Seemed like a good idea at the time!

Took this photo of a toilet block just outside Geelong last week. Definitely not my style of architecture but I’m sure there are others who think it looks great! Personally, I rather see more public conveniences, in a simpler (more affordable) design and CLEAN! Not that it is always the fault of councils – there seems to be a lot of people who treat public toilets very differently to the way they treat their own. (Or, if I’m wrong, I’d hate to see their bathrooms at home!) I’ve lost count of the number of immaculately dressed people I’ve seen drop paper on the floor or leave cubicles in a disgusting state – why not leave toilets as you’d like to find them?

In this block there two of the stainless steel doors had been removed from their hinges, I imagine someone got a few $s for scrap metal 😦  How does a council fight against that?

But . . . the real reason for today’s heading is that today is the First of November. The first day of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). I completed the challenge last year (wrote over 50,000 words in thirty days) and felt very pleased even though I still haven’t finished the manuscript 😦

I enjoyed it so much I wanted to try again this year, despite the huge chunk of time it takes every day, but there are so many other things I want/need to do. A lovely email from a subscriber and writing buddy tipped the scales on my list of pros and I’ve decided to do it again this year. I don’t know if I’ll make it to 50,000 words but we’ll see . . .

The idea/plot/storyline I had seemed so exciting a week ago but nowhere near as good now 😦

Are you participating?

Reminder :)

Don’t forget -today is the last day for posting entries for the Positive Words End-of-Year Short Story & Poetry Competition 2013.

Entries need to be posted by midnight tonight 🙂

Thank you everyone for the support – I really appreciate it.

Burning Off

I was up before daylight this morning to burn off dead branches and scrub, tidying up and, hopefully, making the area a little safer as the fire season looms. I meant to do it a few weeks ago but we’ve had lots of wind and it didn’t seem safe. It’s windy again now but earlier it was still and calm, and the ground damp, so I’m glad I made the effort.

Spring Beauty

Beautiful red Bottlebrush (Callistemon) are blooming everywhere 🙂

Just Fifteen Minutes

It sounds so simple . . . just fifteen minutes a day adds up to more than 91 hours in a year.

If I wrote for fifteen minutes a day it would add up to a lot of words. Novel? Short stories? Poems?

If I exercised for fifteen minutes a day it could decrease my waistline by several centimetres.

There are a 96 blocks of fifteen minutes in each day . . .

It sounds sooooooooooooooo simple!

PS – In just fifteen minutes you could print out a story or poem for the Positive Words End-of-Year Short Story & Poetry Competition, fill in an entry form (or write a cover sheet), add the entry fee ($3.60 per entry), put it in an envelope and post it 🙂

Entries need to be posted by 31October 2013.

Sparrows

These cheeky Sparrows kept me amused as I waited in the car while Rod went into a ‘boys’ shop 🙂

 

Visiting Geelong

We had a great day yesterday – Rod had to pick up something he’d bought just out of Geelong and we spent the rest of the day shopping & browsing before meeting Elijah & Eilidh after work. Pizza and catch-up – Perfect 🙂

 

Inspired?

What makes a good writing prompt?

I’m trying to hurry this morning as we have things to do and none of my photos seems even slightly inspiring . . . perhaps the coffee hasn’t kicked in yet!

I know from years of different writing groups, what inspires one person leaves others totally blank and, of course, on the drive/walk/trip home those blank minds go into overdrive thinking of all the things one could have written.

I never know what will inspire me. Sometimes it’s a single word, a scene glimpsed from the car or something that simply pops into my head apparently from nowhere.

I hope something inspires you today 🙂

New Neighbours

Our neighbours-across-the-road have Alpacas but I rarely see them near the front of the property. A couple of days ago I noticed them peeping over the fence as I did some mowing but by the time I raced (well, sort of lolloped, scrambled, jogged!) back to the house to get my camera they’d moved 😦

But I took a photo anyway 🙂

End-of-Year Competition

Several people have emailed to say they can’t download an entry form for the Positive Words End-of-Year Short Story & Poetry Competition for various reasons – a cover sheet is fine 🙂 Just make sure you include your name, contact details and section/s you are entering. Stories up to 500 words, Poetry up to 32 lines and the entry fee is $3.60 per entry. Include your email address or SSAE for results. (And cheques need to be made out to Rainbow Press or S L James, not Positive Words) Entries need to be posted by 31 October.

Thank you for all the entries received so far and those still to come 🙂 I do appreciate it and it really helps to keep the magazine going.