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When life becomes more threatening than what I may write in a Murder Mystery book, I have to admit I’m finding it extremely difficult to get any words of my Cosy Murder Mystery book happening.

Today is a new day, and still there are no new words written for my Cosy Murder Mystery … I’ve toyed with and then dumped any idea of putting details of a mystery virus causing havoc in the town of Talloola, where my Cosy Murder Mysteries are set. Although, hmm, maybe? Or no?
Any thoughts about this would be welcome, is it too soon to use Covid 19? Or simply nowhere near a ‘cosy’ thing to put into such a novel?

I might have a go at writing a piece of flash fiction, set in the town of Talloola, where my cosy murder mysteries are all going to be set. I was thinking about what is happening in Mallala, the small town closest to where I live, as I was there, catching up with a friend, and visiting the Op Shop and Cafe there.

Things are not quite as usual, the cafe has moved outside, and we were all sitting further away from each other than is usual. These are certainly challenging times, and while we’re all washing our hands often, and definitely not hugging, ‘to keep safe’, we can only hope that scientists will come up soon with a solution to this killer virus.

Thinking about lots of things, and pondering the mindset of some people, whose reaction to potential disaster is to buy up toilet paper in an effort to make their fortune off the misfortunes of others. The price of toilet paper is going through the roof, as supplies are quickly snapped up in supermarkets, and the government tries to keep it all under control …

And in the midst of this kind of toxic capitalism, there are many beautiful acts of kindness happening, where neighbourhoods join together to help each other, and needed goods shared, where they can be spared. This is the kind of world I wish to live in, not the nasty ‘snatch it up, it’s mine!’ kind of world. These kinds of ideas are suitable to think on for me, whatever kind of writing I’m doing.

One of my writing-related roles is as the Editor of the Mallala Crossroad Chronicle, and I was certainly thinking about these kinds of thoughts, as I was writing the front page of the March issue, which is due to be published before the end of March. Mallala is very much like Talloola, and who knows how much of this current challenging situation might one day leach out into fiction?

One of my writing group members is writing a novel, set slightly in the future, and her current work is eerily putting out story lines that are now coming true … Can she see into the future, I wonder? She certainly makes no such claims, but I wonder … Or is she an intelligent listener and reader, who thinks a lot, and makes conclusions based on the evidence presented …

All of these thoughts are bouncing around in my head, and I wonder when, or if, things will ever feel ‘normal’ again? But writing,in various forms, will go on being written, and as performances of many kinds are being cancelled, due to this coronavirus, books will be written and bought, perhaps online though, rather than in shops. Time, as they say, will tell. What do you think?

Writers who simply keep all of their writing to themselves may be good writers, but they will never be successful ones. To be successful as a writer, you have to get your words ‘out there’ where others can read and appreciate what you’ve done, and what you continue to do.

Having a vision of yourself as that successful writer, and taking action toward making it happen, is what you have to do. Being involved with others who want to further their writing success, may seem like a bad idea, because you may be competing, but it’s actually a great idea, because there’s plenty of room for more and more good writers in the world! BE one of them, and gain inspiration from others!

Meeting other, more successful writers, is a great way to gain connections – meet them, talk with them, exchange business cards! And if you wish to gain a readership, look for every option possible to make this happen. Go to Author talks, workshops, anything where you can meet with successful writers! Public radio stations are always looking for people to talk on their programs. Send in your details, and talk!

Public libraries are often looking for writers to talk about their books too, and there may be the chance to run a workshop in writing, if you feel confident in doing that. And a tip for you, if you write creatively already, enjoy it, and are satisfied that you do it well, you’ll probably do well at running workshops – give it a go, it could be a new way to sell books! Always have your books with you to sell!

Schools too, are sometimes good for finding ‘talking’ engagements. Those students are itching for something new, and someone different to listen to. Contact schools close to where you live, and you may be surprised at how exciting and invigorating talking with these great young people can be.

So hold to a Vision of yourself as an interesting and successful writer, and work at making it so. If this seems too far away for you to achieve, baby steps, but forward steps. Write up a CV that shows your credentials as this Successful Writer, with any and all of your writing or word related successes.

Being prepared to ‘Get out there!’ is part of this Vision for becoming a Successful Writer. My personal next step is going to be to send out my details to service groups, schools, and libraries, close to where I live. Probus, CWA, Rotary, Lions clubs, they are all looking for their next speaker for a meeting, and that Speaker could be you. These may not be paid gigs, but they are definitely chances to sell copies of your books, if you have copies available.

And that hint, repeated, if your have any published books, you should always have copies available to sell, whenever you go out anywhere, where it may be appropriate to share news of your writing.

Coffee chat with friends – YES, trip to explore a new town – YES, visit to relatives -YES – shopping journey – YES, everywhere you go – YES!

Any and all of these may lead to book sales, or possible speaking engagements. And have your business card too, always. I’m thinking about making up book marks with my contact details … Perhaps I could include a list of my published books. Or I could have book marks with a poem of mine on them, and the details of the Poetry Collection of mine the poem cam from.

You may have different ideas on what you might be able to do. List the possibilities, and do it, I’m going to!

When you’re a writer, do you look to the things that are happening inside yourself, or outside of yourself? Or do you, and should you, do both? Beginning writers often start out writing about themselves, and this is certainly not a bad thing. Eventually, as we mature, we can begin to feel ourselves capable of forming thoughts, and responses to the things happening ‘out there’.

We write, share our words, get feedback from others and gain respect for what we write and say, and we realise we can help to influence our world, using our words and the gravitas gained from sharing them. So when we reach that stage in our writing career, surely it’s time to look outside of ourselves, and to write about topical things, events happening ‘out there’ in the real world.

Gaining respect, utilising your mind, and talents with words, gives you the chance to work at helping to make a difference, to assist in opening up the minds of other people. It’s possibly true that you don’t feel qualified for this role, but step up and do it anyway. There are so many people using their words, but they’re using them for selfish reasons, not the good reasons you would be doing it for.

Step up, reach out, write, and read out what you have written, bravely, and without fear or favour! Your time has come. I am always humbled when people tell me they find me inspiring. Yes I’m humbled, but also excited, that another person has seen what I can do, and they can begin to think they can do these things too.

I’m not anything extraordinary, I’m just one person, punching above my weight perhaps, but using my talents to do all I can, to do good, in the ways I’m capable of doing. Writing, and authentically connecting with others, are my major skills. I use those skills when I can, reaching out to others, writing on things that seem important to my various ‘communities’. Friends, family, others, writers, community-driven people, working together, bringing a greater good.

When you have opinions on topical issues, use your words and your mind, to explore the issues, write, think, write again, and share. Words help you to gather together your opinions, and once you’ve gathered those opinions, send them out, poetry, prose, however you can, get it down, then get it out, into your greater world. The writers/thinkers, the creatively minded ones will be the ones who can bring us all together, fighting for a common good.

We must do this, and connect with other people to do more of it, otherwise we are likely to be overtrodden, victims of ‘the market’, and the lack of vision that seems to be overrunning so many things at the moment. Politicians don’t care about people, their care about votes. But we, the people, are the voters, our vote, and our word, is what the politicians should fear, not want. Speak out, so the government realises they must pay attention to what we, the people, have to say!

Don’t be docile, grazing in the field the government wishes you to remain in, crash through, or you, we all, will crash, victims of lack of proper thought, and lack of true Vision. We can do this, with our words, and our heart and minds. Together. Are you with me?