Words at work

Here you can read some of the products of EWG members' imaginations. We have works by Jack Buckingham, Robert Kemp Linda Brinckman, Manfred Clootie, Judith Buckingham, Brian Le Marquand and Gwayne Naug with more to come later this year.

The order in which these names appear doesn't reflect any kind of judgment about their merit. They're listed in the order of acquisition.

To see more of the Eastern Writers' works, go here!  

The Eastern Writers Group's Biggest Little Short Story Competition for 2007 - The winning entries: 

First Prize ($250)
Take me - I'm yours
by Jim Murphy of Mornington, Victoria

Second Prize ($100)
Chooser
by Maggie Clarke of Coffs Harbour, NSW

Third Prize ($50)
I forgot
by Johan Luidens of Green Point, NSW

Two stories were highly commended by the judges. They were:

Too cocky by half by Maria Quinn of Milsons Point, NSW and Quasimodo's paradox, a mathematical love story by Michelle Lopert of Kendall, NSW

You can read these stories by clicking on the titles, but please remember that copyright belongs to the authors.

Announcing a new launch

Lighter than air

A new novel by by an Eastern Writers Group member

Last September we launched Gwayne Naug's novel Seeds of Empire and this month we are launching Clive N Chatfield's Lighter than Air.

If you like fast-moving action (much of it in the air), then this is the book for you. We'll have more to say about it after the launch on June 21.

About the book:
Clive is using Palmer Higgs Books to issue the book. You'll find out more by going to this website: http://www.palmerhiggsbooks.com.au/lighter-than-air-p-4.html

To meet the author himself visit this site: http://www.palmerhiggsbooks.com.au/page.html?id=9

Calling all short-story writers

It's on again!

It's the biggest (littlest) short story competition in the world (perhaps the Universe!)

To all writers of short-short stories, greetings. Please take note that the Eastern Writers Group's Biggest Little Short Story competition is on again. It will run from June to September 2009.

The new entry form and the rules can be accessed below. They're in MS Word and PDF formats (print off the one that suits you).

Please do not use any earlier entry forms you may have saved. Things have changed. For example, we will no longer accept cash sent through the mail. It's wrong, annoying and probably illegal to send cash. We will accept bank cheques, personal cheques and money orders. If you send cash, we will return a cheque to you after deducting expenses.

The entry form and rules are contained in one document.

Here is the Microsoft Word version

Here is the PDF version.

Most computers these days are equipped to read PDF (portable document format) documents. If yours isn't, go to www.adobe.com and download their Acrobat PDF reader - it's free. (http://www.adobe.com)

What is a short-short story?

Go here to find two examples: Pigeons, by Dave Blunden, a whimsical tale. and Not a mean bone, by Robert Dalvean, which may be a bit sharp for some tastes. These are not prizewinning stories, but they are short and both of them go somewhere. That is, the events narrated in the stories leave the fictional world a changed place. This being said, there are still no hard-and-fast rules. A story may take many forms. Here, for example, is a perfectly fashioned short-short story that happens to be in verse: Father at War by Jack Buckingham, 460 words of genuine emotion that couldn't be better expressed.

(Please note that these are only examples. Your story may be quite different in every way. Look at the 2007 Biggest Little results in the panel at the left to see other ideas of what a story should be.)

Most of the stories submitted to earlier Biggest Little competitions were well written, carefully considered pieces which had involved writers in a lot of work. This is why picking three out as prize winners inevitably leads to people being disappointed.

There are some general points which could be made. The first is that writing a story in 500 words is more difficult than writing one in 2000-3000 words (and a story was what we were looking for). That is, that there was some sort of plot which moved the reader forward (or backward) towards a resolution, either actual or in the reader's imagination. There should also be a structure which holds the story together as one piece and does not (as some entries do) give the impression of being a part of something larger. Thus, those entries which are patently articles, opinion pieces, or lyric poems, do not usually make the short list.

Some writers seem to think that a story must be interesting if it is "true", that is, based on actual experience. Some preface their pieces by saying something like: "This is a true story." But what we are looking for is imaginative creation rather than reportage.

Secondly, given only 500 words, it seems a pity to waste them on unnecessary adjectives, adverbs and descriptions of sunsets where they do not add directly to the storytelling.

A good opening line is a benefit, though not essential.

What the judges will look for is an X factor – something that lifts a story out of the ordinary.

Who are we?

The Eastern Writers Group is an association of writers, amateur and professional, that has only one aim: to encourage writers.

The group was founded in 1938 and has functioned continuously since then, which means that we are seventy-one years old this year.

Meetings are held once a month (1.30 pm, the third Sunday in every month at the Box Hill South Neighbourhood House, 47-49 Kitchener Street, Box Hill South, Victoria 3128.

Writers are welcome to attend meetings and read samples of their works. Non-writers who are interested in literature are also welcome.

We aim to give community writers a chance to hear their work discussed and to help one another by freely expressing their opinions.

Our meetings are informal; there is a contribution of $4.00 per member per meeting to pay for hire of the Neighbourhood House. (Only those who actually attend a meeting are asked to contribute; we have no joining fee and no annual fee.)

For details phone (03) 9434 3491. (E-mail address: rdalvean@bigpond.com)

Our Monthly meeting place

Wait a while for the map to load . . . if it doesn't load, go to Google.com and select "maps". Then enter 47-49 Kitchener Street, Box Hill South. If that doesn't work, consult a Melbourne street directory.

 
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