Transformation

Before

and after.

First day

Baby girl goes to school

Doing a bit to help out

With so much devastation around the country, it's great to see so many people putting their hands up to help those affected.

There are a few projects in particular that have impressed me and although you've probably heard of them already, I'm going to point them out anyway.

One of the great things about 100 stories for Queensland is that even if you can't spare a few dollars, you can still help. They're accepting submissions of (uplifting) short stories (500-1000 words) until Friday 28th January. 100% of the sales profit will be donated to the Queensland Premier's Flood Relief appeal.

If you can spare a few dollars, the Authors for Queensland Auction might be for you. Decide how much you can spare, choose one or more books/services and put in corresponding bids. Bids are acceptable until Monday 24th January. You might even grab a bargain. For instance, my poetry book, 'First taste' currently has no bids. This is also the case for the current issue of page seventeen. I also donated a manuscript assessment/critique of up to 3 short stories, but whatever you're interested in, there's sure to be something there for you, so go on over and check it out.

If you're a writer with a book or service to donate, The Queensland Writers' Centre's Writers on Rafts initiative is still accepting donations (I think: contact them to be sure).

If you just want to buy something, then Page Seventeen are donating sales to Queensland Flood Relief for orders received by the end of Australia Day, 26th January. This was inspired by Graham Nunn, who is not only donating sales of his poetry book, 'Ocean Hearted' to Flood relief, but is adding an additional $5 from his own pocket for each copy sold. And he sure is getting an amazing response.

Of course, you can just make a direct donation too. And if you're interested in helping out victims of the Victorian floods, you can make a donation here.

On a personal note, our new home in the south of Brisbane is quite a way away from affected areas, so we were fortunate enough to remain high and dry through even the worst periods.

not a resolution

I wouldn't call it a new year's resolution but in 2011 I plan to engage in some serious slowing down. I'm not sure at the moment what that entails exactly, except that it definitely means less time online.

This will be easier than if I'd said it at any other time, as despite our new home being in the metropolitan area of Brisbane, as far as Telstra and its fabulous services go, we may as well be creating a new town in the middle of the desert. Without ADSL, it shouldn't be too tough to stay off the interwebs.

So, at some stage in the near, or not so near, future, I may update you on my 2010 reading (I stuck with reading novels by only Australian women) and a few other bits and pieces. Or I may not. One thing I'll tell you now though, is that in 2011 I plan to read novels that are debuts by Australian writers. I'm starting with Forster's 'The book of Emmett'. I'm also reading Gretchen Shirm's short story collection, 'Having Cried Wolf,' which I was fortunate enough to 'win' recently on twitter when Affirm Press had a little competition. Not that a short story collection would have to be a debut collection for me to read it this year. Just novels.

Launch photos

I'm a little slow with actually doing anything lately, except when it comes to packing boxes. Although really, I could probably be more efficient there too. But I'm not here to talk about what'll be happening after 5 more sleeps. Partly because I think you already know, and partly because I know you'd prefer to see a photo or two from the recent launch of First taste.

Which I have thanks to Vicki who, as well as sharing all her pics with me, wrote a bit of a thing after the launch here. It was a lovely afternoon, a chance to see so many friendly faces for what might be the last time, at least for a while. Unfortunately Emilie Zoey Baker was stuck at home in bed, but Marian Spires put on her launching hat and helped me send First taste into the

world in style.

Here is one of my biggest fans.

Marian Spires and my mum.

A couple of friends enjoying themselves.

Koraly and Vicki.

And a family shot to end the afternoon.

Thanks to everyone who came along, those who couldn't but wanted to, Marian for doing a fab job with short notice, Vicki for the photos, and all my friends and the poets of Melbourne, who I will dearly miss.

Copies of First taste are available from Collected Works, Readings (St Kilda store) or direct, via paypal, here.

Winning

I’m a winner. Again. For two years running, I am a National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) winner. And yes, it feels good.

In some ways, it feels a little better than last year. Not in that adrenalin rush kind of way. Last year definitely takes that crown, but this year I feel good knowing that some of the things I wrote are actually worthwhile.

Not that what I wrote last year wasn’t. I mean, I learned a lot about myself, including that I can quickly lose interest in an idea I’d been passionate about for years. And while I have no intention of ever writing an actual end to last year’s story, or rewriting it, or anything so ambitious, I do still have an idea of using the original idea for some other, shorter, piece.

But this year. As you know, I didn’t write a novel. Instead I wrote what I called ‘Bitsa’. Bitsa fiction, bitsa poetry and bitsa whatever else I felt like writing, including blog posts (though I won before starting to write this one).

I’m not going to go into much now except to share a few stats. Because I like stats, and numbers in general.

I wrote ten blog posts, including some I’ll post in December and some I’ll never post. Or will maybe post.

I started seven short stories, finished five of them and will probably pursue four of them. One has already been workshopped in my writing group and seems not to need a lot of rewriting. Yay.

I wrote thirty poems. Thirteen are more for my own memory of our recent family camping trip, but maybe one or two of those might be worth sharing. Of the others, I've read some on stage already, which always helps me know if I should rework or dump. But mostly, I’m not sure yet how many will rest in peace and how many shall be revived. Though there are definitely some to keep.

I wrote twenty non-fiction pieces (not including blog posts). Of those, I like less than half, and will pursue less than half. At best there are nine worth revisiting, although it’s possible when that happens I’ll change my mind.

And, finally, I wrote three other things that I won’t disclose, except to say one was a letter.
I did not count my tweets, emails or facebook updates, although admit that during the third week I half-wished I had.

But anyway, it’s over and I feel good. My first instinct is to say I don’t know whether I’ll do it again next year and will take some time to think this through. But I’m also well aware that I would probably not have done it this year if I hadn’t so publicly and enthusiastically said it was my one big goal for the year (all those months ago). And I’m definitely glad I persisted.
So I’ll think on it a while and maybe by the time I announce some 2011 goals, I might be ready to say either way.

Oh, I almost forgot, I attempted eight of those crazy ten ideas suggested by others. I was going to press myself to write all ten, but its not like I wrote about everything n my list full stop. I didn't write about acrobatic walruses or ghosts, and of the others, two were short stories I failed to finish. But I had a go, eh?

A First taste taste

First taste

He pierced my heart
with butterscotch sauce
a double quantity
smeared
over the warm cake full
of brown sugar and dates

next
he baked a delicious sponge
wet with citrus tang
light
but heavy after being prepped
with walnut and greens
fried

the triple chocolate cheesecake
and rhubarb crumble
secured the deal
we celebrated
with premium ice-cream
swimming in chilled muscat

together
we discovered the delights
of orange almond syrup
chocolate mousse meringue
and chocolate raspberry pudding
cakes
wrestled
with decisions over
chocolate or caramel
mud
docked dry fruit in port
for months
before baking the proverbial
bun

now
he makes anzacs
in double batches
I bake muffins
with blueberry patches
and mull over stained pages
of cookbooks

last birthday
I made my own sticky date
shared it with friends
and recalled
my first taste
of butterscotch sauce.

First taste will be launched by Emilie Zoey Baker at Caffe Sospeso, 428 Burwood Road, hawthorn this Sunday, 28th November, 2010, from 3pm.

Come help celebrate Tiggy's debut poetry collection, to listen to some poems, including one she wrote in year 9 (that, thankfully, is not in the book), and see her one last time before she heads on outta Melbourne. She might even cry, and that's not something you see every day.

If you want to know a little more about First taste, check out this review, or this one. And if you can't make it to Hawthorn on Sunday, go here to order your copy via Paypal.