Let’s hit rewind! Suggestions on ways to nurture a creative group

Person walking along a misty forest path beneath a Memory Lane sign

‘How to Maintain a Thriving Writers Group’

Five years since this post appeared. Half a decade – how time flies! Thanks to WordPress for bringing it to our attention via its ‘On This Day’/Rewind/Throwback/Classic notifications. It’s always interesting to revisit posts from the past/archive/vaults. The old becomes new again.

While we’re dawdling down Memory Lane, next year Elwood Writers enjoys its 20th anniversary. Two whole decades of creative collaborations, conversations, and camaraderie. Heaps to reflect on. And possibly a couple of celebratory blog posts along the way.

For now, Happy Friday!

Another Reblog – and Why Not!

Two pink clothespins among a pile of wooden clothespins

Today’s Throwback: ‘Laundry’ – A Fiction Reblog From 2016

Last month we reblogged a post from Margaret’s website, Writings and Musings. This month it’s Barry’s turn – yesterday he reblogged a post from a decade ago on his own site, and we’re reblogging that reblog here today. Talk about a headspinning trip down Memory Lane!

‘Laundry’ is a short piece of fiction from 2016. If you’d like to read the story without going through layers of blogs and re-blogs and what have you, just click here.

Happy Friday, whether reading, remembering, blogging or reblogging – or doing something else entirely,

Listen to Elwood Writers: Poetry and Stories on Vision Australia Radio 📻🎙️

Tall communications tower on a foggy mountain ridge above an evergreen forest

In December, Elwood Writers will visit the Vision Australia Radio studios in Kooyong to record the material for what will be our thirteenth episode of Cover to Cover.

We’ve been creating at least one episode a year since January 2015 (barring 2021, due to Covid restrictions). Our first was aptly titled ‘Starting Over’ and we’ve covered themes such as ‘Back to School’, ‘Fathers’, ‘Mothers’, ‘Adelaide’, ‘Armistice Day’, and ‘Winter’. A dedicated page here on the website hosts recordings and podcasts of our past editions of Cover to Cover. Why not put the kettle on then settle back in your favourite armchair to enjoy an hour or so of poetry and stories, often read by the writers themselves. Just follow this link to have a browse.

Here’s a hint of the theme for the upcoming program:

It can be measured.
It can be fought.
It can be overcome.

Sometimes it’s necessary.
Sometimes it’s futile.
Sometimes it’s the only thing left to do.

More soon …

Thanks as always to producer/presenter Tim McQueen and Vision Australia Radio for the opportunity to feature and read our work on the airwaves.

Happy listening,

2026 American Writers Review literary contest

Stacks of old tied documents in an archive room with a wooden desk and lamp

Join the 2026 AWR Contest: ‘The Truth Will Set You Free’

Margaret McCaffrey’s website provides the source for this month’s content — for the second month in a row. It seems like we’re bingeing Margaret’s content! And why not.

In this latest post, Margaret talks about her experience of judging the American Writers Review literary contest last year on behalf of Elwood Writers. Click inside the post, above, to read all about it. You’ll also find details of this year’s AWR contest, whose theme is ‘The Truth Will Set You Free’.

Happy reading and writing. And if you do choose to take part in this year’s contest or submit to the anthology, break a leg! Or as they say in Australian theatrical circles, ‘Chookas!’

American Writers Review | 2026 Submissions and Contest Now Open

Last year, Elwood Writers was honoured to judge the American Writers Review (San Fedele Press) literary contest. The contest is open again and, continuing our intercontinental connection, Margaret McCaffrey and Barry Lee Thompson have joined the journal’s team, providing editorial support and assistance for this year’s issue of the publication.

The theme: The Truth Will Set You Free. Contest entries may be submitted until 1 July, and the window for general submissions closes a month later, on 1 August. Details may be found on the AWR submissions page — just click here.

2026 is off to a flying start! Margaret and Barry are once again excited to be on the AWR team, and really looking forward to reading the work submitted.

Happy writing, and best of luck!

ICYMI: Cover to Cover episode 603

Did you tune in to last night’s edition of Cover to Cover on Vision Australia Radio? It was a rich exploration of change and place, and the intersections between the two, told through a selection of work from Elwood Writers. We’ve been receiving very good feedback on the show already. One listener got in touch last night to say it was our ‘best program yet’. And we’ve done twelve so far, so that’s a pretty neat endorsement.

We heard memoir pieces ‘Long Island’ and ‘Ellinbank Revisited’ from Margaret; a selection of poetry and haiku from Helen, including ‘The dish’, ‘In retreat’, ‘The magpie feather’, ‘Tink tink’, ‘Paradise’, ‘Moving day’, ‘Last orders’, and ‘Crossing the Fitzroy’. From Barry, we had short stories ‘Love Always, Adrian’, ‘Fragrant’, ‘Astronaut’, ‘The Sea Tower’, and ‘Front of House’.

As always, the glue holding the entirety together was Tim McQueen. Thanks to Tim and the VAR team for their support, allowing us once again the opportunity to read our own work on the air.

If you missed the broadcast, see you tomorrow at 1PM (AEDT) for the repeat. Listen online or on your wireless if you’re in Australia. All listening details can be found at the link here.

And if you miss Sunday’s repeat, we’ll share the program recording on this site next week. Or simply pick it up wherever you usually access your podcasts.

Do listen in.

Have a wonderful weekend!

On the air tonight: Stories of Change & Place

Not sure how to spend your Friday night? Too many choices? Not enough options? Or looking for a way to get out of a sticky social engagement? We’ve just the thing: the only event worth attending this Friday evening can be found on your transistor by tuning the dial to Vision Australia Radio at 8PM (AEDT) and settling in for this week’s edition of Cover to Cover. It’s another Elwood Writers special, our twelfth. The theme this time: ‘Stories of Change & Place’. With poetry from Helen, memoir from Margaret, and fiction from Barry, it’s sure to be a literary banger. All wrapped up in just under one hour.

Thanks as always to Tim McQueen and the team at Vision Australia Radio.

Vision Australia Radio can be heard in various ways: online from anywhere in the world, or on the radio if you’re in Australia. Details can be found at the VAR website, by clicking here.

And if you can’t join us this evening, the program is repeated Sundays at 1PM.

And if by Sunday you still haven’t had a chance to listen to this episode, fear not — podcasts usually come out on the Tuesday after the repeat. You’ll find those recordings wherever you get your podcasts, and we always share them here on the EW website. And then you can listen in your own time.

Isn’t it great when you don’t have to make a plan because someone else makes it for you? You’re welcome!

Happy listening,

Stories of Change & Place | Cover to Cover, Vision Australia Radio

Elwood Writers was in the Vision Australia Radio studios on Tuesday, recording our twelfth special for the weekly literary program Cover to Cover. The focus of this latest edition is ‘change and place and the overlap between the two’, and features poetry from Helen, memoir from Margaret, and fiction from Barry. The broadcast date is Friday 14 November, to be repeated that Sunday.

We’ve been a bit quiet in the online space these past few months. Normally, we post at least once a month, but our usually razor-sharp attention slipped off the blogging ball in October. Our excuse? That attention was redirected elsewhere — we’ve been busily putting together the radio show. A lot of work goes into building each program, and we’re fortunate to have the support of Tim and the team at VAR along the way. It’s always well worth the effort.

Produced and presented by Tim McQueen, Cover to Cover airs on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons, and can be heard on the radio in Australia, and online from anywhere in the world.

We’ll share more info on ‘Stories of Change & Place” closer to the time — so do stay tuned over the next couple of weeks. We hope you’ll be able to join us on broadcast night.

For now, from sunny (currently!) Victoria, have a very peaceful Sunday.

Extended Deadline for American Writers Review Contest: Submit Now!

Regretting that you didn’t enter this year’s American Writers Review literary contest? Or that you didn’t quite make the deadline? Well, we have some good news: If you’ve visited the San Fedele Press submissions page recently you’ll have noticed that the deadline for contest entries has been extended to August 7. That’s right – there’s still time to send off that poem, short story, non-fiction, or dramatic monologue, photograph, or artwork. In short, written work and imagery is invited. Full details are available in our July blog post, linked here. Or if you want to head straight to the submissions page, do that by clicking here.

Contest deadline: 11:59 PM on August 7 (US Eastern Time)

This year’s competition judges are Margaret and Barry, on behalf of Elwood Writers. The theme: Buyers’ Remorse. Interpret that any way you wish.

Happy writing, and good luck!

American Writers Review Contest: Enter Before August 1

Buy Now, Regret Later – a literary contest

A timely reminder from Margaret that the closing date for the American Writers Review literary contest is creeping up. The theme: Buyers’ Remorse. This year’s judges come from Elwood Writers – Margaret and Barry can’t wait to read your entries. The contest closes on 1 August.

You’ve a bit longer if you want to send a regular submission to the journal: they can be sent for the editorial team to consider right up to 1 September.

If you haven’t started on a submission or even thought about it yet, there’s still plenty of time remaining. All the relevant links are in Margaret’s blog post, above.

Happy writing, and good luck!