Vale LiNQ (and by the freaking way…)
This message arrived in my inbox the other day.
With deep regret I’m writing to say there will be no 2008 issue of LiNQ. The general editor has unable to gain funding, and the University has not provided staff support or other assistance. We are therefore unable to produce any further issues of the journal.
With LiNQ now confined to memory, Queensland has lost yet another literary publication and short story publisher. It’s telling that, although potential submitters for the 2008 edition have been advised of the closure, the web site remains static.
I should mention at this point that I’ve had it up to here with “the death of the novel”. Novels are doing just fine, last time I looked. You want to see the death of a literary form? Check out the short story. No one’s bemoaning its death — it’s been on life support so long most people have forgotten about it. And the power to the life support system is gradually draining away.
Does it have to be this way? Of course not!
Read MoreThe competitive edge
After a few mad last-minute tweaks, the new novel is now dispatched for competition. I would have liked to get an appraisal (and the associated editorial raking over hot coals) before doing this, but you never know when you might fluke a win.
This brings me to the point of this post. Competitions are strange beasts. As I writer I often find myself busting my arse to complete a work for the deadline only to watch the piece (and the entry fee) sail off into the sunset never to be heard from again.
For me, competitions are purely a shot in the dark on the off chance that you might have written a freaking masterpiece without realising it.
While I’ve had my successes (and I’m in no way complaining about them), I don’t consider myself a “lucky” writer. I’ve been shortlisted, runner-upped, and notably mentioned, but nothing I’ve ever written has actually taken out an award. When I submit a manuscript for competition, the most I ever hope to achieve is making it past the first round.
So why bother?
Read MoreEmily Graduated
A digital short story by Simon Groth
Price: [yak_price]
What happened to Emily? Last night she was an irreverent graduand, my best friend from the first day of lectures. Today she is a shell, virtually empty, a collection of injuries in a hospital bed. Last night Emily graduated. Maybe today she will see me in a different light.
Published exclusively at simongroth.com
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This product is a work of short fiction delivered as a download link to a file in PDF format. Files can be read on screen or printed to paper.
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