blog-posts

Oscars

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 04:32:30 +0100

Did you get as inspired as I did while watching the Oscars?
I have an annual tradition of watching the Oscars at home every year - no interruptions allowed - and every year I get so inspired by the atmosphere of the awards.
I love watching the reactions on the winner's faces and I love to hear various actors and filmmakers talk about the magic of imagery and storytelling.
As soon as the credits rolled, I smashed my computer keyboard and ended up with a short film script and a few extra pages in one of my features.
The point is, listen to your muse whenever she shows herself because true, pure inspiration can be few and far between.
The rest of the time, make sure you are writing anyway. Don't wait for those unique moments when your hands just seem to write and it comes out great.
Like the old adage says - the only way to learn to write is to write.
I will keep it short and sweet today - the phrase speaks for itself.

Write your life

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 13:52:00 +0100

Ever thought about writing your life story but quietly laughed at yourself for thinking anyone would be interested?
Or have you sat and listened to a relative talk and talk about the "good old days" without realising how quickly time seemed to be passing?
I have been invited be a guest speaker at a local senior's group meeting to encourage its members to write their life stories for future generations and I'm really excited about it.
One of the group members saw a column I wrote in the newspaper about writing an autobiography and contacted me to invite me to speak in May.
Perhaps the prospect of your life story being published for all the world to see is a no-go-zone.
Fear not because publishing is not a requirement of this project - keep it for your family because I can assure you, they want to hear what you have to say and future generations will, too.
Whether you have an incredible story to tell about the war, a lifelong love story or a peak at day to day life in the 21st century to share, put pen to paper and record a life unique to you.
The sky's the limit!
Write about your experiences, share your life lessons, describe the world you live in with unmatched detail or simply scribble and see where your memory takes you.
Give it a go! And don't forget to share your favourite memories with us!

Opportunity knocks

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 13:31:35 +0100

Having trouble finding opportunities to take your writing projects to the world?
Fear not! There are so many avenues for writers it's amazing but sometimes they can be difficult to find.
Here are just a few of the, in my opinion, fantastic options out there.
National Novel Writing Month (NANOWRIMO) challenges amateur and professional writers to complete a novel in one month.
The challenge runs during the month of November but you can join at any time of the year and members are sent encouraging emails to keep you motivated.
NANOWRIMO can be found at http://www.nanowrimo.org/.
Australian Writer's Marketplace is a fantastic publication which serves as a directory of sorts for nationwide writing competitions.
It gives a brief overview of the various competitions held around Australia and offers incredible opportunities for writers looking to get their work into the public arena.
Head to http://www.awmonline.com.au/ for information.
For all the screenwriters/filmmakers out there, Trigger Street Labs is a wonderful tool for generating feedback from peers.
Members can upload their screenplays and short or feature films for review by fellow members.
It's a great way to connect with other writers who share the same interest and might just get your work noticed by the right people.
Reviews are carefully monitored and only those who have watched/read your work completely are permitted to review it (those who don't can be reported for not following the rules).
Check it out at http://labs.triggerstreet.com/ .
Of course Tropfest is famous for its introduction of new film talents to the rest of the world.
I recommend you check it out and take the time to submit a film.
Go to http://tropfest.com/ for information.
So that's it! That's just a few of the opportunities out there but I guarantee you there are thousands more.
Keep an eye out and use your resources to track down all the opportunities you can manage to take up.
My next blog post will look at various resources available to writers so keep your eyes peeled.

Get organised

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:15:23 +0100

Happy New Year! 2012 is here and I decided it's time to get organised. What's your resolution?
For the past few days I have been pulling everything out of my cupboards, cleaning them, sorting through its contents and putting everything back (neatly!)
But as I went through my desk I realised I hadn't left a door open for my muse.
While I don't have a set routine for my writing, I do have a technique all my own but I have always wanted to build an inspiration wall but have never done it.
So over the next month or so I will be gathering all the materials I need to create my wall (hopefully at a size to suit its name but who knows at this point).
I love words, so I will be using plenty of those but the point is to add anything I find inspiring, calming, beautiful or memory inducing.
Yep! That oughta get those creative juices flowing like a river!
I will keep you all updated on my project as I build it but in the meantime, tell me, what inspires you? Do you have an inspiration wall or something similar?

That Time of Year

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:15:32 +0100

Christmas has come and gone and we are on the glorious cusp of the New Year which brings with it all those feelings of new opportunities.
Whether you're one to make resolutions or simply give yourself a quiet pep talk, most of us feel an especially positive air as we approach the New Year so what are you planning?
Made a resolution to write more? Do it!
And if you need a visual aid, use the Don't Break the Chain method.
The idea is simple - cross off each day you write (only the days you write). As you mark off each day, a chain is created. Whether you can dedicate five minutes or three hours a day doesn't matter. Just don't break the chain!
(The glaringly obvious visual reminder that you skipped a day is surprisingly motivating not to do it!)
You can get a free copy of the calendar here or make your own in excel or InDesign to give it your own personal flair.

The Best Time to Write

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:15:42 +0100

I'm sure all of you have sat down to write and just can't find the right words to use.
For most of us, pens are a great venting tool and I have found the best time to write is when you have a new experience - in the moment and days that follow.
I have always written my thoughts down about everything; particularly those things I need to sort through in my mind.
I lost my uncle earlier this year and decided to write a stream of consciousness about how I was feeling.
The raw emotion poured onto the pages and it was very therapeutic.
But now, I have a great source to draw from next time one of my characters need to grieve.
You've probably heard countless times, "write what you know".
There is no better time to write what you know than the moment you feel it.
You will never find a better source of information than personal experience so filter it into something constructive. Use it.
You never know when you might need it.
Do you have a favourite time to write? When is your most productive time? Let us know!

My Favourite Software

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:15:53 +0100

A lot of people ask me what programs I recommend for various creative arts projects so I decided to share with you what my personal favourites are.

Writing
Final Draft tops my list without a doubt.
While it specialises in screenwriting, this program offers templates for manuscripts, plays, comic books, tv shows and more.
Industry standard layout is preset and you have access to scene and character reports, revision mode and almost anything else you need to get your written project off the ground.
Plus, the latest version offers collabowriter which allows you to work with another writer on the same project without having to constantly exchange updated copies of the work and you can chat to each other with it, too!
Again, Final Draft is not cheap but if you ask me, there is simply no replacing such a comprehensive program.
The fact that it's the industry standard software speaks for itself.

My other favourite (for Mac Users only) is Scrivener.
While it is limited to novel writing, it is great at providing users with exactly what they need to do just that.
I'm a new Scrivener user so that is all I will write but I recommend you check it out!

If you need a free alternative though, Celtx is a big contender to Final Draft if you simply can't afford it.
It offers a similar list of templates to Final Draft and layout is also preset.
You can create character profiles, a production schedule on the calendar, generate reports about your project and create a storyboard.
There are extra tools you can access for a small fee so if you're looking for something strong for minimal (or no) cost, Celtx is your program.

Photography
Photoshop and Lightroom are my top two by far.
Photoshop is the industry standard software but I find Lightroom much more user-friendly.
I only use Photoshop for those particularly fine details needing that little bit of extra control.
They are both Adobe programs and while they are certainly not cheap, they are well worth the professional quality results.
I would also recommend (if you need it), buying the Creative Suite software as I find I use different programs for different things.
Again though, this depends entirely on your individual needs as I dabble in a variety of areas outside of photography.

If you are only looking for a program which can do basic fixes on your images, I'd suggest Picasa 3.
Picasa is beautifully handy for those quick and easy projects which just need to be lightened or to have red eyes removed.
Having said that, Picasa does offer a wide variety of other tools including one to get rid of photo blemishes.
While the latter does a good job on most problem areas, I recommend Photoshop for more complicated blemishes and a more professional looking result.

Film Editing
Final Cut Pro. What more can I say?
It's the best in my opinion and the industry standard.
Unfortunately it is only available for Macs and not at all cheap...but well worth it for professional looking films.

If you are a PC user, I personally recommend Avid (also available for Mac).
The latest version is a big contender to Final Cut and, once you understand the lingo, is easy to use.
It gives professional looking results and, personally, would be happy to use it interchangeably with Final Cut Pro.

As for a free version, well there are plenty out there but I definitely it is worth spending the money on film editing software.
For casual at-home projects though, there is nothing wrong with Windows Live Movie Maker on a PC o iMovie on a Mac.
Nonetheless I do feel iMovie is the superior software as I found past version of Movie Maker crashed frequently (later versions seem to have fixed this issue).

So there's my list of favourites.
Again, these are my personal choices to suit my individual needs.
It's important you know what you're looking for and you research various products to ensure whatever you choose will do what you need it to and give you the results you need.
Get creative and have fun!

Midnight Musings

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:16:01 +0100

It's one o'clock in the morning and I can't sleep.
I'm too tired to do my assignment and apparently (though I disagree) not tired enough to sleep, so I figure there's no better time to write a new blog entry than now.
I realise I haven't uploaded any of my writing samples yet but I promise you they are coming.
I hope you all like the photos I have already uploaded and while there's not a huge amount yet, I have only just started with photography so the page will grow as I practice my skills.
I hope you have all been writing and chipping away at all the ideas you have crowding your mind.
If you had a go at my Wordy Wednesday idea, please get in touch and tell me all about your experience.
I have a few ideas brewing for writing projects and a couple of ideas waiting to be painted onto canvas which I'm really excited about.
When this term of uni is finished I'm hoping I can knock them all over during break.
There's been more visitors to my site than I expected to see right away so thank you everyone for taking an interest.
Please keep coming back and don't be shy, send me an email - I always respond as soon as I can.
What a mish-mash of information this post has been!
Thanks again to all my readers! I can't wait to hear from you all and hope to keep you coming back for more.
Stay tuned! :)

Wordy Wednesday Challenge

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:55:45 +0100

We've all heard it before - "If you want to write, write!"
It's one thing to say you're going to write every day and while I think every writer should put pen to paper on a daily basis, I know that's not always possible.
A creative arts project needs to be tended to regularly but you really need to dedicate your time to it.
I'm the first to admit I have let my creative projects creep to the back of my cupboard lately but I have just started to pick it back up again.
I have one night a week to do painting, drawing or other fine art, another night a week to work on sewing projects and I try to write something down every day (even if it's just one sentence).
The next goal is to fit in a time slot for photography.
So my challenge to you is to dedicate your Wednesday nights to writing - Wordy Wednesdays!
While you're at it, why not create a Fine Arts Friday, Scribe's Sunday or Musical Monday?!
I can't wait to hear what you all have been up to so please be sure to contact me and let me know.
Reach up. Your star is shining.

Writers Group and Book Club - Who's In??

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 01:30:01 +0100

If your fingers are embellished with keyboard indents why not put them to good use and keep on writing.
Let's get our creativity flowing with a writers group and book club and share the passion.
There is no minimum number required to get the group started and you don't have to be a professional.
All you need is a passion for writing and a love of books.
So get those pens scribbling and that imagination burning and contact me for information.