Coast writer Ian Laver was a builder and made timber furniture in the years before he retired from his job as a workplace assessor.
He is still in the construction business, however, this time building plots for his novels plus sharing his talents as an author with writing groups at Wallace House, something he has done for the last 10 years.
At this moment he has written four books, the recently published “Hard Hits” and he is working on a fifth, “Comeback,” a follow up to one of his earlier books “Uneasy.” He has also been included in three anthologies.
Ian co-tutors the creative writing class and two haiku study groups at Noosa Arts and Crafts at Wallace House. He is also a former president of the Sunshine Coast Literary Association and along the way has won numerous awards for his work.
Noosa Today spoke to Ian this week.
Q. What is “Hard Hits” about?
A. It is a collection of 45 short stories, each of which places someone in a position where they must make a decision, often impacting others. They all have a hard-hitting message, many with a sinister edge.
Q. What started your involvement with writing groups at Wallace House?
A. In 2015 the SCLA folded because we couldn’t encourage any younger members to carry it on. Jan Bentley was president of NACA at Wallace House and I asked her if she would organise a writing competition. Jan was sole organiser and it was a huge success.
NACA had a writing group already there so we got some like-minded people together to form a Japanese poetry Haiku group which is today going as strong as ever. We managed to get a writing group off the ground last year and it is also doing well.
Q. When did you feel you wanted to be a writer?
A. My very first story was about a trip to Farina in the Lake Eyre Basin in 1958 with my brother and grandfather a copy of which I still have.
I decided to do a creative writing course at TAFE in the early ‘80s and later attended lectures arranged by the Sunshine Coast Literary Association at the SSC University. From there I joined the Coolum Wave Writers where I learned the art of writing short stories.
Q. Is there a book that inspired you or was it something else pivotal in you becoming a writer?
A. I can’t think of a single book but I have always read novels from when I was in primary school. I guess the mark of a good writer is to be able to take the reader with him or her. I admire, Salman Rushdie and Ernest Hemingway for their great contributions to writing.
There are so many great writers, men and women. In recent times Australian writers seem to be gaining more recognition for their work which is great.
Q. When will your next book “Comeback,” the sequel to “Uneasy” be published?
A. Early next year. I’ve finished writing the book but there is still plenty of work to do to tidy up whatever needs to be adjusted, things like consistencies, too much tell, not enough this or that, characters not true to form.
“Hard Hits” and Ian’s other books are available from all online bookstores and locally from the gift shop at Wallace House. Noosaville.
