Remember January's inspiring Worship of Writers? Brisbane authors met to discuss, pray and dedicate our writing goals to God. We plan a reprise for 12 January 2025. What a year of writing 2024 has been!
This year, I joined WriteLinks, an inspiring Kids' Lit network. Why didn't I find this earlier, in my home town? Well, the time was not right. They offer critiques. Workshops. And (drumroll!) Amazing opportunities at StoryArts!
After a decade engrossed in my heritage Midnight Sun to Southern Cross Trilogy, I turned the page. THE END. Cocooned in a lethargic niche of a Resting Author. No sparks of light. Moi, who so resonates with light!
Lightbulb! WriteLinks offers opportunities at its bi-annual weekend conference StoryArts Brisbane: 3-Minute Pitch Party; Your First Page (submit 250 words); book 15-minute appraisals with publishers or agents.
An already busy month escalates one night with grandsons sleeping over. Seven year-old Archie is delighted to read me his chapter books. (Hallelujah! Whole word reading is passé, long live Phonics!) He wants to read a second Weird-Oh book before tomorrow. But Archie has another goal; to write a book with Grandma. Concept by Archie. Words by Ruth. Before pickup time we'll craft our first collaboration.
Marshmallows are toasted, fave books read. Wiggling and giggling in bed subsides. Two cherubs sleep.
Grandma does not sleep. Her brain buzzes long into the wee hours. She scribbles in the dark a myriad of ideas for more stories. At 3 AM a lightbulb flashes!
That social media post... more interview spots have opened up with an agent.
Why not?
Because...I don’t have a completed manuscript in my new genre of Kids' Lit. But I have myriad ideas scribbled in the dark.
Next morning, I channel Grandad's advice, 'Do it now'.
So I sign up. I book an appraisal with an agent. Who expects completed manuscripts, not two scrambled chapters, a stir-fried synopsis, and a query letter that breaks all the rules according to web searches.
God help me! What have I done?
Admin emails: How soon can I submit? So the agent can prepare beforehand.
Gulp. Can I have a few days? Multiple edits. Submit.
Next email; We need a query letter.
Eek! Web search: how to write query letters.
Submits at 12:21am Friday. Can I relax now? Err, no.
Submit First Page, 250 words. On my next topic about the Singing Revolution. My previous books have lived-experience of their countries. Not Estonia. But what a story! Internet overdose fries my brain.
Coming up are two exciting opportunities; Saturday's Writers' Training Day (to demystify tech) and next weekend's StoryArts.
The former offers professional PR photographs for a reasonable fee. Can I justify the outlay? Head says no; heart and spirit say yes. Hairdresser. Op shops. If I sell books on the day, that's my sign to face up for a mug shot. After all my suitcase bursts with various options of clothes and shoes, tech gear. Judy, who hosts me the night before quips 'You're here for one night?'
Because I’ve taken the long way round from Noosa, where, after a day's bread and butter teaching I'm on the bus to Brisbane. Memo to Self, write book titled Too Much Stuff.
TRAINING DAY
Rebekah Robinson teaches us to edit sound files with Audacity. I’ve done this. Three years ago when pandemic lockdowns put me out of work I killed time by narrating Burn my Letters. Invested in equipment, learned to edit sound files and uploaded to SoundCloud.
Work resumes. Audacity goes in Another-Time basket. Use it or lose it. Au revoir.
Now, I'm sitting in the front-row, try-hard seat. My big bag of tech recording gear is full of earphones, microphones, cords. Nothing works!
Computer says NO. Head says NO. Brain is fried by the past two weeks' hectic writing, editing, fiddling, proofing. Deep-fried by web searches: how to write a synopsis, how to write a query letter, how to how to how to. More edits, fiddles, tweaks.
I can't even record a clip to edit in the workshop.
Chorus: Computer says no. Head says no.
I resist the demon self-sabotage and tell myself: 'God says this isn't Tech time. It’s time for your new writing venture in your new genre, singing a new song.'
The queen of self-sabotage abdicates.
My time isn't right for the second workshop 'Upload Your MS to eBook' either. It’s time to write. I excuse myself to presenter Jenny O'Hagan and sit outside, preparing three-minute pitches. Anne Hamilton's illumination of 'Canva for PR' gives way to the photo shoot. Cate is adept at relaxing her sitters. She captures quirky me, poised professional author me, and forward-looking me. Forth in thy name, oh Lord.
STORYARTS
A packed weekend inspires, motivates, uplifts. The agent appraisal? I'm encouraged by her positive response to my work in progress about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his sister Playing in Palaces. From a brainstorm emerges a series of books about musicians who changed history.
Topics set in Austria, Estonia, Finland and Russia require more research. Resting author is sparked into new life, grateful for renewed enthusiasm and horizons. The glory of God shines in dark hours when I’m scribbling words—that I can’t read the next morning...
Arise and shine. Your time has come. Thank and praise you, Lord.
Diary Entry: SHOWCASE 5-6 APRIL
Inspiring speaker and motivating panel discussions. Book launches including Palette of Grace #2. (Memo to team: Book Cate for mug shot ops.)
BE THERE!
Ruth Bonetti founded Omega Writers back in 1991 and is awed by the prolific harvest of published authors since then.
She has published a dozen or so books in her primary fields of music and education, moving on to her passion of heritage which led to her award winning trilogy Midnight Sun to Southern Cross. Ruth is excited to channel her extensive research into middle-reader/YA readers.
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