picture of the day

I read an article by Julie Gray in the Huffington Post this morning that sparked an intense thought - Where is this journey leading?

When all is said and done, what is this life for?

Then, as I looked for the picture of the day, I came upon this beautiful one, and it sparked the thought again.

Where am I heading? What's my purpose?  

A deep question, I know.  But since I'm Queen of the Deep, and it wouldn't be a normal day if something hadn't sent me on a dive into the exploration of life, here I go ;)

Putting all beliefs aside, including my own, let's assume death is the end.  Period.  This is it.  All you have.

I believe that my purpose, and yours, is to enjoy life with courage.  Since being hit head-on with my own mortality I have lived by the quote - Feel the fear, and do it anyway.  Explore life, enjoy it, and live it to the full, knowing you get just one shot.  All very cliche I know, but think about it.  If now is it for you, today being your last day on earth, what would you regret?  What have you not accomplished?  What are you too afraid to do? Don't make it complicated, it isn't. Just take fear from the equation and look at the simplicity of life. 

I'm not exploring grief today, that's a whole other issue.  One that I believe Julie articulated with courage and grace.  Helping people by sharing your own vulnerabilities is healing in itself.  Grief is very personal, and we all deal with it in our own way, but rather than tying yourself to your loss today, just look for a moment at YOU.  What is your story?  Who do you long to be? 

None of us really know what awaits us, but being in the moment of every day you can truly make the most of what you do have, by taking this life by the horns and having the courage to LIVE IT.

"Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings."

- Jane Austen

Are you caught up in busy nothings?  We all have responsibilities that tend to run our lives, but don't let those busy nothings be all you have.  You have dreams, right?  Don't forget to dream, and more importantly - live them.

A while ago I spoke about hitting a brick wall with the script I was writing.  That although I felt compelled to write it, I was finding it increasingly difficult because of being forced to face emotions I didn't feel ready to explore.  Here I was, writing about someone who took their life willingly, while experiencing the enormous loss of someone that didn't.  What I learnt during that time was that sometimes there is neither rhyme nor reason for events that happen "to" us.  Life just sucks sometimes.  But learning to grow through the pain, and come out of it wearing your battle scars with pride, is possible...albeit painful.  I needed to find the courage to live my dream, and that would involve dealing with the emotions head-on.  Feel the fear, and do it anyway.

Look at where you're blessed.  What you do have.  Have faith that you can turn your dreams into a reality, one step at a time.

I decided the best gift I can give my lost loved one is to share his legacy of love.  Be the walking embodiment of that by joyously embracing life with passion and purpose as he did.

So, if your dream is to be the best god-damn writer on the planet, then look at the first step to making that a reality - WRITE.  Don't be afraid to explore the depths of emotion, that's where the gold lies and the healing begins.

God bless you all.  Anyone suffering a profound loss, you have my deepest love as you wade through the mire of your own grief, and my prayers that you find a way to live with a spirit and love of this beautiful gift of life, while honoring your loved one.

Happy writing ;)

Emma

song of the day

Angels on the Moon - Thriving Ivory

word of the day

Swashbuckling - (swosh-buckling) adjective daring, swaggering or showy.

finally...

So, I've finally got my computer back!  Well, for a week anyway.  Mr. HP still has a part to repair, but while we wait he has graciously doctored it up so we can get by - and that couldn't be done four weeks ago, why?

I won't dwell on that point.  It's just great to be back!! 

So, what's new?  Well, I'm a month or so into my ProSeries screenwriting course with ScreenwritingU and it is AMAZING.  I'm learning so much, and really enjoying the community of writers I've been privileged to meet.  There is so much talent out there.  

I've also joined a free class ScreenwritingU are giving - Philosophies of a Great Screenwriter.  There are online discussions on Twitter via #scripttip.  If you are looking to connect with other writers, this is a a great way to do it - and learn something at the same time!

I'm a newbie to the Twitterverse as they call it, but I'm having so much fun.  That, and it's been about the only thing I can do effectively from my iPhone - lol!

On the home front, well, when your almost three-year-old asks you what your motivation is, you know you've been thinking out loud too much!  Seriously.

Great to be back.  Thanks for sticking with me during these inconsistent postings.  Hopefully that's over now.

Happy writing ;)
Emma 

song of the day

All At Once - The Airborne Toxic Event

picture of the day

How does this picture make you feel?  What thoughts do you have?  What do you focus on?

Have you noticed how calming order is?  Simple. Relaxed. Clean.

There is beauty in calm.  A sense of peace that envelops you to your very soul.

When we are stressed out in our everyday lives, connecting to our source of inspiration can sometimes be difficult.

Before you sit down to write, try to calm yourself.  Allow your mind to leave all the baggage at your office door.  Trust me it'll be there to jump right back at you on your way out.  Maybe get a zen garden, or just close your eyes and do some slow breathing allowing everything to fall away, leaving your creativity wide open for exploration.

Get into your creative space, and brainstorm away.

There are people I know that will insist they work better with mess.  I won't argue the point, different strokes for different folks, but if you feel like you're struggling to focus - humour me - clean your desk, and relax for a while.  Make room for your ideas to bloom.

Happy writing ;)
Emma

word of the day

Lackadaisical  (lak-a-day-zi-kal) adjective 1. careless or slapdash 2. listless or lacking energy.

what's the lesson?

Still no computer!

I feel that this will probably continue to push me until the lesson is learnt.  So, let's look at what this could possibly be teaching me then.

- PATIENCE.  This is the number one lesson, I'm sure of it.  There's an on-going pattern of patience in my life.  When we are waiting for something it's as if time shifts to micro-seconds.  An hour feels like a day.  Well I've been waiting for a whole month, and I can tell you it feels like a year already.  I've been keeping my cool about it, and not focusing on it, but it's been tough.

- HOW MUCH TIME I WASTE.  Ah, the ever useful device is also my biggest procrastination tool!  When I'm supposed to be writing it's easy to get side-tracked on Twitter, or reading others blogs, visiting YouTube etc.  Anything that helps avoid facing the challenges I've hit upon.  I've been getting on with assignments, caught up on other jobs, and realised I don't need to be on-line, or even using the computer, half as much as I do.

- NOSTALGIA.  It's nice to do things the old way (for a while anyway).  I've rekindled my love of pens and paper, and anything stationery related.  I've also seen more people in the flesh *gasp* - I didn't realise what a recluse I'd become.  There are some pro's to the good 'ole days, but not enough to convince me to give up my techno ways permanently!

So, I've got a few things out of it, but the biggest surprise is probably time management.  I get a lot done in a day, so I wouldn't have thought I was wasting any.  I see now though that I really need to give myself a specific time that is for 'recreational use'.  Where I put my feet up and enjoy a good 'surf'.  I need to define what I need to be online for, or on the computer for, and then do that, but it's best to just get on with the work and then rejoin the real world.

Nothing beats real-life interactions and observing the world around you.

That said, I can't wait to rejoin my web-world either.  Thanks for your patience, and stay tuned.  I will be back daily soon, but for now I'll update when I can.

Happy writing ;)
Emma

word of the day

Dolorous - adjective sad or mournful.

what's going on?

What's going on? I hear you say.  Where is she?  Well let me tell you -- My computer has decided it's earned an early retirement! 

They are fantastic inventions when they are working, but boy can they throw a spanner in the works when they're not.  Especially when most of your life is on them!  Luckily from past experience I've learnt to BACK-UP EVERYTHING!  All our photos, home movies, all my homework assignments, every draft I've ever written (of anything), and of course all my kids homework assignments etc. is on that damn machine.  Honestly I don't know what we ever did without it, but I hate it right now.  

Don't be mistaken in thinking I'm not a fan of technology, au contraire, I LOVE it.  Maybe too much, and maybe that is the problem.  I feel so lost at the moment.  How sad is that?!

Needless to say, my iPhone is my only connection to the on-line world and honestly, it is kind of tedious typing on that thing, hence no posts.  Sorry guys.  My bigger dilemma just now however is that I'm currently doing the ProSeries course with ScreenwritingU on-line and frankly, I shudder at the thought of typing up an assignment post on that tiny keypad.

So, I'm destined for Internet cafes and the library until my baby comes home -- fingers crossed it's a short parting.

Funny the things we take for granted.  How would you manage without your computer?  Or the Internet?  We are so privileged to live in a time when we are all able to instantly connect to anywhere in the world, any time we like, and not leave home to do it.  I feel blessed to have a wonderful community of cyber friends, who I feel just as connected to as the ones I can sit and have a cuppa with and who will slap me when I need it.  Oh, there we go *rubs cheek*.  Yes, I know, it's just a computer!

Hope yours is working.

Happy writing ;)
Emma

I'm back -- again!

Hi everyone.  I'm back again after another (unplanned) break.  Between flash-flooding, back-to-school mayhem and my own assignments I've not had a spare minute.  So hopefully I can put blogging back on the daily agenda and share some inspiration (and frustration) with you all again.

Keep writing ;)
Emma

song of the day

Moon River - Audrey Hepburn

I love this scene, and song, Breakfast at Tiffany's is an all time favourite and I never grow tired of seeing it. 

This scene is one of many inspirational movie moments that have had an impact on me in one way or another and I've decided to share some of them with you.

What movie moments have influenced you in some way?  Why?  When you look at your favourite movies and what makes them so, you will no doubt see a pattern.  So go on, find out what that pattern is, you just may learn something about yourself you didn't know.

Happy writing ;)

Emma  

picture of the day

What would you think if you saw this above you?  Would you know what it was?

No doubt you've heard about the red-winged black birds that fell from the sky in Arkansas recently.  Well, turns out there were nearly 5000 of them, and although there are conflicting reports it looks like they most likely died mid-air and plummetted to the ground.

This is what that looks like!  That's right, that is a mass of birds about to hit the earth.  It seems that it is a freak of nature as no poison was found when they were examined, but dead or alive wouldn't it freak you out if you were stood below this?!

Nature is an extraordinary thing, and serves up some amazing story ideas. Use them.

Happy writing ;)
Emma

word of the day

Fastidious - (fas-tid-ius) adjective fussy or difficult to please.

happy 2011 !!!

Hello everyone, Happy New Year.  Hope you all had a great festive season. 

I'm back on deck and ready for whatever 2011 holds, and look forward to sharing my continued journey and inspiration with you.  I don't claim to know much, but whatever I do stumble upon along the way, I'm happy to share with you.

I hope that you were all blessed beyond measure over the holidays and have some incredible experiences and eternal memories to show for it.

Hopefully you gave and received some special things, no doubt a glorious combination of things you love and those that you stare at wondering "Do these people know me at all?" lol.  They are all the things you'll find on ebay over the next month ;)

So here's to a great year, filled with plenty of hard work and forward momentum, and the occasional backward step, to be sure.  Just remember that as long as you are doing something to get you towards your goal, you'll get there in the end.

Happy writing ;)
Emma

see you next year!

As the craziness of the season kicks in with full force I've decided to have a couple of weeks off blogging.

It's time to focus on watching Christmas movies with the kids, cooking and then gorging on lots of delicious foods, wrapping and unwrapping pressies and playing a round or two of charades.  Not to mention partaking in one too many drinks whilst doing all of the above!

My favourite Christmas tradition is watching movies, particularly The Family Man with Nicholas Cage. 

It is a reminder to all of us to enjoy what is under our noses and embrace where we are, even with all that we think we have to complain about.  That is followed closely by Miracle on 34th Street and Elf, but honestly I love them all.  By the end of the year the kids are all Christmased out and me, I'd watch Christmas movies all year!



The tradition of watching movies started when I was just a kid, every year they would play the same movies on T.V. and it just didn't feel like Christmas until I'd seen them.  That was before it became common to have a home movie collection, so unless it was on at the cinema or on T.V. we didn't see it.  I relied on the fact that I'd get to watch Superman or The Wizard of Oz or Flash Gordan.  Not exactly Christmas themes but it was not Christmas until Lois had flown across the sky with her hero!

Charades is another one.  Every year the T.V. guide comes out as we make fools of ourselves attempting to act out titles of movies and sitcoms.

So, whatever traditions, goofy or otherwise that you uphold, may you have a blast doing them.

I'll be back in the New Year.

Happy writing ;)
Emma

merry christmas and happy new year

Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year to all of you.

Now you know why Santa really starts his deliveries down here! Nothing like easing back into the job - lol.

Thank you for all your love and support of my new little blog and I look forward to continuing in 2011.  It will no doubt evolve, as I do, so can't wait to share the journey with you.

Wherever you are and whatever you're doing this holiday season, I hope that you are with the people you love and that you are truly blessed.

Love Always ;)
Emma


Christmas is filled with story ideas, there is always something going on.  Be a present observer this year (pun absolutely intended) and see what inspiration surrounds you.

There is always a mixed bag of emotions and tapping into them and exploring others experiences will make for some interesting plots.

I'll leave you with this musical Christmas card.

Happy writing ;)
Emma 

Song of the Day

In My Place - Coldplay

One of those songs that just sprang to mind this morning, not sure why, but I love it so I'll go with it.

Enjoy.

Happy writing ;)

Emma

Picture of the Day

I'm intrigued to follow these two and see where they are going.  Maybe it is Christmas Eve and they've got last minute jobs to take care of, or perhaps heading to have a hot chocolate somewhere?  They could be work colleagues finished up for the day and have missed their bus, now they are trying to figure out how they'll get home before the blizzard that has been forecast, hits.

They could be visitors to the town and can't find their way back to their hotel.  Or one could be visiting relatives for Christmas and has met up with an old friend.

Time to brainstorm.

Happy writing ;)
Emma

Word of the Day

Sagacious - (sa-gay-shus) adjective showing keen judgement and common sense.