Despite habitually exceeding the word limit throughout my academic life, I’ve managed to collect a few degrees, beginning with a Bachelor of Creative Arts (International Studies) from Macquarie University, with a short sojourn at the University of East Anglia, in the UK, to write about vampires and live the ‘Fresher’ college life. Then, an Honours degree to write some more about vampires, this time of the Aussie variety. After a stint in Publicity and Marketing at Random House in Auckland, then in Sydney, I decided to career pivot (or more like… veer slightly right) into a Bachelor of Teaching in Secondary Education at the University of Technology, Sydney. Most recently, I completed my Masters of Arts in Creative Writing at UTS, and now I think it’s best to lie the HECS debt to rest.
Against all sensible advice, I recently gave up teaching full-time high school English to dedicate more time to writing, and to coaching and managing an aerial silk studio, because ‘joining the circus’ felt more in tune with my childhood dreams. I’ve been a copywriter for HR firms, and a content writer for websites other than this bad boy. I’m currently working on a climate fiction fantasy novel for young adults. I definitely preferred it when my writing was classified as dystopian escapism rather than current affairs.
For samples of my writing and a list of published work, click here, or have a read of some of my blog articles. My editing credentials include completion of a Professional Editing course and a lifetime supply of short story and web content edits. Despite my inability to follow my own word limits, I’m strict in advising others to follow the rules. What a hypocrite.
I’m based on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, and love to climb, run, travel, and squish my dog’s fluffygroodleface.
Samantha Todd 