Figments and Fragments: Dark Stories
by Deborah Sheldon
Genre: Dark Horror, Crime Stories
Publisher: IFWG Publishing International
Publication Date: November 18, 2019
Brutal. Compelling. Sinister.
From wheat farms, roadhouses, caravan parks and beaches to quiet suburban streets and inner-city
apartments, award-winning author Deborah Sheldon tells distinctly Australian stories about violence,
loss, betrayal and revenge.
Figments and Fragments includes three new stories written especially for the collection.
I'm an award-winning author from Melbourne, Australia. I write short stories, novellas and novels across
the darker spectrum.
My latest releases, through several publishing houses, include the horror novels "Body Farm Z",
"Contrition", and "Devil Dragon"; the horror novella "Thylacines"; the crime-noir novellas "Dark Waters"
and "Ronnie and Rita"; and the dark fantasy and horror collection "Perfect Little Stitches and Other
Stories" (winner of the Australian Shadows Best Collected Work 2017).
My short fiction has appeared in many well-respected magazines such as Quadrant, Island, Aurealis, SQ
Mag, and Midnight Echo. My fiction has been shortlisted for numerous Australian Shadows Awards and
Aurealis Awards, long-listed for a Bram Stoker Award, and included in various "best of" anthologies. I'm
also guest editor of this year's edition of Midnight Echo.
Other credits include TV scripts such as Neighbours and Australia's Most Wanted, feature articles for
national magazines, non-fiction books published by Reed Books and Random House, and award-
winning medical writing.
GUEST POST
Where
were you born, and where did you grow up?
I
was born in Melbourne, Australia, and I’m still here! I’ve
enjoyed holidays in other Australian cities (even lived in Sydney for
a time), and visited various countries – including a year abroad in
my youth, experiencing as much of Europe as my meagre backpacking
budget would allow – but you know what always brings me back to
Melbourne? The smell of its air and the taste of its water. Oddly
enough, these are my triggers for homesickness.
Do
you write one project at a time or do you have several going at a
time?
When
I’m working on a short story, it demands and holds my full
attention. A short story is an intense writing experience and I can’t
afford any distractions.
But
when I’m writing a long-form project – such as a novella or novel
– I put the project aside every now and again to refresh myself.
Novels in particular are hard
work.
After a couple of months without a break, I start to feel as if my
creativity is developing a “flat spot” and I need to “rotate
the tyres”. So, I’ll choose something completely different to
work on for a couple of weeks, such as a flash fiction story, a
10-minute stage play, or a feature article. I find this helps to
reinvigorate my passion and focus for the novel, and I go back to it
with greater energy.
Do
you believe in writer’s block?
No.
But I do
believe in boredom and indecision.
If
you feel stale, try writing something in a style, genre or medium
you’ve never attempted before. And if you keep staring at a blank
page because you can’t figure out what should happen next, then
step away from the keyboard and start daydreaming and brainstorming.
Work out a few plot points. Once you know where your story is headed,
the “block” miraculously disappears.
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
No comments:
Post a Comment