Tag Archives: writing

Award Winning Australian Writing 2016

Posted on July 18, 2016 by Karen Whitelaw

                Last Thursday I got the exciting news my story ‘Koi’, which won the Inaugural Newcastle Writers’s Festival Microlit Competition has been selected for the Award Winning Australian Writing 2016 anthology! And to top it off … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, short story competitions, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 27 Comments

Speech Recognition Software

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Karen Whitelaw

Over the past year I’ve noticed that my hands and wrists are becoming sore from typing. Not just the soreness from overuse but there’s been some nerve pain too. So I started looking up speech recognition software on the Internet, … Continue reading →

Posted in technology, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

THE NWF/JOANNE BURNS AWARD 2016

Posted on June 16, 2016 by Karen Whitelaw

It’s time again for the Microlit Award jointly-sponsored by the Newcastle Writers Festival and Spineless Wonders. Finalists in 2015 saw their work made into visual presentations. Very exciting! Check out my winning story under ‘videos’ here. In 2016 finalists will be considered for … Continue reading →

Posted in competitions, fiction | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

In Defense of Procrastination

Posted on May 11, 2016 by Karen Whitelaw

Some writers think procrastination is the same as being blocked. Some call procrastination thinking. I’ve just watched a Ted Talk by Adam Grant called ‘Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers.’ He conducted a study which makes a strong case for the procrastination-as-thinking camp. Grant is … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, Writing, writing process | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Newcastle Writers Festival 2016

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Karen Whitelaw

Keep the weekend April 1 -3  free for the 2016 Newcastle Writers Festival. It’s an exciting line-up this year. Check out the program . If you want to spruce up your writing there are Masterclasses by Carmel Bird  and Claire Scobie, and sessions on Self-publishing … Continue reading →

Posted in competitions, Newcastle Writers Festival, Uncategorized, Writers Festival | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

The ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Karen Whitelaw

In 2010 the Australian Book Review formed the annual ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize. It was created to honour a highly respected Australian short story writer and has become one of our leading short story awards. Entries are now open to … Continue reading →

Posted in short story competitions, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

Fiction & Compassion

Posted on January 26, 2016 by Karen Whitelaw

  In a large regional town like any other large regional town in Australia lives a woman in her 60s. One of those battlers – you know them, the people who life has kicked around a bit but they get … Continue reading →

Posted in fiction, life, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

The Joy of Writing

Posted on January 17, 2016 by Karen Whitelaw

A writer friend who is also doing the challenge of observing and writing down the details every day sent me this email, ‘It is quite  incredible the wandering paths my mind has taken just by writing in the moment like this.Today … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing, writing process | Tagged , , , , | 18 Comments

Writing from the forgotten senses

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Karen Whitelaw

For three days last week the wind blew the rain horizontally. It pelted against the window glass and the drops sounded like someone throwing sharp needles. Last week I’d given myself a writing challenge: to write somewhere different each day, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, Writing, writing process | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Short Story Competition

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Karen Whitelaw

  The Newcastle Short Story Award is now open to Australian residents. You’ve got until midnight on 31st January 2016 to polish up your best story under 2,000 words. The shortlisted stories from the inaugural competition in 2012, including one of mine, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, competitions, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments