Emily Palmer, Administrative Unicorn 
If you could be a super hero, what power would you like to have?
I would love the power to keep my room tidy, without trying, so I didn’t continually drive my partner crazy. Basically, I would be the world’s most boring superhero – I could keep the headquarters neat, while everyone else is out saving the world.
What do you fear the most?
Possums that sound like the Grudge in my attic. Also, my cat when he’s hungry. He sits on the end of my bed, scratching my feet and yowling. It’s fearsome.
What do you love the most?
Horses have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember; I’ve had my own since I was eight years old, and moving interstate for university hasn’t stopped me. The current physical manifestation of this love affair is a grey thoroughbred mare called Penny.
Which book best resembles your life? Or which book character best resembles you?
I think my life probably resembles any one of the hundreds of pony books I read during my childhood – in particular, the Jill’s Gymkhana series by Ruby Ferguson. I’ve never grown out of the teenage girl pony-mad phase.
What do you like most about the writing industry?
It’s so diverse. There is a platform for every type of writing, and a group for every type of writer. The SA Writers Centre really contributes to forming a writing community in South Australia, through their monthly events such as the Quick & Dirty and Writers Lounges. I’ve found this invaluable, as I moved to South Australia in 2012 and spent the next two years knowing absolutely no-one.
What is the best thing about SAWC?
The support they provide to emerging writers! I had the chance to be part of the “Dubnium Young Editors group” which is an SA Writers Centre initiative aimed at providing both professional development to aspiring editors and a publishing platform for young writers. It was a priceless experience for me and everyone involved.
What are your long-term goals at SAWC?
I would like to learn as much as possible, and contribute as much as possible.
What are your personal long-term goals?
I’m not really someone who has a five-year plan – or any sort of plan. Ultimately, I’d like to write something worth publishing, get my own dog and graduate university. Probably not in that order, as I finish my degree this year. All things in between – well, I’m improvising.
What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever heard?
‘Just write’. It’s the only piece of advice you need. You can think about all your wonderful ideas as much as you like but unless you write them down, they are always unformed and unfinished. One day I will be able to follow this advice.
What is your typical writing process?
I operate on a schedule of 95% procrastination and 5% panicked out pour of words. So my typical writing process is one of tight deadlines and coffee. As a university student, I am currently struggling to write outside of class assignments.
What is your proudest writing/editing/book related achievement?
I think it was when my dad – who always wanted me to follow in his footsteps and become a doctor – read one of my stories and told me I should study creative writing.
What did you want to be as a grown up when you were a kid?
A Dalmatian. I had an unhealthy addiction to One Hundred and One Dalmatians, and thought it was possible to become one. After I realised that a human cannot become a canine, I wanted to be a vet. Now that I’m a grown-up (legally, anyway), my career aspirations have moved to ‘undecided’.
