Jenn J McLeod

Posted on 01/01/201215/01/2012 by Jenn J McLeod — 5 Comments

My 2012 Leap Year Project – A Year of Words

I may be totally insane.

My leap year project is all about words. In fact, I’m reading the entire dictionary. My old, old faithful friend, The Macquarie Encyclopedic Dictionary (which I used just now to spell encyclopedic) has 1,122 pages. This year, being a leap year, we have 366 days. So…according to my trusty calculator, that’s 3.06 pages a day. Easy peasy!

I just finished reading my first 3 pages (interestingly it was from ‘A’ to ‘absolute zero’!) and already feel inspired to leap into a new year of writing (not that I need a lot of motivation to do what I love).

The idea of my leap year project is to find new words, words I like, and words I’ve never got quite right (like ‘tenderhooks’ is actually ‘tenterhooks’, but who knew!). Then jot them down for sharing on my blog.

Here’s a couple from this morning’s pages:

abdicate: Okay, so we all know what abdicate means, but how can it be used as something fresh and different in my writing? The first thing that comes to mind is this…

He stood as if abdicating a throne -slowly, stiffly, pokerfaced.

Here’s one more…

abraded: means scraped away or worn down (often by friction):

He was worn down by the friction of his life.

Oooh I like that one, so I’m off to get stuck into my other 2012 project – book three in my small towns, big hearts collection (Season of Temperance) and maybe I’ll even use one or both of these.

And that is my LEAP YEAR OF WORDS project.

Anyone care to join me, knowing we might end up totally insane by the end?

Next post, next Sunday.

Happy New Year!

Posted on 04/12/201106/06/2015 by Jenn J McLeod — 6 Comments

If you can’t beat ’em, read ’em – Australian Women Writers Challenge 2012

Woo hoo Elizabeth Lhuede for initiating this challenge. What a champion, promoting Australian women’s fiction across the blogsphere. This is another wonderful opportunity to support our writers.

The challenge: help counteract the gender bias in reviewing and social media newsfeeds that has continued throughout 2011 by actively promoting the reading and reviewing of a wide range of contemporary Australian women’s writing.

I’m accepting the challenge for 2012, although not aiming too high. ‘Stella’ level sounds pretty good to me (read 3 and review at least 2 books) even though there are sooooo many good authors with books due out next year (not to mention this year): Helene Young, Rachael Johns, Lisa Heidke, Rae Roadley, Bronwyn Parry, Fleur McDonald, Fiona Palmer, Cathryn Hein, Kylie Griffin, Jaye Ford, Mandy Magro, Annie Seaton, Karly Lane, Jenn J McLeod … no, not really. Just seeing what it would look like 🙂

My motto for 2012: if you can’t beat ’em, read ’em!

Posted on 13/11/201119/11/2014 by Jenn J McLeod — 1 Comment

Seasons of Change

I love the seasons – the sights, the smells, the sounds. I love the birds, the flowers, the foliage. (Just now, I’ve come inside from picking strawberries in a summer rain shower – try it!)

I’ve loved watching the changing seasons this past tweleve months (which has been an interesting, emotional, learning, growing year for me as a writer) hence the pics (above) – a favourite tree of mine because of the way it changes.

Even more inspiring are the emotions each season stirs. I guess that’s why I’m drawn to include the seasons in my stories.

In House For All Seasons, four women as different as the four seasons shed more than their city skins when they reconnect with their country roots.

In The Simmering Season, it’s summer storm season and the NSW country town of Calingarry Crossing is sweltering. As emotions bubble away, and a school reunion brings home more than just memories, you’ll discover there’s no keep a lid on some secrets.

I’m about to throw myself into book three, Season of Shadow and Light. With a title like that, I can’t wait to see where it takes me. (Although one thing I know for sure is, it will take me home to the country 😉