Hi, I’m Amanda Scotney, writer, poet and short film maker.

When I was 10, one of my poems was published in an anthology called 5 to 15 Writings of Tasmanian children. A little bit of encouragement can go a long way. My writing has been published in anthologies and magazines, including Island. My short films have screened at indie film nights, exhibitions and shown to not for profit groups.

Confidence 2022 anthology features forty six winning and commended writers from the Minds Shine Bright writing competition. This book follows the cycle of life and ends with redemption and hope.
Confidence 2 Anthology by Minds Shine Bright is a collection of stories, poems and scripts that will break your heart and then fill it with joy and wonder.
Storm anthology by Minds Shine Bright captures elements of storms in stories, short form fiction and poetry.

Minds Shine Bright

Minds Shine Bright was founded to do what I love most, which is to promote fiction, good writing and other creative projects. The competition is open to all writers across Australia and international entries are welcome too.

Judging Talent

Everyone has something unique to say in their writing, a voice that is theirs alone. Not everyone can win, even some entries that are very worthy. As a writer I have had my share of rejections too. As a writer it's important to keep believing in yourself, keep writing, keep sending your writing out to the world and seek feedback from as many people as you can. This competition is based on literary merit. The kind of qualities that I’m looking for in winning entries are clarity of expression, structure and flow, originality, audience engagement, universality and resonance.