraiya Dyer at the launch of Anywhere But Earth in November of last year. I'm proud to be sharing a TOC with her in FableCroft's upcoming anthology Epilogue. Her story, Fruit of the Pipal Tree in After The Rain is a most worthy winner also.

Robert N Stephenson's story, Rains of la Strange, shared a TOC with my own So Sad, The Lighthouse Keeper in Anywhere But Earth. Congratulations to Rob, and publisher/editor Keith Stevenson.

I've met Kim Westwood on a few occasions, and also shared a TOC with her in the above anthology. The Courier's New Bicycle is an excellent novel. Congrats, Kim.

Twelfth Planet author, Sue Isle picked up an award for Nation of the Night, while Lisa Hannett scored a couple for Ticonderoga's excellent collection Bluegrass Symphony and the short story The Short Go: a Future in Eight Seconds. I thoroughly enjoyed these works when I read them.

I wasn't able to justify flying up to Sydney for the ceremony, but it sounds like everyone had a great time. One of these years I'll get there. In the meantime, I've had a great week. I sold two stories, had a rewrite request on another, and have two stories on hold.

If I keep at it, maybe one day I'll be fortunate enough to be nominated for an Aurealis.

Reading And Writing.

It's important to keep up to date.

I recently read an anthology of short stories from a (very) small press.  There was nothing startling about the collection. One story stood out as excellent, a couple I thought were merely OK, while the rest were, in my opinion, quite below standard.

It so happens that I've seen the author of one of those 'below standard' pieces online - bragging about the sale and obviously  very proud. And I have absolutely no problem with that. It's a little unfortunate that in their naivety they haven't recognised the level at which they have been published. I did, however, have a chuckle when the writer started suggesting the story was truly original, completely brilliant and was even talking about major awards.

It was simply obvious to me that the writer hadn't read much SF.

While the writing was fairly uninspired and flat, the real problem was the story was one that I've read many times before. And I picked the ending in the first paragraph or so.

It's important for a writer to know the history of their genre. And to keep up to date.

When I submitted one of my first stories (So Sad, The Lighthouse Keeper) to a well known small press, the editor told me that I'd obviously read a lot and all that reading had paid off. He told me that it showed in the confident and calm manner of the writing and the descriptive prose. He then advised me that the story wasn't done yet, rejected it and broke my heart.

And damn his eyes, he was right. It needed more work.

I try to keep my reading broad. I read a lot of non-fiction, not just science but historical, biographical, travel - anything that takes my interest. Fiction-wise, I read almost anything - stories of all genres and all lengths. I regularly read Asimov's, Andromeda, Analog, and a couple of others. I can even tell you the differences between the purchasing tastes of Sheila Williams, Gordon Van Gelder and Stanley Schmidt.

And don't forget local small press. I read what I can from the markets I sub to. I try to ensure I know what Ticonderoga, Fablecroft and Twelfth Planet are publishing.

After all, if I plan to sell to these markets, I must know what they're buying.

How Will I Know?

Can I write?

This is a question that bugs me from time to time. And, after the rejection I mentioned last week, it's one that's been bugging me again.

Most people believe they can write. Most writers think they can write well. I often see writers who aren't selling discussing what they could have 'tweaked' in their story that would have lifted it to a sale. And there are those who never sell that think the world is against them, and that the slushreader just don't 'get' their writing. Sometimes these people count their rejections and proudly advertise the number as a measure of success.

OK, I haven't sold heaps of work yet, and like most people I'm probably blind to some of the flaws in my own writings, and I don't write anywhere near as much as I should, and why should I think that I can even write?

Some observations:

If a slushreader doesn't 'get' your work, what makes you think a reader will? Slushreaders are readers, and they see a far wider range of work than most casual readers. Yeah, OK, they make mistakes (and I KNOW they've recently made  mistakes a few times in rejecting MY work  - hehehe) but generally if your work is so good, it will sell elsewhere.

The tweaking thing. I've referred to this before. I call it the Feng Shui of writing. If I'd changed the character's name to Jeff, or chosen a better title (or hung a mirror over the sofa) then maybe it would have sold. I figure if the story is 'almost, but not quite', the editor will ask for a rewrite, or suggest changes and invite a re-sub. (And this actually happened to me a couple of weeks ago.)

Most people think they can write. I know this is true - as many people who never write tell me they plan to, and will one day soon, and then they'll sell lots and they'll be able to quit work and...  Any of you who do write knows how many times people tell you this. And you also know how not easy it is, what a slog it can be and how long the sub and sale process can take for so little financial reward. As a teacher and a writer, I read an awful lot of stuff from people who believe it's brilliant. Usually it's not. Some work never sells simply because it's crap. Be aware that your work maybe isn't of the standard you think it is.

Counting rejections. I keep track of my rejections, and I do count them. But they're certainly not in the hundreds. And I know of people who brag that they received X amount of rejections this year - as that was their target. OK, so that works for them. My goal wasn't to have a certain number of rejections, but to make three sales or more this year. (And I achieved that). Next year it's to make five or more. Anyone can receive a certain number of rejections, just submit your work to every market out there and start counting. In and of itself, it's not a measure of success or even progression. It's only a measure of submission and rejection.

Only three sales? Yes, but three sales I'm proud of, and to markets I'm thrilled to be in. I could have sold more if I'd been less fussy with my submissions, but early in my writing 'career' I decided against 'token' or 'for the love' markets, and aimed squarely at semi-pro. I worked out where my writing abilities lay and subbed to those markets with the intention of moving up. Quality over quantity. And while I know it works for some people, this is the very reason I don't do NaNoWriMo. (Plus November is when I get tied up with school stuff, reports and other deadlines) It's also the reason I choose not to self-publish the stuff that didn't sell.

So, why should I think I can write?

Some answers.

I have experience and training. I'm an English teacher in a High School. I teach writing, language analysis, contextual work and literature. I have an Arts degree in English and Drama, and an Education degree in teaching the same two subjects. I've also been a voracious reader since I was a child. I can recognise good writing, good dialogue and plot, and know why it's good. I also understand when it's not working.

I've been told I can write. Not just by my mum and friends, (and never listen exclusively to them!) but (over the past few years) by my critiquers, which has included literature teachers, other writers at my own level, and even professional writers. I've had a few editors and writers (people whose names you would recognise) tell me which aspects of my work they've liked. OK, so they didn't always take the story, but they spent time telling me why. (Might I point out I never asked - they offered comments in these cases.)

I'm developing. I can see where I'm improving. I listen to criticisms of my work and learn from them. I read LOTS of short fiction and learn from that too. I can see where older stories didn't work, and have either trunked or rewritten those. I know what my shortcomings are and am actively working to improving those areas.

I'm getting sales. Not lots, but some. And at the markets I was aiming for. I haven't yet sold to Analog or Asimov's, or even Ticonderoga. But those publishers are firmly in my sights and I have strategic plans to reach those goals. As they say in advertising, Watch this space.

So what does this mean for others?

Probably not a lot. You want to write? Then write. And submit, and prepare to receive rejections. Then don't give up. Take the time to think about why you are writing and what your goals are. With my senior students, I give them the following four points to consider in regards to their studies.

• What is your goal?
• What do you have to do to achieve that?
• What are you prepared to do (or sacrifice) in order to get there?
• Now do it.

Any monkey can get published. Write something, start a blogpage with a snappy title and post it. TaaDaa! Published.

Not that there's anything wrong with that if that's what you want. Or with any other publication and format. Just make sure it's something you want. Me? I want to be published in magazines and anthologies from publishers that I respect, and hunger for them to accept my work. But also be realistic about it. Are you really going to send everything you write to the big three? It will most certainly bring the rejection tally up. As mentioned above, I aim my work at the level I believe it is. If I'm not selling regularly at Semi-Pro, why would Pro markets buy it?

But I'm still developing and improving. And I do have a piece at a pro market that I have hopes for. And as I also said before, keep watching this space.

Lit Cred And Validation.

There seems to be a number of writers currently questioning the value of certain publications and e-zines. Over the past couple of weeks I've seen this subject rear its head a few times. And I think it's an important question for new writers. (And this is the category in which I firmly place myself.)

My views are no secret. I believe I could have a longer published bibliography, but I've been fussy about where I submit my work. And I believe that a few publications in quality markets are ultimately more valuable than many publications in any old market.

With the prevalence of the internet and the proliferation of POD, there has been an explosion in the number of publishers throwing together zines and anthologies. And as such, there has obviously been a dilution of the quality of published work. I'm 'old school', as you young folk with your zany rock 'n' roll music like to call it, and there's nothing like having a published 'paper' book in your hand. Not that there's anything wrong with online mags. But I do feel there's a certain quality control, checks and balances, when you've been paid a certain amount of money, and you have a professionally finished product that can be held.

I wrote something (as a comment) along these lines in response to a post by Alan Baxter a few weeks ago.  Then I discover that my crit buddy and friend, David McDonald, wrote something similar in response to the fabulous Jason Nahrung.

I suppose it all depends on what your goals are. I have a list of personal goals, a list of markets I'd like to crack, and I'm actively taking steps to achieve those.  Brad R. Torgersen, has listed an interesting set of goals on his website, and I must say I love those.

If you just want to say you've been published, then sub away, anywhere. It'll happen. If you want to achieve some kind of cred in this business, then make plans, take active steps to achieve them, and be prepared for a lot of rejections.

But when you do receive an acceptance, or receive some kind of recognition, it's amazing the confidence and drive that accompanies it.  Gitte Christensen, who has just been published in Ticonderoga's Year's Best Australian Horror and Fantasy, mentioned on her blog that I've been mentioned on page 22 of said book. Looks like a ploy by Ticonderoga to make me buy the book.

It worked. I'll be picking one up next week.

But when your friends and peers have some success, we rejoice together. I'm pleased for Gitte's deserved tastes of success, I'm pleased David McDonald has some new work coming out. And I'm absolutely thrilled that my long-time Tokyo-brother, Allan Tong, (he's the man who taught me to chase my dreams and grab opportunities, or to create your own) has just scored a huge success at the Toronto International Film Festival.  And I know these people are happy when it happens to me.

Speaking of which, keep an eye out for Anywhere But Earth in the coming months. It looks fantastic!

See you at Conflux.

Think Global, Go Local.

One of the things I'm really enjoying at the moment is reading local authors.

I've been paying attention to some of the small publishers here in Australia, and I'm discovering that not only is their production standard extremely high (layout, editing, artwork and so on) but they often publish writers that are either emerging (meaning I'll have a collector's item on my hands once they make it), or the offbeat and interesting stuff that major publishers don't have time for.

I love reading a local book and recognising places or situations, or some of those little in-jokes that only a native would understand.

My first real experience with this was when I bought a second-hand copy Striped Holes by Damien Broderick back in the early 90s while living in Tokyo. I'd never heard of him before, but it had a cool cover and was cheap in a land where imported books were very expensive.  Imagine my surprise when halfway through the book he mentioned Bourke Street, Melbourne, and some of the shops situated there. In fact, I seem to recall I was rather excited by it.

Do yourself a favour and check out Tasmaniac, MirrorDanse, Agog!, 12th Planet, CSFG, Ticonderoga, and all the others I can't think of at the moment.

Oh yeah, and my horoscope says I have good things happening this week.  It must be true, after all they wouldn't publish lies in a newspaper, would they?

p.s. - and they said it wouldn't last!