Dim's Write Stuff

As the year rolls on, I am once again involved in the hugely gratifying task of presenting specially curated creative and higher thinking workshops to gifted and talented students throughout SE QLD. The programs are facilitated by G.A.T.E WAYS Education who stipulate a new fresh outlook on a plethora of subjects designed to take students deeper and more decisively into the worlds of language, science, maths, technology and more. For presenters, this is an all-consuming challenge but one that helps stimulate the creative verve and expand knowledge borders. And my latest, adventure? Well, it’s exploring the overlapping territories of lurvvve. Love. What it is. How it affects us. Why it’s the essence of art, history, humanity … life . And, its implications for hook-you-in-never-let-you-go storytelling. This week’s (very belated) list of Book Bites therefore naturally revolves around this omnipresent, omnipotent emotion – love. All in the name of ‘research’, you understand. 😊 This Is ...

Last year it was the StoryArts Ipswich Festival which rocked my humble author boat. This year I was fortunate enough to kick off 2020 with one of my favourite literature festivals, the Voices on the Coast 25th Anniversary  , presented by the Immanuel Lutheran College, Sunshine Coast. For the last quarter of a decade, this festival designed specifically to attract children, young adults, emerging writers and eager readers to listen and workshop with Australia’s leading authors, illustrators and performers has been taking prime position on SE Queensland's literary event calendar. And it's not hard to see why; a plethora of quality presenters, a packed program of author and illustrator sessions and talks and a gamut of entertaining community events ensure the Sunshine Coast really does sparkle for four wonderful days. A cluster of crazy creators: L-R Martin Chatterton, Pip Harry, Jacqueline Harvey, George Ivanoff, Mark Smith, Wai Chim, Suzy Zail, Malla Nunn, Lili Wil...

Short stories. I've been writing them since I first dunked a toe in this business of writing for children. In fact, one of my first ever publications was a short story, An Eggspensive Venture , that appeared in the Blast Off NSW School Magazine back in 2009. I was pretty chuffed to say the least. And the thing that kept me writing them? The enticement of competitions and the myriad of themes to write about. The experience of entering my short stories in so many comps and awards (and even winning a few) and being commissioned to write them for magazines and anthologies not only kept my creative juices bubbling away, it also taught me volumes about submission guidelines and working to deadlines; not to mention what it takes to make a story compelling enough and succinct enough to  fill up the time it takes to suck a mugful of hot chocolate through a Tim Tam. If you are or know a young person who loves making words sing (or Tim Tams) and needs help composing them into p...

If you are aged between 9 - 15 years and are busting to release the scribe within or you know someone who fits this description, scroll down, click the links and register now for one of these awesome school holiday writing camps. These camps will remove the mystery and inject the fun into your stories, allowing you to gain all the gooey, gut-wobbling, groovy EXPERT advice you need to make them as good as a professional author's. I'm super lucky to be involved as a facilitator for these writing camps. Not only are they unbelievably useful, they are mind-blowingly fun, too. So join me these school holidays. The camps I'm involved in for July 2018 are: 40th Meanjin Writers' Camp - Griffith University Mt Gravatt QLD 2 - 3 July Write Like An Author   - Somerset College, Gold Coast QLD 9 - 12 July Click on the flyers below for full course details and the opportunity to register, NOW.  

Do you have a Harry Potter trapped within you bursting to be free? Do you know someone between the ages of 10 and 19 who find it hard to suppress their written words? Then check out the latest Young Writers' Program for Kids on offer by the Queensland Writers Centre. These workshops are sure to bring out the budding author in you. I'm especially intrigued by the Story Safari and wish I knew the appropriate age-reversing spell which would make me 10 again so I could don my khakis and tag along with Tristan Bancks. Aimee Lindorff Write On! (Age 12 – 17) with Aimée Lindorff Tuesdays (Term 2) Commences 16 April, 4:30 – 5:30pm. Do you love to write? Want to make new friends with similar interests? In this 10-week workshop series with Aimée Lindorff, you’ll learn the secrets of building tension between your heroes and villains though narrative, themes and story structure. Discover the core ingredients of great storytelling, from getting ideas out of your head ...

The words on the banner above state that I possess a desire to make reading and writing more inspired for children. They are not spoken lightly. As part of the Coomera Rivers SS Book Week in May festivities, I have the privileged honour of being their guest author. Throughout the week I've been presenting writing workshops and reading sessions to over 500 primary aged kids and their teachers. Nothing gives me more of a buzz than a room full of enthusiastic faces and arms thrust so far into the air (to proffer answers and anecdotes) I'd swear their fingers were full of helium. Together we explored the purpose, importance and structure of story telling. They discussed what makes a good read. They shared their reading secrets and writing aspirations with me. They set free their creative selves with exuberant abandon. And they committed to every writerly task asked of them. They enthused over the marvellous Book Fair displays in their i Centre with...

Kids keep me teetering along that fine line of complacency and wanting to do better. Their sense of logic, realism, fantasy and tender pragmatism somehow weaves into rich, satisfying life tapestries in ways I could never create with mere words, but try constantly to emulate. Their raw enthusiasm breathes life into art the same way coffee kick starts my tired brain. I simultaneously marvel and envy their crafty naivety. This also happens to be why I adore writing for them. During recent Book Week Writing Workshops , when I asked students why they thought I might enjoy writing, the reply was often, "Because you like having fun." Yes. Who doesn't? Writing for kids is truck loads of fun. One of the frequently asked questions I got asked (being not quite as well known as JK Rowling) was, "What have you written?" I garbled on about short stories for school magazines, picture books etc. Hindsight being 100% correct and 100% use...

One of the serendipitous side effects of conducting school workshops, is the enthusiastic emergence of creative talent. Following a week of Writing and Illustrating Workshops conducted by Angela Sunde  and myself, many students of Coomera Rivers State School, have approached us keen to develop their ideas and launch their stories and illustrations upon the world at large. Angela was able to assist with various suggestions where kids from 6 - 18 years of age can indulge in the art of creative story telling, poem writing and illustrating. We both strongly encourage children with a creative flare and a burning desire to take it further to check out these sites. They offer kids information about Writing events, Conferences and Workshops, Festivals and Competitions, all designed to show case and promote the work of young writers and illustrators. If you know of any people who want their stories heard please feel free to pass these onto them. Somerset Celebration of L...

Day Three of National Book Week 2011  and I've well and truly set sail on my Inaugural Writers' Workshop sojourn. I've always been thrilled to be part of workshops on anything of a literary nature, inevitably walking away with some new precious gem of knowledge on the craft of writing and renewed desire to continue turning pages. Now the pencil is in an other's hand or rather hands. Who would have thought that conducting Writing Workshops could be so utterly enjoyable? Fun, is the best way I can describe my first foray into imparting to primary aged students of Coomera Rivers State School some of the finer nuances of Picture Book writing. Gruelling would be another. Six classes in under six hours was certainly not for the faint hearted but I would not hesitate to repeat the experience. Any concerns about them not 'liking' the subject matter were quickly dismissed. All grades from Preppies to Year 7 sat enraptured as they were guided through typical pictu...

I have recently been invited to participate in and conduct a number of creative writing workshops at our local primary school as part of this year's Book Week . The aim being to promote and foster the fun and worthiness of literature within a child's world. Running from the 22nd to the 26th of August , it promises to be a packed, productive and I wonder, if not slightly punishing week. Of course I'm looking forward to engaging the creative minds and spirits of every child from Prep to Year 7 with a stomach turning mixture of sheer excitement and trepidation. After all how many similar workshops have I attended thus feeling well confident with my content and subject matter? After all how much passion do I possess about the subject matter? After all how difficult can it be to persuade kids to feel the passion too? After all they're kids...They're kids. And there in lies the rub. They're kids; possibly the world's most difficult group to publicly address. ...