Storytime

Last weekend I saw the production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Wow....yes, I'll start with wow and move on from there. I've always been a big fan of musicals (perhaps growing up and listening to my parents recordings of Camelot and Oliver)- and JCS is one of my favourites (up there with Cabaret, Rocky Horror Picture Show and Sweet Charity). I think there is something about the under dog. It is astounding to think that JCS was first shown on Broadway in 1971. Over forty years ago, yet the music and the lyrics are still resonating with so many of us. I have never written lyrics or music or any combination of the two. No, that's not strictly true. I do 'adapt' rhymes and children's songs for Storytimes. Simple work to turn Incy Wincy Spider into Rolly Polly Snowman---but that is as far as I go...or dare to venture. The world of music is foreign to me. Yet it is surely another form of writing. I honestly have no idea how it is created. Whether you start ...

Another year, another writing retreat. And yes this time, once again I did little writing. (I have the first rough draft of a short story, edited a friend's children's story and a series of my own poems...but as far as retreats go, not a lot of actual written work).  Also this year I did not go for the walks I usually do, put that down to a bad cold and the fact I wanted to stay warm. So what exactly did I do for those nearly three days? I enjoyed the support and company and encouragement of my likeminded peers. It is amazing how much 'writing' stuff you can talk about in a weekend. Everything from publishers and what to send where, talk of actually getting down to write and then there was the brainstorming.  Can I say I love the brainstorming....seeing something that has begun as a germ of an idea, flourish, become something more, a real piece of work, then see it again and offer more feedback on how it could be something truly wonderful. That i...

I recently went to an event where they talked about the Book of the Year Shortlist 2013 for the Children's Book Council of Australia. Very interesting to hear what books were shortlisted, but also the how and why behind it all. There are 8 judges, one for each state and territory of Australia.  They judge the Older Reader (OR), Younger Readers (YR), Early Childhood (EC) and Picture Book (PB) categories. A panel of 4 judge the Eve Pownall Award for Information Books (EP). I must admit to not having read many of those shortlisted, however I have read many of the 'notables'. The notables are those that just missed out by usually one vote to be shortlisted. It made me wonder how much glory is placed in having a book that wins a prize. Yes there is an award, usually money to some extent...and of course publishers rush to put those little stickers on the covers of the books. So who does this award appeal to? Authors naturally. It must be a wonderful feeling to ha...

Recently I went to a Reading Matters Conference, held by the Centre for Youth Literature , Melbourne. The conference looke at many aspects of YA but basically it is all about how we get youth, teenagers and young adults to read. It was very inspiring, very intriguing and very thought provoking on many levels. Especially the session on Gender Less, with authors Libba Bray  , Myke Bartlett  and Fiona Wood.  This was a discussion on the sex of the protagonists in their books, whether they write from both female and male POV and much more but the question that intrigued me... was about boy books and girl books.   Not only are there definite boy and girl books, you can not deny it, but even the books that don't have a strong gender slant- as in no full teenage romance of girl meets boy (who happens to NOT be a vampire, werewolf, angel, demon or some sort of fairy folk..sorry, rant over)- books that can and should be read by either sex...are l...

Or is it? How does the weather affect where and how your write? In the warmer weather do you sit outside under a tree, feel the sun on your limbs and happily write away....enjoying the bird call, the buzz of bees and the gentle sway as a summer breeze comes through? So what happens when it cools down? When the days are shorter, darker and so much colder? Do you hibernate away under layers of clothes, attempt to stay warm and hardly venture to pen and paper? I very rarely venture outside to write. Occasionally I could be found on the deck, perhaps under the umbrella, cold drink in my hand, pen and paper by my side. I was MEANT to write, but rarely did. There was always too much to enjoy, to see or even to do...I'm the kind of person that sees the weeds and knows the lawns have to be mowed yet again. So it is my writing desk that I sit at to write. (Perhaps though it would do me good to get outside, no matter the time or the season and see what happens when taken out of my k...

Last Saturday I went to one of the Autumn Authors  events run by the Dandenong Ranges. This was advertised as Emilie Zoey Baker and friends and being a big fan of Emilie's  decided it was time for another dose of inspiration. And inspirational it was. With Angie Hart, from Frente, and the Body Poet , Sabrina D'Angelo, Emilie gave the audience a great afternoon of poetry, song and...can I say mime? It was my first experience with the Body Poet, and it was amazing. Not only her ability to make us laugh, in fact one fellow was laughing so much that it was almost more entertaining to watch him instead of the show, almost....but what I loved was her ability to express herself. Without words. Yes she has a talent, and a face that has an almost rubber like consistency to express any emotion....she also knows how to work the audience. All three performers had that ability and it was great to see.  Working a room is an artform in itself...and unfortunately a lot of pe...

I never really prepared for motherhood. Didn't read any books before hand, read none during or even after. It could have been plain ignorance, self belief that we would do it...or that I was just young. Whatever the case, there I was, four weeks before my twenty first birthday with a baby. I never thought to count his fingers and toes---I think part of me knew someone would tell me if something was wrong. I remember looking down at him, seeing how perfect he was. It felt so surreal...to be holding this small piece of humanity that we had created. We took him home, placed him in the cane basket on the floor in our room...then wondered what on earth do we do next? We muddled along, became used to the nappy changes, the feeding, listening for the -I-want-to-be-held cries. At that stage I had two main fears, not to stab him with a nappy pin (and yes both my children had cloth nappies- disposables were for 'special occasions)- and to bathe him without dropping him back in ...