Tag-Archive for » writing «

Write on Wednesday – I remember…

22
Jun 2011
By

Inspired by the beautiful words I have been reading as part of this challenge, I have decided to make the leap myself. Check out Write on Wednesday’s other bloggers here at inkpaperpen.

Write On Wednesdays

 

I remember her smile. Lipstick red when she was going out – shopping or to the club to play cards with her ladies. She was a good card player. The Major from Fawlty Towers was right. I remember sitting opposite her at the dining table, each of us playing patience. She stuck her tongue out a little bit when she concentrated. We all do that. Dad, then me and now the boy. Funny how it goes.

I remember her fingernails. Long. Manicured. Red or pink polish. She taught me to do them for her when the Parkinson’s became too much. One stripe of colour to the middle then one to each side. “Just three times, like so.”

I remember her voice – her almost perfect English. Not Strine. She was a Dame. Dahm-eh. The German kind. A lady. But I reckon she was a dame too. A classy dame. Well mannered. Brought up right, but with a sense of fun that suited this country that she called home. More Aussie than German in the long run.

I remember how her eyes danced when ever we walked into her house. How she clung to us on arrival, with calls of “Bussi’ge’m! Bussi’ge’m!” Give me a kiss. Even if we’d seen her last week or on the weekend or just yesterday. She smothered us in love. We’d push her away laughing. Enough! Enough! Secure that we were her favourites. Her everything. She spoiled us with food, with gifts and always always with love.

I remember my Oma.

Category: Thinking with my Heart  5 Comments  Tags: , , ,

Aussie Bloggers Conference 2011

21
Mar 2011
By

As many of you know, I attended the inaugural Aussie Bloggers Conference in Sydney last weekend. There have been so many posts about how it all went from so many different bloggers, but they have all been overwhelmingly positive and any criticism has been constructive and is making me look forward to the next installment.

The live blog readings in Crowdsourced Keynotes were excellent examples of how blogging is “real writing”, because I know sometimes it is easy to feel like it is not. A theme which Jodie Ansted  explored in her own reading (found here at her blog, Mummy Mayhem). It was wonderful to see the Sydney Writers’ Centre there backing up the quality of the words that can be found in the online spaces. Their Best Australian Blog competition was launched yesterday, and I would not be surprised to see many of the conference contributors and attendees up for nods.

On a personal note for me, the conference made me want to write more. The amazing personal stories told in the My Blog, My Story session showed me that personal blogging can be raw, inspirational and uplifting; an amazing way to reach out to a community of like-minded people.

I don’t know at the moment what community I most feel a part of when it comes to blogging. So far I have been enjoying a dip in and out approach to other blogs and my own efforts have been somewhat half-hearted, so I didn’t have that full-blown OHEMGEEIT’SYOU moment that I witnessed over and overat the conference. As an onlooker, there was something really beautiful about seeing lots of small groups of people who had supported eachother across the miles finally having the opportunity for real rather than virtual hugs.

However it was definitely a delight to meet so many twitter pals for the first time. Seems we Newcastle tweeps are envied for our regular and varied “tweet ups” around town. And of course I had my old mate Susan at Reading Upside Down to keep me company. I wont be at all offended that many more people recognised her than me. I’ll just tell myself it because I am indie and she is mainstream – and we all know which is cooler. ;)

Here we are all quivering with anticipation on the train ride down on Friday:

I’d also post the After Photo that we took on the way home, but lets just say that, after two mostly sleepless nights, a little too much gin and champagne on board, and schlepping through a rainy Sydney day with suitcases and swag bags in tow, it might be best if I spared you that image.

 

 

Category: Deep Thinks  17 Comments  Tags:

Does your Muse keep regular business hours?

11
Oct 2009
By

One of the more challenging aspects of being a writer is the need to be creative on demand. It isn’t always possible to simply write when the mood strikes, especially if an important deadline is looming.

Of course it is easier to write when your muse is in the mood. Unfortunately, my muse is of a particularly quirky disposition. I seem to be at my most creative between 5 – 7 pm (when I am trying to organise dinner and bedtime routines) and after 11pm at night (when the rest of my body is shifting into shut-down mode for the day).

Inspiration often strikes while I’m in the shower but my poor sleep deprived brain is incapable of holding on to the ideas long enough for me to get to a notepad to write them down. A friend once suggested that I use a chinagraph pencil on the tiles, but that would mean more time spent cleaning the bathroom, right? Obviously that’s not going to happen.

I also tend to get quite creative when Meredith is occupied for a few days and can’t get to her computer, leaving me with complete control of our writing domain. This may explain why she rarely goes away for family holidays, as the insane number of emails from me she has waiting in her inbox when she returns scares her a little, I think.

What about you? Do you have a regular time of day when you’re all fired up and ready to write? Is your muse a free spirit like mine (that sounds so much nicer than headstrong and unmanageable) or does your creativity submit to a writing routine? If you’ve managed to achieve the latter, please feel free to share your tips and advice on how to train your muse to perform on demand.

Category: Thinking with my Heart  4 Comments  Tags: , , ,