Storytime

At the beginning of September I decided to give one of the, many and varied, writing software programs a trial. I signed up and thought, yep in 30 days I will have an idea if I want to purchase it, or whether it is not for me. I had heard rave reviews and even though I ummed and ahhhed and debated, I decided to have a go. What could I lose? I had, after my 'success' with finishing the Shillong edit in August, decided that I would give another manuscript a go in September. And that the software program would aid in this rejiggery. However.... Five days in and I knew it wasn't for me. Not at the moment at least. Mainly because I am not a planner. I tend to have an idea, I may nut it out a bit here and there (mostly in my brain, not on paper) and then I go for it. Now this could be a reason why so little actually gets done...but this, as I have discovered and now had reinforced, is how I write. I began well....that was after watching the tutorial. Just one, ther

I recently went to a workshop on the verse novel by poet/ author Lisa Jacobson . Lisa was a great teacher, inspired and passionate about poetry. Eager to support us into 'having a go'. Now the verse novel is something I have read, read quite a few actually over the years, and enjoy. I even attempted one quite a while ago---I am a bit of a dabbler (aka will give most things a go). I always enjoy a workshop, no matter what genre or form, because I always take something away. Sometimes new information, sometimes a reinforcement of what I know but need to hear again...but I always leave  ready to write and with a few new ideas floating around. One of the first verse novels I read was Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust    which I loved. It made me want more. Since then I've read Dorothy Porter and Steven Herrick, Catherine Bateson and Libby Hathorn, Margaret Wild and David Levithan- mostly YA or children's I must admit but I am beginning to read more widely.  I

Recently saw the Bowie exhibition at ACMI in the city. What can I say....it was amazing! I am a Bowie fan but who isn't....and it was great to see so much of his personal collection. Letters and notes, lyrics and stage ideas, costumes and shoes, movie clips, video clips....all revealing his rise as Bowie from the early days. Even a mention of one of my favourite early songs, 1967 T he laughing gnome  . And while I admit to being a huge fan, it is his creativity that really inspires. He was not afraid to try anything, and I do mean anything. I also think it was his early dabblings in mime and the theatre that make him such a great entertainer. I was lucky enough to see him perform twice, in 1987 the Glass Spider Tour and then 2004 his Reality Tour. Great shows full of showmanship and theatre, as well as fantastic music and performances. It is a dying art- a performer entertaining. Listening to one of his early interviews when he talked about whether it would be e

It was Father's Day recently and along with the 'hello how are you phone call' and chat to my dad, and our children coming up to spend the day with their father...it always brings to mind what are my strongest childhood memories of my dad. Fishing...digging for worms and teaching us how to bait a hook because he wasn't going to do all of our lines! Gardening...both my parents were keen gardeners and my sister and I have both got the bug. And then there was reading. We had this huge book of Fairy Tales..not your pretty and dainty tales, these were the original Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson tales full of witches and dark tormented forests and slicing feet to fit into slippers. Still remember the Tinderbox and the dog with eyes as big as saucers.... Dad would read to us. We loved to snuggle up, all of us either on a bed in the girls room or a bed in the boys room...listening to these tales. Then the scurry back to bed (probably before the witch got us)....but

Wish I could say cleaning my desk, or even my bookshelves...or even having the most clean and neat and tidy as a pin house....unfortunately fail. So what worked? Having a deadline. Easy you say...you have a deadline, you meet it. Nothing to sing and dance, or write a blog post about. However I am the Queen of Procrastination (would wear my crown if I could find it amongst all this other much needed stuff)...therefore I have seen so many deadlines sail by into the sunset with a tender wave of farewell. This time, however, it worked! I gave myself all of August to read, rewrite, edit and tweak my India piece. I finished it...not only reworking but adding another 8000 words to it. Now I'm not saying it is totally finished, ready to send off in all its glory. I don't like the ending and the beginning needs work...so two pieces to polish, especially the beginning as that will set the pace and will be all the editor / publisher sees to make an opinion on. But I feel so