Haiku

Image Courtesy of Glen Carrie: Unsplash

I’ve been looking at poetry this week, particularly Haiku poetry. I studied its forms last year, but poetry itself has always had different connotations for me – namely that it is part of a loftier genre than fiction writing, with its syllables, and emphasis on structure and lines (Shakespeare and his iambic pentameter springs to mind), that make it harder to understand.

So, I was pleased that my poem, a Haiku, was received quite warmly by my lecture at the time, and by the visiting poet. They encouraged the class to dig deep into our inner psyches, enjoy the world around us and to embrace the simplest things, especially  Nature at its best.

With that in mind, I found this lovely image on Unsplash. The black and white style appealed to me, and the image itself – of three little birds – summed up a Bob Marley tune that hummed in my head as I wrote this poem:

Three Little Birds

Three beaks in the air,

A delight for the senses,

Can be Nature’s Joy.

Suzanne Bowditch, 2018

It’s just Monday lunchtime here – have a great creative week wherever you are !

#writing #creativewriting #haiku #poetry

Street Art

My daughter’s graduation ceremony is not until the end of 2019, but she’s already making huge plans. We have to pick the dress of course, plus hair, make up, shoes, accessories….the list goes on.

Needless to say, its exhausting. I’m hoping next shopping day she’ll take her friends instead, for I do have a book to finish and edit after all! Not sure if I trust her with my credit card tho…!

Here’s a few art pieces that are on display at the shopping center. Called ‘Street Art,’ the art has been designed and painted by local schools as well as artists. I snapped a couple I really liked.

Have a great weekend – hopefully its a creative one! I’m taking said daughter to a Harry Styles concert…may have to prepare myself for the screaming girls if the internet is anything to go by! Reports are he’s pretty good. 🙌

#streetart #weekendvibes #creativity #harrystyles #brisbane #lifestyle 💙

Back to Basics: How to Read Shakespeare

Happy belated birthday to the Bard this week…and great post here, thank you Book Fifty! 🙂

Book Fifty

Today is Shakespeare’s birthday, so to celebrate I thought I’d share another post in my Back to Basics series. Last time our focus was on reading and understanding poetry, and today we’re taking things one step farther by focusing on the man, the myth, the legend: William Shakespeare.

Today’s post starts with some overall tips for better understanding the Bard, and I’ll close things out by offering you my very own patent-pending Shakespeare 101 curriculum–five plays to read to increase your overall understanding of Shakespeare and his influence on culture. I hope that this post will give you an easy, stress-free way to enjoy some of the best that English literature has to offer. Let’s get started!

Shakespeare Basics

In order to read and understand Shakespeare, there are four basic things you need to know.

1. Shakespeare’s English is modern English: This sounds insane, because today we don’t speak…

View original post 790 more words

Coff’s Harbor

These pictures were taken a few years back, at Coff’s Harbor, New South Wales. It was a weekend away for my son’s birthday, so we went to the local marine park. As you can see both of them met the resident walrus! I remember he smelt really strongly of fish, and kept sniffing behind their ears to get more. This is him giving a sloppy kiss.

It was also a weekend to celebrate my graduation, so I remember it being a cold autumn in 2012. A few years ago now, and a lot of learning since.

In that time, I ‘ve had 4 books self-published (no mean feat, its a minefield alone to get the formatting correct, plus covers, then marketing them!), and taken a several courses, including a Library diploma, historical courses with the University of Iowa, plus creative writing courses.

I guess what I’m trying to say, is that I’m still pursuing my dream to write for a living. My journey (still on going), has been nothing if not diverse (with regular jobs plotted in, to supplement my income ), but I still have that drive, that desire to achieve my goals – of being a writer.

I’m not looking for success, (although that can come with it) but a desire to write everyday and share my stories with others.

Whatever your goals are, stick to them! Its what makes us who we are.

Have a creative week!

#creativity #writer #lifestyle 💙 #goals 📚

Write like a professional, get the chapters right

Fabulous advice as usual, thanks Jean!

Jean's Writing

By getting the word count right. How?

Scene by scene.

I’ve written in the past about the word count for books but a book is made up of chapters. And chapters are made up of scenes. 

A mixture of really short and really long chapters may give your reader a case of whiplash. Make sure that doesn’t happen. 

There is nothing wrong with varying chapter length or writing a book with all short chapters, but I’d avoid the extreme. Scenes set the pace and like stepping stones lead your reader through the book. 

Randy Ingermanson on Advanced Fiction Writing, reminds us to think SCENES not CHAPTERS.

Controlling Chapter Lengths in Your Novel

Things from his post I want to remember:

• Chapters are stepping stones to take the reader through your book.
• Chapters consist and are controlled by SCENES.
• Varying scene length is okay. But be consistent.
• A good average

View original post 190 more words

If You Liked The Woman in the Window, You Should Read…

Some great reading here, happy to share! 🙂

Hey Savvy Readers,

Have you readThe Woman in the Windowyet? It’s too soon to say, but it just might be one of our favourite books of 2018! It’s the perfect blend of twisty and suspenseful, and the it’s been #1 in Canada for THREE months in a row!!

If you’re like us, you’ve devoured The Woman in the Window and now you’re stuck looking for your next thrilling read. Well don’t worry, we’ve got some ideas for you! If you liked The Woman in the Window, then chances are you’ll love any of these new releases! Read on for some TBR ideas…

View original post 834 more words

Asmat carvings

Creation myths are one of the subjects on my course, so I was pleased to find these Asmat carvings on display at the Brisbane GOMA (Gallery of Modern Art) recently.

These carvings are a part of the culture of the Asmat region in Indonesia, and illustrate the ancestoral figures and their own creation myth in these exquisitely carved poles.

Asmat carvers have long been celebrated for this distinctive and elaborately styled wood carvings, through these ‘bisj poles’ that are meant to honor their ancestors and their relationships with the waterways and forests of their homes.

They are also very beautiful and worth a mention here….have a great creative week!

#creativity #brisbane #goma #art #indigenouscarvings