Crime writing workshop by acclaimed WA author Guy Salvidge.
The wet and windy afternoon of Saturday, 1 July, saw a group of OOTA members and friends attend our latest writers’ workshop at the Fremantle Arts Centre.
Highly appropriate in view of the conditions, the workshop, entitled Trouble Is Our Business, featured Crime Writing, and was hosted by acclaimed local author Guy Salvidge.
Over the course of three hours Guy explained why Crime was such a popular genre, differentiated nine examples of the most popular sub-genres in crime fiction, dissected a number of successful crime writers and their works and hosted a lively discussion on the building blocks of tone, atmosphere, language, characterization, police and forensic procedures and plotting. He stressed the importance of writers reading widely within their selected genre and provided a comprehensive reading list. Finally, he shared his experiences in getting his own works published, stressing the importance of building a reputation through short story competitions, and persistence in the face of the inevitable demands on the attention of busy publishers.
It was an inspiring, informative and entertaining afternoon for which all who attended were very grateful. Thanks also to Marlish Glorie for organising the workshop.
About Guy Salvidge
Guy was born in England in 1981 and moved to Western Australia in 1990. He studied English at Curtin University, graduating in 2002 with Honours. Completing a Graduate Diploma in Education in 2005, Guy embarked on a career as a high-school English teacher. He lives in the Avon Valley.
Guy's novel Yellowcake Springs won the 2011 IP Picks Best Fiction Award and was shortlisted for the 2012 Norma K Hemming Award. The sequel, Yellowcake Summer was published in 2013. His short fiction has been published in Award Winning Australian Writers 2016, Westerly: New Creative, Tincture Journal and The Great Unknown. He has twice been Emerging Writer-in-Residence at Perth Writers' Centres and his story 'Frank' won the 2015 City of Rockingham Short Fiction Award.