Cowes' author Sandi Wallace, who has published a series of crime novels, has started a new writing group, Island Silent Writers.
Black Cloud is Sandi's most recent crime novel.
As a crime novel writer, Cowes' author Sandi Wallace knows all about the blood, sweat and tears involved in writing.
Her books, which include thrillers about country cop John Franklin, all require speaking with experts, tours of police stations and immersing herself in the seedy underbelly of a community, let alone the skill of writing a page-turner.
Sandi, who moved to Phillip Island this year after holidaying here, has just established a free writing group in Cowes, called Island Silent Writers, which meets once a month: every second Wednesday between 10am and midday at the library in Berninneit.
"I'm good at discipline, working every day on my own, but some people struggle with commitment," Sandi said.
"So meeting once a month to work on a project is a way of creating a writing habit."
Sandi said she had seen similar ideas for writing groups around the world and thought it would be a "good way to connect with other writers" in the community.
She said the first part of the group meeting was about support, sharing and bouncing ideas, "not critiquing", with the second half focused on quietly working on individual projects.
"It doesn't matter what you are writing. There's no sharing or critiquing required.
"People don't even need to be looking for publication, but be driven to write, so we'll potentially get a good mix of writers at all levels.
"It's not about instruction, but quietly working away on our own pieces, so there's no pressure."
Crime
Sandi said around the age of six her "life-long addiction" to crime fiction set in, thanks to her favourite children's mystery and adventure story authors.
She worked in various careers including banker, paralegal, journalist and nearly joined Victoria Police and this year, after moving to Cowes with her husband, for the first time is working full time on writing.
"You can't treat it as a hobby if you want to do it seriously. It's got to be a job, a profession."
Her debut novel Tell Me Why was released in 2014 and the following year won the Davitt Award Readers' Choice. It was the first instalment in a series starring city journalist Georgie Harvey and country cop John Franklin.
Her books are less whodunnit and more about the psychology of crime, "the why and how it impacts people".
While Phillip Island was proving to be a muse, Sandi said she had no plans to write a crime novel set here.
"Being in a small community you've got to be careful about how you portray it. There's only so much creative licence you can take and you don't want people to think you are writing about them.
"But I'm definitely influenced by the coastal environment. We love to fish, walk and canoe. And it feels like a community here."
Sandi will be appearing at Wonthaggi Library on Saturday October 5 at 11am along with nine other local writers for the library’s inaugural author panel and morning tea.
The event is free, but as there are limited spaces available, please book your spot by phoning the library on 5672 1875 or online via eventbrite.com.au.
