Sydney-based writer sporadically blogging about writing, life, and dystopian moments.
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.
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...
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.
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 →
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.
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 →
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 →
World-building is hard. I don’t mean physically and literally building a world, although I can only assume, not being an All-Powerful God Being, that such a task would also be extraordinarily difficult. The type of world-building I’m referring to involves developing an imaginary yet believable universe, with consistent and somewhat reasoned qualities, such as history,... Continue Reading →
If you want expert advice on writing, Stephen King is at the top of the hierarchy (see how I made a pun there? I AM SO FUNNY.) I highly recommend you go out and buy his book On Writing. I like it so much I have two copies (okay, it’s also because my mum accidentally... Continue Reading →
I’ve always loved creating, and imagining worlds and writing stories was an important part of my childhood. I’ve also always loved reading, and I think that often comes first. When I was little, I’d spend almost every Saturday morning with Dad and my brother at the beach, then in Manly library, trying not to drip... Continue Reading →
Samantha Todd 