Emma expresses a deep gratitude for the educators who supported her throughout her life, she shares, “the power of a passionate teacher...”. By high school, Emma had found two teachers who saw her full potential and fostered it. They entered her work into competitions, read it to other classes, and went beyond the curriculum to offer feedback on all she produced.
This support helped Emma develop a creative writing portfolio by the end of high school, which she attributes to securing her place in her Creative Writing degree. Proof that it is never too early to start dreaming.
During her degree, Emma was a prolific writer but often struggled to finish projects. She describes having, “a million half-done projects” with a distinct focus on magical realism and dark fantasy. Among her completions were four
NaNoWriMo novellas, “of varying degrees of goodness,” she laughs.
Following her studies, Emma experienced monumental ups and downs – from marrying her beautiful wife the year before graduating to building a family and developing a severe migraine condition. At one point, Emma genuinely believed her writing and creative career was over. However, being an intrinsic part of her being, that would prove untrue.
Through years of determination and hard practice, her skills slowly returned and even improved. Paint therapy became her preferred pain management tool and the perfect remedy for writer’s block. Cross-discipline practice, it turns out, can only enhance a person's creative process!
Emma now leans towards writing horror fiction with a blend of her old favourite, dark fantasy. She currently has seven published short stories included in anthologies and two novels on submission. “Whenever I get blocked up, I paint and do photography.”
What does Emma paint, you ask? She has a particular fondness for Portuguese sardine can art and often creates her own “silly little sardines” to relax.
Emma is one of our region's newest settlers. She and her family made the move to Narrandera at the start of the year. Certainly a busy bee, Emma works as a freelance digitisation archivist. Her favourite tasks include digitising family photographs, diaries, and scrapbooks of old newspaper clippings. She looks forward to bringing these skills to the region. We at WRA cannot wait to see how the Western Riverina influences her writing!
Emma’s top tip for budding authors looking for submissions to write for? Mix it up! She will not refuse an opportunity she knows she is strong for, but also likes to challenge herself by writing outside her comfort zone.
Looking for Emma online? Find her on social media under
@ofcoursethehorrors on Instagram and Threads.
Story by Zooey Korhonen, Communications Officer, Western Riverina Arts
Tuesday 9th July 2024
Images: Courtesy Emma Rose Darcy
