SHADOW KING CASTS A LONG SHADOW

I might have missed this Adelaide Festival of Arts event if I hadn’t been given tickets as an early birthday present:  I would have missed a brilliant and rewarding piece of theatre.

            The Shadow King, an adaption of Shakespeare’s King Lear, set in an Aboriginal community in outback Australia and combining traditional indiginous languages, contemporary English and phrases from the original text, was a triumph at every level. The original story of greed, jealousy, power-play and madness was interpreted with originality by reflecting present Aboriginal conflicts over land ownership and mining royalties.

            The revolving set was alternately an intimidating mining rig or a corrugated iron dwelling, variously back-lit with projections of outback landscapes or interior views of the house. A three piece band to the side of the stage set the mood with music ranging from snippets of rock and popular song, to tribal chant. The cast joined in at times, often providing humorous relief.

            Stand-out performances by Tom E. Lewis as Lear, and Jimi Bani as the villain, Edmund, were unforgettable. Bani at times seemed to dance, his movements around the set were sheer fluid athleticism.       Watching his performance I couldn’t help thinking, ‘Watch out, Idris Elba!’

            In all sincerity, I could see it all again immediately.

Pt 2: What I Learnt While Writing a Book

(or: what I won’t do next time)

I let myself be distracted too readily.

            When I’m working on a big writing project it is just too easy to say, I should make something nice for dessert tonight, or ring someone I haven’t spoken to in a while, or linger too long over breakfast with the crossword (I ‘m not a morning person and getting up from the table takes WILL power!). I am now determined to have a set time to write EVERY week day - no ifs, buts or, I feel inspiration-deprived.

            I WILL set myself to write a daily word quota. And I won’t beat myself up if it’s all rubbish; at least I will have written something and ‘something’ can always be worked on for improvement. I have set quotas in the past, but not dealing with the ‘rubbish’ issue always de-railed me.

            One thing a University education teaches is that you have options, and you learn which options you’re good at. But the broad spectrum of an undergraduate course of study means you tend to flit from one subject to another, retaining only the basics of each in order to pass an exam or submit an assignment. It’s possible to be competent without excelling. Until three years ago I wrote only short fiction, which may be likened to undergraduate course study – got that one down pat, done the assignment, on to the next thing.

            Writing a book taught me that focus is essential. Writing a book requires a mindset that’s prepared for the long-haul while still keeping an eye on the high calling to complete  the project! Not focusing means the book takes longer to write than it should do. I won’t let that happen next time. 

For me, daydreaming is best confined to the period of time I'm thinking about the next book and that oh so glorious time when I've completed it!

 COMFORT ZONE?

Life seems very full with the demands of ‘the must do’ pressing in on every side. Virginia Woolf spoke of needing a ‘room of one’s own’ in order to be creative.  I’m thinking I need such a room but without door, window, telephone or internet - preferably without human contact altogether!

Feeling the need for a little solitude…to breath, to commune with One greater than I, to recharge. I’ve forgotten what a comfort zone feels like!

WHAT I LEARNED WHILE WRITING A BOOK 

(or: what I won’t do next time)

Part 1

I will not have a lone ranger mentality

Past experience of sharing my writing during the Masters in Creative Writing confused me. There were always many suggestions for alterations, additions, omissions, and explanations – that was, after all, the purpose of the weekly group meeting- and being a teachable and conscientious soul I took every suggestion on board. The result was two-fold: I wrote endless back story to accommodate their suggestions, ended up with a cast of thousands with much telling-not-showing, and ruined what had been a good plot; and I lost all confidence in the story and my ability to write it. They were all bright young things and I admired their writing. Of course they would know more than I did!

            It took several years to undo the damage and get back to writing. And several more before I enjoyed and appreciated the value of a writing group. Even so, I was stingy with how much I shared with others as I wrote Cambodian Harvest. I’m sure it would have been a better book for more input, and increased my satisfaction in the process of writing it.

            So, with my next book I will seek out a range of reader-mentors who will help me to sift chaff from wheat early in the process and help me kill off mere ideas rather than the darlings I have birthed and nurtured to adulthood! These readers can’t be my husband or best friend who would fondly tolerate even my sloppiest lines.

            My mentor-readers will also be drawn from a range of different skills and interests. I need people who will tell me what does and doesn’t add to the flow of the story, to help me refine and achieve what I always had in mind. And while I may not need a lot of help with spelling and punctuation I do need someone who will pull me into line regarding the use of intensifiers – those pesky adverbs and adjectives – and rein me in on those long descriptive passages I love. Oh, and someone to keep an eye on formatting!

            There was one other reason for not having the number of readers I needed. I was scared of giving away all the ‘goodies’ and there’d be no one left to buy the book when it was finished. Now that’s negativism of the worst order!

           

ISLAND ADVENTURE

There was a moment during a recent ferry trip across Backstairs Passage to Kangaroo Island when I was whisked back to childhood. What is it about the blurry outline of an island on the other side of a stretch of water that evokes adventure, mystery and discoveries? I blame it on Enid Blyton and the Famous Five!

How I loved those books. They seduced me into believing I could do anything, be anything I wanted. Every child needs to know that before they grow up. I was each of the characters in turn, fell in and out of love with Julian and eventually recognised I was in no way – could never be - like George, except in my imagination. I moved on to other authors and different fantasies, but I was forever enriched by those books. 

JUST A LITTLE BIT SCHIZOPHRENIC!

Feeling a bit schizophrenic tonight. On one hand I’m a bit glum. It started with me thinking of ways I might alter my blog page to link to my new book when it is released in April. I read through a dozen examples of other blogs to get ideas. Some weren’t as well written or witty as mine (please note, I employed only level-headed, unbiased observation here!); many used lots of interesting photos, illustrations and layouts (a strategy I should develop, ASAP). But the biggest difference I noted was in the number of readers and comments. I have only two followers and they never comment.

            From time to time I forward post onto my Face Book timeline and occasionally someone 'likes' it. Many others register as having ‘seen’ it, but comments, negative or positive, are rare. Why is this? Are the posts boring? (surely not!) Are they too controversial? (but wouldn't that mean I'd get incensed replies?) Are they not ‘spiritual’ enough for the faith-based groups I mostly relate to? Is the content too religious for everyone else? Am I trying to be all things to all men? Should I specialise, and for whom?

        
           On the other hand, I’m feeling a little glow of creative pleasure. During the Christmas to New Year down-time I’ve been experimenting with designing a brochure and a poster to use as advertising material for both my new book and the creative writing workshops I have been running since the middle of 2013. Learning the techniques is frustrating (it involves computer technology, of course it’s frustrating!), but it is also curiously satisfying. I could play for hours with colours and varieties of fonts, and then there’s all those illustrations to find and insert!  And because I had to make do with a male in the cartoon above, I’m now dreaming of picking up the sketch pad I haven’t used in years and drawing my own. 

            Oh my goodness! It’s only New Year’s Day! I have enough projects to keep me busy until Easter!!

GO INTO THE NIGHT SINGING

Oh Holy Night is one of my favourite carols. The soaring musical finale is full of triumph.

            Fall on your knees! Oh hear the angel voices!

            Oh night divine, the night when Christ was born.

But for many people, Christmas is anything but holy. It is a painful memory or an all-too-present horror, as broken and dysfunctional families tear themselves apart. Such Christmas experiences are as different as night from day from the triumphant carol.

            As I meditated on this I found myself writing a hymn to the hope that even the darkest of nights and the most painful memories may be redeemed by the Light of The World, Jesus Christ.

            Go into the night singing!

            For pow’rless hell no longer preens

            The shadowy spectres of ghosts once seen

            In those darkened minds of sorrow-bringing.

            Go into the night singing!

            Out of the mind and into the bliss

            Of brightest rivers of light which kiss

            The dawn of grace redeeming.

            Go into the night singing!

            With heavenly legions of glorious sound

            Bright clad with holy light all ‘round

            ‘Tis all divine and gleaming,

            Both night and day now holy, past and present blessed,

            Go singing out from night as Light’s most honoured guest.

           

May your Christmas be triumphant with peace and light.