What I’ve Read – August 2021
Three books were read during August. The Women's Pages by Victoria Purman is one that I've wanted to read since it first came out. I think I bought a copy in the Boxing Day Sales last year and have only just read it. A fantastic story set just after the second World...
A few Emoji’s…
In Virtual Writers Groups, we have done random word prompts, where I provide the participants with random words to come up with a story. Today, we mixed it up a bit. When I logged in, a couple of the kids were already having fun playing with emoji's, so, instead of...
You Want Me To Write WHAT?
I love writing short stories, the sillier the better. I run writing groups with young writers where I get the opportunity to flex my short story writing muscles, however I am the one who sets the prompt... My awesome nephews have had fun setting me writing prompts and...
Writing about Sport when you’re not Sporty
I am not a sporty person. When I told my kids and some friends I was running a Get Sporty Writing Program, they laughed. I pointed out that you don't have to be sporty to write about sport. A number of years ago, I wrote a story that features a kid who plays Aussie...
What I’ve Read – July 2021
We are already in the second half of the year!! Unlike the first half of the year, I only read one picture book in July. Stop the Dad Jokes! by Adrian Beck is one I bought for my dad. Thankfully he doesn't read my blog as it's for his birthday on 7 August! This is a...
Covid Stories
As I write this, it has been announced that Victoria, where I live, is extending Lockdown number 5 for another 7 days. South Australia has also announced a 7 day lockdown and New South Wales is in week 5 of lockdown. This is all due to the Delta variant of COVID-19....
Get Sporty Writing Program
Creative writing is a fantastic way to have some fun and escape from the Real World. As I write, much of Australia is in lockdown, and many young people are back to remote learning. With everything that is going on, it can be hard to find ideas to get creative. For...
Kids, Stories, and Maths
So many stories for kids include characters who hate maths! This is something I noticed when I was growing up, and again when my kids were young. This is especially true with female characters. I found this attitude to maths strange as I enjoyed maths and found it...
Confession of Murder…
It's been a while since I've shared a short story from a writing exercise. This morning, I attended my local writers group and we were given pictures for the following categories: Murder Victim, Accomplice, Evidence, Scene of the Crime, Murder Weapon, Something in a...
What I’ve Read – June 2021
In June, I hit the picture books & chapter books with four picture books and two chapter books. You know you're doing something right as a bookloving parent when your 19 year old comes home with some awesome picture books. In June, he bought two great picture...