Inspiration, Part 1

My GAP-year YA novel is coming along slowly but surely, thanks to the laptop I got for my birthday. I set myself the small goal of one page a night (initially) and then extended it to two pages a night (weekends I aim for more).

But the initial thrill of those first few chapters has worn off. I try not to look at the word count or number of pages anymore, in the hope that I'll be pleasantly surprised when I occasionally do. And it has worked. But I thought I would do something a bit more to hold onto the inspiration. Hence the inspiring images below, of which I have used to bounce ideas and images before incorporating these into my writing.

After all, one can't always wait for inspiration. Sometimes you have to chase after it with a club.

What inspires you? What are you writing, or creating, at the moment? I'd love to hear your thoughts, ideas or reflections.  

Superior Words for Inferior Occasions, Part 1

All words are sourced from my copy of The Superior Person's Book of Words by Peter Bowler, which is actually much less pretentious than it sounds, and is quite funny to flick through on a rainy day. If you love big words, complex words, interesting words, or just words in general, I suggest you buy a copy.

1. Coruscate. Means sparkle, twinkle, flash or glitter--particularly in relation to flashes of wit or intellectual illumination.

2. Idiotropic. Means "turned in upon oneself", or to be made introspective.

3. Jobation. Means a long, tedious scolding or a lengthy reprimand.

4. Moliminous. Means momentous or great of bulk or importance.

5. Vecordious. Means mad, obsessive or senseless.

Do you know any interesting words?

Wodonga Carnivale and Wearable Art Awards

Photo Sourced from http://www.bordermail.com.au/



Saturday marked Wodonga's annual cultural street festival - Carnivale. The main street was blocked off to traffic and there were lots of stalls, musicians, food and crazy people wearing crazy outfits. Including me (see the right-hand side of the photograph? The person wearing a steam-punk costume only partially visible? Yep. That's me.)

Okay, so I volunteered myself to wear a really good friend's costume for the Wearable Art Awards. 

It was the most embarrassing moment of my life, but kind of fun at the same time.

And before mentioned friend, who happens to also be taking a GAP Year after deferring her offer from the Australian Academy of Design down in Melbourne, won the Emerging Artist category! Hurrah!

So me stomping around on stage (quite literally, as "Stomp" was this year's theme) was all worth it.

Well, except for the black lipstick. But I'll let that one slide.

For now.

Anyway, I'm back at work now and the excitement has worn off. So that means lots of filing and photocopying and typing.

So time to make a cup of tea, I think, and look forward to my WIP* when I get home.

*Stands for "Work In Progress", or in this sense my novel.