Start the Year off Write Challenge 2014

Here is one of the challenges I'll be taking this year. Thanks to the amazing efforts of Shannon Fimbel Abercrombie, I will be involved with finishing one writing exercise each day for the month of January beginning on the 5th. www.shannonabercrombie.com

Having completed the PiBoIdMo challenge last year and thoroughly enjoying the inspiration and prize opportunities, I was keen to take on another challenge.

It will begin in a few days so looking forward to talking more about that later.

Poem accepted by The School Magazine, NSW Department of Education

Hi all,

Yes, I am a slack blogger, but am inspired by some writing challenges coming up.

Last month I had an email from The School Magazine offering to buy my latest submission, a poem, 'The History of the Chimneys. They have asked to rejig the title a little which is fine.

I began the poem as a picture book. But I struggled to make it work. Then I decided to try it as a poem and it became so much better and voila, it has been accepted.

I'm really delighted that my work will one day be shown in this fabulous magazine.

Wishing you writerly success in 2014.

KALE - A poem

Kale is not a thing of beauty

matt deep green leaves

as dark as night

their underside a network

of wrinkled veins.

Washed

ready for the pot

there is a surprise.

Glistening glass-like jewels

sit shivering

trapped in membrane pockets

underneath

soon to be darkened leaves

again.

Wow. It's been more than a year since I blogged. But tragedy and grief have scrambled my brain and I am still crawling but trying to stand.

Throughout this last year I have not had much energy but writing has been a great comfort to me and I am trying to get some projects done.

I am still waiting to see my story "Chrissie and a Queen", published in the NSW School Magazine. Hopefully it will be soon as it's been over a year since it was accepted.

I had a poem 'Lest We Forget', accepted for publication by Celapene Press in this year's anthology, Short and Twisted. I was so pleased about that.

And yesterday I found out that my short story, 'River Dreaming', has been shortlisted in the Charlotte Duncan Award with Celapene Press. I was delighted about that.

I am busy writing picture books and have entered several that I wrote over the last two years, in the CYA competition.

And I have entered two new picture book stories that I wrote recently in the KBR Unpublished Picture Book Award.

My Miles Franklin story has not found a home. I finished the story as a junior novel/chapter book but it was not picked up by the publisher intended, although I have recently sent it out to another publisher after looking in the Australian Writers' Marketplace book.

I'm thinking of doing an on-line poetry course through Lorainne Marwood as I am interested in understanding poetry and I love Lorainne's style.

Must go and make my second cup of tea for the morning. The sun is shining, the dog is peering in at me from the deck, children are currently quiet and husband is making me poached eggs and mushrooms.

Bye for now my writerly friends.

Kaye