2010 page seventeen team and Free Issues

It's difficult to believe April is merely hours away, and with April comes the beginning of the submission period for page seventeen. You'd think with all those months off I'd be ready, but, ahem, maybe not (quite) so.

Because... I haven't told you who the 2010 team is yet. So, that's what I'm going to do now!

Firstly, I'm taking a massive side-step this year, so I need an Acting Editor. Welcome Vicki Thornton. Vicki will handle a huge chunk of the admin, oversee the selection process and be part of the reading team for our short stories. Not to mention all the little fiddly bits that won't be mentioned here.

For the first time, we have a Poetry Editor and a Short Story Editor. I am very excited to let you know that Ashley Capes is taking on the Poetry Editor position and Laurie Steed the Short Story Editor position. Ashley will handle all the general submission poetry, including the short form pieces, while Laurie will share the reading load with Peter Farrar and Vicki.

Of course we are running the popular Page Seventeen Poetry and Short Story Competition again and this year's judges are Graham Nunn (poetry) and Amanda le Bas de Plumetot (short story).

I am so excited I'm almost certain I've forgotten someone or something, so feel free to let me know if that seems to be the case.

Meanwhile, get over here to download everything you need to submit and/or enter the competition.

Oh, and I almost forgot, we're having a little special during April. We're giving away copies. All you have to do is purchase a copy of page seventeen (direct, this won't apply at bookstores). We'll send out a 2nd copy of the same issue, or a previous (in-stock) issue of your choice.

What's the catch? Well, there's only one: we'll be sending both copies together, you can't split them.

But it's just for April, so get moving.

music for the generations

Despite our birth dates both sitting neatly within the band that defines us as part of Generation X, my husband recently explained that we are certainly not of the same generation.

Of course he was implying that I am from a more ancient one.

My first reaction was to remind him that I am only three years older because I figured his motivation was merely a new way of saying so. (Past methods of reminder include asking what colour zimmerframe I might like for my birthday, trying to credit my less-grey-hair-than-him on the dye I used (seven years ago) and the delight he took in me being thirty-something while he still had a 2 at the beginning of his age.)

But no, this isn't what he meant.

It was all about music.

Confused? Yep, so was I (which, I believe forms part of the said generation gap) and to be honest, still am. Essentially, what he was saying was that he has superior taste in music.

Now, I'm not going to go and pretend I'm any kind of music ace and the truth is that when we moved in together and pooled our CDs, the only double we had was, and I cringe in shame as I share this, Frente's Marvin The Album. Not that I've listened to it since. Partly because I don't spend much time playing CDs, preferring the (rare) quiet or the background noise of the radio (especially a station he wouldn't choose).

When I do tend to play CDs while writing (or studying), I get out some faves, including (but not limited to) Chris Isaak, Mental as Anything, Smashmouth or some trashy 80s hits. The latter, it seems, is where the problem lies. Of course, Bryden isn't a fan of 80s music and continued with a list that any younger-generation-xer would surely own. I don't remember most, but if you're a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana or the Foo Fighters, chances are you're younger than I am. A few examples of friends who like both 80s music and say, the Foo Fighters, confirmed that such types definitely fit within his generation, the younger set of Generation X.

Owning a Jet CD and loving a particular JJJ compilation is apparently not enough to save me. Thank goodness I have other redeeming qualities. Or at least I assume I did ten years ago, before we married.

What's your favourite CD and would your partner hang around while it's on?

bag the routine

Lately there have been so many things going on that I don't really know what's happening.

In good news, I've been putting together a team for Issue 8 of page seventeen, which I will announce in a couple of weeks. As well as share some other exciting news.

In writing news, well, I'm not sure. There have been some good days and some not so good days and I'm not about to go boasting about productivity. Instead I suspect I'm struggling to find a new routine and seem to be getting words out only when there's a looming deadline. Another thing I'm not so sure about.

Speaking of routines, and this may have something to do with my difficulty in settling down to one, Bryden's office moved to the city which has turned us all upside down, with changes in everything from kid drop-offs and pick-ups to grocery shopping. Hopefully we'll get used to it quickly, although something tells me it's not going to be the case.

We've had a few kiddy dramas over the last week or so too. Last Friday Hamish had a fall at school and suffered a mild concussion. He is fully recovered now, with the exception of a small graze on his elbow, and really was as good as new on Saturday morning. Since then, Dylan has been barking like a pup with an occasional mild temperature, meaning no childcare. But I've looked on the bright side of losing a writing day: I caught up on washing.

I also managed to fit in a touch of sewing and today finished these two bags, one for me and one for the gift-cupboard. I should probably finish another project before starting on the new bag pattern and fabric that arrived yesterday, but...

just a little update

While I've probably already read more novels this year than for the whole of last, I would like to be able to say I read more than one and a half novels last month. Even if just by half a book.

This whole reading challenge has got me talking more about my reading habits, if I could call them that, and I must admit I did feel better after learning (at playgroup) that out of my 'reading' mum-friends, one and a half books a month is not too bad. Even so, I'll see if I can't get over the two book line this month. Give or take a chapter here and there, as I'm not the type to necessarily be reading only one book at a time. But sticking to just Australian women has not been a problem. I guess it won't be at one and a half books a month.

As far as my writing plans, I'm generally going okay. I've managed to leave the house to write as much as I hoped to, although perhaps only just, and that time has certainly been some of my most productive. I am finding though, that by the time I've met non-fiction commitments and then written poems as they demand to be written, I haven't found any time for fiction. Perhaps this is something that was going to happen as I settled into a new way of working and it will sort itself out. I hope so, although I'll definitely revise my goals in another couple of months. The good news is that the amount of writing I've done fits in with my goals.

The name change saga continues. Vic Roads turned out not to be nearly as difficult as the phone dicussion with them suggested, and I have so far changed my name with most of the more important places. Mostly because I sacrificed a work day with no kids to get it done. Including booking a lunch date with Bryden to make sure the day wasn't all about sitting in waiting areas.

I wasn't sure how easy eating out was going to be on the detox, but it proved to be no problem as we found ourselves eating fancy Chinese, although I'm sure any Asian cuisine would cater easily. As well as for my taste buds. I actually have been out for two other meals this week, which I thought were going to be more difficult because the venues were pre-set. One was in a pub and I was sure I'd have to resort to a bowl of chips (which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing), but it didn't come to that. Nor did the second occasion and I'm not sure whether I'm not just a little disappointed.

The study? Well, I'm not convinced I want to share an update on that. Let alone consider that Bryden might need to work in there as soon as next week!