MY AMAZING MAY GIBBS ADVENTURE DAY 21

Today I passed the 47,000 word mark. I’m definitely on the home stretch, and if everything goes according to plan, I should finish first draft tomorrow or Monday.

I also spent time thinking about the plot and whether it had the dramatic tension I needed.

I have now made notes of places where I need to raise the stakes for my main character in draft two, put her in harm’s way more, make the reader more fearful for her.

Spent more time today enjoying the more artistic sights in Brisbane including two more mosaics, and a sculpture, Plant Form, by Robert Juniper.

Brisbane is a place where you can enjoy many small moments. I was admiring the skill of a girl walking through the mall today on the thinnest, stilettos I had seen. I marvelled at the fact that she could negotiate the cracks between the brick pavers without tripping. Then I realised this person was even more skilled than I first realised. She was reading a book while she walked. It seems that the bookworm is still alive and well.

I think I just made this blog post before midnight (Queensland time) so now it’s off for some shut eye in preparation for the writing challenges of tomorrow.

"Plant Form" by Robert Juniper

Happy writing.

Dee:-)

MY AMAZING MAY GIBBS ADVENTURE DAY 14

Mosaic art in Brisbane

I can’t believe I’ve been here two weeks already. So much has happened in such a short space of time. I’ve done 10 writing workshops with kids at the State Library of Queensland, researched and developed a lot of the background work for my series and written over 10,000 words of the first book. That’s what’s so wonderful about a May Gibbs Fellowship – no distractions, no responsibilities – just the opportunity to write.

Today as I stood in the supermarket queue, I wondered if I was getting into my psychological thriller/crime series just a little too much. When the man in front of me bought a box of chocolate, an anniversary card and a packet of rat poison, I immediately became suspicious – and my mind conjured up all sorts of scenarios about what he was going to do with the Ratsak. Fortunately he couldn’t read my mind – at least I hope he couldn’t:-)

Paddlesteamer at Eagle Street Wharf

It was a lovely day for a walk and I felt like I needed to free up my mind so I did a bit of a circuit down to Eagle Street and back along the river to the Goodwill Bridge.

There were lots of people out and about enjoying the beautiful day and of course I had to drop into the Southbank markets. I walked back along the river to the Victoria Bridge and back home. It was so much fun being out and about, and discovering more of Brisbane’s unique artworks and characters.

Maritime Museum from the Goodwill Bridge

It took me a while because I kept having to stop and sit on a park bench to write down the ideas and plot points that had popped into my head while I walked. Walking is great for getting my brain and creative juices moving as well.

Happy to report I didn’t buy any books today, which is a good thing because I just don’t know how I’m going to fit them all in my suitcase to go home again, lol.

Fortunately, I don’t need to think about that now. Tomorrow is my High Tea and then I have two more weeks of planning and writing…can’t wait.

Happy writing.

Dee:-)