This is what I’ll be doing this Thursday evening (NZDT). So, if you’re in Dunedin, New Zealand, swing on by!!
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Poked a word I didn’t know while reading to see the definition. Apparently the touchscreen is sometimes unresponsive on Paperback v 1.0.
– Brent Weeks
Today is … today.
A trip to a farm. “I’m in the back of a ute! I’m a REAL dog, ma!”
It’s the first of October here in New Zealand. This morning, when I realised the date, I also recalled, of course, what tomorrow is … October 2nd. Which was, and always will be, my first dog Griffin’s birthday.
And I realised something … I miss him, deeply.
Griffin came into my life when I was a 17 year old school girl, potentially on the cusp of making stupid decisions. But I didn’t need to. I had Griffin. I loved him and he loved me, and we did everything together. I still fancied boys, but I didn’t need a boy. I had Griffin.
Every year, we gave Griffin a present under the Christmas tree. It didn’t need to be food, yet he could always pick it out. And as long as the paper wasn’t that shiny stuff, he could open it himself, too. But he would always carry it to my mum to get the OK, first.
My Pop (mum’s dad) was diagnosed with cancer soon after I got Griffin, and a year later passed. I will always remember Griffin running happily into Pop’s house, which we were staying in to attend his funeral, and running around looking for him … he was very disappointed Pop wasn’t there. Continue Reading…
A Night to Remember: Part Six (by Simon Petrie)
Part One of this story can be found here. Part Two is here. Part Three is here. Part Four is here. Part Five is here. An updated list of extant parts can be found here.
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The one positive aspect, Gordon decided, was that Claudia Iyzowt was still alive. Albeit for a given value of ‘alive’ that involved the short, grey-haired heiress’s apparent sedation and confinement, by the medium of a set of depressingly secure-looking straps, to a disconcertingly medical-looking and unnervingly technological trolley with an unnecessarily extensive collection of blade- and sensor-wielding robotic limbs poised thirty centimetres or so above Claudia’s.
The negative aspects Continue Reading…
Recently, a jewellery maker called Catherinette Rings had a two-for-one deal … well, I couldn’t pass it up. And so began my collection of Steampunk Jewellery … may it continue!
Catherinette Rings – Funky Necklace
and …
Catherinette Rings – Funky Watch-Style Bracelet
I think the bracelet is meant to go around the other way, but I had to work with gravity to get the catch done up … Perhaps I could have put it on my other wrist, but, well, it looks like a watch, so I wanted to wear it as I would a watch …
If you like the look of this stuff, go check Catherinette Rings out! (Also on Facebook)
Love Springs Eternal
A completely un-writerly post from me. Just thought I’d lift the mood from the trials and tribulations of writing and genetics and multiplying and such, and take a moment to notice that the daffodils are making their bid for spring garden domination. See, there’s one in this photo (centre).
I noticed them the other day when I was driving home. The lovely people who keep Dunedin city’s large grassy areas trim leave the daffodils to grow at this time of year. It might not be all neat and tidy, but it’s lovely when those yellow flowers get going.
I’m looking forward to it.
Especially the smell of the jonquil variety … that’s my fave (just so as you know …)
Oh, and the toddler has Chicken Pox. Joy. (Ah well, it’s meant to be good to get it out of the way early, right?) He’s actually doing really well. I’d like a less broken sleep, though.
For you curious folk: Photo taken on a Samsung Galaxy Ace (no, not Pro), running Android 2.3.5 and editted in GIMP manually (adding layers, editting colours, adding a frame and the like …).
After and Before – ’cause I’m backwards like that
Related articles
- Jonquils and Daffodils (positivewordsmagazine.wordpress.com)
- Early arrivals put a spring in the step (nzherald.co.nz)
- There’s a hole in my jeans…. (thegreendragonfly.wordpress.com)
- 10 Perfect Spring Scents (bellasugar.com)
Here you go. Your chance to help a fellow writer get their book into the world.
“Ghost Hand” by Ripley Patton (cover by Kura Carpenter)
Yes, Ripley has started a Kickstarter project to help get her book published at a standard she can be proud of (including professional editing and cover design – done by my fellow Dunedin Writers’ Workshopper Kura Carpenter). It’s the sort of thing I will likely have to do, too, although I think there is a New Zealand alternative (for tax purposes it’s simpler, I assume). Continue Reading…
Oops, it’s been a whole week since I posted anything. The shame.
And here I had been trying to come up with plans of regular post-types – music, snippets, other stuff … But, well, you know … Good intentions and all that jazz.
The story goes that I have decided to take a shot at a novel manuscript competition, because it happens to have come up and my manuscript is kind of nearly finished. Nearly finished enough, I think, for me to bash out the last bit, hopefully leave myself time for a couple of read-throughs and a little finessing and submit. That won’t mean it is finished to my satisfaction, but it will be “good enough” to be assessed on story, which, if I were to be one of the top three winners (yeah, unlikely, given the last-minute rush, but maybe the others are in the same position …), would win me a critique (the three prizes include critiques – which would save hundreds of $$). A critique would be fab. If I don’t win, I will go through the story a few more times, see if I can get away with a few tweaks, or if I’d be better off re-writing huge chunks … I can imagine that being the case. And then, I would find my own manuscript assessor.
One of the potential outcomes of the contest is an invitation to be published through Steam Press. Something tells me my story won’t be a fit for their company, but we shall see. There are no promises, no expectations.
Anyway, it’s been good for me. I’ve been powering along. And some of the writing isn’t terrible. I might be in with a shot at this.
It’s great because I’ve had the opening of the next novel sitting in my brain for months, now, so it’s nice to think I’m getting close to writing that down and sussing out the rest of the story … and I’d like to outline a 3rd book at the same time.
I get those voices in the back of my head saying “What makes you think you can actually do this? You haven’t been writing long enough. You’re not that good.” But, I figure, a huge chunk of success comes from determination, and I’m determined. My goal is publication and continued writing. Yes, I want to continue with this story, and yes, I want to write others.
I have found several readers who have found pleasure in the journey I have taken with this story. I hope to find several more with the final version. But, you know, it’s a gamble. We shall see.
