Happy Ever After

The air rippled in a tiny square and the most unlikely people walked forward into the space, both dressed out of context with their surroundings. Yolanda was adorned in a beautiful orange organza dress that reached down to her ankles, her feet in leather sandals, and her flaming red hair was loose in the fashion of an unmarried maiden. 

Merry Christmas everyone. Hope you all got to your destinations, and were able to spend quality time with your family, and friends.

On the eve of travelling north to spend Christmas with my family in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia.

Remember when we discussed making it a habit of writing 500 words per day for seven days culminating with 3500 words at the end of the week. We decided that this exercise would not be re-read or edited in that week, it was pure writing. 

The sign read ‘The Show of Evil’. It had been on every lamp post as Jeff walked home from school, and now there was one on the post outside his house.

Previously in 'Queen Victoria' I talked about my Canada/Alaska trip in 2019.

There was so many facets of this wonderful trip, that I'm going to share our first adventure with you. 

What You Know

When I conduct Creative Writing Workshops I never use the phrase

'write what you know.' 

Believe me when facing 10-15 students the last thing they want to hear is 'write what you know.' 

Ripples

Skin blisters under the sun, lips swell to twice their size. He can see every ripple as the waves come ever closer.

Grow Your Own

Today's topic is about growing your own. What does this have to do with travel you might think... well it has everything to do with travel.

Because if you can't physically travel to far flung places, we can at least travel through cuisine. 

Digging Your Plot

Not a plot... The Plot is not just simply what happens in a work of fiction. It is an understanding between you and your characters of how events will play out. 

The Plot comes in many disguises. 

The Simple Truth

Janis Joplin 

Janis Joplin stares down from over the fire place as Rita wakes in a narcotic fog that could close an airport. She pushes herself back up onto the lounge using the coffee table as a lever, her hand upends the cereal bowl, and it skittles across the floor, settling itself against pillows, plates, books and other floorboard debris.

Here we are again. Travelling in Australia.
In May 2018 I took a sabbatical to Uluru. It's a trip I'd always wanted to make. 

The desert is a mesmerising place, the red soil/sand, the landscape, a sight to be seen, and it stretches for miles. 

Characters - Good or Bad we need them

 

When most people talk about character they mean the subtle inherent differences between us all, the good, the bad, the caring, and our personality traits.

 

Slip of the Tongue

 The studio door crashes back against the wall and standing in front of her is enthusiasm incarnate.
      Jackson’s, eyes crinkle in all the right places, and his tanned masculine body stands panting from his run up the stairs, his dark hair array, and a smile that could light the night sky.

Queen Victoria

I think I've mentioned this before, that I just love to travel, and in September 2019, I was very blessed to be have the opportunity to travel to Canada and Alaska. 

My journeying companions on this trip were a mixture of family and long time friends, there was seven of us, all from very different walks of life, opinions, and age groups.

Delicious Delectable Description

The last thing you want your Readers doing is skipping great tracks of your story because your ‘description’ is long and boring, and likewise, if you use description to pad out your word count, then it will be a foregone conclusion; your Readers, will get plenty of exercise, skipping pages.

 

The Last Egg

    Kira squats behind the bins in the alley, she pulls her head back as a cloud of flies rise up from the surrounding garbage. The smell penetrates her conciseness.  She’s never been in the Dead Zone, until a month ago, she didn’t even know it existed.  
In the Clean Zone where she lives its always  sterile, like a science lab, surprising herself, she realises the decay is welcoming, enfolding, in keeping with her mission, reminding her of the lies everyone in AI are living under.

Travelling in Australia

I've always loved travelling, and while I've travelled overseas, I've missed doing that of late, before Covid, my planned 2020 trip was time spent in Africa. Unfortunately, its back on the wish list, but not forgotten.

In saying world travel is fine... my own country Australia is a pretty schmick destination in anyone's book.

The beaches are stunning, the wildlife astounding. We have hinterland, bushland, rain forest, and deserts that stretch as far as the eye can see. 

It's Time

Hello Australia, as we rage towards the silly season I've had the thought the usual Christmas has not as yet taken place, not even started to pace itself out. 
The stores are...Empty.

A Sun Burnt Country

The sound of the ultralight buzzed like an angry Nat, skimming across the barren landscape like a bird of prey. 

Rick was now only 100 km from the east coast, all was dry or burnt, no rain had fallen for a few years, which meant no regrowth either. Although, he could see evidence of new fire storms, he really wondered what was left to burn.

Animal Photography

I’ve been taking photographs since my Pop gave me a little Kodak Instamatic for Christmas when I was 12 years old. The model that had the little cubes on top for the disposable flash.

One of my fav photography subjects is animals and birds. Both can be hard to capture due to the nature of their environment.

The Novel Begins

Motivation is one of the biggest killers to a good writing schedule. If you listen to the greats there is no tried and true way of keeping the flow going. Some authors write in the mornings, some in the afternoons, and then there’s the night owls that write all night. 

Alone

Gens stares at the com screen, and it looks back like an incriminating eye, the empty halls leading to other pods were telling a disquieting tale.  It has been weeks since she’s left her own pod, nothing unusual, her chair didn’t maneuver well over the floor grids.

      There really is no reason to leave, she has an abundance of fruits and vegetables from her greenhouse attached to her pod, but now, she is running low on protein capsules, and usually Lando brought them, but he’s not answering his intercom.

Where We Work

How many of us still have a real job, the job that pays for all our dreams and goals. 

Well I'm no exception. 

As a part of the Mid North Coast Financial Counselling Service I have the wonderful pleasure of working in Macksville, NSW, two days per week. 

The Nambucca Valley is just beautiful, sparking rivers, and stunning hinterland. The 2019 bushfires have taken their toll, but the regrowth is amazing in the South Arm area.

Financial Counselling has been my occupation for the last 11 years. Its a position, that has brought me to tears, and shouts of joy, when a plan comes together.

Writing in 2020

 

Here we find ourselves in November 2020, with Christmas just round the corner, and my novel is still waiting unfinished.

At present my mojo needs a good kick start, an electrical current to head out onto the writing highway. You may think I’m being a bit too hard on myself, considering I’ve completed two AWA courses Blogging for Beginners and How to Get More Blog Readers.

Let’s take a closer look.  Am I being too hard on myself?  Not at all, because while I’ve completed the above courses, they are in reality, exercises in procrastination.  

My voice is quite clear in my ears, 'Once I finish these courses, then I’ll have more time to write.'

Sharing My Work

I though I'd make Fridays a great day to share work.  Yours and Mine.

Writing pieces can be any genre, part of a larger work, fast fiction, or poetry. 

The only thing I ask is that we keep the the piece to 500 words. 

A limit of 500 words makes the reading manageable, we all have busy lives. 

I'll kick start the process with a short piece I wrote recently for Nambucca Valley Writer's Group. 

I would suggest any budding or experienced writer join a writers group. Its simply wonderful to meet with like minded people to share your ideas, and to hone writing skills. 

I've been a member of NVWG for over 10 years off and on as life dictated. I love these people, they have a very special place in how I interact with myself and others. 

Anyhow, I digress. Something  I do on a regular basis, bear with me 😎

Early Morning Walks

 How lucky am I. Truly blessed.

This is the view on my door step, well a 5 minute drive. Early morning walks are my fav. 

Just thought I'd share the experience with you all. 

Enriching Character

How is everyone coping with isolation, regarding the Rona crisis.

I’d love to say I’ve used this precious time to write my novel, but… I can’t. I have written things, though, and taken part in Zoom meetings, talked with family, keeping in touch, and working from home.

Yes, I can see your heads shaking, at all the procrastination, but it hasn’t been in vain, and while my hands have been otherwise engaged, my brain has been thinking of characters, plots, and short story writing.

My television has hummed and warmed itself, to life, after a four-year drought of blankness. I’ve serial binged more shows than I thought possible on Netflix, studying new things, and observing how movie characters develop, and work within visual plots.

And, I’ve come to the conclusion, we need to instil our characters with memorable phrases, and traits. Depending on your genre of course—you don’t want your detective giggling over the dead body, but then again, a nervous reaction to death, a coroner’s assistant, a nervous Watson, to a brilliant medical Holmes.

I always equate Stephen King's Delores Clairborne with ‘dust bunnies’ when in fact it was her employer Vera, in her demented fear, who coined the phrase, and so, too have I equated ‘dust bunnies’ in my own life, when fearful situations arise.