Dark Side Down Under

Writing of time flying, it has been brought to my attention the Dark Side DownUnder blog I'm a member of is about to turn 1.....

There are some awesome prizes on offer with book giveaways from Keri Arthur, Rowena Cory Daniells, Tracey O'Hara and Erica Hayes to name a few of many.

All you have to do is come along, make a comment and answer a question on Monday, October 31.

Creativity, Life & Time

As I look at the calendar I'm slightly stunned how near the end of October we are. I knew at the start of this year it would be a rough year for me to balance my desire to write with my parent hat (we won't discuss wedding planning, I'll keep myself in denial on that front).

It's taken most of the year, but I've given myself permission to ride out the remainder of the school year (er, with 3 weeks to go) where getting words not down is okay. My son is wrapping up school and viewing life post school and all that entails - university applications, scholarships, choices, life without the school regime. In a way, so glad it's him not me (remember being 17??).  I have no doubt he will find and land on his feet, however it can be hard to watch the rollercoaster being so close to the action.

Meanwhile, there have been a lot of blogs appearing in my Google Reader about creativity, the need to keep going, burn out, balancing the creative with the practical side of one's life and it has me thinking.

So, while that blog post is percolating in my mind I'd like to direct you over to a blog by Deborah Biancotti (who is currently playing over at World Fantasy Convention) about creative exhaustion. It is something that happens to everyone in many different and varied ways. I know I've certainly enjoyed reading all the various responses Deb has received and it shows how no matter what way we travel to and reach the end product everyone has these thoughts. It's how we learn to handle them that counts.

Mysterious paper sculptures - Central Station Blog post

The internet can be a time suck it's true. But sometimes you come across things (I love facebook and twitter for this very reason)....like this. Go on. Have a scroll through. I think they are all beautiful, awesome achievements.

Mysterious paper sculptures - Central Station Blog post

I know I've been remiss in posting since the music. Real Life has been keeping me out of mischief. However, I have plans. They are somewhere round here, mixed in my ones for world domination.

Unintentional Radio Silence

Or should that be unintentional blogging silence. There was a plan. To do a blog during the Romance Writers of Australia 50K30day challenge. Being consistent, I didn’t pull that off either. Real Life intervened (as it does).

July saw me co-ordinating on the ground the RWA 5DI program. Was interesting being on the other side of the fence as six years ago I did a similar event called EnVision. I’ve never looked back from doing it and wanted to pay it forward. In between timekeeping during 5DI, editing managed to resume (I’d hoped to, but wasn’t planning anything). Was such a relief after so many bumps this year.

Back in June, the plan was to get on with edits and to make headway into my current wip (aka mermaid’s story). However, she and Real Life had other plans.  I’ve spent the snatches of available time reworking the turn she insisted on doing. Now I have this, the dirty draft is going to go down.  

Now, August looms.  Of course, August in Australia also means the RWA annual conference. It’s the 20^th anniversary and looking like being a wonderful shindig with plenty of networking, fun and learning.This year is in Melbourne and one of the guests I’m very much looking forward to meeting is Kelley Armstrong. Melbourne is a lot cheaper (and shorter) to fly to than Canada. 

I find it very amusing in my final year as an unmarried woman I will be room sharing (think of it as a professional girls weekend). Continuing on this train of thought is my other half mentioning since next year’s conference is much closer to home he may tag along (we get married and he comes to crash my girl’s weekend, er, I mean professional development).

Given we are both off to Brighton, England in 2013 for World Fantasy Convention (our delayed honeymoon) perhaps starting with a Romance Conference may be a wise thing.

30 Day Song Challenge Day 30 The End is Here! Desire, Romance & Blood

I've done it. Managed to keep with this meme all the way through. Never done this many blogs in a row. I'm thinking the once a  month with extras will be the way to go (it's where I sit comfortably in the blogging world when added to twitter, facebook and oh yeah, that pesky writing thing I do). Part of the experiment in doing this meme via my blog rather than facebook (keeping the list was another) was to see if I wanted to blog more often. I can see a blog post about where the interwebz fits into my world.

The final choice was for favourite song this time last year. May 2010 was a blur. I was busy working 2 jobs (both regarding teaching/training), juggling a teen in the first of two years of senior (we're in the final year now) and organising an engagement shindig......songs weren't really a priority.

Trawling YouTube by ways of friends posting songs on facebook was more how I came across songs last year.

The result is I'm wrapping with two songs.

The first is a performance by a capella group On the Rocks dong a performance of a Gaga medley with Bad Romance dominating (& it was the song on high play on radios too). I love the movements they do along with the general awesomeness of a bunch of guys pulling off the songs.

The second is another I must've heard a lot and started to enjoy via morning weekend tv music shows. Undisclosed Desires by Muse. Added bonus to a version I found on YouTube (before my son bought a few of the cds) is someone put a composite of Eric Northmen & Sookie Stackhouse from True Blood to the song. A fan of the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris and the HBO tv show (though do not watch/read one expecting the other to be the same).  Personally I think the actors playing Pam and Eric in particular have nailed their characters brilliantly. Some of the others I hold reservations on (& just don't get me started on the fairies....)

So to wrap.......some Eric goodness :-)