all roads lead to evans head

Helena, hard at work at the writers’ hut

 Yes, writers hard at work. You can see where I’ve been sitting (editing furiously) in front of Helena.

Over the long weekend of our grand writers retreat (this time brought to us by Mick’s Nuts)we managed to edit the first drafts of each other’s works in progress, swim, eat and take many long walks along the beach. This writer’s idea of heaven. I even found time to flesh out the outline of my novel in waiting, tentatively titled “The Farmer’s Wife”. It’s wonderful what you can accomplish without the demands of work, home and family. All writers who are mothers should get extra gold stars and Helena maybe two because she has four boys!

Helena and I met doing the Mphil in creative writing at the University of Queensland and have been firm writing buddies ever since. No one sees anything I’ve written that hasn’t been edited by Helena first. It’s a great partnership. I don’t know how other writers cope without support and advice from someone else in the same boat. 

If you’re out there, typing away all on your lonesome, get to a workshop or local writing group and make yourself a writing buddy or two or three. It makes all the difference in what can be a long and difficult journey.

As we know being a writer takes persistence. Persistence needs a cheering squad and a hard-headed coach. Find yourself one of each.

Oh, and if at all possible, take some time in retreat to spend focused on your work, preferably somewhere beautiful!

evans head