creative writing | creative life
Behold, creative writing duckettes! The three Ps that will keep you going through the tough times. Patience, perseverance and passion. Sadly not one of them is coated in chocolate. But that could easily be arranged. Patience. Easy peasy. All this means is that we simply have to patient with ourselves. We have to give ourselves time to learn. Sounds like a …
Hello ducksters! This week in class we looked at character. It's a HUGE topic. Everyone had loads to say, especially me. I didn't get through half the material I wanted to cover. I didn't even have time to eat a cupcake. And there were cupcakes. And mini muffins. Lemon butter biscuits. Homemade banana bread. Hold on. What I mean to say …
Continue reading "Sing, fish, sing! Creating quirky characters in fiction"
Looking for a project to spark some picture book ideas or get you into the visual zone? This might help. Also, watch out for my ten top tips at the end of the video. 🙂
Hello, duckies. Hear the bell? Class began last Tuesday night (Feb 2). Oh my goodness, it was awesome! I could literally hear the brains buzzing. Or maybe that was my brain. Or the cicadas. No matter. For those of you who couldn't join us, here is an excerpt from the Official Course Notes. Posh, hey? …
‘It is impossible to define precisely what the soul is. Definition is an intellectual enterprise anyway; the soul prefers to imagine.’ Thomas Moore, Care of the Soul I grew up in a book-free household. Actually, I did have some Little Golden Books. I remember when we 'went down the street' and visited Woolworths, my mother would …
Continue reading "There is no bookcase! How I found stories when there were none."
Early in 2016 I decided it was time to start teaching creative writing again. I'd taught a few years earlier and loved everything about it—the connection, the conversations, the sharing, reading, writing, coffee! Heaven. This time though I wanted to commit more fully, and build something for my students that was rich and supportive. Something with staying power. I …
It's nearly February! And that means it's nearly time to kick off my creative writing course. As the auspicious day draws closer, (I can't wait to meet my students, they're all so shiny) I have been thinking, how do you write a book? I mean, seriously. How?? I found the answer (thank heavens) over on …
Dream, imagine, play, create. That's the girl & duck motto. So to kick things off I've made a little video. Or vlog. Or...moving picture thingy. No matter. It's about the dizzying maze of art supplies. I love fine art and I ADORE illustration. There really is no difference to me, it's all a joy. Because …