Alison D. Stegert

It’s extremely gratifying when my writing opens doors to new experiences, like my recent two-week stay as a writer-in-residence in Western Australia at the KSP Writers’ Centre. I feel proud of winning not only this valuable residency opportunity but also a grant to cover some of my expenses.

The validation and support from this opportunity has rebooted my confidence and enriched my writing journey immeasurably, so my first order of business is to thank the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers’ Centre for the residency and the Sunshine Coast Council for their generous RADF (Regional Arts Development Fund) grant.

Words on Paper

On a professional level, the time away from home provided a creative reboot during a rather long dry-spell in my career. Despite having completed loads of writing and a having a loyal literary agent promoting me behind the scenes, I haven’t signed any new contracts since 2021. The silence has been disheartening.

So in the long lull, winning such a prestigious opportunity and receiving the backing of my local government have given me a huge, timely morale boost. The pretty outlook and new routine facilitated a fresh start on my project, and the new perspective enabled a much-needed breakthrough in my sequel planning. I made so much solid progress.

New Contacts, New Friends

I was determined to leave WA with not only a bunch of words but also with a slew of new writer buddies. I’m happy to report I achieved this goal by attending a workshop hosted by SCBWI Australia West (the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators). As a leader in SCBWI Australia East, it was a huge buzz to connect with my talented colleagues on the other side of the country.

Some kind folks from SCBWI and the CBCA WA (Children’s Book Council of Australia) organised a fun night at Guilford’s Rose & Crown, which I really appreciated, especially as it was in the second week of my stay when I was the sole resident and feeling a little lonely.

Fresh Inspiration

A highlight was attending the KSP Centre’s inspirational events and groups, and of course, it was lovely that the various writing groups invited me to talk about Her Majesty’s League of Remarkable Young Ladies, which has been out for well over a year and doesn’t get a lot of attention anymore. I especially enjoyed listening to samples of their writing. The stories were so good. I felt sad to miss out on future instalments! I’ve brought home lots of ideas and tools to try out with the Sunny Coast Writers’ Roundtable and my writer-buddies.

The grand finale of my residency was the KSP Centre’s Earth-Lover -Poetry, Paint & Sip event (shown below). I thoroughly enjoyed this multi-faceted literary extravaganza. Nathan Hobby, author of Katharine Susannah Prichard’s biography, The Red Witch, led a tour of the property and Katharine’s writing cabin. Her poems served as prompts for poetry writing and painting while sipping wine and enjoying a gorgeous autumn afternoon on the verandah. The final photos (bottom row, below) show Katharine’s writing cabin.

Take-Aways

The residency reminded me anew that the friendly kidlit writing community continues to be one of my favourite perks of being an author. Also at the top of the list of writerly bonuses is the thrill of watching doors of opportunity open … thanks to my writing.