The Importance of Support

I am very lucky to have some amazing people around me in my world. I’m not just talking about my writing world, but I am also talking about the friendships that I have developed over the years.

There is something rather reassuring to know that you can bounce ideas off the people around you, and know that you are going to get an honest opinion. Whether that opinion is aligned to what you think is irrelevant. It’s the honesty behind it that encourages you to think from an outside perspective.

There is just something so damn refreshing about having that there, whenever you need it. But these are not just ‘take, take’ relationships. They are ‘give, take’ relationships. The reciprocal action is what makes it work. There are days when I need specific sets of advice from certain people who I know have more experience than I do… and it’s awesome to have those special people there to help me clarify ideas.

This works particularly well with my amazing critique partners. Seriously – these women are something special. Each of them all have very different experiences in the writing and publishing world… much like I do within my literary world as well. The very cool thing about this little team that I have surrounding me, is that each of those critters all write in different genres to me, and therefore with one book that I give to them to read and seek opinion on, I can get a great reader and writer perspective from them. The honesty is in the feedback.

Some days I get feedback that I really don’t want. And I think that every single writer in the world gets feedback like that. The book you write is never the book that is read. Seriously. Everyone’s perspective of your book is their own, and it is up to you as the writer to decipher what feedback will work for you and what wont.

The thing I like the most about having critique partners is the thanks that I get for supporting them. I have a good friend/critique partner who has just released her debut novel, and I am just so damn proud of her. She has worked so very hard – and I can’t believe that I’m going to be able to walk into a bookshop shortly, and see it sitting there on the shelf. I will stand there proudly gazing upon its gorgeous cover, and know that I have contributed to the development of that book by reading, critiquing, and supporting that author to get through this arduous process. Then I’ll end up buying it for my special collection.

I have another friend/critique partner who has just released her trilogy, and soon it will be in paperback. And I seriously can’t wait to see those books sitting proudly upon my bookshelf in my home library. These are the moments in time when I will look at these massive achievements from women I know, and know that as a critique partner, and as a good friend, I have done my duty. I have given feedback and support to these authors, and they have chosen what they can use, and what they can’t, and they have created from that.

Just over a year ago, when the Christchurch earthquake struck on 22^nd Feb, I developed an amazing friendship with someone who was calling out for writers to come together for a charity anthology. Usually I would never have responded. Seriously. I am not that sort of person. But because this was for such a worthy cause that was so close to my heart, I felt I had to respond. And all I was offering at the time was to help her round up writers and support her with the development of this massive project. Throughout that time, the friendship that I developed with her was amazing. I class this woman as one of my closest friends, and we talk every single day. I’m not kidding. I know everything about her, and her family. She knows everything about me and mine. And it’s amazing that we have only known each other for just over a year. Without Mother Nature enforcing her power over Christchurch that day, we never would have met.

Friendships are built on the foundations of trust, honesty, and communication. Usually there is a bit of commonality thrown in there as well for good measure… Friendships provide you with support, and a supportive relationship with people is the only way to live.

 

Tales for Canterbury – in print! (via J. C. Hart)

I just had to re-blog this because it is so super exciting!

There we have it peeps – Tales for Canterbury Anthology is now out in print. Check out JC Hart’s blog post to see the detail! How much awesomeness is that!!

I must admit… it’s going to be a bit strange holding published work of mine actually in my hands, and it not being a scrappy printed draft that I am searching for mistakes, typos, and another eventual nasty edit.

So, if you want to put your money to a fabulous cause, and receive a beautiful book full of amazing short stories in return, then swing by and pick up a copy. You won’t regret it.

Happy reading!

 

In case you missed the announcement, the paperbacks have arrived from the printers! And according to Anna, they look very shiny If you’ve pre-ordered a copy, then it should get to you in the next week or so. If you’ve been holding off, why not head over and place your order now? Poor Anna has to package and post them all! My tongue is safe from all that envelope licking, though I wish I could help out. Like you, I am eager to get my hands on … Read More

via J. C. Hart

 

Hope, survival, and future?

This is the theme that Tales for Canterbury was loosely based around. I was asked to submit a short story for this Anthology a while ago and to be honest – I procrastinated about it. I sat there thinking, ‘How on earth can I submit something loosely themed around those three areas?’ I mean… I mainly write thrillers. ‘Yep,’ my muse, Tangaroa said, ‘death, destruction, no hope, and no foreseeable future.’

But you know what? I have my own stories of hope, survival, and future. Here is one loosely based on my current writing life:

Hope

When I first started writing creatively, I was full of beans for this sudden discovery of creative writing. This spurred on the ‘hope’ within me that one day I would reach an audience with my work. Hope, that perhaps one day I would get published. Hope that I could potentially become a bestselling author like Stephen King (snickers). Well, one can always dream, can’t they? I still have hope for writing. Lots of it, in fact, but I’m just a little more realistic about it now.

Survival

I have survived years of frustration in this lonely profession. There is only one person in this profession that can generate the fiction that I want to produce. And I’m it. But in this time I have pumped out a multitude of draft manuscripts… a bunch of short stories, started a blog, started reviewing other peoples work, studied travel journalism, and now I have survived my first submission for publishing. What’s even more incredible… is that they have accepted it.

Future

Every writer must start somewhere in the publishing scene. Whether that’s with short fiction first, or self-publishing… the fact is… if you want to get published, a writer needs to start somewhere. I have officially started. This week, I have signed a contract with RandomStatic publishing for them to publish one of my short stories in the Tales for Canterbury Anthology. Flabbergasted doesn’t even begin to describe how I am feeling about this. I guess that I didn’t really realise how much I was hoping they would say yes. I had been so laid back about the whole thing… probably because my professional life had forced me to focus on the work that I have been doing over the past few weeks. But right there, on the last day of the financial year, was sitting an acceptance email. Oh, I wanted to get up and dance for joy, cry with relief, or even have one or two celebratory drinks… but I knew that I had to focus on my professional work for just a few more hours. I guess, what I’m trying to say is this: The future is always going to be there. As long as you plan, execute, and celebrate when things start going the right way – it’s all the matters. Welcome to the future baby. The future of publishing.

For more information of Tales for Canterbury – please visit this site. And if you want to pre-order your copy of this incredible Anthology – you can do so here. Just think – You’ll be getting yourself a Leigh K Hunt original, not to mention a bunch of other stories from amazing writers.

 

Tales for Canterbury

Wow. I didn’t get the chance to put this up yesterday, so it’s better late than never!

As some of you know, over the past month,  there have been a couple of incredibly driven New Zealand writers pulling together an Anthology of Short Stories for Earthquake relief.

This is an amazing opportunity for you to donate to Red Cross Earthquake Appeal – and get something really special in return.

Tales for Canterbury is an opportunity for readers everywhere to give support to the people of Christchurch, who have shown resilience and bravery as they work to rebuild their lives and city. This charity anthology features tales by more than two dozen writers from New Zealand and beyond who have generously donated their works.

We are now taking pre-release orders for this volume of inspiring works. If you wish to pre-order a copy, you can do so directly with the publisher, RandomStatic.

This book will be released in hard copy ($24.95 incl. postage), as well as e-book ($12.00), and printing is expected to start in April. All profits will be donated to the NZ Red Cross Earthquake Appeal.  See Tales for Canterbury for more details.

Tales for Canterbury brings you a variety of stories set in both contemporary and future times, worlds touched by disaster, magic, and the otherworldly, where everyday truths are explored, and you never know what shape the future might hold. Explore the depths of what it means to be human, escape the real world, and find hope in these pages.

If you wish to send out to your networks, then please do so. We want to raise as much money as we can!

Whilst Cassie and Anna talk about resilience and bravery, I am truly amazed at the shear drive and passion that these two women have for this cause.  The incredible amount of coordination in getting something like this together (in just one month!) is amazing. This has been a big process for both of them, but the resilience and bravery that these two women have displayed throughout this journey is inspiring.

Even if you can’t help out financially, drop them an email or a message to show your support. I know that it would mean a lot to both of them.

 

Stories of Disaster

Out of disasters, whether they are natural or not, come stories.

As many of you know, I am a New Zealand resident. Yesterday – five and a half months after our last big quake… we had another one. The impact of this quake is so much worse, even though it was less on the Richter scale. The key difference in this one was that everyone was out and about. People were at work, visitors and tourists were around, your usual run-about-town people, families and parents with their children, and half the office blocks were on their lunch-breaks. You see… this quake happened at 12.51pm in the afternoon. The last quake happened at 4.35am while everyone was at home and in bed.

Christchurch Cathedral

Quite naturally, my fellow New Zealanders and I are in shock about what’s happened. There are many people missing, others trapped in buildings, and of course, people’s homes have been destroyed. Roads are incredibly unsafe to travel on, flooding is occurring from the rivers and from broken infrastructure pipes, and we also have the added risk of liquefaction occurring.

But all that being said, there is a whole nation standing behind the city of Christchurch trying to help. Calls are out there for people to donate not just money, but also other more personal assets that they have such as blood, time, sweat, and tears. Our wonderful neighbouring nations are offering and sending help in these times. As they have in the past, and as we hope they will in the future – as we will with them.

Stories are reaching our ears of their experiences are all shocking, devastating, and by some fate of silver lining – they are also inspiring. Stories of survival, stories of loss. Everyone in New Zealand have their stories to tell today that are in direct relation to the earthquake. I even have mine.

The cathedral in ruins - 22 Feb 2011

Members of my family live in Christchurch, as well as friends. I thank the gods that my family are safe. I received a text message from my cousin within thirty minutes of the quake to get me to pass the message on to the rest of my family on their behalf. Considering the telecommunications were pretty much knocked out, this was incredible, and relieving. I got the last messages from the rest of my family members last night to say they were safe.

In the car this morning, I passed a huge convoy of emergency response and military vehicles on their way to assist. It warms my heart that they are going down there to help. As I was listening to the radio in the car, I heard a recording of a woman on there. The message was recorded yesterday afternoon after the quake, and her 9 month old grandson had just died, and no help could get to them. It was so heart breaking; I ended up having a good cry in the car with my friend who carpools into work with us.

Then when I was standing in the local 24-hour store buying the paper, a woman looked at me and burst into tears. She has a daughter living in Christchurch, and cannot get hold of her. She has worried herself sick all night, hardly slept, and is emotionally overwrought. Needless to say, I found myself embracing this stranger in desperate need of comfort.

When disaster strikes, we tend to find comfort with strangers. These are the bonds that tie us together to stand up and be strong. There is a Maori saying in New Zealand, which is ‘Kia Kaha.’ The translation of this is, ‘Stand Strong’. All over New Zealand, our Kiwi nation is giving this exact message to the Christchurch people.  Shouts of it are all over the social networks, via text messaging, media, and through word of mouth.

And like a phoenix rising from the ashes, so will this fair city, together with the bonds of an entire nation standing right behind them.

Kia Kaha Christchurch, your stories will live on within our memories.