writing workshop – Page 5 – June Paisa Perkins

Diving into creativity, changing perspectives

2014-05-10 2014-05-10 001 058 — Abstracting Nature’s Reflections – June Perkins

At the moment I am working on three short stories; one about homelessness, another racism of the insidious subtle kind, and the last one introduces and captures a deep thinker trapped in his falling apart (but maybe he can put it back together) country life.

But these themes whilst they appear deep and meaningful are carried by compelling characters who don’t speak like philosophers but like everyday people with particular lingo/slang/dialogue that is real and natural.

As I create each story I am thinking extensively about the voice of the narrator and which narrative point of view will work the best. One story has me writing from several characters’ perspectives, something like in Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper.

I find that shifting the point of view in my stories is deeply challenging as I have to jump inside the head of a racist for art, and that character is letting me know she has many redeeming features, and the possibility for growth and change as much as any other in a tale of broken friendship. Yet the empathy is discomforting and I still want the character to change and grow but I am not sure if she can. I don’t want to judge this character, and yet I could be biased in the fate I give to her and not let her be organic and make sense if emotion gets the better of me.

One piece about homelessness is very poetic and seems to like being a piece of flash fiction, or it could become a performance poetry piece. I’ve opted for a third person narrator seeing a scene, but I may well experiment with it more, as that might lead to some new discoveries about that scene. As I write it I keep thinking of Elizabethan songs with crows in them, only my story has a different species of bird.

Often I use photographs to inspire my writing, and in the same way I like to abstract an image as the one above in this blog, I think about how to abstract characters – make something straightforward more ambiguous, questioning and creative, create characters that ripple and flow into and around the river of existence.

I have no idea yet, what age each story will suit, and whether they will lengthen or shorten. All I know is that the characters want to leap off the page and speak to a wider audience. I don’t want to put them on my blog, but into competitions or publications, maybe some might even join together and create a novel, yet I do want my blog readers to know a bit about the journey of these characters as they come into being.

I worried that when I moved to the city, my inspirational muse of nature might cause me to close up in my longing to write and photograph. Instead my memory of the country becomes more vivid and has something to contrast against. The country becomes a place to move into as a storehouse of experiences and characters to consider representing. The city is vivid too, as it is all around me. It is strange and unsettling to hear sirens everyday instead of twice a year.

I still keep up the life writing. The city sparks memories of times I was a student in the city and those stories become clearer as I travel again on trains. Yet, there is a freedom in creating fiction that calls ever more strongly.

(c) June Perkins

Writing Visually: Writing Sagas 14

This morning I began working on words to go with some of my collage art and the picture that accompanies this post was inspired by some time spent with one of my friends at the beach with her sons.

I find this way of working is a good way to keep my creativity agile when I have a lot of things to do, but want to keep writing something.

It works so differently than when I write without an image in front of me.

This link to Visual Writing Visual Editions – is now inspiring me to move my collages into video and to think about text moving in three dimensions. So much to explore! Ah well, one step at a time. I have purchased a cheap video editing program, until I can afford another one- and will test all it’s limits.

I spent some time with Suzie Cray, the new producer for ABC Open from Cairns, and some of my family, working on a video postcard. I’m in the midst of editing it.

Suzie looked at my script drafts and then worked to help me visually translate the most doable script for the day. I had one script she loved, but it had a vaste time range and is one I can work on by myself for that reason (it included a sunrise, sunset and a few other things like music around the camp fire.)

We were open to things that happened unscripted – like a bee heading onto a flower, a tourist taking a photograph at the falls, and a rustic mystical sign, Peter’s Organic Farm.

I’m nearly there with it, and will share it when it’s polished. The most important thing I took away from the day was that I could edit the words from the script, when I showed it. I cut half my script due to the work of the visuals, and immensely enjoyed the process of editing it down. Thanks Suzy for travelling all that way to mentor me!

I’m feeling more confident about developing my video work further, and especially gaining more skills in editing before I meet up with Suzy again.

The other exciting announcement is I have a mystery guest blogger, who will be appearing soon! Awesome. It’s lovely to have guest bloggers grace the space and I hope to introduce you to more of them in the coming months.

Inward Search

I travel inwardly as well as outwardly, looking for stories to change someone’s future outlook, and for words that hang together the delicate and uplifting. The golden light perches on the cane and our pet Mynah bird listens and repeats all the bird song he hears and then calls to me to have a conversation.

It’s holidays, less time for writing, more time for living and finding stories.

So what stories do I find? Stories of a sick, perhaps dying pet guinea pig, my son seeing how starkly different city and country upbringings can be, my husband saying goodbye to his top teeth and hello to dentures, and my daughter learning crotchet from a dear Aunty.

We watch Footy Legends and Dance with Wolves. We discuss improbable plots, great characters, magic filmic moments, and unjust histories. My daughter and I read the same book series, and discover new worlds of ghosts that love humans. I do some of the Story Cartel course.

I worry about places where sweatshops exist and how many of them provide the clothes on my children’s backs. Something has to change.

The children are out gathering hay for their guinea pigs to lay in, out in the early evening, making memories that will always be theirs.

That’s holidays just begun.

A Sunset Break: Writing Sagas 13

2013-06-14 sunsetmurrayupper 047 — NQ Sunset, on cane – June Perkins

This week has been so busy that blogging has had to take a back seat. I’m trying to FINISH things. Ever had that problem of being a great starter but a slack finisher. I realise I have really fallen into that danger and it’s time to climb out of it!

I did a creative audit and found that I have about four projects that need only a few final touches, or a send off to publishers, or a final edit or review. There are another five that are well progressed but needing the final lap. I can’t believe how much writing and photographing has built up in the last four years. It seems the country has been a muse.

I plucked up the courage to format something properly and send it to a Literary Agent. Now I have to keep up the momentum and send the other manuscripts off, before I am too deeply into writing the next one. I may have to look to send stuff to a few agents, or publishers. I’ll content myself with researching it for a while.

I worked on putting together a community photo book to sell through Blurb, which has had all the material sitting there for months whilst I am busy with other things.

I am very excited to about to begin Story Cartel! I have been thinking of doing this for a while, and got myself organised and booked in. I love that I can do it from home.

The other thing this week was that it finished with a beautiful clear sunset. I have to be on the look out for them now as we have some clear evenings and are surrounded by some amazing spots to photograph.

It’s always good to be out in life, finding things to be inspired by. Sometimes my heart is a little too busy taking care of my family and my health. I have an ongoing skin condition psoarsis which likes to flare up every now and then.

It’s always a reminder to me to slow down, and go and drink in those sunsets and show extra love to my beloved ones.

2013-06-14 sunsetmurrayupper 023 — NQ Sunset – By June Perkins

Prompts for Creating your #500 words story

So you’re trying to create a 500 words or more memory story. You’re not sure where to start but you are keen to tap into your memory. Here are some practical ideas to get you going.

All you need is your nose’s sense of smell, some pens, creativity, imagination, photographs, the courage to interview some relatives and go time travelling, and a few things you can smell.

1. Try Catching a Scent of the Past

You can draw the smells from specific scenes in your memory like the beach, rainforest, school, family outings, or people you know.

One distinct memory I have is of my brothers’ smelly socks!

Why not try actually smelling the following to see what they trigger: spices, fresh grass, new shoes, a favourite memory plant, and for the brave old shoes.

There are some great lists at: http://www.creative-writing-now.com/memoir-writing.html

2.Writing to Bring Back Memories and Drawing a Scene

One way to bring back memories is to write whatever is in your head, and then from these random memories pick one to draw a picture of.

By drawing a picture of the scene of the memory you can transport yourself to inside the memory.

You will hopefully begin to see details you might have missed at a first writing.

Once you have a visual picture of the scene it can act as a resource for writing, and then why not now put yourself in ‘action’ in the scene.

It is fun to write memories as if they are a movie unfolding in your head and this can help a reader to make the journey with you.

Check out this link for some more great tips: http://www.creative-writing-now.com/memoir-writing-interview.html

3. Photographs as Resources

Another fabulous source for writing memories are photographic triggers.

Find family photographs to inspire your stories.

Look for childhood ones, recent ones, and enlist help from family members to collect ones you might not have copies of handy.

To be really creative think beyond the photograph itself, as well as to what is in the photograph.

Can you remember where it was taken?

Who took it?

What the weather was like?

What you could smell?

What was the occasion?

What does the photo say about the people in it?

If you are in the photograph can you remember how you were feeling, and what you could see looking out from the photograph?

If unsure can you find out information from other family members.

Now that you have written something, don’t forget to let it sit for a while, and then begin the all important editing process.

There are many more ways to tap into memory and I’ll keep exploring them on my blog and by visiting other blog links.