Ever have one of those days when you do all the right things -- sit down at the computer, open the WIP, block out all distractions, prepare for an unbroken afternoon of productivity -- and end up with a mere (this is almost too embarrassing to admit) 250 words? Four hours. FOUR HOURS was how … Continue reading Four positives out of an ‘average’ WIP Wednesday
Wikirandom winner!
Last Monday I launched the April Wikirandom 3-sentence writers challenge and visitors to this blog have had five days to channel their inner flash-fiction self and come up with an entry to impress me. It's been such a blast! We've had 15 entries inspired by the prompt 'wooden wings' and I've thoroughly enjoyed reading them … Continue reading Wikirandom winner!
Fiction or non-fiction?
Fiction or non-fiction? -- that is the question. And the answer is easy. Fiction. I read non-fiction under sufference. I'm a member of a reading group that chooses a fair amount of non-fiction... sometimes I give the books a go, sometimes I don't even try. Having said that, occasionally I'm surprised by a book I don't … Continue reading Fiction or non-fiction?
This is my first attempt at ‘reblogging’ via WordPress, so I hope it works! This post is another classic from Kristen Lamb. It’s all about quitting: the novel that isn’t working, the job that is too demanding, the extra-curricular interests that eat up focus and time. I know I’m not too good at any of this and I pledge to be better!
Want to know the secret to success? Quitting. Yes, you heard me correctly. And, if you’re a creative professional, it is in your interest to learn to get really good at quitting. Maybe you’ve felt like a loser or a failure, that your dream to make a living with your art was a fool’s errand.
Maybe, if you are anything like me, just maybe you had friends and family and people around you telling you that you were a dreamer, that you needed to get your head out of the clouds and to let go of your “magic beans” and learn to be something practical that made a good paycheck and came with dental benefits. Maybe, in an effort to counteract all this negativity, you found yourself wandering the inspiration books in Half Price Bookstore (namely because you were too broke to buy books full-price). And maybe, just maybe…
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Wikirandom Writers Challenge – April
And now for a bit of fun and creative engagement! As mentioned a couple of weeks ago, it's my privilege to host the April Wikirandom Writers Challenge, created in February by the Shabby-Chic and Sarcastic Laird Sapir. Thanks to the talented Sara Walpert Foster for passing the baton onto me after the March Challenge. The … Continue reading Wikirandom Writers Challenge – April
A chocolate education: 6 things you need to know
It turns out there's more to chocolate than I ever realised. Like a fine wine or a premium coffee, the highest quality chocolate has subtle flavours and aromas reminiscent of the plantation where the caca0 beans were grown. Along with the cocoa mass concentration, which determines the degree of darkness, these flavour variations can be … Continue reading A chocolate education: 6 things you need to know
If I could live in a fictional world…
First off, let me admit I'm going to break the rules. I've decided these '11-question' games or memes or whatever you call them offer too much fodder for discussion to be used up in a single blog post. So instead I'm going to use each question as a launching point for a single post. And … Continue reading If I could live in a fictional world…
The beach has many faces
I've just returned from spending the Easter long weekend at our family holiday house down at Phillip Island. At least once every visit I like to walk into town (Cowes) along the beach for breakfast. And every time I make this little half-hour pilgrimage for coffee and eggs, I find myself marvelling at the many … Continue reading The beach has many faces
Diary of a Devilcat: How to be helpful
Ha! Chenna here. I'm back! It's taken a great deal of coaxing and smooching, but Ellen has finally let me back near the keyboard . . . er, that is, she's letting me type something rather than merely batting me away (rather ineffectually, I might add). Today it's time for a little lesson in how … Continue reading Diary of a Devilcat: How to be helpful
Spreading blog love
A quick post to acknowledge two things that happened in my blog world this week: WikiRandom Writers Challenge A creation of the irrepressible Laird Sapir, the WikiRandom Writers Challenge is a flashfiction competition involving the creation of a three-sentence story using a phrase generated by hitting the Wikipedia random button. Sara Walpert Foster won the … Continue reading Spreading blog love
Ellen Gregory 