Writing Historical Fiction is hard. It’s almost a year ago since I posted announcing the start of my second attempt at WarRunner. I’d been re-structuring and re-planning it for six months prior to that. I’d written 50,000 words in NaNoWriMo before that. And I’d spent another 15 months prior to that researching and planning. So that […]
Writing historical fiction: This is my story…
I have always loved writing. As a child in my early teens I wrote a fantasy novel based on a character being stranded in a swamp, who rescues a mysterious girl fleeing a flock of deadly gargoyles (or something like that). I can’t remember what the outcome was. Knowing how a teenage boy operates they probably had sex and […]
NaNoWriMo success
NaNoWriMo the struggle continues
I have been pounding away at the keyboard for another week. Some days the words have flowed easily and quickly. And sometimes it has been like squeezing juice out of an unripened lemon. Each day, no matter what, I have managed to meet or exceed my word limit. Gradually I have been clawing back my deficit […]
NanoWriMo something exciting is happening
NaNoWriMo is as hard as it sounds!
If you think writing the first draft of a novel in a month sounds hard, well it is. Especially when you’re juggling family and work responsibilities. Day 6 is here, I’m just edging on 6,000 words written, and I’m already three days behind in terms of word count. But that’s the downside. The upside is, I’m […]
NaNoWriMo here we go!
How do you follow up a book about running? How do you write something similar but new and interesting? Especially when you can no longer run! Write a book about not running? About how my injury has destroyed any future hope of running? No, that’s depressing enough to live, let alone write. By the middle of […]
One Step Beyond – A Review
As I began to gravitate away from traditional road running for the more off-road variety of runs in 2010-11, one thing I very quickly became aware of is that our neighbours across the pacific have a massive, embracing and exciting culture of trail running going on. And while we have fantastic races and runners here […]
Maintaining the Momentum
Woops! Forgot to set my alarm this morning. Thank goodness for the Twins and Julia’s internal clock whereby at any point during the night, after 8 months of getting up regularly for our munchkins, she can pinpoint the exact hour and minute of the night… and do so without waking up! So off to work […]
Self publishing: The end of traditional publishing?
So we’re in the age of self publishing, print on demand reigns supreme, and the big publishers out there are struggling, failing, and their evil reign might just be coming to an end. I can hear all those writers out there struggling to even get their manuscript read, let alone published, scream out with delight. […]
Writing in the real world
Running to Extremes – A Review
Having read Lisa Tamati’s first novel, Running Hot, I couldn’t wait to immerse myself into her follow up novel Running to Extremes. Although, it was with a little trepidation. You see, I rank Tamati’s Running Hot as one of my all time favourite running novels, alongside and equal to Christopher McDougal’s Born to Run, and Dean […]
What’s coming…
With the launch of Running Against Time late last year, things have been busy. Not to forget the addition of two wonderful little munchkins to our family! But things are about to get busier, much busier! For 2013 I have big plans, in running, and writing. And I intend to bring everyone here along for […]
How can you write an autobiography about running? You haven’t done anything!
It’s a fascinating experience to go through as an author; completing a book and sending it out there into the world, for other people to read, experience, criticise, and talk about. Just to have people purchase my novel is a huge complement, but to have them read and react to it. Well, money can’t buy […]
It’s So Easy (And Other Lies) – A Review
“Today is a good day to die,” learns Duff McKagan in his autobiographical novel, It’s So Easy (And Other Lies). And it’s a key learning I’ll never forget. I won’t explain it here as I’d hate to take that away from any future reader. But it’s deep, as is this book. Given to me as […]
The power of music – and other musings…
Funny how music can transport you miles away and years in time apart. Listening to Silversun Pickups the other day I was there reading once more, Pat Farmer’s Pole to Pole. Better yet, I was there running beside Pat again, through South America. I was right there beside him, support vehicle beside us, middle of […]
Drugs in sport
In recent days a ‘major investigation’ into drugs and organised crime in Australian sport has released a damning report that categorically proves that they go hand in hand. The media is ‘shocked’ but is the public? Are we shocked by this news? I for one am not. I must admit, however, that I’m a little […]
Eat & Run – A review
Am I just jaded because of my injury and the fact I haven’t been able to run for months? And even before that, because I couldn’t run like I used to run pre-Fuji and pre-permanent degenerative injury? Or did Scott Jurek’s novel lack something? Or am I just jealous of the fact he has such […]
Does Running = Injury?
I was at the Hares & Hounds Ultra race in the Queensland Glasshouse Mountains on Sunday. No, I wasn’t running. Not even in the 5km event. Why? Because I’m injured. So I was there purely to volunteer and sell a few copies of my book. While there, I got talking with quite a few other […]
Learning something new as an adult?
I’ve just stared skipping. A new challenge for 2013. Why? Because I’ve heard it’s good for running barefoot. It helps strengthen the feet and ankles. Something I’m in dire need of! I’ve also started some new stretching that I hope will help… but that’s another story… Little did I know how hard it would be! […]