A Quiet Place uses a simple horror film premise to explore things unsaid, and how to maintain life in a world muted by tense silence and deafening terror.
Film Review: A Quiet Place (with some classic preamble)
Cognitive dissonance of 2020-21
Once I moved through the initial shock of the pandemic, I thought it would allow me to dedicate more time to my writing. At the beginning of 2020, I had my first short story published, and while an online anthology launch is a particular kind of awkward, I was on some level relieved to think that maybe this was it; maybe I was on a trajectory to become a ‘real writer’ now. Then the pandemic kept going.
Droughts, Bushfires, Floods and Pandemics: Tips for Writing Post-Apocalyptic Fiction in Apocalyptic Australia
I keep adjusting the year in which my near-future cli-fi fantasy novel is set. Firstly, because novel writing is a much longer process than I’d naively anticipated almost a decade ago, so 'near future' is in fact, now. And secondly, because the world in which I’ve set my novel is meant to be slightly futuristic in an apocalypse if we don't act now kind of way – but every time I look up from my writing, it’s coming true...
10 Examples of Humans Being Better than COVID-19.
1. They provide excellent customer service from their living rooms COVID-19 means a lot of people have to work from home, in tricky circumstances, including but not limited to while taking care of multiple children under the age of ten. But when I rang my bank to cancel some cards, Kind Kylie answered, chatting to... Continue Reading →
COVID-19 and all the feels
One day, the story of the time I had to write my own termination of employment letter because the world experienced a pandemic will be funny. Right? I actually thought nothing could possibly get crazier about the world after the political mess, climate crisis, droughts, bushfires, floods and cyclones that brought in the year. What an idiot I was.
Seven Podcasts You Should Listen To (especially if you're a writer)
I wasn’t always interested in podcasts. While my name means ‘listener’, I’ve never been a particularly strong auditory learner. I think people who know me would describe me as talkative, and I enjoy having meaningful conversations, but preferably not over the phone, another purely auditory medium à la podcasts. Conversations are better when paired with... Continue Reading →
10 Valuable Websites for Authors
The ASA provides advocacy, support and advice to Australian authors and illustrators. Once you're professionally involved in writing, this site is like a professional security blanket. If you want information specific to Australia, in regards to rates of pay, contracts, or copyright protections, this is the place to go. They also provide training opportunities for writers, and run awards and residency programs. If ever I have any legal concerns surrounding writing, this will be my first port of call.
Summer Reads Part II – In Review
Summer is officially over. There, I said it. Some part of me is devastated by this sentence, but the pale winter-baby half of me is secretly relieved... 1. Mistborn Trilogy: Book 2, The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
I really, really enjoy these books. I love the characters, and I love the world that has been created. I’ve always been a softie for a big cast, which is something I’ve been told you can only just get away with in a fantasy saga like this one, and isn’t suitable for other kinds of books. I’m not convinced. Maybe that’s because it doesn’t take much for me to empathise with a character.
Why IFL Science Writing
This is me at Yosemite last year, in awe of a giant fallen sequoia that was wide enough to walk through. I quit science at the end of Year 10. I wish I hadn’t. But I was too squeamish for biology, not mathematically minded enough for chemistry and physics, and too excited by the possibility... Continue Reading →
How To Get Out of a Funk
Until this week, I’ve been able to trick myself into believing that I’m still on holidays, and that everyone else in Australia is, too. But it’s back to school, and the farce is over. The year has officially begun. And it’s got me in a funk. Back in the good old days (last week), I... Continue Reading →
Samantha Todd 