Author Archives: Jane Messer

The critical first, middle and last 10 pages

In the most recent of Writing NSW’s First Friday Club talks, hosted by author Ashley Kalagian Blunt, publisher Terri-ann White spoke about her new publishing venture Upswell Publishing. After publishing around 450 books at UWA Press, Terri-ann White has partnered with Black Inc. and Penguin Random House for representation and distribution in Australia and internationally.  Upswell’s first book will be out this August.Continue reading “The critical first, middle and last 10 pages”

Bold Ink creative writing mentoring launches

Welcome to my The Bold Ink – Creative Mentoring and Author Services. After thirty years of mentoring writers through my teaching in universities — Johns Hopkins, UTS and Macquarie — I’m now freelancing. Thankyou to my first clients who’ve been a joy to work with these past two months: Jennifer, Ghina, Kylie, Jacqui and Christine.Continue reading “Bold Ink creative writing mentoring launches”

Hilary Mantel’s first person

A thousand pages of writing were framed by Mantel’s first paragraphs about Cromwell the boy: from the blood of her first pages, to the blood of his death with the executioner’s axe. Mantel was talking about Thomas Cromwell last night at Carriageworks, and the writing and research for the Wolf Hall trilogy, a little aboutContinue reading “Hilary Mantel’s first person”

a pinch of megalomania

“Lie about everything to anyone who’s a stranger to you.” Reading excerpts of Walter Serner’s 1927 book Last Loosening, I thought how similar Serner’s lessons for con artists are to our self-styling social media posts today, a century later. ‘Be more than you are, be nothing!’ Followed by, ‘Then you will be something.’ Then whenContinue reading “a pinch of megalomania”

Listening parties, the new thang.

It wasn’t the fault of artistic angst, but Dear Dr Chekhov has taken a little while, a few years in fact, to reach the airwaves.  Last week it premiered at a packed listening event before being broadcast on ABC Radio National’s Soundproof program. (Don’t worry if you missed the broadcast, it’s now a podcast.) The one-hour Soundproof program and half-hour weekly  RadioTonic program makeContinue reading “Listening parties, the new thang.”

Should authors Rushdie to judgment as book reviewers?

Poor Salman Rushdie. On the global books site GoodReads, he recently gave public 1-, 2- and 3-star ratings to books by well-known and esteemed writers such as Kingsley Amis, the late father of his friend Martin Amis, and Hermione Lee. He claims not to have realised his ratings were public. GoodReads – launched in 2007Continue reading “Should authors Rushdie to judgment as book reviewers?”