Project 52: twenty-four

-- night shoot, Wellington Point jetty (click for larger).

The mystic portal (of writing opportunities) awaits:

This afternoon, I got an email from a friend-of-a-friend who is newly free from the shackles of highschool and is looking to develop her craft and expand her exposure to good writing opportunities. Some of you are at a similar stage in your own writing journey, so I thought I'd share with you a few avenues you can venture down and explore, particularly if you are somewhat new to the game.

Hunting out the opportunities and resources that are right for you can provide awesome experience for you to grow and develop your craft. Entering competitions and submitting your work to a variety of different publications and media is an excellent way to mature as a writer. Writing to strict guidelines will really hone your work, help you develop your voice, and teach you that boundaries don't always stand in the way of creative freedom.

One of the best resources for a writer of any level is a membership with your state writers' centre. State writers' centres stand apart from other writerly educational environments (like, say, online workshop businesses) in that they are just as dedicated to the development of craft -- or more so -- as they are to actually running a business. Many of them offer student or concession memberships, and most memberships include access to a print or emailed newsletter. This can provide you with regularly-updated information on a whole array of writing opportunites, contests, and workshops, as well as some good meaty articles. Check out Queensland Writers' Centre (which I love because I know and appreciate it) as a good jumping-off point.

The Australian Writers' Marketplace is like the bible of national writing opportunities. It's a fat book bursting with brief submission guidelines and details for hundreds (thousands?) of periodicals, newspapers, and webzines. It also has a section listing national competitions and entry guidelines (or where to go to find them), as well as information on writers' centres and educational opportunities. It's a hefty book and a bit of an investment, but most libraries will carry a copy (request they get it in!) or put it on your Christmas wishlist. You could really go crazy with this one.

Podcasts are a great way to learn and be inspired without having to fork out dough or commit to a six- or twelve-month course. Currently I'm really enjoying The Sydney Writers' Centre podcast. I've had fun finding some great resources on iTunesU as well. Search the iTunes store and see what you can discover. There are lectures online by great professors at such excellent universities as Yale and Harvard -- all for free, too.

Sign up to mailing lists at your local library, your state library, and your favourite bookstore. Libraries are (obviously) passionate about literacy and this often carries through into great literary and literary education events. Book talks with authors are, on their own, a fascinating way to get inspired and learn from people who have already made it. What's more, attending events like author talks can introduce you to other local writers (and sometimes even publishers), all of whom you can learn from and network with. Writing is a lonely craft; it's nice to have friends.

Finally, I must toot a horn for Katie's frequently-updated list of writing opportunities. Be sure to check it out -- then go write something.

Project 52: twenty-three

-- agapanthus (plural or singular? I don't know!), bursting from its bud.

[lately] life in instagrams II

1. biblical literary analysis; 2. bayside picnic with favourite people; 3. bad hair day; 4. camellia from mum's garden; 5. a "cruel king Herod" (by his own admission) lurks at my window; 6. happy bunting! 7. endings; 8. bedroom corner.

[short + sweet] nano ohno

Are you taking part in NaNoWriMo this year?

And let me pre-empt you by saying that I'm not. It's a dream of mine which means that I definitely want to do this someday, but every time November rolls around, I am newly convinced that in the southern hemisphere, November is the worst possible month to attempt such a project. Okay, December would be marginally worst, because, you know -- Christmas insanity. But said insanity begins in November, coupled with the onset of the first really big hot days of the year, a sudden burst of summery social engagements, not to mention the winding down of school and music lessons and all of that. In an email I just sent to a friend, I proposed June as a far better southern month for NaNo -- which sounds dreamy, but would probably feel lonely and dull when everyone else is immersed in the November frenzy. And having said that, all my excuses just make me feel small when I read this.

Whether you are taking part in NaNo or not, you must check out the StayInTheRoom community at Dreamwidth. During November, they're posting fresh writing prompts every single day. Throw one of them into your novel, or work on them individually as a way to get the writing juices flowing. They're really lots of fun.

Oh, and one last thing. I just started imagining the fun of doing NaNoWriMo and Movember -- squeezing out words and facial hair at the same time. If there is any man doing both, I want to meet him and bestow upon him a cape and a superhero outfit.

Project 52: twenty-two

-- I took a grand total of four photos on my DSLR this week, none of them
brilliantly-lit or well-composed. Nevertheless, here is
Lady Abby the Gumworthy, slowly eating her uncle.
You see, Abby is not content with the so-called
Five Love Languages, so she invented a
sixth: eating. If Abby loves you,
she will eat you.
That's all there is to it.

* * * * *

In other news, I've very much missing replying to your comments via Conversations. I had no idea how attached I was to interacting back with you all in that way. Never mind -- just a few weeks more of intense schoolishness, and I will turn my attention to such niceties as blog comments (and actually reading all your wonderful blog posts). Thanks for being my friends, even ones I've never met.

[short + sweet] summertime wishlist

Once school is over, I plan to work from home fairly steadily through the holidays. However, there will of course be more scheduling flexibility so I've slowly been making a mental checklist of Things I Really Would Love to Do over Summer Break. In no particular order:

1. read and comment on my friends' blogs on a regular basis
2. write letters!
3. plan a really good daily menu
4. go garage saleing
5. spend some sunsets out on the Point
   
6. read Crossed by Ally Condie
7. continue working through Wreck This Journal
8. start reading Finish this Book
   
9. blog about them both!
10. write an end-of-year-newsletter (it didn't happen last year; boo!)
11. call my niece and nephew on the phone more
12. do chores in the mornings rather than in odd snatches here and there
13. look at Christmas lights!
14. go to a carols evening
15. watch a movie in the middle of the day
16. cook meals for my family
    

I'm sure there'll be more on the list. I'll just keep adding to it. Is there any time over Christmas when you get a break from the usual and can spend time on the unusual? What would be on your list?