I joined the High Country Writers’ Group a couple of years ago to meet other local writers, brush up on my skills and get back into the practice of writing. Over the course of our monthly sessions I did all of that, but in the process our group also produced a collection of short pieces that we were all quite happy with – and we are now about to have those pieces published in an anthology. This wasn’t expected but it’s a welcome and exciting step in my journey as a writer.
I’ll have a lot more to say about the group, some of the other people in it, and our process, but for now I want to briefly describe the book itself. “Diving into Deep Water” is a collection of around 70 pieces of writing spanning many genres and including micro-fiction, poetry, memoirs and biographies. It is the work of seven authors living in the New England region of NSW, along with our co-ordinator and mentor, Michael Burge, who is a published novelist and Guardian journalist. Many of the stories were prompted by a random word or phrase taken from another book plucked off a bookshelf.
“Two-minute plunges for time-poor literary lovers.” Waiting for a taxi, an Uber, or for a friend to join you for coffee? Skip the scrolling, and take a quick dip into another world, or another life. There is something here for everyone.
“What captivating works can writers produce when given a random phrase? This multi-genre collection of 300-word micro stories, penned by the eclectic High Country Writers of the NSW New England region, shows just how far the smallest inspiration can flow. With courage and curiosity, these wordsmiths gathered once a month to read their work and encourage one another, before randomly selecting the next writing trigger. Take the plunge!”
I’m not sure when the book will be available to purchase, but I’ll certainly be spruiking it when it is! We are having a launch party, though, on the 19th of July at The Makers Shed in Deepwater. The Makers Shed is the home of High Country Books and the High Country Writers Group, and is where a lot of the magic has happened in bringing this project to life. If you live in the area and would like to come along and help us celebrate, please do! When I know more about the format of the afternoon, I’ll post more details about that too.
Meanwhile: Since we completed our submissions for this anthology I have been working on another project, that will keep me busy until at least the end of 2025. I’ll drop a few hints about that from time to time. I’m also hoping to post articles and other shorter bits of writing on this blog, so come back again soon and see what else I have to ramble about.