Finding acorns

Read to write well

Reading to write well is nothing new. Many writers recommend reading as a way of learning what works and what doesn't.

Lately I've been devouring books - a novelty for me in a busy world. Those moments on the train when the carriage ebbs along the track from the bayside to the city are my place to disappear between the covers of a good book; so much so that on occasion I've almost missed my stop!

In the past, I confessed to being a fickle reader, but lately that hasn't been the case. I've been reading everything from chic lit to award-winning non-fiction and finally read Eat Pray Love for the first time.

I read for all sorts of reasons - to be entertained, to switch off my brain, to learn, to be inspired, to immerse myself in another culture and simply for the pleasure of curling up on the lounge on a rainy day with a good book (a rare treat).

I don't think as writers we need to read the genre we write all the time. Reading other genres can open up new ways of approaching our writing and perhaps inspire us to try our hand at something new.

I believe that writing is a constantly evolving form and we should push the boundaries to tell our stories in new ways. Sure there are proven formulas for writing stories, but where's the challenge in that. It would sadden me to think that until the end of time we would continue to follow the same formula and books would look and read the same as they have for centuries.

Fortunately the digital age presents new opportunities and whether we like it not, readers are demanding new ways of receiving information, or at the least - multiple ways.

Take Sibella Court for example. Court has perfected the art of creating a tactile reading experience and allowing her work to live beyond the page. She has 10,000 Instagram followers (@sibellacourt), 3079 Pinterest followers, a store The Society inc, a blog, some very cool Vimeo clips and more. Watch this clip to find out what her new book is all about.

Bowerbird by Sibella Court from Sibella Court - The Society inc. on Vimeo.

Obviously Court's work lends itself to these visual platforms and while it could be perceived as purely marketing, it's also authentic story-telling which is why it works.

However we tell or promote our stories, there are some things that will always remain true:

• Write with honesty - tell it like it really is; the gritty stuff and all.
• Discover your own writing voice - we all have a unique way of seeing and describing the world and a right to express that.
• Release your fear of being judged - accept that you will be and there will always be people who don't like your work. Think of it like primary school all over again!
• Read, read, read! - for whatever reason.  
• And one for the digital age - experiment, explore and create new ways of telling and promoting your stories.

 

Journal writing for creative writers

A little while ago, in a cleansing process, I went through 17 journals and the past seven years of my life.

It was a cathartic experience to say the least. 

I was searching for pieces to use in my creative writing - those raw emotions recorded 'in the moment'. 

I thought that in 17 journals there would be a tonne of material to use. I was wrong. Most of what I’d written was the kind of stuff you think but don’t say and instead write down to get it out of your head.

Yet optimistic, with printer beside me, I eagerly copied any pages that contained some gems to work with.

After a day of reading and digesting my life of the past seven years I breathed a sign of relief that I’d survived the mammoth task. 

Then, true to my intention, I divided the ‘gems’ from my life into experiences, concepts, memories, ideas and writing.

Here’s a sample of what I found...

• Funny experience going for a job interview in London (my very own comedy of errors!)
• Vivid account of the Adriatic Sea in Dubrovnik and rust-coloured Sienna
• Ink sketches in Florence 
• Granada making an impression on my travelling heart
• Raw accounts of early motherhood
• Descriptions of seasons and places; summer rain, Bryon Bay, Lennox Head and the coastal stretches of Northern NSW
• Reflections on transience, travel, home, and mother V artist. 

Creative Writing

Journal writing is writing practise; both the habit of getting words on the page and an exercise in interpreting the world and recording experiences. Some of my favourite journal entries are the descriptions of a place that are so vivid you are transported to that moment again.

The process of going through my journals re-confirmed that I’m writing about what I know in my two un-edited manuscripts. 

So I’m taking the little gems I’ve found and weaving them into my two manuscripts and creating something new with others. That’s the joy of life (and travel in particular). It provides great fodder with which to create stories. 

Just last night I wrote 4oo or so words of prose about a recent life experience. Not only did it feel good to work my creative writing muscles again after some time away, but it reminded me that I don’t always have to launch into a manuscript in order to write. 

Some of the most beautiful writing is a piece of prose, a description of a place on the other side of the world or something closer to the domestic hearth that speaks to every mother’s sensibility.

What do you write about in your journal?

Nature inspired lino print designs

For a little while I've been looking for lino print design inspiration. 

After reading Handmade Living: A Fresh Take on Scandinavian Style (Lotta Jansdotter) and Printed Pattern: A guide to printing by hand from potatoes to silk screens (Rebecca Drury and Yvonne Drury) I decided to go in search of my own nature inspired designs.

Top on my list was a field trip to my local mangrove boardwalks (I'm lucky to have two nearby). 

Finally today, armed with nothing more than my iPhone and two energetic kiddies, we started our journey at the Lota Mangrove Boardwalk.

Although mangroves don't usually conjure fond memories - a result of their putrid smell at low tide, they are home to an ecosystem of tiny fish and crustaceans that grow to support the larger ecosystem of Moreton Bay Marine Park. 

These are just a few of the shapes I found in nature at our next stop - Wynnum Mangrove Boardwalk (a 5 min drive away). Already I'm starting to think about how they can translate into lino print designs.

What I loved most about this field trip was the connection I felt to the Bay. My family moved to the area when I was three (not much older than my daughter in the pictures here). Our house was the first home I remember. I'm now raising my own children here and I'm accutely aware that Manly feels like home.

When it comes to art, writing or any other creative endeavour I think it's important that it comes from this sort of place. One that is a true representation of who you are.

A little more about the books:

Printed Pattern, by mother and daughter Yvonne and Rebecca Drury, walks you through the process of finding inspiration, developing ideas, composition & layout and printing basics (materials, ink and colours). It then provides step by step instructions on a variety of printing techniques from potatoes to silk screen; as the title suggests. It includes a section on lino printing and other printing mediums I hadn't even considered, along with project inspiration. You can see more of their work at MissPrint.

I love the simplicity and functionality of Scandinavian style and I've long been a fan of Lotta Jansdotter. Her book Handmade Living is a peek into how she lives and how she has decorated her space both at home and work (Brooklyn, New York). Yet her simple, often nature inspired designs are throughout the book and you get a taste of how her creative mind works through the places she finds inspiration and pages from her sketchbook. There are projects throughout the book and design stencils in the back, but it's so full of inspiration that perhaps like me, you'll be inspired to discover your own designs in nature. 

Truth #2: Use all your writing devices

There is no one way to write. Everyone has approaches to writing that work for them. Part of the joy of writing is discovering what writing process works for you.

For me that process is free writing. I won't harp on about it here, but if your interested you can read my previous post on free writing.

Free writing doesn't just come to me in a flash of inspiration. I rely on a huge bank of writing devices that I've collected over the years.

Here are some writing devices I've been using lately:

• Going back to my research to find something new. In my case, this was a picture of a cottage on the Swan River. The picture was simply a cue to write about the house in my story, that I hadn't actually done yet!
• Asking questions of my manuscript. I'm using a question from the Rachel DeWoskin workshop I attended at the BWF - 'If I was reading this story, what would I want to know?' It works for me because I have a lean writing style. I rely too much on white space and this conflicts with a readers need for clarity. It's a sure way to keep your focus on taking the reader on a journey.
• Writing exercises. I didn't launch back into my Nano novella on the first day. Sitting on the train I was stranded on the first sentence. After many alterations it still wasn't right and I couldn't see a way to fix it. I'd forgotten that my writing muscles needed to limber up again. Not wanting to renege on my 'write every day' commitment, I returned to basics - a writing exercise. I spent 15 minutes and one page trying to rediscover the shape, form and rhythm of sentences again. And remembering the little details - the ones that bring stories to life.

If you'd like to try some writing exercises - check out Creative Juice.

 

Truth #1: The pen is mightier than the keyboard

Since starting a new writing routine three weeks ago, I've made some interesting discoveries that I thought I'd share over the next few posts. I label them 'truths' because they challenge common perceptions about the creative writing process.

I know this first truth is a big call in the technology age (and for a self-proclaimed Mac lover!) but I've discovered a connection between 'old fashioned' pen and paper and my creativity.

Max Walker, former Australian cricketer and author of 14 books, talks about the connection between his fountain pens and creativity in this video that I first saw on the ABC Collectors show.

'The big black ribbon on paper opens up the creative gate for me,' Walker says.

If I think back to all the times I've been writing well (by 'well' I mean - staying focused) it's been just me, a notepad and a pen. Nothing fancy like Max Walker's fountain pens - just a plain spiral bound book and a papermate biro. But the organic connection Walker explains is the same.

The whole point of the 'nothing fancy' implements for me is that they provide a canvas for making mistakes, and detachment from my words. This sounds like a contradiction to the connection I mentioned earlier but it enables me to write freely and edit ruthlessly which I believe is the best environment for creating.

At highschool I was known as the girl with neat writing. But when it comes to creative writing I'm completely messy! I scrawl, scratch and scribble out all over the page in an effort to keep up with my ideas.

This leads me to another truth that I'll write about in my next post. 

BWF 2011 wrap-up

After three days at the 2011 Brisbane Writers Festival I'm feeling immensely inspired. Not just from the sessions I attended but also the conversations I had and the questions I'm now asking about my own writing projects.

Of the eight sessions I attended, the standouts for me were:

Creating Character and Conflict with Rachel DeWoskin who had some great advice and writing exercises on dialogue, character history and character motivation. DeWoskin is also an advocate of approaching the writing of a book a couple of pages at a time. This gives me confidence in my new writing routine that I'll chat about the progress of in my next post.

Another favourite was The David Unaipon Award Retrospective that raised the interesting questions for me - Who owns historical stories? Am I limited to writing about only the things I've experienced? And how much can we depend on research when creating stories? Whatever the answers I can't wait to start reading 'Purple Threads' by Jeanine Leane, winner of the 2011 David Unaipon Award for Indigenous Writing. 

A contrast to this session was Meet Kate Grenville who spoke about her book 'The Secret River' and sequel 'Sarah Thornhill' that explore what it means to be a 'white' Australian. Most interesting for me was her mention of the sealers and Maori women. While I've spoken of my father's migrant history that we celebrated last year, there are stories my mother has told me about our Maori heritage, in particular our great great grandmother. Attending this session made me want to know more. Grenville also had some interesting tips on how to capture a character's voice.

A slight diversion from the BWF was the Land, Sea and Sky: Contemporary Art of the Torres Strait Islands exhibition at GoMA. It had the most amazing lino prints, basket weaving and a multi-media installation of a glass house with family photographs projected through the roof and onto the floor of the house and a soundscape of waves lapping on the shore. This beautiful quote by Terri Janke from the novel 'Butterfly Song' (2005), featured on a wall at the exhibition, sums it up perfectly: 

"They say if you live on an island for too long, you merge with it. Your bones become the sand, your blood the ocean. Your flesh is the fertile ground. Your heart becomes the stories, dances, songs... They say when you leave, the sound of the waves stays with you... The island calls to you, and your children, and their children. It will beg for you to join it, and know it, forever. No matter where you and your children travel, the island is home."

While the exhibition was unrelated to the BWF it was a wonderful spontaneous find as I'd hoped for when I was planning my BWF visit.

And what would the BWF be without a visit to the festival bookstore (ok - three visits!). Here's my collection of reads for this year:

That cute little rabbit at the back is on the cover of Katherine Battersby's new book 'Squish Rabbit' that my daughter has already read more times than I can count. I'll review these books in upcoming posts, just as soon as I finish the three books I'm already reading! Stay tuned.

After three days of writing immersion I have a handful of writing exercises, ideas to consider, books to read and questions to ponder about the drafts of my two novellas. Exciting times ahead!

 

Top 5 tips: How to get the most out of the BWF

I was going to write my usual Brisbane Writers Festival (BWF) wrap-up blog this year but I couldn't contain my excitement. Besides, wouldn't you rather check out the workshops, masterclasses and seminars on offer so you can book your tickets early? (You might even grab an early bird discount).

If you're anything like me, attending the BWF requires careful planning. Arranging babysitters for my two little acorns is the easy bit; deciding which sessions to attend is more challenging.

With so many sessions on offer, how do choose what to attend? 

Here are my top 5 tips on how to get the most out of the BWF.

1. Check out the BWF program well in advance to see what's on offer and ensure you don't miss out on tickets to your favourite sessions.
2. Highlight the BWF sessions that have instant appeal.
3. Assess where your writing is at - What stage are you at with your current writing project? What are your writing weaknesses? What types/genres of writing would you like to explore in the next 12 months? 
4. Go back over your initial choices (step 2) and select the sessions that will help develop your writing (e.g. sessions that address your weaknesses or your writing interests in the next 12 months). 
5. Balance out the rest of your sessions with the fun stuff (though I happen to think it's all fun!) - favourite authors, something a bit different and plenty of space for socialising and soaking up the festival atmosphere.

So there you have it - the 2011 Brisbane Writers Festival tailored to suit your writing life.

Now you can use the upcoming festival as inspiration to kick-start your writing that may have laid dormant over the winter months. Perhaps I'll see you there...

 

Creative Juice - Coming 'home'

Weekly writing exercise

This writing exercise is about coming 'home'. It's an open topic that can be taken literally as in - a time you returned from a holiday, coming home from school as a child or returning to the family home after moving away. 

It can also be taken figuratively whereby 'home' is a metaphor for a sense of belonging or self awareness. What does 'home' in this context mean?

Is there truth in this Maya Angelou's quote?

You can write from your own experiences, or those of a character in a story you are writing. Use the writing exercise to recall specific details and explore the emotions that the word 'home' evokes.

If you'd like to try some other creative writing exercises, click the 'weekly writing exercises' button on the right. 

Creative Juice

Weekly Writing Exercises

Choose an observation from last week's writing exercise. A specific detail or description that stands out for whatever reason. Now you're ready to begin this week's writing exercise...

Re-write that observation at the top of a blank page. What memories does it conjure up? Or present realities? Is it a character observation? In which case - tell their story.

If you didn't do last week's creative writing exercise, you can either go there to begin, or use this observation as a launch point:

'It's getting darker. The train lulls along the track from side to side.'

If you'd like to contribute a writing exercise to 'Creative Juice' drop me a line at susanbonaci@bigpond.com and don't forget to include your name and URL. All contributions will be acknowledged.

Creative Juice

Weekly Writing Exercises

This week I went to a cafe with every intention of writing. Poised with a blank page in front of me and a coffee beside me I realised I'd forgotten the essential writing tool - a pen!

Instead, I noticed out the arch window of the cafe the tiny sprawling branches of the leopard tree with its mottled trunk and paper thin leaves, like bird prints in the sky.

I learnt a valuable lesson that day. That it's important to observe. To come up for air. After all, the world is the place that inspires our stories.

For this week's writing exercise, I challenge you to do the same. Carry with you a notebook and pen and write down all the things you notice about the world around you. This week, your observations are purely external and factual.

Your observation notebook will become a great reference in your future writing if ever you are stuck for an idea or looking for the perfect way to describe something you've already observed. 

 

If you'd like to contribute a writing exercise to 'Creative Juice' drop me a line at susanbonaci@bigpond.com and don't forget to include your name and URL. All contributions will be acknowledged.

Creative Juice

Weekly Writing Exercises

For last week's writing exercise we explored global places. This week, we'll return to a local perspective.

Living in a place gives you knowledge beyond the touristy stuff. Where I live, local knowledge is written in mosaic artwork on the new jetty that stretches over Moreton Bay. As a local I also know that a full moon in summer means a king high tide will wash seaweed over the footpath as the bay swells more than it does any other time of year. This detail makes good fodder for your stories.

What local knowledge do you have? If it helps, go to a favourite place in your local area to conduct this week's writing exercise. Perhaps you know some history, seasonal information or interesting local characters. Write your local knowledge on the page in front of you.

You may like to take this writing exercise a step further and visit your local library or historical society to explore the history of your area. Here you'll find photographs, memorabilia, or volunteers who are happy to share their local knowledge.

 

If you'd like to contribute a writing exercise to 'Creative Juice' drop me a line at susanbonaci@bigpond.com and don't forget to include your name and URL. All published contributions will be acknowledged.

 

Writing a zine

I've wanted to write a zine for a while; to marry creative words with visuals and conceptual ideas. I've even jotted down a few ideas in recent weeks. Then, this morning after yoga class I used the stillness to create.

Words, images, a concept and ideas flowed, and it got me thinking about how we generate creative ideas. How one moment we can create as effortlessly as breathing and other times it feels like a child trying to walk for the first time - full of wobbles and uncertainty. 

So I compiled a list of all the places I gained inspiration to write my first zine. Here's what I discovered...

• a Little Golden Book
• a word - 'south'
• childhood memories
• adult experiences
• other creatives and zine creators
• an iPad app - Heart in a Bottle
• collected things - a jar of shells
• childhood photographs

• music
• the smell of silk lino conjuring memories of high school art
• reconnecting with an old friend
• my children
• a different approach to writing - the raw connection between pen and paper
• writing slowly, thinking slowly
• recent life lessons
• vintage shopping.

I'll keep you posted on how my zine making progresses. Feel free to give me a nudge along the way as zine making is new to me.

Where do your creative ideas come from?

Weekly Writing Exercises

Creative Juice was launched last week as a place to provide weekly writing exercises to help inspire your creative writing. You can check out last week's writing exercise for 3 tips before you get started. Otherwise, pens or keyboards ready...here's this week's writing exercise...

Think of a time in your childhood when your memories are most vivid. Then, write for 20 minutes, describing these memories using all your senses. What did you see, smell, taste, hear and touch? Think of memories that are very distinctive for that period of time and can transport you immediately to your childhood place.

Creative Juice

Weekly writing exercises

Welcome to my new section. Creative Juice is all about getting your creative writing juices flowing. Each week I'll post a writing exercise to help get your creative writing started. Who knows what stories you'll uncover through these exercises. Here are 3 tips before you get started:

1. Try free writing - a useful technique for getting words on the page

2. Set an alarm for the time limit specified - so you can concentrate on writing instead of watching the clock

3. Use whatever writing tools work for you - pen and paper, laptop or vintage typewriter! Try different methods and compare the results.

To get started, here's your first dose of Creative Juice...

Choose a headline from your local newspaper and write about the topic for 20 minutes. Write whatever comes into your mind without editing your thoughts. 

Zines

Lately I've been reading zines... and reading about zines... and thinking of ideas for creating a zine. Once you start exploring the fascinating world of zine culture it's difficult not to feel that creative rumble in your belly. That's what I love about zines. 

To get me started I purchased some zines from Take Care Zine Distro and Bird in the Hand Zine Shop - two online zine stores. I received in the post a diverse range; from basic black and white to full colour and elaborate finishings. While the later had enormous visual and tactile appeal, it all came down to the writing for me.

'Strange: Seven times with you' - an A6, black and white typed and stapled zine contained by far the most touching story. And Tamara Lazaroff's 'House' was again a simple zine with quality writing. There were a couple of arty zines I loved too.  

'I Wish I Could Fly' by Kassie was created using a risograph so it has visual appeal. But it's her concept of 'growing up' that makes it complete.

Lastly, 'preserving, containing, consuming' explores preserving as a metaphor for the PHD the author is writing. It reminds me of a post I read a while back by Katherine Battersby of The Well Read Rabbit blog where she used cooking to bake her ideas for a story into existence. I love a good analogy! To go off topic for just a moment - I recently attended Poh Ling Yeow's cookbook launch and one of her comments that stuck with me was  - she encourages people to savour the cooking process. 

You can add embellishments, but like anything you publish, you have to have something to say. Something that moves people, broadens their mind or unlocks their creativity. I now have ideas for creating a zine with hand-made and printed lino cuts. Themes are also starting to emerge and I've been writing short stories and prose - gathering the pieces to create a zine. Slowly, un-rushed...savouring the process.

I'd love to know your favourite zine? And what do you think makes a great zine?

Back in the creative writing groove - free writing and making connections

After weeks of absorbing inspiration and the Brisbane Writers Festival a distant memory, I'm now back in the creative writing groove. With a final macro edit of my Nano novel complete I'm about to embark on the micro edit. Just quietly - I'm secretly happy to be out of macro territory. Not that I don't love the macro view, I just find micro editing easier. Or perhaps I've reached that point in the editing process where I feel ready to tackle the detail knowing that the big stuff (structure, characters and continuity) has been resolved.

All that was missing in finalising the macro edit was a chapter re-write. And thanks to the Australian Writer's Marketplace online writing race Tuesday night I managed to free write that chapter. The free writing process still amazes me. That the act of blocking your censors and writing without thinking can result in exploring directions you hadn't consciously thought of. 

Free writing has extended beyond my Nano novel. I've been writing short stories in cafes and on the train, with pen in hand or tapping at keys on my Mac. The interesting thing is that I haven't sat down to write for any great length of time yet I've managed to get words on the page. 

At a Queensland Writers Centre seminar I attended recently we chatted about the writing process. Some people are planners; doing their story outlines and research upfront and others take the opposite approach. I fall into the later. When it comes to creative writing I simply start with an idea and write. It could be a character, an interesting setting or an intriguing scenario. Eventually my story falls into place or hits a brick wall. There's either a story in it or not. But I'd much rather go on the journey and find out - write it out. As a writer, committing words to the page is all part of writing practise. Your words are never wasted because you're constantly learning - about language and story judgement.

More than free writing, connecting with the writing community in its many forms has helped me get back in the creative writing groove. It's provided camaraderie and support for what can sometimes be a solitary practise. There's certainly nothing solitary about the banter that flows on the AWM online writing race forum or the discussions that take place during the break at a QWC seminar. 

Exploring, discovering and finding new acorns

Lately I've been soaking up inspiration. My most recent find - the Premier of Queensland's National New Media Art Award 2010; a showcase of seven artist and collaborative works short-listed for the biennial award. My favourite - the collaborative work of Isobel Knowles and Van Sowerwine titled You Were In My Dream. It's an interactive work enabling the viewer to choose the narrative of the central character (a child) who wakes in a dreamlike state and explores a forest. As a writer it appeals because of the multiple narratives but also the unique concept of interactive animation and live video feed providing a multiple experience as primary and secondary viewer.

A complete contrast to this playful work is recent read - Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam by Peter Goldsworthy who is known for taking moral questions to the edge. It's difficult to write about the book without giving away the story. Even now as I draw a contrast between these works I'm already making a moral judgement. Yet when I think about it, perhaps the ending isn't sad. Therein lies Goldsworthy's talent as a writer - the ability to convince the reader that a 'what if' scenario is possible through his layered dialogue and carefully crafted characters. If you've read the story I'd love to know what you think. 

So while I haven't been writing (or editing) much lately, I have been soaking up inspiration. For me, that's a large part of the writing process - exploring, discovering and finding new acorns. 

Brisbane Writers Festival 2010

I love Brisbane this time of year! The Brisbane Writers Festival is in town, Riverfire too and those first whisperings of spring...This year I was fortunate to be able to soak it all up.

My top 5 festival highlights:

1. Peter Goldsworthy speaking passionately on the short story form and how good stories 'wreck you, entertain or amuse.' He went on to say that he finds his stories in 'a line of dialogue', 'being told a story' and the hypothetical "what ifs?"
2. Agent Margaret Kennedy and publicist Emma Rusher providing inside information on the publishing industry in the Australian Writer's Marketplace (AWM) Industry Seminar.
3. John Birmingham led discussion on social media and how it is changing the landscape for writers.
4. Our Brisbane session in the way it highlighted the need not to be Brisbane-centric if as writers we are to appeal to a wider audience. This fed into my post last week about the changing face of Australian literature. A point also raised in the AWM Industry Seminar when publishers Madonna Duffy (UQP) and Suzanne Babonneau (Simon&Schuster UK) highlighted the difference in Australian V UK book sales. It seems that the future of Australian literature is a very hot topic at the moment, particularly with the introduction of the e-book.
5. And finally, coming home with new books to read that I perhaps wouldn't have picked up in a bookstore. This year - The Family Law (Benjamin Law) and Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam (Peter Goldsworthy). 

Writers festivals get people thinking about why we put words on the page. It's events like these that encapsulate the stories, people, human behaviour and interaction. In sessions I found myself jotting down ideas for stories. A word, a phrase. They also provide healthy industry debate on hot topics like the e-book, social media and the changing shape of Australian literature. Festivals stretch the mind to every corner of the globe enabling it to fill again.

What was your festival highlight?

New writing opportunities

This week I've been inspired to pursue new creative writing opportunities! Thanks in part to...

1. The latest issue of WQ - particularly the profile on author/illustrator Katherine Battersby
2. A fantastic blogging workshop I attended, by award winning blogger Erica Bartle (a.k.a Girl With a Satchel)  
3. A visit to Brisbane's new digital-culture centre; The Edge - a hub that welcomes the creation of new possibilities.  

And what better way to welcome new opportunities than...

to get rid of the old!

 

The big archive box at the back is filled with old drafts of my first novel and a whole pile of other writing that didn't make the cut. That thin folder at the front...that's the cut. That's what's left of my writing that I think has potential.

So what made the cut? Of the four short stories I wrote for my short story challenge, I'm pursuing one. I also unearthed a few pieces of parenting creative non-fiction, including a piece on silent reflux. Aside from the medical side of reflux that My Child Magazine (Issue 16: Autumn 2010) covered 'silent reflux' is often the story never told. Yet, it was the one thing I wish I'd had access to. I've often been asked to write about my experience and only now feel I have the distance to do it.

Along with editing my Nano novel, my writing routine now includes time dedicated to developing these pieces. Although hectic, I'm excited to be expanding my creative world and discovering new possibilities. 

Free writing

When I first started writing creatively I didn't have a name for it - that process of writing without thinking and the world around you disappearing.

Then years later I stumbled across Natalie Goldberg's Thunder and Lightning; Cracking Open The Writer's Craft, my first book on writing. Here Goldberg explained the process I was experiencing and showed how to direct that energy; your 'wild mind'.

'I try to shake loose my mind, so something fresh can fall out' says Goldberg.

In more recent years authors and writers have adopted the term 'free writing'. At workshops I've learnt to feed my 'wild mind' a line, a phrase, an idea or an image and then write instinctively without thinking about spelling, grammar or punctuation. Now it's the only way I write a draft.

This week I've been free writing bits that are missing from my story - settings, events and story threads; testing the water to see if they work. Some do, some don't. 

In the words of Goldberg: 'The seemingly disconnected topics help to energise the piece.'

I love the freedom of un-tamed words. I feel like I'm ten again, taking off on my bike on Saturday morning armed with a squashed vegemite sandwich in my pack, my best friend at my side and a mind full of hope and wonder.

Launch points

When my inner critic paid me a visit recently the positive outcome was that I read my manuscript, determined what was missing and made a list of launch points. Whenever I'm stuck (which happens to be quite often) I take one from my list and start writing.

Sometimes it takes a few stumbled attempts to find one that works for me but it's generally a treasure trove of instinctive ideas. Things I jot down while my toddler is tugging at my leg or a bit of dialogue that comes while I'm in the middle of cooking dinner.

This week I had a particularly productive writing week that surprisingly resulted from forcing myself to write (something I'll chat more about in coming weeks). It was one of those writing moments where something new opens up. You find a new thread, something for the characters to pin themselves on, and one that holds the story together. Crossing time, years, emotion and memory. A possible ending perhaps. Closure. All from one tiny little launch point. Something I could just as easily not have written down...