As a writer, all I have to offer are my words. It seems like such a silly thing to offer, insubstantial. What difference can a story make?

A big difference, I think. Words can lift and revitalize, can bring hope, bring dreams, fulfil wishes. If stories are what I have to offer, why not put them to good use?

You may have heard about the earthquakes which have hit New Zealand. Buildings have collapsed, power and water has been cut, the streets are strewn with bricks. The Prime Minister has called it the country’s darkest day, and I can only sit and watch the footage on the news with a sick feeling in my stomach.

Seeing these terrible scenes makes me want to help. And, thanks to a new anthology J.C. Hart is organizing, I can.

How? With my words. Here’s the initial announcement, from Cassie’s blog:

Christchurch, New Zealand, and the wider Canterbury region, was rocked yesterday (22.2.11) by another round of serious earthquakes. This time they struck during the middle of the day causing more devastation, and loss of life, to a city still trying to pick up the pieces from last September’s quakes.

In an attempt to do something, anything, to make a difference, we are putting together an anthology of short stories loosely themed around survival, hope and the future. All profits of this anthology will be donated to the Red Cross Earthquake Appeal, or another registered charity aimed at aiding those in need in Canterbury.

The purpose of this Anthology is two-fold—to help financially, but also, we hope, to provide entertainment and alleviation in a time of crisis. We hope that our words will help make a difference.

We have already begun to approach authors, and the response is encouraging. Mainly due to time pressures, this anthology will be by invitation. However, if you are an established writer, and keen to contribute, please feel free to get in touch with us at just.cassie.hart@gmail.com. We are looking for stories between 1,500 and 5,000 words, of fairly upbeat nature in the general, literary, science fiction or fantasy genres.

Feel free to repost this and get the word out!

I am very honoured to be taking part in this anthology, and send my thoughts to all those affected by the earthquakes in New Zealand.