Workshop: Structuring a Fantasy Novel

If you are in Adelaide and are interested in writing fantasy, then I'm running this workshop at the SA Writers' Centre:

Structuring a Fantasy Novel

Saturday 13 June, 2pm-5pm

The popularity of fantasy novels continues to grow and publishers are always in search of the next great epic trilogy. During this hands-on interactive workshop participants will develop an outline for a fantasy novel. Discussion points include: creating characters and how they grow through the narrative, popular fantasy themes, how to develop tension and conflict, how to propel the story, the importance of dialogue and action, using cultural references, and just what it is like to live in a world where magic and fantastical creatures reign. more…

Where: SA Writers' Centre, 2nd Floor, 187 Rundle Street, Adelaide

Cost: $55 for SAWC members; $77 for non-members

Contact: 08 8223 7662 or email sawriters@sawc.org.au

Book online here

Midnight Echo #2 Released in June

Coming next month: Midnight Echo #2, edited by Angela Challis & Shane Jiraiya Cummings, and featuring creepy stories by Kurt Newton, Bob Franklin, David Conyers, Andrew McKiernan, Joanne Anderton, Shaun Jeffrey, Felicity Dowker, and many more... plus artwork from David Schembri and many talented dark fantasy artists.

Features my Australian Horror Writers Association's Flash Fiction Award winning story "Homo Canis" which originally featured in 2008 Award Winning Australian Writing from Melbourne Books.

"Homo Canis" - Aaron Sedgwick broke the law, killing his wife in a car accident while intoxicated with alcohol. For his punishment, he is sentenced to eighteen years hard labor, remade as a dog.

First review of "The Lord of the Law"

New review of "The Lord of the Law" found on Dark Fiction Review:

The last story in The Fourth Black Book of Horror is "The Lord of The Law" by David Conyers. This is one of those stories that seems a little out of step with the rest of the book, but it’s no less enjoyable for it ... It’s a cleverly written tale that plays with the senses from beginning to end.

The reviewer gives the rest of the collection a very nice review, so congratulations to all the authors and editor Charles Black.

Star Wars: Crosscurrent by Paul S. Kemp

Just discovered that my good writing friend Paul S. Kemp has his first Star Wars novel coming out very soon Star Wars: Crosscurrent. I don't know much about it, but will post more when I learn more. Meanwhile you can order it here.

"Soft Viscosity" gets nominated for a Ditmar Award

How can this year get any better on the publishing front? Well I can think of many ways but hey it's all been good news this year, and today is no exception. I've just learnt that "Soft Viscosity" from 2012 has just been nominated for a Ditmar Award for Best Novella catagory. In fact it is the only story from that anthology to get a nomination which I didn't expect! Wow!

Thank you everyone who voted for me. I know most of you who did were overseas readers, so thanks for your support, and to those of you local Aussies who voted for me too. That's five stories with award nominations now ("Aftermath", "Homo Canis", "Black Water" and "Subtle Invasion" are the other ones) and it is interesting to note they are all my science fiction pieces.

Midnight Echo and 2012 both get nominations for Best Collection, but even though I appeared in both, I'd like to see Black edited by Angela Challis win, I mean she does a fantastic job at promoting Australian speculative fiction and deserves this award. But I guess it is a wait and see now.

Congratulations to all the nominees.

Another Great Review of "Black Water"

This is probably the best review I've ever had, again for "Black Water" which appeared in Jupiter #24, this time from SF Crowsnest by Rod MacDonald. This is what it had to say:

'Black Water' by David Conyers is an absolutely cracking story. It's one of the best I've read for some time... Even within the limitations of a short story, a believable world has been created with two strong characters, Joseph and an Australian woman called Donna, both trying to make their way as best they can. I particularly liked the use of archaic technology, even in the slums of Dar es Salaam. Well, if this is our future, we had better do something about it soon!

Read the rest of the review here.

SFRevu reviews "Black Water"

Ian Redman, editor of Jupiter has just advised me of the first review of Issue 24 which featured my story "Black Water". Here is what the reviewer Sam Tomaino said about my story:

The issue begins with "Black Water" by David Conyers. Set in a future Earth wracked by drought, Joseph Nuwangi is set on improving his lot in life. He has sacrificed much of his body to get where he is and now he is going to use just that sacrifice to make his fortune, on the island of Zanzibar with the purest water in the world. Conyers does a great job here with showing us a future world and the people in it.

Read the rest of the review here, which says great things about all the stories.

Charles Stross Interviewed on Yog-Sothoth.com

Interesting podcast with Charles Stross on Yog-Sothoth.com. He talks about his writing, role-playing games and the hint that an Atrocity Archives role-playing game is coming out soon based on the Call of Cthulhu (Basic Roleplaying Game) system.