2024 COVERS

2024 covers

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We are writers mainly from Australia and New Zealand who write speculative fiction with romantic elements. Be it fantasy, paranormal, dark urban fantasy, futuristic and everything in between.

Saturday 30 March 2013

Enchanted Orb: Be Inspired with Cheryse Durrant

Cheryse Durrant is a writer of young adult fantasy, whose first book comes out this year. she shares what inspired her to become a writer in spite of the odds.

Without further ado, please welcome, Cheryse Durrant:

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Confession time… I skid into mis-adventure faster than Yogi Bear stealing doughnuts from Jellystone Park or Buffy dusting vamps at Sunnydale cemetery.

When it comes to inspiration, a moment that sticks in my mind is signing up for a KaffeeKlatsch with spec fic author Jason Nahrung* at 2010 WorldCon, Melbourne.
I loved Jason’s The Darkness Within and hungered for an author/fan coffee as we talked books and writing processes, but I accidentally signed up to chat with Mr Smith**, a sci fi author whose work was unfamiliar to me. When I arrived, the table was sparsely attended by myself and two boy-men (that’s Gorian*** for boys in their late teens or 20s: not quite a boy, not quite a man).

Mr Smith advised us not to become writers as we’d never make money from this cut-throat, dwindling career, but the boy-men persisted in finding out where his stories came from. This dumbfounded me because, as an imaginator****, my life is littered with ideas. Ever since I could toddle on chubby legs, ideas have inspired me, shaped my life and forced my sister to play victim to my many games including cauldrons and eyeballs, spacegirls and aliens, and Mini-Olympic long jumping from my bed to hers (we haven’t played this since an ambulance raced her to hospital when she fell and hit her head).

So I’m sipping on a latte at WorldCon as this galaxy-weary sci fi scribe convinces us not to be authors when my fingers tingle with magic as I overhear Rowena Cory Daniells at a nearby table, talking of fantastical romances and handing out practical advice to career women struggling to juggle their daily lives with their creative pens. She’s telling us that we can do it, that we’re the authors of our own destinies and that we will make it, if we keep trying and believing in our work. After all, we’re writers: It’s what we do.

DarkSiders Cheryse Durrant (www.cherysedurrant.com) and Rowena Cory Daniells (www.corydaniells.com) are both presenters at this year’s WriteFest at Bundaberg (www.bundywriters.com) in May.
I have adored Rowena’s books since I first read The Last T’En so after my accidental KaffeeKlatsch, I approached her and we ended up sharing coffee. Her knowledge and passion filled me to the brim and she encouraged me to believe. I know the DarkSide DownUnder is for readers, but it’s also for authors and those harbouring dreams of writing. That is why I’m sharing Rowena’s inspiration with you today (and it doesn’t just relate to writing).

Don’t let anyone put you down or make you think you can’t achieve your dreams, even if your words haven’t yet blossomed and the road ahead feels long. Surround yourself with inspirational people because the toughest part of being a writer is not “finding the ideas” but dedicating hours (and years) and sweat and tears to the stories inside you until they become as magnificent as the images inside your head. You are the author of your Destiny and you will one day achieve your dreams and give joy to others, just as I have experienced joy from reading books by other amazing writers.

As a debut author, I’m looking forward to sharing my first paranormal/urban fantasy novel, The Blood She Betrayed, (Book 1 in the Heart Hunter series) with you in 2013. If I’d listened to the galaxy-weary author of three years ago, maybe I wouldn’t have made it.

Believe in yourself – that is the most Enchanted Orb of all.

* Jason Nahrung pulled the plug on his WorldCon KaffeeKlatsch after a nasty dose of vampire flu inflamed his larynx and stripped away his husky voice. Honest.
** This is not his real name. I cannot remember his real name.
***To learn more Gorian phrases, read my book The Blood She Betrayed… Out soon!
**** This is a Whedonism that has not yet been used in any of his films or TV shows. It’s a cross between a storyteller and a Terminator. If you don’t believe me, just ask Nicky Strickland  (but let me talk to her first) J

7 comments:

  1. Ahahaha You had me at the Yogi Bear and Buffy analogies! Great work Cheryse... yes everything you have said is soooo true. And I'm looking forward to this book... :)

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  2. Thanks, Imogene. I've drawn much inspiration, too, from you and all our fabulous DarkSiders. It's always an Enchanted Orb around here.

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  3. Being another mum juggling too many ideas and too little time, I think I would have preferred Rowena's coffee chat to the other one too, Cheryse! Very exciting about your book coming out this year. Woohoo!

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  4. You'd relate well to Rowena. She has six children but she's written SO MANY books! Epic stuff. I've been loving your Dark Child series, Adina. Only one day away 'til the next Ep is released... AND I'm waiting with bated breath for the release of Imogene's Blood Bride :) Thanks for sharing girls. I love connecting with your talent and inspiration xxx

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  5. So glad you stayed with it, Cheryse. And you know what, I was at that table with Rowena, and indeed inspired me. :)

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  6. LOL I love that, Eleni. She is fabulous, isn't she? And what a small world that we were both there and didn't know each other! WorldCon was an epic event and opened my eyes to possibilities... and future worlds. Thanks for sharing :)

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