We've all done it. Experienced buyer's remorse, that is. That pair of '70s bell bottoms you thought you looked so good in, but rarely fitted into. The gifts you've stored for years for which you've never found a suitable recipient. A life - maybe - you've bought into, but since wondered about. What about when … Continue reading Buy Now, Regret Later – a literary contest
Author: Margaret McCaffrey
Margaret is a Melbourne/Naarm-based writer developing a memoir about the relationship she had with her father, a wounded veteran of the Second World War and prisoner of war in Germany.
Excerpts from her manuscript can be found in American Writers Review, Jewels of San Fedele and Clairitage Press. In 2013 she was awarded a scholarship to the Norman Mailer Writers Colony in Provincetown, where she began her manuscript.
In 2015, she gained an MA in Creative Writing from Wilkes University, PA. She writes non-fiction, personal essay and the occasional short story.
Books, Bans, and the Battle for the Soul of a Nation
Persimmon Tree is a US literary publication for women over the age of sixty. (I just qualify!) Recently the magazine called for subscribers to offer their thoughts on ‘The Assault on the Cultural and Intellectual Life of America’. As my country, Australia, has just emerged from a spirited national election, in which the vote shifted … Continue reading Books, Bans, and the Battle for the Soul of a Nation
The Inspirational ‘Write’ Spot
My writing group recently went on a retreat to rural Victoria. The three of us booked a house overlooking a forest and we took along our mascot, Ruby the dog, for added company. The dedicated time away felt to me like being on a big, peaceful sailing ship travelling through tranquil waters. All we had … Continue reading The Inspirational ‘Write’ Spot
The (Emotional) Cost of Writing
Memoirists might agree that the cost of writing is high. Yet, on the other hand, totally worth the price we pay. Deborah Levy’s book The Cost of Living is notable for its technique, as exemplified in the ambiguity of the title. If the cost of living our lives economically features in every other newspaper headline, then … Continue reading The (Emotional) Cost of Writing
Snatching Time to Write
Donna Talarico, editor and founder of Hippocampus Magazine, recently posted that despite her wishes to the contrary, her busyness didn’t ever seem to stop. I gave the post a laughing crying emoji. She’d been reading my mind. This busyness will be over soon and I'll be able to get back to writing. But the fact … Continue reading Snatching Time to Write
Elwood Writers on the Radio
It's been an honour to read stories on Tim McQueen's literary radio program 'Cover to Cover'. Members of my group Elwood Writers loved recording in the Vision Australia studio. Barry Lee Thompson's story 'Haunting in Bandung' captures the former glory of an Indonesian hotel where the visiting narrator encounters more guests than he'd bargained on. … Continue reading Elwood Writers on the Radio
Reading for Radio
At Elwood Writers we are preparing our stories for Cover to Cover, a literary program broadcast on Vision Australia Radio. On this occasion Helen, Barry and I are choosing a selection of our pieces, including past favourites. 'The Writers' Choice', as we've named it, has no set theme, although one does inevitably emerge. A hint: … Continue reading Reading for Radio
How to Write a Book in Five Easy Minutes*
Recently I underwent eye surgery to remove a benign growth. It required an anaesthetic to render me unconscious for a period of time. As I slowly came ‘to’ and sensed the surgeon sewing the last of the stitches, I heard myself announce to the operating theatre, 'I’ve finished my book'. Anyone who knows me will … Continue reading How to Write a Book in Five Easy Minutes*
To Workshop or Not
Some people like to workshop their stories in formal classes, others do not. I personally hate it, but I do it anyway. Well, I don't hate it, but I find it challenging. I’ve just returned from a writing excursion which took me far from my own country and way out of my comfort zone. At … Continue reading To Workshop or Not
Reading for Writers or for One Reader
When I first began teaching, my father told me that if I affected the life of just one child then it was worth it. That's what success was to him. He rarely gave advice. I was surprised he even knew what I was doing, so I nodded in agreement. It turned out that I needed … Continue reading Reading for Writers or for One Reader
