A couple of days ago I made a hard decision to step down from the Board of the SA Writers’ Centre, a fantastic organisation that promotes and supports South Australian authors of all genres, success and abilities. For a time last year I was their editor of their member magazine Southern Write, and have been a member since 2007. I’ve also presented several workshops specific to the science fiction and fantasy markets.
I was asked to join the Board by Deputy Director Sean Williams because of my experience in the corporate sector, but it was the corporate sector that ultimately beat me, with a day job that requires a lot of travel and at times, long hours. I just didn’t feel that I was offering the Board the attention that it deserved. So I’ve stepped down.
That doesn’t mean that my involvement with the Centre is over, far from it. For starters I’ll be presenting a new workshop in the middle of the year on how to structure a fantasy novel (fantasy and not science fiction, because most people writing in the speculative fiction market write fantasy, so you have to cater for what the market wants). I’ll post more on this workshop when details become available.
In the meantime, if you are a speculative fiction author (or any author for that matter) looking for a little help on getting started, or assistance regardless of your level of skill or success, I highly recommend this organisation. The help they’ve given me over the last few years has been invaluable. Science fiction and fantasy authors who are members of the SA Writers’ Centres are Sean Williams, Fiona McIntosh, D.M. Cornish, Malcolm Walker, Lian Hearn, Astrid Cooper and many others.
Membership is very reasonable too.
2 comments:
It sounds like you made the right decision, David. I think people appreciate a realistic approach to commitments; I know I'd rather have someone tell me honestly if they can't do something, rather than have the person promise something and then fail to deliver.
-Jeff
Thanks Jeff, I agree with you on that front.
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