Crazy Book Lady

I haven't posted in a long time because I've been so busy (read: a bit busy but mostly lazy) and because well, let's face it, nobody is actually reading this anyway.

Still, I'm bored at the moment because I'm all alone as my lovely boyfriend has gone to Singapore without me! But I'll be joining him on the 5th of June - I booked my ticket yesterday so it's all happening. Then I will finally have some time to concentrate on my studies instead of stupid work which I hate and which sucks all the energy out of me like a black hole (that's probably not a fitting simile but hey, I'm not a physicist).

I've been busy with moving (I moved back into my dad's for a while after Neil left to save money) and now packing and organising everything.

My course is going well, though I'm still behind as usual (will I ever catch up? Only when I'm not working I guess). I've gotten a fair few assignments back now, and I've gotten mostly good marks and a few average marks. Of course, the average marks are the ones that stick with me, but I keep telling myself that I can't expect to be perfect straight away. It takes all my energy to stay posivtive and not be discouraged, because I know I have to have faith in myself, but I just don't want to be one of those people who keeps trying to be or do something that they're actually crap at. But then again, there's always Stephanie Meyer...

I've been reading Angela's Ashes for my Life Writing class, and also just for my own general enjoyment, if the word 'enjoyment' can be used when referring to this horribly depressing and bleak book. Books like this remind me of why I love to read and why I want to be a writer, the way McCourt is able to write as though he is actually there, and is a child again. Even though I grow up in totally different circumstances (thankfully!), I can completely identify with the young Frank and the constant state of confoundment he's in over the strange behaviour of the adults around him. Brilliant stuff.

Also recently read Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvis which was extremely riveting, disturbing and well-written. Yes, it is about vampires, but no, it is nothing like Twilight (not that I've read Twilight, but I've seen enough to know that I have seen too much).

I also made one of my beloved trips to the a second-hand book shop, this time one in Albert Park called 'Poets and Thieves' (how good is that name?). I had a very successful rummage and came home with my very own copy of Cloudstreet, which I have longed for for some time and have searched for it high and low in bookstores across the land (hyperbole, anyone?)

I also picked up Joan Didion's Where Was I From (I'm trying to read more memoirs for my life writing class) and the recent Sarah Waters novel The Little Stranger which was also on my list. So all in all, a very fruitful search which was mighty pleasing as I spent the better part of an hour in there perusing. The books were not alphabetised so I pretty much had to look and every single one to see if there was something I wanted.

Second-hand book shopping has to be one of my favourite pass-times. My all-time most memorable bookstore was the one I went to in Castlemaine on Easter weekend. I had to wait 3 days for it to open (visiting each day just in case) but it was so worth it in the end. This place was unbelievable! You could barely move for books in there, they were books piled high to the ceiling and the spaces in between were so narrow that you had to press against a wall of books to let someone pass by. The lady manning (womaning?) the store was in a booth of books too. I imagine she had to sell her way out of it or be stuck there forever.

On that trip I picked up 5 books if I recall, but I've packed them in one of my moving boxes and now I can't find them and I can't for the life of me remember the titles of them all. I know one was Wally Lamb's The Hour I First Believed (not sure how I managed to misplace that as it's bigger than my head) and another one was Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible, which has also been on my list for a while. When you find those ones you've been wanting for a while it's so satisfying. I'm stocking up now so I can have them all shipped over to Singapore because I'm not going to have any money to do anything but as long as I can read I will be happy.

I can picture myself as an old lady in a tiny room surrounded by books and nothing else. I'll be like crazy cat lady but with books instead of cats. Crazy book lady.

Free at last!

Ok, so apparently the creative writing piece I posted in my last blog is not actually 3rd person limited as I stated. It is 3rd person omnipotent, which I now realise should have been quite clear to me. I thought I knew this stuff, but it turned out I was overestimating myself! I'm pretty sure I've got it all figured out now though ... Stay tuned, I may be eating my words once again.

I have fallen behind in my studies again, which is disappointing (to me - obviously - but then I'm used to being disappointed in myself!). I wish I had more time, because everything feels rushed, when what I really want is to be able to just write; to do all the exercises and really practice. Not only that, but I was hoping to catch up on some discussion topics (for my course) over the Easter break, but I discovered today that some of the topics have been locked! Gah! To be fair, we were warned that this would happen, but I conveniently forgot (as I am apt to do with important pieces of information such as this).

Working and studying full time is just not for me, I don't know how people do it. This is why I am so pleased to know that in as little as 6 weeks, I will no longer be working at all! The idea is so freeing, now my only wish is that it was sooner. My boyfriend has gotten a job in Singapore, which means that I will be moving too.

Conveniently (for me, not for my boyfriend) it looks like it will be very difficult, if not impossible, for me to get a job over there, as the market is very competitive and I don't have a degree. At first I was despairing a little over this, but now I see it as a good thing; it will give me time to really concentrate on writing. I think this is what I need to get the juices flowing: no other clutter; no distractions; just writing. The life of a true artist (dare I call myself that?... Dare anyone, though, right?). I imagine myself holed up in our tiny one-bedroom apartment, slogging away, or wandering through the strange city trying to pass the time while my boyfriend is working. As long as I can adapt to having hardly any money, I think I am going to enjoy it.

Of course, I could be completely wrong. I might actually hate it and feel horrible and want to come home. I hope not!

We're All Mad Here

I've wanted to start a blog for quite a while, but have not had the impetus until now.
The impetus being that it is a requirement of the course I'm doing, which is Certificate IV in Professional Writing and Editing.

The requirement is to start a blog, and only requires that I post once, but I'm going to try to keep it up. I cannot make any promises though. Having said that, I am a world-class procrastinator, so who knows, perhaps I will find myself contributing to this blog rather than doing the work I'm supposed to.

In this blog I plan to post some of my own original writing, as well as discuss books and other pieces of writing, topics of interest to me, and things that inspire me, written or otherwise.

I've found that since I started this course, some 3 weeks ago, that all I've wanted to do is read, read, read. Of course, what with studying full-time and working full-time (for now, hopefully I can go to part-time soon), I have little time to read. To sate myself in the meantime, I've been making lists of the various authors, topics and titles I plan to read when I do have time (whenever that may be!)

Some people/topics/authors that have piqued my interest of late (some through my coursework, some through other means):
Wittgenstein, Voltaire, Kierkegaard, Russell, A. C. Grayling, philosophy, atheism, Anais Nin, L.M. Montgomery... the list goes on.

I just finished this (very) short piece for my subject on Writing for Children: Picture Books, so I thought including it here would be a good start. For this piece we were asked to take a memory from our children and develop it into a self-contained story. It was suggested that we write this using 3rd person limited point of view, which is what I chose to use.

White Christmas.

Lainey was excited. Her prep class was going on its first ever excursion, catching the train to Hurstbridge for a picnic in the afternoon.

Christmas was fast approaching, and the children were wrought with anticipation. Earlier in the day they had made White Christmas, a hideous slice made from copha, rice bubbles and glace cherries.

The slice was sitting on a table at the front of the classroom. Children were milling around it, waiting for the teacher to announce that it was finally time to head to the train station.
Lainey couldn’t say why she did what she did, because she didn’t know. In a moment of weakness and with little forethought, she reached for the unappealing-looking White Christmas and snapped off a single rice-bubble, popping it into her mouth.

She looked around guiltily, only then realising the seriousness of what she’d done. She saw Leesa Jackson’s narrowed eyes staring back at her, accusing. Leesa Jackson- who had big buck-teeth and didn’t know her ABC’s- looked like she was about to burst. “I’m telling on you!” she declared, and that is exactly what she did.

As the rest of the class filed out of the room in pairs, holding hands happily, Lainey was asked to stay behind. She stared at the floor, heavy with shame, eyes brimming with tears. “Did you eat the White Christmas?” Her beloved Mrs. Dennis asked. “Tell the truth or you won’t be able to go on the excursion.”

This thought was unbearable; not only had she disappointed her much adored teacher and been humiliated in front of her classmates, now she may have to suffer the indignity of such a harsh punishment. She truly was a naughty child.

She thought carefully about what to say; on the one hand, Mrs. Dennis had said that if she lied she wouldn’t be able to go. On the other hand, it seemed to Lainey that if she told the truth, then she would surely not be allowed to go. Finally, she decided to do the right thing, whatever the consequences. “Just one bubble,” She admitted.

At the picnic she was offered some White Christmas, which she politely declined.

The End

The work I've done for this subject has reminded m how much I loved picture books as I child. I've found myself imagining reading to my own, as-yet unborn chidren, thinking of all the books my children simply must have. I almost can't wait to have kids just so I can read to them (Neil, if you are reading this, please note that I said almost).

This combined with the recently released film, reminded of one of my greatest loved books growing up: Alice In Wonderland.

I will leave you with some of my favourite quotes from this simply enchanting classic Children's book.

Alice: If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?

Alice: I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, Sir, because I'm not myself you see.

The Cheshire Cat: We're all mad here.