• Isle of Tears, by Deborah Challinor
  
• Rangatira, by Paula Morris
• The Penguin Book of Contemporary New Zealand Short Stories, edited by Paula Morris
• Sweet As, by Garth Cartwright

And for next time:

• No Simple Passage, by Jenny Robin Jones
• Wellington: A Capital Century, by David McGill
• The Larnachs, by Owen Marshall
• New Zealand in the 20th Century, by Paul Moon
• The Exercise Book: Creative Writing Exercises from Victoria University’s Institute of Modern letters, from Victoria University Press

What caught your eye in the NZ section during your last visit to the bookstore?

I’ve found some really great magazine here in the UK that are a monthly jolt of inspiration for me: Coast, Ideal Home, Oh Comely, Stylist. On my recent trip to New Zealand I wanted to see what local magazines were on offer. At first I was disappointed by the prices and the abundance of UK, US and Australian magazines. I’m all about being homegrown and after a little searching I did find some gems.

The Listener

Many Kiwis probably remember this magazine sitting around their grandparents living room but it is the most regular magazine to feature articles and information about NZ authors, books and events. There are also a lot of good current affairs articles and thought provoking pieces. In the issue I read I discovered Kelly Link who is appearing at the Writers & Readers Week (5-12 March, Wellington) as part of the International Arits Festival.  She’s a self proclaimed writer of weird fiction that’s not quite fantasy or science fiction and in the short form.

Home NZ

I’d been looking for a NZ equivalent of Ideal Home and though NZ House & Garden may be the obvious choice I’m not so much into the garden part. Then in the waiting area at G J Gardeners they had an array of Home NZ magazines full of beautiful homes and full of design ideas. The current issue, the art issue, even goes into the homes of artist and art collectors from all over the world. Whether you’re looking for your own home or the home of your characters this magazine is full of eye candy.

NZ Life & Leisure

In my seach for a NZ Coast magazine this was the closest I could find and they’ve also got a beautiful annual out: The Insider’s Guide to New Zealand. It’s packed full of Kiwis living their lives in beautiful places around the country doing all sorts of inspiring jobs that are letting them live their dreams. If there was ever a slice of NZ life then this is it.

Not only do these magazines provide great inspiration for all creatives but they provide tons of opportunity for NZ writers and photographers and artists to see their work in print.

As a new idea for an artist’s date go and browse your local magazine shop and pick up a magazine you haven’t read or heard of before.

When starting a new project, one of the big decisions you have to make is which point of view (POV) you’re going to use.  Here’s a POV-CheatSheet you can download to help you choose the point of view that’s right for your story.

In the end, POV is all about consistency.  Whatever form you decide on, it’s important to let the reader know what the “rules” are for your story and then stick to them.

My Grandpa told me once that every emotion comes from one of two places, fear or love.  You get to pick which drives you. (I pick love.) – Bri, Season 4 Blogger @ Stratejoy.

This rings so, so true to me. If you look back at the recent decisions you’ve made can you see either love or fear at play? This is certainly true for my decisions and for the decisions of others I’ve witnessed.

This question of whether you’re acting from fear or from love could be the key to living the best life you can. As such, I am stating it as my third declaration of happiness:

Choose From Love, Not Fear

You know what’s wrong with you, Miss Whoever-you-are? You’re chicken, you’ve got no guts. You’re afraid to stick out your chin and say, “Okay, life’s a fact, people do fall in love, people do belong to each other, because that’s the only chance anybody’s got for real happiness.” You call yourself a free spirit, a “wild thing,” and you’re terrified somebody’s gonna stick you in a cage. Well baby, you’re already in that cage. You built it yourself. And it’s not bounded in the west by Tulip, Texas, or in the east by Somali-land. It’s wherever you go. Because no matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself. – Paul Varjak, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Thanks to Sarah at You May Say I’m A Dreamer.

I recently wrote an assignment on entrepreneurs, and included in the report was some characteristics of entrepreneurs. Thinking about it, I realised that these characteristics could fit writers as well: Innovation, Creativity, Risk Taking, Will To Act.

In the last 12 hours I’ve let go of almost my entire book collection and 15 years of journals. I never, EVER thought I could do this. – Goddess Leonie, The Power Of Letting Go.

When I first read this post from Goddess Leonie my first reaction was, ‘oh my gosh, that’s crazy, I could never do that!’ But I’m learning that when I have such a strong emotional reaction to something I should pay very careful attention and open myself to why I feel so strongly. So I opened my self up and continued reading.

I also noticed: the sheer amount of books I had overwhelmed me.

I remember a part in a SARK book where she talks about her book collection. She said that she let books flow in and out of her life, gifting them on, knowing they would go on to touch the people they needed to. – The Power Of Letting Go.

I thought of the third bedroom of our house back in New Zealand when it was full of five book shelves full of books which are mostly now in boxes in the garage. The idea of so many booking filling up that much space, cluttering up that much space, and most of them books I wasn’t fanatical about.

Then I thought about a couple bright shelves full of a select few books that I love, books that I would love to spend more time with and reread, books that I would recommend to anyone. That idea made my heart sing.

Those hours and days I spent noodling in them [journals]? They were exactly what I needed to do. It was time perfectly spent. I processed so much. I grew so much. My journals were a home, they delighted me. They are remnants of my old snail shells. Once upon a time, I used to live in them. And now I don’t.

No fire. We live just near the Main Street. It’s not a fire-friendly zone. And that’s okay. My words are returning to the earth. They’ll be buried, and they will decay, and they will become compost, and they will feed banana trees and grass and a tiny bird. Perfect. – The Power Of Go.

I have a dozen diaries from when I was a teenager closed up in a shoe box I painted with stars and a big keylock. I have dozens of journals I’ve written morning pages in and journalled to prompts. My diaries are a snapshot of the teenager I was but I look at them briefly once every few years. My journals I reread once, pulling out particularly insightful comments that I can still make use of. Then they are stacked away never to be looked at again. I don’t need to keep those journals. The idea of burning them seems too angry and violent but burying them into the earth feels like a way to cherish what they gave me and to pass the nourishment along.

I won’t have to do any of these things for a couple years yet because they’re mostly all back in New Zealand. But I feel better for making peace with my initial violent reaction and replacing it with ideas that feel sacred to the me I am now.

And you didn’t think there were sins for editing.  A lot of first time writers do them, and probably even some who are published (not that they will admit to it,) but editing is something that needs to be done to really hone your skills and make your writing better.

1. Thinking You Are Ready For Publication
2. Spelling
3. Showing Not Telling
4. Missing Senses
5. Sad Beginnings, Lacklustre Middles & Droopy Endings
6. Not Printing It Out
7. Thinking You Are Finished

Can you practice being alone, being still, being quiet? Just a little at first, then perhaps a bit more. Listen, watch, learn about yourself. Find contentment. Need nothing more. – Leo Babautu, Zen Habits.

I’ve been thinking a lot about eating this past month. Mostly it’s been what flavour-filled colourful vegetables I can make into a delicious meal or that I can’t quite believe how many bananas I’m consuming in a week (10-15). The focus on healthy foods and well planned meals has highlighted the times when I’m snacking, particularly when I’m snacking and I’m not actually hungry. The reason why has always alluded me… until now.

I’m eating for something to do. Okay, not quite rocket science. I’m snacking while I’m watching over dinner to cook or between activities. I’m eating when I’m not hungry because I find it horrendously difficult to just do nothing. I could stand and wait for the rice to boil but my hands would be empty and still! It’s actually making me uncomfortable just thinking about that as an alternative.

I find this in other areas of my life as well. It’s very rare to find me watching TV without have my hands occupied with another task. That’s usually my computer or might be some knitting. It’s not only when I’m waiting for something else but in a day I feel the need to always be doing something that’s engaging and productive. This isn’t always a bad thing but with anything it needs to be balanced.

I’m challenging myself to consciously sit with my hands still while watching TV. I’m challenging myself to stand and wait patiently while the dinner cooks. I’m going to sit still, in silence, not moving. I think I have a lot to learn about myself by doing that.