Mother Writes: December 2010

Wednesday, 22 December 2010

Elizabeth Gilbert

Click here to listen to an interesting TED talk by Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love (has anyone read this by the way? I haven't done, and don't know too much about it, but must admit I'm more inclined to after listening to her talk.) She speaks about nurturing creativity, delving back through layers of history to make some interesting discoveries about the source and form of creative inspiration.

Thursday, 2 December 2010

National Short Story Day

I've just realised how long it's been since I last wrote. But this may have something to do with 3 children having had chicken pox....or my husband being away regularly with work and me feeling like I have alot to deal with...or something like that!

Anyway, I'm really, really excited that I seem to be one step closer to setting up my website, Women's Writing Wheel. I have 12 writing guinea pigs (myself included) and, if I manage to sort out the remaining glitches, should be ready to roll at the start of January.

On another note, I see that it is National Short Story Day on December 21st. To be honest, I never even knew this existed, but I'm very pleased that it does. Click here to visit the website. It provides information on nationwide events taking place, aswell as an opportunity to read or listen to some of the best short stories, old and new.

Speaking of short stories, I've been enjoying listening (belatedly) to the five shortlisted entries for Radio 4's National Short Story Award. If you get that golden half hour after dinner when you can sit with your feet up, a cuppa and some chocolate (yeah, right!), have a click here to listen. Although I'm far more accustomed to reading short stories than listening to them, this makes an interesting change and really brings the whole 'storytelling' element alive.

Mother Writes...What's it all about?

When I was little, I imagined with the supreme confidence of a child that when I was all grown up, I'd be a celebrated writer. And by grown-up, I probably meant about eighteen. The concept of even reaching the age of thirty, let alone beyond, was off my radar and my seven-year old self shuddered at the ominious thought of not having published at least several novels by that grand old age.

Fast forward to the present. Here I am, age thirty-five, wife to a lovely hubby and mother to three gorgeous children. Now, am I writer? My seven-year old self would hold a very strong opinion on this: No, because I don't have a single published novel to my name. But I'm pleased to say that now I'm all grown-up, I'm also a bit more measured and realistic in my expectations of myself. Don't get me wrong - I love my seven-year old self for believing I could achieve that much but I have, over the years, come to an important conclusion:

If you dance, you are a dancer. If you paint, you are a painter. And if you write, you are a writer.

But we have to actually do it, not just talk about doing it. It's all too easy to procrastinate about our creative endeavours and that's all I ask of myself now: to create; to write. And if I'm lucky enough to get something published (which I'm pleased to say that I have done, in the form of short stories, reviews and articles), well, that's a bonus. And that's what this blog offers: little slices of honesty on my plate of life as mother, wife and creator of words. It's often not easy to juggle all three, particularly dealing with bouts of chronic insomnia. But I have to trust this is all part of the journey, and challenges are what make life interesting.