Recently, I’ve been in the doubtful doldrums with my writing. Previously eloquent passages seem flat, and my light turn of phrase now turns my stomach. Happily, my wife bought me ‘Write It All Down’ by Cathy Rentzenbrink for my birthday. It was a lovely gift, made even lovelier by being…
My work in progress novel, Love and Distraction, is a romance which takes place over series of meditation classes. There are heaps of non-fiction books written about meditation, and a decent amount of poetry with a strong mindfulness theme, but there isn’t much fiction on the meditative arts. It’s a…
Two years ago I was a overstimulated stress jelly. One mental health care plan, multiple psychologist appointments, six months of denial, and two psychiatrist appointments later, and I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD. and given the gift of Ritalin. Suddenly I’m neurodiverse. And suddenly I’m a writer. Here’s what happened: I couldn’t…
My favourite books of all time. These 200 books would be worth anyone's time to read. It's personal: it's just my opinion and my only qualification to write this list is that I love books. It's provisional: the list changes all the time. New books come come in. Old books…
Solitary retreats - all alone with nowhere to go, doing nothing with nobody. It’s simple in concept and simple in execution. Hire a place, go there, don’t invite anyone else, and stay there for a predetermined length of time. I’ve recently come back from a solitary retreat and here’s how…
Of all the darlings I’ve had to kill over the course of the edits, this is the biggest; I have to rename Softening. My work in progress has been called Softening from day one. In every meditation class in the world ever, participants are instructed to soften into their experience.…
I entered this piece for February’s Right Left Write short story competition run by Queensland Writers Centre. It’s been a few weeks now since the deadline so I think I’m OK to publish it here as well. The prompt was ‘Beginnings’. “This is ridiculous. What possible use is three for…
Here are five books that I read when I started to write seriously. They are all superb in their own way. I won’t say that these books saved my life, but they might have saved my writing. Narrative Structure Saves The Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody Saves The…
My work in progress novel, Softening, is set in a meditation class. That’s not accidental. I originally wanted to write about group meditation and all the weird and wonderful things I’ve witnessed over the years. It was only later, when I learned about narrative structure, that Softening became a romance. …
I’ve started to attend a few writers groups and conferences, and inevitably I’ve met other writers. There was no avoiding it. They were there and I was there, and I could spend only so much time hiding in toilet cubicles. Writers are a funny bunch, and I’m pleased about that.…