Introduction Post #4

Hi, I'm Holly Meyer, a keen writer who is in her final year at Otago University with Bachelor of Arts in History (and minors in Theatre and Education). I mainly write historical stories centering around one particular historical character. I have written a few short stories and a poem or two, but I find stories much more enjoyable to write.

Introductions #3

Hi! I'm Alec and if you don't know me already, I'm a second year law student and a very keen writer! I don't write nearly enough but every now and then I sit down and write some poetry, I've also written short stories and articles and had a crack at some longer fiction but haven't got very far with any of it, unfortunately! Hopefully the society will get me writing a bit more!

Introductions Post #2

Hey I'm Mary and I'm currently into my second year of a PhD in Medicine. As you can probably imagine I haven't had much time for fiction writing for a few years (!) now but I'll post some of my older works and force some time to post new writing. I mostly write sci-fi/fantasy and the odd bit of poetry when I'm feeling lazy. I'm also working on creating some material for the future Genetics Otago blog - explaining scientific discoveries to non-science folk, so I may see if I can get permission to post my work here. I'm sure you guys will let me know if the article is boring or too technical! Hopefully I can come to a meeting next semester.

:D

Introductions Post

Since we won't be having another proper face-to-face meeting until next semester, it might be a good idea to introduce ourselves, so that hopefully by the time July rolls around we'l have a good idea of who everyone is and what sort of writing interests them.

I'm Marie Hodgkinson, currently mid-way through my Honours year for a combined English and Classics degree. I write short stories and the odd abortive novel in the fantasy genre, and have had several stories published in various places - but they're pretty rubbish, so I'm not telling you where. In what spare time I have I run the e-zine Semaphore, which publishes fantasy and sci-fi short stories, and poetry of most genres except the depressing ones. Working on Semaphore often cuts into my writing time, of which I've had very little recently, but that's just the way things go, and being able to provide a forum for great work by New Zealand and international authors pretty much makes up for it.

So ... who are you lot?

The Beginning!

Hi everyone, here's the humble beginnings of the Otago Writing Society Blog. I hope you've all been writing! Please post any of your writing, and comment on other writing as well!

Here's a piece of writing I've done on the theme from a couple of weeks ago (something you've never thought about before), it's a dramatic take on vuvuzelas, the instruments used by the crowds at the Soccer World Cup that basically sound like angry swarms of bees.

Vuvuzela Lessons

Use those lungs you used to cheer with
back home where the games stop the rain.
Instead play our cacpohony,
drowning out the cries of elephants outside.

Point the poor man's trombone to the sky,
block your ears
and make the crazy continent a little more wild.

More fun than war-horns for war-torn nations,
there's dancing in the streets
and drum-beats
to ward off angry ghosts
and bring you, the rest of the world, to the party.