May is Zombie Awareness Month

Are you a zombiophile (is that a word?) Did you know that May is Zombie Awareness Month? The first zombie movie I watched was Night of the Living Dead. When it comes to horror, I was more of a vampire-girl myself. They are better dressers – as long as they do not sparkle.

Many of my friends are big zombie fans. The genre digs into our imaginations and deep seated fears (and our brains). Several attend the annual Zombie Walk.  One of my friends helped organise the Adelaide Zombie Walk until she moved interstate. The fun fundraiser encourages  you to bring tins of food which is then donated Foodbank SA.

Speaking of food, there is even a book –  A Zombie Ate my Cupcake .

Goodreads is hosting a forum and blog giveaways for Zombie Awareness Month. (ZAM) They list the best zombie books in various genres – including YA and Romance. I recommend Pride, Prejudice and Zombies. (that is about as gorey as I like my zombies.)

Last year, I posted one of my writing exercises which resulted in a fun story about zombies:  Zombies Kitty versus the Zombies.

You can read more about Zombie Awareness Week  the Zombie Research Society Page = http://zombieresearchsociety.com/zombie-awareness

Thanks to The Zombie Research Society’s FB page for this pic.

(and May the 4th be with you!)

May is Zombie Awareness Month

The Chill is Coming

I was going to say ‘Winter is Coming’ but a friend of mine pointed out that people may think this is a post about Game of Thrones.  Not being a fan, I did not immediately think of that… so I changed the title. – The Chill is Coming.  Time for boots, cardigans, scarves and time to landscape in the garden.

Usually I am that annoying person walking around in Autumn, reveling in the cooler weather, thankful that summer is over and lamenting that winter is still too far away. I do not like the heat (and it gets hot here in South Australia – see The Week My Brain Melted). I prefer a hint of artic on the breeze, a cooling relief that brings with it the smell of freshly turned earth, woodfire smoke and the promise of rain to settle the dust that is my bane (allergies suck).

Yesterday was the first day that I had to rummage into the bowels of my clothes cupboard and find one of my knitted coats to keep the chill at bay. This is when I start re-evaluating my clothes and culling those items that do not fit anymore, I have not worn in over two seasons or have become threadbare from overwear. The last category is the hardness to cull.

With the culling comes the planning!

I realised yesterday that I have a serious lack of blouses. I have plenty of fun t-shirts, a few  long sleeve knitted blouses (now looking slightly over-loved) but not many non-t-shirt type summer – or winter – blouses. They had long gone following previous culls. I had intended to replace them but had got side tracked with my writing.

While I have several really great jackets, I need to address this situation; I got hot flushes these days so I rarely spend the entire day in a jacket. I usually end up peeling the layers off. And t-shirts just will not cut it. This was a perfect opportunity to pull out some of my more fun winter items and plan replacements.

This winter I will be wearing my Doctor Who scarves again (yet another reason to love winter). A few winters ago, my   friend Cheryl knitted me a Doctor Who scarf, in my favourite colours. I love wearing it! This year I have the official scarf to add to my collection.

I am set for winter, if I can keep my head or feet warm.  As I am a horrendous knitter, I really appreciate my friends who make me some really cool winter woollies. My friend Cheryl also knitted me this ‘brain cap’ beanie.  My friend Anwyn knitted me a Jayne cap in my favourite colours – perfect for keeping my ears warm when the wind starts blowing! I wore this a lot last year and it will come out to play again this season, along with my felt bowlers.

Taking a look over all of my favourite items, there seems to be three main themes: bohemian, steampunk and 50s. (If you don’t count the obligatory jeans and t-shirt.) All of them centre around fun.  Something I need more of.

This winter I have finally got a good collection of cardigans to choose from. Sadly, I have only one 50s style skirt to share between them. (I realised the number of my skirts has been dwindling – darn you jeans – and they are up to fifteen years old and have seen much better days.)

So I am all set for the outer layers and accessories (though one can never have too many pairs of boots), now it comes back to that which I have a distinct lack of – blouses.

I used to do a lot of ‘everyday’ clothing sewing. Over the past few years I have let that slide, concentrating more on costumes. Now is the time to remedy that. As I plan to spend more time writing everyday, time is an important issue. This year I am using store bought patterns to cut down on pattern drafting times.

The local spotlight had a recent sale on materials. I decided to go for some fun prints with a more 50s or steampunk feel, which really cheers me up.  I am now planning a few blouses and skirts to add to my wardrobe.  Then I can finish my semi-annual cull and donate some clothes to Goodwill and Salvos.

 

The Chill is Coming

Of Deadlines, Short Stories and Novellas.

Over April, I have been striving towards a self-imposed goal of 10,000 words as part of CampNaNoWriMo. Regular readers will have read about it during over the past month. Fear not, this is the last post on the topic… for now.

I have mentioned previously that one thing I am constantly fighting is procrastination. I use deadlines as a means of forcing myself to get things done. I have used competitions, regular blog dates and this year, I decided to try NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month – 50,000 words on a new project - in November.) I had an idea for a novella. Pefect! I have started a box with notes, which I need to add to before November. I have taken holidays.  I can write, write, write.

Then I found out about the mini-version.  I could name my own goal, from 10,000 to 50,000 words.  I had a short story in mind, #3 in my growing Doctor Viola Stewart Adventures, using some of my favourite characters. It is based in the same world as The Department of Curiosities, but is less gadgetry steampunk, still alternative history. So far I have:

• #1: An Eye for Detail – short listed for Australian Literature Review Mystery Short Story Competition, July, 2013. (3000 words)
• #2: The Magic Lantern (completed – 3500 words)
• #3: Doctor Jack. (in progress) ( 10,000 words, and counting).

The month started out in a very promising way but quickly fell apart. Days 1-7: 400 words. After a week of migraines, I was still only at four hundred words. Sigh. Procrastination had set in once more but, hey, I had twenty-three more days to write myself out of the hole. Another spurt got me to 1900 words, over the next five days.

Days 8-22: The pattern went like this: a spurt of writing, some plot tinkering, followed by three to four days of intense research – in an effort to make me look like I knew at least a little bit about the historical facts related to the story.

Day 23: I finally wrapped my head around the geography for some of the action and sat down for eight hours, writing out a rough plot line so that everything would track – logistically and timeline-wise.  I now had an ending. But.. 10,000 words would not be enough?

Day 25:  Doctor Jack has struck.. again. Two more, and the ensuing investigation, to go. Eight hundred and sixteen words til I hit my CampNaNoWriMo goal of 10,000. It was obvious the story would not end there. There is at least another 2,000 to 4,000 words to wrap it up. This is no longer a short story. This is my first novella. I am loving these characters.

Doctor Jack – 1st draft- Deadline 30th April, 2014: 

Day 26: First draft is still ongoing. I am now writing beyond my goal and just starting the third phase of the story. Yeah for deadlines! When will I be done? When the characters have completed their story.

Doctor Jack – 1st draft- Deadline 30th April, 2014: 

Introducing: Doctor Jack: Story #3 in The Adventures of Viola Stewart. (I so wanted to call it The Two Doctors Adverntures!)

“There is someone stalking the women of London… again. Oculist Doctor Viola Stewart feels there is something strangely familiar about the murders. She convinces her friend Dr Collins(local police pathologist)to assist in her investigations. Together they uncover a sinister plot and a secret Society hell bent on creating a new order.”

Wednesday will be my final sprint – during the Writer’s Race – to see how much further I can get before the CampNaNoWriMo deadline at midnight. Then for the revisions, rewrites and edits.

Manuscript Word Progress:(on hold for the month)
Total Words:  
Revised Words: 
At 1st draft only:

Of Deadlines, Short Stories and Novellas.

Of Vineyards, Fruit Trees and Autumnal Bliss

I love Autumn. It is my favourite time of the year. The cooling breezes – so refreshing after the summer dust, the cicadas trilling throughout the afternoon, the apples adorning the trees. I love to get out in the garden and dig up the earth without burning to a crisp or dying of dehydration.

I plan potential landscaping projects. I plan which bushes need repotting or transferring to a more advantageous spot. Mostly I love to sit with a cup of tea and ponder.  This week I managed to dig (and manure) two of my vegetable plots. One was sown with mustard seed, in preparation for tomatoes, and the other will have broccoli seeds (saved from last year’s crop). It already has an errant self-seeded pruple broccoli now in residence. I do not spray harmful chemicals in the garden – companion planting, crop rotation and organic gardening is my preference.

I love to visit my inlaw’s vineyard - Parish Hill Wines, in the Adelaide Hills. I am told it is a great pity that I am a teetotaler. (Well, that is what my friends say – they love getting bottles of wine as gifts!). I feel right at home fossicking around there orchard, sitting on their verandah or taking my camera for a wander.

Today the vines were still mostly covered with birdnetting, the odd leaf starting to show a hint of gold. We came home with over a kilo of quinces, over a dozen Jonathan Smith apples and a dozen eggs.

  

I love Autumn.

Of Vineyards, Fruit Trees and Autumnal Bliss

Hard Work, Goals and Inspirations.

In recent blogs, I have documented some of my writing journey – CampNaNoWriMo, attending the weekly Writer’s Race (hosted by The Australian Writer’s Marketplace online on Facebook), working at my ‘day job’, and doing the domestic chores that can not be avoided.

This week, I have pulled myself out of writing doldrums and have (finally) written almost 5000 words towards my CampNaNoWriMo goal. (I do tend to work better to deadlines or goals – which is why I use the progress gauges below.) I am quite relieved, as I originally chose to attempt CampNaNoWriMo specifically as another tool to fight off procrastination – one of my biggest enemies.

I chose the minimum goal level of 10,000 words, so I could get a feel for how difficult it will be in November, when I attempt the full NaNoWriMo experience, of 50,000 words – and a new story project that is knocking at my skull to get out. (I have taken time of work for that one, increasing my writing days.)  Maybe this would also get me back into the habit of daily writing.

Having not yet published anything (other than my shortlisted short story, online at the competition website), I thought I had little to offer already established writers. Well, this week has been an amazing ride for me! A short while ago, a long-time author friend of mine commented on how enthusiastic I am about my writing and asked me to write a blog post. This week a new author friend has asked to read Doctor Jack when it is complete, and author friend has said how I inspired her to get some writing done.

Sometimes the smallest comment can have the biggest consequences.  A big thank you to the three of you – you know who you are – you have boosted my confidence not only in continuing my writing, keeping up with my daily practice but also in sharing my journey with others, hoping that I may inspire them as you have inspired me.

Doctor Jack – 1st draft- Deadline 30th April, 2014: 

Manuscript Word Progress:(on hold for the month)
Total Words:  
Revised Words: 
At 1st draft only:

Hard Work, Goals and Inspirations.

Blood Moon Rising.

Blood moons don’t happen every day. They only happen once in a … blue moon. (Well, maybe not that often.)  I read someone online quoting Blood Moons only happen every 800 years or so. They are not that rare – about every sevearl years or so. However, we are going to experience this phenomenon four times over  the next eighteen months – to the chagrin of many doomsdayers.

What is a Blood Moon? It is a lunar eclipse, during a full moon that results in a shadow causing the moon to appear ‘crimson’ (though it looked more like rosey pink to me).

I planned to take this opportunity to have another crack at photographing the moon. In the past, due to non-programmable point-and-click cameras, bad luck and insufficient lens magnification on my SLR and misplacing the tripod – all I had managed were some luminescent round circles suspended in the night sky.

I set to work doing some basic research on how to get a photo which would detail the craters in the moon, using only the equipment I already had. I felt just a bit inadequate – go to manual, close down the aperture, so the oncoming light won’t drown out the detail, and keep the shutter speed short (for the same reason). Why had I failed before?

I first tried some shots on 200 ASA but found 100 ASA gave much better detail (as would be expected). I think I had just been lazy (using automatic on occasion) and overthinking it (when previously using manual settings).

Unfortunately, by the time I arrived home after work, the blood had drained from the moon leaving only a spectacular full moon only partially eclipsed. So here are my shots of the partially eclipsed (non-spectacularly red) moon and the full moon in all its glory.  It ain’t rocket science (unless you are studying or travelling to the moon).

More information on lunar eclipses can be found on NASA’s website.

One of my favourite books: Richard R Green’s Blue Moon Rising - always cheers me up.
Camp NaNoWriMo update: 4272 words so far. (almost half way there)

Blood Moon Rising.

Life, the Universe and Cardigans.

Sometimes life surprises you. A few months ago, I was having a rough patch. It felt like the Universe was turning my existence into one gigantic (and not very pleasant) bad joke.  I buried my head in books, collecting bits for steampunk outfits and writing – in an effort to console myself.

There was also quite a bit of procrastination, mainly in the form of surfing the net. During one of my – ahem – research stints, I found this really cute knitting pattern for a small octopus to decorate clothing. Unfortunately, I cannot knit. I tried knitting once. It wasn’t pretty. I have resigned myself to the fact that knitting is one skill I will never master.

After lamenting of my ineptitude on social media,  one of my dear costuming friends offered to knit me one of the cute things (in purple!). When it arrived there were a few extra trinkets she had made me – a TARDIS necklace and box. It was a wonderful reminder there are still genuinely caring people in this world.

Last month  while op-shopping, I found the perfect purple cardigan – complete with tags and unworn! 

Today was a little chilly. Yes, I admit it. I decided it was time to introduce the octopus to the cardigan. After plumping up the head with stuffing, I pinned the octopus in place, then hand sewed it on.

Mischief managed. I now have another vaguely steampunk inspired item of everyday clothing. I will have fun wearing this over winter. I love octopi (or octopuses – depending on the version you prescribe to.)

Every time I wear it, I  will think of wonderful people who care about others. I will remember the positive things in life. I will remember that the Universe can be an amazing place.

Plus the octopus is so cute.

Life, the Universe and Cardigans.