Sunday 28 June 2009

My Sister's Keeper

Went to the movies yesterday and finally saw Angels and Demons before it leaves the theatres. Saw an ad for Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper coming soon! So exciting! It is a fabulous book on a heart-wrenching topic, but don't you always get worried when they turn a book into a movie? It becomes the director's POV, not yours as you imagine as you read. From the trailers it looked like it's the same story. Has anyone seen it yet? Is it out in the rest of the world????

Thursday 25 June 2009

Redundancy

Hmm, my husband finishes work today. Took early redundancy so he can stop staring at a computer all day and confusing his mind with data analysis and all that type of stuff which you think is pretty useless in your more lucid moments. Big party for him all day as his colleagues send him on his way rejoicing. Not all beer and skittles though. My life is staring at a computer all day so I'm wondering how this is going to affect me! Not being selfish am I? We dream of travelling together, he taking photos and me writing about travel. Pretty nice dream, but meanwhile, back at the apartment, how much writing will I be able to do???

Wednesday 24 June 2009

Working hard

I write like I read - I have multiple projects on the way at any one time. My bedside table always has a good variety of fiction, non-fiction and travel mags. Addicted to all. I'm really amazed that I've found an Anita Shreve I didn't like - Testimony - too many points of view and time changes. I don't mind a complicated book, but I found I couldn't get attached to any of the characters as it was too confusing working out who was who and what they were on about and the chapters were so short. This sounds like a book review and I guess it sorta is, but I'm just sharing my amazement as I love Anita Shreve's works, her beautiful poetic prose and her ability to keep you in suspense. Love the Pilot's Wife and Fortune's Rocks especially. Ah, well, you can't win them all. I actually love Jodi Picoult to bits too, and really didn't like her Change of Heart (it has a different name overseas) as it reminded me of The Green Mile. But, how hard those ladies must work! Jodi, a book a year or less! Wow! If I can write one in a lifetime I'll die happy! How about you?

Friday 19 June 2009

A difficult re-start in some ways

Moving is exhausting, especially when it's been done over a long, gradual period. Anyway, I'm re-grouping and settling in to life in The Big Smoke (as Aussies refer to cities). We really like to believe we're country bumpkins, but the truth is, most Aussies live in our very few cities or close by. There's a lot of glorious 'empty' space, full of red desert sand, spinifex and shatteringly-blue, cloudless sky. Great to drive through in an air-conditioned car, stopping occasionally to take unbelievable snaps of brolgas dancing or animal skeletons.

I've always considered myself a country girl, only briefly lived in cities, so who knows how long this will last? It's a good base to write and travel - and I'm ready for an apartment with just 3 lots of floor to ceiling doors to clean, instead of a two-story house at the beach surrounded by windows. Sounds idyllic but they spend their time covered in grime...hmmm, so not a poet....

Thursday 11 June 2009

Brisbane is now my home

You know what they say - home is where the heart is - and no matter where you are it is good to feel at home. Now I've moved from the very beautiful Peregian Beach to Brisbane, only a 160 km trip, yet another world. My view from my desk at Peregian was of the Pacific Ocean. I could see surfers, whales in season, and kiteboarders and walkers. My view from my desk in Brisbane couldn't be more different - I can see my kitchen! Wow! So really I have no distractions, I should be able to write and write and write! Here's to anything that'll keep me out of the kitchen!!! I even have a bed behind me, hmmm, feeling a bit tired????