Storytime

Last weekend (when I wasn't working) I went to 'From Text to Texture' a great workshop run by Writer's Victoria for the Casey Writers Project over at Bunjil Place. This was a great day, spent with like minded folks, most of us with the same trials and tribulations of wrangling a piece of work into some sort of sanity, the workshop led by Toni Jordan. Toni was inspiring and enthusiastic. We looked at character and how to use minimal dialogue tags. We talked about adverbs (the devil's own in Toni's opinion) and setting. We were given writing exercises - which for some is so easy....others find it very daunting to write cold, without research and data at your side. I came away with some new insight, and eager to get back into the WIP. One thing that really got me thinking was when Toni said 'why does your scene have to be set here?' She made us think about our settings we have chosen. Are they vital to the story, move it on, do they add detai...

During the school holidays, amongst the balloons and bubbles, the puppet storytime and wrapping kids up as mummies...I ran a black out poetry workshop. My first. It was such fun and it left me amazed at how imaginative and creative kids can be. A very excited group arrived, and interestingly none of them had created black out poetry before. A few had written poetry and one little girl (our ages were 9 plus) had quickly written a poem that morning as she thought that would be needed. I quickly gave an explanation, and showed them examples. We talked of finding an anchor...that one word that would be your starting point. And how to then scour the page for words that could be tied in. We worked on an example on the board...showing how words can be in the same wavelength. LOVE ---They offered up chocolate, boys, friends, kiss, coffee, family, dog etc Or how words can be opposite and create something interesting---they gave me denial, hate, pain, hurt. ...

Last weekend I had the great opportunity to attend a workshop with Kate Cuthbert from Escape Publishing.  She was a great speaker, full of information and eager to share her knowledge. She got us thinking about our works in progress, and then she made us write about our characters. Now, at the moment, I'm working away on my novel. I'm on second draft but have just done a major time shift, and rejigged scenes etc but after this workshop I realised I know nothing about my characters. Paper cutouts...shadowy figures that do what I want them to do. (Mind you, every now and then, one or more of them do tend to go a bit wild and apparently do whatever they please). The more exercises we did, the more I came to realise, how much more work I need to do on my characters. Not necessarily for what they do in the book, but for what they do out of the book. Interestingly I thought I knew my characters...but when Kate asked some in-depth questions, not necessarily to...

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 ...

Last Wednesday I went to a workshop with Jon Bauer at the Victorian Writers Centre . It was dealing with, as the title suggests, getting out of your own way. In other words what is stopping you from doing the writing you want to do. It was a good workshop, full of common sense and practical advice. As I made my way home (quick mention of train problems and that it took me three hours to arrive -very late- and then two hours to get home) I thought of what is stopping me from getting the work done. It is easy isn't it...you have a rabble of words, you put them down in some sort of order and heh presto, you have written something. Even if it is on the fridge door. So the theory is basic. Put pen to paper, fingers to keyboard and get to work. But there is the crux...why aren't I working? Is it too many options. I could write or hang out the washing, write or weed the garden, write or go for a walk.... In other words, procrastination - which frankly I'm damned go...

Yep another Christmas has been (and gone)....Boxing day today and I'm off to visit my sister (and nieces and nephews)  in the countryside....I'll return just before work on New Years Eve.  Just in time to get ready for the new year which of course leads one to thinking what on earth happened to this one? In one way I did  a lot....hell of a lot----went to Tasmania for last years Christmas present (hubby and I retraced the first days of our honeymoon over 30 years ago) - have to go back as I so want to do some walking.... We holidayed in Vanuatu which was stunning and surreal and wonderful - a lot of personal firsts for me on that trip---snorkelling, allowing huge mother of a spider to walk on my hand, to stand on the edge of an active volcano.... We even managed to get some stuff done around the house...wardrobes refitted, bookcases stained,  new lighting, blinds for the lounge and dining rooms, new car and lots and lots of trees cut down and g...

Writing. Well that's the idea. I have Wednesdays off ( If I say no to extra work and don't go in for training or meetings) so it is ideal to have this day dedicated to writing. And in theory it works well. In the morning I work on the blog, send it off into the ether- I then do tend to go out for an hour to do all those errands (my electric beater died last week mid burr and there is a child's birthday coming up this weekend and I'm working so ....). But I do return and head for the computer. List at the ready (my list of what to work on - dead lines to meet etc) and I begin...only to find myself... talking to Tigger (who so gets me I'm sure) or else... feeding those that drop in. I return to my desk, begin work on that poem I'm struggling with, or the short story to edit. Again. But my mind drifts....there is a load of washing to do (and the washing machine is thumping away as I type) but more importantly it is a beautiful day and the garden is ca...

I belong to a writing group, The Lazy River Writers (named after the restaurant/bar we first met not after our work habits!) and this year marks our tenth anniversary. Tenth I believe is tin- malleable yet with a strength that deceives. Fitting for the group. We began as a collection of strangers, brought together via a writing workshop run at Belgrave library. The tutor suggested that since we worked well as a group, we should keep meeting once a month. And so we have. Members have left, new ones arrived, some have left for a duration then returned. My husband often asks why a writing group? The answer is quite complex. Firstly it's for the support and understanding. All members of the LRW can relate to a month of rejections, even the nice ones. They understand the frustration when the words in our head don't magically appear on the page. They know there are the months when life intrudes and nothing gets written, those months when the best plans are tossed aside, or ...

Last Saturday I went to a workshop run by the Lazy River Writer s (my writing group). Each year we choose a different topic, genre and presenter for our workshop and this year it was poetry and poet Peter Bakowski. Peter ran a great workshop. Not only did he offer up so much information (that applied to all aspects of writing, not just poetry) he gave us the opportunity to write and generously commented on each persons attempts. Writing like this in a different location, with a group of people, some known some not, is not an easy task but I was impressed with what people had accomplished in such a short piece of time. Even those that classify themselves as non-poets wrote and shared with the group. I find workshops are a wonderful kick up the butt. They inspire, they motivate and they validate some things that quite often  I do know deep inside. Not only am I working on one of the poems I wrote during this workshop but I took home, for me, two very important ideas. First...