The Blog Decision

 There was not much of a decision to make about choosing a theme/genre for my blog. I already consider this a lifelong learning blog. I do love to learn.

So week four or is it five, flew past. I am so glad I scheduled my calendar to remind me to blog.

I gave a short talk on Creative Non Fiction, had my research proposal approved, signed up for the state library and Trove, and checked the online resources at both and at several local libraries with which I hold a card. I checked a final edit on the anthology I have three stories in and created the cover art for.
Okay stop checking, it is week four...I spent today in court and I am three weeks into four of an OWL.

which, as the logo clearly states, is an online writing lab. Short short courses that will fit into any budding writers lifestyle.

I don't write romance with a lower case or capital R, I write relationships into my works but the relationship is not the focus of the story. The Romance Writers of Australia organisation is a marvelous one to belong to no matter what you write. Take a look at some of their short short courses and squeeze a little writing polish into your busy life.

I finished A Sparkling Guide to Gripping Goal, Motivation & Conflict with CT Green, last month and this month I am taking Bring your story into focus: why ‘show don’t tell’ is a layer cake  with Sandy Vaile.

I know what you are thinking "This woman is insane, a diploma and short courses, insane!" and you might very well be correct but I am fairly likeable crazy apparently. 

Another task this week in Writing for the New Media was to look at other blogs and see what I liked about them, plus write up a report on them, and then implement some of the things I like into this blog. Apparently I need the little linking icons for my other social media so I will put them in soon. I suspect my blog will change a bit over the next few weeks as I experiment.

Please let me know what you think of the changes and feel free to suggest things that would make landing on my blog easier for you.

Have a great week <3

                                                                              Dance!

challenges for June - the real Tuesday post

http://fatmumslim.com.au/june-photo-day-list-created-rowe-timson/
 I decided I would embark on a photo challenge for June and so for day 1 Joy and 2 Doing  here are my photos.
The first photo is of my desk. JOY What brings me joy? Creating my works of fiction, Dr Who, picture books, knowledge, pop culture references and books and my desk is loaded with all of those things and more, including my mug of hot cocoa or tea. The desk is covered in sticky notes and my bag pipe chanter and I have a dusty clarinet with music and a definite statement that I need to repeat daily "I am a Writer!'. All these things are part of the joy of my life.

the second photo is of me typing my current WIP.  DOING A thing I am doing daily is write. I also create art daily so both things are my 'doing'. This is my life's dream, to be a writer and artist and have others appreciate my work.

oh and the photo for day three is FAMILY

This is two photographs of my hallway which contains representations of my family. There are photographs on the wall of my children, foster children, step children and extended connections, there are photos of my friends who are family, items owned by my children, pop culture references in the forms of dolls and soft toys, things my children have made or do, paintings by friends and images of places that were dear to me. Family is more than just people or genetic connections it encompasses so many layers and subtleties. Books are part of my family dynamics. Much of what I know about being a family I garnered from books. My earliest 'parents' were the authors whose works I loved so much it shaped who I became. So no picture of family would be complete without books. My worldwide family of writers is part of who I am as a writer. Bag of Bacon Games is the logo of one of my sons' budding game company, the carved fish is another sons first ever play with the MDF machine, cosplay items for my daughter and baby tigers for another son...

The next challenge for June is the Romance Writers of Australia June marathon 50k challenge. I need to be writing 1600 words a day to meet this challenge so I need to write 4800 words today to catch up. Best get cracking. I do have a marvelous idea I wish to expand this month so I have the skeleton already.

Get ready for WOW 2014!

one week of dedicated writing of non fiction stories. 21st-27th June

http://www.kristenfulton.org/wow--nonficpic.html 

The final challenge for June is WOW the week of non fiction picture book writing. I have already been in the mini WOW and have my seven ideas and have collected some reference material but need to collect a lot more before the 20th of the month. 

Friday 21st February Kangaroo and Crocodile

Author: Bronwyn Bancroft

Illustrated by: Bronwyn Bancroft

Publisher: Little Hare Books

www.littleharebooks.com

Year of publications: 2011

illustrations : strong primary colours decorate this interesting book with the animals depicted in a style reminiscent of the Aboriginal/Indigenous art using dots and lines to highlight the abstract interpretation of the animals.  

This is a large hard cover book filled with depictions of  animals and a lovely work to introduce Indigenous styles of art and Australian animals to children.

   

I decided to look up the artist out of curiosity. I do love curiosity. 

Bronwyn Bancroft the author/illustrator is an Australian artist, illustrator and fashion designer. She established a shop called Designer Aboriginals, selling fabrics made by Aboriginal artists including herself and was a founding member of Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative.
Her art work is held by the National Gallery of Australia and the art galleries of New South Wales and Western Australia. 
She has provided art work for more than 20 children's books and received design commissions, including one for the exterior of a sports centre in Sydney.
Ms Bancroft has a long history of involvement in community activism and arts administration, and has served as a board member for the National Gallery of Australia.

What an interesting woman. I might research more about her for one of my PB ideas.


Onward and upward. Interestingly my picture today for the 52 week challenge is of Uluru(Ayers Rock) the heart of Australia. I did an orange hued wash over the paper with water colour, left it to dry overnight and then cross hatched the details with water colour pencils. I am quite pleased with the end result.

This is only one small portion of the rock of course and the tops of the trees skirting its base.

I told my little neighbour Poppy that I am writing a story with her as the main character. She is such a delightful little bundle of energy and I hope she likes the story when it is done. 

Oh a delightful thing, one of the ladies from the RWA contacted me and asked if I would like to do some sprint writing with her and some of the other ladies too and I am delighted to say it made me go back to working on my YA novel and I found after a 2 month break away from it I still LOVE the story. So I have been editing and tweaking all evening except when I had to run and rescue the potatoes which were burning. oops. 

That is it from me for this evening. Off to do a few more edits then an early night even if it is 11.17pm it feels early. :)

Final day on all those November challenges

I managed 32 ideas in PiBoIdMo and some of those are multiple ideas for a series on a theme.

and I managed more than 30 sketches which I have displayed gallery style all over my own bedroom walls. I am going to continue my daily sketching simply as a meditation each day. I feel so calm and content when I sketch.




my 50/30 challenge is only 5000 words from crossing the finish line and I have been very pleased with the way the story has developed. I love the characters and i have made my beta readers laugh and cry so I think I am on the right track

and my Nano tally skidded across the finish line last night for the original novel and the two combined novels have taken me to 95000 words. I will be over the 100000 this evening and I feel incredibly satisfied with myself and the novels. The hard work of tidying and rearranging is yet to come and finding where to send the manuscripts is a job for another day but today I am simply going to finish the last 5000 to stand on the podium of my own challenge win. I have learned so many things from this month and my learning curve will continue as I launch my way into my new career.