Do you consider yourself a writer? Of prose, poetry, stories, blogs, articles, zines...anything?
Do you write for publication, or just for yourself?
How and when do you write, do you spend the time on it that you'd like?
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Do you consider yourself a writer? Of prose, poetry, stories, blogs, articles, zines...anything?
Do you write for publication, or just for yourself?
How and when do you write, do you spend the time on it that you'd like?
Me :) I'm about to go to bed, bit just subscribing so I can post back tomorrow at some stage, xox
I am. Mostly of the poetic variety (freeform thought stylings).
I used to write very unedited and then I became interested in the way I wrote and spent a stage with a lot of rhyming. I found that PND took away my natural interest because I was usually triggered to write by emotion and those were stolen in my darker days.
I hope to get back into it soon. I have some in this section that i have shared previously. Will come back and link my favourites.
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...alexander.html
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...-july-1st.html
PZ looking forward to hearing about it.
Dragon - I was browsing thru the section before I posted this and noticed you had put up some threads earlier on...thought I'd go back and read them one evening when I've got a bit of time.
AFM - well I've written stuff a long time ago (ah that makes me feel old). Have always felt like a writer but don't have much to show for it, except dabblings & a few courses (good feedback). But recently I've caught onto the idea that perhaps I could fund myself a new sexy lil netbook if I can get a few things published so I'm brewing some ideas at the moment.
I feel like I'm getting to an age where I'm a little more 'seasoned' in terms of life experience, so what I write now is likely to be less introspective than some of my earlier stuff.
I'm joining a local writers group - dunno if it's any good - they're all about a million years old & retired, but they might have some interesting things to say.
Ok I'm back :) When I was in year 10 I joined a small theatre troupe with my school (in a stage-management capacity) and ended up leaving to pursue it in a full time capacity. I ended up co-writing a play with the director that was eventually taken overseas and performed across the u.k. and u.s. Amazing experience, and I have the added (and extremely ****y) bonus of telling people that I co-writing a play that was performed on Broadway...never mind that it was a tuesday and wednesday afternoon matinee, or that I didn't end up actually going :lol: I found script writing really challenging, and also an excellent way to integrate some of the unfinished poems/prose I had jotted down over the years. If you would like I could post some, I never really considered doing it before. Dragon, your writing is beautiful!
I know its a bit different, but I like to think of myself as a songwriter.
I haven't written much at all since having my girls, but thats mainly because I usually write with a piano and I don't have room to set one up anymore!
I'd love to do something with my songs, but I don't think this is the season to do it.
I want to write a book, but don't have the time for it unfortunately.
Instead, I have to write lots of emails for work (doesn't everyone!), Presidential reports for playgroup, and 4wd club stuff. Some creative selling type things, but not very often. So, I try to enjoy what I have to write now....
I used to love writing creatively at school, but my then bf quashed that passion.
Hmmm...i don't know if i'd call myself a writer, but i do LOVE to attempt it :) - i've written a few poems (rhyming) and started on a kind of "my life" book of what i went through in childhood with my mums illness and again later in life with my dad's illnesses....hmmm...i did post one poem on here which i wrote for mum, took me a long while to be able to finish it (i started writing it when i was 15 and im 32 now!) but i was (relatively) happy with it as it summed up how i felt :redface:
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...-poem-mum.html
I write short stories when I get the motivation - subscribing so I can post after DS has fallen asleep
i've posted a couple of poems i've written in the writers section. i have a lot of stuff tumbling through my head but don't have the time to put it on paper anymore now that DD is here. maybe when i'm back at work and have to do something while i'm on lunch break or something - i got a lot of it out. have a lot of time at night when i want to write, but the light in the bedroom disturbs DD and DH - and if i leave the bedroom i just get distracted by other stuff
I write.. Lots. Well, a whole heap more before I became pregnant with Boo. Its fiction and more for me at this stage. I can do journalism and critique, but I prefer fiction.
ETA: Thats what happens when you try and type with people talking at you. You type random stuff and then hit submit!
Anyway, I practice on "RPG" style websites. I have one of my own somewhere on the interwebs and one of the set ups I created shall be making its way into the pages of literary novel soon enough - when I have the time.
A core part of my job is writing - but very dry corporatey stuff.
Or was, I'm going to change career.
So if I'm not writing professionally, then that may give me more passion to write more creatively. I've been known to write truly awful poetry after a few wines :) so hopefully I can improve on that. I do find that if I haven't written something that amuses me in a while, I start getting really toey and end up composing emails, Facebook entries, something/anything in my head so in that sense I "need" to write.
I like to think of myself as one... but feel like a terrible fraud because i haven't written anything creative in years :(
:yeahthat::
I haven't written since Shel and I got together. I guess I had more time on my hands back then LOL. I'd love to get back into it. All I write these days are assignments :doh:
I would love to call myself a writer. In my younger days I have written the following:
- 2 fiction novels (1 was 130 pages of handwriting when I was 15 - one of my friends read it and liked it but unfortunately it got burned in a house fire a few years later. The other one is terrible and will remain in the dark depths of my old hard drive for all time.)
- 1 play that was performed at a festival in New Zealand (great audience turnout, one terrible review)
- PIlot for a sitcom plus several more episodes (submitted to TVNZ, but surprise surprise, not picked up)
- several short films
- several very bad songs
- a column for a quartely work newsletter, which I also edited during the time that I worked there
- lots of unfinished short stories
I am currently working on what began as a short story but now seems to be turning into a novel (20 pages and the plot is still not going anywhere :wall:). I try to write each morning on the train to work. My main problem at the moment is that no matter what genre I start writing, it always seems to turn into romance/erotica (maybe I'm just not getting enough in real life...).
Hi
Thought I would post on this thread as I am writing a novella for a major uni project. It's my first attempt at *long* fiction, and has been torturous to write: +++anxiety. But I'm very close to finishing a first draft, and will present it to an audience in two weeks. I really hope to be able to keep working on it through rewrite/revision stage, and do more writing in the future.
Cheers!
Some fantastic and interesting responses to this thread - I have read through it a few different times and really enjoyed the diversity of responses.
Spiceoflife - wow what a challenge. Do you mind me asking what type of course you're doing at Uni?
As a journalism student I spent a lot of my time writing (read as -banging my head on the keyboard) :D Nothing published as yet but give it time.....currently doing the research for one on homebirth and finding it very hard to stay objective!
I constantly correct peoples grammar, speech and spelling so perhaps a career in editing is just up my alley?
I write album reviews for work, which is why I love my job! Is there anything better than getting paid to listen to music?
In my spare time I blog...music, pop culture and birth/breastfeeding/gentle parenting being my topics of choice. One day I will write the story of how I came to be a mama, it's one hell of a story!
My hubby is a seasoned songwriter/musician and blogs about politics.
Needless to say our house is filled with lots of paper with half formed ideas on it!
I write all the time for work. Most of what I do involves writing that is published, but it's not necessarily interesting or creative (or attributed to me)! I do writing for annual reports, sustainability reports, websites, corporate brochures, newsletters, the list goes on and on.
Needless to say, my urge to write more creatively at the end of the day is all but dead. :( I used to be a member of the Writers' Society in NSW, but never got beyond submitting a piece or two for comps. Doing my Masters sort of killed that, because then I had essays to write and no more time!
One day I'll write something more meaningful and moving. Right around the time I get to finish the odd painting and take up theatre acting once again!
The good news is now I get to read more often, so the creative juices will be flowing eventually.
Sure. It was an interesting decision. I couldn't find any courses In Australia that really grabbed me, and I'm so nervous about writing (not having a lit background) that I didn't want to risk my stuff in the marketplace straight up.:
But, I'm a Christian, and even though I never wanted to go to bible college, I decided to start a Masters in Christian Studies at Regent College, Vancouver BC (Regent College :: An International Graduate School of Christian Studies) all because they offered a concentration in the arts - essentially I could write a novel as my thesis. And that's what I'm doing!
Allycat - lol at the bits of paper with half-finished ideas!
Jennifer - yeah, I enjoyed the Writers' Centre once upon a time, too. Funny how life so easily swamps creativity. I really hope to keep making writing a priority, but it's going to be hard.
Just wondering if there's been any activity in the writer's corner of late?
I've written stuff recently. What else have ppl been up to?
I'm back writing, at the moment just scribbling ideas down. Up until recently I had a job that I wrote every day and since finishing that job, I have missed that side of things, so I'm back pushing my creative side again.
I freelance as a non fiction writer but havent had anything published for a while. Last thing published was an article on GLBT indentities in virtual worlds and last writing job was for a women's health organisation here in Perth. Worked as an editor for a few local magazines years ago. Also write horror fiction...published in zines, but nothing else yet.
I've always fancied myself as a writer, Started a Bachelor of Arts at uni when I was 17, Majored in Journalism and Film and Television for 2 weeks, (Hated journalism) so then I swapped to Creative Writing...LOVED IT! Had a very grey Elizabeth Jolley as my tutor which was an exrtaordinary experience and one I am very thankful for, and shared a class with people 20-30 years older than me, They wrote such rich I wonderful stuff that I decided to go away and live, and come back and finish my arts degree when i had some grey hairs and wrinkles
Now I am living... a grand adventure.
Lately I have been craving a creative outlet so I am going to do some local "Life Writing" classes.
Recently I have been inspired my some poetry written by a kiwi doctor. I am so privileged to hear amazing stories every day in my work, I might be ready to start writing again, and I am starting to collect some wrinkles and some experiences of varied, powerful emotion
I have been involved in an internet activity called 6 word friday at Making Things Up: A woman with a husband, five kids, and the occasional witty anecdote and my latest contribution is about being a working mum (The idea is you write about a topic in 6 word lines- this week was "For the Record"
its not my most creative but defiitely passionate...
I go to work. Most days.
I like my job. A lot.
My overwhleming passion is at home.
My babies. Part of me, us.
The love I have for them
Is bigger than anything I know
Mum's can work, and love BIG
I am a great, present, Mum
For the record, working and mothering,
Great mothering, are not mutually exclusive
I don't classify myself as a writer, but I guess I technically am!
I blog, I currently run 4 blogs. One is for the kids photography (Photography by Toddlers), so not much writing there. One is their premmie journey (Parenting Premmies) I have another for my own diary, it's locked and for invited members only (there's just some things that you don't need the whole world to know!) and the other is a parenting related blog. I used to blog for a premmie related parenting blog but haven't done in sooo long.
With exception to the parenting one, the rest are all done for myself. I don't write for an audience. I do have premmie related info on my prem blog along with some special needs related stuff, but it's all mostly for my own reference to look back on and if I help just one more parent out then it's totally worth it.
I have written a few articles for people too.
I usually do it in my free time (HAHA)
I'm published, wa-hey! I wrote an article for a friend's little magazine and there I am, on page 5! Unfortunately, in some kind of oversight, I wasn't listed as a contributer...but clearly, I am ;) I'm flexing my writing muscle, once again :)
Way to go mayaness. Awesome. I had a column in a journal once. About 4 articles. It wasn't meant to be creative in particular more newsy but I morphed it a bit. I'd think all the time about how to word the next column. There's something about the published word... It's pretty awesome.
Hi ladies
I've always consider myself to be a writer of sorts.
I always knew that's all I wanted to do other than be a mother :)
At 19 I went to college. Studied Journalism , loved it :)
At 22 I finally got a couple of freelance jobs editing and had one article published in Cosmopolitan ( Sydney) though they only had a small byline for my article and gave most of the credit to their staff writer.
I have written advertisements for Real Estate agencies too and that's what gave me the idea to try and branch into advertising as I wasn't having much luck with freelance ( I felt my age was a factor )
I began writing small advertisements for the local paper ( starfish will know the Torch ;) )
Then became the advertising clerk ( I would put all the advertisements in the paper and edit any mistakes.
I tried to move over to the editorial department but sort of clashed with the editor ( I picked up ALOT of mistakes that he kept missing ) over time I became pregnant and left work to eventually take up freelancing again
when DS has been sleeping I have been writing a book , it's part fiction part non fiction, very tricky to keep going , and has definitely turned into part erotica ( as starfish said ) lol probably not getting enough here either !!!
I posted a thread on here before, sort of wanting some interest and therefore feedback but was sort of told this wasnt the place like I was trying to write a sex book lol
Oh well
I'll always be a writer regardless of what I'm doing, it's who you are, well who I am.
I will always pick every newspaper , magazine and written word for mistakes, sometimes I make my own but it's because I'm a busy mum not illiterate ;)
I am a member of the Australian news and Feature Service
it's a database for writers, editors etc and you are entitled to a MEDIA PASS which can get you exclusive access. Lol
hubby always asks me to flick it out at clubs or places we see celebs to get a closer look. I'm sure it will come in handy when I really get back to it.
I plan to keep writing my book when DS starts preschool next week :)
Just bumping a great thread :)
pick me! pick me!
I am a writer. I have written maybe 30 freelance articles, plus reviews over the years, mostly for two independent newspapers (one weekly, one monthly) and have done various reviews, photography and the occasional cartoon.
Those publications have changed hands recently, and I don't get any work from them anymore (not that I would have time to do it anyway, with a full time job and a four month old baby, and some semblance of a social life...)
My main projects are two books I'm working on - one novel, and a non fiction.
I also love poetry, but haven't had the guts to send any out for consideration for publication since highschool... wouldn't even know where to start, these days.
My writing these days is strictly business - but it does help ;)
But I did NaNoWriMo in 2008, and am definately doing it again this year.
I would also love to start a blog, but am not sure how to make it cover its own costs, and am not really tech savvy.
I write primarily for me, but would love to make something more of it, so that I could have more time doing things that I love (like being at home with my bub and my man, and, well, writing more!)
hello, fellow writers!!
:loveshower:
Hey Peanutter,
What costs do you mean for a blog?
Mine's completely free, Once you get a but of a readership you even get offered $$ to have adds on your blog
But it is just on blogspot.
I think most blogs are pretty user friendly and free....maybe its closer than you think
I am soooo stoked at all the replies since I bumped the thread! It's past my bedtime (naughty me - up late to write - because the house is quiet for the first time all day) - but I promise i will come back and reply in more detail.
Polly - are you sure you aren't my long lost twin? ;):
I had a very similar BA experience (jealous about Elizabeth Jolley *green*), did film studies, Aust and English lit, theatre (great tie-in to lit) and comms. I had a professor who was semi-retired and studied at Oxford under Tolkien. He was awesome! Tried to convince me to go down an academic path with literature and put me forward for a position at a WA uni, but I went a different way instead. I did my BA externally through UNE and got to go along to residential schools with a lot of older students who were fabulous in a literature course - brought along life experience that you just don't get when you're studying with a bunch of other teenagers.
I'm just about to have my latest reporting efforts published by two companies. But you won't find my name in any contributing section! ;) Probably best not to, more of you would probably be falling asleep as you read about efforts to rehabilitate water courses in South Africa!
Just bumping this thread again as I have loved reading it, and would like to hear what everyone has been up to since.
I'm stretching myself with a few short pieces for my local writer's group. Also turns out I have stumbled into a writing position at work, hoping to hang onto that role even though there is a restructure in the wind.
I would love to read any links, blogs etc that anyone is working on (feel free to PM me if you're wary about posting here). :D
Bumpsy
I consider myself a writer, although most of my writing of late has been assignments. I do poetry, short stories, I'm half way through a novel that is also a finished script, I've also written short and feature scripts.
A few of my short scripts have been made, one did well at the International night of horror in Sydney about 3 years ago, and was a finalist for best short script. I was also a semi-finalist for a film making comp very similar to Project Green Light in America, but had to pull out because I got UTD and wouldn't have been able to fulfil my commitment if I won - one of those horrible I wonder if situations... *sigh*
Thanks for bumping the thread. I had completely forgotten about it.
Since I last posted in this thread I have written three short stories and finished an initial draft of a sci-fi novel (I handwrite everything, so am currently in the process of typing it all out, all 500+ pages - very time consuming...)
I have also started a blog, but have not made many entries. I think this is because I prefer to handwrite, so my thoughts rarely get transferred on to the computer...
Have any of you heard of a book called The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron? I think it is brilliant and have found it to be a great help in getting over my creative writing blocks.
Funny you should mention The Artist's Way. I've been a Julia Cameron fan for ages now (I read bits of the artists way about 15 years ago), and I bought a fantastic book two weeks ago called The Writing Diet, scoffed that down in 2 sittings. Since then I've been trying to do the morning pages (ok, not always in the mornings :p) and I'm finding it enormously rewarding. I just know in my heart that it will be a very powerful tool for me, not just in my writing, but right across my life. BTW if anyone reading this is interested, the chapter about morning pages is on Cameron's website, well worth a read.
Starfish, wow your output has really taken off! :clap: Do you type it all out as you've written the first draft, or do you tweak it so the typed copy is actually a second draft? If not, you could always pay someone cash in hand to type it up for you. Any plans to publish?
Yeddi, I love your statement "I consider myself a writer". That's one of my pet topics at the moment: how does one get to claim the "writer" title. Success? Publication? Intent? Innate quality? or just sheer quantity of words produced? LOL Not everyone who dances calls themselves a dancer, kwim? But I too "consider myself a writer" and I couldn't even tell you why, except that my world is right when I'm writing. I guess the near-miss (or near-hit) with the comp will forever be fuel for the tank. You got there once, you can do it again. BTW, what are you studying?
I'm finishing off my History/Literature degree with a dip Ed. I was going to start a Naturopathy qualification but thought I should finish this first as I'd started it so I had a qualification in case something happened to DH (and that logic still stands) because my years in the military are untransferable anywhere except one government department that only works on shift work which would be hard to manage as a single mum if that did happen.
Good thing though, I have lots of fodder for writing. I really prefer fantasy, sci-fi and historical fiction.
I like to journal, well now it is called Blogging in the high tech world in which we live. I still journal for my children but have recently started blogging. Not on any set topic but just random stuff from drinking coffee to my thoughts on things during the day.
I have an idea for a book that I would like to follow through with but with three little ones I don't really have the time to go off and do a course so to speak. Can anyone offer any good websites or online courses for how to go about writing a book, making contacts in that world etc?
Have a great day!
xxxxx