I have always loved writing. From an early age, I wrote short stories about magical happenings and clever kids. I wrote about animals, superpowers and fantasy kingdoms. As an adolescent, I filled book after book with journallings of teenage angst and woe. I loved reading and studying English at school. Shakespeare was fathomable and even […]
General writing
Tips and skills in writing generally
To Conference, To Conference
With only a month until the Omega Christian Writer’s Conference, the excitement and anticipation is quickening. Our lives are so busy and there are so many demands on our time that taking three days out to talk about writing can seem like a countercultural luxury. This year, the conference is located interstate for me, so […]
Breadcrumbs
From time to time, I get asked about writing and songwriting. People want to know how I keep coming up with ideas for blogs, songs and books in a series. Sometimes I wonder where all the ideas come from and if I will ever run out. Every writer is different. They may source their inspiration […]
Good Enough
This is not a self-esteem blog. This is not about flattery or inflating your ego. This is not even about you. It’s about your creative work. Most artists are perfectionists. They develop and hone their art. They practice it over and over, trying to get it right. Even when it is perfect, they are often […]
Surviving Procrastination
Most creative people have experienced procrastination at some time in their lives. Whether it be the allure of the washing up, the beckoning of social media or the temptation to engage in consumer-based activities (shopping), procrastination can become an art-form. What’s your favourite kind of procrastination? Mine is what I have come to call “real […]
To Be Average
Sales of Surviving Singledom recently passed the 150 mark. (150 copies, not dollars.) I was so stoked I posted this fact on social media. Even though 150 does not sound like a lot when compared with bestsellers – and let’s face it, a book about singledom in a world full of marrieds and families is […]
Artists Still Live Here
Many moons ago, the city of Brooklyn NY was a run-down place. Rent was cheap. Because the cost of living was so low, a bunch of artists moved in. They started creating art in Brooklyn and making the place beautiful. Brooklyn became trendy. In fact, Brooklyn became so popular that a whole bunch of middle-class […]
Enough
Ever been told you are too much? If you’re anything like me, you have been told most of your life that you are too much. Too bossy, too opinionated, too nice. Too assertive, too passive, too spiritual. Most of us have been told to cool it or reign it in, and the underlying message […]
Finding my Fit
When I was in my twenties, I did not fit because I was single. Everyone around me was married by the age of 21. It was like a team sport in my church. “No problem,” I thought, “It will just take me a little longer to find the right person. There’s no urgency anyway.” […]
The Author
I’ve been thinking about writing, Jesus and authorship lately. As an author, I understand what it is like to have control over a piece of work. (At least, I understand how this feels for a non-fiction book. I understand that writers of fiction often experience little control over their characters.) Whether I am writing fiction […]