Writer
One thing I'm learning about writing is you learn everything as you go. You become a writer by writing. When I began this project I had no idea about writing, drafting, editing, publishing, or what a structural edit may or may not be. Now, I'm in the middle of one and it's a big mess. … Continue reading What’s a Structural Edit?
My year of writing has been accompanied by a year of reading. I have always been an avid reader. As a school student, I was able to walk to and from the train station each day without looking up from the page. I could read in the car, even on winding roads, and on boats, … Continue reading My Year of Reading
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
Here we are again on my least favourite, quippy-acronym day of senseless tokenism. I mean, RUOK Day? We can't even spell it correctly. It might make it too real. A day of corporate yellowness and box ticking, self-congratulatory, fake altruism and empathy. Actually, in fairness, I must concede to the fact RUOK Day has raised … Continue reading Is it ok to not be ok?
Today, 31st August, is officially We Love Memoirs Day. Personally, I love memoirs everyday. In fact, I love all kinds of books, every day of the year. However, I do particularly love memoirs. Especially if I have recently read other books of fiction by the same author. It's fascinating to see the differences and similarities … Continue reading We Love Memoirs Day
