Category: Writing

New Ideas, poetry, Public Speaker, Writing, writing prompts

Stand Up, Sit Down and Write, Move, & Write Some More!

carolyncordon

The title is a list of what I do, or want to do in my life. My Stand Up career is not actually a thing I’ve ever done for money, so not a career at all, not yet anyway.

This image is of me, getting in touch with the character I ‘am’ when I do my Stand Up Comedy act. Her name is Nanna Carreau, she’s considerably older than I am (twenty years or more) and I love acting as her, it’s so much fun to think about what she thinks about things, and to ‘be her’ sometimes, and making peopl laugh when I do it!

My Writing ‘career’ though, that is something I do make at least some money from. Not enough pay our household’s bills, but at least enough to be able to pay for my coffee and meals when I go out. Book sales, and an annual Government payment cover that …

That Government payment is called the Educational Lending Right, and is a payment to writers who have a book in a school library. It’s a fine payment, I love it, I write the book, do the necessarly things, and it goes on this program, to be looked at every year, and paying out the relevant amount to me, straight into my bank account! Money for nothing, to some extent because books in libraries can last for more than one year, so those books will bring in the money for more than just one year – Bonus!

If I were to tout myself as an interesting Puublic Speaker, talking about my books and a variety of other important things in my life, that would be a good money-making option for sure. I haven’t done that much at all though, and while I have in fact done that, it’s mostly been when doing presentations with my writng group, where I have a voluntary position as the President, and as the group is a not-for-profit group, members are unable to be paid.

When I’m doing that kind of thing, I make sure I look far better than do when ‘being’ old grumpy bum Nanna Carreau!

So what’s next? Ah, Move … The image shows my canine walking partner, Lenny. He’s our dog, and my husband and I walk him at least five times a week. We don’t cover as much distance as Lenny would have walked or run as a racing Greyhound, but it’s usually more than one kilometre. And doing the things good dog ownes need to do means more moving.

And I like getting outside regularly to be with nature to look at the sky as well as our trees and other plants, and other trees, crops, and other people’s gardens when I go for a walk. I’m usually looking at the birds out and about as well, I’m an interested bird watcher for sure.

And seeing things that interest me can give me ideas to write about, and I in fact have written poems that have then been published. Having my poetry in books, whether self-published or published by others, well that’s a good thing, for a writer!

Nature, Life, and Thinking About It All gives me plenty to write about, and I love it! If you enjoyed reading this blogpost, why not have a look at what else I’ve written?!

Thanks, maybe you have your own things in your life you’d like to tell us all about, if so, leave a comment!

Writing

My Post, Someone Else’s Blog!

carolyncordon

I was recently asked whether I would like to write a post for someone else’s blog, a post about my writing life, and I thought briefly only, and said yes, I’d love to!

And it happened, I wrote my words, Lindy tidied it all up and made it lovely, and posted it out into the world! This is the link to my post: https://www.wattletales.com.au/i-love-words-by-carolyn-cordon/

Go there and be amazed, as I was, about my writing life! I knew all of it, because I wrote it for Lindy, but seeing it put up there, out there, is an interesting experience. And reading my post there encouraged me to read more of the other posts on Lindy’s lovely “Wattle Tales” blog, there are posts from other writers, asked by Lindy Warrell to write their post for her blog. And there are interesting explorations of life there too, of course, written by Lindy herself.

So if you’d like to read about how and why some other writers write, I heartily recommend visiting the blog of my friend in blogging, and in real life too, here! Read my post there, and then explore the other interesting posts, I’m sure you’ll be glad you did!

Cozy Mystery, Writing

On Needing a Writing Schedule

carolyncordon

At the moment, I have three main writing projects I am working on. One of them is an ongoing thing, and that is editing the Mallala Crossroad Chronicle, which is a monthly newsletter for the town of Mallala. And I am trying to commit to writing a series of Cosy Murder Mysteries, I have characters, and book titles, as well as some brief ideas on what each book might be about.

I have a much bigger project right now though, bigger in terms of importance. It is an anthology of writing, about Covid-19, and it is possibly my most important thing I’ve ever taken on, in terms of community connection and historical significance. This piece is close to being finished, I just need to tie up loose ends really, put in remaining author writer bios which I’ve requested.

And I need to put together the actual front and back covers. Waiting for input from others on that one, both from different people, I’m more or less in contact with. And there’s one more piece of work to go it, that has a photograph, and some prose relating to it.

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I’m back again, and just like magic, some of those items I’ve been waiting on have appeared! I love the power of emails. I’ve also made a connection with a friend of a friend on Facebook and asked whether I may use a comment she wrote, that fits in with a new title of one of those Cosy Murder Mystery books I mentioned … And an amazing coincidence, is that the person’s name, is the same as the name of my main character in those books! Life is so amazing sometimes, if you wrote it, in a book, people may find it hard to believe, even when it’s true.

So having written all of this, I’m wondering, do I actually need any writing schedule at all really, beyond actually sitting down in my appointed sitting down spot, and just getting on with things? Actually, I haven’t actually written any more of those Murder Mystery stories, I’m simply written about them, and they are two totally different things. And to be honest with you, dear reader, I suspect I secretly don’t think I can really write those murder mysteries, cosy or not.

Writing around the edges of a book, is not actual book writing. So I think I have to get real about this, and actually make a commitment to writing That first book, and finish it, so I can give it to my chosen beta reader, and then get back to the second book, which I began writing first. By then, my dear beta reader may have told me what she thinks, and I can move forward, or backward, from that point.

But of course before any of that can happen, I have to have the first draft of a Cosy Murder Mystery book written. So perhaps I should schedule in “Cosy Murder Mystery” in my calendar, a few times a week, and see how that goes? Yes? Or how about I use that thing I’ve forgotten the name of, where you give yourself 25 minutes writing time, and definitely sit down and write. Then if things are flowing, another 25 minutes, and so on. I could find at least 25 minutes every day, for sure.

So that is what I will do. After I get back here at my writing seat, after bringing in the washing, I will commit to writing for 25 minutes, today, and every single day, more of that first book in the “At Talloola” series of cosy murder mysteries! There, I’ve written down my commitment to a writing schedule for that writing, and will do my best to stick with it!

Cozy Mystery, New Ideas, Story Ideas, Uncategorized, Writing, writing exercise, writing opportunities

Finding Things to Write About

carolyncordon

It’s a strange time right now, strange, and disconcerting even. Lock Down, comes and goes, then comes back again, and we are all learning how far away 1.5 metres is, or if we don’t others might well tell us to back off!

And even though the writing project I’d imagined would take up the rest of my writing life isn’t really actually happening now, I’m still getting lots of writing done, some of it fiction, other parts non fiction, and the writing ideas are arriving often. It seems that everywhere I look and every new thing I see, gives me new things I could write, or write about.

So finding things to write about is seemingly not a problem for me, certainly not at the moment. And I’ve been getting ideas for the novel series I have on my list of writing projects to get back to, when my brain decides it’s actually time to do that. The novel series is a series of Cosy Murder Mysteries. I have a main character, I have a lovely little town where the murders happen, I have quite a few people who live in and around the town. And I have a bad guy who is going to get murdered too, at some stage of the series.

Today I began a novel writing exercise that relates to my series (the ‘At Talloola’ series, where Meredith Webster is the amateur sleuth, finding the killers, when the cops aren’t doing their job). The writing exercise is one more or less of my own devising, or maybe something I once read somewhere else. I used the homework for my writing group from last week, to get something written to strengthen my novel series.

The homework is to use this as a writing prompt – ‘I wish I could hear …’ So I twisted the homework and asked Meredith the question, and then the two of us, Meredith and I thought we would ask another character of my ‘At Talloola’ series the question to see what she said. This is what it all looks like:

“Homework to hand up on 16/7/20

‘I wish I could hear …’ 


I wonder what Meredith wishes she could hear? I’d better ask her, perhaps tomorrow.

Sorry Meredith, I wasn’t listening, humble apologies. Oh, did I accidentally just make a joke? Haha!

No, seriously, I’m listening this time, is there anything you wish you could hear Meredith? 

Ah, an honest answer from the Mayor of Talloola … I don’t think you’re the only person who’d like to hear that!

So the mayor is an habitual liar, how does a person in your position deal with that? How do other people deal with it, I wonder. Maybe you and I can find out, Meredith. What do you think, shall we ask some questions, do you think? Carefully, of course. Who shall we ask first? 

Gert? Ah, a simple one, we both know we can trust her, she’ll understand what we’re doing, and why, I think. She’s a very astute person, is dear old Gert!

So Meredith and I went around to her place, but she wasn’t there. We were about to head off back to the council, when we heard her, calling out, “Miss Meredith, do you have a minute for a chat? It isn’t private, Carolyn can come too, of course.”

So we went over to the Talloola Museum, and followed Gert through to the sheds at the back, wondering what on earth was going on. Soon enough though, it was clear that whatever was going on, was not a pretty thing. There were scratches on the dirt in the yard there, like something heavy had been dragged along, either to, or from, the shed that held the old Talloola Fire Engine, which was a star of the Talloola Christmas Party held at the oval every year.

Gert didn’t say a word, and Meredith and I were too intrigued to break the silence … what was it that had been dragged? and had it been dragged to the shed, or from the shed?

We’d find out very soon, I think. My mind was flicking around all over the place,and my heart was bang, bang, banging away, in alarm, or excitement, or some such thing, for sure. I’d find out more, and then …”

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As you can see from this little piece, my mind is definitely still thinking about that writing project, even though it hasn’t been at the forefront of my mind, it’s still there at the back. I thing Meredith and I are doing to have lots of fun over the rest of my life. as we work on catching killers in and around Talloola!

I have the Mallala Crossroad Chronicle that I’m always thinking about of course, looking for possible articles, and ideas for attention grabbing front page pieces. And there is the “Plague Invasion” anthology, which is rapidly approaching the closing date for submission of works for consideration. As the editor of this, I’m looking for poetry and prose that is written in response to Covid-19. Anything and everything. I received an interesting piece yesterday a bit of science fiction, but it is based on our possible true future, with pandemics, and referring to our 2020 one we’re living with right now. Fascinating stuff!

So much happening, so many writing options, and of course our writing group has just ended our poetry competition, and the judge of the junior section has done her part, and found some award winners for us. I look forward to hearing from the other judge (of the Open section), and then letting the winners know. There are things to be discussed regarding this, with other writing group members.

There will be more news about this on another occasion.

I’m also quite interested in putting together a non fiction book regarding my personal and philosophical thoughts on what life is all about … Life is a smorgasbord, and I want to write the menu!

inspiration, Writing

What is a Writer?

carolyncordon

A writer can be many things – a teller of stories, a truthsayer, an inspiration, a liar, an explainer, a teacher, a flirt, and many other things. There are many genres of writing, from poetry, to fairy stories, to crime fiction, to scientific jargon filled papers about things most of us have never even heard of. And of course the many millions of things in between.

Writers can say the things we’d like to say, but are too afraid of. They can also tell us why the things we’ve said are nasty and dangerous lies, and should never have been said. Writers pen their words, sometimes getting them published, if they can, to share with the world, sometimes (they say) just writing for themselves. Who am I to doubt them?

I can only go by how I feel about this, and I have to say that I certainly want my words to be read by others. If I was a writer for myself only, I wouldn’t be writing on a blog, like this, that can be read by anyone and everyone, if they happen to come across it. And I certainly hope many people to happen to come across this blog post, and go on to discover the others I’ve penned here, and on my other blogs.

I’ve been named as being an inspiration, for sure, and even though I humbly duck my head and blush at that, I wear the label with pride. Looking back at my life, there have been hard times – I’ve been a victim, but not anymore. I went from victim, to survivor, to striver, and now to thriver!

My life is one on hope, and action, and thought, writing things that may entertain, and yes, inspire others. Writing is what I do, I am a writer. I write poetry, prose, fiction, non fiction. My life, and what I see, hear, am told, and think about, these are all my writing prompts. Thoughts come from it all, and when the time is right, the writing comes too, at the right time. Most of the time, the right time is whenever I can sit down and write!

Writing, with green bling!

So what is a writer? A writer is anyone who writes, published or not, if you write, you are a writer!