Short Fiction #27 Taking Turns

Taking Turns

“That’s not fair!” shouted Thomas.
“Yes it is,” retorted Olivia.
“But you went first yesterday,” he wailed.
“So what?”
“It’s my turn to go first today,” he demanded.
Olivia stood firmly, lips pursed, arms folded.
“Let me get past,” insisted Thomas.
“NO! Get lost! I’m having first turn today,” said Olivia. “I don’t care what you say – so there!” She spun around, walked through the door and slammed it shut. Thomas gasped. He stared at the closed door.
“Why?” he mumbled to himself. “Why does she does do this to me? She’s had first shower every day this year.”

All rights reserved.

Copyright 2007 Trevor W. Hampel

Haiku #28: Ancient Gum Trees

Ancient gums trace
High water marks around
The grey shoreline.

All rights reserved.

Copyright 2007 Trevor W. Hampel

To read more of my poetry click here.

Poem #21: Diamonds in the Sun


Diamonds in the Sun

The air was cold.
The breeze blew gently
From the sea beyond
The hills of hazy blue.

It had rained not
Long before, and tiny
Drops of water lingered
Still on shiny leaves.

The sun soon rose,
Catching each little drop
In its tender rays
Of heavenly gold.

The drops began
To sparkle in the
Light like so many
Diamonds on the trees.

But soon the warm
Caress of gold had
Swallowed up the beauty
It had created.

All rights reserved.

Copyright 2007 Trevor W. Hampel

To read more of my poetry click here.

The Place of Persistence

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “Press On” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

Calvin Coolidge

Quoted in The Australian 29th July 2006.

Shooting yourself in the foot: writers and agents

Ever shoot yourself in the foot?

Painful, I’d say.

Trouble is, many emerging or want to be writers do exactly that – shoot themselves in the foot. Not literally, mind you. Inexperienced writers spend months – perhaps years – writing their “literary masterpiece”, the novel to top all other novels, the book that will bring them fame and untold fortune. Then they fail to do basic research on how to submit a manuscript to a publisher or literary agent.

Kirsty Brooks, Adelaide author of crime and romance fiction, has published a very useful article on this very subject on her blog. She writes about some of the pitfalls, some of the problems and how to overcome them. Click on the link below to read the article.

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