The year is marching, slowing, growing grey
All that once was warm is turning cold;
It comes, the night, to swallow up the day.
The frigid morning slaps the face like spray
All movements, heat-preserving, are controlled;
The year is marching, slowing, growing grey.
Rainbow colours lend a small cachet
Holding brightness like some secret gold;
It comes, the night, to swallow up the day.
All around we see the world decay
Nothing thrives but peas and leafy mould;
The year is marching, slowing, growing grey.
A time to stop, withdraw, and softly weigh
All the stories summer left untold;
It comes, the night, to swallow up the day.
A season to recall what will betray
All living things, as babies become old:
The year is marching, slowing, growing grey;
It comes, the night, to swallow up the day.
- Kathy, 3/6/15
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Emerging Writers Festival National Writers Conference: Thoughts and reflections
I went to the first day of the Emerging Writers' Festival National Writers Conference on Saturday. (I actually had a weekend pass, but family and headaches made the Sunday a bridge too far in the end). Saturday was a very interesting day, well worth the trip.
As is always the case at these events, I had my favourites, both among the panels and the panellists, and there were other sessions that weren't quite what I expected or perhaps hoped for based on the precis. The real value of any such event lies in the conversations: between panellists, between the panel and the audience, and between audience members themselves. The sessions that succeeded the most for me were the ones that encouraged a liveliness and diversity of conversation, and they are the ones I'm still mulling over enjoyably.
First up was the session that I seem to remember being called Five Enviable Lines in previous EWFs, but is now called Five Rules of Writing. It was a great way to start - the five Festival ambassadors, while all very different from each other, were all highly engaging and bounced well off each other. I particularly enjoyed listening to the very funny Oslo Davis, the absolutely charming Sulari Gentill, and the vibrant and pragmatic Kylie Ladd (a novellist with whom I have engaged on Twitter, where she is also vibrant - and pragmatic!)
Were their writing tips earth-shattering revelations? For the most part, no - "read forensically", "don't read reviews", "make friends with other writers", "don't trust spellchecker" and "stay at the desk!" are not new ideas to most people who have more than the most cursory acquaintance with writing and / or have read the standard advisories. Indeed, compared with the more philosophical / artistic bent of previous EWF ambassadors (I well remember the year that Christy Dena introduced me to the concept of "fail often, fail better"), this year's crop came across as craftspeople, sleeves rolled up, making graceful or funny or insightful things but not being under illusions about a) what they were doing and b) what the implications of it would be. I liked that, actually; for me, who doesn't see myself as an artist but hopes to build my craft, I connected with the central premise running through this panel, which came down to: "If you want to do it, work hard, find the right tools and supports, and keep going."
Next I attended the Freelancing panel, which was, I felt, less engaging than Five Rules of Writing. It wasn't that the panellists were boring - not at all - but rather that they were too similar to each other to provide any kind of depth of discussion about freelance writing as a whole field. (A fellow audience member muttered that it might as well have been named The Lifted Brow Panel, and I think that's not inaccurate). The discussion of the starving-writer aspect of freelancing was real talk in one sense, but it took audience participation to point out that it is by no means the full story. The panellists didn't even get down to the nitty gritty, that I'm sure people would have liked to hear, about how and when they pitch, what kind of writing they do, what hit rates writers generally attract and so on. The conversation, to me, felt like a meander, and I didn't get out of it what I hoped to.
My favourite panel of the day was next, though, so all was well :-) The Criticism and Reviewing session was absolutely fantastic; worth the effort of the entire day just to sit in and enjoy. All four of the panellists were wonderful, and I especially loved the fact that they, unlike the freelancing panel, were very diverse in terms of the type of reviewing / critiques they publish, their markets, their views on criticism generally, and even their personas. To have a theatre reviewer, a book reviewer, a film reviewer and a music reviewer on the same panel, all tripping over themselves to share their encyclopedic nerdy knowledge of their own discipline, was a delight, as was the genuine cross-field musings they engaged in.
I particularly appreciated the fact that every one of these four seemed prepared; they spoke at reasonable length, there was structure and sense in what they said, and there was substance to their views. James Tierney's "Short History of the Review from the 19th century" talk was so interesting, and I desperately want the list of references that Rebecca Harkins-Cross used in her fascinating discussion (I scribbled as fast as I could, but I missed a few). Overall, as a reviewer myself (albeit not of these people's calibre), I found this panel deeply engaging and worthwhile because I felt like these people knew what they were talking about, were willing to share it with us, and had put some real thought into how best to present their insights.
After a lunchtime walk around the city, I got back a touch late and crept into the back of Kylie Ladd's Conversation session, wherein she proceeded to confirm my impression of her as both a great writer and a great human being. Ladd didn't dwell a lot on the heights of artistic voice and so on, but neither was it a soul-less how-to on Making a Small Competence By Writing Something Commercial in Three Easy Steps. (I say "small competence" advisedly, as the vast, vast majority of writers ain't never gonna be JK Rowling). I think the audience appreciated Ladd's openness about the realities of the publishing industry (I know I did), but I also enjoyed her description of her writing process and her source of ideas. (Note to self: Put that third novel - the one with the rewritten ending - on the TBR pile!)
The final session of the day, for me, was the Genre panel, which I also enjoyed - again, not coincidentally, because the three panellists were coming from really different angles and genres. I was particularly interested in Liam Jose's insights about the role of micro-presses and indie publishing in allowing genre writing to grow and thrive. A few times, the panellists started to get into some really interesting riffs on the ways in which genre writing can allow writers to explore ideas that they just couldn't in the "realist" model, but the conversation didn't really go anywhere, which was a slight disappointment in one way. (Although not in another, as it provided most of my train ride home contemplative-staring fodder!)
Overall, my impression of the EWF Conference this year, as opposed to the other two years I have attended (2012 and 2013), was: Smaller, quieter, friendlier, more pragmatic, less uplifting and inspirational, but more "useful" in the sense of the generous handing out of tools of craft. I would've preferred a poetry panel maybe in place of the freelance panel, but other than that, it was a great day, with much food for thought.
As is always the case at these events, I had my favourites, both among the panels and the panellists, and there were other sessions that weren't quite what I expected or perhaps hoped for based on the precis. The real value of any such event lies in the conversations: between panellists, between the panel and the audience, and between audience members themselves. The sessions that succeeded the most for me were the ones that encouraged a liveliness and diversity of conversation, and they are the ones I'm still mulling over enjoyably.
First up was the session that I seem to remember being called Five Enviable Lines in previous EWFs, but is now called Five Rules of Writing. It was a great way to start - the five Festival ambassadors, while all very different from each other, were all highly engaging and bounced well off each other. I particularly enjoyed listening to the very funny Oslo Davis, the absolutely charming Sulari Gentill, and the vibrant and pragmatic Kylie Ladd (a novellist with whom I have engaged on Twitter, where she is also vibrant - and pragmatic!)
Were their writing tips earth-shattering revelations? For the most part, no - "read forensically", "don't read reviews", "make friends with other writers", "don't trust spellchecker" and "stay at the desk!" are not new ideas to most people who have more than the most cursory acquaintance with writing and / or have read the standard advisories. Indeed, compared with the more philosophical / artistic bent of previous EWF ambassadors (I well remember the year that Christy Dena introduced me to the concept of "fail often, fail better"), this year's crop came across as craftspeople, sleeves rolled up, making graceful or funny or insightful things but not being under illusions about a) what they were doing and b) what the implications of it would be. I liked that, actually; for me, who doesn't see myself as an artist but hopes to build my craft, I connected with the central premise running through this panel, which came down to: "If you want to do it, work hard, find the right tools and supports, and keep going."
Next I attended the Freelancing panel, which was, I felt, less engaging than Five Rules of Writing. It wasn't that the panellists were boring - not at all - but rather that they were too similar to each other to provide any kind of depth of discussion about freelance writing as a whole field. (A fellow audience member muttered that it might as well have been named The Lifted Brow Panel, and I think that's not inaccurate). The discussion of the starving-writer aspect of freelancing was real talk in one sense, but it took audience participation to point out that it is by no means the full story. The panellists didn't even get down to the nitty gritty, that I'm sure people would have liked to hear, about how and when they pitch, what kind of writing they do, what hit rates writers generally attract and so on. The conversation, to me, felt like a meander, and I didn't get out of it what I hoped to.
My favourite panel of the day was next, though, so all was well :-) The Criticism and Reviewing session was absolutely fantastic; worth the effort of the entire day just to sit in and enjoy. All four of the panellists were wonderful, and I especially loved the fact that they, unlike the freelancing panel, were very diverse in terms of the type of reviewing / critiques they publish, their markets, their views on criticism generally, and even their personas. To have a theatre reviewer, a book reviewer, a film reviewer and a music reviewer on the same panel, all tripping over themselves to share their encyclopedic nerdy knowledge of their own discipline, was a delight, as was the genuine cross-field musings they engaged in.
I particularly appreciated the fact that every one of these four seemed prepared; they spoke at reasonable length, there was structure and sense in what they said, and there was substance to their views. James Tierney's "Short History of the Review from the 19th century" talk was so interesting, and I desperately want the list of references that Rebecca Harkins-Cross used in her fascinating discussion (I scribbled as fast as I could, but I missed a few). Overall, as a reviewer myself (albeit not of these people's calibre), I found this panel deeply engaging and worthwhile because I felt like these people knew what they were talking about, were willing to share it with us, and had put some real thought into how best to present their insights.
After a lunchtime walk around the city, I got back a touch late and crept into the back of Kylie Ladd's Conversation session, wherein she proceeded to confirm my impression of her as both a great writer and a great human being. Ladd didn't dwell a lot on the heights of artistic voice and so on, but neither was it a soul-less how-to on Making a Small Competence By Writing Something Commercial in Three Easy Steps. (I say "small competence" advisedly, as the vast, vast majority of writers ain't never gonna be JK Rowling). I think the audience appreciated Ladd's openness about the realities of the publishing industry (I know I did), but I also enjoyed her description of her writing process and her source of ideas. (Note to self: Put that third novel - the one with the rewritten ending - on the TBR pile!)
The final session of the day, for me, was the Genre panel, which I also enjoyed - again, not coincidentally, because the three panellists were coming from really different angles and genres. I was particularly interested in Liam Jose's insights about the role of micro-presses and indie publishing in allowing genre writing to grow and thrive. A few times, the panellists started to get into some really interesting riffs on the ways in which genre writing can allow writers to explore ideas that they just couldn't in the "realist" model, but the conversation didn't really go anywhere, which was a slight disappointment in one way. (Although not in another, as it provided most of my train ride home contemplative-staring fodder!)
Overall, my impression of the EWF Conference this year, as opposed to the other two years I have attended (2012 and 2013), was: Smaller, quieter, friendlier, more pragmatic, less uplifting and inspirational, but more "useful" in the sense of the generous handing out of tools of craft. I would've preferred a poetry panel maybe in place of the freelance panel, but other than that, it was a great day, with much food for thought.
Monday, June 1, 2015
Self-nominated Post a Day June
Being freshly motivated by the Emerging Writers Festival at the weekend, I feel energised to do some more regular writing in the merry (or, if you live at the arse end of the world, miserable) month of June.
Given that June is also a) my final month in my job, b) the month I have to have a couple of routine medical day procedures done c) a busy social month and d) my birthday month (ahem), I've decided the smoothest groove is the most practical way for me to stick to writing something every day. The smoothest groove for me is, and always will be, blogging - after 11 years, it's a familiar skin into which I slip with ease.
I don't have a plan *as such*, although I do know tomorrow's post is going to be some reflections on the EWF, and that I will almost certainly use the opportunity to play around with some more poems. Book reviews are also likely to make a comeback. (Did I mention that I'm reading The Princess Bride to my girls at the moment? How we are all enjoying it!)
I will promote some of the posts this month on the ol' social media, but some I won't bother, so they'll only be seen by the 3.5 regular readers who visit here without prompting. That's OK, this exercise is for me, anyway. I think it'll be a nice way to see out the month that's going to end with me in a very different employment and headspace than when it begins.
Given that June is also a) my final month in my job, b) the month I have to have a couple of routine medical day procedures done c) a busy social month and d) my birthday month (ahem), I've decided the smoothest groove is the most practical way for me to stick to writing something every day. The smoothest groove for me is, and always will be, blogging - after 11 years, it's a familiar skin into which I slip with ease.
I don't have a plan *as such*, although I do know tomorrow's post is going to be some reflections on the EWF, and that I will almost certainly use the opportunity to play around with some more poems. Book reviews are also likely to make a comeback. (Did I mention that I'm reading The Princess Bride to my girls at the moment? How we are all enjoying it!)
I will promote some of the posts this month on the ol' social media, but some I won't bother, so they'll only be seen by the 3.5 regular readers who visit here without prompting. That's OK, this exercise is for me, anyway. I think it'll be a nice way to see out the month that's going to end with me in a very different employment and headspace than when it begins.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
A sevenling for the city
I was in town (Melbourne) yesterday for the Emerging Writer's Festival's National Writers' Conference (more on that later!). I took a long walk in the lunchbreak and was struck by the Saturday feel of the place. It's a long time since I wandered around in the city on a weekend, and I thought it might make an interesting sevenling, especially the very odd face-off between the Christian and Muslim proselytizers on Swanston St.
So ... A Sevenling for the City.
in front of the sushi bar, three men hand flyers explaining Islam;
kitty-corner, a grey woman in green proclaims Jesus is Lord;
sandwiched between, serious-faced people argue against forced organ donation in China.
broad golden leaves scatter the path, slippery underfoot;
teenagers' skateboards click sharply on the library steps, while
families buy caramelised nuts and sip coffee slowly.
susurating in the air, the chill deepens, penetrates bones.
- Kathy, 31/5/15
So ... A Sevenling for the City.
in front of the sushi bar, three men hand flyers explaining Islam;
kitty-corner, a grey woman in green proclaims Jesus is Lord;
sandwiched between, serious-faced people argue against forced organ donation in China.
broad golden leaves scatter the path, slippery underfoot;
teenagers' skateboards click sharply on the library steps, while
families buy caramelised nuts and sip coffee slowly.
susurating in the air, the chill deepens, penetrates bones.
- Kathy, 31/5/15
Thursday, May 28, 2015
On changing the game
So the big news here is that I resigned from my job on Monday. Four weeks today, on Thursday 25 June, I'll be once again self-employed, by my own free and considered choice.
I've been heading towards this decision for a while now. My workplace was very good about making some adjustments for me when and after I was so sick last year, and I felt, despite a few reservations, that it would be the fair thing to do to give the part-time jobshare arrangement a proper, serious try. I feel I really have done that, in the past 5 months - I've done the best work that I was capable of, and I think (I hope) I've delivered some value. My jobshare partner is an absolute delight, and working with her has been very positive.
However, with the best will in the world, the challenges and volume of the work, and the reality of being part of an organisation in a state of radical flux, have proven incompatible with maintaining my health in any kind of equilibrium, or keeping balance in my life.
And this is not a small thing, either - the life logistics challenges are as unrelenting as they've been from the very start of this 2-year journey. One of the enormous boons of freelancing for me in 2011-13 was the almost total flexibility it gives around how you organise your time. (Not necessarily "how much time you work", but when and how you deploy it). Clients, on the whole, do not care if you spent Tuesday morning at a school cross-country and the dentist, and picked up the slack by working a few hours Wednesday night. If you deliver the right quality of work by the deadline, they're not interested in what path you walked to get there. This is not the case for salaried employment, and I have never really made a good, long-lasting peace with the timetable juggle that having to be "somewhere else" most of the time imposes.
Piecing together office work with school runs, sick days, dental appointments, special occasions for the kids, the everyday business of family life, is often fractured, and often balanced on a hair, in a way that I just didn't have to contend with when I was freelancing. Obviously sharing the load with my partner has been all that has made this possible, but even there, the solution is imperfect, because his job also (not unreasonably) has expectations of him.
All that said, it's not a small decision, choosing to give away stable employment and move into the precariat. I acknowledge the privilege I have, because I am in a relationship with a partner in stable, well-paid employment, in even being able to take this risk.
My plan is to take most of the month of July off. This will allow me to enjoy ComiCon with my family; relax in the two weeks of the school holidays with the spouse and kids (including a few days in Marysville); have a bit of concentrated novel-writing time; do some decluttering and reorganising; and clear off a backlog of life administration jobs that have been piling up. After that, I'm going to start up freelancing again. I hope there will be some work - we'll see. I did enjoy freelancing a great deal in 2011-13, and I hope I will again.
I'm going to give it a good go, and only start regular-job-hunting in the second half of 2016 if there just isn't enough freelance work going. I'm already beginning the logistical part of this, with my newly-reissued ABN, and putting together my rates sheet and portfolio. Next will be a simple website, business cards, and work email address.
I think we'll be OK financially, so long as I can get enough work to go close to, or ideally replace, my part-time salary. I feel that if money gets tight, my skills are current enough that I should be able to find another salaried job if I need to next year. For now, freelancing is the right direction for me, though, and what I am hoping for is to recapture the flow in a way that helps me sustain myself and my family.
I've been heading towards this decision for a while now. My workplace was very good about making some adjustments for me when and after I was so sick last year, and I felt, despite a few reservations, that it would be the fair thing to do to give the part-time jobshare arrangement a proper, serious try. I feel I really have done that, in the past 5 months - I've done the best work that I was capable of, and I think (I hope) I've delivered some value. My jobshare partner is an absolute delight, and working with her has been very positive.
However, with the best will in the world, the challenges and volume of the work, and the reality of being part of an organisation in a state of radical flux, have proven incompatible with maintaining my health in any kind of equilibrium, or keeping balance in my life.
And this is not a small thing, either - the life logistics challenges are as unrelenting as they've been from the very start of this 2-year journey. One of the enormous boons of freelancing for me in 2011-13 was the almost total flexibility it gives around how you organise your time. (Not necessarily "how much time you work", but when and how you deploy it). Clients, on the whole, do not care if you spent Tuesday morning at a school cross-country and the dentist, and picked up the slack by working a few hours Wednesday night. If you deliver the right quality of work by the deadline, they're not interested in what path you walked to get there. This is not the case for salaried employment, and I have never really made a good, long-lasting peace with the timetable juggle that having to be "somewhere else" most of the time imposes.
Piecing together office work with school runs, sick days, dental appointments, special occasions for the kids, the everyday business of family life, is often fractured, and often balanced on a hair, in a way that I just didn't have to contend with when I was freelancing. Obviously sharing the load with my partner has been all that has made this possible, but even there, the solution is imperfect, because his job also (not unreasonably) has expectations of him.
All that said, it's not a small decision, choosing to give away stable employment and move into the precariat. I acknowledge the privilege I have, because I am in a relationship with a partner in stable, well-paid employment, in even being able to take this risk.
My plan is to take most of the month of July off. This will allow me to enjoy ComiCon with my family; relax in the two weeks of the school holidays with the spouse and kids (including a few days in Marysville); have a bit of concentrated novel-writing time; do some decluttering and reorganising; and clear off a backlog of life administration jobs that have been piling up. After that, I'm going to start up freelancing again. I hope there will be some work - we'll see. I did enjoy freelancing a great deal in 2011-13, and I hope I will again.
I'm going to give it a good go, and only start regular-job-hunting in the second half of 2016 if there just isn't enough freelance work going. I'm already beginning the logistical part of this, with my newly-reissued ABN, and putting together my rates sheet and portfolio. Next will be a simple website, business cards, and work email address.
I think we'll be OK financially, so long as I can get enough work to go close to, or ideally replace, my part-time salary. I feel that if money gets tight, my skills are current enough that I should be able to find another salaried job if I need to next year. For now, freelancing is the right direction for me, though, and what I am hoping for is to recapture the flow in a way that helps me sustain myself and my family.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
