Page Seventeen

I’ve just come off the back of being fiction editor for Issue 8 of page seventeen, having read a whole bunch of short stories. ‘You must be tired,’ people have said to me. ‘Here, have a pillow for you must be oh so exhausted.’

Well, yes and no.

I’m tired because of all the other jobs I do in addition to my role at page seventeen. Reading through submissions, however, was an absolute joy. Frustrating, yes. At times disheartening. But for the most part, there was a simple bliss in reading others’ words, visions, and stories as they searched for a wider audience.

 And what a range: I came across old ladies dying while hiking, time-obsessed mothers, writers who literally saved the world and a dog whisperer… and that was just in the first week. As time marched on, I read of masturbating mothers, pre-wedding jitters, a girl’s first period and some futuristic visions that would frighten George Orwell. All of these (excepting perhaps the sci-fi, which isn’t exactly page seventeen’s strong suit) had the potential to feature in the journal. What stopped them from making the shortlist, however, was an ailment more common than you might think.

I liked many of the stories I mentioned above, but they all needed a fleshing out of the themes, voices and characters within the story.

In Amanda Lohrey’s recent post on writing a short story (available here),  she suggests leaving a story for another month, or three, or six, before coming back to it, so as to ‘let it cook in the oven of your subconscious.’ While six months is a long time to let a story mature, I’d certainly advise at least a month, particularly between the first and second drafts. By doing this, you gain perspective on what is and isn’t working in the story. You sharpen the saw, and with said saw, slash away any characters that aren’t directly aiding the story. You change point-of-view if necessary, and you eliminate ‘that’, ‘however’, ‘to me’, ‘at me’, ‘inside of me’, and any other redundant phrases.

Some writers have told me they write perfect first drafts, so they don’t need to revise. These writers, quite frankly, are on crack. And they’re probably not getting published often.

Writing a great story is not easy. It will make you question your sanity. It will distract you when you’re trying to make love to a beautiful man or woman. But, it’s worth it, because you can always work on the story and then go make love to said beautiful man or woman.

I would have loved to have given feedback to each and every submission this year, but instead I’ll leave these three fragments as lessons learned on the short fiction highway:

1)      Never, ever, send your first draft to an editor. They can spot when a story hasn’t been developed.

2)      Join a writing group with writers that are at the same stage or slightly advanced from you. Sometimes you’re too close to the story to spot its most important flaws.

3)      Your story is done when you cannot do anything else to make it better. Challenge yourself before that point. Strive for excellence: change characters, add and delete scenes. Get an assessment from the VWC if you’re entering it for a big competition, and if not, then still get an assessment, or group feedback at the very least.

Editors don’t owe you the right to publication. You need to prove to them that you’re worth it. How much effort you put in is up to you, but if you don’t go the extra mile, then someone else will… and they’ll be the one getting published.

Thanks to all those who submitted their stories and congratulations to those writers selected. Thanks also to Peter Farrar and Vicki Thornton, my editorial committee for Issue 8. And finally, a special thanks to Tiggy Johnson, who does this every year while still working on her writing and raising three kids

Tiggy has helped foster the careers of any number of writers and poets over the years including myself, Ryan O’Neill, Vicki Thornton, Natasha Lester, Bronwyn Mehan, Nathan Curnow, Sean M Whelan, and Maxine Clarke. Their past contributor list reads like a who’s who of contemporary Australian writing, but at some point they were (and indeed, still are) just writers and poets, searching somewhere for an audience, a place to be published and respected.  And Tiggy has given us that, time and time again.

See you at the launch.

Melbourne’s poem has been chosen. Soon we shall have Adelaide’s  safely in the bag. And just to prove that we do get around, it will soon be Brisbane’s turn to have a poem  selected for Issue 8 at one of their spoken word events.

More information you demand?

Sunday August 1st, SpeedPoets @ InSpire Gallery Bar, 71 Vulture St West End, Brisbane, 2-5 pm.

Entry is a gold coin donation

Judge-  the one and only Graham Nunn

So get your writing shoes on- get out there  and have a go.

And don’t forget you can still make it to Hard Boiled poetry @ La Boheme, 36 Grote Street, Adelaide – this Thursday 29th July, 8.30 pm. Judge -  Amelia Walker. 

We’ve had a few questions regarding the choosing of the poems at these events…the guidelines are set according to the events open mic  ’rules’.

Some events have a 3 mt time limit, others have a 5 mt limit. Some events have a restricted number of open mic spaces- so first in, best dressed.

Be aware that the judges are looking not only for a poem that is a great performance piece, but one that works brilliantly on the page.

Best of luck

Vicki Thornton – Acting Editor

This year we are getting out and about, having fun selecting poetry at spoken word events for Issue 8.  We already have one  poem from Melbourne, chosen with love and care, and now it’s Adelaide’s turn.

Where you ask?

‘Hard Boiled’ open mike poetry @ La Boheme, 36 Grote Street, Adelaide.

This Thursday, July 29th 8.30 pm.

To be judged by Amelia Walker.

Come along for a great night of spoken word and who knows…your work  may appear in Page Seventeen.

Vicki Thornton – Acting Editor

It’s almost the end of June, which means there isn’t long to get submissions or entries in to us.

If you want to make a general submission, we accept stories, poetry and black and white images. Please use the relevant cover sheet, but feel free to email your submission (we may request a higher resolution image if what you submit is selected). There is a limit of 3 written pieces and 5 images. See the guidelines for more information.

If you want to enter the competition, there is no limit to how many pieces you may enter, so long as the correct fee accompanies your entry form and entries. You cannot email entries to the competition: they must be posted. You can enter short stories and/or poetry in the Short Story and Poetry Competition, or colour images in the Cover image competition, whereby the one fee of just $5 gets you up to 5 entries.

But, you have only until the end of next Wednesday, June 30, to do it, so get moving!

Also, congratulations to Angelina Mirabito, whose poem ‘Alone Together’ was selected for inclusion in Issue 8 at Stopping all Stations in Nunawading last Saturday. There were many great pieces to choose from and it wasn’t easy. Thanks to everyone who came along, both those who participated and those who enjoyed listening.

Don’t forget there’s a similar opportunity for Adelaide and Brisbane poets coming up. On Thursday 29th Julyand Sunday 1st August respectively. Check the Events page for details.

And, we’ve announced a little competition on our Facebook page. It’s free to enter and all you have to do is ‘Like’ our page then guess how many stories and poems we’ll receive in this year’s competition. The winner will receive an available issue of their choice.

Best of luck.

It’s come along quickly. Tomorrow we are selecting a poem from the open mic section of Melbourne poetry event Stopping all Stations to go into issue 8.

It’s easy, all you have to do is bring along one of your poems and registerto read/perform it in the open mic section.

It’s all happeneing at the Station St cafe, 26 Station street, Nunawading, from 2pm, Saturday 19th June. If you’re on the train, it’s right across the road from Nunawading station (Belgrave/Lilydale lines). There’s a $5 fee for the event, which includes lucky door prizes (including books and book vouchers), and the pleasure of also hearing featured poet Catherine Bateson read her work. There are no additional requirements or payments for you to enter, except you might like to bring an extra copy of your poem to leave with the judge/s in case yours is selected. The winner will also receive a copy of the current issue, Issue 7.

If spoken word isn’t your thing, or you’re not in Melbourne, there’s still time to send us your submission. You have until June 30 to submit up to three written pieces and/or black and white images, and/or to enter either or both the Cover Competition or the Short Story and Poetry competition.

Also, keep your eye on our Facebook page. In the next few days, we’ll be announcing a little competition that will only be open until the end of June.

This Sunday, 23rd May, I’m going to be at the Page Parlour, which is part of the Emerging Writers’ Festival.

If this sounds good to you…

Discover the best of undiscovered, underground, independent, obscure and locally produced publications at the happening Emerging Writers’ Festival Page Parlour.

Featuring over forty stalls selling everything from books to posters, literary journals to hand-crafted storybooks, indie titles to mooks, magazines, and Stuck in a lift… and more!

… then I’ll expect you to stop by the page seventeen table to at least say hello. Of course you could always grab yourself a copy too.

It’s on from 12 – 5pm at Fed Square (The Atrium), and it’s free. Well, if you can stop yourself buying any of the fabulous books that’ll be available.

Lost shark, Graham Nunn is the judge for the 2010 page seventeen Poetry competition. He shares his thoughts on last year’s winners.

It’s a real privilege being asked to pull on the page seventeen jersey and judge the 2010 page seventeen poetry competition. I have recently been rediscovering issue 7 and want to say straight up that Nathan Curnow did a superb job of judging the competition last year. The winning poem, Black Swans by Chloe Wilson shows impeccable taste!

From first reading, the imagery in this poem draws you in, placing you firmly in the moment. You feel the thrill of discovery as you catch sight of their ‘swarthy plumage’ and hear their ‘soft honks and whistles’, but what gives this poem its incredible power is the way the author uses the imagery of the black swans to reflect on European invasion.

                                                 what did they make

                                                of the strange black bodies

                                                standing coy

                                                among sodden reeds

                                                or afloat

                                                on any flat water wide enough?

 This question gives the poem a haunting tone and is one that circles back on you long after reading. Chloe Wilson is most certainly a poet to watch. I had the pleasure of seeing her read at the Salt on the Tongue Festival in Goolwa recently and purchased a copy of her debut collection, The Mermaid Problem (which features the poem Black Swans). Very impressive!

And the poem that took out second place, Botanic by Ashley Capes (who has also recently joined the page seventeen team as poetry editor), is another stand out. Botanic is brimming with finely tuned images:

                                                 ‘cicadas and crickets in hymn’

                                                ’streets hum with threats,

                                                the casino is purple’

                                                ‘a monsoon of small change

                                                trickling

                                                in and out of vending machines’

In Botanic, Capes brings the natural and built environments together effortlessly, each reflecting the beauty in the other. And each time I read this poem, I lean in a little closer to catch the gossip, lurking in the stands of bamboo.

These poems, alongside the other shortlisted poems published in issue 7 have set the bar high for 2010. Nathan Curnow summed it up very nicely in his judge’s report when he encouraged aspiring entrants to, “Read critically. Pay attention to images, economy of words and to the arrangement of the poem on the page.” So, with these words in mind and the competition gates now open, I wait with anticipation for your entries… All the details are here.

Sometimes we spend all our energy making sure everyone knows how to submit fiction and poetry we forget to mention that we also offer a competition for the cover artwork for each issue.

If you are even remotely talented in this area, it’s worth having a go. For the one low entry fee of $5, you may enter up to 5 images for consideration. Of course, there can be only one winner, with the prize being $100 as well as your winning entry featuring as the cover for page seventeen Issue 8, and hence a contributor copy. The cover competition is judged by the editor and/or the editorial committee.

Download an entry form and the conditions of entry here.

Whether you’re entering the cover competition or not, you might like to submit some black and white images for general consideration. You may submit up to 5 for consideration in each issue, via CD (if you’re entering the cover competition as well, feel free to send all the images on one labelled CD).

Before you ask, there’s nothing specific we’re looking for when it comes to images, just something that speaks to us, images that tell a story perhaps. Check out one of our issues to see what kind of things we’ve published in the past.

Memories of a Friend by Lisa Fitzpatrick was shortlisted in the 2009 Page Seventeen Short Story and Poetry Competition and is hence published in Issue 7. Current Fiction Editor Laurie Steed shares his thoughts (initially posted on the Gum Wall, Dec 4, 2009, reproduced with permission).

The Story
Jen has broken up with her husband Phil. They have two children together, and Jen’s doing her best not to take it out on the two kids.

She left the relationship because he was beating her, and now busies herself with the day-to-day process of raising her kids. She packs the lunches, considers the housework, and makes a mental list of things to pick up from Phil’s. She has an additional task today; going to see her friend Sal, along with Sal’s newborn baby.

Jen has to work first, watching elderly residents knit, thread by thread at Clarabell Hall, with “nursing home stares”. She heads off at one, leaving them to their world of inactivity, time frozen.

She has reasons to be hesitant about seeing Sal, but wants to be there for her friend, and so pushes her grief down, at least for the time being.

Jen drives to the hospital, stopping first to pick up food and gifts for Sal and the baby. And then, with dahlias in hand, she visits the maternity ward.

Why it Sticks
With good stories, you barely notice the seams as you read. Even better stories have any number of subtly linked scenes, narrative echoes of the overall theme. Fitzpatrick’s story is filled with narrative echoes and thematic symbols, many of which I missed the first time around I was so engrossed by the character’s journey. On subsequent readings, you can literally see motif upon motif, all contributing to articulate the story’s common themes of grief, isolation and guilt.

Memories of a friend also succeeds because it is willing to take risks with its characters, where grey is most definitely the colour. These are not mere caricatures, but real people, with their own flaws, mean-streaks, and petty insecurities…and that only makes their story all the more compelling.

Up to 5 poems for Issue 8 will be selected at spoken word events around the country. Issue 7 includes two poems selected this way, one from Melbourne and one from Queensland.

If you want to get in on the action, all you need to do is put your name down in the open mic section at one of the following events and hope the judge thinks your piece is The One (take a copy of your poem to leave with the judge if that’s the case). Or if you just want to hear all the fabulous offerings, by all means go along as audience and show support.

VIC: Saturday, June 19, 2-5pm at Stopping all Stations, Station St cafe, 26 Station St, Nunawading. $5 entry includes lucky door prizes and June’s featured poet is Catherine Bateson. The judges are myself (Tiggy) and Vicki.

SA: Thurs July 29, 8.30pm at Hard Boiled, La Boheme, 36 Grote St, Adelaide. Free entry. Judged by Amelia Walker.

QLD: Sunday August 1, 2-5pm at SpeedPoets, InSpire Gallery Bar, 71 Vulture St West End, Brisbane. Entry by gold coin donation. August feature TBC. Judged by Graham Nunn.

I’m working on a couple other states and will keep you posted. Keep an eye out for our Events page (to appear soon) where these details will be posted, including any updates.

Oh, and you can ‘enter’ whether or not you made a general submission to the same issue. The guidelines are set according to the event’s open mic ‘rules’. For example, some events may impose a limit of 3 minutes on the open mic and others 5 minutes, and each event may close the open mic list once a certain number of people have registered. The judges are looking for a poem that, while fabulous as a performance piece, would also be great on the page.

So, scribble one of those dates in your diary and get cracking on a fabulous piece.