Of Gelato and workshops and edits

The heading sounds delicious well the beginning words do, not the last word, but saying that I have enjoyed my re-writes of my latest novel 'Leave Taking' due out July 2018 from UQP.

In providing more backstory I have nearly doubled the word count of a small verse novel and cried enough to smudge my handwritten notes.

And also surprised myself with a new development to end the story in a more satisfying way.
I appreciate so much the notes and suggestions my editors have made for the edit.


The Gelato part of the heading comes into play when my writing friend Kate Nannestad last week asked me to come and celebrate her book's release 'The Girl, the Dog and the Writer in Rome' and yes we toasted that wonderful book with licks of Gelato ice-cream.

And the workshops?  Well I had fun taking a writers' group through some poetic exercises in Echuca recently, sadly I had a dreadful cough and that interrupted the workshop often!

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Historical Novel Society Australasia conference September 2017

I've been to my first conference for a long time.  I get tired easily nowadays, so I have to chose carefully where my energy is spent.  And this past weekend was a wonderful inspirational feast!

A chance to talk to like minded friends, to hear published authors talk about being a 'pantser' or 'plotter' was wonderful.

The three authors on the Historical Whodunnits panel, all confessed easily, comfortably, to being in the 'pantser' category.  That means not plotting but unfolding events and conflicts as they write.  In fact writing to find out what is going on!

Sulari Gentill, Robert Gott and Gary Corby all shared generously with their writing insights.

As an author myself it was SO liberating to hear them speak about not using little cards, post it notes etc, etc...

That session was my conference highlight even though I'm not an avid whodunnit fan I now have some new Australian authors to read!

Another aspect was the obvious delight and passion authors using history bring to their writing, the enthusiasm was contagious and inspiring.

So here is an historical artefact of mine- a sampler of my Grandmother's embroidery.

And my Grandmother and Grandfather in very young days.  A piece of history as my own inspiration.

Ah the year is racing away

I've gotten out of the habit of posting here.  I am writing slowly, but writing poetry and stories.

And sewing!

This poem is published in the May edition of School Magazine, New South Wales.

 I have been looking at older poems I've written and re-vamping, changing, tightening the words and images.  It is very satisfying to be revising older material that didn't quite make the grade.  I have begun doing this with picture book texts also and even turning one into a play!

It is satisfying on another level also in that I realise that over time I have written a lot of material!

Some stories or poems cannot be redeemed but the writing journey all adds to the skill and content of any new material written.

And I want to write more consistently in this blog.

Let's see what the writing year brings.