Old Blog

My Thoughts on Christmas

17/12/2017

It is Christmas time. A time of year when we wish for a peace throughout the world.

When I think about Christmas, I think about the origins of Christmas.

Christians celebrate the birth of Christ, but it was never solely a Christian celebration. Early Christians were darn good at disguising, so they used the cover of the Roman Saturnalia to hold their own celebrations. But the origins of Christmas goes back in pre-history to pre-pagan times with the celebration of the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.

There are many wonderful stories about happenings at Christmas. Stories like the Allied and Axis armies of World War 1 who called a ceasefire for the day and shared a meal, in the trenches... Of people reaching out to strangers in the midst of devastation... And families being reunited.

But not so nice and tragic happenings also occur on Christmas Day especially here in Australia. Christmas falls in the middle of Cyclone and Bushfire seasons. Cyclone Tracy swept in and demolished Darwin in 1974. New South Wales fought the Black Christmas Bushfires in 2001. Australians love their cars and water, but the road toll and drownings leave shattered lives, and hopes, and dreams. And families find themselves breaking apart by arguments.

To many people December 25 was just another day. William of Normandy aka William the Conqueror was crowned king of England (1066) and Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor (800). George Washington crossed the Delaware and defeated 1400 Hessians (1776). Prince-regent Hirohito becomes Emperor of Japan (1926). In 1989 the Romanian dictator, Ceausescu, was executed.

When I think of Christmas, I often think of other countries, cultures, and religions and wonder what they think of Christmas and what their equivalent is. I know some Christian sects celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany in January. I know Muslims recognises Jesus Christ as a Prophet, even if they don't celebrate Christmas as we do. (Perhaps they celebrate the birth of Muhammad? I don't know and I am not ashamed to admit ignorance. I like to think they do, and Buddhists celebrate the Buddha's birth and life in some way.)

So instead of wishing people a 'Merry Christmas' I am going to start wishing 'Seasons Blessings'.

New Year, New Resolutions, New Attitude.

7/1/2017

2017 has arrived, and with it comes resolutions that are forgotten by the time February comes.

Not this year. My 2017 resolutions are simple.

1. Positive Attitude. It is posted on my desk top. After a year fighting the blues, this is now my mantra.

2. Be more Selfish. Yes, I am going to be much more selfish with my time. No more will my wallet and I be open to demands of the family.

3. Be more Organised. Using my diary, I am allocating my time more efficiently and working in time to write, type, edit, and plan.

4. Stop procastinating. Making To Do Lists, in conjuction with the diary, and sticking to them.

To do all that I just have to lose a few hundred books, uninstall the solitaire games, tell my family where to go... Easy as pie,

Short Talk - Powerful Information

8/10/2016

I have just come from a short talk in a program my local Council sponsors for writers. The program is run through the Library network and is just one of a suite of programs the Council operates for writers and artists. This program has been running for the last 3 years and is set to continue next year.

I find these talks informative and attend as many as I can. I do this for several reasons.

I am always looking to improve myself as a writer.
I live by the credo: "Use it or lose it". In today's economic climate, when money is tight, the Arts are the first to suffer.
It is a form of networking.
By supporting other writers, I hope they will support me when the time comes.

This talk was on Beta Readers.

I have heard of beta readers and the role they often play in a writer's life. However, I was unsure what it meant, how to be a good one, and how to use one. This talk set me straight. I now have a better understanding of the beta reading process and relationship.

The presenter was Belinda Pollard of Small Blue Dog Publishing. Belinda has a wealth of knowledge and experience as an editor, writer, and indie publisher. If you get the chance to hear her talk please go. Her talks are no frills, but neither are they so scarce on information that you come away empty handed.

I am about to start putting her hints into action.

Yours in Writing
Lexcia

Musings on Past Writings

1/10/2016

I have heard many writers decry their early works. They say they have shoved them in a box under the bed never to see the light of day again.

I find this is a pity.

Those manuscripts are stepping stones in their writing journey. So they may not be as good as their manuscripts of today, but they are a measure of their development as a writer.

I am actually quite fond of my early characters. Some characters pop up in other manuscripts as supporting or walk on/walk off characters. So why should I bury them ignominiously?

So when I hit a dry patch, my daughter (Gotta love her. She keeps throwing things I told her years ago back to me.) told me to quit moaning and do some typing. So I am.

I am typing them up as is, warts and all. This is merely the first draft.

The plan is to then apply what I have learnt in the time since I wrote them to them in the second, third and fourth drafts. I will even update them. (It is interesting to see how little things really do change in fictitious worlds.)

Writer's Block you are dead in the water!

It's Been A While

7/2/2016

I know. I Know. How time gets away from you.

In the last eighteen months since my last blog a lot has happened. 2015 was my Annus Horribilis And that is all I am saying on the subject.

My New Year's Resolution (remember those?) is many fold. And yes, I know I am a month late. No, I'm not. Chinese New Year is here, and it is my year. I start a new cycle.

One New Year's Resolution is to be more disciplined in my writing. And that means:

Setting some hours and times for writing each day.
Culling the Diary AND using it more effectively.
Doing some plotting and character development.
Losing the E-reader, and the TV remote, and the Internet...

When I have that down pat, I will decide on the Next resolution.

I Hope your year is as good as mine

Writing Festivals, Conferences, Conventions, Whatever!

10/7/2014

What is the purpose of Writing Events? This question has been teasing me for some time now. IS there a difference between a workshop, masterclass, festival, Conference, Convention etc?
Answer: I don't know.

As a writer I have been attending writing events for a measly 3 years. Before that I :

Didn't know they existed until about 5 years before that
It took me several years to work up the courage to really take stock of them, my writing, and my life
I just simply could not afford them.
I did not know what value they would have

Now that I do know about them and have been to several I have come to realise:

VALUE: Yes there is a value to them and it is different to each of us, and different each time.
NETWORKING: The so called networking benefits are limited. Networking takes time and energy and requires participation on both sides. 'Send me/I'll send you an email' requires the action of someone sending the initial email and then the receiver of the email to respond.
LEARNING. I attend workshops that I think will be beneficial to me. I go to events with the intention of coming away having learnt something. Some times I have been reminded, had the memory jogged, of something that I learnt before but for one reason or another forgotten about. The day I say 'I've learnt nothing' is the day I will hang up my pen and paper.
COST/BENEFIT: Do the benefits outweigh the costs? The advertised cost of $X soon turns into a blowout when travel expenses, accommodation, and meals, are added. Then there is the cost of those additional master classes and workshops that are add-ons to the core festival costs. Finally, there are the purchases: the books, the souvenirs, the raffle tickets, etc.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Sometimes you have to wonder whose development. Yours, the developing writer, or the facilitators' and organisers'? How many of the facilitators did you hear of or know about before the event? True, you can not know every one, and many of them are very good and exceptional facilitators. Others are a sad disappointment and leave you wondering if they were really worth the time and energy let alone the money. When it all comes together it is a great success and a wonderful time. But how do you follow-up and convert what you learned? How does this workshop or that one develop you professionally?

The list can go on.

I started out to say I had a good time at the writing events I have attended and the benefits far outweighed the costs and disappointments. How wonderful they were, and the beautiful, interesting people I met. Then I got sidetracked. So instead of pondering the pros and cons just let me say, if you are prepared to pay the money then make the most of them, define your own win-win situation and ENJOY them.

Here's to Health

10/7/2014

Yes, the dreaded cold and flue season hit me hard this year. Two weeks, and four days off work, of the never ending runny nose, hacking cough, and throbbing head. Why do these things happen to me when I need to be in relative good health and peak mental condition? Doctor's pills, had to accommodate Nana's home remedies. Modern medicine worked beside old fashioned remedies. Bit by bit, I fought back. Here's to good ol' Vicks Vapour Rub, re-instated to pride of place in the medicine cabinet.

What ever I had planned kept being put on the back burner. Notes and minutes took nearly three weeks to write. Typing fell by the wayside. Preparation for marketing and promotion events became last minute rush - in spite of meticulously formulated timetable.

However, I persevered. Yes, I soldiered on. And now the butterflies are starting to settle, and that tiny ember is being gently fanned. Watch out world: I'm back and a-rearin to go.

Maintaining Energy

25/2/2014

Well my series is under way.

I try to write about 25 minutes per day. Some days I can make it - just. Other days I miss completely. A few days I tear out of control. I need to hone this 25 minute blocks of writing for a few more weeks to see how it goes.

Another thing I am doing to maintain energy, is attending a few more writing workshops and events.

Moreton Bay Region is lucky in that the Council does actively support writers, the writing community and the general arts community through the several programs. The Write Around Moreton is a program specifically designed for writers and is a series of workshops on different aspects of writing. Most workshops are free, run for one - 2 hours and are scattered throughout the region and at different times an days. For me, that means I cannot always get to them. Missed a good workshop by Anna Campbell, a Regency romance Author.

I am also starting to attend a few workshops hosted by Qld Writers Centre (QWC). Some of their longer ones I think are on the expensive side and require a time commitment I am not able to give this year. Maybe next year.

Maintaining energy does not mean burning yourself out be it financial or in time. But the time/life/work/writing balance is getting hard to manage. I may find myself cutting things back soon.

New Year, New Energy, New Manuscript

5/2/2014

After a hiatus in writing, I'm pretty certain I've got the writing bug back.

I've just

done a brief outline of a series of manuscripts
semi plotted the first novel/la/ette
and commence typing.

It is really good to feel the juices rising.

Finding Gryffin Part 3

30/11/2013

One hurdle down.

I emailed the manuscript to the publisher. Now it is a waiting game.

It has been a journey and half to get it ready and to the point that gives it a fair chance of being accepted.

What have I gained from the editing process? Perhaps a better understanding of point of view. I won't say it is perfect but definitely a bit better. It seems I head hop a fair bit. To be honest I think it adds to the character development and depth if you can give a fleeting comment from another's character's perspective of the character involved. After all, do we really see ourselves the same way as others do? However, this pulls the reader out of the story, even though you may say Character B said this and put his thoughts in the same paragraph.

I guess that is a pitfall when you live and breathe characters. You do head hop between them. First you are in one character's head, and then you are in another character's head, as you develop the scene and their interactions. Apparently, you are suppose to do an entire scene from one's character's perspective only.

Like I said: I'm getting my head around POV but I'm nowhere near perfect.

Anyway, I've done the best I can, so now it is over to the publisher and the Powers-that-be.

In the meantime I'm working on my second manuscript.

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