Category: writing
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How to Treat Writing Like a Business
With the advent of companies like Etsy this really has become the age of the indie business. And if creatives such as painters, graphic designers and furniture-makers can turn their passion into a small business, why can’t writers? The increasing availability of self-publishing services has enabled writers to do just that, but treating writing like…
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Writing Memories
When I get stuck while writing a story, when asking the ‘what next?’ question yields no fruit, I often write a memory. I delve into my characters past and write about something seemingly unrelated to present day events. As I’m writing these memories it usually feels like I’m buying time or procrastinating, in hindsight though,…
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Pricing Your Writing
I’ve spent the last six years selling handmade jewellery on Etsy. I even grew enough of a business from it to make a basic living and began selling wholesale to boutiques. So I think I know a thing or two about pricing your creative endeavours in order to turn a profit. As a writer, beholden…
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Poor Poetry: Greeting Card Love
I saw call for valentine’s day greeting card submissions and I started writing without, pausing to read the guidelines (rookie error). As it turns out they want long narrative like poetry about personal experience and definitely no rhymes. Read on to see how epicly I missed the mark. I will not call you my first…
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Poor Poetry: Cinquain
Cinquains are rather short poems and so I wrote two! I sleep till late through the dogs shrill barking. They cannot wake my fate. All along I’m dreaming although I fear it’s falling. It’s a black sun. It’s in my chest and gut. It’s not fun. It’s a whimpering mutt this black sun in my…
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Poor Poetry: Villanelle
In my last post I mentioned I’d been reading poetry lately and, in fact, I’ve also been writing some of my own. They’re by no means great, hence the title of today’s post, but I thought I’d share them anyway. Here’s my first attempt at a villanelle (I fudged the rhyme scheme a little but it’s…
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Ode on Periods by Bernadette Mayer
I’ve been checking out poetry over at Poets.org today (you know, as you do) and came across this brilliant Ode by Bernadette Mayer. I’m all about openness and saying it like it is these days, especially when it comes to women’s bodies which have been ushered behind some ridiculous veil of impropriety and shame for centuries…
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How we feed the dogs
My mother calls me to the kitchen, “Can you help with the dogs?” “Yes!” I jump off my bed (where I spend most of my time these days). She’s putting the final touches on their dinner, a cup each of dry bickies. I pick up two bowls, the smallest and the second smallest for Angus…
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My Brisbane Writers Festival Wish List
The Brisbane Writers Festival program was released today and I have already compiled my event wish list. The Art of the Essay: Writer and essayist Anne Manne guides you through the craft of shaping and writing a literary essay, understanding how it differs from feature articles and opinion pieces, and identifying publication opportunities. Histories of Melancholia: In…