Building a Reality

Its late at night. I aught to be in bed or watching a fluffy girly film. Certainly not sitting in front of my computer contemplating the history of religion or the demise of civilization as we know it. My head is spinning. I have so much going on around it – I doubt I could sleep or follow a simplistic cartoon, much less a movie of any length. I think Gladiators is about my limit at the moment and I an questioning the colours used in the sets…,…..

Jodi and I have just been to our first writers workshop. I know my head is just blown away with information and possibilities. Sonny Whitelaw hammered information, questions, scenarios and examples from 10 am through till nearly 4 without drawing breath. I have a workbook with at least 6 weeks research and exercises in it, in order for me to ready myself for my NANO book. It was completely not what I was expecting – but totally what was required. I think the most poignant thing I took away was that for your reader to be involved, your fantasy sci fi world had to be real. Everything from the characters, to the way the post is delivered, to the seasons, the religions and politics to what is fashionable needs to be detailed – if not in the manuscript – but somewhere – to draw upon like an almanac. Although you may think this is elementary, once you start to list these things, the background research and writing is enormous.

Sonny was as profound as your knowledge allowed her to be. An incredible resource and one I feel so blessed to have been in such an intimate workshop with. I have popped her website below – Aussie ( Brisbane) lass who writes the books and scripts for Stargate, Atlantis and Roswell. Like - far out. Not in the bit pretentious, very down to earth and brutally honest.

http://www.sonnywhitelaw.com

Late in the day she gave many insights into the failings of fantasy and sci fi writers. One of the major ones was their tip toeing around the issues – of contentious issues or commenting on what was happening or about to happen in the world. Our classic writers – Wells, Huxley, Dick, Heinlan, Bradbury – all pulled no punches and much of their writing is as relevant to todays society as it was then. This has excited both Jodi and I – as our books are to explore themes and questions which in today’s society would be impossible to live or experience…

I am quite nervous about her contact with me in the next two days. As part of the workshop we were able to leave up to 10 pages of our manuscripts with her for her critique. I was very challenged with this – as I only have 2 short stories – neither really meant to be expanded into a book As we only booked the workshop on Friday afternoon and had to submit the pages by Friday afternoon, I had no chance to edit them in any way. They were first drafts in any case… but here it is again – my ego is way bigger than my bank balance..

I think , like many writers and perhaps sci fi fantasy ones in particular, she has a healthy dose of paranoia. ( I maintain that its not paranoia if you are sure people hate you…)Perhaps her back ground in global climate change and oceanology helps.. Her postulations on the price of petrol, the global warming issues on a microscopic level and the demise of our culture due to its disenchantment with religion and the breaking down of civilization was enough to send the hobbies up my back. Along with many people I have hear, she has just sold up and is moving to a remote part of the country in order to self sustain and escpae the crumbling blocks of our society.

As I reasoned with Jodi. These things don’t happen overnight ( unless we have a ‘Day after Tomorrow” scenario) but rather bit by bit. Similar to Nazi Germany and the treatment of Jews ( and countless other scenarios during our violent past). By the time things go way out of hand, it was too late. Decent, good Germans were unable to speak out, because they didn’t speak out right at the start – there seemed no reason to object back then. Everything was rationalized and seemed so reasonable and normalized. Hindsight is a wonderful thing – for the survivors to point and blame. Perhaps our petrol will go to $2.50 within the next few months, Perhaps by Christmas it will be $10. Its not like the writing on the wall hasn’t been there. People will simply have to choose between owning a car and owning a house. Perhaps this opens up the market for mobile homes even more? Our Great Barrier Reef is destined to start breaking up due to the acidity levels rising within the next 2 years, the Gulf Stream due to stop and a mini ice age descend upon much of Europe and the US. The list went on and the true horror of what we as humans have done to our precious earth makes my head reel. It hasn’t happened overnight – we have been doing it every day, since we drew breath and crawled out of the slime.

And all of this so very relevant to our creations, our books. The things we describe did not simply start because we wrote it so. We have a responsibility to ensure its birth and life on the page has a full grasp on reality.

Lilly Loo growing up

Lilly all grown up!!

Its scary how fast both of them are growing. I see glimpses of them as teenagers in small moments.

I will attempt - without styfling them - in keeping childhood sweet and innocent. I have seen fashions I wouldn't allow a young teenager in - being sold for 6 year olds.

*sigh*

But how can we sotp this? Lilly was so excited to be going out with me to a Cafe - like a bit grown up girl.

She never leaves the house without her bag or jewelry!

Bless

Conscious Children

This afternoon I took the kids to the park behind our house. It’s a great set up as I take my laptop and write. It’s a beautiful park, lots of things to look at and discover, plenty of dirt to chuck around and sticks to pick up and whack each other with. There is a creek running behind it but the rumours of bunyips have as yet kept them away from it.. oh and there is the play equipment.

Before we left I had to download Pink Flyods "Another brick in the wall" from Youtube. It was the prompt for Mondays Music Musings and I wanted to get a head start on my ideas for it. Instead of running off to the helicopter or dashing down the slide, both Morgan and Lilly sat with me and watched the clip several times. For me it’s a chilling piece of music , masterfully layered with meaning and symbology. Morgan asked lots of questions about the clip and of the words – which in my true style, I explained as simply as I could – but didn’t hold back. Sociology lesson over, they were content to bury each other in the deep pinebark and bark at each other.

I want my kids to grow up always questioning. Never to accept what is dished to them just on face value. Morgan agreed he didn’t want to be a sausage or a faceless student and promised with his big blue sincere eyes that he would question everything. By the second viewing he was cheering on the students as they smashed up there wall and their school.

“Why don’t other kids ask questions Mummy?”

Parents don’t mean to be bad. We just get caught up with everything and fail to recognize a bright light desperate to feed on the mountains of information around them , seeing some sort of guidance system, some sort of framework to make sense of it all. Many of us grew up with the concept of seen and not heard or had the answer – “don’t worry about that” or “you don’t need to know that just now” – or “be quiet!” I have caught myself a few times nearly coming out with these dreadful words, taking a deep breath and getting to the questioners level and taking the time to answer the question in as much detail as I can.

We have already done the Death thing, the God thing, the baby thing ( but not how it gets there.. yet) I really believe that if I stop communicating, if I brush them off now, when the time comes that either of them need an ear, need help , then their trust in a parent will be long gone. I theoretically know that my importance in their lives is even now beginning to slip. However, thankfully… I once was a teacher so still have some sort of credibility in Morgans eyes….

"Mummy, teachers are so smart. They know everything.” “Humm.. well not everything, but they are pretty smart yes” I said.

“But you are extra smart Mummy. you are a mummy and you were a teacher.”

Bless his little dirty, smelly socks…