Helen Chilcott - OzWriter

Author Profile

Helen was always a writer, yet it was the first of two disabling road crashes that provided the incentive to her succeed at the craft. Confined to a wheelchair for a time, she wrote Last Flight from Pentagon. The second crash gave rise to Conway's Women. Helen has since written The Trunk in the Basement and Brides of the White Swan. Helen's genre for these works, Psychological Thriller, comes from an intense interest in the human psyche following her own life-or-death experiences.

In 2005 Helen ventured into Erotica/Romance. Her first work in this genre is novella Waiting for Misty and her second Morning Glory.

Helen's writing achievements to date:

Published works - Limited Editions, hard copy:

• Conway's Women - 2006
• The Trunk in the Basement - 2006

Both these works were published through WritingRight, a consortium of Australian writers who only publish members' works. Both works are now out of print. To date WritingRight has published over 30 members' works.

E-PUBLISHING CONTRACTS

Waiting for Misty

• 2007 - eXtasy Books

The Trunk in the Basement Parts 1 & 2

• 2007 eXtasy Books

Morning Glory

• 2007 - eXtasy Books

Brides of the White Swan

• 2011 - eXtasy Books

Awards:

• WritingRight Robert Redford Star Award 2006 - Writer with Most Potential
  
• WritingRight Connections Star Award 2006 - Making Great Connections

Competition Places:

• Alan Marshall Short Story Competition 2002 - shortlisted from 500 entries for Grisham's Gauntlet
• Donard Publishing Novel Writing Competition November 2004 - Finalist with Conway's Women
• Tom Collins Poetry Competition 2004 - Highly Commended for Good Ol' Aussie Rools
• WritingRight Short Story Competition 2005 - 2nd Place for Daddyll

Further Education:

• 2 year Professional Writing Course, Northern Metropolitan Institute of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) 2000-2002 - Pass with Higher Distinction

Editorships:

• Managing Editor Comic Edge, newsmagazine of the Australian Cartoonists' Group 1993-1995
• Co-editor of Hogwash, monthly newsmagazine of Harley Owners' Group Ringwood Chapter, of which Helen was a Charter Member - 1994-1996
• Managing Editor Broadcaster, quarterly newsletter of Disability Justice Advocacy, 2002-2005

General Info:

• Mentored several writers through WritingRight
• Cartoonist and Writer of The Australian Motorcyclists' Dictionary, illustrated with the characters Slick Hogg and The Road Rats
• Produced dozens of single frame cartoons and a comic strip featuring Philbutt, a caveman with a bent for the modern
• Founded and runs Nails in the Pinque, a successful Acrylic Nail business. Creating the most beautiful and distinctive nails on the planet, Helen proudly holds her Creative Master Technician's Certificate.
• Cat worshipper, Cat-mother

"When people ask me what I like to do in my spare time I tell them: If I'm not eating, sleeping, playing with my 4 precious Kitties Samba, Edmund (pictured with me) Micino and Hillary, or working with a nail client, I'm writing. I keep a laptop on my nail table at the salon so I can write if there are spare minutes between clients. Writing is a consuming passion that I can feel, smell and taste in every part of me."