Atop the mountain lookout, sunlight glints off the metal cover of the coin-operated telescope. Three sisters, clutching coins in fists slick with the sweat of anticipation, drift towards the lone viewing tower, which has stood as sentinel over this valley for more...

Both Jasmine and Sam tensed at the sight of the lichen-coated rope bridge – but for very different reasons. Jasmine loved teambuilding days. An adrenaline-charged activity followed by a sumptuous lunch was not only a welcome change from the monotony of office life,...

Furious Fiction has rolled around again. The criteria for September were: include an attic or a basement include an insect include the words ... earth, wind, air, fire So here goes! It’s nearly 1 a.m. when I crack the seal on the last miniature bottle from my secret...

First weekend of the month means Furious Fiction time! The criteria for August: First sentence must contain only four words. Must include something being shared. Must include the words PAINT, SHIFT, WAVE and TOAST.   My dragon wants out. She squirms under my...

This year, I've taken up the challenge of Furious Fiction - a monthly short story competition run by the Australian Writers' Centre. I though it would be impossible to write a story in 500 words, but it turns out that it is possible. I won't say that my attempts are...

I caught up with a friend – a high school teacher – over Christmas who played a video for me that Year 9s are shown as part of their Health studies. I won’t tell you how many times I’ve watched it (mostly because I’ve lost count) but it is a classic. It should be...

If you are not a Star Wars fan, look away now. I’m sorry to say that I haven’t moved on from last month’s theme. It was, I fear, just the beginning. When I was in my classroom this week, I witnessed one of my Year 6 boys using a wastepaper basket as a helmet / face...

Clothes don’t maketh the man. Or, to PC this idiom and drag it into the twenty-first century, clothes don’t maketh the person. Or do they? I’ll let you be the judge … Have you ever been given an article of clothing that was delightfully chic and sophisticated, and...

I love a great quest. Given that I am a fantasy writer, this is probably not a surprise. But in real life, there are few quests that are cool adventures with dragons. In real life, some quests involve trawling through folder after folder of paperwork looking for one...