Azahru

Write slow project 6

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:02:52 GMT

The air was crisp and cool, punctuated by the greasy sharp tang of diesel. The night air still held its shape, not yet desiccated by the clamour of noon. The two of them stood near the tracks, awkward, almost leaving, but not quite yet.

“I was like you once,” Melani said. She laughed and blew smoke in Josie, Joey, Jo-girl, Jospehina, Jojo's face – some bush blend full of tea tree to cleanse the air and lungs. “I'd be like you again if I could be that stupid.” The ground shuddered and the casurina trees nodded their heads as the heavy freight train roared down the hill towards them.

Mel patted Jo's arse as she left. “Savour it!” Mel shouted above the clangour. “You might as well.”

Mel hauled herself onto the last carriage with practised ease; her lean arms always surprising in their strength. Jo imagined trying to follow, her arms wrenched out of their socket from the force, spraining her wrists and falling to the tracks. Dust blew in Jo's face, Mel's throaty laugh, rich with sixty five years of sass and spice coated the dusty wind and peppered Jo's tongue. Mel had sparkling green eyes, heavy powdered makeup and a face sun-scorched into dense wrinkles. She'd been a motorcycle stuntwoman with the travelling show and would still be doing it too if she'd had her way. Mel was part woman, part myth – she'd been a revolutionary, the centre of numerous scandals, love affairs, dumb-arse stunts and she had a habit of taking under her wing lost strays like Jo.

When Mel fell from the train onto the tracks, her head splitting open on the shining steel tracks, it wasn't just a feisty old woman with attitude that died. With her died stories – rich, complex and varied. With her died a wealth of knowledge, ways, meaning, learning hard won that could never be duplicated. With her died a small centre of the world. Jo did not know Mel was dying from the sharp crack of skull against tracks. Jo's first response was to laugh, a sharp high retort at Mel – playing pranks again and not yet ready to leave. Jo's smile quickly died as she ran on to the tracks, choking on the harsh dust. Mel wasn't dead, not yet, but the back of her head was slippery and Jo felt pieces of skull shift as she pulled Mel up off the tracks. Later, Jo would pretend Mel died on the tracks, it had more dignity and was a simpler story to tell.

Mel died under the casurina trees. Jo sat with her, too scared to leave and let her die alone. Jo half dragged, half carried Mel from the tracks, weeping and murmering; acutely aware that every movement could be bringing Mel closer to death, but helpless to do anything else. Jo made a bed for Mel, rolling her jumper into a pillow that was soon slicked with blood. Mel's breath flickered like a candle, her lips a soft blue, eyes closed, mouth empty and gentle.

Write slow project 5

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:52:17 GMT

Question: Do folks mind that I post this in the main body? I've been thinking about doing an LJ cut, but so many details change from top to bottom that I have not yet had the heart. I should keep the main body to a certain word limit, I have not yet decided what it is. Also, people are welcome to post comments, interjections, annoyances etc if they wish. I'm posting it in a more collaborative space because I value you guys :-). This project is in part inspired by Miracle in July (http://themiracleinjuly.com/) though I'm not half as sexy.

The air was crisp and cool, punctuated by the greasy sharp tang of diesel. The night air still held its shape, not yet dessicated by clamouring noon. The two of them stood near the tracks, awkward, almost leaving, but not quite yet.

“I was like you once,” Melani said. She laughed and blew smoke in Josie, Joey, Jo-girl, Jospehina, Jojo's face – some bush blend full of teatree to cleanse the air and lungs. “I'd be like you again if I could be that stupid.” The ground shuddered and the casurina trees nodded their heads as the heavy freight train roared down the hill towards them.

Mel patted Jo's arse as she left. “Savour it!” Mel shouted above the clangour. “You might as well.”

Mel hauled herself onto the last carriage with practiced ease; her lean arms always surprising in their strength. Jo imagined trying to follow, her arms wrenched out of their socket from the force, spraining her wrists and falling to the tracks. Dust blew in Jo's face, Mel's throaty laugh, rich with sixty five years of sass and spice coated the dusty wind and peppered Jo's tongue. Mel had sparkling green eyes, heavy powdered makeup and a face sun-scorched into dense wrinkles. She'd been a motorcycle stuntwoman with the travelling show and would still be doing it too if she'd had her way. Mel was part woman, part myth – she'd been a revolutionary, the centre of numerous scandals, love affairs, dumb-arse stunts and she had a habit of taking under her wing lost strays like Jo.

When Mel fell from the train onto the tracks, her head splitting open on the shining steel tracks, it wasn't just a fiesty old woman with attitude that died. With her died stories – rich, complex and varied. With her died a wealth of knowledge, ways, meaning, learning hard won that could never be duplicated. With her died a small centre of the world. Jo did not know Mel was dying from the sharp crack of skull against tracks. Jo's first response was to laugh, a sharp high retort at Mel – playing pranks again and not yet ready to leave. Jo's smile quickly died as she ran on to the tracks, choking on the harsh dust. Mel wasn't dead, not yet, but the back of her head was slippery and Jo felt pieces of skull shift as she pulled Mel up off the tracks. Later, Jo would pretend Mel died on the tracks, it had more dignity and was a simpler story to tell.

Write slow project 4

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:26:24 GMT

The air was crisp and cool, with a greasy sharp tang of diesel. The night air still held its shape, not yet dessicated by clamouring noon. The two of them stood near the tracks, awkward, almost leaving, but not quite yet.

“I was like you once,” Melani said. She laughed and blew smoke in Josie, Joey, Jo-girl, Jospehina, Jojo's face – some bush blend full of teatree to cleanse the air and lungs. “I'd be like you again if I could be that stupid.” The ground shuddered as the heavy freight train roared down the hill towards them.

Mel patted Jo's arse as she left. “Savour it!” Mel shouted above the clangour. “You might as well.”

Mel hauled herself onto the last carriage with practiced ease; her lean arms always surprising in their strength. Jo imagined trying to follow, her arms wrenched out of their socket from the force, spraining her wrists and falling to the tracks. Dust blew in Jo's face, Mel's throaty laugh, rich with sixty five years of sass and spice coated the dusty wind and peppered Jo's tongue. Mel had sparkling green eyes, heavy powdered makeup and a face sun-scorched into dense wrinkles. She'd been a motorcycle stuntwoman with the travelling show and would still be doing it too if she'd had her way. She'd been a mother to more than her own blood, she'd been a revolutionary, the centre of numerous scandals, love affairs and dumb arse stunts.

Write slow project part 3

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:50:54 GMT

The air was crisp and cool, with a greasy sharp tang of diesel. The night air still held its shape and had not yet become a dessicated wraith of noon. The two of them stood near the tracks, awkward, almost leaving, but not quite yet.

Mel patted Jo's arse as she left. “Savour it!” Mel shouted above the clangour as the freight train swept past. “You might as well.”

Mel hauled herself onto the last carriage with practiced ease; her lean arms always surprising in their strength. Jo imagined trying to follow, her arms wrenched out of their socket from the force, spraining her wrists and falling to the tracks. Dust blew in Jo's face, Mel's throaty laugh, rich with sixty five years of sass and spice coated the dusty wind and peppered Jo's tongue. Mel had sparkling green eyes, heavy powdered makeup and a face sun-scorched into dense wrinkles. She'd been a motorcycle stuntwoman with the travelling show and would still be doing it too if she'd had her way. She'd been a mother to more than her own blood; she'd been a revolutionary, the centre of numerous scandals, love affairs and dumb arse stunts.

When Mel fell from the train onto the tracks, her head splitting open on the shining steel tracks, it wasn't just a fiesty old woman with attitude that died.

Slow writing 2

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:58:37 GMT

Mel patted Jo's arse as she left. “Savour it!” Mel shouted above the clangour of the freight train. “You might as well.”

Mel hauled herself onto the last carriage with practiced ease; her lean arms always surprising in their strength. Jo imagined trying to follow, her arms wrenched out of their socket from the force, spraining her wrists and falling to the tracks. Dust blew in Jo's face, Mel's throaty laugh, rich with sixtyfive years of sass and spice coated the dusty wind and peppered Jo's tongue. Mel had sparkling green eyes, heavy powdered makeup and a face sun-scorched into dense wrinkles. She'd been a motorcycle stuntwoman with the travelling show and would still be doing it too if she'd had her way. She'd been a mother to more than her own blood; she'd been a revolutionary, the centre of numerous scandals, love affairs and dumb arse stunts.

When Mel fell from the train onto the tracks, her head splitting open on the shining steel tracks, it wasn't just a fiesty old woman with attitude that died.

Write slow project part 1

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:53:12 GMT

Hi all, welcome to a new experiment I shall incubate here. I'm going to write something slow. I'm going to write a line, no more than 3 lines a day and as many edits as I want. I've been noodling with the project by myself for a little while and I think it would be nice to share the experiment. That will also allow me to record the process. I've already changed the tense and the person, fiddled around with names and shifted things around quite a bit. I'm a little sad I didn't record the early part, but I shall remedy that now. I have no idea where the story is going and don't have any plans for knowing. I shall see where it takes me.

Yesterday
“I was like you once,” Melani said. She laughed and blew smoke in Josie, Joey, Jo-girl, Jospehina, Jojo's face, some bush blend full of teatree to cleanse the air and lungs. “I'd be like you again if I could be that stupid.”

Mel patted Jo's arse as she left. “Savour it!” Mel shouted above the clangour of the freight train. “You might as well.”

Mel hauled herself onto the last carriage with practiced ease; her lean arms always surprising in their strength. Jo imagined trying to follow, her arms wrenched out of their socket from the force, spraining herwrists and falling to the tracks. Dust blew in Jo's face, Mel's throaty laugh, rich with fifty years of sass and spice coated the dusty wind and coated Jo's tongue.

Today

Mel patted Jo's arse as she left. “Savour it!” Mel shouted above the clangour of the freight train. “You might as well.”

Mel hauled herself onto the last carriage with practiced ease; her lean arms always surprising in their strength. Jo imagined trying to follow, her arms wrenched out of their socket from the force, spraining her wrists and falling to the tracks. Dust blew in Jo's face, Mel's throaty laugh, rich with fifty years of sass and spice coated the dusty wind and peppered Jo's tongue. Mel was fifty five, had sparkling green eyes, heavy powdered makeup and a face sun-scorched into dense wrinkles. She'd been a motorcycle stuntwoman with the travelling show and would still be doing it too if she'd had her way.

Small website blog update again

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:30:45 GMT

Being happy at WFC with some links to convention pictures http://lizargall.com/2009/11/world-fantasy-con-09/

What I'm reading right now

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:29:34 GMT

Hi all, I've blogged about what I am reading http://lizargall.com/2009/09/recently-read-books/

Yumm

hugs

L

We do it because it is hard (and because spaces are important)

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:29:39 GMT

A new blog post on my website. A longer essayish one, I'm kinda pleased with myself, haven't written a true essayish one for many months. I love Stephen Fry's term Blessay (Blog-Essay, and you can imagine Mr Fry saying "awww, bless" as well), perhaps it even meets Blessay criteria.

http://lizargall.com/2009/08/because-it-is-hard/

Mah Clarion reading list

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:01:42 GMT

I wrote up a list of wonderful things to read. Damian Knight "Creating Short Fiction" and a Delaney writing book are helping me through the post clarion splat. This space might get used for more experiments. I hope so, wish me the time, there is so much to do and different ways to capture creative energy, but LJ has always been a special kind of place for me :-) So if I'm going to experiment and share it at all here is the place that makes sense.

Blog post update - http://lizargall.com/2009/08/clarion-reading-list/

And I've updated my website

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:42:58 GMT

http://lizargall.com/2009/08/clarion_numbers/

I am still alive

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:09:40 GMT

And back in Portland now.

Ken has catalogued all his posts on Clarion http://ken-schneyer.livejournal.com/18265.html

He is good. I am scrambling around trying to sort through everything post Clarion and get going on new stuff. So many things to do, so many things to think about. Hoo boy a universe of things to think about.

Hugs to everyone.

Clarion update

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:15:47 GMT

I am crap at posting updates, but co-clarion nerd Ken Schneyer is very good at posting detailed updates, he's pretty awesome:
http://ken-schneyer.livejournal.com/

This post here http://ken-schneyer.livejournal.com/17569.html includes a photo of me pouring water over Ken's head at the culmination of a water fight started by Robert Crais. Kim Stanley Robinson is one nimble guy, it took many glasses of water before I was able get a solid hit on him.

Mishelle Baker is also posting updates on Clarion http://dreadedsword.blogspot.com/

It's 5am.

I've been awake for a while....

... and very sleepy.

Dear livejournal

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:20:15 GMT

I still love you, I just haven't had time to write things to the proper thingeyness that LJ requires. I read you sporadically when I have time but things have been pretty crazy what with moving to a new country, having a paying gig with a tough deadline, judging 24 hours comic challenge (it would feel wrong not to) and trying to position myself and build my freelanceryness when I'm generally just a nice odd chick who does STUFF with passion and that's a slightly incoherant brand.

I have just put a new post on my website, final one for the Emerging Writers Festival http://lizargall.com/ and there are snippets on my twitter http://twitter.com/lizargall

Love

L

Updated Website - 24 Comics hooray

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:34:19 GMT

Melbourne plans

Mon, 25 May 2009 09:25:44 GMT

Hello to melbournians,

I'm here! Feels so strange. Here are my plans thus far I'd love to go to them with some folks (then there can be coffee and cake afterwards). During the day is free most days for lunches etc, I will be public transporting and based in unctuous Albert Park.

Tuesday 26 May - I write whatever I want, whenever I want The Empress Hotel, Fitzroy North. Open at 7.30 8pm start. Cost $15 or $10 Concession
Wednesday 27 May - The Serious Business of Being Funny, The Empress Hotel, Fitzroy North. Open at 7.30 8pm start. Cost $15 or $10 Concession
Thursday 28 - So you want to be a YA writer, Storey Hall, RMIT to book phone 03 8664 7555
Friday....I think I'm going to some artist/writer party thingey... not sure on the details.
Sat and Sunday - Town Hall Program all day Saturday and Sunday 30/31. Though I might slip away for bits if Mike(y) organises farewelly stuff that is close enough for whimsy (and if the fates smile on him kindly enough that he is in town and isn't stuck packing boxes in Canberra).

My Panel on collaboration is called "I can say yes now but in the end it will be no" will be Sunday 1:45pm - 3pm.

More Emerging Writers Festival stuff can be found here http://www.emergingwritersfestival.org.au/

The following week Mike(y) will be in town and we can do stuff together, though given constrainst we might have to catch up with some people separately.

Sooo..... lunch, after work drinkies, dinner and a panelling or post paneling? Who's up for what and the how? Rescue a poor incoherent maiden eager to minmax her hangin out with people. I also want to go factory outlet bra shopping if anyone has the urge to come along for that.

Blog update on mah website

Mon, 18 May 2009 12:50:27 GMT

Has happened http://lizargall.com/2009/05/numbers-ankles-and-visas/

and hooray we have visas and we had a weekend this weekend, for all of it. It was so nice. Now back to packing.

Canberra Farewell time

Fri, 08 May 2009 23:32:16 GMT

Mike(y) and Liz Canberra Farewell, plus the glorious Sandra's Birthday party rolled into one.

The Date: Saturday May 23

The Place: Our Place

The Time:
4 or 5pmish for enjoyments of the garden
6 or 7ish for sharing food together (some catering provided and dishes to share very welcome)
9 til lateish for dancing and boogie.

The Theme:
Adventure, fame and fortune costuming optional.

The great and glorious Sandra Neeeeds a dance party so bring your dancing shoes.

Mike(y) and Liz are moving to Portland, OR! Liz leaving for a two week stint in Melbourne on the 25th and Mike(y) driving down to Melbourne later before they both fly out on the 8th of June. Most things in our house are up for sale, no reasonable offer refused!

Little Liz the Accident Prone Years

Sun, 03 May 2009 12:59:34 GMT

I have written it here http://lizargall.com/2009/05/little-liz-the-accident-prone-years/

Hugs to LJ land :)

Clarion updates and work doing

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:23:55 GMT

I have updated my listing of blog posts about Clarion http://lizargall.com/2009/03/clarion-blogs/

... and I have sooooo much to do. Fear is the mid killer and I keep procrastinating when it comes to my own creative work. I have to just build a bridge and get over it. On the plus side hacking cough is slowly diminishing.

I can haz scholarship

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:42:07 GMT

Clarion has just given me some scholarshipness. Hoooray!

I have blogged about it and a touch on the life of a freelancer here http://lizargall.com/2009/04/wonderful-scholarship-news/

And hooray temporary accomodation for bunny has been found

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 07:35:58 GMT

Yay, thanks to Marissa, it's all working out nicely.

Travel plans are now like one great big snowball, it's getting faster and faster. I'm kinda glad the School of Art is on a break for two weeks, especially with this comic script writing gig, enviroprops happening and hopefully more enviroprops. Cashes are important. Eeek

Bunny update

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:18:33 GMT

In Fabulous news we have a potential home for Alex. Only thing is it's down the coast... so we must now hunt for a bunny sitter as we shall be leaving here tomorrow morning for Melbourne... hmmm. Volunteers? Worst case scenario we might have to hire someone to come in (any students needing cashes?). Bunny could stay with people temporarily or come here and feed.

Hooray.

Alex departure date

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 05:35:01 GMT

Just a quick headsup for bunny lovers out there. Given finding someone to feed the bunny over the Easter Long Weekend is tricky and might cause disruption for Alex we've decided given the lack of homes for a bunny in our social circle we shall give our much loved pet to the RSPCA on Wednesday.

The time has to come sometime and I'd like to hold out for as long as possible. But as .wibble has pointed out we have to bite the bullet sometime. I don't think holding out will increase our chances of homing her and the RSPCA are good people. We may even donate our cages and feed to them unless someone wants them.

So last drinks, last shout out for a home for Alex, a lovely grey bunny, 2 years old. Today I have discovered just how much she loves to eat lemon peel!!! So extremely cute seeing a bunny chow down on a whole lemon at speed. I'd picked a washingbasket full of lemons and one dropped on the floor. I didn't expect her to chase it around on the floor with her nose - the lemon kept moving away from her teeth so I picked it up so she could find a good angle to munch on it

Soooo cute. Sooooo sad. I want to say just a little longer, but easter is probably a good time to look for a home for a bunny.

Liz and mikey travel plans

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:22:36 GMT

I has updated mah website with travel plans, dates times etc, tis repeated here beneath the cut

Hello all here are our travel plans for the next few months, not many weeks until we are flying to Portland.

Wednesday 8 April: Liz and Mikey drive to Melbourne
Sunday 12 April: Liz and Mikey drive home to Canberra
Monday 13 April: Liz has one day at the National Folk Festival
Tuesday 14 April: Mystery trip. Mikey is taking Liz somewhere, hopefully not to be left in the woods because she keeps chewing the furniture.
Monday 25 May: Liz flies down to Melbourne. She will be a panelist at the Emerging Writers Festival on the weekend of the 29th. Mikey will drive down sometime later.
Monday 8 June: Liz and Mikey fly to Los Angeles
We will stay in LA for 1 week-10 days, then fly to Portland
June 28 - August 8, 2009 - Clarion Writers Workshop.
It is likely that I will only have time to go to Comicon for 1 day.

We will also be going to Sydney sometime before we leave.
We will be hosting a farewell sometime at our place in Canberra
We will be doing a farewell type thing in Melbourne as well (we plan to take over some type of space for a day, other suggestions, plans schemes welcome).