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Regarding Being A Stand Up Comedian
Tag: community
Community Means So Much!
Words, they’re our tools, aren’t they, for us writers? We wield them, wave, them, weave with them, making our message, our thoughts and ideas come forward in a way others can read, hear, understand, and if needed, action.
I am a writer, and poet, I write fiction and non fiction, some of my words are published, some not, or not yet. The words I write, or put together, from others, that give me the most satisfaction though, are the words inside a newsletter, the Mallala Crossroad Chronicle. I’ve been the sole editor of this for over ten years, spreading the news of Mallala around the town, and beyond.
Mallala is the closest town to where I live, only 6 km away, and I am glad to be doing this appreciated task for everyone. The Chronicle is also a fund-raiser for my writing group, and helps to pay the prizes for the winners of our national poetry competition. I’m also pleased that I am able to give writers I know, the opportunity to write articles for the Chronicle each month. Sharing in this way makes it easier for me, and better for them!
They don’t get paid for their articles, but they have the knowledge that the words they write, will be read by a willing audience. And isn’t that why we right? To have our words read? Getting those thoughts out of our heads and onto the page or screen that’s important too, but writers who don’t wish to have an audience for what they write are in the minority, I feel. Some writing can be written as ‘narrative therapy’ at first, but even if we never intended those particular words to ever be read by someone else, they so often have our strongest, and most compelling words.
This narrative therapy writing can help a writer to connect with a new community, a community of people who know the truth of what you were writing about, because they are suffering in the same ways you are. True connections made, and friendships can happen too, because sharing personal truth with another person, isn’t that what the best friendships have, deep down. They might wander off to coffee and cakes, but at the beginning are those true stories you’ve shared wither each other …
And now, speaking of true stories, takes me to the other reason I am writing this blog post. At the moment, in late April 2020, the world is largely in lock down, and working from home, unless their work is considered to be ‘essential’. Covid-19 is a virus that is more deadly than the flu, and has killed many people around the world. I had the idea that this was an important time, and the things, and ideas written at this time, would become historically important.
And so began “Plague Invasion – Creative Writing Responses To Covid-19”. I began asking for writers and poets to submit their words about this, on this blog with this post, and things have gone on from there. I was just reading through my blog posts, looking for that one that I just put the link up too, and it was interesting reading them all. I was hovering on the edge of pausing my other writing project, not really wanting to get stuck properly into it, and then, Bang, the anthology took over.
That’s how it feels. This Plague Invasion anthology idea has taken over my life. Normal things are no longer possible, not in this lock down phase, but I can call for submission of creative writing relating to Covid-19, for sure. It seems to have stepped up as the most important thing I can do write now. Writers are those who have a need to write, and editors are the people who work to help writers to get their words ‘out there’.
So if you’re a writer, with things you want, or need to share with others, please consider the Anthology I’m working on. It will become a book. I have a strong passion to make that happen, I have enough money to make it happen, it will happen. I hope you want to help, and will send in your poetry or prose concerning Covid-19, and we can make the book happen together.
I don’t know how long it will take to have this anthology put together and printed. I’ve written on this blog that I will go on accepting work until the end of July this year. So that will mean it won’t be ready to be published, and have copies of the book available until closer to the end of this year … Will the Covid-19 thing all be over and forgotten about by then? I don’t think so. I think it will still be very much with us. And books such as this one I will produce will be there, to remind us about this time, so the truth of it is never lost, hidden by the ‘official’ story.
So write your own true Covid-19 words, and know you are helping to record history, for yourself, for your community, and for us all.
From Small Things …
I’m quite excited about what the month of February might bring – a little work for me, in the posting of a new creative writing prompt on this blog, every single day of this month of February, as well as the birthday of my super dooper bestest ever best friend, also known as my husband, Graham.
I hope that by the end of the month, I, and anyone who wants to come along for the ride, will have at least 29 new pieces of creative writing, that one hopes, might go on to become something more than just the small thing it began as. From a single writing prompt, may come an entire novel! Or, as in my case, the improvement of a poetry collection, that goes on to be published!
If you’re reading this post, and are excited about what may happen for you, for this month, I’d love to hear about it, please feel free to leave a comment, and we may begin a worthwhile discussion about writing related things – hopes for our writing, ideas about how to improve what we write, anything. We are writers, and we write – may our words bring worth to us, and to all who read our words!
I have dreams, I have ideas. If anyone reading this blog is interested, I love to give workshops to small groups, especially those who aren’t really sure about the scribbles they do, when they feel the need to get the stuff in their brain out, and onto the page. This writing can be rubbish, at times, but it can also be wonderful.
Sometimes you can match the rubbish up with something else, give it bit of a polish, and it can become something far larger than the individual parts! Dare to dream, dare to write, dare to be your most fabulous self! And remember to tell people I helped you! Haha.
An image I took recently, when there were so many very important things going on, that I knew I had to capture images of, but I felt impelled to take a photograph of the ground at my feet, and in that image, are so many individual things. Stones, pebbles, sticks, leaves, sand, dirt, and who knows what else. There’s the toe of my foot, and part of the chair I was sitting on, and a tiny piece of the pants I was wearing …
Is it, could it be, inspirational, who knows, but right know, at this very moment, I’ve begun thinking about the series of Cosy Murder Mystery books I’m thinking of creating, and maybe this image could have been taken by my amateur sleuth, Meredith, and it turns out to contain a vital clue to the question of ‘Who done it?’
Inspiration, what a lovely word it is. If I can inspire more loveliness in February, how awesome that could be, would be, should be! I ask of all to help the awesomeness manifest, for the month of February! Let this blog be inspiration for a more awesome world, filled with the awesome creative writing from February!
What is a Writers’ Lock-in?
A writers’ lock in is when a group of writers all get together for a set period of time, and they write! Simple, yes? Yes it can be, if the group has a place available that has tables and chairs, and with food, drinks, and toilets available. Such a place is where my writing group meets every week.
It’s a hotel in Gawler, the Prince Albert Hotel, where the Adelaide Plains Chapter and Verse group catches up for our meetings at 4-6 every Thursday afternoon, and again on the last Sunday of every month, for the Gawler Poets at the Pub event, which has been going for over twenty years.
And every now and then, our group holds a Lock-in, and today is the day again, hooray. Personally, I have several writing projects I wish to work harder on, and not be bothered by chores at home, so today will be a great day for working on those projects, I can knuckle down and write, knowing that the other people there with me are doing the same thing, on their own projects.
The vibe in the room will be all about getting our words written, that’s it. There will be some talking too, of course, because that’s what humans do, but it won’t be lame rubbish nothing talk. Or hey maybe some of it might be, but that can help with the writing too, to have a joke too, so the pressure level doesn’t get too high. And there might well be some things the executive of the group needs to work on, and this will be a good opportunity for that too.
We’re very lucky to have this great hotel to work in,and work with, and they’re very lucky to have us there too. We have food and drinks there, and bring other people in too, when we have our events at the P/A. Many people have commented on what a lovely hotel it is, very historic, and with fine food, and a great range of drinks.
So I know the Writers’ Lock-in will be starting when the hotel opens at 11.30am, and will go through to 4, for our usual group meeting, and then there might be dinner after, for those interested in that. I hope to get lots done, but even if I don’t dramatically improve my work count, I will definitely get some sort of a start on all three projects.
If you live in or around Gawler, and you write, why not come and join us, you’ll be most welcome!
Write For What’s Right!
I am a writer, I write for a number of reasons, but I’m thinking right now, I can use my writing skills for assisting good things to happen. Not good things for me, but for my community, my country, and for the world!
I am the editor of a monthly newsletter, that goes out to my local community, and beyond. I have hundreds of people who read that newsletter, the Mallala Crossroad Chronicle. As editor, I have complete control over what gets printed and distributed, and I feel like this avenue is a fine one to assist me in helping good things happen.
I often slip in little items of interest, random thoughts and ideas, so from now on, some of these items may begin to get a lot more serious. The country is burning, and my passion for doing what I can to help is also burning. We all can do something to help, whether by growing trees with Trees for Life, getting involved with a community group that helps other people in various ways, or something else that truly speaks to you.
I’m looking for the good in all, in the hope others will want me to see it in them too! That’s my take on life, especially right now, thinking about the way our country is burning, people, property, animals, habitat, dying … But there are wonderful people doing wonderful things, both big things and small, and in this way, Australia can keep on going, doing the best we can.
As a writer, I will use my way with words for good, sharing good being done, finding good within myself, and in others, sharing the good news, and spreading hope and help however I can. I suggest that I’m not the only person out there, there are many writers with a much wider audience than I have, and I welcome anyone in this position top do whatever they can do too!
If you have a voice in the community, use it to speak good things, spread good news stories, engender hope, and together we can be forces for good!
Carolyn Cordon - Creative 