Storytime

A few months ago I went off to the poetry event at Christmas Hills (a very good gig if anyone is heading out that way) and for the past few times I had given myself the challenge of memorising one of my poems to recite. I always admire poets that do this, simply recite without that piece of paper or book in their hand. And yes, it's not that easy, and often I'll stumble or misplace a word or two, even edit as I go along (thankfully if it's a new poem no one in the audience will ever know)...but the reaction is always good. Always positive and encouraging. But the last one I went to I was not feeling the best, was even hesitant about reading anything, was pushed (in a nice way) to read and had no poem to recite. So imagine how I felt when I stood up and someone said 'do you have a poem to recite for us' and when I said no.....  they said 'awwwwww but that's what we wanted.' I felt like I had not lived up to expectations. I had failed, not done w...

At the moment, I'd rather be doing anything else but write. And so I am...not writing that is. Oh I dabble, an attempt of a poem here, rejigging an idea there, but actual getting stuff done...it's not happening. I sometimes like to think 'if only I had more time'.  Well I do have time, unfortunately I tend to spend it doing anything else but put pen to paper. If for every photograph of a sunrise I took I wrote a short story.... Or every time I wandered in the garden snapping away at flowers and plants I spent the equal amount of time editing... or redrafting.... Imagine how much work would get done. But I don't. Sometimes I get the guilts...I have this free time and I SHOULD be at the computer, hard at the novel...instead I am... making tarts for the girls at work...(these limoncello tarts were delish by the way) or stuffed toys. Why exactly am I making toys? No babies in my life that would happily drool over them. I make the...

This is hard to say....very hard to say....but here goes..... my desk is a mess. There, it's said...in black and white...out there for others to know my shame. As you all know by now I am a list girl- and top of that list for the past umpteenth years has been DECLUTTER AND TIDY MY DESK. I do have visions of a desk area looking vaguely like this... Actually my desk could NEVER look anything like that- it's just not in my personality to be so minimal. But I aim to have at least a part of my desk visible under the piles of accumulated crap ...er I mean stuff. ...no I mean 'important' papers. I do clean up my desk area...occasionally. When the guilt becomes so thick that it strangles me...or when I can't find the computer. And it looks nice, for a day...two at the max...then somehow these tiny gremlins come out at night and ....heh presto...back to chaos. I will say now that this----points to picture above- is NOT my desk. However I feel that this i...

I've been thinking a lot lately about my writing...in particular my India travel piece. Of course that is what I hoped would happen after attending the travel writing master class with Claire Scobie....which is all good. Although one comment she made relates to making your book not merely a travel diary. So no- It's Tuesday morning, hot, bit breezy and today I travelled from A to B...there was a slight hiccup at C due to the train being late but it was quite a nice journey. She does suggest using physical descriptions of the people you meet on your way. Now I don't tend to describe my characters. There may be an allusion to an age or ethnicity...sometimes a mention of hair colour but Claire wants more. Bring these characters to life so the reader can meet them as well as go on the journey with you. I do so admire Raymond Chandler for his descriptions.... 'From 30 feet away she looked like a lot of class. From 10 feet away she looked like something mad...