sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

Happy New Year!

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A new year

Is an unopened gift

A letter in the mail

A crisp new notebook

A story yet to be written.

(Copyright Sally Murphy)

 

Happy new Year!  Although I have mixed feelings about New Year’s resolutions (see my post about that here) I DO feel that there is something magical about a whole new year starting, with promise of new opportunities, new beginnings and crisp, clean pages.

Because I’m wanting to start as I mean to continue, I have registered for Anastasia Suen’s  30 for 30 Challenge, which challenges participants to write for 30 minutes every day for 30 days. Although the challenge starts tomorrow, I decided that the first of January was great time to get started (I guess that means I’m aiming for 30 for 31). So, the first thing I did this mronign was to sit down at my desk with my brand new journal and write for 30 minutes. Then I put a cross through the date on my  desk planner. I look forward to doing that 30 more times, and to really get some work done on the exciting stories which I want to write in 2018.

After my writing session, I headed off to the beach for my first walk of the year. Aaaaaah. I am so lucky to live where I do.

 

So, my year has started with a flourish, which is great, because that is the word I have chosen to use to guide my year.  Flourish works both as a verb (to grow and thrive in healthy, vigorous ways) and as a noun (a bold or successful act). And of course, if you are arty at all, you’ll also know that you can spice things up with a little flourish. So, I plan to flourish this year, and, hopefully, to help those around me (including YOU) to flourish, too.

Happy 2018!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PS. Do you like the picture? This is a photo of a sign at Yokine Reserve, a playground in Perth. The blue sky behind it hasn’t been edited.

Happy New Year and Happy New Book

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fishy-surpiseWelcome to 2017! It really doesn’t seem so long since we were celebrating the arrival of 2016. Or even the year 2000 for that matter. Time flies when you’re busy living life.

In 2017 I plan to be healthier, and to make the most of every day to write, read, share poetry and, beyond that, to enjoy life.

And what better way to start the year than with the release of a new book? That’s right Sage Cookson’s Fishy Surprise is out now! This time Sage (and her parents) are off to the beach – which is quite appropriate because right now is the best time of year for beaching here in Australia, and I’ve been getting my fill, too.

Fishy Surprise is available now from good bookstores, including Booktopia.

 

Happy New Year!

 

The Year That Was

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It seems the season for end-of –year posts, and though I feel like a copycat doing one when every other blogger seems to be doing the same, I’m going to do one anyway, since by looking back I can see  (and share) what I’ve achieved. As an aside, I recently read a self-help article somewhere which said that goal setting can sometimes be counterproductive because we always feel like we’re not there yet, whereas looking back and seeing how far you’ve come can actually make you feel a sense of achievement which helps you to keep going.

So, while my latest to-do list sits on my desk reminding me of things I haven’t done these past couple of busy weeks, here’s some of the things I have achieved this year:

  1. Five new books – 1915, Fly-In Fly-Out Dad and three reading book titles with Oxford University Press.
  2. The draft of the creative component of my PhD: a verse novel and two poetry collections, as well as drafts of two (and a bit) articles which will also form part of my final project.
  3. Festival and school visits in Singapore, Townsville, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Bunbury, Busselton (and maybe some I’ve missed).
  4. My second ever overseas trip – to the AFCC in Singapore.
  5. A chapter for a book on AFL, from the perspective of a Dockers supporter, coming in 2016, and an invitation to write a chapter for a book to be produced by the AFCC.
  6. Several new picture book drafts and ideas.
  7. Maintained Aussiereviews and this blog and contributed to the Poetry Tag blog which I share with the wonderful Rebecca Newman.
  8. Numerous new poems, including acceptances for the School magazine, an anthology called Minutes to Bedtime, and another called Dirt by Sea, both forthcoming.
  9. A new junior fiction series, coming in 2016 (watch this space).

There’s probably more – and I haven’t touched on the personal stuff, some of which is most important – but if I don’t post this soon 2015 will be over. So here’s to the highs (and less highs) of the year that’s been, and to the dawning of a new year with lots more fun to come.

Happy New Year

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The old adage ‘start as you mean  to continue’ is particularly apt, I think, on New Year’s Day.  There’s something special about a whole fresh year lying ahead with pages waiting to be filled.

I started the day early with a trip to the beach with my beloved and our youngest son, with a spot of fishing and a lovely walk along the sand.   Three of my intentions for the year right there: make the most of every day, enjoy more quality family time, and get outdoors as much as possible.

Back at home, I stopped to admire my tomato plants I planted a month or so ago – and found this, ready for harvest: my first, perfect, cherry tomato:

Tomato 2015

And another intention right there:  find joy in small things. Oh, and then another: eat healthily. It may have been small, but there was a lot of flavour in that little tomato.

And, of course, now I’m blogging, so  there’s another intention: write every day.

I’ve started well – and plan to keep at it to make this year wonderful for me and those around me.Here’s wishing the same for you.

Happy New Year!

 

 

sallymurphy.com.au