Storytime

Over the past few months I've been spending a lot of time with my grandson. In fact I have had the fun  privilege of looking after him on a Friday while Mum and Dad both work. It is a time of discovery for both of us. When is nap time...if there is a nap time...how to catch a half naked baby who doesn't want his clothes on...what food does he like....what food does he like to wear...what song will he snuggle to in hopes of nap etc. Huge learning curve for both of us. And he is at a great age. Just turned one and it has been fascinating watching him make discovery after discovery. He likes to switch switches, turn knobs, take down books, tear pages, push open doors, open cupboards. Push chairs, climb bookcases, remove DVD's, pull leaves, destroy flowers, play in dirt. It has been great to see him try to work things out. How do I make this bead move? How far can I push this table? Can I pat the cat? What will it feel like? If I can pat it, c...

Book Week is not only a great excuse to dress up (working in youth services in a public library) it also opens up a great chance for some wonderful discussions. What is your favourite book? What was your favourite book as a child? Do you have a favourite author? A book you reread over and over again? Dressing up means we get some great feedback. From 'WOW you look great' to 'what on earth are you meant to be?' and 'Is there something special going on?" This year I encouraged my Storytimers to dress up and the majority made the most of it. It was great to see superheroes such as Spiderman, Batman and Captain America...we had four Elsa's from Frozen and a few Disney princesses...a witch, Princess Leia, a 'cool' kid and assorted warriors.... and I was one of four unicorns. Love it when the crew at work throw themselves into it. At Storytime we discussed the CBCA Book Week. We talked about how impossible  difficult it would be to be a...

I've had voices in my head for the past week. Not THOSE kind of voices but I've had the inkling of a story going round and round. Just a wisp of an idea, no real theme or plot but I could hear the voice of the narrator. So of course I did nothing and waited for the story to crystallise. Nothing happened. I did my usual tactic when this happens. I headed out to the garden. Surely a quick walk around between showers, in the cold cold winds will jog the old brain. Unfortunately, I got to admire the jonquils and the first of the daffodils but nothing came. There was no great insight. No AHA..that's what's the story all about.  I worked on something else (the dreaded novel WIP). All the time this voice kept harking away. So I began to question who was this woman? Who was she speaking to? And why did I keep seeing this family next door? What did they have to do with the story? Is this a story at all? Well of course, after so many days with the question...

I am a reader, always have been. I read for pleasure and enjoyment. In fact it's part of my nightly ritual, to read in bed before I go to sleep. Sometimes tiredness overrules and the book is put down after half an hour, other times and I'm reading and reading until I realise it is a silly hour in the morning and I have to get up soon. I always have a stack of books by the bed. In fact I begin to worry when I'm down to reading my last book. Small case of abibliophobia- the fear of running out of reading material. Which frankly, would never happen, as there are bookcases full of books in this house...but...the worry persists. Over time I have noticed I have changed the way I read. Now I read as a writer. I'm pulled out of the story with inconsistent details. I'm annoyed by sloppy writing. Frustrated by bad dialogue. I listen to audio books in the car on my way to work and back. I've found that mysteries/ thrillers/ crime stories keep my interest on the...

We had Miss Two (nearly Miss Three) here for the weekend and once again I was delighted by how much she loves books. Every night we read books in bed...and she had to have her special books with her in bed...just in case. It's a great example of 'monkey see, monkey do.' In the nicest possible way. Children are sponges, they listen to us, they watch us, and they learn through us. Loved it when she settled down with Pa, who was reading a car magazine, and she had to find her books to read with him. Another time, when her Aunty and baby cousin stayed the night, she found some books and read to them. But she not only read with us all. I spent hours in the garden and my 'helper' came out with me. I potted up some  pots, and found later she'd added leaves 'to make them pretty.' She picked me flowers, she stood on plants...she found monsters that we had to battle. She also wrote the most wonderful letter to her family... This letter...

Honestly I don't know what it is about deadlines but I miss so many of them. Writing ones that is. And...um....er...perhaps other ones. At the moment we have a LOT of birthdays coming up. Little Guggle turns 3..yes 3!....Leobear turns 1....and Little Miss turns 10...I repeat OMG! Where has the time gone. Thankfully I'm nearly there with the present department. Have Guggle's already (thankfully as her birthday is next week!)...have Little Miss's sorted as well...and have a bit of Leabear's. A bit I say, as I intend to make something and um...er....it is not finished. Now with other deadlines I'm fine. Leabear recently had a Christmas in July and in 9 days I had knitted the cutest reindeer jumper. Deadline met! But this other deadline..hmmmm...I may make it (don't hold me to it). The trouble is I get so easily distracted. There has been some amazing weather so of course I've spent weekends in the garden. I mean how could you not? ...

I just spent a glorious few days away with a writerly bunch of folks. My writing group and I headed off to Sorrento for a writing retreat. It was a very typical wintry few days. We had wild winds (branches down and lights flickering), rain, lots of rain, very cold, hail, and more rain. But there were moments when the rain settled to a drizzle or an almost stop and we ventured out. The writing retreat is never a straight forward - go to your corners and write. NOW! There is the settling in period, the which room is yours, what's for dinner, how have you been etc but then there are the discussions. About life in general, but more specifically the writerly life. We discuss our goals and aims for the year, we chat about works in progress. We read and reread our work. We edit, we discuss. Sometimes we do find a corner of the kitchen table or set up on a chair in another room and write. It's amazing the stillness that comes over the house then. It's an ...