Minutes Of, now in audio! 🎧💥
10 September 2026
I can't write non-fiction.
Believe me, I've tried! But it just doesn't work. I type, frown, delete what I've written, type some more, frown again, delete it all again, and hours later the page is still blank.
When I'm writing fiction, I can change the facts to fit my sentences. Too hard to describe the position of the floor lamp without repeating the word "floor"? No problem—it's a desk lamp now! Whereas twisting my sentences to fit the facts is much, much harder.
And that's a real shame, because there's a true story I'd love to tell you. It's about the year 2015, and how I was working in a bookshop during the day, looking after a baby at night, and spending what little free time I had writing manuscripts nobody wanted to publish (and occasionally teaching writing workshops nobody wanted to attend). And how my life completely changed when a collection of short stories I'd written became a runaway bestseller.
But the truth is so complicated that I can't work out how to tell it. Even the summary above is wrong. On Friday nights I wasn't looking after the baby, I was working the late shift at the bookshop. And Scholastic did want to publish me—that's where the book of short stories came from.
Anyway. The point is that 300 Minutes of Danger engaged reluctant readers (and voracious ones) all over the world. So did 400 Minutes of Danger, and then 500 Minutes of Danger, and then 200 Minutes of Danger, and then 200 Minutes of Mystery. The books were popular not only in shops and libraries but also in classrooms. Over the years, dozens of primary school teachers have told me about the lessons they structured around the stories. Last week, Dr Melissa Smith sent me her slideshow from a professional development session for casual teachers. The topic? How to get through a whole day of lessons with no prep time and only one book. The book? 300 Minutes of Danger.
And here's some news I've been itching to tell you for a while: all those books are coming to Audible. That's fifty action-packed stories, perfect for long car rides (or short car rides, or for just putting on a Bluetooth speaker in the lounge room when the kids are bored and don't want to be bored).
When are they coming? I'm so glad you asked...
Upcoming events:
TOMORROW, NSW/VIC: Write Around the Murray Festival
September 18, ACT: Men's mental health boxing class (I have no official role whatsoever, but I'll be there! Come along and punch me. 7pm, UBX Belconnen, $20 cash)
October 21, SA: Love, Crime and Wine
October 24, ACT: Light Rail Local Reads
October 29 to 30, SA: Once Upon a Festival
November 4, Sydney: Choppy Water launch at Gleebooks with Richard Glover (details soon)
November 7, Canberra: Choppy Water launch at Belconnen Library with @faithe.in.books (details soon)
November sometimes, Melbourne: Choppy Water launch (TBC)
That's all for now, folks! Thanks for letting me channel my inner Ozymandias.
Stay rad,
Jack 🖋️
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