Red wattlebird feeding on Eremophila flowers

Gardening

Over recent days I have been spending more time out in the garden than at my computer attending to my writing. The spring weather has generally been wonderful and the spring rain a bit above average. The rain has come at about the right intervals to promote and maintain weed growth, hence the need for me to spend a great deal of time in the garden.

A big garden

Let me hasten to add that our garden is no ordinary quarter acre block common to many Australian homes. We have 5 acres (2 hectares) of land on the edge of the rural city where we live here in South Australia. It’s a challenge to look after and demands one keep on top of things.

Neglect

Sadly, the property has been quite neglected over the last 3 years while I completed my Master of Arts in Creative Writing. Now that I’ve graduated I can focus a  little more on the extras – like gardening. One of the most time consuming tasks in recent weeks has been keeping on top of the weeds. We have planted many native Australian plants – like the one being enjoyed by one of our resident birds shown in the photo above. For these plants to really thrive I need to maintain a weed free zone around them. The weeds have a habit of taking over and choking out the growth.

Weeding my novel

This time last year I was doing a different kind of weeding. I was working very long hours – sometimes 10 to 12 hours a day – trying to get my novel into shape. The novel was my thesis paper for my degree and it had to be as near to perfect as possible. I spent many tiring hours weeding out all unnecessary words, phrases and even paragraphs. Every novel, short story, poem or article needs this treatment. Make every word count, weed out every lazy, useless and careless word.

You’ll stand a much better chance of getting your writing accepted for publication.

Good writing.

In due season: poems of love and loss

While it it is a slim book physically, one cannot say that about the poems. All the poems have an impact on the reader. One is taken on a journey through her life – of joys, delights, deep emotions, frustrations, fears and faith. It is a journey from first love to deep loss, from deep contentment to the emptiness of death.

Valerie’s poems poignantly trace the roller coaster ride she encounters in 2008 when her husband is diagnosed with cancer. Some poems hark back to the early days, from their first meeting, first passions of love and the demands of young family life. Other poems are filled with agony as she sketches in verse form the deterioration of Noel’s condition. And the final poems highlight her response to his death, the experience of feeling numb at the time of his funeral, the emptiness of their home without her love and the slow and sometimes painful climb up the mountain of normality.

‘How am I?
Hard to say. I veer between
a stoic resignation – “Wonderful,” I hear them say -
and silent screams of anguish.
Somewhere in me there’s a deep gaping hole
as if a vital part has been ripped out.’

from ‘A Kindness of Strangers’ p.59

I met Valerie during the time we were both completing our Master of Arts course. She has become a respected writing colleague and encouraging friend, one I deeply admire and whose comments on my own poems are highly valued.

Some of the poems in this volume I have a personal connection with, because Valerie presented them in writing workshops for critiquing during our studies for our degrees. One couldn’t help but be touched deeply by the grief she was enduring at the time but still she pressed on professionally.

Highly recommended reading.

Order the book on Valerie’s web site:

• Valerie Volk - you can order any of Valerie’s books on her website. You can also read about Valerie’s academic achievements as well as writing awards she has gained.

The photo (above right) is from the cover of her book. It has deep significance to Valerie – but you’ll have to read the book to find out why.

Reference:

Volk, Valerie, 2009. In due season: poems of love and loss. Pantaenus Press, Adelaide.

I now have completed my Master of Arts (Creative Writing) degree.

It has been an interesting journey of discovery. I’ve always regretted not having a higher degree to go with my basic teaching qualifications. I had resigned myself to the fact that such a lofty degree was beyond me. I limited my thinking, putting myself down in the process.

On reflection, I probably thought the same about my writing. I’d never be good enough to get published. I’d never make it as a writer. No one would want to read what I wrote.

Through sheer determination – and the encouragement of family and friends – I’ve proved myself wrong on all counts.

• I have passed my degree – and with a distinction too.
• I have a large and growing readership of my three blogs.
• I have been published in recent years in a range of magazines, journals and anthologies.

The best is still to come.

Good writing.

Trevor Hampel, Master of Arts (Creative Writing) April 2011

If you are a professional writer, say a journalist, you will have no choice. Your editors will expect your writing to be done on demand, usually with a non-negotiable deadline.  Even freelance writers will have strict time-lines for submission. Those who write for magazines or who are writing novels may have publishers ringing them asking when the manuscript will appear on their desk.

For the vast majority of writers – from hobbyists through to professionals like novelists – deadlines are usually not as pressing, or may be absent entirely. I’m certainly in this latter group. While I am trying to establish myself as a full-time, professional writer, I am not relying on my writing for financial support. Any income is a bonus. So I have the luxury of writing – or not.

Although I don’t have to produce income generating writing, I try to be as professional as I can in my approach to my writing life. I usually try to get a few hours in every morning, a few more hours in the afternoon and often several more in the evening. Several times a week I will relax and allow myself some television, or reading. I will also take time out to read during the day, especially when I take a break for a cuppa. With all the writing I have done over the last seven years (since retiring from school teaching) I find I can now generally write on demand. Doing my Master of Arts in Creative Writing over the last three years has certainly helped me develop this skill; it’s amazing how motivated one can be when an assignment is due the next day.

I used to say that I don’t do mornings. That attitude came from having a job to go to, where there was no option. Now I have the option to write, or not, I find that it is no longer an issue. I’ve even woken at 5am and have written over a 1000 words before breakfast. This is quite out of character for me, but the stillness of the early morning is very conducive to creative writing. Sometimes the words really flow late at night and I’m tempted to write on into the wee hours. At my age this becoming less and less attractive; I need the sleep!

I guess what I’m trying to say – in a very long winded way – is that we all have to find what works for us. Experiment with different approaches, and different times of the day and see what works best. The time of day doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you are writing. Every day.

I’d love to hear what works best for you. Leave you suggestions in the comments, thanks.

Good writing.

I was very humbled by the comments made by both examiners. They praised the story in many ways, and both agreed that my novel is of publishable standard. After all that hard work, long hours, many frustrations and long nights of doubt, the story had come through. One of the examiners said she couldn’t put it down; she had to keep turning the pages to see what happened next. Wow! Exactly the response an author hopes for from his readers. One comment like that makes all those anguished feelings just melt away into nothing. That’s why I write.

I am preparing to send the manuscript off the prospective publishers. In the meantime I have to do a few minor revisions before having a few copies printed and bound for the university library, the humanities department and for my supervisors. Just a few typos that slipped through everyone’s keen eyes. Then I’m done. And I get to wear the gown and funny hat in a few weeks’ time. I’ll get some photos to show off here when it happens.

Stay tuned.

Good writing.

And with a Distinction, too.

After three years of intensive, hard and sometimes frustrating work, I finally get to wear the funny hat and gown in a few months’ time.  It has been a difficult and testing time, but there have been many highlights and fun times in there as well. My final thesis paper was a 40,000 word novel for children plus a 10,000 word exegesis essay on the research, influences and processes of writing. You can read more about the process in a series of articles here. Now I start the next phase in the process; trying to find a publisher to give my precious novel a good home. This could prove to be the hardest part of all.

So what have I learned?

Doing my degree has taught me some valuable lessons:

1. Writers can always improve: no matter how much you think you know about writing, you can always get better.
2. Writing is hard work: I have put in literally thousands of hours of writing, rewriting, editing and proofreading into my essays, assignments and novel.
3. Writers need persistence: I must admit there were times when I almost gave up, when the task seemed too much or health issues intervened. By persisting I was able to finish the race.
4. Writers learn to write by writing: there is no other way. Write, write, write – and your writing skills will develop.
5. Rewriting is as important as writing the first draft: too often I have been satisfied with the attitude my first or second draft of a story or poem. Most first drafts are rubbish. My novel went through an incredible 17 drafts before I was truly happy with it.
6. Editing is a part of the creative process: I used to hate editing my stories. I found it tedious and boring. I wanted to be rid of the story and to get on with the next one. Editing is an essential part of the writing process; ignore this stage and your writing will remain mediocre – and unpublished. I still don’t love editing, but I have come to appreciate its importance.
7. Proofreading is an essential writing skill: editors and publishers are almost unanimous in their chief gripes about writers, and this one is almost always near the top of their list. If you don’t proofread your writing before sending it off to a publisher you stand a very poor chance of having the work published.

I could go on, but these seven things stand out. I probably could add patience too, because that lesson is still coming. Sure, I have had to wait a long time to get my final results, but the wait to hear from a publisher is sure to be much longer, and then the wait to hold the book in my hands may be even longer. But as they say, good things come to those who wait.

And if patience is a virtue, then I must be very virtuous.

Good writing.

Further reading:

• The importance of rewriting
• Patience is a virtue
• Good things come to those who wait
  

I am trying to be very patient. If patience really is a virtue, I must be very virtuous indeed. You see, I’m waiting for the results of my Master of Arts Creative Writing thesis paper. Regular readers will know that over the last 18 months I’ve been writing a children’s novel set in Nepal during their recent civil war. I submitted the novel, along with a 10,000 word exegesis essay on the writing of the novel, about mid-December. We were told we might wait 6 to 8 weeks for the results. Two days ago the 9 week mark was reached, so I am trying not to get impatient. Two of my fellow students have heard their results but they submitted the week before me.

This experience has got me thinking about the patience that all writers need. Here are some of my thoughts:

Why writers need patience:

1. Some writers need to patiently wait for writing ideas.
2. Writers need patience when a story or novel is not going along as it should.
3. Patience is needed when life gets in the way of writing schedules, especially if the writer has another job, or a family needing attention.
4. You need patience when waiting to hear if a publisher is going to accept your story or novel.
5. Once an acceptance is offered by a publisher, patience is needed when waiting to see the work in print.
6. When a story or novel has been published, one needs patience waiting for a payment.
7. Reading through reviews of one’s work can severely test a writer’s patience.

I’m sure most writers could add many more examples. What can you do while all the waiting is going on?

Waiting productively

1. While waiting for a idea for a story, read, read, read and do other creative activities to stimulate the mind.
2. While waiting to hear from a publisher, go on with other writing projects to maintain momentum with your writing.
3. While waiting for your work to be published, be sending out more work to publishers. Keep your momentum going.
4. Remember that waiting is inevitable and a part of the writing process. Use the waiting time productively.
5. Don’t give up.

Good writing.

Over Christmas and New Year I took a few weeks’ break from the intensive writing I did in the latter half of 2010. It certainly drained me emotionally and physically. Now I am steadily getting on with other writing projects. Most writers I know or have read recommend that once you have finished a major writing project, have a short break then get on with the next project. This is especially true if you have submitted a book manuscript to a publisher.

I haven’t yet submitted my thesis paper (a children’s novel) to a publisher, but submitting it to the examiners is similar, I guess. I could spend every day sitting by the phone waiting for a call from my supervising lecturer telling me of the result. That wouldn’t achieve anything, nor will it hasten the process. I will hear in due course, probably in the next 3 or 4 weeks. In the meantime, I’m getting on with other projects.

Some writers make the mistake of sitting by the letter box, or checking it every few hours, waiting for a letter from their potential publisher. That will not make an acceptance (or rejection) letter come any faster. Get on with the next project while you are waiting.

So – how am I using my time?

1. Birding: I’ve been doing a little birding which is my favourite hobby. You can read about it on my blog called Trevor’s Birding. This site shows hundreds of photos of our beautiful Australian birds.
2. Photography: I’ve just treated myself to a new camera and I’m having fun playing with it. Over coming months you’ll see the results here and on my other two sites.
3. Reading: I’m aware of the ever increasing heights of the piles of unread books and magazines in my office and bedside table, and I’ve been steadily working my way through them. My reading during my studies was very focussed on what I had to read, not what I wanted to read. That will change.
4. Swimming: Now that the weather has improved here in South Australia I’ve been making good use of our swimming pool. Having a solar blanket heats the water to very acceptable temperatures, even first thing in the morning.
5. Writing: My writing has not been totally neglected, and after the Christmas break I’m steadily getting back into it. At the moment I am concentrating on writing articles for my web sites. I’ve written many of them for my birding site mentioned above, as well as for another site called Trevor’s Travels. This one is about my travels here in Australia and overseas. Then I am planning a series of articles for this site about writing, so stay tuned.

Sounds like my holiday is over and I’m back to writing again.

Good writing.

Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens, South Australlia

“It’s never too late to be what you could have been.” George Eliot

Do you want to be a writer?

I have – ever since I was eight years old. I dabbled in writing stories and poems in high school but then became sidetracked in teaching for 35 years. Teaching was always my second choice. All through my teaching career – a reasonably successful one I might add – I continued to consider myself a writer but could only devote serious time to it during holiday periods.

My writing received quite a boost when I bought my first computer in the late 1980s. All through the 1990s I built up a considerable body of writing and had limited publishing successes. I always considered that I would begin to write full time and very seriously when I retired. In part, I have succeeded in that goal. For the last six years I’ve written thousands of articles on my three blog sites. I’ve also written many short stories, poems and a novel for children.

The point of all this?

I agree with the Eliot quote above. Last month I celebrated my 63rd birthday. I’ve just completed the requirements for my Master of Arts Creative Writing degree. The novel I’ve just written will be submitted to publishers in the new year. My best writing years are still ahead of me. It is never too late.

Five years ago I would have scoffed at the idea of having a university degree. It is never too late.

Five years ago I wouldn’t have dreamed of writing so much, but now I’ve written nearly two and a half million words. It is never too late.

Five years ago I could only dream of making money from my writing, but now have a steady income from my writing, especially  blogging. It is never too late.

Five years ago I had very few readers but now hundred of people around the globe read my words every day. It is never too late.

Good writing: it is never too late to become a writer.

Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens, South Australia

Christmas Greetings to all of my readers.

I trust that you have had a wonderful day with many blessings and much joy. I spent a quiet but relaxing day with my wife, daughter and mother in law. We had a wonderful Christmas lunch and we didn’t eat too much. The weather wasn’t too hot and I even managed a little snooze in the afternoon, the book I was “reading” resting peacefully on my chest. Late in the afternoon we had a lovely hour chatting to our son, daughter in law and grandson in Sydney via the wonders of Skype. It was amusing seeing our 2yo grandie showing off all of his new toys.

I haven’t posted many articles on this site this year. Now that I’ve completed my Master of Arts Creative Writing degree I will be able to bring you many more interesting and helpful writing hints here on this site. Stay tuned for many exciting events here in 2011 and beyond.

Good writing

Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens, South Australia

Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens, South Australia