I write about lots of different things, in a variety of styles, or genre(s). It would be possible to call my method random, but I prefer the word Eclectic, and who wouldn’t – random sounds like the person has no real idea of what they’re doing, while Eclectic sounds much fancier and well considered perhaps, and therefore better.
If you don’t know what Eclectic means, you can probably figure it out based on the paragraph I wrote first. And if you’re still not sure, hey, Google it – Boom Tish! That was a cultural reference for readers who follow Australian politics closely, even obsessively.
Back to me again now. I have a variety of published books, different genres, and quite different subject matter. First up, I have a children’s school reader, then I have some books about an imaginary dog named Buster (three books, with another sort of on the way). I have some non fiction books, I have poetry collections.
And I have to say all of my books were a joy to bring out into the world! That first book, the school reader has been the one that has brought me the most money, yet it is the one I feel the least involved with. The publishing process was very ‘hands off’, and so I feel less like it was all my work, but I’ll happily accept the Educational Lending Rights that arrive in my bank account every year!
And while that school reader, “My Dog” is the title, earns me the most money, I don’t love it, not the way I love say “Dog Buddha’s Thoughts” which is my third book with Buster the Dog. I loved writing that one, it felt like I was exploring a new religion, and taking on board the basic beliefs there, as I was, I suppose, as I was thinking in the book about how dogs may do religion … A fun and thoughtful time, that was!
And the book I wrote about my Chronic Illness, that was an interesting process. I’d gained a grant to pay for a mentor to assist me to write a book in verse, a memoir, all about what I was learning about living with Multiple Sclerosis. My mentor was Ray Tyndale and I was meeting up with her regularly, in a suburb some way from where I lived, but it was a fun and interesting time, sharing what I’d written with Ray, and getting help with what I’d done, and tips on making it better. The title of that book is “Mick Jane And Me – Living Well With MS”.
My most recent book is “Leonard Cohen Is Dead”, a poetry collection published by a local publisher, Ginninderra Press. They also have published an earlier poetry collection, as well as a chapbook. If I eventually put together another chapbook, as I’m considering at the moment, I will submit it to Ginninderra again, I like them, and they’ve been good for me.
The chapbook idea is a fun one, write up to 25 poems perhaps on a particular theme, submit it, and if accepted, you’ll have a small book you can fit in your pocket, to carry with you and share with others! And if they like your book, it will only cost them $5 to buy themselves a copy!
That new chapbook I’m thinking about, well I suspect I’ll have to give myself a deadline, if I want to see it finished … I have perhaps half as many poems written as I’ll need, and until I get more relevant poems written, that are acceptable to me, well until then, there’s nothing to send anywhere! The theme for this one is our pond, and thoughts I’ve had or will have, that relate to the pond, in its various seasons and manifestations.
I’m also the Editor of the monthly newsletter for my local town, Mallala, the “Mallala Crossroad Chronicle”. I source pieces to go into it, write some of it too, and I gather it all together every month and have it printed, then I distribute the copies in Mallala, to particular places. It’s also available online, on the Facebook page of the same name “Mallala Crossroad Chronicle”.
I enjoy putting this together, and have been pleased to be accepting pieces from some of the members of my writing book, so it means I have a page of writing from them, that I on’t have to write, a bonus for both them, and me as well! And for the readers too, because these writers bring their own ideas into what they write for the “Chronicle”.
I’ve also just begun writing for an online writing site, Medium, and while I’m enjoying writing there immensely, it is interfering with my other writing, or is that adding to it? Who knows, it’s fun, coming up with new articles, then writing and posting them on the site, while hoping there may be at least a small amount of interest shown in what I wrote. I’ve been writing for Medium for a bit over a year, and while I’ve made some money there, it’s only a tiny amount, not enough to buy a house with!
But I like writing, and will go on writing for Medium a bit longer, I would think. It may be that you might be interested in giving this a go as well, and if you do, please use this link, because then I’ll earn money when you do too!
So, as you can see, I have an eclectic collection of books and options of ways to get my words out into the world, and I am enjoying this writing life so much! This is what I want to go on doing for the rest of my life! And if I do, who knows, I might manage to finish the novel I’m also writing, a Cosy Murder Mystery, set in a town very much like Mallala, named Talloola!
Cheers, readers, please drop me a comment, if you’d like to know more!
Carolyn Cordon - Creative 