Wife, mother, Poet, Writer, Art Installationist, Stand Up Comedian, Dog Enthusiast. Spending most of my time being creative in a variety of sometimes quirky ways!
I have suffered in my life, I have had wonderful things occur in my life. Concentrating on the wonderful things makes it easier for me to live a great life.
I wrote this piece on Linked In earlier today, as a bit of an experiment, to see if anything came from it. I’m not an expert in promoting myself, in fact I’m a beginner at it in comparison to many others, but I’m trying, maybe failing to some extent, but doing the best I can, without spending money on it …
“My name is Carolyn Cordon, and if you have heard of me before, woohoo that’s great! I expect if you know who I am, there’s still a lot you don’t know about me though, I hope we can change that, I’m always open to chatting about myself, it’s the subject I know the most about! The most important thing about me is that I’m always open to having a go at doing things, as long as they feel like I can do them. Pat a snake? Been there done that, lived to tell the tail/tale. (it was a pet snake, a python, guaranteed to be friendly – he was, but I don’t need to ever do that again). One of the things I want to have a go at from 2021 is Public Speaking, as a career. Writing is great, poetry, blogging, books I love that stuff, and do a fair bit of it. This is my blog, feel free to take a look: (I typed in my blog address, but Linked In did something odd to it, but if you’re here you already know it is http://www.carolyncordonwriter.wordpress.com/blog ) I know about dogs, having Multiple Sclerosis, importance of community, creative writing, mindfulness, living a good life, eating well, and I can talk about other things too. I have opinions and am never afraid to share them! If you need a Public Speaker, I’m here, send me a message. I live in South Australia, north of Adelaide, but happy to travel a bit, for the right gig!”
So that was my lame, but possible amusing piece attempt at it. If you think it is funny, and you’d love to hear more from me, well hey, let me know and we can get something happening!
If you don’t think it was lame, tell me, and if you do think it was lame, tell me that too. Any and all responses to this are welcome! I know how to write, I can speak, self promotion, I don’t know so much about that, but putting the word out that I’m available, and a bit about what I’m available for, that has to be a good start, write?
I’m also the editor of the Mallala Crossroad Chronicle, and this past minute I’ve decided to put an ad in the January issue of the Chronicle, and see it that helps me get any Public Speaking gigs, so thanks for being here with me as I go through this process. It’s a little bit scary, but I’ve done far scarier things. I’m one of the minority who aren’t scared of public speaking …
The writing group I am the President of, has held a writing competition every year (more or less) since 2004/05, and we are holding another one for 2021. We have a different theme for the poems every year, and the 2021 theme is RECOVERY.
After the horrid year we had last year, dealing with Covid-19, which is still doing horrid things all around the world, the idea of recovery from that virus would be strongly in the minds of most. But Recovery can refer to many things, cancer, relationship break ups, broken bones, or even re-covering a sofa or chair with ripped fabric.
my ‘Recovery’ from broken ankle – I’ve written a book of poems on that! (Available on this blogsite – Angles on Ankles is the poetry collection about it)
And being clever people out there, you may well have other interpretations on this idea. That is fine, if you decide to enter this competition, just make sure the competition secretary (me) can see the reference to the theme. The competition is for adults (Open Section) and children (Primary School, and Secondary School students – two separate sections).
Entries must be sent by post, not via email for preference, in order to keep things easily under control. Emailed entries can easily be missed, and be missed and not forwarded to the relevant competition judges. Another point – entries will be accepted from overseas, but only for the Open Section, not the two junior sections. The payment details for the Open section are on the relevant Entry form and Guidelines, which are down below.
So if you have thoughts about recovery, and are interested in entering the competition, take a look at the two forms and go for it if you want to, I’ll be waiting to get the entries in the mail!
1st, 2nd & 3rd cash prizes, plus Highly Commended & Commended certificates as awarded by judge. Total prize pool over $700
ENTRY GUIDELINES
Work entered in this competition must be original, in English, unpublished and not have won a prize in any other competition. Authors retain copyright.
Theme āRecoveryā – Poems entered must in some way refer to the theme
Open Class – poets 18 years & older
Junior sections ā Primary School student (one poem only), Secondary School student (one poem only)
To maintain anonymity, entrantās name should appear on entry form only, not on poems. Entry forms are to include entrantās name, address, phone number, titles of poems submitted.
Entries should be typed, on one side of paper only, one poem to a page
Poems to be no longer than 60 lines
Entry fees: Open class $10 for first poem, $5 for every poem entered thereafter
Junior classes – no entry fee, only one poem per student
Cheques/money orders to be made payable to Adelaide Plains Poets Inc
Or electronically using these details: BSB 105-009 Acc 105 954 340 (please give poetās name with electronic payment)
Entries to: Competition Secretary, 1594 Germantown Rd REDBANKS SA 5502
Entries to be posted by close of business 2 July 2021 ā entries received after this date may not be considered for the competition.
Authors should retain a copy of their work
For further details contact: Competition secretary, Ms C Cordon
Entrantsā names or other details must not appear on poems
Declaration by author: I agree to comply with the Entry Guidelines and declare that the written work submitted in my name is my own original work and has not been copied in part, or in full, from any other source.
Entry fees: Open class $10 for first poem, $5 for every poem entered thereafter
(OPEN CLASS ONLY ā NO FEE FOR JUNIOR ENTRIES)
CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES ā 2 July 2021
Cheques/money orders to be made payable to Adelaide Plains Poets Inc, and sent with entries to Competition Secretary, 1594 Germantown Rd REDBANKS SA 5502
Or electronically using these details: BSB 105-009 Acc 105 954 340
Authors should retain a copy of their work, entries will not be returned without provision of a stamped self-addressed envelope, and a written request.
I have just begun (finally) using the 2021 diary I bought for myself last year. I saw the diary, and thought, oh how cute, I’ll get that, and I’ll use it, the same way Marcus Aurelius did, and maybe one day a piece of thoughts and ideas as good as that man’s “Meditations” may result.
Obviously though, I am not, and never will be as important a person as he was, the Roman Emperor some 2000 years ago. My one attempt at gaining public office was unsuccessful, and I’m not going to bother doing that again. It was for the position of a councillor with Local Government, a good few years ago. I’m not unhappy I didn’t get the job, I already had other responsibilities with my volunteer role.
Being the President of my Writing Group is as high as I feel I’ll need to go … I love my writing group, and being the benign dictator there! Writers are wonderful, thinking, and creative people, and I love what group members do with their words!
But now that I have this diary, and have begun using it, I suspect it is going to be useful if I try to write neatly in it. I can remember being at primary school, in about grade five, or it may have been grade four, when we used to practice writing letters, trying to make the ‘o’ letter look like an almond shape. I think.
Any primary school teachers are welcome to comment on that!
Anyway, if I write neatly in my diary, then when I become famous, biographers will be able to understand what I actually wrote. And I’ll be able to understand what I wrote too, if I ever do actually begin to write things worth using for other things later on down the track. At the moment,the most important things I’ve written are numbers, when I write down the figures for my daily weigh ins.
I hope I’ll move beyond that, and have some of my wise words written down. At the moment I feel my wisest words come out as comments on Social Media, and while that is OK, I feel I’ll be better off saving them for myself, to put into a publication at a later stage … Or I may not write anything that worthy, but even so, writing neatly is a good thing to aim for. Doing then things I do, as well as I can do them is a good thing, surely?
So I write well on my keyboard, where technology makes it all neat and nice. But the words are the most important thing, for a writer, and if I love words so much I should do the right thing by them when I write them by hand! I’d love to know what other people think about this, neat or untidy, how much does it matter?
My dear friend Michelle, who pops in on this blog sometimes, (Hi Michelle!), set me a challenge, to send her a set number of words of my current novel-in-progress. The idea was that the challenge would both inspire her with her own progress in a writing-related project, and to inspire me to get a move on in the writing of my novel.
So for all of January, every day, I am to send 500 words of my novel to Michelle for her to read, and send me back a brief word of encouragement. I don’t remember that being a part of the plan, it may be just Michelle treating me like a student of hers, and doing it to encourage me, I don’t know. It doesn’t matter about that, because the truth, having to send those words to Michelle has defenitely got the novel moving along more.
I definitely recommend other writers who have a project that is lacking in progress, may do well to find someone they like, who likes reading, and offering feedback or at least encouragement, to do the same. I merely copy and paste 500 words from my novel, in a linear fashion, unless I get it all mixed up and send something from earlier. I copy the words from my manuscript, then paste them in the body of an email, and send it off to Michelle, simple.
When I remember, I put *from here* in my manuscript just after the piece I last sent off, so I know where to copy the next 500 words from. And the really good thing, or things actually are, I will have 15,500 more words in my novel written, that may not have happened, and the best thing is once January is over, Michelle and I are going to get together, and look at what I have so far. How it’s going, whether anything needs fixing, and so on.
This is a good way to get help in writing a novel, I reckon, and I’m so glad Michelle suggested it! Writers need quiet times away from everyone, to get longer works written, but they need friends too, to keep them on track, to listen and to offer support!
Wife, mother, poet, blogger, writer, dog lover, watcher of nature, editor, motivated community member, writing group President, and other things. These are the things I am, now. Fine things, things to be proud of, for sure..
But in my head are the things I’ve been. The past, the things that happen to us, they don’t just happen and then disappear. They remain, sometimes buried away below life’s flotsam and jetsam, but then that trigger hits you, and it comes back, and it’s like it’s right there again, even if only for a moment. But that moment can last for all of your lifetime.
So I’ve been a victim of child sexual abuse, and victim of sexual abuse as a young adult. I’ve been a worker in the Commonwealth Public Service, and before that a stablehand and strapper for my harness racing father. I’ve been a part time worker in a few varied jobs, I’ve been employed, interested, bored, confused, stressed out, and sacked.
Now, I’m proud of who I’ve been, even that job where I got sacked. I said the wrong thing, apparently, but gee, giving me free wine, what did they expect, if they can’t handle the truth, sheesh! That job gave me half a year of sleepless nights anyway, so I’m glad they sacked me. It as a shame the man who actually sacked me was a friend of my brother’s from many years previously.
What a way to completely crush a one time girlish crush that was! Moving out of our teenage years and into adulthood is a good thing, but when money takes over, softer feelings disappear, and the almighty dollar hardens emotion into a scabby little sore that will heal over, and disappear …
But today, I am something else, today I am an Inspirational Creative Writing Guru. That’s who I am today. Lots of days actually. Today I was told by a writing friend that something I posted on Facebook inspired her to do lots of writing, and she is thrilled with the words she has produced. I’m thrilled back at her about that.
Today I’ve also give a ‘critique’ on a poem a friend posted to Facebook, a fantastic poem that wrenched me in the guts, brought back unwanted memories, reminded me of things I’d love to get rid of, but know will be there, somewhere, until I die. Good writing can do that, and today I let that poet know how good her poetry is, how fantastic that poem was. I know she will go on writing gut wrenching poetry, it is inside of her, and her story is an important one.
Hidden away stories, the ones that can come out in this kind of poetry, if I can be involved in that kind of writing, the kind that can sometimes help to ease some of the pain of our terrible memories, being involved in these things is a terrible, beautiful, ugly and true thing. and again, if you can’t handle the truth, sheesh!
Many people have these kinds of things in their lives, and if they have someone in their lives who writes the tough stuff too, they can inspire that person to work through things, bring out their truth, share the pain, and sometimes some healing may come. I hope I can help people like this. I have had my own work, difficult things, published and I am glad to have done that, because I know how good it feels to share words with others who truly understand.
