Writers as...

Writers as:
Naturalists: Is a tree always a tree? What do you make of a leaf, a bird, or a lump of dirt? Can you describe a bee, a dog, or a horse? What about depicting a lamb, a cow, could that be a problem? Can your reader feel the breeze, smell the roses of perhaps the cold of the fallen snow?
Portrait painter: Portraits can be painted in words, depicting every emotion from bliss or joy to sadness or distress and all between. Can you capture the lift of an eyebrow, the texture of skin, the sparkle of an eye, the colour of hair the shape of an ear? Have you adequately described facial expression, anatomical form, odour, deformity and what of blood, sweat and tears?
Comedians: Can you encompass the levity, the satire, the repartee? Are you the joker, or the jester, the wit or the wag? Do you employ the double entendre, are you whimsical or jocular, perhaps farcical or even droll? Can you be comic, hilarious or playful?
Photographers: Have you recorded the detail, the precision, the accuracy? Is your picture true to life or are you chasing the negative, the shadow? Is your subject photogenic at all?
Linguists: Have you captured the lingua franca, the lingo, the slang, the accent of the time, the place, the situation?Does your wordplay dance to the appropriate music?
Just remember: the devil is in the detail!

Writers as Readers

Most writers are veracious readers and lovers of books. What matters as a reader while learning to write is to become a critical and engaged reader. This starts with the first sentence. Do you like it? Has it peeked your interest? Are you impatient to read more? As you continue reading your list of questions should grow. Has the author developed the characters, the situation, even the time clearly and engagingly? Search for the tone, style and construction. Are there weaknesses in the plot? Has something really got your attention? Is this work clear or confusing? What emotions have been released in you? What can you learn from this author? What stimulated his interest in this subject? Did he enjoy researching the topic? Just imagine your pleasure in being able to ask the author all your questions at the Bendigo Writers Festival!

Licorice IceCream

I've written a book of poetry
it's funny, sad, checky and smart
about all aspects of life and society
with rhyme and rhythm, quite proper art
but I ve topics like cows, lambs, trees
even soldiers, solar panels and bees
used Haiku, sonnets, even free verse
I 'd love you to see it and even more
to publish my book called
Licorice IceCream
Poems and Stories you can Taste.WiA2014

Smoker

I want to give up smoking, I've tried and tried and tried
the patches, the gum, the tablets, and Alan Carr's book
I wake up with a cough, accompanied by phlegm all jellified
it's yellow, and green even grey and almost black
I 'll have to stop, as I know it's slowly killing me
but I have one with a beer or cup of coffee when  out
to socialise. My friends all smoke around me
they just don't seem to see what it is all about.
My lungs are telling me that  they just can't cope
with swirling coils of carcinogens in every little corner
and the habit so entrenched in me, do I have a hope
of giving up and smelling sweet, or rather be a goner.