it's all about the writing - the book!

it's all about the writing is an eclectic collection of sixteen well-written, thought-provoking short stories by emerging writers Craig Henderson, Antonio Iannella, Kim Cook, Tuan Ho, Joshua Holland and myself, Emanuel Cachia.

The stories contained within cross fiction genres including Young Adult, Science Fiction, Literary, Action, Fantasy, Adventure, Family, Humour, Mental Health and Multiculturalism. There's a little Memoir and Creative Non-fiction and other pieces that refuse to be classified so easily.

Call them what you will, there's something for everyone.

Expect to laugh and cry, giggle and weep, cringe in horror and pump your fist in triumph, often while reading a single story.

You won't be disappointed.


Available on Kindle for USD$2.99 at www.amazon.com/dp/B00AVS9AR0/ref=cm_sw_su_dp (ASIN B00AVS9AR0),

Hard copy for $15 including worldwide postage by emailing me - payable via PayPal or Bank transfer, and

Free to borrow via the Kindle Owner's Lending Library. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000739811 (I receive a small payment each time it is borrowed).


Next up: an extract of Craig Henderson's short story Talking in Tongues, which won one of six $1,000 prizes in the national year of reading's 'it's never too late to learn to read' short story competition.

Thank you kindly for your support,
Emanuel

A message to my fellow emerging writers

As one of five shortlisting judges for a local creative writing competition (I'm not sure if I can say which one...), I've read a ton of unpublished short stories in the last few months.


It's exciting to know there are so many talented armature and emerging writers who's stories need only minor changes to be truly amazing.

Submit your stuff to publishers, people. You never know when you'll be picked up!

Be brave, leap off the deep end and have confidence you'll land on the other side.
Even if you're not, pretend to be; not many people can tell the difference

For all you Aussies, check out my post on the major Australian literary journals and magazines.

A bunch of other competitions are also currently accepting submissions. Some are free, while others charge a small reading fee. Many offer decent prize money, certificates of merit and/or publication opportunities.

I know I've said this cliche before, but...

You've gotta be in it to win it!

And the winner of the Melton Short Story Competition is…

Time and Time Again by me!

It feels great winning, especially with a story I like and worked so hard on.

So, what exactly went into Time and Time Again?

- An outline on what I wanted the story to achieve

- A year of turning the ideas into legible prose

- Nine drafts (more if you include the line edits)

- Critiques from my writing group

- Two other competitions (one Highly Commended)

- Rejection letters from three publishers

Looking back at the first draft, the voice and plot were there; only the back-story and placement of words and punctuation changed. But what an impact these things have!

The story went from just over 1,500 long-winded words that took a long time to get to the point to 998 punchy ones that demand attention.

What’s the story about? A guy hangs himself in prison and thinks about his life and where it went wrong. As the story unfolds, he goes further and further back in time to an incident of family violence where he wishes he stood up for his mother. The last few paragraphs show how he wanted to live his life and, hopefully, shows that family violence is passed on from generation to generation until addressed.

Where to from here? I hope to submit it to a few of the literary mags that haven't already rejected it. I’ll probably do that until someone picks it up. I’m also considering sending it somewhere overseas—maybe The New York Times.

Wishful thinking, I know, but if my aim is high I might just hit the target that feels so far away :)

Emanuel