Dim's Write Stuff

Since last year, I have been invited to present specialised language programs for gifted and talented school students throughout Australia for the G.A.T.EWAYS Education organisation. It’s always a privilege standing in front of a group of motivated young students no matter who they are. The G.A.T.EWAYS kids are especially challenging for they love to question. Fortunately I love to find answers; to questions like: ‘Where did that idea come from?’ and ‘How to you grow an idea?’ My latest workshops cover these precise quandaries focusing on what ideas become…why marvellous stories of course! Stories themselves illustrate this point best which is why I was delighted beyond words to unearth this gem, What Do You Do With An Idea? by the quietly brilliant award winning, Kobi Yamada and Mae Besom. This book embraces the notion that everything, every single thing, you see and experience around you was once an idea; a huge concept that Yamada breaks down into an absorbing narrative starr...

It was still dark and bitterly cold at 6.00 am yesterday. Five year old declared it too cold for our early morning walk. At 3.5 degrees C I was inclined to agree. So we read on the couch instead. Snuggling together warmed a memory, which hatched an idea, that grew into an incredible urge to write a new picture book.   Now I'm bubbling away with images, characters and half structured sentences like a percolator about to explode. I don't quite have a full pot but there's definitely a brew in the making. The feeling is tantalizing. Stunt doubles no doubt are accustomed to the kick of adrenalin. They recognise its scent and relish its taste. They know how to harness its power. For we writers, that initial surge of motivation is no less subtle than a shot of adrenalin. I want to sprint down the beach, leap through the surf and slay slimy sea monsters: well I want to be in a comfy chair at least while I observe my characters as they do this. What spurs you into a fren...

Are you an Obsessive List Maker ? Symptoms for OLMs include walking into the local shops and forgetting what you've come for (can't live without a shopping list), staring stupidly at an open pantry and having no idea what to cook (can't live without a menu plan), sitting down to work on your manuscripts then after answering a zillion emails wondering what you're supposed to be writing about (need a work schedule). Sound familiar? I'm nothing without my calendar and lists to remind me of when my next free moment is to take a breath. They keep me sailing on an even keel and only really cause upset when I fail to complete them (over ballast my boat). But apart from structuring our day to day existence a little better, lists can also be a springboard to more exciting prospects, memories, ideas, stories...Now we're getting into Flow Chart territory but more on that another day. I am fond of "Top Lists". Top Fives for instance can be used to provoke th...