Saturday, September 23, 2017

Chilling Out In the Heat

Today is the first day of only a few where I'm not doing much - well, okay a little housework, but not as much as I'd normally do. 

I'm not editing anything because 'The Tour Guide' is off being read by my First Reader. And I'm looking into getting the cover done over the next month or so.

And I'm also waiting for my business cards to show in the mail from Vistaprint as well - in time for the markets next month.

So, I'm going to finish up the archiving of my files in the green box and the purple boxes and put them away this weekend. And I've picked a good weekend for this as it's a real stinker of a weekend here in Brisbane.

I'm hoping to get this room all finished up before Christmas - as I believe that no matter what, slow and steady wins the race. If I rush in cleaning out books or cleaning out the business side of my life, I'll toss out something I really do need. 

I know that sounds weird, but it's true.

There's also the NaNoWriMo coming up as well, which I'm hoping to take part in again this year. From the past two years, I wrote some great works and got in and did some interesting books from that month of writing. I wrote 'Angel Love' and 'The Tour Guide' during the last two years... I wonder what I'll get done this year? 

Well, that's all I'm up to at the moment. Until my next post, happy reading.

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Home Office Clean-Up

I haven't done much reading lately. But this is mainly because I've been decluttering the home office; and haven't had the time to get in and read any of my books which I normally love to read at this time of year.

There's three archive boxes blocking up the room, along with synthetic bags sitting around with bank statements and bills in them... and I've also got rubbish bags waiting to be used for rubbish - and so far, I've tossed out three bags into the bin outside.

However, I have found some written work I've been looking for and put that away to transfer it all onto the computer - this will take time as there's plenty of other work to get onto the computer and to file away as well.

Otherwise, I'm trying to find a book I read in 2010 titled 'The Traveller' by John Twelve Hawks. I found a letter I wrote to my niece - but never posted - and what I wrote about the book in it was pretty good; and I started looking for it last night to see if I could add it to my Mt TBR without success. I'm hoping to get in and find it over the weekend... I know I didn't throw it out and it's not a Bookcrossing book either.

Well, what are you getting up this weekend? You know I'm looking for that book to add to my pile of reading, and I'm also going to look at editing something for publishing. Then, I'm going to send off some of my work to one of my First Readers to see how it goes over. I really want to get something published this year. Well, until my next post, happy reading.

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Inspiration

Writers are asked where they get their inspiration every day. But we can't answer that question the same way each time we're asked; it's not possible.

Some of the most famous people get their inspiration for their best-known works from the most mundane things in life. 

Haruki Murakami keeps to a strict routine of health and fitness when he's writing a novel. He says the repetition of it keeps him inspired. 

Daniel Handler says that noticing everyday things and was his way of being inspired. He saw everyday events and took them in a different way or perspective.

Richard Siken started painting after he published his book of poetry - 'Crush' - and felt he didn't have anything else to say. So, after he started painting, he began writing about painting - first about himself painting, then about other paintings. He also reads books he loves; then to push himself to write, he'll read something he hates as well. The latter makes him get in and work on new work.

Ann Patchett's way is to consider everything; then weeds out what she can't use - there's no good or bad inspiration. She says: 'Most of us are full up with bad stories, self-indulgent stories, works of unendurable melodrama. We must get them all out of our system in order to find the good stories that may or may not exist in the freshwater underneath.'

So many other writers take a different take on how they become inspired. I got the above authors ways from here

But there's always the ones we already know of; like Agatha Christie, who got her best ideas while washing up. Stephen King always takes an afternoon walk - even now - every day (with a book in hand). 

How I get my inspiration is to work on other things besides my writing. I've taken up painting, and when I'm working on that - which works a different part of my brain altogether - I can figure out what needs working on while I'm painting. Other ways I become inspired is to get outside and work hard in my garden... this is most especially in Winter when my garden is dormant and my plants need repotting or upgrading to bigger containers. Otherwise, I get in and knit or do needlepoint - which doesn't sound like I'm doing much, but it's all do with with my hands, while watching my favourite tv show on dvd: 'Supernatural'. And man, do I get some great ideas from there? Of course I do! Well, until my next post, happy reading - and writing.