Blog Archive

The Hobbit . . .

It’s in the news amongst friends and aquaintances and for every good reason. Richard Armitage has been cast as the ‘haughty’ (Tolkein’s words, not mine) Thorin Oakenshield, dwarf leader.  Thorin is a key character in The Hobbit, partnering Bilbo Baggins through the story to the bitter, most bitter, end.

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Sigh!!!!!

 

 

 

‘ONE CANNOT WRITE A BOOK WITHOUT APPLICATION OR DEDICATION.’

The Pillowbook of Prudence . . .

Things that bear closer observation:

Whilst having a midmorning cup of tea, we sat on the back verandah in the sun and watched the resident swallows.  Have they flown all the way from Russia, we wondered?  They have renovated their nest above the security light and twisted my horse’s tail hair all around.  They take it in turns to nest, one in, one out.  Whilst one is in, the other sits on the powerlines and they sing and chat with each other.  Occasionally they fly off together, not far, but with aeronautic tricks and tumbles.  They are old friends and we welcome them every Spring.  We also noticed that the ewes and lambs had pushed a gate open and let themselves into the paddock that they had begun lambing in seven weeks ago.

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Out of the mouths of babes . . .

I was filing in my office tonight and came across a poem that my friend Rebecca sent me when The Stumpwork Robe was released.  It was written by her daughter Rachel a number of years ago, when Rachel was only ten.

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Mapping the morning . . .

Should be writing and will, in a minute after last night’s happy journey forward on the re-write, but this has been today so far.

It’s raining.  About to get a cold change.  Horse’s rugs had to be changed from lightweight to heavyweight.  Sheepdogs had to be let out for a run.

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Gisborne continues on . . .

I barely slept.  I sat up high on the cot despite the good sheets and a finely woven blanket.  My head rested against the walls and I curled my arms around my knees and stared into the dark.

' embers which cracked and sparked . . . '

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No writing today . . .

I read a blog last week (I wish I could remember who, because it was good) about how often real life interferes with best laid plans for adding a few thousand words to the WIP.  Today was one of those days for me. Tomorrow at our farm, it’s lamb-marking day.  Essentially that means all the lambs are vaccinated for deadly diseases and the ram lambs are neutered.  So today my husband and I moved the ewes and lambs about a kilometre down the stocklane from where they were grazing.

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Change, change, change . . .

I’m in the process of re-jigging my manuscript.  It came back from the editorial consultancy a week ago with the comment that they felt I should delay one of the two crisis points in the novel until the almost bitter end.  This crisis happens at the about the 77,000 word mark of a 99,000 word novel.

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Posie Graeme-Evans . . .

I went to a book-launch tonight.  Given that I live in an island region of Australia, in a little town, it was so rewarding to attend the launch of new historical fiction title by internationally acclaimed writer, Posie Graeme-Evans. And the book is The Dressmaker.

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