I’ve been trying to write this post for over a year now. No joke. I’ve given up looking for the drafts in my files and started from scratch.
Hi! Sorry I’ve been away. It’s been a really intense few years. How are you? I hope you and yours stayed safe over the Invasion Day weekend.
I stopped writing these posts (and almost entirely abandoned my website) after my family suffered a tragedy in 2021. And then life just felt like it went into survival mode.
I had a baby who is now a talkative two-year-old. We lost our beloved staffy, Luna. Somehow, I finished my PhD. While waiting for my examiners’ reports, I panicked about what I was going to do with my life and started throwing applications out into the void, expecting nothing to return. Oh Lordy, I won three grants. The Elevate grant was for a mentorship with my own agent, the amazing Alex Adsett. The Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund is for travelling to literary events to learn network and grow as an agent. The third grant is from Creative Australia for writing the sequel to Ghost Bird, which will be ready for submission in a year and a half. Or else. (Tace and the crew are already back with me, their voices loud and strong. I missed them. But I have a terrible dilemma and I’ve asked for help.)
I have a picture book with the brilliant Magabala Books called, Big Big Love! I am so lucky that Samantha Campbell illustrated it, her work legit made me cry. I also had a memoir piece published in the Griffith Review centred on my family and the events of 1 January 2022.
And why am I just focussing on last year? In the almost five years I’ve been absent from this blog, I’ve written a few fun, scary, difficult and different pieces that have popped up along the way. I’ve finally updated this website, so go explore the tabs at the top and see if anything interests you.
I got a job at the University of Canberra in July as Lecturer in Indigenous Studies. Which, for a career public servant and freelance editor, has been an experience, one I’m learning so much from. We’re in Week 2 now and holy wow does technology hate me.
And that’s just the main points I can think of. Don’t get me started on my stress knitting/crocheting.
My 2025 is starting with a bang. I’ve got a middle grade fantasy, Washpool, coming out on 26 February that holds a special place in mine and my family’s hearts. Author copies have landed – whee!!! The first review has already come out and I am stoked! I’ve been updating on my socials if you're keen to know more, including the launch and any events, interviews etc. I’ll also send a special email to my subscribers about it soon.
If you’ve been on my socials, you’ll know that work is happening on a film adaptation of Ghost Bird. I’m learning these things take a lot of patience, time, and loads of hard work by a whole team of committed and brilliant people. Watch this space! Meanwhile, the director of Ghost Bird, Chantelle Murray, (and oh my God do I love writing that) has released her first ever feature film, The Lost Tiger (G-rated so take the kids). In cinemas from 27 February – make sure to check it out and support fabulous local film talent!
I’ve got a PhD novel that needs work to bring it up to scratch so Alex and I can seek publishing for it. (Wait, did I mention I have an agent now? Again, the amazing Alex Adsett everybody.) I’d dearly love to publish my exegesis in some form too. And I’m going to be back on my website and this blog with at least one post a month. Talking all things writing, life and various projects coming up. (But I mean it’s me, so who knows I might post more, we’ll see how this goes.) Hopefully with more recent posts it will feel a little more relaxed.
I am considering releasing sample chapters of my works in progress to my subscribers to get their input – give a heart to this post if you’re keen for that. Or if you have other things you’d like to see, feel free to drop a comment here or on my socials. I’m always keen to know what might interest you, dear readers.
If enough people want it, I will share. But I might have to create a poll so you can tell me what you’re keen to read – Washpool? Ghost Bird sequel? Short story drafts? PhD novel? The random middle grade ghost story I’m tinkering with? Or maybe the left field fantasy I’m throwing around, which can’t seem to decide if it’s YA or adult …
Sorry. I’ll calm down now.
To say these past years have ripped out my heart and then regrown it, would be an understatement. The regrowth has hurt almost as bad, there are parts that will always be missing, but life continues. The small human racing around my house lights my soul in ways I never knew it could. And makes me tired. Very, very tired. But I am lucky to be here, to have my family and friends, to have a job I love, to still be writing and working with dedicated and creative people while doing all of it.
Happy New Year to you all! Bring on 2025, may it be filled with all the best things for you and all your mob.
All the best, Lisa
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