Eureka!

The Gold Standard In Community Support at Clunes

This weekend I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful historic towns of Ballarat and Clunes, Victoria, Australia, where the gold rush of the mid 1850s created prosperous and vibrant communities. (Fun fact #1: Ballarat was considered the richest town in the world at one point🧈). Signs of “Eureka!” from the Greek word for “I found it!” greeted me as I made my way down the highway to Sovereign Hill, a tourist attraction featuring one of the original mines. It represented a way of life long since gone, and also served as a reminder of what remains true today.

The people there took risks. They arrived in droves to pursue their dreams. Some were extraordinarily successful as the ornamental homes and buildings lining the main streets in both towns attest to, but others lost their lives - literally. During an underground tour, I watched a dramatic re-telling of the worst mining accident in Australia’s history, the day that twenty-two men died when a contractor mistakenly drilled into a rock wall that separated the old mine from the new one, flooding the tunnels. It was a story about perseverance and belief in a brighter tomorrow.

What I learned at Sovereign Hill is that you have to take chances to create the future you want. It might be an uphill (or down river) battle (for those panning for gold), but with steady effort and a little luck, what you find could surpass your wildest dreams. (Fun fact #2: Just two days ago, an amateur prospector found a gold nugget worth a whopping $240,000 in Ballarat!)

Sovereign Hill, Gold Point Victoria

Clunes Booktown Festival 📚

Last Saturday and Sunday, I attended the Clunes Booktown Festival. During an evening show at a shabby chic joint called The Tin Shed, I met a local involved in the planning. She explained to me that it was a relatively new initiative undertaken to revitalize the town. Book sellers lined the streets, and vintage stores, bakeries, and coffee shops enthusiastically supported them from the sidelines. The festival featured author talks and a workshop on kick-starting your novel that I was fortunate to participate in with some solid takeaways.

What struck me was the heartfelt effort that the artists and vendors put into creating their stalls and giving talks, inviting visitors to learn more about their books. There was an abundance of musical acts as well, children’s choirs, bush bands, and folk singers performing in the rotunda in a green-space that connected the boulevards. I watched kids and parents dancing together, authors who were about to sit on panels wringing their hands nervously, and debut novelists sharing their deepest aspirations. It was a wonderful celebration that reminded me how important it is to support the people and communities that matter to us.

SFRD: Where the Journey Goes from Here 📣

Last month, I asked for your feedback on the manuscript for my debut, Stories from A Roadside Diner (SFRD). Thank you to those who reached out! I’ve been mulling over what to do for a while now, and the Clunes festival has given me a renewed sense of purpose and direction.

One of the featured authors was Candice Fox, a crime writer who is having a series adapted to the screen for wide release by Hollywood this year. She sat on two panels, and I heard her say that she received 200 rejection letters before a publisher picked up her fourth book, and she is currently writing her nineteenth novel. I was surprised that an author with her level of success struggled to break through. Consequently, I realized two things: First, that I’ve been holding off on publishing (or self-publishing) because I’ve put too much pressure on my debut, and second, that I need to give myself permission to grow.

Without releasing the book, readers can’t find me; however, when I was in grad school some of the “heart” was edited out of the manuscript because my innovations didn’t fit a commercial mould. I’ve learned a lot over the past two years, so I’ve decided to rework it one more time with a commitment to publish it or place it with an agent by the end of 2023. I still love the characters and want to give them a chance to shine - like gold.

Leadership Literary Lab (L3) ✍️

I’m pleased to announce that the landing page for my Leadership Literary Lab is live! You can find it under the “Services” tab on my website . Feel free to peruse the page and let me know if you have any questions or feedback. The online course isn’t ready yet, but you can download my “Author Self-Assessment” which is a great way start off any book project. Please forward to anyone whom you think it could help.

In Next Month’s Issue…

I’ll be introducing two new projects and a special nom de plume contest!

Madam Saddler, main street, Clunes, Australia.

Warmly, Mary Lynn, The Wild Rose Writer