Long Distance Staff Writer
During my Lagos years, working with Buddy Agedah, I became the staff writer for Dance & Art Alive under the name Jo Demmer. Continue reading Long Distance Staff Writer
Tag: #memoir
My Top Three Editing Disasters
I had a math teacher at school who used to say, “I’m a mathematician, not an arithmetician.” She loved the logic of maths, but made errors in addition or multiplication. This is a bit like my style of editing. I love structural and line edits, but I can overlook details. Continue reading My Top Three Editing Disasters
How to Format a Manuscript in Word
If you want to submit a manuscript to an agent, but don’t understand the basics of formatting on Word, this post is for you. To avoid the telltale signs of an amateur – tabs or spaces to indent paragraphs, or returns in place of page breaks – read on for a step by step guide. Continue reading How to Format a Manuscript in Word
Bob Romanes, Teacher A1 Mine Settlement
The year was 1955, and fresh out of Ballarat teachers college, Bob Romanes was assigned to the A1 Mine Settlement School, south of Mansfield, near Woods Point. Join me for a glimpse into this unique slice of history as he talks about about death, theft and depression. Continue reading Bob Romanes, Teacher A1 Mine Settlement
How to be an Unhappy Expat
Ever suffered from expat loneliness? At some point, most of us go through it. This was my turn. In the most recent blog about my expat journey, A Week in Lagos, I’d reached the end of my time in Lagos and moved to Houston. You might think that after four years in Nigeria, living in the … Continue reading How to be an Unhappy Expat
How JJ Campbell Reclaimed Her Voice
JJ Campbell’s fascinating background includes jobs as diverse as hypnotherapist to video producer. Her first published novel, Reclaimed, is book one of the paranormal trilogy, The Immortal Trinity. The story of how it came about is an inspiring tale of women helping women. What did you want to be when you grew up? I was a … Continue reading How JJ Campbell Reclaimed Her Voice
The Winding Narrative Turns One
Today marks a year since I posted my first blog, so it’s time to review progress. In my first year, I wrote 42 posts and nearly 30,000 words. Here are some highlights from The Winding Narrative: I celebrated a win in my writing journey when I signed with Michael Cybulski of NAC, see Five Reasons to … Continue reading The Winding Narrative Turns One
The Case of the Mysterious Rose Saboteur
As you may know, Barto and have a country escape near Mansfield. Barto is in big-kid heaven there with grown-up Tonka toys such as a tractor, ride-on mower and log splitter, while I’ve become chief gardener. The previous owners planted a garden across the length of the house with 45 roses. Last autumn and winter, … Continue reading The Case of the Mysterious Rose Saboteur
A Week in Lagos
(Photo of dancer Ukalina, Lilian and Zara.) Continued from Malaria, Kidnapping, Jewels … The day before I moved from Lagos to Houston, Buddy came to say goodbye. There was a very real possibility I’d never see him again. It was different with our expat friends—we’d likely meet up again somewhere on the international circuit—but this felt permanent. … Continue reading A Week in Lagos
Malaria, Kidnapping, Jewels
After Music & Dance on the Lagoon, Buddy and I were full of energy and couldn’t wait to design our next production. My goal was to write a showcase for dancers—singers had musicals, classical dancers had ballet, but where were the stories for ballroom/Latin dancers[1]? Buddy was insistent that we incorporate a social message over … Continue reading Malaria, Kidnapping, Jewels
Brightside Story Studio 