I'm a blogging virgin until the last few weeks. It was a world unbeknown to me in any way shape or form. Then enter the Bendigo Writers Festival and Sue Gillett....
Well needless to say I think I was drowning to start with but slowly got the hang of things and how they run, although still only the very basics of it. I attended a workshop on friday run by ABC Open where she mentioned about online blogging and the massive benefits to getting your stories out there, letting people see your work and building a community of followers. The fear of putting my story out there for someone else to steal suddenly felt a little less daunting, yet still skeptical.
We ran through a little exercise listening to each others stories and were shown were we could submit them if we wanted them to be out for others to enjoy. The feedback I recieved from the group was both supportive and constructive but more importantly gave me the confiedence to not keep my stories locked up in my underwear draw or left on my computer for only me to see. People can relate to others stories, even to mine, as I do to others stories. My fear is still there but is now a small little niggle in the back behind this loud trumpeted voice saying "Do It".
The festival has been rewarding and taught me so much, not only about the processes involved, but about myself. There is yet another world I have not tapped into that could effect my life in ways I couldn't imagine yet. By the end of this festival I will have submitted my story to ABC Open and will continue to publish there as often as I can.
Here is the ABC Open projects link for the 500 words Here and Now.
https://open.abc.net.au/projects/500-words-right-here-right-now-94yc1wt#/discover
Saturday 9 August 2014
The Pitch {the after thought}
I recieved an email a few days ago saying that they were going to use my pitch idea as an anon example...I was thrilled I think I actually giggled. I knew that there was a possibility that it may not be read out because it was one of 100 they were printing. But low and behold the very last one read was mine!!!!!
I had managed to get everything in that they were looking for in a pitch idea with the only draw back being that I had said "I intend too..." meaning I hadn't finished writing it yet....well dah! My University degree kind of takes presedence over that. But the fact it had what the story was about and what qualifications I had to write it showed me I was on the right track.
The pannel of experts were amazingly insightful and I finally found what I had been missing from the festival. Every writer was saying how long it took them or their ways of writing but no one had mentioned HOW they got their first story published.
This session was all about the HOW and the dos and don'ts of trying to get your book through the "Slush" pile. With pen furiously to paper I took as many tips as they could throw at me knowing in the not to distant future, i hope, that I would be coming back to this and gearing up to find my first editor and publisher.
Afterwards I spoke to a few members of the panel and one suggested that as I was writing for a Young Adult audience that when it is done and polished to the best of my ability that I look for their $10,000 prize for YA writers. It was so validating to hear that a lonely non published writer could have her dreams recognised as a reality, one day.
I had managed to get everything in that they were looking for in a pitch idea with the only draw back being that I had said "I intend too..." meaning I hadn't finished writing it yet....well dah! My University degree kind of takes presedence over that. But the fact it had what the story was about and what qualifications I had to write it showed me I was on the right track.
The pannel of experts were amazingly insightful and I finally found what I had been missing from the festival. Every writer was saying how long it took them or their ways of writing but no one had mentioned HOW they got their first story published.
This session was all about the HOW and the dos and don'ts of trying to get your book through the "Slush" pile. With pen furiously to paper I took as many tips as they could throw at me knowing in the not to distant future, i hope, that I would be coming back to this and gearing up to find my first editor and publisher.
Afterwards I spoke to a few members of the panel and one suggested that as I was writing for a Young Adult audience that when it is done and polished to the best of my ability that I look for their $10,000 prize for YA writers. It was so validating to hear that a lonely non published writer could have her dreams recognised as a reality, one day.
Thursday 7 August 2014
Reflection {Write on the Fringe}
Having no expectations going into this (and having no experience either) meant I was going to take this opportunity and create one hell of a learning curve. When I recieved the two areas I wanted to do I got in contact straight away with both the contacts.
Luckily Lorena Carrington was more than happy to come in for a chat and a coffee and show me some of her amazing work for the interview. Lorena showed me the work she has on display in the Goldfields library as part of the “Stepping from the shadows: Brave girls of fairytales". Her work, she informed me, comes greatly from her two biggest loves, her children and her photography. Her ideas with brave girls in fairytales stems from wanting to show her two daughters that they don't always have to be the damsel in distress, which I also found greatly refreshing having a daughter of my own.
While we were going through the interview Lorena pulled out some of her work she has done and gifted them to me. They are eerily beautiful and I have now framed them and hung them on my wall in our hallway. Lorena was very warm and open and a great person to chat with. I was so glad I got to meet her and can't wait to see her next big thing she is doing.
My contact for the "Showcasing Glenda Millard" was Tammy Higgs from the Goldfields library. This wasn't a sit down chat with coffee and laughter as Tammy is on the festival committee and was incredibly busy. So we communicated via emails back and forth. Although I would have liked to get to meet her (or more specifically Glenda herself) realistically when you are working to a tight frame we take what we can get.
After both articles were written they were sent away for editing and then sent out to the respective people. It was such an amazing experience, one I was glad to be a part of.
Luckily Lorena Carrington was more than happy to come in for a chat and a coffee and show me some of her amazing work for the interview. Lorena showed me the work she has on display in the Goldfields library as part of the “Stepping from the shadows: Brave girls of fairytales". Her work, she informed me, comes greatly from her two biggest loves, her children and her photography. Her ideas with brave girls in fairytales stems from wanting to show her two daughters that they don't always have to be the damsel in distress, which I also found greatly refreshing having a daughter of my own.
While we were going through the interview Lorena pulled out some of her work she has done and gifted them to me. They are eerily beautiful and I have now framed them and hung them on my wall in our hallway. Lorena was very warm and open and a great person to chat with. I was so glad I got to meet her and can't wait to see her next big thing she is doing.
My contact for the "Showcasing Glenda Millard" was Tammy Higgs from the Goldfields library. This wasn't a sit down chat with coffee and laughter as Tammy is on the festival committee and was incredibly busy. So we communicated via emails back and forth. Although I would have liked to get to meet her (or more specifically Glenda herself) realistically when you are working to a tight frame we take what we can get.
After both articles were written they were sent away for editing and then sent out to the respective people. It was such an amazing experience, one I was glad to be a part of.
Showcasing Glenda Millard
Here is another article I was asked to write about another local talent also involved in the Write on the Fringe Festival this year....
Showcasing Glenda Millard
The poetic works of local writer Glenda Millard will be showcased
in the ‘Write on the Fringe’ festival
on Friday 8th August at the Bendigo Library.
Glenda will read two of her stories as the pictures from the
books are displayed on the big screen for everyone to view as part of Bendigo
Library story time for young children from 10:30-11:00am. Glenda will then
speak to a selected group of upper primary school aged children about how she
became as successful author as well as listening to some of her delightful
readings from 1:00-3:00pm. Glenda will
later be joined by a literary montage of local writers, kicking off with the launch
of her newest and most thought provoking book ‘The Duck and the Darklings’ and reflecting on its inspiration from
3:00-5:00pm.
“Glenda is every
bit as engaging as her beautiful poetic writing and we should be very proud to
count her as a Bendigonian” said festival committee member, Tammy Higgs. “It is wonderful to have such amazing talent
here in Bendigo and to have opportunities like the fringe festival to see and
listen to local writers and poets.”
For those wanting to know more about
‘Showcasing Glenda Millard’ please contact Tammy Higgs at the Bendigo Library
on 54492771 or e: tammyh@ncgrl.vic.gov.au
Lorena Carrington
I was asked if I could interview and write up an article on Lorena Carrington with the exibition she has as part of the Write on the Fringe Festival.
Here's what was written....
Here's what was written....
Lorena
Carrington in “Write on the Fringe Festival”
(suggested
headline for media: Brave Girls on Display)
Lorena
Carrington is a local photographer who focuses primarily on strong girls in
fairy tales. Her work is on display in the main foyer of the Bendigo Library as
part of the “Write on the fringe
festival” until the 31 August. Although this is the first time Lorena has
shown her work locally in Bendigo, she has had work shown in her hometown of
Castlemaine previously and hopes to again next year.
Strong girls
in fairy tales are not often captured, but Lorena Carrington has created the
images from stories that have been overlooked in the golden age of fairy tales
and exhibits them in her work “Stepping from the shadows: Brave girls of
fairytales”. A mother of two young girls, Lorena wanted them to know that women
didn’t always have to be the damsel in distress and that fairy tales exist for
strong, independent girls on adventure.
Lorena’s
photography is breathtakingly eerie and beautiful all at the same time. Lorena
uses digital montaging to create her works, adding to the feeling of fairy tale
ideals. Her daughters are used a lot in her work as they are her inspiration
behind what she does. Lorena’s next challenge is to collate an anthology of
short stories about strong girls in fairy tales throughout history, finding that
most so far have come from places like Scotland and Ireland.
For more
information please contact the Bendigo Library (03) 5449 2700 or the festival website at www.writeonthefringe.tumblr.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)