Writers revel in parallels

THE similarities keep coming for two local authors who discovered they recently published their latest works a couple of days apart from each other.

Now Elizabeth Coleman and Olivia Wearne have become fast friends following the release of their second novels.

Both crime fiction books, Coleman’s is titled A Routine Infidelity and Wearne’s The Woman Who Knew Too Little.

“I got an email from my agent saying there was another author in Ballarat whose story was very similar to mine and asked if I wanted to meet her,” Coleman said.

“We met for coffee and she said ‘my second book’s coming out’ and I said my second book’s coming out!

“Her book has a female detective. My book has a female detective. It was uncanny, so we thought we would join forces and get ourselves out there through these remarkable coincidences.”

Both screenwriters by trade, Wearne moved to Ballarat and started writing professionally 15 years ago while Coleman has been crafting words for 30 years and relocated to the region in the last half-decade.

Coleman said the pair’s shared screenwriting influences is a prominent factor in both their styles.

“Another similarity we share is that our screen experiences have really helped us with story structure,” she said.

“Both our stories kind of move along quickly because we’ve had to work to commercial breaks and things like that.”

Coleman said it’s important for Australian creatives to support each other.

“It’s such a small industry here, anything creative,” she said.” We’re competing with enormous overseas giants.

“It’s very important we all support each other and lift each other up.”