Coming Up at Geelong Cereal!
G'day writers and readers! I hope this grey, blustery week is treating you well.
This is just a quick note (Yes, I know, they're never quick notes) to let you know what's coming up in the Cereal over the coming weeks!
Our Next Microfiction Edition
After two banger editions of Microfiction Mondays, we're set to do it again.
Our next microfiction edition will be themed "Fiction from the Fog", inspired by Geelong's recent heavy fog, and the many impressive photos that have shown up on social media in its wake. The photo featured in our callout was taken last week in Geelong on the Particularly Foggy Evening. (Yes, I am aware that it is potentially the worst picture ever taken, and also proof that I should never be allowed to play with photo editing software. However, it should confirm that when I say no AI enhanced images on the Cereal, the rule for thee applies to me.)
"Fiction from the Fog" is just an optional prompt; please feel free to send whatever takes your fancy, as long as it's less than 300 words!
We're looking forward to more two sentence stories (they have already started to roll in and we haven't even issued the callout yet!), micro-serials, fifty-word reviews, and whatever else you creative fiends come up with for us. We're really excited about the way your contributions are shaping the microfiction editions. They are taking on a life of their own!
If you've got pictures of the fog, or pictures that fit your story that you'd like to contribute to the edition, we'll be thrilled to include them. Please, as always, check out the submission guidelines first.
The good, the Bad and the I'm Sorry, What?
On reflection, "Would you like to have your thoughts published" feels a little threatening, but please rest assured, should you sign up for this fun initiative, Geelong Cereal will only publish those thoughts you type and send to us. We cannot not read minds, we promise.
The Good, the Bad and the I'm Sorry, What? will be a regular feature by Geelong Cereal where your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be to answer three questions each edition. Two will be serious questions related to writing, publishing and all things adjacent, and the third question will be something off the wall, just for laughs.
Signing up only means agreeing to recieve the questions for each edition; there is no obligation to participate every time or to answer all three questions. Similarly, there are no guidelines for answer length; you can write a single sentence or, if you are enthusiastic about a topic and want to write a five page essay complete with diagrams and pictures of a diorama you have made, knock your socks off.
Geelong Cereal wants the act of contributing to this community to be fun and low stress and that will always be a key feature of our participation call-outs. It should always be fun.
To register your interest, please email thegeelongcereal@gmail.com with your name, your preferred email, and if you want to be part of the first edition, please do that by Monday 20 July so we can send you the first round of questions.
A shoutout to our serial writers, and a look at what's coming up in our serial lineup.
First up, we want to enthusiastically thank our serial writers, who keep this site on the rails with fresh content every week. We couldn't be more grateful for your creativity, enthusiasm and talent.
Fletcher the Kangaroo
Fletcher the Kangaroo will be coming to an end soon, and we want to sincerely thank Kristine Fitzgerald for so generously contributing this long-running serialised novel to the Geelong Cereal program. When the new G.C Team took on the administration of Geelong Cereal, there were two serials still running – Fletcher and Wild Orchids, and it was the readers who were following those stories that gave us such a strong position to re-launch this publication from. We're very grateful to all of you.
You will be missed, Fletcher! If you haven't read it, the entire story is still available to read here at GC, along with several other completed serials.
Hare, There and Everywhere
Martin Smith's hilarious Hare, There and Everywhere concluded last Sunday. The serial was tremendously popular, and without a doubt, the most frequent comment we have heard from Geelong Cereal readers over the last eight weeks has been "Gee, that Martin's a funny bloke isn't he?"
We're thrilled to announce that Martin's brand new serial, Rehabilitated, will begin this Sunday 19 July. Our heartfelt thanks to Martin for sharing his whimsical wit with the G.C community.
Darley Street
Season one of Steve Gray's very popular (and iconically Melbournian) ten-part serial Darley Street is almost at an end, but don't despair, because there is more to come!
A special shoutout to Steve is due. Steve was the first person to answer our call to write a new serial, and he has proven to be a serial writing powerhouse. He had five fully formed episodes in our inbox within a couple of days of the first call-out.
I hope he doesn't mind us sharing that when he sent the final episodes of Darley Street to be published, we couldn't help noticing that they said "Darley Street, Season One."
"Might you be considering a season two?" we enquired hopefully.
"I'm already half-way through writing it," he said with a cheeky grin.
Steve was already a regular contributor to Geelong Cereal when we joined the community and he has been not only a prolific contributor, but a welcoming, helpful and encouraging presence. Many thanks to you Steve.
Wild Orchids
Denise Main and Ian Chisholm's Wild Orchids was, as I mentioned earlier, one of the two currently running serials when I jumped in here at the Cereal, and it brought with it an ongoing readership. Again, as a Melbournite (who once lived in a backpackers in the heart of Melbourne, with nary a penny), I love this serial and I'm pleased to say Wild orchids will continue for the forseeable future.
Thanks Denise and Ian.
The Sixth Plague
Episode three will be out by the end of August. I swear it. I will sit down and write it. I am sorry. We all want to know how Vic reacts to be covered in rubbish haha. (I dont know yet lol)
That scene actually came about when my brother Pete (a scientist, currently at a medical science conference in Croatia) texted me in the middle of the night to ask "If you had a wardrobe that went to Narnia, do you reckon you'd just shove your rubbish through it?"
Gosdspeed, Pete. Good luck with your doomsday device or whatever you're doing.
In other news, J.S Harman is launching his third book Dark Skies on Sunday 2 August at Industry 26. Geelong Cereal is a big fan of J.S's books and his publishing journey.
Go you good thing!
The National Writers Conference is coming up, Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 September, 10AM-5:15PM
I went last year and it was an amazing collision of creative minds.I loved it. My key takeaway was when Patrick Marlborough, author of the iconic Knock Loose, was on stage with other celebrated writers, and I realised, I am not the most chaotic person in the room haha.
Geelong Writers are hosting their monthly get together on Wednesday July 22 at Industry 26. If you're a member, come along, and if not, come anyway. We'll be thrilled to see you :-)
I think thats all.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
-GC
