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Week Two Of My May Gibbs Children's Literature Trust Fellowship - Hitting My Stride

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My MGCLT Creative Time Fellowship gained momentum in week two. In the Fellows' Journal, I called it 'hitting my stride'. And I did. Much of that striding was performed in local cafés and can I just say the coffee is GOOD in Adelaide. My favourite spots were the Lion Hotel, First Pour (where my anabawang fiction series magically poured forth--'scuse the pun) and St Louis, all in North Adelaide. Oh, and the Art Gallery of South Australia's café in the city. Below is my view at the window at First Pour. I always sat here.

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It was a much busier week, with lots of skittling around, working on several things including a new idea for an alphabet book. I collect ABC books, and creating one has been on my bucket list for about eighty-five years. I didn't want to just 'do one'. The right idea had to appear. And it did. Below is a peek at one of the images from the book, and I worked on a few more during my residency.

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I also did a little work on a new book idea. Well, actually, it's an old book idea but it's never really hit a high note--it's always been 'almost there'. I pottered on it in a little café, and yet again, was struggling with text because the idea for the book seems to outweigh words. I know this sounds odd, but bear with me.

So I was sitting there, struggling. And then I began despairing. No combination of words seemed right to carry the narrative. Everything seemed 'awkward'. And I distinctly remember having the thought: 'I might need to let this one go'.

Then ... this woman walked in and stood right in front of me. And on her back leg was a whopping great flamingo tattoo. The central characters in this book are flamingos.

After I picked my chin up off the floor, I asked her if I could take a photo of her leg--she obliged--then she took her coffee and left, and as soon as she was gone, I realised this book may just be the wordless picture book I've always wanted to do (along with that ABC book).

So ... we shall see what unfolds! And don't you love that awfully delicious synchronicity?? Honestly, it's popped up with most of my book creations.

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A lot of walking was done this week, and I yet again marvelled at the incredible architectural variety of Adelaide. Here are some treasured structures. Kind of makes me want to write a book ...

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When I was a flight attendant, back in the day, I used to visit Adelaide a lot on overnights, and one thing I noticed about this town was the trees. They're not only prolific, they're pretty magnificent. There was a tree on the Torrens with one of those enormous branches that reach out over the river, and I used to climb onto it and sit there and watch the water lull by.

I don't know where that tree is now, but I found lots of other divine trees, and this was one of my favourites. Of course, it just happened to have writing on it!

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Then I opened Julia Donaldson's latest book, Animalphabet, and was reminded to get cracking on that flamingo book.

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At the end of the week, I popped in to Dymocks in Rundle Mall--what a store! The kids' section is bananas good (thanks, Linda!). AND it's on the ground floor, too, right where people can dive in without climbing stairs or anything. It's eye-popping, that's for sure. I signed some copies of Mamie.

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I then finished the week with two superb events--the May Gibbs Children's Literature Trust High Tea and a school visit to Scotch College. They deserve a separate post and it's coming soon! I just have to go see my daughter graduate high school first.

Anon!

x


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