Section breaking with a dinkus

Dinkus has to be one of the best words I’ve learnt in my PWE course. A dinkus is a line of asterisks or a small symbol that marks a section break in published work. Typically they’re used for scene or point of view changes, and they’re a great alternative to cutting a chapter short. Three […]

Job Searching: You Have The Power

This year was incredibly difficult for me. I spent eight of twelve months actively searching for a job. Only four of those months did I have employment, the other four I was supported by Centrelink and my dwindling (and now non-existent) savings. This isn’t a unique experience. I know many people who are highly educated […]

Blizzard’s 2:2:2 role lock in Overwatch

Role lock. It sounds like big companies messing with games they don’t understand. But when stoic meme-lord and Game Director Jeff Kaplan announced the plan on July 18, we heard the voices of thousands of goats suddenly die out. So, what is 2:2:2 role lock? In direct contrast to the mind-numbing GOATS meta of triple […]

Kiss

You lean in, breath tickling her skin. She inhales and her eyes flicker down. You graze her lips with yours, just the briefest touch. Their softness is addictive, and against your better judgement you go back for more, slipping your hand over her cheek. A small kiss, then another. Heat rising between you, each kiss […]

Holding On

You’ll only ever hear three sounds on the battlefield of Bastogne, Belgium in 1944: explosions, gunfire and silence. No laughter, no singing, no celebrations. No one would dare. Sound makes you a target for the enemy. So you keep to your fox hole. Dig it deep, fortify the edges, and find yourself some cover. Your […]

Hide and seek

Only the best will survive. “You have one minute.” I ran around the obscenely grand mansion, barrelling into several other kids as we each scrambled for the best position. One pudgy kid about four years old locked himself in the pantry. Too obvious. He won’t last long. Up the stairs and back down again—nothing but […]

The White Rabbit

This girl, this bloody girl. “Get out of my way! I have things to do!” I tapped my padded foot and spied an opening. I hopped forward but found myself inside her godforsaken pocket! And then she sat up, the little witch, no doubt to torment me as if I were her pet. “Why, Mr. […]

How to format your work for publication

This isn’t a fool-proof guide, all publications will have their own style, but these are some tips I’ve picked up on throughout my schooling. 1. Indenting The first line of every paragraph should be indented, except for the first line of a new chapter/after a chapter break. 2. Seriff or Sans Seriff Most mainstream publishing […]

Misguided

I waited until everyone was gone to recess. I wasn’t keeping anyone waiting. No one wondered where I was. I was shaking when I approached her. I’d never liked her. She was always shoving her culture down our throats. It didn’t help us. She wasn’t good at helping. But I was ten years old, and […]

Cat Life

Slurp I’m watching TV. Veronica is sitting beside me, curled up like a stripy little snail shell. I hear a gurgle and look up to see Archie licking his butt. Slurp it clean, buddy. Bung Tail Veronica’s tail is floppy. When I try to give her a scratch, she meows. It’s not angry, just a […]