A Tutor For U3A

Would really appreciate any thoughts about my venture into this new role.

Never heard of U3A? I did a few years ago but even when I found out what it stood for, have to confess didn’t even occur to me to investigate U3A.

Wikipedia tells me, “The University of the Third Age is an international organisation whose aims are the education and stimulation of retired members of the community - those in the third 'age' of life. It is commonly referred to as U3A.”

I was curious enough to attend a special meeting to introduce U3A commencing early this year in my area and liked what I heard so much I am now a member of the Tamar Valley U3A. Then when I heard about the kind of six week courses already being offered ventured to put my name down as willing to be a tutor. After all, I’ve been learning a lot about story telling now for more years than I like to remember some times!

So now, I am on a new learning adventure about being a “tutor” since my submission on writing memoirs was accepted. Registrations for the second term courses are now being taken and they will commence on May 20th. My course will be from 2-4pm each Thursday.

U3A is an international organisation and I’d love to hear from anyone who has been, or is still a member.
I’ve now given many talks about writing, presented several workshops for writers but I’m wondering just how this may be different. I am planning on talking about using story-telling techniques to hook not only fond family readers but a wider readership.

What did you like the most about the tutor? What did you dislike the most?

And for those who have not been to U3A, what would you think those attending will need and also expect to learn about writing your life story so your ancestors will know who you are?

FAITH WITH CREATIVE HEARTS AND HANDS

I’ve just had the delight again of spending a week at the Poatina Faith and Arts programme. Click HERE to read about the programme offered. There were seven different electives this year. For the second time I was privileged to be the leader for the Creative Writing - Fiction elective. About eighty very creative folk of all ages shared a very busy programme. As well as several hours each day in our chosen elective, there were very special worship, teaching and personal sharing times as well.

The village of Poatina has a very interesting history. It began in 1950 as the accommodation site for the workers on the hydro-electricity projects many years ago. When it was no longer needed the whole village was eventually sold to the Christian organisation, Fusion Australia, in 1995. Do check out all about it by clicking HERE

This was my view of the Western Mountain Tiers from my bedroom window this year. It was unusually hot for the first few days and the smoke haze from fires to the south and north of us almost hid the mountains. Thankfully there were none of the ferocious fires in our immediate area that caused such devastation in other parts of Tasmania. However, then one day it even snowed not that far from us and the wind had the bite of winter once more - but that is Tasmanian weather!





  Music elective lead us in a special worship song
they had been developing in their elective.
 Usually we had guitars, saxophone, drums
and great freedom in worship "styles".

 



Three of the glass furnaces inside the new Arts centre building.  
We enjoyed a glass blowing demonstration during one session and a tour of the rest of the huge building still under construction for various other expressions of art.



Two writers pause for the camera
Later we organise the group photo



Will I go again next year? Most certainly if I am able to - and there is need once more for this elective. A week away in early January may not always be possible. All this fabulous week is done by volunteers - who still need to help pay for their accommodation and food. This year Omega Writers were able to sponsor me with a donation of money which was really tremendous!

Five Days of Writing



Wallaby visits us and enjoys our
vegetable scraps as I stop
 writing and watch from
behind large glass windows.

 Have I been whinging too much on posts here and even on facebook at times about not writing my next manuscript? Hmm, somehow I think I have been!

I’ve been asked if this current manuscript will be another book in my Baragula series but while it does have a rural setting, afraid it is not another for that series. I started writing Her Outback Cowboy many years ago and it has sat waiting for me to finish those Baragula books.



It is still the middle of winter
in Tasmania but the wattle
 is starting to flower



 It has been much harder than I thought getting back into the plot, characters’ hearts and minds as well as researching the Texas and Queensland outback settings to try and get them correct. I also decided that the prologue I had started the story with could best have that information given to the reader throughout the first few chapters rather than as it happened years before Chapter One.

Time will tell if I succeed in making the story stronger this way.

For several reasons – mainly my inability to say “no” often enough – it has been a difficult year to try and work on this story. My wonderful husband decided we needed to get away from distractions at home. As a result, last week I had a blissful five days of writing at a special retreat cottage at Eagles Rise , owned and run by lovely Christian friends, Peter and Judy Brown.  I deliberately did not take internet connection for the laptop but did not realise there wasn’t even mobile phone coverage.

It was mostly cold and wet that week but I did manage to take these  photos. They do not do justice to the lovely warm house and beautiful bush setting.

Did I get much writing done? Not as many words as I had hoped perhaps. I certainly worked hard on the plot but know it still needs quite a bit of tweaking to try and make it a "page turner". And no, the bush, that blue wren that visited every day, the kookaburras that were fascinating to see drag those worms out of the ground and those wallabies and rabbits which did enjoy vegetable scraps did not destract me - well not too much. Besides, I did have to stretch and exercise these wrists and my back too!

Coming soon: 

Ray's own blog. It is in the process of being designed and should be made public in the near future.

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

Also, it is wonderful to be able to announce that this new venture is being commenced. Do check out the important information on the following blog by a writer friend of mine, Narelle Atkins.

http://30minutebiblestudies.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/australian-christian-readers-blog-alliance-acrba/

My Writers’ Conferences and Seminars




Lynne Wilding
and Emma Darcy

- a long time ago! 

 

Another RWA conference
united with my
 old RWA group



Denver, USA, 2009
With a favourite author,
Loree Lough



I’ve lost count now of the number of these special events I’ve been privileged to attend since I first became serious about trying to write back in the early 1970’s. Until Romance Writers of Australia held their first weekend event they had all been one day seminars organised by different writer’s groups I’ve been a member of – including RWA. 

In the early years, RWA’s main annual events were held in Sydney. I attended my first one way back in 1991. I sold my first manuscript to a publisher in 1992. Since then I have only missed attending a few annual RWA Conferences. Need I say more about what I think of these great times and just how much I owe RWA?

Today our Annual Conferences have grown, quickly spread from that first one day event to two, then three and now four days in August each year. They eventually moved away from only being in Sydney to now alternate between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane or Gold Coast. Over the years, too many romance writers across our large Australia find travel costs, and perhaps even being away from family and work responsibilities also, make it too difficult to attend. The last few years RWA have sponsored day seminars in areas across Australia a long way from the annual conference cities. These are called RWA Roadshows and are only a brief “taste” of what our annual conferences give to writers.

Perhaps I should not have been so surprised October last year when an email arrived in my Inbox from the current RWA Events Co-ordinator. It started with, “In 2012, Romance Writers of Australia would like to take Roadshow across water for the first time—to Tasmania.”

Wow, I was thrilled. Then I paused and thought of the already busy programme ahead of me in 2012! So when I emailed back I mentioned I would certainly support a Roadshow here in my State but because of previous commitments doubted I could help very much with organising it. Famous last words! Perhaps I just can’t help my self?

There have been several times over the years at different writer seminars and conferences I’ve presented talks and workshops to try and pass on a little of what I’ve been learning and trying to put into practice. I’ve even helped in other very minor ways on the actual days but have to honestly say have had no real idea just how much work it all takes. Now I’ve been involved in being one of the Tassie organisers for just one special Roadshow day here on May 19th, I realise how much I have taken for granted those many, many volunteers who each year organise our conferences and special events.

Venue, budget, programme, speakers, catering, registration forms, advertising, Goody Bags, meetings and emails to discuss and make decisions - and so on and so on.

The RWA appointed team have been wonderful helping and guiding us through so many different processes. Published authors are being so supportive. Now the registrations have closed and we now know numbers, there is still much to do.

Excitement is mounting. Several writers are coming from interstate. Some are experienced writers, most are novices. Two of our three speakers, Fiona Lowe and Ebony McKenna come from Victoria, and our own award winning Melanie Milburne from Hobart will be joining us in Launceston. They all write for different romance sub-genres, are multi-published and award winners. We are delighted that since accepting our invitation to be a speaker, Fiona has become a finalist in the Romance Writers America RITA award – the “Oscar” for romance writers.

Just over two weeks to go. Still much to do. Please forgive me if I am slack with posting here for the next few weeks!
The Tasmania RWA Roadshow needs my attention!

Ray on Monday: Time Tables

 
Waiting for the bus or train can sometimes be a testing time. The time table says one thing but your clock says it is way past the expected arrival time. Any number of factors can contribute to delays, but they do annoy.

In Galatians 4:4 we are told when Christ Jesus entered into this world it was right on time. That is one of the things about God’s scheduling of events. Try as hard as they can, no outside forces can delay it.

Through the history of the World God in His foreknowledge used it to achieve His purposes. The Greek empire had given its language. The Romans gave good roads, safe sea travel and comparative peace. The scattered nation of Israel set up synagogues which made people aware of God’s messages and promises. All this was used by the Lord to get the Gospel known so people could hear and believe.

What were some of the reasons for Christ’s coming? In Galatians 4:4-7 we are told of two. One of them is to redeem. That is to pay a price (His life) to rescue believers from slavery to Sin and the evil influences of the World. The other factor was to present believers with an inheritance. What is that? Participating in what Jesus Christ has secured by His death and resurrection. This includes eternal life and every spiritual blessing in time and eternity. On top of all that we have the privilege of calling God, “our Father.”

We do not know the next schedule of God although some have tried to guess it. Only He knows when He will call us to Himself. His second coming hasn’t been declared, only promised. We just have to be ready! For it will happen right on time!

Ray in waiting.

Meeting old friends

Once again I am writing this from our son and daughter-in-law's home in New South Wales. Many parts of Australia are experiencing a very cold day and it is no different here. I am just glad I am this close to the equator and not in Tasmania where my husband tells me it is COLD! And spring officially commences in less than a week - in fact, the day after I arrive home.

Ray joined me last weekend, took me to the Australian Christian Writers Fellowship day seminar in Sydney and afterwards north again to Maitland in the Hunter Valley to that 30th anniversary church dinner. A wonderful time, so great trying to meet all our old friends there I simply forgot to take photographs to share with you. Some lovely ones have been put up on Facebook, especially on the Maitland Church of Christ page that you might like to have a look at. I did take some photos after the Sunday morning service there but somehow on this computer when I downloaded the photos from our camera to share with you last week they then simply disappeared off the camera! I am not game to do that again, so now I'll wait to share with you next week when back in my own familiar computer-photo environment.

Afraid I also forgot to take photos at the writers' workshops in Sydney. Mary, you had better start remembering readers of your blog might enjoy them too!

So, when you meet old friends again after a long time, do you find it easy to talk with them, share your lives again? There were so many warm hugs last weekend, so many faces I had to try and remember the names of. Trouble is, we all never stop changing. Our faces become thinner, fatter, a few more wrinkles and hair - well, hair sometimes disappears on the guys, the gals usually try to hide the grey hairs and are a little easier but at the dinner everyone was encouraged to wear 80's clothes. One dear lady friend had a flowing blonde wig while one man had a wig of black, boisterous curls! However, despite the changes in outward appearance I remembered so many from their smiles, their voices. But they did all look different at the church service the next morning!

And of course, there are those old friends we may not see from one year to the next but can pick up the threads with so quickly. We stayed a couple of nights with such friends and while I enjoyed talking to Rhonda Hall about our families and other topics, it was a joy to hear these two retired ministers, Ray and his old friend Max in the office discussing truths about our walks with Christ they are still digging out of the scriptures. Max and Ray shared a room at Bible College when training for the ministry many, many years ago. That kind of friendship becomes more like intimate brothers sharing, and what can be more intimate than sharing what Christ has been doing in and through our lives as we seek to always walk in step with Him. 

And meeting old friends on this trip is still not over. I have another special event tomorrow. Ray had to fly home last Tuesday while I am still here to be the main speaker at this coming weekend's Newcastle and District Christian Women's Fellowship Retreat. Hopefully I will have a few photos to share with you next week - if I don't forget the camera in the excitement of meeting more old friends!

ACFW CONFERENCE – FROM RAY’S POINT OF VIEW

Mmm…after reading my last post, Ray thought he’d add his thoughts! I"ve post-poned Part Two of the ACFW conference because this may be important for any non-writing spouses out there who are wondering about the worth of sharing the experiences of a conference - especially a Fiction writers' conference. Have a smile!

The excitement was building in Mary’s eyes. In my mind there was a touch of the Antarctic. The plane had touched down in Denver, Colorado and we two Tasmanians were about to experience ACFW. Those initials to the uninitiated do not bode ill. For me however, a mere male going to a Fiction Writers conference with his multi-published wife, it had the whiff of a dentist appointment.

Mary knew many of the authors through the internet and from reading their books. Me, I’m a romantic, not a Romance writer or reader – except my wife’s of course. (I added that last bit!) So I virtually knew no-one and clung close to Mary - I enjoy being close to her. Soon the warmth of the many women writers and the few male writers caused an inner climate change. I was readily accepted then recognized as the husband of Mary from Tasmania with a “Where is that exactly?”

Involvement is the best way to break through the shyness barrier. Helping at the ‘Beyond Borders’ zone display table opened the way to meet and greet folk as they came pick up various give-aways and to taste our Aussie sweets - er…candy… to the Americans - plus New Zealand and Canadian goodies. I enjoyed doing that too as I chatted and chewed with folk at the other zone tables.

Boredom’s fear born before we flew out of Tasmania proved a figment of an overactive timidity. Going to the meetings, attending seminars with some appeal to my interests, talking one on one with folk from around the country and world, especially some of the guys was simply great. The common ground wasn’t so much the interest in writing, strong though it was, rather it was the unity of knowing Jesus as our Author and Perfecter. Wanting to make Him known through the various strands of writing simply gave added depth to most conversations. As I shared in the various sessions I began to imagine myself as a rival writer to Francine Rivers. That faded as soon as I picked up a pen. Where do those plots and characters and suspense with romance arise and flow through fingertips? I must ask Mary. My delight was seeing Mary’s unbridled pleasure in meeting other authors she had admired for years. Internet friendships strengthened by face to face encounters and new friendships formed which will span the oceans and years. Would I tag along with her to another writers conference? Definitely! Would I encourage other spouses to do the same? Yes! Why? It affords us the chance to understand our wife or husband’s ‘world’ and those who share it. An understanding of the pressures, challenges, pleasures and costs involved in being a writer with its highs and lows helps the non-writer to be more understanding and patient. This is so important when they wrestle with the story in the mind and the keys on the computer.

If more husbands of writers attended these Conventions, maybe the organizers would give us a session of our own. There we could tell our stories and have a seminar on ‘How to handle a wife who is a writer and not to imagine the computer as a competitor for her attention.’

Sharing this conference with Mary has allowed me to meet her comrades in writing, expand my understanding of their ‘world’ and have an enjoyable time with new friends. I’m saving up for another one!

Whoopee! Does that mean we'll cross that Pacific Ocean again? I sure hope and pray so!