The Birth of Freyja*

* or How I came about writing about the Norse goddess and publishing my first book

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I have several writing projects in the pipeline. The first is a fantasy trilogy involving a world that I have created from scratch. The first book has been drafted and placed into the metaphorical drawer, collecting metaphorical dust on my hard drive. That story was my first foray into writing seriously, but the first draft is so rough, it’ll take more than sandpaper (more like a grinder) before it is in any fit state to be read.

By contrast, the seed that is “Freyja and the Brisingamen Necklace” came about in an unexpected way. While social platforms have both pros and cons, in this scenario it turned out to be a blessing.

It started with Instagram. Back in 2015, I opened an account. At that time, my goal was purely to use it as a form of expression. I would post short stories and poems/quotes that came into my head. Anyone who liked what I had written was a person I connected with (even if it was that brief second of them casting their eyes over my words and pressing the ‘like’ button); my job was done.

At the same time, I searched for those things that inspire me – other writers, artists, poets, and creative souls sharing their work

Through this platform, I met Elizabeth McKenzie and we began following each other. She was complimentary of my quotes and stories, and I adored her art, which contained a life, a colour, a joy that was unique, and I had not seen before anywhere else. What also astounded me was the sheer volume of her work. Liz generates art at a pace that I am in awe of.

After a time, I asked Liz if I could use some of her work and write a short story based on the artwork and post it on my Instagram feed. She was happy for me to do so, and you will find in my earlier 2015 postings stories such as “Chances” and “The Dance“.

But it was a post by Liz titled “Frida” that sparked a desire inside me to write a full story. The seed was planted.

In Scandinavian countries, this name is derived from the Old Norse name Fríða, which can also be pronounced Freyja.

Being a fantasy writer, I love all forms of mythology and Norse mythology is rich in material. But like most myths, Norse included, the tales were almost always about gods and goddesses who were adults.

I began imagining what they were before their deification was realised. I asked myself, “What was Freyja like before she became a Norse goddess of Asgard? What was Freyja like as a child?”

As with any seed planted, I began to water, nurture and give plenty of sunlight to this question and the story that grew inside my mind.

I wrote to Liz and said that I so loved her Frida illustration that I proposed (half-seriously) that I could write a novel based on that image and perhaps, she could illustrate each chapter.

Little did I know the fire that burned so brightly in Liz would take to my idea like a flame to dry wood! She was all for it, and thus our journey as writer and artist began.

The fruits of three years working together on “Freyja and the Brisingamen Necklace” is now in the Amazon shops, and to be frank, I can hardly believe it’s actually there.

As a writer and story teller, you can only hope that people who read your words will garner some inspiration from it. I know that Liz feels the same way with her art. And as with any creative work, it won’t be to everyone’s liking and that’s okay. But if it inspires one child to read, to write, to pick up a paintbrush then that, to me, is mission accomplished.

To Liz, I wish to say, that it has been a wonderful experience. Even through the challenges and frustrations of going through the publishing process and ensuring every page has the correct margins and every illustration has the right colour, I can say without any doubt that it has all been rewarding. It is the trials that make completing this first book all the more meaningful, and I am filled with a sense of serenity that I was able to do this with you.

It also demonstrates to me that sharing art in this way bridges so many gaps. Liz and I are two people that have never met face to face (she lives in America, I live in Australia). But together we have created something close to our hearts.

Regardless of our cultural background, our race, our colour, our religious and political beliefs, we have made a meaningful connection. It is concrete evidence that creativity, whether that be through stories, art, music or some other creative pursuit, can bridge so many gaps that is ailing our tiny blue dot.

And if young Freyja can make the world a little bit brighter, what more could I ask for?

Achieving Sexy

2017-02-03 Achieving Sexy v1.0

Achieving Sexy

No, this isn’t some vanity piece about fashion, or a fitness article on what exercises will give you the perfect abs. I would be surprised if you reached this blog with that in mind, but who knows what links will present themselves when you do a search on the internet.

This is a writer’s blog. A blog about writing.

Yes, it doesn’t make sense, does it? What has achieving sexy have anything to do with writing? This isn’t some weird sales pitch, I promise you. This is about all of us having a story or stories, and a desire to share them. Many of us have this treasure trove inside of us. This collection of experiences and dreams that makes us want to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard to create something that will evoke emotions, imagination, and thought in another person.

For some of us, it’s about a serious desire to make a profession out of it. To turn our story telling into a career. As soon as that decision has been made, any aspiring author will enter a world that is far more than just putting words to paper, or words to a computer screen as it were.

The business world of publishing is enormous and being able to navigate the other side of book writing will require a sturdy constitution. But regardless of the steps and missteps taken to get a book on the shelf. There is no sense in looking that far ahead without getting the book written in the first place.

So, it all comes back to that treasure trove inside of us.

There are some who say that the first step is the hardest. Forming that idea, and simply having the courage to start writing can be a challenge in itself. I’ve blogged previously about how it’s a trap to wait for the perfect circumstances before you start writing.

It’s a genuine concern for any writer starting out, but it doesn’t end there.

Starting is one thing. Finishing is another.

And finishing is where all manner of obstacles can appear. My last blog talked of the juggling act that we constantly do that is life, and this can easily take away from finishing our manuscript. I’ve attempted in the past to approach my writing with an attitude of squeezing it in when I can. This usually resulted, more often than not, with snippets of time where if I was lucky I could write a few paragraphs. If I happened to be particularly busy with life’s other responsibilities, which would lead into lengthy breaks between writing, I discovered I would spend a lot of time re-reading what I’ve written in order to refresh my memory. This approach is hardly ideal.

There is only one solution. If you genuinely wish to pursue creative writing as a profession then you need to develop a routine.

To hone your craft, to develop your skills, to get better at anything not just writing, requires implementing a routine. As the audience, we often see only the end product. Those that achieve success, regardless of their field of expertise, have done so through going through the grind. The discipline to stick to a routine in order to better themselves, in order to achieve. And if you’re a writer, it’s that routine that will help you finish off that manuscript.

When you have that dedicated time, the sense of purpose is focused. You can delve into that treasure trove and bring forth those jewels. That seemingly mundane act of sticking to that grind will polish your efforts, and you’ll end up with that story with stirring drama, or thrill-seeking mystery, or that sci-fi world in another universe.

Sexy isn’t only about physicality, it’s defined as being exciting or appealing. And through that routine you’ll finish a manuscript that will have an audience somewhere who will be moved by your words and will experience feelings and emotions that will stir their soul.

And that is how you achieve sexy.

Perfect Circumstances

I am not a professional or student of the medical sciences. I am a person who is fascinated by the human capacity for creativity and as a writer, creativity can come from many different sources. A moment, an event, a sensation, a conversation, past experience, a fleeting thought, another person’s creativity are all some examples of where creativity comes from. With all of these sources though there is one common element, or in this case organ, which feeds into our ability to create and that is the brain.

This led me to ponder the challenges I face when it comes to writing. The times when I am unable to draw on the right word or image to put down on paper. The times when the plot of my story encounters stagnation or a path that leads to a dead end. As a writer, I have read and listened to a lot of different approaches people take to get words down on paper. Coffee, keeping a notebook wherever I go to jot down ideas, going for a jog, developing a routine, changing up the routine, dedicating a set amount of time toward writing, drinking orange juice, doing a storyboard, plan out the story arcs… there is much that has been said and written about how to get yourself writing and I imagine these same approaches are recommended for other creative pursuits whether you be an architect, inventor or artist.

However, at the end of the day, I have concluded that whatever the approach, however you draw on inspiration, it all requires the use of arguably the most important organ in your entire body – the brain.

I find it interesting that the medical world, from what I can tell, considers the brain an organ and not a muscle. Regardless of the definition, I have no doubt that the brain needs to exercise and like any exercise, to really improve, to get better at it, to evolve, you have to do it even when you don’t feel like it.

When I went through high school, two of the most distinct groups I identified were those kids into sports and those kids into studies. Jocks, geeks, sportsperson, scholar, athlete, nerd – whatever the terms used (rightly or wrongly), these were assigned to differentiate kids while I was growing up. More importantly, I subconsciously looked at the two groups as one that focused on building and honing muscles (sportsperson) and one that focused on learning and storing information in the brain organ (scholar).

It is only now, many years later, that I realise the two are NOT mutually exclusive. This is clearly backed up by medical research and the ever increasing number of “brain games/exercises” available online and on mobile phones. Anatomically the brain is an organ but research has shown that mental stimulation helps the brain grow stronger thus reducing the risk of cognitive decline. In this way, many see the brain as a muscle and like a basketballer seeking to improve their jump shot, you need to exercise and practice.

As a writer, it is easy to want to wait for the perfect set of circumstances to write your story. The “right” time of day, the “right” amount of light in the room, the “right” feeling/mood to write, the “right” amount of inspiration to start putting words down on paper etc. I can guarantee you that this approach will only result in a lot of wasted time. You will end up procrastinating indefinitely for the perfect circumstances to arise and believe me it will never come. There will always be something that isn’t quite “right” and you’ll convince yourself to put off writing. Don’t listen to that voice.

To write when you don’t want to write is exactly like a marathon runner going for a run when they don’t feel like running. To exercise, to train, to push yourself through the barrier is what will make you stronger and if you happen to be one seeking to create then that type of exercising, that type of training starts with your brain.

As an example, I’ll give you one of my own personal experiences. As a father of three little kids, all of whom at the time of writing this blog have not even reached their high schools years, they challenge me every day NOT to write. Don’t get me wrong, I love them, I want to nurture, encourage and play with them, help them with their homework, take them bike riding, to the park, to the beach but to balance that with my passion and desire for writing requires I put in the brain exercise even when I don’t want to. My youngest daughter is three years old and she often finds unique ways of disturbing me while I write. Asking for a cup of water, crawling up onto my chair and draping herself over my back and seeking my assistance to go to the toilet are just some of the ways she demands my attention. But like a soccer player dribbling the ball for one more lap, I’ll write through the distractions. Even if what I write turns out to be rubbish or needs rework, I’ll get it down. I set aside a minimum amount of time every day to write, even if the circumstances are far from ideal.

And the best thing (and this is often what people lose sight of) is that when I push myself through it at the end I feel incredible. It might just be a draft, a paragraph that needs serious editing, a page that is filled with random ideas but the effort put in yields rewards. It’s the same with physical exercise, you go for a jog even when you don’t feel like it but afterwards you feel better for it.

The brain is an organ? Okay. But it is also the muscle of thinking, the muscle of creativity. If you’re seeking a creative pursuit, keep this in mind the next time you’re waiting for the perfect circumstances to arise before exercising your brain.