Others were lost in a cloud of cushions, couch comfort and character conundrums.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Writers busy at work
MMMMMuffins
And we're off!
Well it was a hectic start to the Write a Book in a Day marathon with the starting e-mail going into my junk section. We were underway at 8:07.
The parameters we have been given are quite clear: Our characters are a podiatrist, a sheep shearer and a sea creature, set on a motorway with the issue: LOVE! Lots to work with and a very robust discussion for the character mapping.
Early morning breakfast and briefing.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Kids Book Review Interview
I have been interviewed on Kids Book Review by the lovely Tania MacCartney about the Write a Book in a Day challenge!
My writers' group, Prana Writers, is raising funds for the Royal Children's Hospital Qld by writing a children's book in one day. See more details here. You can sponsor us on the Write a Book in a Day site here .
Only one day to go!!
My writers' group, Prana Writers, is raising funds for the Royal Children's Hospital Qld by writing a children's book in one day. See more details here. You can sponsor us on the Write a Book in a Day site here .
Only one day to go!!
Saturday, August 6, 2011
A Writing Marathon
I have never been in a marathon. The thought of pushing myself to reach a nigh impossible goal scares me silly. So why is it then that next Sunday, 14th August I am racing against the clock and against all odds?
I'm a Prana Writer, a Gold Coast group of eleven writers, who first came together three years ago through the Gold Coast Council's Creative Juices 'Write That Book' mentorship, and we have entered a team in the ‘Write a Book in a Day” challenge to raise funds for the Royal Children's Hospital Qld..
http://writeabookinaday.com/index.html
It’s a writing marathon to write a children's book in 12 hours. Between 8am and 8pm next Sunday our team will plan, plot, write, illustrate, edit, print and bind an 8000 word book.
Why, you may ask...
Yes, we're crazy! But we love to write and we want to support the Queensland children who inspire us.
The aim of the Write a Book in a Day challenge is to raise funds for children's hospitals in each Australian state. We will be supporting the Queensland Royal Children’s Hospital. Currently we are the only group registered in Queensland in the open category!
At 8am on 14 August our team will be emailed a random setting, two human characters, a non-human character, an issue and five random words. Our 8000 word story must be written around these and delivered or emailed to the judges by 8pm the same day. There are even awards for the best book.
Can we do it?
There will be a lot of coffee, a lot of stress (did I say a lot of stress?) before the deadline, but just think of the team building!
The funds we raise and a copy of our completed book will be donated to the Royal Children's Hospital Qld.
To sponsor us in this worthy cause, donations may be made online by credit card here – and it’s tax deductable! Just select our hospital - Royal Children's Hospital Qld and our group - Prana Writers.
Thank you sincerely for your support.
http://writeabookinaday.com/index.html
It’s a writing marathon to write a children's book in 12 hours. Between 8am and 8pm next Sunday our team will plan, plot, write, illustrate, edit, print and bind an 8000 word book.
Why, you may ask...
Yes, we're crazy! But we love to write and we want to support the Queensland children who inspire us.
At 8am on 14 August our team will be emailed a random setting, two human characters, a non-human character, an issue and five random words. Our 8000 word story must be written around these and delivered or emailed to the judges by 8pm the same day. There are even awards for the best book.
Can we do it?
There will be a lot of coffee, a lot of stress (did I say a lot of stress?) before the deadline, but just think of the team building!
The funds we raise and a copy of our completed book will be donated to the Royal Children's Hospital Qld.
To sponsor us in this worthy cause, donations may be made online by credit card here – and it’s tax deductable! Just select our hospital - Royal Children's Hospital Qld and our group - Prana Writers.
Thank you sincerely for your support.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Mid Year's Resolutions
Last week during the one hour ‘Monday Writing Sprint’ on Facebook, I wrote a blog post entitled ‘What Warms My Heart’ for award winning children’s author, Sally Murphy’s blog. You can check out what warms my heart here.
This week during ‘The Sprint’ I thought I’d catch up with a few blog posts of my own. Life has been very busy lately as I try to attain my goals. Now with the year well and truly half gone, I thought I’d go over what resolutions I’d made at the start of the year and see how I was doing so far. Here they are:
1. Work/write every day from 9am.
2. Exercise 3x a week.
3. Lose 3-4 kilo. (ha ha)
4. Practise my art.
5. Complete and submit my short novel wip.
6. Complete my novel wip.
7. Complete illustrations for pb.
8. Blog 2-3 times per month.
9. Promote my book Pond Magic.
10. Initiate work as a workshop presenter/speaker.
I know, this is a ridiculously long list of expectations. But, I’ll be happy if I can check even three off the list. So how have I been going?
1. Yes, I have worked every day. The support of the one hour Monday Writing Sprint has really helped here. It’s a Monday morning kick start that sets me up for the week and my family know ‘I’m working’ and leave me alone.
2. Hmm…I think this one has averaged out to once per week as I was really sick in March (excuses).
3. Ditto. Lost 2 kilos being sick, then visitors arrived and well…
4. I’ve been working on my picture book and doing other illustrations for fun.
5. My short novel first draft is complete and I’m editing it.
6. My novel is sitting patiently waiting for me.
7. My picture book illustrations are up to the final draft stage before colouring.
8. I’m enjoying my blog and may even have found my ‘blog identity’.
9. I’ve been able to promote Pond Magic through my author talks and workshops and I was interviewed on radio when Pond Magic was book of the month on ABC 91.7.
10. My ‘authorpreneurial’ work has started to increase rapidly. In the next few months I will be speaking and conducting workshops at writers’ groups, libraries and schools. So far ‘word of mouth’ has been getting my name out there.
Having evaluated how far I’ve come this year, I feel a little more confident now that my writing and illustrating is heading in the right direction. Here’s a little sample:
And the year is only half way through, right?
Did you make any goals at the start of the year? And how’s it going so far?
This week during ‘The Sprint’ I thought I’d catch up with a few blog posts of my own. Life has been very busy lately as I try to attain my goals. Now with the year well and truly half gone, I thought I’d go over what resolutions I’d made at the start of the year and see how I was doing so far. Here they are:
1. Work/write every day from 9am.
2. Exercise 3x a week.
3. Lose 3-4 kilo. (ha ha)
4. Practise my art.
5. Complete and submit my short novel wip.
6. Complete my novel wip.
7. Complete illustrations for pb.
8. Blog 2-3 times per month.
9. Promote my book Pond Magic.
10. Initiate work as a workshop presenter/speaker.
I know, this is a ridiculously long list of expectations. But, I’ll be happy if I can check even three off the list. So how have I been going?
1. Yes, I have worked every day. The support of the one hour Monday Writing Sprint has really helped here. It’s a Monday morning kick start that sets me up for the week and my family know ‘I’m working’ and leave me alone.
2. Hmm…I think this one has averaged out to once per week as I was really sick in March (excuses).
3. Ditto. Lost 2 kilos being sick, then visitors arrived and well…
4. I’ve been working on my picture book and doing other illustrations for fun.
5. My short novel first draft is complete and I’m editing it.
6. My novel is sitting patiently waiting for me.
7. My picture book illustrations are up to the final draft stage before colouring.
8. I’m enjoying my blog and may even have found my ‘blog identity’.
9. I’ve been able to promote Pond Magic through my author talks and workshops and I was interviewed on radio when Pond Magic was book of the month on ABC 91.7.
10. My ‘authorpreneurial’ work has started to increase rapidly. In the next few months I will be speaking and conducting workshops at writers’ groups, libraries and schools. So far ‘word of mouth’ has been getting my name out there.
Having evaluated how far I’ve come this year, I feel a little more confident now that my writing and illustrating is heading in the right direction. Here’s a little sample:
Did you make any goals at the start of the year? And how’s it going so far?
Monday, July 4, 2011
Writing Sprint
I have had a very good reason to get up early on a Monday morning the last few months. Over on Facebook I convene the Monday Writing Sprint group. It's an open group, so anyone can join in and bring their writing friends.
The idea is to write for a solid hour with no interruptions, no self-editing and the nasty critic within us locked away in the downstairs cupboard. That means you switch your phone off, tell the family you're too busy to talk and shut the door to the rest of the world.
At 9am every Monday morning Australian Eastern Standard Time we kick off the sprint and write like crazy until ten. Sometimes there are only three of us scribbling away, on other days we've had up to ten people with some well known names popping up amongst them.
It doesn't matter whether you're new to writing or a seasoned author trying to meet a deadline. The Monday Writing Sprint is for everyone. By writing together simultaneously there is the knowledge that you are not alone and the camaraderie of sharing your word count or success at the end of the hour is uplifting.
And you can write anything. It might be that blogpost you've been putting off, or an edit of that first draft in your bottom drawer, it might be a poem that's been wafting around in your head or the next scene of your novel.
Believe me it's the best way to start your week!
Try it. You'll like it. Monday Writing Sprint Then we can all be winners.
The idea is to write for a solid hour with no interruptions, no self-editing and the nasty critic within us locked away in the downstairs cupboard. That means you switch your phone off, tell the family you're too busy to talk and shut the door to the rest of the world.
See the focussed determination set in that bottom lip.
It doesn't matter whether you're new to writing or a seasoned author trying to meet a deadline. The Monday Writing Sprint is for everyone. By writing together simultaneously there is the knowledge that you are not alone and the camaraderie of sharing your word count or success at the end of the hour is uplifting.
And you can write anything. It might be that blogpost you've been putting off, or an edit of that first draft in your bottom drawer, it might be a poem that's been wafting around in your head or the next scene of your novel.
Don't worry about stumbling along.
Kicking off your Monday morning with a solid hour of free writing not only sets you up for the working day/week ahead, it also nurtures your muse and puts you in 'the zone'. Believe me it's the best way to start your week!
Try it. You'll like it. Monday Writing Sprint Then we can all be winners.
