Rob Parnell's Writing Academy Blog

On the last St Pat's Day, we went out to celebrate. Great lunch at an Irish pub with a band playing. Green hats, Irish flags and Guinness signs everywhere. Terrific fun. It occurred to me how amazing it was that the logistics behind this essentially unofficial world holiday are enormous - and a great testament to the tenacity of humans to find an excuse to celebrate! What's clear is that we do need time out sometimes, just to get a better perspective on our lives and rejuvenate our spirit. Writing can be a solitary profession. We tend to spend a lot of our time alone, typing words into a computer, allowing our subconscious to spill forth words onto the page. Just as it should be. It's funny. Every now and then I allow myself to get involved in other people's affairs. I've noticed that other people like to be sociable and have lots of get-togethers where they just enjoy each other's company. As a writer I tend to observe rather than participate. I fi...

Our thoughts go out to all those in Queensland Australia, hit last night so heavily by Cyclone Yasi. We hope all those displaced will soon be able to rebuild their lives. We'll be there for you. Many writers and writers' groups in South Australia have already pledged support, emotionally and materially. We too, wish you well. Ask any successful writer. You can't be a great writer unless you read voraciously - and for all the right reasons. There is a huge difference between reading for pleasure and reading as a writer. Sometimes this is a subtle difference - and actually quite hard to delineate and practice. As a writer, you'll find you'll need to constantly remind yourself that reading is, for you, a form of study - not just of the information you pick up but, more essentially, the way that information is related. Reading for Pleasure Many writers start writing as a way of giving back. Over time, they receive so much pleasure from reading that the natural extension...