Over Myself

Posted on August 31, 2006

I’ve had my interview for a newspaper column recently and then a couple of days ago another hour long interview by someone doing a thesis about ‘creativity’. I tell yah - I’m sick to death of myself. Tired of talking about myself - and whoever thought THAT could happen! - tired of hearing my own ideas. The sound of my own voice!

I’m particularly tired of discussing my difficult past, it’s starting to make the present difficult as well.

I had coffee with a friend the other day who is helping with some research for my book. She grew up in a large family where her father would come home from the pub and belt the children - and her mother - just for the sport of it. (Why are men so angry?) Her mother tried numerous times to have the police intervene without success but when she finally retailiated and stabbed him with a knife, he managed to have her carted off to a mental asylum for two years. My friend was 13 years old when this happened.

I think that many, if not most, people have had some great difficulties in their life - I’m fed up with hogging the limelight with mine.

PS: Due to writing/work/travel commitments this blog will be more sporadic - or, spontaneous - in the near future.

An Equal Music

Posted on August 29, 2006

I feel as though I’m running two major marathons at the same time, one being the research and writing of the new book and the other being the child-rearing marathon that involves endless amounts of wrangling, cajoling, dispute resolution cleaning up, cooking, washing and driving.

Somehow in the midst of all this I am still managing to read - life really does feel empty if I don’t have a good book on the go!

I’m currently reading Vikram Seth (which I discovered recently is pronounced Sayth) An Equal Music. It’s written in the first person from the POV of Michael who is a sensitive violinlist who plays in a quartet. Now, I have it on good authority from the person who lent it to me (who is a classical musician) that Seth has captured the sensibilities perfectly. I’m in awe.

It’s quite a compelling story of musical angst and lost love, and it is difficult to believe that Seth is not a musician. He states in the back that he loves music and acknowledges the length and breadth of the help he had but, man, it’s a testimony to the power of personal one-on-one research and his skill not only in writing and character development etc (the dialogue incidently is excellent - very natural) but in interpreting and embeding that raw material in this fictional piece. V. impressive.

Running on Empty

Posted on August 28, 2006

Made the mistake of watching 60 Minutes last night on the impending world-wide fossil fuel crisis.

It’s just so difficult to work out what is truth and what is fiction with some clearly knowledgeable people saying there hasn’t been a major oil find in 30 years we’re not going to suddenly discover another Saudi Arabia. That oil will run out and, as our entire civilisation is based around oil and petrolum based products, everything part from food we can grow in out back-yard, it will mean the end of civilisation as we know it.

The oil people say that’s a load of rubbish there’s plenty oil - one going as far as to say we will never run out. I suppose he’s not going to be around when it does.

Anyway I was lying in bed last imagining the ramifications of no more fossil fuel - it’s mind boogling. Maybe we get electric cars happening but international travel will be something of huge expense. Sailing ships? Solar powered planes? But then you come to the manufacture of plastics and cosmetics and drugs….

The greenie in me that says it will slow the hectic pace of the world, keep the terrorists at home - we’ll ride bikes and grow our own vegies. But somehow I don’t think it will be that simple.

 

Write Off

Posted on August 25, 2006

Going gang-busters with the new book at the moment. All major distractions seem to have removed themselves and I’ve been freed up to lock myself away.

I’ve begun the major revision of the first draft and the rather laborious process I have been employing is to write it in the third person, then rewrite it in the first person (of the main character) and then rewrite it back in the third person again. It’s not as mad as it sounds, and in fact, not really that laborious because revising is the best fun you can have with your slippers on. It just enables me to delve a little deeper into the character and reveal emotions I might have skimmed over in the third person.

I’ve also stumbled on a device I hadn’t actually planned to use, it just happened, where the character discusses her past in the first person - although the current action is in the third person. Just have to see how it all pans out.

This probably sounds as boring as poop if you’re not into writing - all I can say is sorry - I find it fascinating!

Race for the Panty Line

Posted on August 24, 2006

I am well underway in my quest to fit comfortably into my lucky undies. Otherwise I’ll never be lucky again!

I’ve started walking briskly for 40 minutes around three times a week and I’ve joined a group who share a trainer who is an ex-Olympian rower. She puts us through circuit training, on a cross-training machine, rowing, cycling etc plus push-ups, sit-ups and boxing. The boxing was absolutely brill! I loved getting all my frustration out and she was very impressed with my upper-cut, which made me quietly proud.

Then, to top it all off, at 7.30am this morning, in drizzing rain I had a tennis lesson. I’m okay at tennis, a bit girly floppy in the serve and fling to the next court with my back-hand but I could see and improvement already in the first lesson. So I’ll have a few more and then who knows - I might even become a little bit sporty in my loose fitting lucky undies.

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