A new day

Dear Blog,
It's been a while. I've been busy. Yes, yes, that old chestnut. No, really. You've been left languishing in the dark hole of cyber space while its author went off to focus on other pursuits - like finishing her first novel. Yes, it's finished, working title, 'The Secret Carrier', and the next step is seeking an agent/publisher.
I know, I know, me and a million others. But, being a classic glass half full woman, annoyingly optimistic and perhaps the best reframer yet, it'll be try, try and try again - like most 'new and emerging writers'.
The process of writing is after all an end in itself - the creative venture is a heady place, a time-warped space, a sometimes altered state. But mostly? It's just practical, i.e. sit in a chair and write: get off Facebook, ignore the emails, no, the blinds don't need cleaning, no, you don't need to ring that long lost friend - just write. On a good day it's 3000 words, on a bad one, it's re-reading what I've written and 'fiddling'.

Anyway. I'm back and aim to visit you more often now that your existence may be discovered after I chose to dive into the deep ocean of social media on Facebook and surf the wave - without floaties, too!

See you soon.

Shirley

Best First Lines of Novels — Infoplease.com

Best First Lines of Novels — Infoplease.com

One of my favourites on this list is Anne Tyler in "Back When We Were Grownups":
           'Once upon a time, there was a woman who discovered she had turned into the wrong person.'

It somehow speaks to those untaken paths we all might have taken, not in a regretful way, necessarily, just a 'What if...?'

What would be one your favourite opening lines of a novel?
Why?
Which one do you do you wish you had written?

       

Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability | Video on TED.com

Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability | Video on TED.com

I found this presentation by social worker, Brene Brown, brutally honest and inspiring. It reminds me of the importance of connecting with one another and of the struggle for authenticity.

What do you think?

Thanks

Thanks

Before I start blogging about writing, interviewing women writers at work - Paris Review style, and books, (and perhaps life, the universe and everything) I'm going to begin the first post on my blog with gratitude.

I can thank international blogger and author Philip Thiel (check out his blog), presenter at the  recent Melbourne Emerging Writers Festival (thanks to Director, Lisa Dempster) for this tentative step into the 21st century world of blogging. His anarchic invitation to get out there and write the internet was heady stuff for a relatively new writer just trying on the shoe for fit. My interaction with Philip led me to pitch a story to the festival organisers for their annual publication The Reader (click on 'Links') which they accepted (thanks editor, Aden Rolfe). The festival and The Reader are significant for emerging writers and best wishes to Lisa and co for their Sydney EWF next month.

Thanks to Ray Norman for demystifying blogs and Ian Norton for facilitating it, and their respective partners Pat and Sylvia for  their patience. And thanks to everyone - family, friends, fellow writers - for their encouragement and support of my efforts so far, to enter the literary arena, including Dr Gina Mercer, former editor of literary journal Island and Anica Boulanger-Mashberg editor of Island's online journal Islet (click on 'Links'). Particular thanks go to my mentor, author Robyn Friend and my partner, Tony Webb for staying the distance!

Love and gratitude
SC Patton

Watch this space

This is where I'm going to interview women writers about women writing, in Tasmania, and then who knows. And share some of my thoughts on the process of writing.