Write A Book In A Day
Aspiring authors need not spend years toiling away on a novel – at this year’s Fringe Festival, writers will be joining forces to write a book in 12 hours.
By Kylie Stevenson
The Write A Book In A Day (WABIAD) workshop will see a team of 10 people locked down for the day to produce a young adult novel under the direction of writer and teacher Lyndal Carbery.
Carbery has completed eight WABIAD challenges with Katherine School of the Air and Katherine Region of Writers and is passionate about collaborative writing.
“Writing can be very isolating, this experience is the opposite,” she says.
“I grew up with dance and drama and enjoyed improvisation the most. To me, this is the improvisation of writing. You get parameters and then you come together and the ideas flow and inspire everyone.”
The team will receive a unique set of guidelines on the morning of the challenge around characters, setting and an issue, and will be assigned five random words that must appear in the text. The 8000-10,000-word story, aimed at an audience aged between six and 10, includes an illustrated front and back cover, with further illustrations throughout.
Carbery says it’s a great way to hone your writing skills and learn from other writers.
“Every idea is accepted and entwined into the narrative. Sometimes things don’t work and need changing or remoulding, however no-one minds because there is such acceptance between each writer and the end goal of
a cohesive, entertaining story is understood.”
Although the timeframe is a challenge, Carbery says overall it’s an excellent experience, which is why she keeps coming back for more.
“You get to collaborate with a bunch of like-minded people in a different context,” she says.
“It’s exhausting but great fun!”
And best of all, completed books are donated to children in hospitals all across Australia.
“It’s one day of your life, you get to write something for kids who need a little imagination and escape for a while.”
SAT 7 JUL | 8AM-8PM | NT WRITERS’ CENTRE, DARWIN | $20 | $10 NTWC MEMB | darwinfringe.org.au
