Bali Anyone?

afternoon office

In a desperate attempt to rediscover my muse, I took off to Bali for a week with two friends. We all had writing missions and had committed to be disciplined to produce a thousand words a day. Our villa was surrounded by high walls so the only distractions were the noise of an occasional motorbike or voices of people passing.on the gang. Each morning after a swim or yoga and breakfast we set ourselves a start time and chose ourselves a spot to set up. We agreed there would be no conversation until the next break time, which usually coincided with mealtimes.

inspiration

So, into the confronting silence, the blank screen and a mind busy with everything except the task in hand. A blank notebook, a pile of dog eared recipes with food stains and scribbles, a few reference books and a new lap top to do battle with. I shuffled paper for a while then began writing a list of contents - a blueprint of everything I planned to include. It felt a bit silly, like writing a book backwards, but from then on it was like painting with numbers.

There is something rather beautiful about silence that helps me to settle and focus, bring clarity to the task at hand. Now I'm home, silence and lack of distractions are rare. The luxury of time and space in a comfortable, supportive environment are a distant memory.Writing might be three hours with my lovely writing friends or a greeting on a birthday card. I have written a workshop, a proposal, and many shopping lists and am attempting to post a blog each week.. I have discovered to keep my writing alive, it is important to write everyday, no matter what form it takes.

The book remains as I left it, a massive 10,000 words in eight days.
Anyone want to come to Bali?

Books, babies and blow ups

The Perth Writer's Festival this year was a smorgasbord of rich and rewarding events,  On Sunday the majestic trees of the tropical garden hosted  the children's program and the previously sedate atmosphere of the University of WA came alive with colour and voices as the children explored writing, bookmaking, printing and sewn stories, played with  baby animals and magnetic letters and enjoyed storytelling and circus skills. 

The big red ball had appeared overnight, wedged under the library walkway - a big squishy ball to bounce off. Perhaps the most excitement was generated by the the inflatable lotus in the reflection pool, designed by renowned Korean artist Choi Jeong Hwa, here for the Festival of Perth, which magically opened and closed as you watched.

Easy for You....

In a box in the loft I have an old blue exercise book of English essays I wrote when I was twelve. I keep it to remind me of the passion I felt when I wrote them and the excitement I felt at being praised for them by Anthony Horsefall, the most inspirational, good looking soccer playing English teacher a girl could wish for!

I have always known that writing was something I wanted and needed to do as part of my life’s journey but I wrote very little except journal entries whilst on holidays and essays for assignments. I felt that I never had anything to write about.

Last year, I was asked to contribute recipes and articles to a food website. Days later, Nerys suggested we collaborate on ‘Easy’. I spent the winter in a frenzy of cooking and writing, rediscovering the passion and excitement of that twelve year old. What I also discovered was a validation of my life experience so far. The writing flows easily, I suspect because its content is a reflection of a huge part of who I am.

Nerys’ amazing drive and enthusiasm that she brings to everything she does has again pushed me into new learning curves and given me more confidence in being able to achieve the impossible. She has provided much of the inspiration for my life long learning. With out her I would still be wondering what to write about instead of getting on with it and this book would never have been born.

This slim little tome is surprisingly heavy for its size. I am glad of that. There is something so satisfying in holding a hard copy and a pride in seeing your name on the cover. No time to be smug though, we now have the challenge of selling this one and getting on with the next!

Click on the pictures of the book in the sidebar or our potions to pesto website link for details on how to purchase the paper back or the E book. Anthony, if you are still around somewhere in Hertfordshire, your copy is gratis.