Storytime

Off for a few days to my sister's and her family. It's a time to rewind and relax. I have no phone reception up there and no internet or wifi. (Unless I want to walk up the hill behind their house or head into Omeo) It's a time for lots of chats and catching up. A little bit of reading ...but I do get a lot of thinking done. It's time out, out of the norm. Away from home. Away from work.... Time to think about the year that has gone...we'll have a drink or two to Dad...and to think about the year ahead. Vicki 

This may seem quite sexist but I fear it's true...women, especially mothers, always put everyone else first.  Especially their children. We will do virtually anything for them (..no matter their age) and regularly go without so they can have. Who remembers dishing up dinner, to find one extra child at home and then taking some off your plate so that child had a full meal? We've all done it. Time after time. And we don't begrudge it. We simply, and automatically, do it. It's like making promises. We keep them (well the majority of us). Yes I will do that, yes I'll help then, yes I'll meet you there, yes yes yes. A promise to a friend or family member is something we can't and won't break. We live up to them. So why is it so easy to break promises we make to ourselves? Tomorrow I'll go to the early gym class....I'll start that art's diploma....I'll start searching for a new job....I'll start on that novel. Yet these are ...

I have so many bad habits. Some I won't admit to (smirk) but others...oh dear....I'm afraid I'm the sort of person who, when they buy a packet of mixed fruit...eat all those fake cherries. Every last one. And they are not even real...merely fake sugary impersonators. I also am not the healthiest eater in the world. Most who know me well, know about me and vegetables. (sad story but true) I, alas, also have a sweet tooth. A very sweet tooth, which combined with my love of baking leads to trouble. I am also so very easily distracted. Sunny day...time to garden. Windy day...time to garden. Cold and grey day...you get the idea. I tell myself that gardening is very good exercise..that it brings us one with nature. That it is good for body and soul. And indeed it is...it's also a great tool to use when I SHOULD be doing something else. I also enjoy my crafting, and when I get into it, I don't stop. Too eager to see the end result. Now, n...

Or is it? I recently had the Christmas breakup for my writing group. It was a chance for some good food, great company and a look back over the year for us all. Had we reached those goals we set in January? Had we flown by the seat of our pants and achieved others? Had life thumped us in the gut and left us too stunned to do much but place one foot in front of the other? So with a sigh, it was a time to relax. Our next meeting isn't till the end of January. That is nearly 12 weeks away. 12 weeks to do nothing! Sit back and relax. Or maybe it's time to head to the beach with some family... Or perhaps it's time to catch up on some reading. Time to get out into the garden (when the heat allows)....frankly it needs it! Or is it time to spend with my nearest and dearest. It is the festive season after all. Time to spend with this young lady.... or perhaps this one... But then 12 weeks is a LOOOONG time.  84 days. Think what can be done in...

I recently attended a free writing workshop with P.D. Martin. This was part of the Casey Writers Project (Narre Warren) supported by the City of Casey and presented in association with Casey Cardinia Libraries. Have to love a writers workshop that is free! Well done all involved. This was only a small part of the workshops offered, and alas due to work and other commitments the morning session on Plotting and Structure was all that I could attend. However, even in those few hours, I had a lot to think about. I love structure....and know this requires planning...however I tend not to do either. I am always drawn to gardens that look like this. Hard landscape, strict structure and lots of forethought and careful planning. My own garden always looks like this... An untidy ramble (although this is a bit of an old photo, some things have changed). I was...notice the past tense....of the persuasion of 'oh I love that, let's put it here' and 'I nee...

A few months ago I led a Memoir Writing workshop. It was during seniors week so the majority of attendees wanted to write their life stories.  Some wanted to share their childhoods, whether it was on an isolated farm or in another country. Some wanted to share snippets of their lives such as a two year work exchange program...just imagine walking into someone else's house and living there as if it were your own. And as we talked about these ideas, and wrote and workshopped I kept bringing up the idea that no matter what you were writing there should be a theme. An underlying idea behind the memoir...or any type of writing really. There should be something that ties the piece together. Gradually people began to understand and were soon offering up some ideas as to what others could use as this 'tie' for their piece of work. On the weekend I attended a beautiful country wedding. (My niece's and she looked stunning!) Just look at that backdrop...OMG.....what...

Last night I attended, with several of my writing buddies,  the CBCA 2018 Night of Our Stars at Lamont Books in Hallam. It was an interesting night. Celebrating some of our Victorian authors and illustrators, both those who write and illustrate for picture books and junior novels, as well as middle grade and young adult. The idea behind it is to showcase the various authors and illustrators, to share their recently published books but also as a way for the audience (majority teacher librarians, teachers and librarians) to see who they would like to book for their school or library for future events. Author visits or workshops. It was a good mix of some great Victorian authors and illustrators. What was very interesting was that each guest was given three minutes- yes THREE MINUTES- for their spiel. To talk about their current books, their just published books, how they wrote, what gave them the idea for the story, how they worked around problems that arose......

I just spent a long weekend away with several of my writing buddies. Not everyone in my writing group could attend or attend for the whole time away...one recovering from surgery and unable to drive herself came for an hour (chauffeured by lovely hubby)....another came for one day and one night....another unable to attend due to sudden illness gave her place to a fellow scribe...but it was just what I needed. It was a lovely old house with a great shabby chic style inside.  Wooden floorboards that dipped and bowed, twinkling chandeliers and white washed walls. and lovely bedrooms. I arrived first and managed to nab this lovely room for myself.. Writing retreats gives us a chance to escape the everyday demands and focus on one thing. Writing. That doesn't mean that we don't do other things...most days there is at least one walk. Some great meals and chances to chat.  But we knew this time was precious and made the most of ...