Congrats to Tracey Price whose story gives our 2021 anthology its title, The Labyrinth & other stories of life. Less than a month away to our book launch and announcement of prize winners! Books will be available for AUD 20 per copy at the launch and also online.
Date: Thursday 4 November
Time: 6:00pm for 6:30pm start
Venue: Tabor Adelaide, 181 Goodwood Road, Millswood, SA.
Livestreamed on Facebook.
Stories of Life is in its sixth year, and we were delighted to receive more entries than ever before, many of them incredible, heart-felt stories of faith.
It made our job of selecting entries for publication very difficult. We sincerely thank everyone who submitted a story of life, and offer our warmest congratulations the following people, whose stories will be published in the 2021 Stories of Life anthology.
God sent his angels by Aileen Huf
The courage to go by Anne-Marie Doecke
Birthday catalyst by Boo Hooi Jimmy Khoo
A very perfect day by Charles Yuen
I wrote a poem about it by Claire Bell
The gift of a rabbit by Diana Davison
Saved by a rat by Emily J. Maurits
My guardian Yoda by Ester de Boer
We carry on by Esther Cremona
Planes, cars and God’s intervention by Ivan Francis
The turnaround by Jacqueline Waters
The vow by Jane Schope
Life is precious by Janelle Francis
An old car and a hiccough by Jenny Glazebrook
A mended heart by Jenny Woolsey
The rainbow by Jo-Anne Berthelsen
Mum, meet my mother by Jo Wanmer
Green Velvet by Joy Leabrooke
My protector by Karen Curran
Proude by name, house-proud by nature by Ling Ai Mee
My black dogs by Lynda Wake
The sound of children playing by May-Kuan Lim
Grace by Nadia Konik
Twenty by Robert Riggs
Finding God on the streets by Ruth C. Hall
Am I going to heaven by Sarah Brown
Lord, help me be a mother by Sherry Thompson
Rescued by Susan Brown
The wise old owl by Val Russell
Café La Renaissance by Bernice Shen
Immanuel: not just a Christmas story by Claire Bell
Just in time by Colleen Russell
An unseen guide by Craig Chapman
Lessons from toilet training by Dienece Darling
The sergeant’s boots by Elaine Rendell
Don’t flush the toilet by Gaynor Faulkner
I dined in style by Helena Stretton
My first sprout of faith by Janice D. Green
Who would you choose? by Jenine Altmann
Tears for a baby by Jo Wanmer
Incident at Peats Ridge by Jonathan Mowen
The view from a sardine by June Hopkins
The gift by Juni Desireé Hoel
Set free from darkness by Ket Pang
Held in my heart by Kylie Gardiner
I had been seen by Lisa Birch
Miracle baby by Maggie Nerz Iribarne
Fishing for faith by R. J. Rodda
My Shadow by Ruth C. Hall
Mt Morgan Prayer Meeting by Tony Koch
Labyrinth Life by Tracey Price
Pinball by Tsung Chung
The unexpected calling by Baxter Gierus-Heintze
Forgiveness is a blossoming flower by H. S. Jones
Small things by Shaoey C.
More information to follow on the title of the 2021 anthology and date of the book launch when prize winners will be announced. We thank our sponsors Omega Writers and our supporters Tabor College and Immortalise for making this competition possible.
Pleased to let you know that Tabor College, one of our supporters, will be holding this workshop in Perth.
Register now to go into the draw to win ‘The Master’s Book Case’, a collection of books from the Masters program including key texts and creative publications by those who have emerged from the course.
Session 1: Surviving Creativity. Creativity: what it is, what it isn’t.
Session 2: Where do ideas come from?
Session 3: Editing and effective creativity.
Lunch provided
Session 4: Storytelling for communication and making a living.
Session 5 Commercial communications.
Closing session.
Hazel Barker’s story An Angel in Heaven about losing her baby was published in the 2020 Stories of Life anthology. This is what she told us:
I wrote this story in the hope that anyone who grieved would turn to God for strength and support. My husband and my religious beliefs were a comfort to me when I grieved. We supported each other, and the Lord gave us the strength to bear our cross.
My story, An Angel in Heaven is especially for women who have lost their babies to know that they are not alone in their grief. Experiencing something like the death of a child can only be fully understood for those who have suffered the same loss.
Hazel Barker
Do you have a story of faith to tell? We’d love to hear it. Entry guidelines here. Feature photograph of Hazel Barker supplied.
Last year, Rhonda Pooley’s story ‘Invitation to Dance’ was published in The Swimmer and other stories of life.
‘Invitation to Dance’ is about how Rhonda visited Cambodia to celebrate Cambodian traditional instruments, and how she participated in this celebration through prayer, music and dance.
The events referred to in this story have greatly impacted my life. They show me that God has a uniquely designed purpose for everyone and that he will bring it to pass if we are faithful to follow his leading – no matter how long it takes!
Rhonda Pooley
Do you have a story to tell? We would love to read it. From Rhonda’s story, and the many other stories in our archives, you can tell that a story of life can be set anywhere, and can be about practically anything. That’s the beauty of an anthology! What’s your story? Five days left to submit.
Dear Reader
I am so very thankful to have my story ‘Slightly Awkward’ published in the 2020 Stories of Life Anthology.
A few people have asked me the length of time I took to write the story I submitted. In truth, the actual written component was reasonably quick and straightforward. However, my answer is “It took me 47 years to write!”. Life each day as a person with a chronic and progressive illness is both daunting and great, along with experiences that are just plain satirical with a pinch of whimsy.
My goal was to share an honest story that had joy interspersed with the frustrations that some tasks can bring in my situation. To show that a life imperfect is perfectly okay!
Many blessings
Esther Cremona
(‘Slightly Awkward’, The Swimmer and other stories of life)
Send us your story draft for helpful feedback from one of our experienced editors? Or submit it for a chance to get published.
Colleen Russell’s story, ‘God’s Love in the Home’, was published in our 2020 Stories of Life anthology. The story is based on her own family, her own life. Her advice to wordsmiths is:
When you have loved, when you have been loved, express these cherished memories in your telling and in your writing, because these are God’s words and the reader will recognise them as such.
Colleen Russell
Calling all wordsmiths to take advantage of Feedback Month. Send us your story drafts and one of our experienced editors will give you constructive feedback. We want to work with you to give you best chance of getting your story of life published in our 2021 anthology.
Pete and Aiden talk about Stories of Life and Feedback Month, including this very practical tip from Pete:
You have to timetable creativity.
So, schedule some time in your diary to write, collect the bits of writing you produce, send it to us before the end of June, and we will get some professional creative writing teachers/tutors to get feedback to you. (They’re all very nice and affirming – don’t worry.)
As far as we know, Stories of Life is the only writing competition in the world to give personalised feedback on story drafts before submissions. This is because we want your story in our 2021 anthology, and we want to help you make your story the best it can be.
Let us work with you to make your story awesome! Submit story drafts here.
Last year, Donna Meehan’s story ‘My Two Mothers’ was published in our 2020 anthology, The Swimmer and other stories of life:
‘My Two Mothers’, written and read by Donna Meehan.
In 2000, Donna published a memoir It is no secret: the story of a stolen generation child. Nine years later, she also spoke about what it was like to be separated from her biological mother, Beatrice, when Donna was only five and a half years old. You can view that video, along with photographs of her early life, in the Stolen Generations’ Testimonies Project.
Donna’s short story, ‘My Two Mothers’, was published last year in our 2020 Stories of Life anthology, The Swimmer and other stories of life. It’s a very short story, but powerful, and evocative.
If you were moved by Donna’s story, why not pick up a copy of our 2020 anthology, The Swimmer and other stories of life, where Donna’s story above was published.
Feature photo: Donna Meehan. Photo supplied.
‘Creativity moves through different phases. Trying to produce a finished version in one move is usually impossible. Not understanding this can make people think that they are not creative at all.’Sir Ken Robinson
