Benefits of a Writing Workshop

I have become distracted. Somewhere along the way my original purpose for writing this blog lost its way and, instead of writing about writing, I’ve used this space for sharing some of my writing projects, such as memoir writing and social history. But hopefully I’ve remained faithful to the whole idea of writing stories – my stories, your stories, the stories so many of us like to read because we can relate to them.

This morning I attended a two hour creative non-fiction writing workshop, the writing I spend about half of my writing life doing. This was the first writing workshop I’ve attended for a few years. I came away with more than I expected.

A writing workshop ideally offers us opportunities to write, to put into practice what we’re focused on. Yes, I came home with a piece of new writing developed at this morning’s workshop. But I came home with even more.

Perhaps even more stimulating was the contact with other writers, all writing different stories, all having something valid to say, most of whom I’d never met before. I enjoyed being exposed to different styles of writing and discussing them. I also listened to how each writer faced challenges in their writing lives.

Writing tends to be an isolated task. A writing workshop brings us into contact with other writers. For me this was more powerful than the piece of writing I produced.

If you have the opportunity to be part of such a session, grab it. There’s something quite powerful about thinking about and talking about writing, while producing the start of a new piece of work and receiving feedback.

Have you had similar experiences?

Preparing for Non-Fiction Print Publication

When you self-publish, the research and writing are the easy parts. The real work begins after the last full-stop is placed on the page.

First there is the editing. I was fortunate to have funding this time and so for the last year I’ve worked with a wonderful mentor / editor throughout the writing. This had many advantages as I learned how to correct my mistakes as I wrote. The final edit was certainly made easier because of this. Consistency was an early challenge, making sure that things such as dates, numbers, titles and punctuation were treated the same way throughout the book. However, the regular monthly contact with my editor soon helped me iron out all my early irregularities.

Citing references was another challenging process, especially as I wasn’t as thorough as I should have been in the early stages. Then there were the photos, deciding which to use and whether I had permission to do so. Some fell into the too-hard basket and as my self-imposed publishing deadline approached I omitted them.

Eventually I felt my work was done, just days before I was due to deliver the manuscript to the designer at the printery. But that is another story.

New Book, New Writing

Two years can disappear as fast as water rushing down a plug hole when you’re immersed in a writing project. That is an excuse, not an explanation, for my absence here. Now that my writing project is finished and my transition to full-time writer is complete I’m excited about renewing my presence here.

The social history project mentioned in my previous post back in 2015 has come to an end and the book, Down at the Baths is about to be launched next week. I’ll post a sneak preview of the cover here and more details about it will follow shortly.

New projects are lined up and my writing life is looking exciting – to me anyway. I’m looking forward to sharing it with you

The Ideas are Starting to Flow Again

It seems I’ve been in hibernation, but really I’ve been working full-time. Nothing like a stressful day to kill creativity. However, life changes and now I find myself with time to write my stories again. So it’s back to work on my next book, plenty of time, doesn’t have to be finished till late next year.

http://www.bubblews.com/news/2712018-the-resurrection-of-a-major-writing-project

I’m getting excited about the prospect of researching and writing again. Life is looking up.

What a Wonderful Weekend

I’ve been in writers paradise for the last three days, at the river mouth of a small New Zealand seaside town tucked away from all the hustle and bustle. My only company was the wonderful birds, feeding on the mudflats.

I went to write and managed to get some writing done, not all of it what I’d planned on doing. But writing is writing is writing, so if was the word count I was after, then I probably achieved it.

Sometimes we need to get away from everyday life, in order to get things done. I’ve returned feeling fresh, and ready to face the world again. Now it’s back to reality.

 

The Opposite of Writers’ Block, What a Problem

Writers, read on at your own discretion. You may find the following content upsetting, infuriating and totally insensitive. You may feel like throwing bricks at me across the world. You may become so envious you vow never to read my writing again. I’m sorry, I have a problem and I need to share it with you.

I’m experiencing the opposite of writers block. Too many ideas are rushing at me, too many projects demanding my time. Why can’t ideas pace themselves, take their turn in line, rather than fighting for my attention?

My long term book project graciously agreed to go on hold for a week or two as I experiment with a short story competition entry, for which the deadline looms. I’m like the turtle getting closer to the finish line, word by word.

A 2000 word essay for my online writing course needed a possible topic to emerge. Of course, now I’m swamped with ideas, taunting, calling to be written now. So much for the competition entry, I now have two projects on hold and an essay I want to write.

Next writing challenge, another deadline, a picture book workshop I’m attending next weekend. I do have stories to take, but …… they were written some time ago and my writing has changed. Which of the three possibilities shall I work on?

With all these ideas calling out to be written, you may wonder what my problem is? Let me tell you, time and my lack of ability to focus on one thing at a time. I want to write them all – now! This is quite bewildering. What happened to my old friend, writers block, allowing me time to write but with any possible ideas hiding under a rock.

I know, you’ll tell me I need to be strong, get focused, choose one idea and run with it. I’m exposing myself as a scatterbrain without self-discipline. You’re right. I need to set priorities. The first priority is the short story competition. I hope the other ideas don’t mind and will wait patiently for me.

Writing Competition for All New Zealand Writers

This blog post is a challenge for all New Zealand writers and those who wonder if they dare call themselves writers. I apologise if aiming a competition at one nationality seems restrictive, but we’re only a small country and need to encourage all our local writers. I believe in the value of writing competitions enough to encourage all Kiwi writers to enter.

Manawatu Women Writers is a group of energetic, dedicated writers based in Palmerston North, New Zealand. We meet once a month to share our writing and support each other in our writing endeavours.

Every second year the group runs a writing competition to encourage fellow writers to extend writing skills and submit their best work. The competition is for poets and short story writers, no matter where in New Zealand you live. There are no age restrictions and prize money is available in both the Open and Young Adult sections.

Writing competitions are great motivation. They can extend us all as writers, challenging us to have a go at new genres or attempting to lift our skills to the next level.

This year’s Manawatu Women Writers Association writing competition closes 30 September 2013. So there’s no time to waste.

Entry forms and conditions of entry can be obtained from Dorothy Alexander, e-mail alexdor@vodafone.co.nz . Find out more and support this small group in our effort to encourage New Zealand writing by sending for your entry form now. Then start writing.

We look forward to receiving your entry before the closing date.

Confessions of a Beginning Researcher

I’m a beginner in this world of serious research with so much yet to learn. I also need to develop a little willpower along the way, curbing my natural curiosity to stray off the path when something catches my eye.

I spent a fun hour in the local library yesterday. It started with one small word in the library’s index file – Morgue. The word jumped at me from the Newspaper Index, not what I’d been searching for, but found anyway.

You see, I’m aware the site of the old Municipal Baths was originally occupied by the first city Morgue. This index discovery warranted further investigation.

I tried not looking impatient as I stood behind two people at the librarian’s desk. My turn came. I handed the librarian the name of the newspaper, the date of publication and the page and column I wanted to read – Manawatu Evening Standard, 4 July 1906, page 3, column 3. Then I confessed I had no idea how to access it.

The librarian unlocked the cabinet of antiquated reels of old newspapers on film and helped me load the film and get started. I concentrated on finding the wanted page, ignoring the many fascinating past headlines distracting me. When I found the article the small print challenged my eye sight.

I had three options, print it off at a small cost, e-mail it to myself or bring in a USB stick and copy it for reading at home. I then realised I had a fourth option. 1906 is one of the papers already available on the NZ Papers Past online. I rushed home, impatient to learn more about the community’s outrage at the existence of the Morgue in their residential area. Even worse, it was behind the Opera House, upsetting theatre goers.

From this small entry I found numerous Letters to the Editor complaining about the Morgue. I lost myself in what had been quite a topic of discontent since the Morgue had been established in 1903. The afternoon slipped by unnoticed as a story developed in my head.

Will I be able to use all this information in my next book? Probably not. The Morgue only warrants a small mention, perhaps one or two sentences as background. Was my afternoon spent in reading all I could find useful? Definitely. I now have the background leading up to why the Ashley Street site was chosen for the baths. I also learned how to do newspaper research at the library.

My concern now is staying focussed on the task in hand. How much time should I spend locating information contributing so few words to the final outcome? I still have so much to learn as I go about my research.

I’d love to hear your comments and any tips relating to your own research projects. I’m a real beginner here.

Dead Ideas Sent to the Morgue

Sometimes things are meant to be, or not meant to be as is the case for me right now. I went to bed early tonight, tired after an early start to a busy day.  My brain, however, had other plans. Elusive Ideas swirling above me all afternoon in a game of tag now decided to come close enough to be caught. I turned on the light, grabbed my pencil – my preferred writing tool – and the notebook I keep beside the bed for such moments.Sleep wouldn’t come until those ideas were captured.

Ping! Without warning the room plunged into darkness. Why hadn’t I listened when I told myself to buy a couple of new spare light bulbs today? I refused to be defeated and grabbed my laptop sitting beside the bed for such middle of the night emergencies.

For some reason, when the light went out it did so in more ways than one. The ideas laughed at how daring they’d been to tempt me into full wakefulness and ran away to hide, leaving me sitting staring at a blank computer screen.

I could do a little research, perhaps find out something about the morgue that sat on the site before the old swimming pool was built in 1917. Have you ever tried to find out about morgues long since closed? The lights were definitely out on that idea. Google shook its head and refused to part with any information about morgues in my part of the world. Maybe I need to establish one for dead ideas.

So, here I sit, wide awake, tapping away at the keyboard lit only by the light of the screen. I may as well make use of my time. Next I’ll check out a few recent blog posts before trying to drift off to sleep again. Light bulbs will definitely be on my shopping list tomorrow.

Let the Story Begin

Once upon a time, about fifty years ago, a young girl made a trip to the local swimming pool. The water, the dressing sheds, the concrete surrounds and the people all recognised another victim and cast their magic spell, pulling her into their family.

Without stopping to think, she cast off her former life and allowed the magic of swimming to possess her. Day and night during the summer months, for many years, she plunged into the water and reached out for her dreams. Even the winter months beckoned, with only the land fitness and strengthening programme keeping her warm. The girl knew her life was perfect.

But all good stories come to an end. Fortunately for the girl two events coincided. She developed an interest in boys and dating at the same time the City Fathers decided the old baths no longer served a purpose. The old pool had come to the end of its useful life. A new, modern swimming complex was opened across town and the doors of the old baths closed forever.

Now, nearly fifty years later the girl has rekindled her passion for the old brick building which once enclosed the passions of her teenage years. She recognises a story needing to be told, the story of the place the old swimming baths held in the hearts of the town’s swimming community.

Yes, my new writing project has begun. The minute I opened the first archive box of treasure yesterday, I trembled with anticipation. This box held material enabling the fifty year story of the baths to be brought to life. The pool was a grand old lady, opened in 1917 and closed forever in 1966. Her story deserves to be told. Over the next two years or so I intend piecing the story together and recreating the magic that once existed for so many of the town’s young people.

Let the story begin.

Is there a place holding passionate memories from your past that no longer exists?  Why not record your memories, enabling it to live yet again in the hearts of others.