So, about three weeks ago I facilitated a creative writing workshop focusing on settings—dealing with what, why and how. And because it was a small group, I had the opportunity to participate in the writing exercises and prompts I had set. First hurdle, though, was myself. I'm a good teacher (if I may say …
What goes into writing, really?
Okay, so heads up—this is going to be a somewhat personal (read: not professional-professional) post... Run now while you can! What goes into writing? What goes into writing a book? TV shows, movies etc make it seem so easy, making the writing process seem like an easy, smooth stream of click-clackity typing elegantly churning out …
Doldrum Saturdays
The weekend has rolled around, yet again. And your writing to-do list just keeps getting longer and longer. You have a million and one other things you have to do before you feel like you can 'indulge' in your writing—things like laundry, dishes, feeding yourself, working a 'real' job that pays the monthly bills, resting …
Let’s Prose
So I've just spent my whole Saturday slaving over finishing up the web copy for the upcoming Let's Prose—Creative Writing Workshop. The workshop is an initiative of The Eloquent Orifice and is going to be led by dear old me! It's all really exciting, and I'm really looking forward to getting back into holding writing workshops. I've …
Latest issue of The Eloquent Orifice!
So, the latest issue of my blood, sweat and tears is now published (psst, check out Volume 5 Issue 2 here), and I'm so happy/relieved/tired I could cry. I literally slaved over this issue. Reviewing, editing, graphic design, admin work. You name any step in the publication/production process, I've done it. Cover and TOC previews: …
“The H Word”
I just finished binge-watching the Marvel/Netflix mini-series, The Defenders. I sat in bed the whole day, cuddled up with a hot water bottle (Facebook did that whole virtual celebration of spring thingy, but they are sooooo wrong), and watched all eight episodes at a go. Now, I've never paid much mind to what other people think about …
My book is published!
I'm very excited to share that the book I've written is now being sold in Singapore! It was a painstaking writing process, and even more so during the editing process (I did *not* edit my own book—I could hardly look at it after I was done writing. But I wish I had, because...... but …
Katsushika Hokusai
I've never been a particularly big fan of early Japanese art. It's not that I didn't like it—it just didn't move me the way classical European paintings do with their deeply intense, emotive imagery and light and shadows, such as Anguish by August Friedrich Schenck. When I first saw this painting—housed in a large room with more …
Hola!
Hi, guess who's back... back again! I'm terribly sorry—it's been such a long time since I've checked in on here. Life has been incredibly hectic with me finishing up my MA in Publishing and Communications (at the fabulous University of Melbourne), being pregnant (this has a sad end... a story for another day), moving house, …
Creative block?
Ever find yourself in a state of creative stagnancy? In a state where all you do is stare at a blank screen/canvas and nothing comes out of you besides a salt-and-vinegar-chips-flavoured burp? If you've never had the pleasure of experiencing that dark hole (literally—cause the blank canvas can certainly drain you dry), you're lucky. I've …
Geraldine Stallard 