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Oh, the places you’ll go
On the eve of our 25th anniversary, writer and WV intern Jen Squire
finds inspiration when she delves into the Writers Victoria
archives.
Research is essential for writers. Set as a debate topic, I couldn’t
speak on the negative team. Research takes so many different forms
with all sorts of motivations. It might be validating an idea or
fact-finding so that your writing is more convincing. My notebooks
are full of observations and eavesdropping, so just going out for a
coffee is technically research. And, of course, often it’s simply a
tool to justify plain old procrastination. Clicking on YouTube clips
and archived files, not knowing where I’m heading but confident that
I’ll learn about things I’d never otherwise have known about – like
the five different types of Japanese calligraphy – certain that one
day I’ll use what I find. In something.
This year Writers Victoria is celebrating its 25th
anniversary. I can
conjure up 1989 quite easily - I was in Year 12 and the HECS scheme
was introduced. Tawriffic won the Melbourne Cup at 30-1 and ‘Oscar
and Lucinda’ won the Miles Franklin. ‘Five in a Row’ by the D-Gen
was a massive hit, and Barry Crocker’s version took over as the
‘Neighbours’ theme track.
Alongside other WV volunteers, lately I’ve been going through
archive material, scanning and cataloguing photos, newspaper
articles and newsletters that capture the last 25 years.
From the early days of ‘Write On’ to our current ‘The Victorian
Writer’, the monthly newsletter really illustrates purpose and
progress. Highlighting industry issues and offering services to help
writers grapple with these, technology has appeared in issues every
year. In 1995 the Centre advertised that members could use two IBM
compatible computers with WordPerfect 5.1 plus printer for $2 per
hour or $10 per day, and announced that it would join the VICNET
(webhost) ‘as soon as we can get a modem’.
Meredith Kidby and Philip Salom were thanked for ‘setting up their
computers and demonstrating the wonders of multimedia for many
interested people’ at the 1998 Open Day.

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Random House took an innovative approach releasing Carmel Bird’s
‘Red Shoes’ with an interactive CD-Rom, and the Writers’ Centre
quickly offered a program of workshops that included Writing for
Multimedia and You’re Never Too Old to Go Surfing. Still helping us
out with changes and advances, WV has sessions coming up on Digital
Storytelling: Using Transmedia and Social Media to tell Stories and
an ePublishing masterclass.
The portfolio of workshops and seminars from the past and in the
current WV program offers something for all of us and reaches
writers in many regional areas across the state.
Throughout this quarter of a century the generosity of members and
support from the community has been astounding. Those who spend time
in our Little Lonsdale St home know that the library is a rich
source of journals and books for us to browse. Members have been
offered discounts in Brunswick Street Bookstore, Collected Works
Bookshop and Dean’s Art since we began, and our current list of
supporters is extensive. October’s subscriber-thon is testament to
the community’s generosity and diversity, and I know I’ll be bidding
on at least one of the prizes donated to the anniversary auction.
Going through this archive I kept interrupting those working around
me to show a picture or to read something out. There used to be a
monthly competition, Quizzical, which was a prompt on the front page
of the newsletter. The April 1996 winner was a writer I met in 1998
and went on to publish a small-press magazine with. I haven’t been
able to find him – remember, we hadn’t embraced the internet back
then – but reading his winning rhyming couplet for Autumn I’m sure I
would have known it was him.
As well as celebrating members’ achievements, promoting writing
groups, discussing industry issues and offering courses and programs
to help writers of all genres and levels, WV has consistently
publicised competition and magazine opportunities.
In the News column (Aug 2004) I saw the listing for a competition to
choose the most beautiful German word. I found out that 22,838
entries were submitted from 111 countries. Although liebe (love) was
a popular choice, the winner was Habseligkeiten, a word that merges

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two opposing ideas: worldly possessions combined with the search for
happiness – to value one’s modest belongings.
I’m not sure yet how knowing this will help my writing, but maybe
it’s just the word one of you have been looking for. And maybe
researching for this article, to help celebrate the 25th
anniversary
of Writers Victoria, I might be able to get back in touch with an
old friend.
Special thanks to the team of Writers Victoria volunteers for
helping to protect the archive and planning anniversary
celebrations. And if anyone is in contact with Christopher Parry,
please tell him I’d love to have a pint with him again.
Jen Squire writes short stories for love and CVs for a living. A
Writers Victoria intern and volunteer, she’s passionate about
celebrating stories and the writers who create them.
jen-squire.blogspot.com