Writer
When I finished my first draft, two weeks ago, I thought I'd jump straight in and start an editing re-write. Well, I did do that and it was not a good idea. I started getting sucked into a familiar black hole of sadness and I was overwhelmed. I'm condensing some pieces for competition, so I … Continue reading Japan Break
I have somehow wrestled 70,000 words into some form of order and cohesion to tell my story. It's still not finished, but I am edging ever closer. I'm looking forward to getting the draft manuscript printed and with binding, so I can see it as a physical whole, rather than a document on the laptop. … Continue reading Finishing the Book
Last year was a very good year for me. I finally found what I want to be when I grow up. It's been an arduous search. I'm 51 years old. Spending my year writing has been life-changing, and it's definitely what I want to continue doing. At the beginning of last year, I really had … Continue reading My Year of Writing: in Retrospect
I was in Sydney a few weeks ago for the launch of The Anthology: Non-Fiction Faber Writing Academy at Allen & Unwin. That's a mouthful. The Faber Writing Academy, which I attended earlier this year, publishes an anthology of students work, to send to publishers and agents in the UK and Australia. As contributors we … Continue reading When Things Go Write
I really love libraries. I love the State Library of Victoria; it's my happy place. I also love my local library, Belgrave Library. They host my writing group, Mountain Ash Chapter, every month, and look after us so well. I love the other libraries in my local area, the Eastern Regional Libraries. I often visit … Continue reading Local Library Love
I had an epiphany today. A real, bolt-from-the-blue, body tingling, mind-expanding epiphany. And it was good! Really good. I was listening to Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic on Audible. Elizabeth wrote Eat, Pray, Love back in 2007. A book which incited in me an inspiration for adventure which hasn’t really dissipated in the fifteen years … Continue reading Big Magic
Just moments ago I heard on the news that a person in Antarctica had stabbed a co-worker for spoiling the ending of a book he was reading. The news story was about workplace stress. But I was more interested in the obvious investment the stabber had in his reading material. I wonder what book it … Continue reading Raising The Stakes
With the upcoming referendum in Australia regarding the Voice to Parliament, I have been thinking a lot about voices. Although the polls suggest it is unlikely to pass, I can’t imagine why anyone would vote for someone else’s voice to continue to be unrepresented and unheard. Growing up in Australia I heard few indigenous voices. … Continue reading But What If No-one Listens
I grew up near Readings Bookshop in Hawthorn. Receiving a Readings voucher was by far my favourite gift to receive. I would wander the shop, reading blurbs, and take forever to make a decision about how to spend my cherished book money. I have many wonderful memories of Readings, but by far the most vivid … Continue reading American Psycho
Indulge me, if you will... Imagine I am a school librarian, in Des Moines, Iowa. I am slowly walking through the stacks, removing titles as I go. The Kite Runner, The Handmaid's Tale, Brave New World, The Colour Purple. You may picture me in a pencil skirt, with a fitted jacket, my hair in a … Continue reading The Rise of Banned Books
