Influence

Yesterday I attended a workshop on writing short stories that get published with a young writer named Nuala O'Connor (Ni Chonchuir), who has several collections of short stories, poetry and novels to her credit. She has a very gentle manner. She teaches creative writing on occasion, and in this case, Mayo County Council's art council hired her to do a workshop at the Linenhall in Castlebar. Attendance was free and Alex and I were quick to join up.

Although the format of the workshop would not have been my choice, I did learn some very useful tips.  Armed with lists of to dos and not to dos, I am about to tackle my list of short stories again. I have a collection under the working title "Joy of Sailing", which I have to edit and find a new title. I have several beginnings of sci fi short stories that I need to expand. I have already edited Alex's short story, The Invitation, with a completely different eye than last time.

Thank you Nuala and MayoCoCo, for the inspiration to get back to work in new directions.

Inspired by a great...Edna O'Brien, Country Girl

At the book signing. I'm telling her how much she inspired me. 

Last night, we saw Edna O'Brien, perhaps the most well-known living Irish author and playwrite, being interviewed by Sean Rocks of the great radio programme Arena.  She walked on stage tentatively, taking small cautious steps like a frail old woman. But she was dressed in her favourite things -- flowing black lace skirt, black and beige ruffly blouse, with a black sequinned jacket, black stockings and black suede ankle boots -- feminine through and through. You could feel her clothes delivering comfort and a touch of glamour in an uncomfortable setting. Her hair was perfectly styled, softly framing her face in reddish tinted swooshes. She made me smile.  An old woman comfortable in her skin and her presentation of it.

Getting paid and having time

I have been hired to write blog posts for a website that promotes sailing and travel in Ireland and Scotland, things I happen to be passionate about. Unfortunately, I cannot tell anyone that I am the author of those blog posts as I am the ghost writer.  Anyway, it's great fun to write about things that I know and love and get paid for doing it. This internet world can be fulfilling at times. What it means, however, is that I have less time to do my own work.

I was away for almost six weeks this summer between the US and Ireland, which has set me back in my writing endeavors. Now, I'm trying to kick start my writing habits. It's a bit of a struggle as I also try to catch up with everything else, like gardening and laundry and friends. I suppose 'winter is coming' which for me will be a good thing. I love winters in Ireland. We get every excuse in the world to stay home.

Quote: Double-handed sailing

Double-Handed Sailing 

is after all like 

Single-Handing Half the Time

- Daria Blackwell

Quote: End of the world.

 Don't worry about the world ending today. 

 

It's already tomorrow in Fiji. 

Daria Blackwell

Citizen of the world

This week, I took part in a ceremony during which I was granted Irish citizenship. I was one of a thousand people swearing allegiance to a new country, the place we call home.

In some ways it was a bit strange after the years of pledging allegiance to the United States of America as a child in school every day. But I am still American. I retain my US citizenship, which makes me a dual citizen. I am now actually a citizen of the EU and the US, which covers a lot  of territory. Both are democracies so there is no conflict.

In a sense, I've gone full circle. My parents left Europe to make a new life in the US. I left the US to find a new life in Europe. It feels good to be back here where I've found home.

Gender bias

To make it more interesting, I'm going to write the character in my next novel as male, with the full intent of converting her to her rightful status as female. I am doing this to free myself of gender bias.

I have found that I, too, am guilty of gender bias even as a feminist. I found myself buying girls soft pink things for Christmas and giving boys cars and tools.  So this year I reversed it. I gave the boys soft plushy toys and the girls got flashlights and the oldest got a penknife, something I would have killed to get as a kid.  I'll have to talk to her to see if she appreciated it or thought I was nuts.

So my thinking is that if I write the character as a male but then change her to female, I may have succeeded in  removing that bias. But can I remove it if I know that it's going to change,  Only time will tell.

PS The girls loved their gifts!  Yahoo. The older one is a fisherman and she wanted a knife badly. Success.