Hi and just taking the time to wish you all the best for 2017. I trust the year brings some sense of fulfillment for you in terms of your personal aspirations and hopes . In saying that, I am aware of the wider world and the impetus for political, social and even economic change that seems to be occurring all around us. While not being immune to it, and hoping that next year brings a greater sense of consistency and optimism, I’ll focus on changes I can have some control over in the hope they may, eventually, affect the bigger picture:  things I can change, manage and adapt rather than worrying about things I have no control over.

And to start the ball rolling, I received the following touching comment from Pauline Walker who lives near Lancelin about my writing.

I have have lived in Western Australia all my life have now read the 3 books you donated and thoroughly enjoyed them.  You are a great writer and spend a lot of attention to detail. Hope you produce many more.

Thanks Pauline not only for the comment, but for taking the time to send it. In reply, kin italics, I sent the following.

In terms of the future, my next novel, which is nearing the end of the first draft, is called “Life Sentence”. If you are interested in knowing more about it, go to www.aussieyarns.com and look under the heading NOVELS. Then go down to the heading of LIFE SENTENCE. There are two entries there that give background. 

And the novel is developing well. I am the point of having shared a rough first draft with two trusted readers, seeking their feedback on the style and sequence of the work to date. I will post another update early in the new year on this website. But much of my enjoyment comes from the research I’ve had to undertake to preserve one of the principles I try to follow in the fiction writing. I’ll explain that principle by copying in another section of my reply to Pauline, in italics below.

I was particularly touched by your comment about “attention to detail”. I’ve always tried to do that by following the advice of an author I once heard speak about writing fiction based on fact. It was simple but powerful. If it’s a fact, don’t change it. If you’re uncertain of the factual base, research until you’re blue in the face and then only change it if you have evidence that the fact is incorrect. If it’s not a fact, give your imagination free rein and ‘go for it’. I’ve followed it as much as I can, and am following it scrupulously with “Life Sentence”. The new noveel is set in 1900, starting on Rottnest, then progressing to journey from Rottnest to the Pilbara, and finally, in and around Yindjbarndi Country (Millstream/Chichester National Park) and Roebourne. I’ve spent as much time researching as I have writing, but it’s been hugely enjoyable and very rewarding. Elaine Fry from the West Australian in a recent review of my third novel, “Turn on a Light”, made the comment that my novels seemed to her to be ‘an extension of reality” and I’ve taken that as an apt description and as a compliment.

So in summary, 2016 has, from the point of view of personal literary effort, been very rewarding. “Turn on a Light’ was published and is selling well, Tony and Dale and the wonderful people at Capital Radio 101.7 continue to publicise my work using the Short Stories I write and Paul, our son, reads (see the website), we have many bookings for presentation in 2017 on all three published novels, and “Life Sentence”, the fourth novel, is close to a completed first draft. My aim is to see if I can produce it in 2017 and if not, early in 2018.

Again, all the best for 2017 and hope we catch up soon.

Dave

The ABC today have done a story on a cricket academy operating out of Northam in Western Australia. You can see it on the following link: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-17/indigenous-cricket-team-show-invincible-spirit/8129350

But it’s a story about will, commitment and what can happen when the wisdom of two worlds combine to make a difference. For those who have the time tonight, have a look at the ABC news in WA. It will show some of the information on the above link about the cricket academy. As bckground, however, it’s run in Northam by Mark (Shadow) Davis and his son Jermaine (Bomber) Davis. It’s been running for about ten years as an initiative of the Davis family and Ballardong people to engage Aboriginal youth in sport. Mark often speaks about it starting point behing in his backyard and knowing how much the kids enjoyed backyard cricket. But when they left his place, they had nowhere to go to play and most couldn’t afford it. Now, with the support of the WACA and the Department of Sport and Recreation, there are seventy young people engaged in the program, boys and girls, and there are non-Aboriginal kids in the teams as well. It’s now moving to it’s next phase of spreading into Ballardong Country. It’s a great story and a credit to those two men, their family and Ballardong people, a group of supporters and sponsors in Northam and the cricket and sports worlds that have supported them. But as I said, it is also an example of how two worlds can work together in new ways by walking together on a journey and sharing the control and decision-making. It’s a great lesson in progress.

Hi and letting you know that the reading of the Aussie Yarns story on 101.7 Capital Radio will be this Saturday, 17th December. Tony and Dale have combined the reading by Paul Goddard with interviews Will Yeoman (Literary Editor of ‘The West’) and a separate one with Sarah McNeill (Arts & Features Editor of “The Post Newspapers”). The ‘story’ on this time is about me and the background to Turn on a Light: where it came from, how it evolved and why. If you’d like a literary morning, tune in.

All the best for the Festive Season, thanks for the support, and stay well and happy.