Came across a quote today and when it comes to questioning the world I think it is so spot on. ‘A child’s attitude toward everything is an artist’s attitude’ by Willa Cather

Writing Trigger

Think about how you use the internet, what aspect do you use most? Messenger? News? Selling/buying? Research? Games? Emails? There are so many things available to us through online services but how many do we really understand. Imagine that you have come into contact with somebody or something from another planet, how would you describe what the internet is, how it works and what you use it for. Where would the communication take place? How would it take place? What would follow it?

I saw this picture in the header of my friend Melissa’s blog, it actually comes from MS Office but thought it made a good visual writing trigger. After all, what is at the end of the path? Why would you go there? Who lives there? What does it feel and smell  like standing under the trees by the gate? Are the brick pavers slippery? What kind of mail do they get? Have fun writing.

Just come back from a great retreat run by Present Perfect. We had yoga, writing, life coaching, discussions, to say nothing of amazing food and a wonderful time.

I’ve come home with no end of thoughts, but one interesting writing quote that came out of the weekend was, ‘I can’t write poetry in cold blood’. I think that puts things perfectly for so many of us who only write poetry when the emotions are in full flight. Thanks Annette for the quote, Susie for the weekend and Nikki for the great food

Today’s insight on life on writing comes from Mark Twain, who said, ‘Why shouldn’t truth be stranger than fiction? Fiction, after all, has to make sense.’

So now I am left wondering about some of the things that have happened in my life and whether they would work in a fictional story ~ were they too strange or not strange enough.

I came across a quote today by writer, Alice Munro that says, ‘Memory is the way we keep telling ourselves our stories - and telling other people a somewhat different version of our stories.’

It reminded me of quote I had heard by somebody else who was famous, but can’t for the life of remember who said it or where I read it. But it was along the lines of ‘nobody ever has a boring life just an unimaginative biographer’.

Writing Exercise

Think about a recent event in your life that you would have liked to have happened differently. Now write about it but give it a better ending.

I was contemplating today about what I would consider as the perfect blog, in other words what would make me log into a blog everyday. The solution I came up with was one that was friendly, honest and positive. One that gave me information and updates on writing and one that encouraged me to write. All quite simple really since all these things are important to me. Therefore, guess what? I have finally found a focused direction for this blog.  

So here is a writing trigger to get you started.

Imagine you’re travelling down a road, when out of the corner of your eye you spot what looks like a journal. When you open the book only one page is written on and what it says answers a personal and burning question that had previously had seemed unsolvable.

What does it say?

How do you react?

What do you do with the journal?

How does it change things?

I found some wonderful journals the other day. They are ideal for writing, crafting, scrapbooking, gifts and who knows what else. You know how sometimes you just see things and they inspire so many ideas that you just have to buy one. In fact, I liked them so much that I am now selling them through the Life’s Inspirational Moments store.

My thoughts are that they will make an fantastic holiday journal, special birthday/occasion scrapbook, children’s project book, christmas gift, the list goes on.

So if you journal, write, scrapbook, are crafty, have children and grandchildren, or are looking to create a special memento … In fact, if you do anything, are anything or have anything I really recommend you take a minute to click on the link to my store to check these out.

Did you know that the median annual income for Australian writers was $11,700? (according to a survey done by writingWA, which was previously the State Literary Centre)

Which means most Australian writers must have a second job or a supportive family. 

Sad, isn’t it? Not the supportive family bit, but the fact that there must be some writers earning a pitance if you take into account that some are earning a truckload.

On the other hand it also shows what a determined and focused group writers can be. We know we want to write, we have faith in it and that’s what we are going to do regardless of all else - and, that I think, is the truly wonderful bit.

I have a theory, somewhere out in cyberspace there is a signal that goes out everytime bloggers slack on making their entries and in response the spammers bombard the blog with notices to make up for the lack of writing.

In the past week I accumulated 175 unwanted medicinal messages. Amazing, yet I can’t help thinking that perhaps I still received less than my fair share.

So the moral of this story? Keep writing blog entries.

I know, the logic of this statement makes me sound very blonde, but hey it’s worth a try.