It’s been two years since I last wrote a blog, but here I am. Now I’m inspired and encouraged to write again. I’m rediscovering that writing can be fun.

University of the Third Age in Brisbane (U3A)

I joined the University of the Third Age in Brisbane (U3A) when I retired. It’s a wonderful organisation run by volunteers that encourages lifelong learning for those of us who are in active retirement. Check it out. The Brisbane group has over 3,000 members and I’m amazed by how many courses they offer. They have many sites across Australia.

I participate in a U3A discussion group called “Dangerous Ideas”. We cover an array of topics including the pros and cons of nuclear power, transgender athletes, electric vehicles, whether we need a bill of rights and, are we a divided country. I enjoy the lively and stimulating discussion, but the best outcome of my attendance was connecting with two other writers and being invited to join their writing group. What an unexpected gift.

The Writing Group

Now I meet with a group of new friends twice a month for coffee, laughter, inspiration and writing. They have been meeting together for over five years and originally met through U3A.  At first, I felt like an interloper, but they welcomed me warmly and I now feel like part of the group – albeit a newbie. I am impressed by the stories they can conjure up in 20 minutes while I fight the blank page for something to write.

What Will I Write?

I have a novel loosely rolling around in my head. When I started writing Not Forgotten: They called me Number 10 at Neerkol Orphanage I anticipated writing it in a novel form, but Samilya’s story was too horrific and important to fictionalise. Researching and writing the book was gruelling, and by the end, I had no interest in writing. Now I think it might be fun to play with writing that novel.

After joining the writing group, I entered a couple of writing competitions, Furious Fiction and Not Quite Write. I have even been long-listed twice with Furious Fiction.  The competitions are such fun. You receive prompts on Friday night and have until Sunday night to submit and write a 500-word story.  That’s what got me writing again.

I’m also inspired by my friend who I wrote about in Brave Enough to Dance for Your Man.  She has been sending a reflective blog out once a week to her friends. Her discipline and commitment to writing spurred me on.

So, I’ll play with reigniting this blog and see where it leads. I’m not sure that blogs are in vogue anymore. Steven, my husband, suggests I make TikToks instead, but that seems a dance move too far for me!

Continuing to Learn

Now I’m plodding through a Udemy course – How to Write and Publish a Novel. The recommended text, Writing Fiction for Dummies, by Randy Ingermanson and Peter Economy, is incredibly useful and provides me with a pathway to writing my elusive novel.

I also have to relearn how to use this WordPress site. Some things have changed, and I’ve forgotten how it all works. AI keeps asking me if I want some help – do I?  I don’t even know how AI works.

I know that each post comes with at least one frustrating technical challenge!  If you’ve read this then it means I’ve successfully climbed that first technology mountain.

Take care and be kind to each other.

Anne