CWD Member Interview – Pamela Heemskerk

Most Thursdays this year we will be interviewing one of the members of Christian Writers Downunder to find out a little bit more about them and their writing/editing goals.

Today’s interview: Pamela Heemskerk

Question 1: Tells us three things about who you are and where you come from.

Queensland, New South Wales, Queensland, in that order – almost exactly one third of my life in each. I have happily never moved back to a major city and have discovered I love the cold. I’d love to travel to wild, chilly and less inhabited places, and a trip to Antarctica continues to inspire my writing.

I was an outdoors person, but health issues have forced me into the ‘gentle arts’: writing, handcraft, jigsaws (did you know there’s an app for jigsaws… 😊). As is so often the case, life’s struggles fuel the writing.

Question 2: Tell us about your writing (or editing/illustrating etc).  What do you write and why?

I am a non-fiction writer, who started with devotions, and had a number published in Penned from the Heart, Rise, Gathered Treasures and various short pieces in local publications. I fell into poetry whilst attending a series on Dietrich Bonhoeffer – driving to Brisbane every Wednesday night for 8 weeks. This was later published in Glimpses of Light. Since then, I have entered one poem each year into the Poetica Christi competition, and to my delight, they have been published. 

I think I might be a frustrated teacher at heart – I really enjoy writing with an educational and explanatory bent. I have found if people understand the ‘what’ and ‘why’, it can empower them to do something to help themselves. Adele Jones and I presented a number of articles around writing and injury, along with exercise sessions at CWC conferences. 

My own booklet has been on living with hearing loss, written from the crucible of a disability that has impacted every area of my life and work. I am hoping that others may find some solutions to the daily struggles this causes.

Question 3: Who has read your work? 

Well, obviously, nowhere near enough people!

Who would you like to read it? 

Anyone who has, or knows anyone with, a hearing impairment. Given that 1 in 6 have a hearing loss, that means there’s a lot of potential readers out there…

Question 4: Tell us something about your process. What challenges do you face? What helps you the most?

Process – mmm – sounds like I have a plan. It’s more like:

Where’s the latest draft? Did I call it Latest Draft? Or Most Recent? Or Final Draft? Where did I save it? Did I save it? 

I’m supposed to have written something for the meeting on Saturday.

Oh look! There’s those poems I started two years ago… Oooh, I like that… uh, maybe this would sound better…

If anyone would like to teach me how to organize my USB, my half-finished works or my inbox, I’ll provide the coffee, a foot massage, a free kitten…

Things that have helped me the most:

1. knowing I’m not the most disorganized writer in the world (please say I’m not…)
2. remembering it doesn’t have to be serious
3. seriously: knowing that there are lots of very talented people in Omega, CWD, ACW and Australia, who can read, edit and shape my writing, and 
4. that God’s timing is perfect

Question 5: What is your favourite Writing Craft Book and why?

When I spend time with God, I write. When I don’t, I don’t.

Honestly, spending time with God has been the most significant learning time in my writing. It is here in this quiet place that I find inspiration, phrases and even a whole ‘rough draft’. The challenge is to stop and rest.

Question 6: If you were to give a shout-out to a CWD author, writer, editor or illustrator – who would they be?

So many of you are talented, passionate and persistent in your craft. I can’t possibly list all your attributes, but Cathie Sercombe for perseverance; Anne Hamilton for whipping my booklet into shape.

Question 7: What are your writing goals for this year? How will you achieve them?

Goals? I was thinking maybe in 2022. No, 2024…

I was in a Bible study group 3 years ago and we set 10 goals each year – and for the last 3 years I have achieved most goals I’ve set (not many were writing goals). I learned to be structured and deliberate in choosing how to spend my time. Yet I did not find this onerous – I spent time with God regularly, and found many of these things ‘fell’ into place. 

I did get the draft of Edition 2 of my booklet on hearing loss completed last year, but this last few months have been rather more like… tread water; breathe; tread water…

Surprisingly, in the middle of this, I have sent off 3 pieces; written this blog and hope to complete another poem soon. This year might be a wait-and-see as far as bringing out Edition 2 of my booklet goes. 

Question 8: How does your faith impact and shape your writing?

I doubt I would be a writer if I didn’t have a faith. Sometimes life with God is bewildering, and I have leant heavily on others’ insights into His goodness, even when it doesn’t make sense. Writing helps me to express what I have learnt, and to think it through.

I often think of the verse: ‘Comfort others with the comfort you have received’. I write from life experience – if it helps one other person, it’s worth it. 

Pamela Heemskerk is an Allied Health professional working with children with disabilities.
After developing a hearing loss in her first year at work, she has become passionate about promoting awareness around hearing loss, and published a booklet on this topic:  Rather A Small Chicken…A guide to hearing loss for family and friends.
She has worn hearing aids for over 30 years, and is now ‘enjoying’ the learning curve that goes with technology and hearing. 
Pamela has had a number of short articles, poems and devotions published. She has co-presented on Writing and Ergonomics at the Christian Writers’ Conference in 2014 and 2015, and this information was published in an on-line writing magazine and two blogsites. 
Pamela is a jigsaw addict, and enjoys dabbling in water colours and good coffee. 

Email:         pgheemskerk1@gmail.com
Blog site:    http://pgheemskerk.blogspot.com.au

 

Retreat Tactics

May 5-7 was the Omega Toowoomba Chapter 2017 writers’ retreat, and what an amazing time it was. Yes, you heard right. A retreat. To write. ALL weekend. (I can detect some green vibes out there.)

For non-writers, an all-weekend writing retreat might sound somewhat indulgent. For we writers, it might seem a lot of work to organise, a little craziness shoving that many focussed creative folk into one facility, and a great deal of travelling effort, depending on your locale. But what does one actually do at a writing retreat? Isn’t it just like a mini-conference?

Well, I’m pleased you asked … 😊

Yes, we all gathered, were fed (without having to cook, yay!), wrote, and lapped up inspiring and insightful words from our guest speakers, Deb Porter (Breath of Fresh Air Press) and inspirational author, Mary Hawkins. On Saturday, we welcomed our day attendees, and later, held contemplative conversation around the fireplace. Sunday saw opportunity for powerful collective worship and prayer over our writing projects. But the thing that stands out to me most, is how different the writing-retreat experience is for each attendee.

For me, I loved the common themes unfolding through each session, whether focussed on the spiritual or practical tips in writing and publishing—and, of course, the collective support and encouragement of so many writers gathered in one place.

Here are some ‘retreat reflections’ by other attendees:

I didn’t expect to write, but fulfilled my priority to retreat—but that’s my stage of the writing journey. I’ve said many times that deepening friendships of this smaller group sustains me more than a full-on conference.

~Ruth Bonetti, author, performance coach, professional musician, teacher

[M]y favourite part was sitting on the deck in the sun drinking coffee and eating toast as we read the word individuality yet together. Or it could have been that feeling of family fun and support. Or the high drama of building fires. Or the fact my phone was off the grid. Writing? Was it about writing? Did someone say writing?

~Jo Wanmer, author, preacher, pastor, grandmother, bookkeeper

I really loved my publisher appointment with Deb Porter. I’d been struggling with plot problems in my novel for about eight months and it just wasn’t working. Talking through some of those issues with Deb really brought clarity. It was hard at first to realise that I would have to undo some of those scenes, but by the end of the weekend, I felt as if a load had lifted. Yes, I have a lot of work to do, but I now have a plan and know what’s needed.  If you ever have the chance to do a publisher appointment, go for it. You’ve got nothing to lose except those rascally story problems.

~Nola Passmore, editor (The Write Flourish), psychology academic, all-round nice girl and liberated writer

It was a great time of fellowship and encouragement. I left refreshed and recharged.

~Deb Porter, presenter, publisher (Breath of Fresh Air Press), editor and writer

The workshops inspired me to create stronger content and avoid lazy writing. I was encouraged to hear about the different ways to publish a book too. Probably my favourite aspect of the retreat was the fellowship of other like minds. It's such a treat to be around other writers and bounce ideas off each other and actually have time to sit and create. It was awesome! ~Charis Joy Jackson, missionary, author, actor, filmmaker

The best part was getting the drop on the news that the trilogy Integrate, Replicate, Activate might be moving towards a fourth book. ~Anne Hamilton, author, mathematician, editor, speaker

Having deep conversations with other writers about writing, soaking up the natural beauty that surrounded us, having time to write and being inspired to write, and joining together in worship and prayer, praying for each other’s writing journeys—and seeing that previous year’s prayers had been answered.

~Jeanette O’Hagan, writer, reviewer, editor, doctor, theologian and master of a heap of other things

Thanks fellow “retreatees”. I’ll close on a final thought that, amidst all the elements of the retreat, sums up the ultimate focus for such a weekend …

Adele Jones is an award-winning Queensland author. She writes young adult and historical novels, poems, inspirational non-fiction and fictional short works, along with juggling family responsibilities and a ‘real job’ in the field of science. Her first YA novel Integrate was awarded the 2013 CALEB Prize for unpublished manuscript. Her writing explores issues of social justice, humanity, faith, natural beauty and meaning in life’s journey, and as a speaker she seeks to present a practical and encouraging message by drawing on these themes. For more visit www.adelejonesauthor.com or contact@adelejonesauthor.com

Keeping that Focus

by Pamela Heemskerk

Courtesy of  luigi diamanti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I’ve been through three computers in the last three months - enough to make any writer remove their hair in handfuls!! So I’ve turned on today and gone back through the last few CWD blogs. And I am blessed to know so many people who write from the heart in ways that have changed my life. Thank you.

I know many who had a difficult 2016 – my annus horribilis was 2015.   So last year I was confronted with all the baggage from the year before. (Such fun!) My relationship with God deepened last year, and He gently and persistently placed my reactions, thoughts and feelings from 2015 to the forefront of my life to sort them through from His perspective.

He showed me where I reacted out of fear and failed to trust Him – fear undermines our belief in God’s sovereignty. He showed me where I had harboured anger and resentment; where I’d clung to my position of ‘I’m right and you’re wrong’. But most of all, He showed me where I had lost my focus on Him. Instead, I had focussed on all the issues surrounding me and on trying to solve them.

You see, our Father has a goal – to make us into the image of His Son, so that we reflect His holy and loving nature to the world. Our lives become the story of His goodness, mercy and power working through us. He will do whatever it takes to strip away anything that detracts from this goal of changing us to be like Him.

The one thing that will most effectively accomplish this change is our deliberate and sustained focus on His Person through worship, prayer, reading, meditation. Even when we don’t want to.

So 2016 for me, was a year of cleaning out and of changing focus. When we focus on the things that bother us, it shifts our focus off God and His purposes, and onto ourselves. It ‘muddies the waters’ and we cannot see where we are meant to be heading.  When our focus shifts back onto worship, it changes our perspective. The ‘big issues’ become little in the light of God’s glory.

So how does this apply to writing?

As God’s royal priesthood, we reflect His nature to the world in our lives and our writing. We have a goal, a focus for our words. We want to convey something clearly to our readers. Our editors, beta readers and writing friends can often see where we’re straying away from our goal. They help us to clean-up and restore focus.  No detours, no distractions, no red herrings – just good writing with a clear end-point. Part of our walk towards perfection.

Pamela is a non-fiction writer who has had a number of short pieces published. Her booklet on hearing loss – Rather a Small Chicken…A guide to hearing loss for family and friends - was launched last year, and she is now on a (slow) journey of discovery into the marketing world.

Blog – pgheemskerk@blogspot.com.au

Email – pgheemskerk1@gmail.com

Omega Writers Book Fair (Brisbane)

Last Saturday, on the northside of Brisbane, over fifty enthusiastic people came together to celebrate books, writing, authors and stories at the first Omega Writers Book Fair. 

Rochelle Manners & Lynne Stringer

We had 16 stalls and over 18 writers and authors - including YA authors Lynne Stringer and Adele Jones; Fantasy authors Lisbeth Klein, Raelene Purtill and Jeanette O'Hagan; middle-grade author Jenny Woolsey; children's author Paul Clark; romance author Andrea Grigg; historical fiction from Frank Taylor, writers of biographies and memoirs such as David Bennett (also theology), Ruth Bonetti, Hazel Barker, Nina Wiesenekker; self-help (on hearing loss) by Pamela Heemskerk; inspirational stories by Graham Bee, Kaye Hollings and Gwen Akers; and devotions from Ray Akers. Rochelle Manners from Wombat Books/Rhiza Press was there with a wide range of fiction and non-fiction for all ages through Books in Stock; and also Nola Passmore from the Write Flourish (editing), poetry and short stories. There were a number of new releases -Lynne's Once Confronted, Adele's Activate, Hazel's Heaven Tempers the Wind, Ruth's Burn My Letters - as well as titles shortlisted in the 2016 Caleb Prize - for instance Too Pretty by Andrea Grigg.

Ruth Bonetti reads from new release Burn My Letters

We also had book teasers and readings - poetry, excerpts from novels, flash fiction and short stories - that brought laughter, tears and enthusiasm to the listeners.

The two workshops - The Power of Story by Paul Clark and The Writing Life by Raelene Purtill - inspired those who participated. 

And then there were the door prizes and the end of day prize draws - with a couple of fantastic book packs - as well as the show bags and a delicious lunch. (You can see more photos of the day here.)

First Prize - Fantastic Book Pack 

Altogether, it was a great day of fun, friendship and enjoyment of books and faith. Many went away with a pile of wonderful books and anticipation of hours of reading pleasure.

It was all made possible by the authors, publishers and editors who came and shared, our workshop presenters, Omega Writers (including President Simon Kennedy and Judy Rogers), and a group of volunteers and offsiders - as well as book lovers and readers who attended. Throughout the planning and on the day itself, we were grateful for God's provision and power, and for those who supported the day in prayer.

Omega President Simon Kennedy with Jeanette O'Hagan

While most of those present came from Brisbane, the Gold Coast, even Gympie - we were thrilled to have Lisbeth and Graham Klein, who are currently travelling around Australia. 

There were a number of people who would  have loved to be with us but were unable either due to distance or to prior commitments or other restraints.

We are thinking of doing it all again next year - and the Toowoomba-rites and inspired to run a Book Fair in Toowoomba.

Overall, it was a good start and well worth the effort of putting it together. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see Omega Writer Book Fairs across Australia - celebrating the writing of Christians downunder :)

Jeanette O'Hagan