What inspired me to attend the 'The Bendigo Writers Festival'

There are a few reasons why I chose to enrol in the subject, 'Writers In Action' that is centred around the Bendigo Writers Festival and throughout this blog post I hope to list and explain my intentions and expectations of the festival and then re visit them following the completion of the event to ascertain how it all played out.

1. Firstly the BWF lured me in with the grand array of professional authors that are to be making appearances. I admire their talent and ability and I hope that some of their genius will rub off on me!

2. I am very keen to attend the workshops that help new writers understand the publication process.

3. I hope to have the courage to ask lots of questions and probe the speakers and audience.

4. I hope that the festival opens my pessimistic eyes to the idea of becoming an author as a full time job! I love to write but sometimes I feel as though there is no chance that anyone would ever want to publish anything I write! So at the festival I hope to meet those who can provide compelling optimism, opportunity and inspiration.

5. Lastly, I just hope to meet some like-minded people who love to read and write!

Okay! Lets do this!

Blog exercise 1

1. In 50 words or less, using a distinctive genre (eg fairy tale; comedy; science fiction; melodrama; poem) narrate the story of your story.

Once upon a time there was a young girl who loved to read and write. The young girl grew up into a young women and she began writing books for all of the towns people. Her stories of princes and princess's made the towns people happy and they all loved her and her stories very much. The end.

2. Write the opening paragraph of a story that begins with the words "what if".

What if I was the winner of Masterchef 2014? Would I be happier? Of course I would be! You see, thats my dream really. I mean I know that I am here at University studying the arts, hoping that my grades will be enough to get me into a masters degree. But honestly, I don't want to be a Master Teacher! I want to be a Master Chef. It was that epiphany that started the ball rolling…….to be continued!

The power of story telling

For without passion, life becomes a meaningless road where we "keep on keepin' on" without seeing the beauty that can be found in each small moment.

First I will set the scene, because we all know as avid writers and readers that a good story cannot be told until a scene has been set. It was the 90’s when I was born and I grew up in a less conventional way than most. My firefighter and nurse parent’s were unlikely ‘wannabe hippies’. We lived in the middle of the sticks in a small rural community, (I hesitate to say town as there were no shops).

“Granite Ridge’ in Benloch was our slice of paradise and is my continual inspiration. 

The land was fertile and green with large gum trees, ferns and native grasses. Koalas dozed high in the trees with tawny frogmouths and laughing Kookaburras. A meandering creek bordered the property and came to a peak atop large granite boulders, eventually running back down towards the ground and forming a cascading waterfall. Frill Neck and Blue Tongue lizards soaked in the sun on warm afternoons and Echidnas dug homes in the dirt. Our sustainable eco-friendly mudbrick home, the center of “Granite Ridge” was designed and built by my parent’s very own hands. I was born into a loving household where animals were treated with respect and hard work bore great results. The peace and serenity of my child hood still resonates within and although I am now far away, in the bustling regional city of Bendigo, it takes only a single moment for me to lose myself in the crunching sound of the twigs and bracken as I race through the forest, or the sound of an owl hooting above, and the rustling of the water while I feel soft moss between each of my toes.

I knew from a young age that I needed to know more words. Words can be used to describe the emotion and connection that can be evoked from a single memory or a group of memories that form in our minds to produce a perfectly painted picture. They can move and grow; the power of memories is great, yet the power of memories when expressed in words is eternal and never-ending.

Although writing can sometimes be an arduous task, the persistence I was taught by my parent's help me to strive, work harder, and be passionate in all that I do.