I didn't win the Odyssey House Short Story Award - I read the winning entry. - on this page:- www.odyssey.org.au_

BEAUTIFUL - it brought me to tears.
It is worth reading as a tribute to those fighting addiction on both sides of the issue and the message is - we are all worth fighting for - love ourselves and life.
Odyssey House Victoria Welcome to Odyssey House Victoria. Odyssey House Victoria has been a place of hope and positive change for individuals working toward breaking their pattern of addiction for over 30 years. We rely heavily on donations from individuals, companies and philanthropic bodies, and on our various fund r...

I have Stephen King (in spirit)_ alongside me as my mentor and am about to edit my 2,000 words for the day and not come up till it's done - then attend to email,- exercise - rest - read - sleep.
Well that's the plan - if he can do it - I'm going to learn how to fit all that in.

_
"What would have become of Beethoven's music if he'd chased rules instead of inspiration?"

What inspires you to write? 
Right now I think some delicious chocolate gifts for grandma would be wonderful accompaniments to my lone hours of writing.

I finished my word review edit of the 5,500 word Prologue at 5.30 am today and reg (husband and good reader) found 5 typos - Oops I've fixed.
Now I am reading the reference book "The First Five Pages," again. as these are what may make or break my goal of getting published.

An interesting thing happened in letting someone proof read a section of my novel - they came back full of that religious crap about how a woman's role is home with her children and she would not, could not do certain things because they were a man's job and she would not have the strength.
Sheesh - no wonder I wrote feminist attitudes into my novel - I so would love to breakdown those sorts of narrow minded attitudes. I would never have walked away from the religion I once had if it were not for so many so called good God worshiping people using the religion to condone racism, sexism, religious bigotry - all the things I feel are evil and have nothing whatever to do with a God.

Lol - I see another 'passionate,' novel in me, this time not about racism but on religious bigotry. That might also be after the one on Dementia lol, how does that sound as an unusual subject for a novel? lol.

You write to communicate to the hearts & minds of others what's burning inside you and  we edit to let the fire show through the smoke.-Arthur Plotnik_

_When Reg and I were touring Central Queensland this year we got a pleasant surprise to discover meat selling for as little as $4.99 a kilo. When we left Victoria the same quality meat was beginning to be priced around $29.95 and $32.95 a kilo and I had stopped eating it.

The only time I was eating meat was when the shops began the meat at a reasonable price and then held a half price special when the meat was near its use by date. At this stage I would buy and fill the freezer. 

I have discovered that the IGA supermarket has a market day a little over once a month. At this time you can buy full bulk uncut rump steak at the $4.99 a kilo price and it is easy to carve your own steak and freeze them.  This makes eating steak as frequently as you would like to, as economical as eating baked beans. There is no nead to skimp on gourmet style foods if you learn where and when you can purchase at a good price, have a freezer to take advantage of the bulk buy, and don't mind a little preparation time.

Steak with avocado salsa

• 40 Olive oil, 1 teaspoon(s)
• 218 Beef fillet, lean, raw, 150 g
• 3 Steak seasoning, 0.5 teaspoon(s)
• 77 Avocado, 0.25 medium
• 2 Coriander, 0.25 cup(s)
• 4 Red onion, 1 medium slice(s), diced
• 1 Lime juice, 2 teaspoon(s)
• 2 Chilli powder, 0.25 teaspoon(s), or to taste
• 83 Mixed vegetables, any type, cooked without oil, 2 cup(s), eg. carrots, beans, cauliflower
• 136 Sweet potato, peeled, 1.5 cup(s), cooked without oil
• 197 Mixed grain bread roll, 1 roll(s)

Preparation

1. Coat the steak on both sides with the pepper seasoning and half a teaspoon of oil.
2. Heat a non-stick pan or barbecue grill and cook the steaks for 2-3 minutes each side, or until cooked to your liking. Remove the steak and rest it in a warm area for 3 minutes.
3. In a bowl, combine the avocado, chilli, red onion, coriander, lime juice and remaining oil. Mix well and serve with the rested steak, boiled vegetables and bread roll.

Total 763 Cal

"Do unto others as you would, have others do unto you. Live by this and life is good"

People respond well to the way you treat them.
This applies to customer service in particular. We always return to businesses that treat us with respect. I find I choose as much on how I am treated as I do price when shopping for rv insurance quotes.

I asked for a constructive critique for one chapter in my novel from a trusted proof reader and she felt my characters had expressed things well and it wasn't too long, the two main questions I had.  This was a quieter chapter prior to a big action chapter.  It is great to get some feedback part way though the novel's editing.

I was trying to express without preaching, the  'situation' the mixed race children in my novel find themselves in, where everyone in some locations assumes they are going to be thieves.

I have seen it so often from QLD though to WA…you set up a sales display and the first thing you are told is 'don't let the half cast kids come into your shop they are all thieves.'
Well I always did allow everyone in and don't use that offensive directive term myself.  I invited all the children to  handle the best soft toys, was friendly to them…guess what..at the end of the say their mum and dads would eel happy coming back to my store and were often good customers.

I think in five years of trading though those areas I was shoplifted from once and had night time break and enters with valuables stolen, once from someone I didn't know and the other from a fellow store holder.   So I wanted to tell that experience in my novel somehow, try to put it right for those kids.  Yes of course many were making a game stealing from the stores but this was in retaliation, 'you treat me like I'm worthless and I'll show you what I think of you,' behaviour.

_I have always considered receiving and giving constructive critiques, invaluable to learning and teaching.  Having someone just encourage you, isn't learning how to do things. I like to know how I can improve my work.

Writers know when they need to stop and have a section of their writing constructively critiqued.  I went though that stage yesterday. I chose my own beta readers, though there are web forms that specialize in this.  I did not want my work read by a stranger as I want it published and wish to strive to guard the copyright.

My picture is of a crowd in a showground, the sort of area where store keepers need to know how to be aware of shoplifter prevention and this issue was dealt with in a chapter of my NaNoWriMo novel.  I was keen that it 'worked' as a part of a novel and not seeming like a lecture, so I had this chapter constructively critiqued.

Nothing is worse on a holiday than to be  caught far from home needing major health care or Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon Jobs and not having medical or dental insurance.  I had insurance when I was in Queensland last May and needed dental surgery but the clinic refused to honour my Victorian based dental insurance.  Today I saw my Vistorian dentist all covvered by the insurance and they could not understand the cover not being recognised, as they look after Queenlanders who need assistance whrn they are visiting Vic


I have been tackling another of life's problems in the form of a novel today. ‎

I hit my big chapter where I handle the inner conflict of my boy hero now turned 13 and how his two uncles who represent the two.... read more here -> NaNoWriMo Day 28, Tackling, The Inner Conflict of Duel Heritage and Laws

If you have dealt with similar difficulty creating fiction that might 'help', out of real life problems, I would love to hear about it.  www.dreamingbillabong.com
_

Do you like the graphic details as in the accident scene in 'The Horse Whisperer?"
I have rewrote several scenes in my novel to get closer and more personally involved with some of the toughest subjects to write about.  It wasn't easy.

Describing people dying of strychnine poising isn't fun but had to be done so it did not read like a text book unemotional entry. Finished then polish it up second draft of yesterday's first draft and coming up for air before going back to refine it further. It would have been easier to avoid it or leave it as I had it, being retold as back story without getting so close to the action...but I made it work and have one more 'out of my comfort zone' bit of fiction writing behind me.

I am pleased I have done this.  i think people need to become personally involved with life and not just be complacent and detached to everything.