It’s the most wonderful time, of the year..
So, this is Christmas. At least, it will be soon. Stinking heat, humidity that turns the air into soup. Dripping sweat. As the song says “it’s the most wonderful time, of the year.”
All posts filed under: Articles
Abandoned places
I love pictures of abandoned places. There’s something haunting about them. The way nature reclaims what was once a human settlement shows, above all else, just how fleeting we are. For all the technological advances, the laughter, tear, joys and heart aches that make up our daily lives, with enough time nature will reclaim all. It’s a bittersweet thing.
Bye Bye, Birdie.
Yesterday, for what is now the fourth time in my working life, I was made redundant. It’s a hideous word, when you come to think of it. Redundant; useless, unwanted, superfluous. Whatever word is chosen when you’re shown the door, it tends to sting. I was briefly annoyed. When I say annoyed what I really mean is, I was pissed off. All the thoughts rolling through my head were so focused on me. I’d worked hard, rarely taken time off, done a job that wasn’t even my own and in which I had no experience. Yet for all that hard work it seemed I was just one too many balloons at the party. Sitting on the train on the way home my brain kept rolling over the experience. It kept talking to itself while I tried to read. “What am I going to do now?” “How am I going to support myself?” “At 43 it’s going to be even harder to get a job than it was the last time?” None of those lovely thoughts …
Announcing my latest project…
It’s been a while in the making, and I’ve managed to keep it to myself up until today which is something of a miracle, but I’d like to announce my latest project – Caged Glass Publishing. My new baby is ready to launch its first project; an anthology called Community. The idea is to publish a collection of short stories (1500 to 2000 words), focusing on empowering LGBTI main characters. Obviously, you don’t need to be a member of the LGBTI community to write or submit one. If you’re interested in finding out the details, feel free to check out Caged Glass Publishing’s website.
Too many cooks, not enough chefs.
When you make the decision to write, whether it’s a: story, novel, novella, or short fiction piece, staying with the idea long enough to actually accomplish something can be easier said than done.
The little things in life
The further into my recovery from the last bout of depression I get, the clearer things are starting to become. As the mixture of worthlessness, fear and despair continues to unravel I find myself recognising not only the changes mentally, but also the changes in my behaviour. When I was a child I had an irrational fear of getting onto a downward escalator. I’d do it, but only after I’d stood at the top for a good several seconds, watching in trepidation as the staircase moved by itself. According to my Mother I witnessed a young woman with a pram have an accident on one when I was very little and ever since, I’ve been hesitant to get on one. Last Tuesday, while on my way to work, I arrived at the Station as another train disgorged it’s passengers. The staircase that I usually walk down was flooded with 100’s of commuters arriving in the suburb for their day at work. Without thinking about it, and without hesitation I stepped on the escalator and it …
Merry Christmas, here let me spike your drink
Yesterday afternoon I was on twitter. Ostensibly I was searching for inspiration for a content piece I was writing for the work blog. Social media marketing may sound like a fun topic to write about, and it is, but coming up with fresh angles on a topic it appears every person and their dog is writing about can make life difficult. While I was putting together the bones of an idea, I came across a tweet from the Washington Post about an advertisement released by American department store Bloomingdale’s and I’ll honestly admit my first thought was “fuck off, that can’t possibly be real.” Turns out it is real. The image I’m talking about is the featured image of this post and even today I’m struggling to understand the mentality of the creative team behind it. I just can’t picture how a room full of educated professionals thought that advertisement was a good idea. I found myself wondering whether or not the whole point to it was to create outrage to start a discussion on …
7 weeks and counting…
In early September 2015 I hit rock bottom. I was sober, I was nicotine free but I was miserable as hell and getting worse. The panic attacks were escalating and even a 10 minute train journey to Woy Woy was becoming too much to handle. Getting the bus home was an equally awful nightmare and if I managed to make the less than 15 minute journey without getting off the bus, it was cause for celebration. In early September my friends son turned 1. I was excited to attend his birthday and then found out there were no trains that weekend. It meant a 60 minute bus ride to Sydney, plus another shorter trip to his Grandmother’s house. I couldn’t get on the bus. The thought of it was terrifying, and sitting in my bedroom, my sanctuary, my fear of getting on a bus to Sydney trigged a panic attack that left me exhausted and with a migraine. That day was the beginning of the end of that particular chapter in my life. I realised, …
The Moment Perfection..
There is a great myth in my family – and I think in the families of many – that in order for something to be achieved it needs to be done at the right moment. The perfect moment just waiting to be tapped into and if, just if, you hit the right perfect moment everything will come up roses, or at least pansies, never carnations though. They’re funeral flowers.
When Hashtags Need A Safety Word….
Today on Twitter a prime example of what happens when a hashtag gets hijacked occurred after Best Selling Author EL James publicity machine thought it would be a great idea for the fans to tweet her some of their questions regarding the 50 Shades series.
Writing in Shadows 