Category: inspiration

inspiration, poetry, Story Ideas

My Next Book

carolyncordon

My next book is with the Publisher (Ginninderra Press), and it’s out now!  The book, “Angles on Ankles” proves to me, yet again, that writing about the less than lovely things that are in our lives, can give widespread interest to readers, and that has to be a good thing, right? Right!

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This book is a chap book, a small collection of poems I wrote after I recently broke my right ankle. I fell over, breaking two bones in the ankle. An ambulance took me to one hospital for treatment, then I went to another hospital, for more treatment for a day or so, and then I went, by ambulance again to a third hospital, where I had my ankle operated on, and fixed.

While I was in hospital a friend gave me a small notebook (many thanks Laura), and I wrote a couple of poems about my broken ankle experience. Then once I was home, and having to keep zero weight on my right ankle, I spent lots and lots of time sitting around, with my right foot up, and healing.

There are 21 poems in this book (more really, but I’m including the page of Senryu, as just one poem). So even though a writing friend didn’t think there was that much to write about breaking your ankle, I’ve certainly proved him wrong! I forgive him though, and have invited him (John Malone), to launch this book for me!

In this little collection, I mention pain, gratitude, friends, things that happened, or things I saw or was a part of during this time, as well as my thoughts about the whole process. When you have to sit and you’re unable to do much because you’re not supposed to put any weight at all on your broken ankle, it gives you lots of time to think.

And think I certainly did. I was fortunate, that my pain has been minimal, apart from the extreme pain when I fell over and did the actual breaking part of this drama, that was the worst pain I’ve ever felt. Once the ambulance and medical people got involved though, zero pain.

I was given extreme pain relief at the very start of all of this, when my ankle was initially treated, to get the ankle back into its proper position, and then after that at the hospitals, I was given medication so I could be comfortable, and pain free. Once I came home, I had the pain medication I picked up at the last hospital I attended, all good and all pain free now.

Some of these things are in this book, “Angles of Ankles”, and I hope I get many sales, and many hugs too, from people who want to have a copy of “Angles on Ankles”. I think this book would certainly be of interest to other people who have broken their own ankle, or perhaps sustained some other break of a limb. There are also thoughts about being in hospital, and about the resting and rehabilitation process.

This is the link about how to get yourself a copy of this book, if you’d like to. The book is not for sale by the publisher to people out of Australia, but as soon as my own copies of the book arrive, that I’m going to order, I will be able to see copies to people from anywhere, as long as those wanting a copy are prepared to pay for the postage costs, as well as actual book cost.

Because these chap books are so small, they only cost around $5, so that minimal size, and cost, means even with postage overseas, the cost isn’t high. And below, for your interest, is one of the poems from my book, I hope you enjoy it!

And if you have your own stories about injuries, and extended and unexpected times of rest and recovery, Please leave a message, I’d love to commiserate with you!

 

Tibia & Fibula

 

Boredom, 

ding! bang! 

people talking,

I remain here, 

still wriggling 

& wiggling my toes,

and learning a truth 

about time –

Hospital Time 

is not the same

as normal time, 

& plans made

by hospital staff, 

while worthy,

are as brittle 

& breakable

as a bone, 

or two bones 

at once.

inspiration, Writing

Some Words About Notebooks

carolyncordon

If you’re a writer, I would expect you quite likely already know what I am going to write here, regarding notebooks. But there may be little things you have thought about before. If you’re not a writer, or don’t call yourself one yet, keep reading, you may one day join the ranks of the ‘world of writers’ and could find the information useful and interesting.

So, firstly, notebooks are excellent places for scribbling random ideas, thoughts, interesting now words, and a variety of other things. For instance, if you’re writing a novel, your notebook can be a useful place to scribble plot ideas, or some possible twists or red herrings for your novel. If you write non fiction, the notebook can be useful for noting down possible ideas for chapters, research, and so on.

I’m a novelist, (or trying to be one), but mostly I’m a poet, and I write random poems in the various notebooks I have. Going back to my novel-in-slow-progress, I have written down many short snippets for the novel I want to create, pieces that will go in the book, eventually.

But at the moment, I am putting together a chapbook, which is a small poetry collection of 15 to 40 pages. This collection has a theme, which is very personal to me. It is all about my right ankle, which I broke at the end of September this year. I want to have something in writing, looking at various aspects of what having a broken ankle is like.

So, to notebooks. When I was in hospital, a good friend of mine dropped in for a visit, and she gave me a present. This present was a notebook, which I was thrilled to receive. I have that notebook on the sofa next to me at the moment, and I was so happy when I opened it up earlier today, and looked inside.

You see, I’d already written 18 poems to go in my chapbook about my ankle, and thought that might be enough, but this notebook has two poems in it, that I can put into the chapbook! When I put all of the poems together, and include an introduction, that will make for a reasonable sized chapbook.

The great thing about notebooks is that when you have a few of them, you can go back and look in them, and discover interesting bits of writing that you’d forgotten about. I’ve found little gems of poems sometimes, and that is so thrilling, realising that yes, you are actually a fine poet, because that poem was yours!

If you want to put together a poetry collection, either a smaller chapbook, as I am currently working on, or a bigger poetry collection, always find as many of your notebooks as is possible, to bring some of your older poetic gems out into the public’s eye!

And sometimes those older notebooks can show you good things about how far you have come in your poet life, when you cringe at something you wrote many years ago, but you can now easily see ways to improve the earlier work, and turn it into something publishable.

Notebooks are also useful for writing down interesting and quirky little things that happen too. Sometimes these things can end up being funny little poems, fun to share with others when times call for amusing little things to share.

So if you are, or would like to be a writer or poet, get some notebooks, and use them as often as possible. That way you will always have material available for your writing, and you will always have something to do, write something in your notebook!

If you have any words of wisdom about notebooks, I;d love to hear it, leave a message here!

Cozy Mystery, inspiration, Uncategorized

Talk to your Character

carolyncordon

A dear friend of mine, Martin Christmas, is a fine poet, and even finer human being. He is a doer, an encourager, and as I said, a dear friend. Martin knows of my current troubles (a fractured ankle), and he is making sure my brain is still good, even if my ankle is busted.

I appreciate his effort, and his ideas that it might be a good chance to work on my written work. I agree that is should be a good chance for that, I’m comfortably seated, my laptop on my lap, with plenty of power available. So why is there no action going on with my proposed series of Cozy Mysteries, featuring Meredith, my main character.

I want this to happen, this series of books. I did lots of work on them earlier, perhaps when I was in hospital? Or it may have been before that. Hmm, before, I think. My mind is a little befuddled with all of the pain relief I had been taking, over the past fortnight … but anyway, I did manage to have a Talloola township thought while in hospital. I thought that I had to have a hospital in my town in my books, Talloola, and there had to be a murder in the Talloola Hospital, for Meredith to solve that crime.

I haven’t got much further than that thought, consciously, but I hope my subconscious mind may have been fiddling with the idea. To that end, I am going to do some free writing, chatting with Meredith, and see where (or if) things go. Meredith and I are good friends, she is a bit like the me I’d like to be, taller, prettier, a working woman, with a hunk of a football player as her love interest. (that bit is not me, my love interest is the wonderful man who is looking after me at the moment (and always).

So excuse me, while I go away and talk with my main character. If anything happens, and I sincerely hope something will happen, well, I’ll come back here and talk about it! I am very grateful to have Martin as a good friend, am hope I can live up to his (and my) expectations of what I am capable of doing!

Writing a whole series of Cozy Mysteries was a big project, but if I can live through a fractured ankle, and do it well, there’s no telling what else I can do, Ciao!

inspiration, Uncategorized, writing opportunities

Writing Opportunities

carolyncordon

It has been suggested to me by a friend that ‘now’ would be a great time for me to get stuck into my writing, and get plenty written.

‘Now’ relates to the fact that I am at home, unable to easily get out and about, because I have fractured my right ankle. The friend obviously meant well, and wasn’t being nasty at all, in any way.

However, I suspect this friend has probably never fractured a bone (or two). I have been home from hospital for the operation to ‘fix’ my fractured ankle, for less than a week, and I have written a few creative words, (a poem and some blog things), but the thought of writing anything much at all, couldn’t be further from my mind.

Merely getting around my house is enough of a challenge for me. I can’t walk, I have to use a kind of super scooter called a Knee Walker to get from here to there and back again.
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So getting stuck back into my proposed series of Cozy Mystery books isn’t appealing to me at all, to write about. I do have a better knowledge of what it’s like to be in hospital though, and I certainly had a thought while I was in hospital, that the Town my series was set in should have a hospital, for sure.

I didn’t get any further than that though, although, I’m excited that my writing group will be at my place for our next meeting, and who know, I may write about my main character at the Talloola Hospital, investigating a crime!

So yes, Time can be an important factor in having the opportunity to write, but you also need the inspiration, and the inclination to write too. Time alone won’t make a novel happen. I often get quite inspired by our group’s writing prompts, so who knows? Maybe something will appear at the meeting on Thursday! 20191004_140748

inspiration, Writing

Looking for Something …

carolyncordon

When a writer is in between projects, or has let one thing rest, and is working towards thinking about it again, and deciding what might do next, they may be looking for the inspirational thing that will pump up the volume, and get them going hard again on their writing. They may look like they’re not doing anything at all, but deep inside their head, there could be mighty ‘thinks’ going on, unknown to the rest of the world, and unknown even to them.

analysis blackboard board bubble
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

It can be a time of ‘fluffing around’, doing little bits of writing, bigger bits of totally non writing things. Gazing at clouds and trees and birds may occur. The dog could be let outside, and let back in again, with resultant non-literary work a welcome step aside back to the ‘ordinary’ world.

Then a thought may come, and another, and suddenly that half-written novel or poetry collection springs back into life and the words may flow as strongly as a flooding river! That time can be a glorious one of inspiration, and words, all flowing together in beautiful ways!

If you have ever been in this wonderful time of “flow”, you will understand, if you haven’t been there yet, if you keep on writing, it is sure to happen at some stage, perhaps when you are able to give uninterrupted time to your writing. Sometimes, afterwards, it might feel like the words were written by another person, but take joy in it all, these may be the finest words you have ever managed to write!

Or there may be some bits of dross, stuff that doesn’t make sense to you, but keep on with what you’re doing, it might all come together at a later time. Look for any gems of inspiration, and who knows, it may be that what you wrote is actually a quite different style, that might take time to come to terms with.

If you’ve been writing poetry, perhaps your brain decided to write a novel when you weren’t paying attention, in that state of flow. Look at your work, your words, and prepare to keep an open mind about what you’ve done! 20190618_142947

I find Nature inspirational, the trees, the blue sky and the clouds, lovely!

 

Writing is a strange thing to do, a solitary thing, working alone, as you prepare something you’d like to share with multitudes! So keep an open mind, as I said, and always be prepared to trust your writer’s brain, when things really take off, you never know where you might end up. Sometimes a writing prompt can work like this, you’re given something random to write about, and Bang!, something beautiful happens with your words!

This is what inspiration is, you can’t guarantee it will come, but you should make the most of it when and if it does! If you have a story of a time you were inspired, I’d love to read about it, leave a comment here, and tell us about it!