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Group gets published!

The Northern Beaches Writers’ Group never figured on becoming published authors when they decided to Write a Book in a Day. Zena Shapter, the group’s founder and leader tells us how it happened.

“You never know where writing in a group will take you! After our first experience writing collaboratively for the Write a Book in a Day competition, some of us decided we would write together more often and we just had a book published!

Our story, Into Tordon by ZF Kingbolt, is a fast-paced fantasy for readers 8-14 years old that sees two online gamers face the adventure of their lives – and it’s being distributed into schools via Scholastic and into bookshops by our publishers’ distributor. Wow! We’re all now published authors!”

Raising money for sick kids

“The thrill of raising money for The Kids’ Cancer Project is amazing too,” Mrs Shapter said. “There’s nothing so sad as sick kids, and it’s an absolute joy to know that our Write a Book in a Day efforts might be helping those in pain. Not only can kids read and enjoy our stories while they’re actually in hospital, but the money we raise goes towards better treatments and research into childhood cancer. In return, we get all the good feelies!”

Writing competition day

Mrs Shapter went on to tell us about the writing competition day. “The day itself is incredible – the surging of creativity around the room, the tap-tapping of fingers on keyboards as we studiously turn ideas into words, the inevitable last minute rush and the sense of achievement on finishing.

First thing that morning we have nothing but enthusiasm and big smiles. By the end of the day we have a fully-formed story and characters who wouldn’t otherwise exist. Write a Book in a Day is an addictively delightful competition, which is why we participate every year!”

So far the group has written four books, all of which they’ve then self-published to continue raising money for The Kids’ Cancer Project: Scribbles in the Dark, A Dolphin for Naia, Rider & the Hummingbird and The Time of the Jade Spider are all available for purchase from your favourite online retailer, or from the group directly. “It’s as simple as getting in touch via our website,” Mrs Shapter told us. “We’re at www.northernbeacheswritersgroup.com. We’d be happy for you to buy a book, or four, and support this extremely worthwhile charity!”

View their winning book in the 2016 Open Division. 

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