WISDOM FROM PROUST

WISDOM FROM PROUST

I love this quote from Proust and I think it not only inspires great writing, but a great life.

'The real voyage of discovery consists, not in seeking out new lands, but in having a new vision.'

IS YOUR DESK GOOD FOR CREATIVITY?

IS YOUR DESK GOOD FOR CREATIVITY?

This is Anton Chekhov's desk, one of my favorite writers.  It got me thinking about the energy and feng shui of a creative space.  Does the way you set up your desk help or hinder your writing?  I decided to ask an expert in organizing, Teresa Nicola of www.collectedspaces.com what her top organizing tips are for a great writing space.  Read below!  Thanks Teresa for the awesome tips!

A creative space is all about clearing the non-essential and keeping the useful and inspirational.  

1. Placement & Positioning

It makes me cringe when people have a mini office in their bedroom. A bedroom is meant for resting and intimacy, not working.  So hopefully there is some other space in the home that can be dedicated to creative work.  

The ideal creative space will have good airflow (our brains need oxygen) and plenty of natural light (a natural body energizer).  Add air-purifying plants or full spectrum lights if either is lacking.

Never sit with your back to the door - it creates anxious energy.  If your desk faces a wall, turn that wall into an inspirational wall. Hang a painting or pictures of people whom you admire, create a row of plants (money trees maybe!), whatever it is for you that evokes a sense of joy and well-being.  Facing a window can either be distracting or helpful - experiment.

2. Clear out the non-essential.  This doesn't mean clear out the personality.  This means removing any items that are not useful and inspirational.  Clear space, clear mind, clear thinking.

It's hard to get in a creative mind set when there are visual reminders of things that need to get done all around you.  If you can't get to things right away, then make a master list of organizing projects you want to get to, and then block out time in your calendar to address them.  When you assign a "time to a task" or "when to a what" - the task stops nagging you.

If there are unidentified foreign papers (UFP's) lying around everywhere, then it'd be in your best interest to go through them, categorize, label, and file/pile them away.  Create a space for your action items and projects, reference items, and permanent records.

3. Define what you need and love and give it a home.  

What activities occur in this space?  Writing, researching, mailing/shipping, reading . . . ?What tools do you need to do those activities?  What materials do you need to reference often?  They should be an arms length away.

4. As far as drawers go, GUT the drawers and put like items with like items.  Take a picture of all the sorted contents and then go to the store and buy individual drawer dividers - these are my favorite: http://www.containerstore.com/shop/bath/drawerOrganizers?productId=10027695&N=80937

MY FAVORITE BOOK THIS YEAR

MY FAVORITE BOOK THIS YEAR

I just finished reading Where'd You Go, Bernadette, by Maria Semple and loved every minute of it.  I secretly think we have a Bernadette hidden in all of us.  I loved every devious and brutally honest moment of this book.  If you need a great book to read this year, pick this one.  

ITS YR LIFE

NEED A FUN SUMMER READ?

Grab Temp and Tristan's book ITS YR LIFE on Kindle now.  It's a super fun, page turning summer read.  Some say it's for teenagers, but who doesn't want to know about Freeganism, Hollywood dysfunctionalism and missing fingers?

BUY ITS YR LIFE BY CLICKING THIS LINK

TEMP ON THE MORNING SHOW

THE MORNING SHOW INTERVIEW

Here's me on the awesome Aussie Morning Show having a chat about writing and Aussie TV!  Great chatting with Larry and Fifi.

WATCH TEMP ON THE MORNING SHOW

TEMPANY'S STRANGE CONNECTION TO STAR WARS

For some odd reason, I'm eternally linked to Star Wars.  When I was a teenager on Aussie TV, I got to dress up as Princess Leia for a publicity stunt and check out the sets and ships used for the films.  This week I was interviewed by a Star Wars website that is based in Portugal!  Very cool but strange at the same time....check it out here:

STAR WARS PORTUGAL

TRISTAN INTERVIEWS ME FOR HIS WRITER'S STUDIO

The wonderful author Tristan Bancks interviewed me for his special writers studio series.  You can check out other author's studios by clicking on this link:

TRISTAN BANCKS' WRITER'S STUDIO

Tempany Deckert is a Los Angeles-based author and actress, my co-writer on teen novel it's yr life recently released in the US and on kindle. Tempany and I wrote the novel via email between Byron Bay and L.A. She is the author of twenty books for children and young adults as well as being widely-known for her work in television. Here, take a peek inside her writing space and creative process.

Where did you write your latest book? How important to you is the space in which you write?

I wrote my last book, DIS THIS, right before Christmas vacation. It was a story that had been rolling around in my head for a long time so I was excited to sit down and let it be born. The space in which I write is very important - it must change! I cannot write in the same place every day. So I use my desk one day, the kitchen table another, the couch the next, different cafes constantly and sometimes I'll even go write outside. I need the environment to change so that I'm mentally stimulated in different ways for the story to fully form.

Tempany Deckert's creative pinboard.

Do you transform your space in any way for each book? Do you 'get into character' at all?

I do often put up pictures that are related to the story. DIS THIS is set in New Orleans, so I even went to visit the Big Easy to make sure my location details were accurate. I'll often play music that I think suits the story as that often changes the pace and tone of how I write. One of the characters in the book listens to jazz, so I played lots of Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis. I'll also eat the same things as the character and try to explore the character's hobbies and interests. For DIS THIS, the character loves all New Orleans food, so I've been eating beignets (famous New Orleans donuts) and chicory coffee. It's a great excuse to eat yummy stuff! When I write, I feel like I am the lead character, so I definitely get into character. When I'm finished writing I feel sad that I have to say goodbye to such a close friend. It's strange but true!

Tempany Deckert with Cosmo the Wonderdog

How has the place that you write evolved or changed since you first began writing novels?

I am much more organized. I have folders for all the different projects I'm working on and a pin board to post up any pictures, ideas and inspirational images that I need to get me through the process. I also buy a heap of cheap notebooks and store all my notes in them and NEVER throw them away. I've found I often need to go back into those books for little gems of genius. I disable the internet while I work (otherwise I end up 'researching' - i.e. procrastinating) and I don't check emails until I'm done. When I first started writing I was traveling around the world and always living out of a suitcase. It was very hard to keep track of all my drafts, outlines and character breakdowns. I would constantly be losing stuff and getting things mixed up. It was, in a word, chaos. Writing is like putting together a puzzle and if you don't keep your puzzle pieces in one box, you are bound to never get the picture completed. One of those small pieces will surely get eaten by your cat or accidentally thrown into the recycling bin. So organization is key!

Tempany's fave cafes to write in.

 

Do you keep regular writing hours? If not, when do you write?

I write better in the morning so I get up, have breakfast, feed my dog, meditate, walk to a cafe or my couch and begin work. I break for lunch around 12.30 and then I get back into it. I aim to write at least four pages a day. If I write more, great, but I'm not allowed to write less! The emphasis is on getting the page minimum achieved and not a certain number of hours. Sometimes I can write four pages in an hour. Sometimes it takes me six hours. Once the afternoon and evening rolls around, my creative brain shuts down and I'm useless. So I've learned to make sure I start writing as soon as I get up and get those four pages done. I try to write five days a week and I never write on the weekend. 

it's yr life, written via email between Byron Bay and LA.

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for writing? 

 I dress up as if I'm going out to work. I put on a nice outfit and do my hair and maybe even some makeup. It makes me feel like I'm in 'work' mode and I seem to get more done that way. If I just sit down in my PJs, I'm not as efficient and productive.

Thanks, Temp. Next week, check back for another writer sharing their space and process in The Writer's Studio.

NOVEL WRITING CLASS IN THE VALLEY THIS AUGUST

Sign up fast for my 10 week novel writing course in the Valley.  Run by LA Creative Workshops, you will come away with the first draft of a completed novel!  An accomplishment most people never attain!

LA CREATIVE WORKSHOP LINK

RIP MR SOBOL

I loved the Encyclopedia Brown books when I was growing up.  In fact, I just sent them to my cousin's gorgeous son, Xander, so he can enjoy solving mysteries too.  Thanks, Mr Sobol, for creating such wonderful books and may you rest in peace.  

GET TO THE END OF YOUR BOOK

Writing a book is hard, but it's impossible unless you finish it.  It may sound silly, but you need to get to the end of your manuscript to figure out how to end it.  So take a leap of faith and finish that book thats been sitting in a drawer for years.  Finish it with ANY ending.  What you will discover is you'll soon realize what the real ending should be.  But without that temporary one inspiring your imagination, you will never get to the real end.  So finish it.  Do it.  I dare you!

VONNIE STUDDERT'S AMAZING PAINTINGS

If you get the chance, go see my friend Vonnie Studdert's latest exhibition at the Richard Martin Gallery in Sydney.  Her works are so beautiful.

Richard Martin Gallery

INSPIRATIONAL IRIS

I finally had the chance to go see Iris, Cirque Du Soleil's amazing show at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.  It was astounding, breath taking and dynamic.  I'm soon to pen a new play and so many artistic segments in the show inspired me.  If you get a chance, go see this amazing performance.  Truly incredible.

WANNA READ ABOUT TEMPANY THE TEEN?

Dear Teen Me is an awesome website featuring authors writing letters to their teen selves.  Today they feature myself and fellow author Tristan Bancks.  Check it out.  Pretty funny!

TEMPANY'S DEAR TEEN ME ENTRY

WHAT IS THE FIRST BOOK YOU EVER READ BY YOURSELF?

I have a belief that the first book you ever read by your lonesome shaped your thoughts and aspirations in life.  Mine was the Magic Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton.  This explains much about my personality; I love flying, I love traveling to new places, I believe you can pretty much do anything if you put your mind to it and I believe that all kids have the ability to experience self-realization with the help of good friends.  Think about the first book you ever read by yourself and see if it shaped your adult life...

ITS YR LIFE AVAILABLE ON KINDLE

You can download my latest book just in time for a great summer read!  

BUY ITS YR LIFE FOR KINDLE HERE

FIVE AWESOME MUST READS!

I'm often asked what is my favorite book.  Why list one when I can list five!

THE BOOK THIEF

I spent a year reading this.  Taking my time and soaking up the amazing characters and the sad, sad tale.  Let's just say I cried at the end and the lead characters will always live in my heart.  

SO MUCH TO TELL YOU

This was one of my favorite books growing up in Australia.  It was haunting, inspiring and totally engrossing.

CITY OF THIEVES

Possibly my favorite book ever.  Need I say more?  Please Mr Benioff, write more books.  Game of Thrones TV episodes are fabulous, but your books fly off the richter.

THE COLLECTED WORKS OF T.S. SPIVET

Magical, enticing, quirky and full of surprises.  I loved this book and its amazing illustrations.

SPECIAL TOPICS IN CALAMITY PHYSICS

To be honest, I feel like the lead character in this book, except not quite as intelligent.  Blue Van Meer is one fantastic female hero.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

If you haven't read it, please do so.  This book was the first book to really blow my socks off.  Harper Lee, you are one special writer.

TEMPANY AND HENRI BENDEL

Lucky me was chosen by the iconic New York department store, Henri Bendel, to be photographed on my holiday to Big Sur.  Check out the article below of all my fave spots.  A big thanks to Carlee Santarelli for the fab photos!

Temp's Trip to Big Sur

WHO IS GOING TO STOP YOU FROM WRITING THAT BOOK...YOU!?

What a great first class with my editing students last night.  Editing your masterpiece is really all about self esteem, instinct and an unwavering belief in your unique voice.

This quote of Ayn Rand's is one of my favorites:

'Every man is free to rise as far as he's able or willing, but it's only the degree to which he thinks that determines the degree to which he'll rise.'

Start thinking that you can do it and you will.

BOOKS THAT SHAPE YOUR LIFE

The books that you loved and treasured growing up, shaped the adult life you now lead.  The characters and stories influenced the directions you headed in and who you associated with.  I studied in NYC because of reading Lily Brett's Just Like That.  I realized men and women were very different after experiencing Anna Karenina.  I travelled to Europe after consuming The Book Thief and City of Thieves.  I am a big backer of the underdog after To Kill A Mockingbird, Came Back To Show You I could Fly, So Much To Tell You and The Collected Works of TS Spivet moved me beyond belief.

What books have shaped your life?

LET PAINTING INSPIRE YOU

If you get stuck writing and feel you may be experiencing writer's block, look up some art.  Sit with a painting and figure out the story behind it.  Then let that information bleed back into your story in some way.  This is a great device to jump start the subconscious brain.  Plus it's a great procrastination tool and you get to look at cool pictures.  To stop the procrastination going into an all out art gallery experience, only allow yourself one viewing.  Then go straight back to your writing.  

BEGINNER'S NOVEL WRITING IN THE VALLEY

I'm also teaching my infamous novel writing class in the Valley this Summer.  Check out LA Creative Studios Website to sign up fast.

LA CREATIVE WORKSHOPS IN THE VALLEY

BEGINNER'S NOVEL WRITING CLASS - SIGN UP FAST

My much anticipated beginner's novel writing class will start its next session May 31st.  Running for 10 weeks in Echo Park, you will write your very first novel from start to finish.  All writing levels are welcomed and no experience is necessary.  This class will produce a novel out of even the most dubious participant!  Fun, challenging, inspiring and life changing, you will achieve what most would-be writers never do - you will complete a novel.  

Email fast to reserve your spot.  Class sizes are kept extremely small for personalized attention.  Cost $475

INSPIRATION BOARDS

One of the most fun (but be careful - it can turn into procrastination) tools to use when writing a novel, is the infamous inspiration board.  Cut out images of anything that floats your boat and then see if you can put all those elements in your book.  Sometimes having strange goals like crafting a fluffy grey bunny or an exotic fruit from Fiji into your novel can be thrilling and strangely helpful.  Try it, I dare you!

SUPPORT DARLING MAGAZINE

One of the best women's mags to ever be invented, Darling Magazine is everything you've wished for.  It's a mag that makes women feel good, empowered, supported and inspired.  These are the kind of stories and messages women need to be sharing, not the latest diet fads and surgical procedures.  Let's start reading Darling and learn to celebrate ourselves in whatever package we arrived in.  

If you'd like to pledge some cash to their kickstarter campaign for Darling's first ever print edition, hit the link below.  

DARLING MAGAZINE

WRITING WITH THE WAVES

I just returned from the most amazing retreat in Costa Rica.  While taking Qoya classes (dance yoga for women) with the amazing Rochelle Sheik, we talked about life being just like the ocean.  To go for a lovely swim, you have to navigate big waves, little waves, no waves and maybe, if you're super unlucky, a tsunami!  The ocean is always changing, just like life.  I love this analogy for writing too.  Some days you will be writing on a still ocean and inspiration will flow out easily.  Other days you will hit big waves that are tiring and seem impossible to swim past.  But as long as you know that's just the ebb and flow of the ocean, you continue on.  So continue on and relax knowing it's all just part of the plan.  

CONGRATULATIONS TO MY STUDENT ALISON FOR WRITING HER FIRST NOVEL!

Can't wait to read about the fairies, Alison.  What a magical world we are about to enter.  Well done and congrats on your achievement.  xxTemp

CONGRATS TO MY STUDENT ANDROMEDA FOR FINISHING HER SECOND NOVEL TODAY!

Can't wait to read it, Andromeda.  I'm sure it's full of wonder, excitement and science, just like you!

A KID'S IMAGINATION CREATES HIS VERY OWN ARCADE

9 year old Caine loved arcades. So he decided to build his own cardboard arcade.  What an innovative and inspiring kid.  Watch the film below:

CAINE'S CARDBOARD ARCADE

CONGRATS TO ELISE ROBERTSON

A big congratulations to my student Elise Robertson for completing the first draft of her first novel.  Reading it today, Elise!  Can't wait.

CONGRATS TO ED DONOVAN

A big congrats goes out to my lovely student, Ed Donovan, for finishing his first novel today.  A huge accomplishment.  I can't wait to read it, Ed.

ALL ART IS INSPIRATION

Writers block occurs.  It just does.  When stuck, go to other art forms to reboot the brain.  I love getting inspired by painters.  El Mac is an awesome artist.  This video on his mural painting trip to Vietnam is fascinating.  I love that paint in other countries is different?  Who knew?

THE NUMBER ONE SKILL TO BEING A GREAT NOVELIST

People say novel writing can not be taught.  But I don't believe that.  What can't be taught, is self respect and intuition.  This is KEY to being a great writer.  You must trust that your work is valuable, entertaining and interesting.  But how do you do that?  Writing a book is scary!  The whole way through you doubt and reconsider every word laid down.  The key is eudaimonia.  Finding your golden self.  Trusting that all your quirks, eccentricities and weirdness is integral to telling your unique, fabulous story.  Once you understand that,  your writing can soar.  Here's a link to more on Eudaimonia:http://www.oprah.com/spirit/5-Things-Every-Happy-Woman-Does

IT'S YR LIFE NOW AVAILABLE IN THE U.S.

You can now purchase Tempany's latest young adult novel, ITS YR LIFE, in the United States.  Find it for your Kindle on Amazon.

NOVEL WRITING CLASSES IN THE VALLEY

Tempany now teaches her Beginner's Novel Writing Class at L.A. Creative Workshops.  If you know someone who's always wanted to write their first novel and lives in the Valley of Los Angeles, pass on this link:

http://www.lacreativeworkshops.com/

CONGRATS TO MY NOVEL WRITING STUDENTS

A big congratulations to my current novel writing students, Elise, Andromeda, Ed and Alison who are on their final week of writing.  Their books are fantastic and I can't wait to read their final manuscripts.  Well done you four - a fantastic job well done.

HUNGER GAMES

Just watched the fabulous film version of the Hunger Games.  Amazing.  Go see it.  They did great justice to the book.  Jennifer Lawrence is a bonafide star.  

Someone once said, 'How do you maintain integrity in your work?'  The sage answered, 'Have integrity'. I am often asked, 'How do you have the discipline to write so many books?'  I answer, 'I have discipline.'  If you want to write, write.  If you want to exercise, exercise.  If you want to make a film, make one.  This is all you need to know.

Attended a fantastic webinair with the screenwriting team of the LORAX.  Best info I came away with?  Write to become a great writer, not to sell your next project.  Here here, gentlemen, sage advice indeed.

The Novel Nanny is here!

Tempany now teaches Novel Writing with her exciting class The Novel Nanny.  Over a 10 week course you too can write your very own novel.  Currently the course is only offered in Los Angeles.

ITS YR LIFE on Kindle!

Its Yr Life, the young adult novel that Tempany co-authored with Tristan Bancks is now available worldwide on Kindle.  Download it now!