We love our fellow Twitter writers. Absolutely love them. In the last two months, we have met so many amazing people who enjoy writing good stories. These are the new voices of publishing, and we are happy to be part of the community.
Last week, fellow #FridayFlash friend Trevor Belshaw shared some news about 100 Stories for Queensland, an unique writing anthology to benefit the recent floods in the Queensland region of Australia. We were so impressed by the single tweet that we wanted to interview Trevor to learn more about this admirable writing project that is accepting submissions until January 28.
JRV: Why reach out to the online writing community via social media?
TB: Social media networks have become such a big part of our writing communities that it is hard to differentiate between them. Social media is instantaneous, it is the fastest and hardest working grapevine in history. Nowadays if you don’t utilise these networks your project is almost certain to fail. Both Jodi Cleghorn and myself have large social media networks and it is now almost instinctive to go straight to Twitter/Facebook to share ideas, news and views.
Without social networking there wouldn’t be a project. The 100 Stories for Haiti and 50 Stories for Pakistan anthologies were born out of social media… beginning last year with Greg McQueen’s famous YouTube clip calling for writers worldwide to donate a story. Not much has changed this time round, (except the current project admin are a little more camera shy than Greg.)
JRV: Why do you want to pursue this?
TB: Queensland is, or has been, the home state of both our project administrators. Jodi Cleghorn resides there, and I lived there for six months a year between 1998 and 2005. To see the state in the grip of the worst disaster in its history compels us to do something. Normally, for those who live outside the country, the only way to offer help is by donating money. This project gives them another option.
100 Stories for Queensland provides an avenue for a group of people who are themselves often strapped for cash, to offer assistance to those in need. As one lady wrote on Twitter this week, “I am not in a position to donate money, but I can offer a story.”
The core management team of Maureen Vincent-Northam, David Robinson, Nick Daws, Jodi, and myself were all involved in at least one of the previous charity anthologies created by Greg McQueen, so it didn’t require too much consideration when the question was posed on Twitter: ‘100 Stories for Queensland?’ We all felt we had something to give. Everyone working on the project feels a strong bond with the people of Queensland and they are doing what they do best — sharing their creative talents to help raise money for those affected.
JRV: How many submissions do you expect to receive?
TB: We expect to receive between 300-400 submissions based on the current rate of lodgement.
JRV: How has the reaction been so far?
TB: The support has been overwhelming. From the people who originally signed up to read and edit (including a strong contingent from Brisbane) to our friends and friends of friends who have blogged, emailed and shared the links on Facebook and Twitter. Links to the project have turned up in the most amazing places. Every day we get emails, Tweets and Facebook messages from people who either want to pass the word on or know more about the project.
We have been approached by three high profile authors offering to donate stories and word is still spreading, we are sure there will be more yet.
There will always be detractors of any type of fundraising event, and we have had a few ourselves. We have found that those who have spoken out against this particular project are doing so from a preconceived personal agenda or a misconception regarding the scale of the disaster.
JRV: What sort of stories are you looking for?
TB: We’re looking for feel good stories, the kind that leaves a warm afterglow in the wake of finishing. Stories which provide hope, lift the reader, or give them a jolly good laugh.
Stories can be of any genre and for any age, but no poetry please. The submission should be between 500-1000 words and not previously(mainstream) published. (Blog publishing is fine.)
Thank you so much for sharing out project on your blog, for helping spread the word further again. We indeed feel very blessed to be surrounded by so many passionate, talented and generous writers and readers. I see Trevor’s original facebook message ‘100 Stories for Queensland’ like a pebble dropped into a pond, and this blog post is another of the ripples moving outwards.
It occurred to me this morning, the phrase which is bandied around here in Australia (and I imagine the world over) “Think global, act local”. Well we’ve shared at a global level and the global community is acting local in donating stories. We’ve also got a team of 30+ volunteers working in the background sharing their time, skills and experience, with Autralia, the UK and USA all equally represented.
If anyone has any queries they are welcome to DM either Trevor or I via twitter – @tbelshaw or myself @jodicleghorn or to leave a message on our facebook page.
This is the global writing community at its very best! Thank you again.
Our pleasure.
Excellent post, Julio. Thanks for doing this interview. Definitely sharing it w. my friends.
Thanks, Monica. It is such a great idea.
Great interview. My hat is off to Trevor and Jodi. Best of luck with the anthology.
Trevor is a class act.
Good of you to interview Trevor and get more word out on this project. I submitted the night they announced it. Hope it does some good.
Thanks, John. Will be submitting mine soon.
Great interview! It’s wonderful to see the global community banding together this way. I’ve submitted a story and I hope everyone reading this will too.
I will be!
Excellent interview. As a volunteer reader/editor for this project, I’m really enjoying reading the stories that have been submitted so far. But we need plenty more, so keep ’em coming!
Will be submitting mine soon!
Julio you’re a hero for helping to spread the word about this. Great job on this, my friend.
It is a great idea, one that speaks to the power of an online community.
What a great interview! Three cheers all round.
Thanks! We think it was a great idea.