creative writing | creative life
A few years back, I wrote a book about creative writing. It's still selling on Amazon. But I never promote it. I want to tweak it. And it needs a new cover... Because. Shit.I know more now! I've got more to say. More to share. Maybe I'll just write a whole new book.Want to …
Greetings, dear reader! Thanks for dropping by! I'll get straight to it, shall I? This is a looong post. I hope you have a teapot handy... 1 Why another photoshoot? Since our tree change in 2018, I've changed a lot. I've become more 'myself' if that makes sense and I wanted girl and duck to …
Continue reading "Our Latest Website Photoshoot: Behind the Scenes"
Hello dear Reader!Yesterday (Tuesday Nov 5) was ANNOUNCEMENT DAY.Yep, we announced the winners of the 2019 Scribbles Creative Writing Awards (or CWAs as we affectionately call them).Now. Girl and Duck is a smooth machine. But we’re a small machine. So, in order to pull off a competition of this magnitude (and trust me it was …
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Hello, dear reader! Today is Shortlist Day! So, what’s the big deal about a shortlist? Lordy lord! A shortlist groups together the best. It acknowledges the most accomplished in a huge collection of entries. It’s how we make literary awards (such as the Scribbles Creative Writing Awards), manageable — both for the judges and …
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Dear reader, If you're in The Scribbles Academy you might be familiar with my confession. If not... Have I ever told you about the time I wrote a romance story? OMG. I still groan with embarrassment. It was the mid 1980s and the Australian Women’s Weekly in conjunction with Mills and Boon, was running a …
Twenty-one Reasons Not to be Visible (These are only some of the ones I've used but, hey, we don't got all day.) I’m too old I’m too fat I'm not cool, hip or trendy I’m not creative enough I’m not successful enough I’m not wealthy enough I’m not clever enough I’m not articulate, qualified, educated …
Years ago when I was nursing, we used to attach long cardboard labels to the patients’ bedheads. The labels alerted the staff to any ‘peculiarities’; anything the doctors thought the staff should be aware of such as Nil By Mouth, Allergies, Diabetic. I remember one patient well. On admission she tore off her label and …
In the world of girl and duck, I get this often: Jen, I feel like I've known you for years. I always feel like you're talking to me, personally. This doesn't happen by accident. When I decided to take girl and duck online, I knew I had a lot to learn. Especially about marketing. I …
Since our first video in August 2016, Q and Q Friday has had almost 21,000 views. That’s a lot in a niche industry. A lot in a small country like Australia—with crap SEO. Hear me GOOGLE? Get your bloody SEO sorted! Help the little guys get seen! We’ve produced 107 videos (so far) and covered …
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Ever since I started coaching aspiring and established authors and illustrators over at girlandduck.com, I've been saying the same thing: This is a personal development bootcamp, honey! Remember when Goldie Hawn joined the US army in Private Benjamin? She thought it would be a lark. Maybe they'd do a little stretching, some 'jogging' (remember jogging?), …
Continue reading "Writer? Illustrator? Six reasons you’re in a personal development bootcamp"