G’day Everyone, if you’ve been wondering what has happened to my blog I have a simple answer for you - it’s moved.

Due to a variety of reasons this blog wasn’t working as it should so I have now progressed to something bigger and better.

You’ll now find me on my new site at: http://www.writing-information-and-tips.com/writing-information-blog.html

Hope to see you soon

I didn’t manage to see the sunrise this morning, would you believe there were too many clouds in the way. Not that I am complaining because our predictable summer drought and heatwave (43.9 degs on Boxing Day I am told) have finally ended. I’m not sure what time last night it started raining but it is, thankfully, still going this morning.

These kind of days always remind me of the (McCains I think) Sweet Corn tv ad where the farmer yells, ‘Marge, the rains are here’. The ad itself is rather corny (no pun intended) and not one of my favourite but obviously the catch phrase works. Which I guess puts it up there with YellowPages (I’m not happy, Jan), Sussans (This goes with that), L’Oreal (Because you’re worth it) and of course the margarine one that is perhaps ETA 5 star (Who knows? Mum knows).

Funnily enough, I know the slogans but I don’t buy the products. I’m sure that’s not had ads are meant to work.

Writing Exercise

Look around where you are sitting at this moment. Pick something within arms reach (pen, notebook, envelopes, chocolate muffin) and write a slogan for it, maybe even the whole ad. Just remember to have fun with it and don’t try to make it too highbrow, most ads are just for everyday people who think the same way you do. Scary huh?

How often do you look at the clouds?

I always thought that if I hadn’t become a writer I would study the weather.  I love the look of clouds, what they predict, what they can tell and quite possibly the concept that the sky and world is so vast.

I don’t usually get the chance, but this morning I sat in the garden and watched the sunrise, it was probably due to it being the first week back at school and daylight saving. Either way it reminded me (as I watched the gilded pink clouds surf across the sky) that where as others can just notice the world and its moments of beauty, for writers it is part of the job description. How can we write if we don’t see the small things and memorise wonders? Because surely this is what puts the depth, senses and reality into our work. Without the visual descriptions how can we paint the pictures and create a fantasy?

So, when did you last look at the clouds?

Writing Exercise

Look around you and notice one of the small wonders of our world. Absorb the moment and then write an indepth description of it. I can guarantee it won’t be long before you find a piece of writing to include it in.

I came across this quote today and, since it made me stop and think, I thought I should share it.

‘It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? For the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone. That is where the writer scores over his fellow: he catches the changes of his mind on the hop. Growth is exciting; growth is dynamic and alarming. Growth of the soul, growth of the mind.’

These words come from Vita Sackville-West (The Hon Lady Nicholson), the English poet, novelist and gardener who wrote from 1917 - 1960.

Writing Trigger

So the question is, what moment today are you going to clap the net over?  

Yes, it’s official I’m back from my Chrissie holiday. (Over a month - you have to love the benefits of being self-employed.) But, despite enjoying the time with my family, I am now eager to get back to my desk and my writing. 

So what did I miss? Tons of stuff no doubt. 

Writing Exercise (not quite a writing one, but worthy none the less)

Make a list of all the members in your family and next to each name write at least five positive traits that person has. Then, if you think the outcome would be beneficial, tell them.

Here is my fun list of signs that we have crossed the threshold from November into December. Feel free to let me know any that I have forgotten.

• At least a dozen Christmas cards have already arrived in the mail.
• Somebody has said, ‘I can’t believe it’s nearly Christmas already, it only seems like last month …’
• The shopping centre Christmas decorations are already attracting cobwebs.
• In every batch of TV adds there seems to be one for a barbeque or a bank loan.

 Writing Exercise

Write down the sentence below than just keep writing.

‘As the gentle drone of the Postman’s motorbike drifted further down the street I raced out to check what he had left.

It’s fair to say that I knew my gardening was a little lax, but I didn’t realise just how bad until this week when I asked for a quote on mowing our lawn. We have a standard Australian garden with two lawns one relatively small and one slightly larger. I had expected to be given a set price. But no, my garden was so scruffy that the lawn mower man couldn’t give me a set price he had to quote me an hourly rate!

Despite that I have to admit that it is nice to see the footpath again.

Writing Exercise

Make the theme for your writing an overgrown garden.

For anybody who read the recent comment (and dare) from my friend the children’s author, Sally Murphy, you will know that she has challenged me to list 7 random or weird facts about myself. Now, Sally, I tempted here to make some smart comment about weirdness but am choosing to bite my tongue for fear that it might come back and haunt me.

So here we go, 7 random or weird facts about me:

1. It took me 5 years to get far enough over my fear of animals so that we could get my daughter the dog she had always wanted.
2. When I lived in England I used to be in my village’s Morris Dancing side.
3. I had never been in a plane until I was 21, and then my first flight was from the UK to Australia and it took 36 hours.
4. The first Do-It-Yourself project my husband and I ever did was putting up a shelf - it fell down within the week. Our second project was to build a kit home, entirely from scratch (we did everything except the concrete pad, electrics and plumbing) - it is still standing 18 years later.
5. I beleive strongly in syncronicity (even if I can’t spell it).
6. I am physically healthier in the country than I am in a city. (So don’t ask me why we haven’t moved to the country yet.)
7. Because of our geographical locations I don’t chat much to my sister yet without prior knowledge the man she married has the same first names as mine, and when she gave birth to her twins (8 weeks before I had my child) she chose both the names we had been considering. Spooky!

The other part of this challenge was to invite 7 more bloggers to be involved (which in honesty is the part I find hardest which is why my 7 actually look like 3.):

Melissa Markham ~ Melissa’s Idea Garden

Heather Goldsmith ~ A Creative Journal

Dotti Enderle ~ Author

I hope you take up the challenge and have some really weird things to share, but I’ll still talk to you if you don’t. Have fun

Well, tomorrow is the big day. It’s the annual Bronze Quill Luncheon and Awards for the Society of Women Writers and whilst I don’t expect to win anything, as President I do have to present them. Besides let’s face it, how often do the presenters get presented to?

So with all the engraving and certificate printing going on around me, as you might expect, today’s writing exercise is based entirely on that.

Writing Exercise

Write a story or poem that is based on receiving or not receiving a trophy.

Another gorgeous day here which means there is no option but to fix the retic and clean out all the sand that has gathered in the sprinklers over winter. Ah the fun of it, but since we are the only state not on sprinkler restrictions I guess we are the lucky ones. And the maintenance certainly beats seeing all my plants die because I keep forgetting to water them.

The writing exercise below as you might guess is triggered by today’s job. Try it out as a first sentence and see where you end up. Have fun

 Writing Exercise

Resting my hand on the tap I turned it gently hoping to coax some water out of it - nothing! What on earth was going ….