Though I haven't wrote a journal in quite a while (Oct 13th was the last recorded journal, that actually promised a “writing journal” coming soon – bah!), I thought I'd take this quiet opportunity to type up some thoughts on various happenings.


Seasons Greetings


Firstly, let me boldly wish everyone a Happy Yule, Merry Christmas, a Happening Hanukkah and whatever other holidays I'm missing out on there. Keep those Yule logs burnin' throughout the solstice and may your dreams be granted in the form of a giftcard. You don't need to keep receipts for gifts cards, am I right? No more tartan socks, tubes of sunblock and grandmother presenting you with a seasonal jumper, even though it's summer.

The glorious days have returned with cards of plastic, number denominations and brief statements of, “oh Jes, you're impossible to buy for.”

What they mean is that I'm expensive to buy for. Not to mention picky and I am known to state what I want, instead of allowing a surprise to fall into my lap. Yeah, I feel sorry for them too but that's how Mum and I work. She asks, I state, she buys and vice versa. The only person I'll accept surprises from is my dearest boyfriend and only because he has eyes that just make me go, “dawwww!”

So I wish ye all a happy season of giving, loving and sharing. Whether your folks just split up, you split up, found new love, extended your family, got married, found employment, lost employment, followed your dreams, found your dreams, had your dreams crushed or discovered a new life in which you belong so completely, it's terrifying and exciting – I wish you love, peace and the perfect happiness than can be found in the smallest of moments that stay in one's heart for years to come.

Who you pray to shouldn't matter, if you pray at all, all we have is what's in our hearts and what we choose to do when our hands take over and the mind latches on for the ride.

Happy Yule everybody.


Literature Suture

My “return” and I use that ironically, as I never said I was departing for good, has a lot to do with the furthering of #Writers-Workshop and the re-emergence of the kids at #SutureHQ. My departure had a lot to do with the decaying condition of dA lit, both on the chat and sources front. To me, it just didn't seem like it was going anywhere and I needed to be somewhere with somebody I love, doing an activity that could be considered worthwhile.

Up sprung groups, various workshops and the legendary `ndifference returned. How could I stay away from a stomping ground that suddenly cultivated a fledgling hope? How could I, with good conscious, pretend I didn't miss critique? An activity that makes me high as a kite and twice as giddy than my five year old nephew on Christmas morning – the child epitomises insanity when faced with presents, lollies and his young Aunt, lumbering around as a dinosaur/transformer or a spy, on the run from the “establishment” (you can tell he's my nephew).

So my purpose here is to serve the groups I currently have a role in, critique a little more and by extension, help you guys. You'll notice I have said nothing about writing submission. I'm selfish, I'm terribly obsessed with writing Coffeehouse and Along the Landsborough, so you guys shouldn't expect to see much short story action out of yours truly (unless you are Amber, Phill or Ryan, who are privy to all of my writing). :devnytercent: might pigeon hole me into submitting to W-W, which is very possible, wily little wench she is

What can I do, for YOU?


Now I know a lot of you don't really give a shit who's staffing what – no innuendo intended there, I swear- but my “job” is relevant to your interests. I need YOU to tell ME what you need in terms of sources; it's not very often that I'll open up the floor to non-fiction requests but the majority of you, my sweet and spunky watchers, are writers of various levels. Tell me how I can service your needs...regarding non-fic help guides.

Current Sources in development for #SutureHQ:

The Ultimate Genre Guide
The Ultimate Grammar and Punctuation Guide (Webster, Oxford and Macquarie).

Rattling the Prose Monkeys

I am also on the look out for simply awesome prose pieces, so if you think you have what it takes to impress me and the folks at #SutureHQ, please note me with a link to said masterpiece and a bit about why you think you're a worthy grasshopper. Now, this is also an opportunity to pimp pieces you think deserve some recognition in place of yourself. Follow the same formula, look I'll lay it all out for you in point form:

Select worthy prose, whether it belongs to yourself or someone else.
Note link to me (`poprocksandcharlotte).
Include reasons why I should stand in awe of its merit.

Of course, I'll be scouring the various literature galleries myself for cherries of inspiration, shivering as I'm overcome by their flavour...yeah, that will happen.

Jes Classifieds

Stamp me? Please stamp me.

Anybody who is good at making stamps and has no problem following creative direction, drop me a note and there will be a free critique in it for you, if I'm satisfied.

Stitches

Twisted tales of randomness coming soon to a inbox near you.
Call yourself a writer? Prove it. Workshop channel TBA.
SutureHQ, you know you love it.

Do you dig You?

The poetry is on you...Not you personally, but the second person form scorned and scattered by many, a scoundrel among the I's, she's and he's...Can you reform this blighter before You goes down in a history as a whinging, whining little tramp? Better question is, do you have the stones?

Yes?
Follow this link and test your mettle: [link]


Having trouble writing? Do you need a little help?
Even the best of us have to start somewhere, but you don't have to do it on your own. If the dAmn channel is too daunting and asking for help seems comparable to putting your head into the drop bears mouth, consider #seniormentors. This long established and revamped group have seniors from across the artistic board to better your skills and their own in a conducive capacity.


Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!



Come from the land down under? The city of international icons? Hop into these groups and find your fellows under the Southern Cross.


This has been a `poprocksandcharlotte presentation.

NaNo updates!
Short story updates!
Novel updates!




Coming to a journal near you.

I'll open this can with a list!

Things I want to do before I die:

Throw myself head first into a canyon with nothing but a huge piece of elastic as a lifeline.
Publish a few books.
Publish a few short stories.
Visit every continent on earth.
Hug and have a drink (or five) with Ryan.
Do the bridge climb.
Go on a holiday by myself.
Marry the man of my dreams, or live in a functional defacto relationship.


So I've been away a while...

I know. I know. I'm sorry to randomly fade into obscurity every time I say I could be back, it's just how life is working out.

The last three months, it's just been this unbelievable whirlwind of activity and I'm only beginning to get my bearings. I've spent this time just finishing up my degree, which I'm hugely excited about; writing some short stories I need to finish off – Harmless, The Syndicate (which is my entry in `Memnalar's awesome competition) and Busted (my entry into `WineWriter's devilish little prompt); and living between Lismore (my place), Kingscliff (my parents place and hometown) and Sydney (~demonic-boar's place -yeah, the one from all the tourist brochures – the city, not his house, unless he isn't telling me something). Yes, I have a new man, ma hahaha, everything is pretty great in that respect and I'll be taking another Jetstar flight this coming Wednesday to spend another three weeks in his company, maybe more, I don't know. No plans for a return at this point but I will have to before I trip over to New Zealand.

Yes, yes, I'm hugely in love. Everything that's happened has been totally worth it. I'm making myself throw up a little bit in my mouth right now, so I'll shutup about Gordy.

But back to my obscurity...I am really sorry but you guys do have some great people out there, I am utterly and completely replaceable with the lovely =nycterent, a good friend of mine from way back and past/present partner in critical crime. `Beccalicious who has my vote for GM. I think we need a little bit more of a prose representation across the board and that kind of thing starts with the Gallery managers. Scriptwriting and general performance writing needs a little exposure and the person to do that is Becca. It's time for some new blood and a new outlook, Lit feels flat and its time for some energy. Becca, you're already a GM in my eyes.

I can't promise to come back full time at any point in the future, I think I'm passed the point where I can honestly say that I'll be involved in everything and it will be the same as it used to be a couple years or even a year ago. My priorities have changed. Now, all of this said, for the next three weeks I can say it will be like the old days, they very old days when I had time to write and theorise. My man will be working and I will be home alone for 7 hours a day, so I plan to spend my time refining material and beginning some new projects.

Coffeehouse - I think I've mentioned this baby to everybody who counts at some stage. I really love Kate, Erica and Laura, I think they are some great characters and I am really excited to expand on them, especially since I have such a strong conception now of what I want from my narrative and how certain events take place. I think novel writing benefits from time, people don't think enough about their ideas.

Life in Boxes - This is my NaNo baby. Yup, I'm doing NaNo this year and Life in Boxes is pretty much my foray into autobiographical chick lit. This is basically a book about me and what I've gone through in the last nine months, because it has been such a monumentally challenging and life altering year. I guess it is a little self indulgent but I've always found a certain cathartic function in writing about the real world and anything written in my own voice, well, it's going to be a buzz.

NANO CALL OUT!!! >>> If you think you can write, if you think you have the capacity to trot out a 50k monster in a month, please climb on the NaNo train and hang on tight. Sign up here!

Travel, Sydney, Lismore and stuff...

I'm in the process of applying for an internship with premier magazine, Cosmopolitan, based in Sydney. If I get it, I'll have the opportunity to write my own column for ten months, have my further education paid for and work in an industry where I really want to find myself employed. I'm really excited by the prospect, so please, wish me luck.

As I mentioned, I've been travelling between three points for the last three months. I love Sydney, it's just such a great place and the people are really friendly in the Eastern suburbs where I've spent the majority of my time. The friends I have made are just really fantastic people, genuine, lovely individuals who I look forward to seeing every time I'm down. I have a support network in my boyfriend's family and Gordon himself. It's just somewhere I love being and as soon as I get off the plane, I can't stop smiling, there is just something about that place that makes me so joyous.


Contrastingly, Lismore is a mine field. I have gone from depressed to happy to lost to comfortable in less than twelve hours more than once. There is something so confronting about breaking away from everything I've ever known (while hurting people in the process) and striking out in a town where one has a less than positive history with no laurels, friends, family or romantic comfort zones. And trying to finish a degree at the same time. I questioned if I had done the right thing more than once, but I know for certain now, I did and I have. In the face of adversity, one makes so many self-discoveries and that's exactly what I needed. I didn't know who the hell I was anymore beyond extrinsic labels, insecurities, what others wanted me to be and what they told me I was. I hate to sound so damned Australian here for a second but, bugger that for a joke.
Charlton (my house) and Lismore have given me so many things. Lismore was originally the site of my destruction dating from 15 to 16 and a half. Life destruction and creation equally, life is a balance and a binary. If one is destroyed, there has to be some kind of evolution down the line, so it makes sense that the one place I hate in the world became the place I needed. It's not my favourite locale, it never will be. But when I am enjoying a Sydney post code, I'll miss the warm household full of music and my new found friends on Thursday nights, dancing away our lives at the clubs.

Next month (November) I will be in the great country of New Zealand, throwing myself into gorges, taking horse mounted tour of the Lord of the Rings sites, being propelled by white water rapids, jetting around on speed boats and listening to a whales song. The thrum of the tyres spinning across the country will be my muse and my mother will be my companion. The best companion in the world.

She's come to the end of her marriage, my parents have sold their house and are now going their separate ways, so it only makes sense to find respite in the islands of the NZ world. She's my inspiration, my mother and my best friend.

When I grow up, I want to be as strong as she is.

Critique

Throw me some pieces to taste! After a semester of hard work, I need to sharpen my nails on something and get my crit hat back on!

On the subject of critique, please don't take the above invitation if you cannot take critique. I do not want to waste my time on individuals who are not ready for line by line break downs and in-depth analysis.

I have the winners from =bekkia's contest to chomp on in the meantime, I'll look forward to your notes.


Alright kids. Have a good time, stay well and write, write, write!!!

Bandwagon woman: ASK ME ANY QUESTION


Contests

All Hallow's Tales Literature Contest
The Bodice Ripper Prompt

I'd like to publicly () thank ^fllnthblnk for slapping the DD device on Nuba

"I see your shadow on the street now
I hear you push through the rusty gate
Click of your heels on the concrete
Waiting for a knock coming way too late
It seems an age since I've seen you
Countdown as the weeks trickle into days"

-Passenger, by Powderfinger


"Don't you think it's time you started
Doing what we always wanted
One day we're gonna get so high
Cause even the impossible
Is easy when we got each other
One day we're gonna get so high"

-High, by The Lighthouse Family