Blog Hop Writers Award Showcase

 

I was really flattered when Irene asked me to participate in the Blog Hop as it is an award designed to showcase blogs devoted to writing, be it journal style, political, fiction, short stories or human interest along with the many other variations that those who enjoy the written word delve into from time to time.

As part of the process I have to thank Irene as well as present her bio and any links to her work that she wishes to include in it.  After that I answer four questions about writing which will be shown below and then introduce the three writers that I wish to showcase here on Unload and Unwind. So without further ado let me introduce you to another Aussie, who like me enjoys words and all that you can do with them.

 

Irene Waters: Reflections and Nightmares

Irene Waters

Irene believes that reflection is an essential part of life and in doing this she has written many short stories and poetry. She doesn’t baulk at the unusual which is shown in her varied background.  It was her time on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu which motivated her to write her soon to be published first memoir Nightmare in Paradise where she brings alive her experiences and reflections.

She has had short stories published in the anthology ‘Eavesdropping’ by the River Writers and also in Idiom 23 Vol 23 November 2013.  She is currently undertaking a Research Masters at Central Queensland University examining sequel memoirs whilst currently writing her second memoir After the Nightmare.

Blogging for a short eight months Irene’s writing reflects her life, her thoughts and opinions and her humor as she takes us around the globe and into her world.  She lives on the Sunshine Coast of Australia with her husband and German Shepard dog Zac and the new addition – a cocker spaniel Bundy.

You can connect with Irene Blog: irenewaters19.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/allisonwaters17 Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92675629 

Now for the Big Four Questions:

What am I working on?

Well currently I’m putting together a collection of environmental based articles for Viral Protest For the Great Barrier Reef and Viral Protest for The Australian Environment.  I think it is important to have information that is not only factual but entertaining enough to keep the interest of readers who would normally only give a cursory glance at the material.  Apart from that I provide press releases and speech notes to a handful of protest groups who would not normally be able to afford a professional to assist them with the media.

I do have an ongoing project for a trilogy in the Fantasy Fiction Genre [yes I know – yet another one into the ever increasing melting pot of popular fiction].  It is a difficult thing to write as I see it so clearly in my head and yet crafting the story is so very different to my usual style of caustic humor [of course it does make an appearance in one or two of the characters] that it is taking longer than I had envisaged to finish the first draft.  The work isn’t lacking in any way it is just so much harder to infuse it with life so that it becomes more than a collection of words on a page but a story that captivates and makes you want to know what happens next.

However in all honesty I have to say that it is the work I’m doing each day on this site that means the most to me at this point. Here I have a medium to stretch my skills, test new ideas, write for myself and my own interests and perhaps more importantly reach out to others with my ideas, asides, insights and stories.  The response that I’ve had from so many people has made this project one of the most enjoyable that I have ever participated in and I hope to continue with it for may years.

How does my work differ from others of my genre?

I’m not sure that it does, if indeed I have a genre. My blog holds most of my current work other than the trilogy that I am working on and my style varies depending on the topic.  I would say that apart from when I deal with the deeply personal or painful parts of my life the ongoing characteristic seems to be that of a rather caustic wit and a somewhat acerbic style when my temper is sparked, usually by some fool in government but I’m an equal opportunity Snipe and Snarker and will be happy to snarl at anyone if suitably irked.

Why do I write what I do?

I like to share that which I find interesting or even strange. Enjoying the reactions of others and the interaction on this site has been a unique pleasure.  To see something that causes you to ponder and then take the next step by sharing your thoughts on the matter [be it serious or just silly] is a wonderful experience and a valuable lesson.  You learn how to defend or explain your ideas so that they are more than just a dogmatic statement but something that has been weighed, measured and debated in the public forum.

As for my fiction work I think that I enjoy the genre of Fantasy Fiction simply because it provides us with endless opportunities for heroism.  A place for great evil to face those whose true power is not in the magics they wield but is in the simple truth that they will not give in to that which destroys even if it means their life.  Where else can you create a world and fill it with the wrongs of this one but give those evils shape and form thereby allowing them to be battled, in a way we are unable to do here and now, by those who would stand against them.

For all who would mock popular fiction and fantasy in general I have only this to say:  It is in the pages of [good] popular fiction that you see the fears and dreams of your society being played out in much the same way as Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein dealt with the fears of many arising from the era of ‘God is Dead’ and the rise of the ‘faith vs reason’ debate.

How does your writing process work?

Ah well up until starting on this large endeavor into the realm of Fantasy Fiction I would have said that my writing process consisted of seeing something, thinking of something or being irked by something and then writing about it.  I am one of those annoying people who can write on demand and a 500 word post would take all of fifteen to twenty minutes to write.

Then of course comes the editing and adding of images and then the numerous preview/change/preview/change but the writing itself is never difficult.  Once the first sentence is on the page I generally don’t stop until I’m finished or at least gone as far as I can without repeating myself ad nauseam. 

However fiction writing, when it is not a short story, a parody or satire has proved to be somewhat more of a challenge than I expected.  The process is long and takes something from me so that at then end of a chapter draft I am exhausted mentally whereas  I am usually energized by writing.

What I am producing now is the best work I’ve ever done in my opinion [so pride is a sin of mine – who cares] but it is also the hardest which is why I am so glad to have this blog and the other work I am currently doing as a means of relaxing the brain. I do think it will be worth it however as the story has already started to take a life of its own with the characters doing things that I would not have considered when first starting this project.

 

Well enough about me now comes the fun part where I get to introduce you to three amazing writers who have three very distinct styles.  Each will be producing their own contribution to the Blog Hop over the new few weeks and showcasing some writers that they enjoy here in the blogging world.

All of them are worthy of time and consideration and all for very different reason.  Check out each of their blogs to see just how much diverse talent there is out there.  I hope to come across more writers such as the ones I have showcased below as well as the many that I admire already here at WordPress.

 

Ben Garrido

Ben Garrido is a novelist, essayist and assistant professor of English Education currently living in Daejeon, South Korea. He focuses mostly on matters of identity, the writing life, philosophy and hand-building the world’s ugliest race cars. Check out Garrido’s “The Blackguard,” (http://www.amazon.com/The-Blackguard-Ben-Garrido-ebook/dp/B00JOW4RMC) a fast-paced, gritty novel about a town of isolated white supremacists getting run over by urban sprawl. Or, if you prefer something shorter, click on over to any of the articles currently up on bengarrido.com.

Now let’s introduce you to Stephanie:

Stephanie Lewis

Stephanie Lewis  (AKA  Little Miss Menopause) has been writing since the age of 8 on household objects.  The backs of tissue boxes, junk mail envelopes, and paper plates.  Once a poem about the Dangers of Smoking jotted on a Matchbook cover almost became a best seller.

Mother of Six, Twice Divorced with work featured in North County Woman Magazine in a humor column called, “Razzle, Dazzle & Frazzle!”  Menopause laughter can be found athttp://www.winewomenandhormones.com/blog/ ,  and a published novel called, “Lullabies & Alibis” about Marriage, Motherhood, Mistakes and Madness (Eemphasis on the Madness!) is on Amazon.

A WordPress Blogger since Jan 1, 2014 and very pleased that a New Year Resolution finally stuck!  “Once Upon a Prime” covers topics from Disneyland to Sleeping Alone to the “Blogcademy Awards.”  And anything else Quirky enough to be visited.

And to finish off last but certainly not least Alienora:

Alienora Taylor

One of five siblings, and born into a military family, I spent fourteen of my first eighteen years in Oxford. Aberystwyth University followed, and with it the start of my love affair with West Wales.

An English teacher for thirty years, I eventually burned out – and, two years ago, took early retirement in order to become a full-time writer. Passionate about the written word (both reading it and writing it), I have poured out my thoughts and my creativity into journals, plays, poems, short stories, reviews, novels and blog posts since I was eight years old.

I play several musical instruments and sing; I also act in amateur dramatic shows, dance wildly for pleasure, study the Western Mystery Tradition and am a member of an SOL Lodge.