Lauren 4. The Final Creations

While the group hasn’t managed to create any tangible products due to the difficulties of dealing with a digital medium and the over-excited cease of creativity that comes with a project that has almost no parameters but the imagination, we still managed to create a few things.

“The opportunities presented by the creativity and research nexus are potentially transformative as they provide us with the ability to look at the world in new ways, to look through different prisms and lenses and through other people's eyes so as to develop new aesthetics.” (Josie Arnold, 2012). Overall it doesn’t matter that our final assessment piece will only be a proposal for what we plan to do. It saddens me we couldn’t put more time into something physical and lasting, but the difficulties behind communicating within a large group of people with time constraints puts pressure on the mind. Ironically that is what we came to learn from the interviews and details of The 24-Hour Book; something will be created, but definitely not the anticipated form. 

The Remixed Blog, however, is something of triumph. Acting as the editor to a continuously running website is something I wanted to challenge myself with during the project. I can now appreciate having a creative team to give me content as my own personal blog lays dormant with neglect. I’ve honed my editing skills and battled with the desire to let others do the work, but I’m happy to realise I’ve now come out of the other side of the project with new experience.

The most important thing to come out of the project overall, more than the work we’ve done to connect and remix the content and them of the Willow Patterns book, is the community formed with all the people involved. “Open groups generate more ideas and more different kinds ideas” (von Held, 2012) and it’s because of the community established on Twitter, with the writers of Willow Patterns, project head Sam Burch, Queensland Writers Centre and Simon Groth, all together with the members of the group and myself that the ideas and creations generated within this community have come to fruition.  I’ve learnt that creativity’s greatest strength is the community that supports it and not just the person who thought of the idea. 

Kirsty 4. The End Of The Adventure

I opened a word document to type out this blog about 5 hours before any words were actually put onto the page. No, it was not procrastination (well, okay, a little bit) it was technical difficulties.

First, I was busily searching for a reference point for my original topic of research methods. As I was browsing the crazy, wonderful world of the internet my modem cut out. This happened about another 15 times before the old girl finally gave up and carked it. I had a spare modem with a separate router lying around, so I delved in way over my technologically illiterate head and attempted to install it. First things first, plugging the cords in. Simple, right? Wrong. As I went to insert the power cord into the back of the modem, I don’t know whether I pushed too hard in my technology induced rage or the thing was so ancient that it pushed the chip inside into the modem and it was broken.

I tried for a great deal of time to use tweezers to pull one side out and plug the cord into the other side. My housemate was busily laughing at me as she pointed out I should probably turn the power point off before I electrocute myself with all the poking around. Good one, Kirsty. I ultimately couldn’t get the cord in so I thought it would be a good idea to unscrew the back and try and pop the insides back in place. I tried every tool, which isn’t many, in my house, and whatever other random object I could try to unscrew the tiny screws with. I came to the conclusion that I needed to go out and buy a smaller screwdriver.

I went to good old Kmart and to try and save money I bought a little screwdriver attachment. When that didn’t work due to the lack of handle, I had to go back in and buy a proper screwdriver. Turn out it wasn’t the lack of handle, the thing was so old the screws no longer twisted and I’d just wasted $7 and an hour of my life. Finally, I gave into the ultimate reality that I needed to buy a new modem. A trip to Office Works and minus $75 later I was back with my new modem-router. A quick stop to feed my hungry stomach and then I got to setting it up. 45 minutes and various swear words later I finally did it!

These adventures made me wonder how the writers went without any technical misdemeanors during the Willow Pattern process. They were working in PressBooks, which for many of them was an unfamiliar program. That could explain the exceptionally high number of saves from Krissy Kneen and Christopher Currie, while Nick Earls lived on the edge with the smallest amount of saves. The data can be seen on the Willow Patterns website. Some of the authors worked straight out of the PressBooks document, whilst others chose to rest on their laurels and work in a Word document, pasting chunks of text over as they went.

Through interviews with the authors and communication with Simon Groth, I thought I had asked all the questions I needed to get a sense of how the 24-hour process went. Even now I’m constantly thinking of other things I want to know like, was there an IT expert on hand in case of technical difficulties? Or was there any problems with losing words of not pressing save, I know I’ve done that a few too many times! This made me realise that the complexity of the project is way bigger than I thought. I don’t know if any of us will ever understand the hellishly
brilliant ordeal that is Willow Patterns, not even the participants themselves! But I guess that’s just the beauty of the whole thing, constantly wondering and searching and asking the question; what’s next for the book?

Poem - A Clay Embrace

A poem by Kat in response to Emily's This Tree Is Not Like The Others

The clay soil has hardened as it dried. It catches under my nails, chipping and breaking them as I dig. The skin of my fingers catch on the rocks and debris hidden in amongst the soil. I imagine my blood being kneaded into the displaced clay, an offering to the earth I’m going to join with. If I could still feel my fingers, I’m sure they’d be bruised. The song of the trees turned violent when I’d tried to use a stick to break through the clay. The soft breeze rattled the leaves until the trees seemed to shake with their anger. I can feel their anger pulse through my blood. 

The sun will rise, soon. The humans will come. The weapon must be hidden. 

I dig harder. My arms burn from the exertion. The song grows louder close to dawn, as the trees pass on their final messages safe from human ears. I can understand them now. They offer warnings, tell each other where the nearest humans are hiding. They send their spiders out for reconnaissance. 

They don’t know that word. My life, my work, mean nothing to the trees. The words I spent years forcing into my vocabulary mean nothing to the trees. They’re just harsh, guttural sounds. They understand the weapon though. 

Back when the trees were new, the humans tried to shoot them. The trees remember, they share their stories in their songs so that every one of them knows to be wary of the metal and plastic beside me. I sing them my plan, my voice nowhere near their beauty. It’s still harsh, more growls than trills. It seems disrespectful, like butchering their language, but their replies assure me that they understand. 

The birds are waking as I drop the assault rifle into its burial plot. The trees sing their approval. I can feel the change. My limbs move more slowly as I pile clay over the gun, my breathing slowly shifting from the human panting of overwork into the high pitched sigh of the trees. 

I will never finish covering the gun with clay. Someone could stumble upon it, could use it against us. I cannot let them. The trees tell me to stand over the gun, to join with the earth and let my transformation contain the threat. 

It seems fitting to let my new life stand on the body of my old one. I straighten my spine, adopt the parade rest pose, and watch the sun rise. 

* 

The iPod won’t last much longer, but I let the music drown out the whispering of the trees. I don’t want to hear them. Not today. If there are spiders coming for me, I don’t want to know that, either.

It takes an age to dig the hole deep enough to fit her body. If my Dad was here, he’d tell me that I don’t have time for the pomp and ceremony. I stopped her become a tree, I don’t owe her any more than that. Just throw her in the dirt and run back to the fortress. 

He’s been gone too long. He’s easy enough to ignore.

I can’t help cranking ‘No Stone’ by Paul McDermott as I fill in the makeshift grave. The soldier-postured tree shades me as I sprinkle some of the clay, letting my voice join with the crickets, and the whispering of the trees as I say my goodbyes. 

Kat 4. A Sneaky Peek Behind The Curtain

If you’ve had a chance to look at the fantastic interviews from the Willow Pattern authors, you may have noticed some differing opinions about the end product. For Rjurik Davidson, participating allowed him to explore new styles of writing, stripping away the literary frills and letting the story speak for itself. For Krissy Kneen and Nick Earls, the end product wasn’t necessarily such a positive.

Personally, I think they’re being a bit harsh about their work, even if I’d be the same. There’s a sense of bravery to the idea of the 24hr Book Project that comes from the group’s willingness to write imperfectly. Nick Earls, for example, is the sort of writer who makes it look effortless. It’s easy to forget how much time, effort, and editing goes into making a story that works so well. Seeing his less polished work in Willow Pattern certainly doesn’t diminish his credibility as a writer. Instead, it gives us a chance to look behind the curtain and remember that writing takes work. It’s not just aspiring writers who write imperfect drafts; our favourite stories don’t flow fully formed and perfect from the mind of their writer.

I’m a bit precious about my writing. I will edit it till one of us bleeds. Normally, I’d spend at least a day staring down each of these blog posts, printing them out and attacking them with red pen until I was happy to release them into the wild. I’ve tried not to do that here, giving myself only an hour of editing per post. I want to understand the sort of bravery that the writer’s showed, and I can’t do that if I’m being precious. Having said that, knowing others will read my work has slowed my normal writing process. I can barely hit 300 words in a day like this, so I’m in awe that they managed 5,000 while also navigating social media feeds. So how did they do it?

Each interview touches on the idea that the project was treated as a game or challenge, not as a professional writing piece. Expectations were lowered, and everyone had to make peace with the idea that this was not going to be perfect. The story became more important than the details of the telling. Each writer had to play to their strengths, and acknowledge their limitations, in order to reach their goal. Progress, not perfection, became the focus of the challenge.

It seems as though setting challenges outside of your comfort zone is a good way to gag your inner perfectionist. Throw in some writer friends, some coffee, and a promise that no one will post your work on Facebook, and it could be a great way to spend a day or two over your Christmas break. Even if you don’t live near other writers, there are enough online challenges to keep you writing through the year, including NaNoWriMo (www.nanowrimo.org), which is running now. I’m going to challenge myself to write 2,000 words a day over my Christmas break. Is anyone else thinking of setting themselves a writing challenge?

An Interview With P.M. Newton

I think we owe P.M. Newton a thank you and an apology for her interview. We honestly didn't mean to bring up the bad memories.

*

1. What made you decide to be apart of the Willow Pattern project? 

The people organizing it. I am a big admirer of Queensland Writers Centre and the people who work there. Add to that the writers they were inviting to take part and I was prepared to say yes. In fact, when the email arrived with the invitation I initially laughed (out loud) at the madness of the idea. Then I said yes very quickly before I could think about it too much and say no.

2. Did you have any prior relationship with any of the authors? And was this an additional factor in taking on the challenge? 

I knew Steven Amsterdam from spending a week at Varuna with him doing a 2nd novel residency. The rest I knew by their (pretty awesome) reputations. I ended up, along with Krissy Kneen, convincing Steven to take part. I hope he has forgiven me.

3. Coming from a crime writing/police background, did you want to incorporate this style of writing into your Willow Pattern chapter or try and aim for something different? 

I wasn’t really sure. I said yes quickly then tried not to think about it too much because when I did I started to freak out. There were a few emails setting a time place and situation but beyond that, I didn’t really plan anything. We were asked not to plan too much in advance. So I didn’t, and spent hours in terror.

4. Did your crime writing background influence your choice for the cop character in your chapter?

To be honest – until you asked the question I had forgotten I had a cop character in there. (See Q 8!) I mainly remember the monks.

5. Your chapter introduces a little girl shoving ‘nothing’ into her pockets. How and when did you confer with Simon Groth to refer to his character and a distinct trait of hers? 

I’m not sure ……

We were putting notes up about the work as the day went on, and I think at one point we might have had a structured break to talk about it. I recall taking notes as everyone talked about what they were doing, in the hope that something might crop up that I could slip into my story to give the collection a sense of being linked. So it was quite deliberate. But I can’t recall exactly when.

6. Albeit marginally, yours was the second smallest word count of the group. Were you overly concerned with reaching the word limit or more with producing a greater quality of writing? 

I was terrified. I am a slow writer. I like to re-write a lot. I feel like I don’t get to know my characters until about the third or fourth draft. I said yes to taking part, but then spent a lot of time thinking WTF have I done. I was very concerned with finishing a story on time, having something that had a beginning, a middle and an end. Knowing it was being written in a day kind of made thoughts of quality a bit futile. It was never going to be work I was fully satisfied with. At best it was only ever going to be a passable first draft.

7. Did you learn anything about your writing or process during the 24-hour book or from looking at the data afterwards? 

Yes, I learnt that if forced to I could write a lot of words in a day but that I am not a writer who enjoys writing like that, or a writer who necessarily produces great work by writing like that. I haven’t looked at the data. I’m not sure I could interpret anything too meaningful from it.

8. A couple of the authors have mentioned they haven’t gone over and read the book. Have you read it and if so, what did you think? If not, why haven’t you decided to read the finished piece? 

I haven’t read it, no. When I recently came back to the State Library to go to GenreCon I realised that it was my first visit there since the 24 Hour book, and I felt a momentary sense of anxiety as I came into the building and sat down in the room we used. I think I was a little traumatised by the experience! So, no, I can’t bring myself to read it. Maybe one day.

9. How did you find collaborating with 8 other authors? Is collaboration something you wish to further pursue as an author? 

It was not really collaboration in the sense of making a seamless whole. Because the spirit of the project was to ‘do it on the day’ we didn’t plan too much. And on the day we were working too intensely on our own things to really have time to bounce ideas around. I have had the experience of working collaboratively on a TV series (which sadly wasn’t made) and I really loved that. A bunch of writers sitting in a room, round a table for a week, bouncing ideas, stories and characters, it was great fun and a really creative experience The process is extraordinary and it’s fascinating to see ideas built upon and grown.

10. Would you be interested in participating in a similar project again?

Not something that demanded x number of words in a day, no. I don’t regret taking part, it was interesting and I made some good writerly friends but I know that for me writing is something that I do slowly, with a lot of  non-writing thinky bits in between drafts. And that’s not a process that I want to mess with again. I find it hard enough to do with time and space.

Economical Weather Report

A wonderful poem by Ryan

It’s that time again to take a break

From the Brightman and Ferret burlesque,

With the time honoured news, filled with the midnight blues,

For better or worse, more or less.

Murders in Oxley, riots in Rocklea, rapes in Indooropilly,

But we’ve heard it all before, and before the end

We may be lucky to hear it all again.

The entertainment today - an economical weather report,

Of which you are about to receive,

As it affects us all, is what we all perceive,

What unites us under one azure roof, eternal eclipse of the bright light.

The truth:

The rivers are rising, yes, yet life flows on.

There’s sand shattering windows, stealing under doorways.

Great hordes roaming highways, forgotten byways,

Moving with the ferocity of the Hun, mixing waterways,

Thick, viscous hybrids of an alien world

Oozing and drooling over riverbanks.

Sand from Ganden Jangtse to borrow your head in,

And enclose you like a dream. 

The sands they are a shiftin’.

The rain, a familiar theme -

Don’t ignore the voice inside your mind,

Have the spider sense to come inside.

Keep your cigarettes dry.

Be careful on the roads –

Don’t drink and drive.

Drink. Strive for off the roads.

There’s nowhere to go,

The bottleos are closed.

But drink. I shouldn’t alone

But desperate times call for desperate measures.

So measure:

One part vodka, two parts apocalyptic pleasure.

Find peace now, in the final debt calling.

For with the morning will come a storm warning

Feeding to the fall of man and moribund burning.

Unless of course, we lead a different life.

Instead of the fire, and brimstone age,

We have a green recourse and the earth sprouts anew.

And the rain, it paints the world blue,

An intricate willow pattern revealed. 

The mercury rises and the world grows blurred.

Forms less distinct, with hand upheld

Like pointing at the moon, we see only our own flesh.

Boiling blind in narcissistic sin, we burn

Hotter than a night with the kids away.

The Himalayas melt and, faint, we sway.

No need for sweet zephyr to bring the rest.

So tell your loved ones, or better yet, grab them

And hold them and don’t let them put on their old raincoat,

The one that makes them look like a plastic bag filled of Fanta.

Don’t let them step outside.

Stay indoors, stay upstairs.

Keep warm and keep in good company and good humour.

Don’t let’s cry, there are enough tears soaking the world.

Smile and think happy thoughts,

Fly up high where the rivers won’t rise.

Straight on till morning

Because a new day is dawning

And with the brilliance of the rising sun,

Life will linger on.

In you or me, my mother, or your lover,

In a cicada, an amoeba, or a cellular vessel for creation. 

In world news Egyptian deltas dry out

And aid is delayed.

Smooth hypabyssal rock river beds,

The porphyry sparkle in sun-dried eyes,

Igniting lost desert dreams of a time

When the earth’s small stone’s scintillation

Meant food and water, power and protection,

Wealth, health and life.

Now though, with this Great Crash,

There will be no suicide epidemics

Leaping with the rain like an Yves Klein, blue.

The sands, the spiders, the wild Maia weather

Will suffice.

Now we’re all boat people and the party isn’t happy.

Refugees and we’re sailing the tides low,

Hearing “fuck off, we’re full” from those without voice.

A diaspora ahead, but with nowhere to go.

We’ll wait on the water

Enchanting new gods,

Waiting for the Halcyon flight

To bring peace and calming tides.

No prayers for the past,

Bloody waves and the crash of all erected cliffs.

Disaster brings no nostalgia for death,

But a desire to live. 

Ryan 4. A Few Final Thoughts

For myself and many others, this semester (pending we don’t sleep through our alarms come exam day) will be our last at university. As we approach this momentous change in our lives we begin to make plans for ‘the real world’, giving thought to a wider context and infinite possibilities.

It can be hard however, to delve into the context of the wide world for too long. Like watching an exploration of our world visually in Samsara, it can bring pessimism, cynicism and depression. This feeling certainly isn’t a universal trait; not all take stock of the times we live in, others are invested with hope, some apathy, and others fight for change. But it is hard to fight for change when the masses would rather watch someone else cook than stand up and cook; watch someone else sing than read a book; preferring intimacy with every detail of the ‘real’ lives of people they can’t stand over familiarity the existence of a beautiful, natural people who suffer real lives.

In the second letter of On the Aesthetic Education of Man, Friedrich Schiller says:

“…at the present time material needs reign supreme and bend a degraded humanity beneath their tyrannical yoke. Utility is the great idol of our age, to which all powers are in thrall and to which all talent must pay homage… The spirit of philosophical inquiry itself is wresting from imagination one province after another, and the frontiers of art contract the more the boundaries of science expand.” 

I say it is not from the drive of science, which has long had a poignant relationship with art, that causes arts retreat, but the prevalence of entertainment brought in as an escape from the ensuing ennui. A break out from the feeling of monotony in a world filled with chaos, crime, war, poverty, starvation and disease that do not touch us with a fraction of their full force felt around the world. A chaos so ubiquitous and yet almost inconceivable as we sit, untouched and, for some, unmoved. Our experience is limited to a grand medium of persuasion which leaves square windows to anaesthetised souls as the only mark to distinguish between those who feel the pain of the world and those who have lost the ability, the instinct, to empathise.

For it is art that teaches empathy as it opens an entire world to connection, while with entertainment the function is to divert, creating apathy to a world lost touch with. The feeling of connection is essential to the self. Without an environment there can be no organism, they are one, and nothing without the rest.

It’s not the art that is failing but business failing to understand the meaning of it; rule one of sales is know thy product.

As one work of art carries on its life, it affects all it comes in contact with, even in the smallest of ways. A piece of knowledge becomes a strange new thought, an overwhelming feeling, an inspiration! Inspiring new works of art to disseminate and flourish out into the world like a simple act of kindness. By recognising the influence art has upon us, and life, we pay proper respect in conversation by attributing ideas and concepts to the inspiring artist and their work, like an homage in a Tarantino film. We are recommending works of art so that they will be read in turn and inspire an even greater number with ideas we may not have even discerned.

Willow Pattern alone has already led an eventful life in its infancy, influencing me and my group and inspiring works from each of us. Most recently works of poetry, and although my poetry is amateur, possibly going on to inspire more work again, and on and on, ad infinitum. With the thought of an
exhibition involving poetry reading in mind I took inspiration from, the man, Tom Waits and an incredibly moving spoken word poet, Shane Koyczan. So in the spirit of sharing inspiration perhaps my work may not as of yet, but I am positive these two can. They already have.

It’s been a great experience, especially in this, my last semester, to be involved in a project that has involved so many people in the community I feel most at home in. To see new perspectives on the topics of writing, editing, collaborating and art in general, from a diverse range of those in the Willow Patterns group, the industry professionals involved in the 24-Hour Book and the wider audience who have been along for the ride thus far, keeping us all going.

India 4. Participation

We’re coming to the final weeks of university for the year and also wrapping up the remix project. I was reading over the interviews earlier on our blog, and started to think about the concept of participation. It’s been an interesting collaborative experience working with the other members of the Creative Industries Project. I can’t help but wonder why everyone chose to participate in this particular project, and also which projects they would like to work on in the near future. This doesn’t necessarily have to be something to do with creative writing. It could be anything. If you’re reading this: are you working on a project? Are you about to start one? If so, what is it and how long will it take to complete?

Yesterday, I re-harvested my veggie garden at home. I failed at my first attempt, so this time I spent roughly one month just prepping the soil. My first veggie patch failed due to too much rain and too much sun. The Queensland summer was unpredictably aggressive in both degrees. To protect the patch from over exposure to rain and sun, this time I have covered the garden with shade cloth so it only receives a limited amount of sun and rain. Whether you’re building a garden to be consumed or simply like pot planting, it’s an incredibly satisfying hobby or project. It has a start, beginning, and an end. And it repeats this process full circle, guaranteed. I also believe there is something very optimistic about actively caring for something that requires believing in tomorrow.

My other project is one to do with writing. I’m currently working on a memoir for a subject called Creative Writing Advanced Practice. This unit runs over three semesters and I have just completed my first 6000 word submission for semester one. By the end of next year, I will have 18, 000 words towards my novella, and to take with me into my Honours. Very, very exciting!

Last, and unfortunately least, is a project I have started working on with my Dad. He is teaching me leatherwork and it’s a project that started about a year ago. It always gets pushed to the back of my to-do list, and no matter how high my enthusiasm is, I never have enough time. Hopefully over the Christmas break I will spend some time with the tools and also finish what I promised him – a website and a photo shoot.

Sometimes, it’s time that holds us back from taking on projects; in my case it’s the only hurdle. Does anyone else struggle with lack of time to complete projects? Or do you struggle with other things like motivation or procrastination? Or, are you one that simply struggles with participating?

Emily 4. Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue

For one of my final tasks within the willow patterns project, I was asked to write a poem based on a source of inspiration from any element of the willow patterns project. The aim of the poem was to demonstrate that the creative process is endless; the production of one creative aspect can always provide stimulus for further creation. This was a daunting task for me, as I haven’t had to write poems since high school and have never had one published on a blog. The difficulty in creating a poem for me, is that because the length of words used are often minimal, so many other factors are used to create meaning, such as the pausing between words, the amount of syllables used and the particular order of certain words. To combine all of these elements together to succinctly create a story or depict an image is a careful balancing act and thus takes much practice.

Consequently, for my first attempt at writing a poem I decided to simply brainstorm a list of phrases or certain words that appealed to me within the willow patterns project. This is a recommended first step for starting any piece of creative writing, according to author and creative writing lecturer Oscar Mandel, as it allows the brain to explore all possibilities and determine what aspects will inspire or assist in your creation (1998, p77).

Once identifying the words or phrases of the book that resonated with me, I then said each of the phrases and words out loud and combined them together, to determine if I could detect a sort of rhythm, in the way the words connected and joined together. This is because, whether attempting free verse or meter poetry, “rhythm is the key physical basis of poetry” (Wormser & Capella, 2000, pg 2). In traditional English-language poetry, accents of a word are patterned, so as to form meters, in which each line has a definite number of accented units. In free-verse poetry, accent is looser and embodies the provisional, moment by moment quality of daily living and speaking (Wormser& Capella, 2000).

To get the hang of the different ways rhythm could be applied to a poem, I then practised applying my particular chosen phrases to the popular rhythms of English poetry. There are five popular methods of rhythm. Iambic, trochaic and spondaic which use two syllables within each unit of rhythm and Anapestic and Dactylic, which use three syllables within each unit of rhythm (Mandel, 1998). I experimented applying these rules to my chosen phrases, and then creating my own unit of rhythm, much like a free-verse poem. By doing both of these exercises, I was able to practice the arrangement of my chosen words and phrases, and determine which of these arrangements would suit my chosen phrases best and convey the most meaning to the audience.

This experimentation of words and rhythm will hopefully ensure that the final draft of my poem is not just a mix of jumbled words, but succinct verses that are able to convey meaning to those that read it. This achievement will demonstrate that the creative process is ongoing; what one writes for willow patterns, inspires another to write a poem, which hopefully, will inspire others to start their own creative projects, or motivate them to read and explore the Willow Patterns project further.

Maddy 4. The End Is Near

I remember enrolling in this subject at the start of 2013, my final year of university. I remember having to apply specifically to be part of the Willow Patterns project and having absolutely no idea what this subject would bring to me or what it even entailed. I spent Brisbane’s winter over in the European summer throughout June and July, only to come back to missing about 2 weeks of semester 2, not having even read the Willow Pattern book. I remember panicking greatly, I became very ill and I thought that it was the end of the world. All I wanted to do was graduate and I thought I had set myself up for a serious loss in not being prepared come the start of semester 2 2013 – my final semester of university at QUT.

I was in a group with seven other students, all different ages, and all studying different degrees – a diverse range of students with different interests. It was interesting and handy to have students across all disciplines of study who could offer different perspectives on this project we were to be working on throughout the whole semester. We created a document at the start which outlined our specific project, our roles and responsibilities, and how we would all engage with the project before we set about our tasks. My opinion is that we have done very well in working together and there has never quite been a difficult moment within the group. The only difficult aspect is time and getting together as a whole to discuss topics. It has not happened often but we have always tried our best and put in as much effort as we could to meet and hand in our individual work at the appropriate deadlines. There was also Facebook, you can never forget Facebook, and it’s always there with us glued to it! So thank you Facebook, you became very handy when it came to discussing group tasks, weekly meetings and other general topics regarding the Willow Patterns project.

‘Though teamwork is high on today’s agenda, one such design characteristic is team autonomy’ (Leach, Wall, Rogelberg and Jackson, 2005, 2). It is explained that members of teams with autonomy are typically responsible for the day-to-day management of some natural unit of work which involves decision making with task allocation and execution, and problem solving. It is evident today that teams with greater autonomy have better performance and lower member strain (Leach, Wall, Rogelberg and Jackson, 2005, 3). This article for Applied Psychology was mostly referring to organizations with teams and employees, but the overall topic is about effective teamwork and applies to our group working on the Willow Pattern project. It is clearly evident that team autonomy needs to be
present if a team is to be successful in all aspects of working on a project and getting decisions made and goals reached.

Kayes and Kayes (2011, 132) write that for teams to be effective, team members must not only share common values but must coordinate actions across time, space and expertise. I believe our group has been evidently effective in working on the Willow Pattern project, we share the same values of studying at a university, share similar disciplines and most of us are sharing the common fact that we are graduating at end of semester. We have distributed tasks evenly across all members of the group as based upon each different expertise. We have all been fair and very understanding, always willing to help, and be as efficient as possible.

I honestly believe that we have all worked towards a goal on this Willow Pattern project, and we have established a fit group that have worked well together, established rules and norms for effective, cohesive work etc. It is obvious from what I have researched on group work how important it is in everyday life, but also for when we want to go out into the real world, work in an organisation and work alongside many different employees. We first set ourselves goals for the semester, outlining what we were each to do, and coordinated efficiently across expertises and time. I think we will see positive results at the very end of semester with this project and, for some, will finish our last university subject ever on a positive high. The end is near and it’s an exciting prospect, something I am very much looking forward too.

A Few Haikus

Some haikus by India

 

Sun slides

from willow pattern

frozen flowers crack 

Willow Pattern alive

night moves

in the heat 

Sips from tiny cup

burning fingers

warm lungs 

Just washed

how cold

it sits upside down 

Lauren 3. But How Do You Decide?

A common problem I find most writers have is what format to choose for a particular piece. When I go to write a fiction story, I have trouble deciding whether the idea in my head is more for adults or for young adults; perhaps it’s a mystery or, rather, a thriller. Then I wonder whether the main character will have their story told better from a first-person or a third-person perspective. Perhaps my idea would better unfold with images rather than words? I can’t decide. And it’s that indecision that often holds me back from creating something wonderful.

Indecision is not anyone’s friend.

I’ve learnt over the past few weeks of collaborating with others that is much easier just to make a decision and watch what unfolds. The smaller the decision, the easier it is to rework with feedback at an early stage. In fact, there are hundreds of sources to help make decisions. The Art of Manliness uses The Eisenhower Decision Matrix to define the difference between what is important and what is urgent, while The Mentalists distinguish between emotional and intellectual decisions. A study by Leiden University even hypothesises that the conflict within group relationships can stop productivity altogether.  Through all these methods, what comes out clearer than anything is just to make the damn decision. 

There is zero productivity in contemplation. 

And it is this which holds back many creative minds. Often it is the fear of failure or the criticisms of others that secretly stop us from making finality a reality, and so I have started to make some now.

Firstly, at the start of the project I said I wanted to see the future of the book; so I started coming up with ideas for what I would like to see. Not many people would have heard of them, but McSweeny’s is a unique literary journal that constantly changes its style with each issue. Unlike receiving a magazine with a different celebrity face each month, McSweeny’s might be a book, but it might also be a bundle of mail with a story in each envelope, it might be a 1940’s newspaper set in San Francisco, it could be a record or a home barber kit complete with a free comb. Why force a journal to suggest images of thick pages when it could evoke the possibility of a free comb?

So I have decided to forge the traditional definition of the word “book” and focus on how a tangible story can be more fun than a literal one. Perhaps even carve up the idea of a "book" altogether.

The Art of Manliness:    http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/10/23/eisenhower-decision-matrix/

The Mentalists:               http://www.theminimalists.com/deciding/

Case Study:                     http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S074959781300071X

Timothy McSweeny’s:    https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/mcsweeneys-issue-17

 

Kat 3. The Great Book Debate

I have a confession to make. Even though I’m working my way though this project, trying to figure out the future of the book, I didn’t get it until last week. The problem is that I can’t imagine a world without physical, paper books. I love the physicality of books. I love the way the paper sounds as I turn the page, and the feel of the paper under my fingertips. I love slipping mementos between pages, and stumbling across hand written messages on the inner covers of second-hand books. I love the way leafing through a certain book is a sea of memories. I love meeting my favourite writers, and the squealing excitement of reading their newly scrawled message. And, yes, I love the smell of old books.

Scent is a powerful memory trigger, and that vanilla-like smell reminds me of running my hands over my Nanna’s books, sniffing them to try and figure out why they smelled so good. I think back to snuggling up on a chair, or when I was much younger on Mum or Nanna’s lap to read. Like Hermione Granger, I was the sort of kid to walk around hugging a book. On a plane home from Melbourne this year, I woke up hugging my (signed- and yes I squealed) copy of Tim Ferguson’s The Cheeky Monkey. I’m a chronic book-hugger, always have been.

E-readers don’t hug, and they don’t smell like old book.

In fact, my E-reader is doing little besides turn me into a grumpy old lady. I don’t like the idea of leasing a book (or album, or movie…), especially when Australia pays more for a digital file than most other countries. I don’t like the feeling of sliding my fingers across glass instead of paper. I loathe paying for a book, and having chunks of text missing from the file. And I certainly don’t like that the same techno-magic that delivers my digital books can delete them without my consent. The idea that a hunk of irritating plastic and glass could replace my beloved books? Heresy.

Last week, I finally got a chance to read The Future of the Book is the Future of Society by Bob Stein. There’s something beautiful about the idea of the book “as the vehicle humans use to move ideas around time and space.” Suddenly the book is a TARDIS. I’m ok with that. And in the same way that the TARDIS evolves to suit whoever is using it, the book is changing to reflect the new ways we interact. It’s becoming collaborative.

Stephen Fry has said that “books are no more threatened by the Kindle than stairs by elevators”, and I agree. The book has always been, will always be, a vehicle of change. Reading was once an act reserved for the devout or the wealthy. It’s grown from a source of exclusion, to a solitary activity, to an all-embracing collaboration. The changing face of the book isn’t just about whether it’s printed or digital, or who is able to read it. That’s thinking small. As writers and creatives, there’s a chance to redefine every element of the book or online text. As Stein notes, even something as simple as moving the comments from the bottom of the text to the side creates a shift in dynamics. It takes the us and them and morphs it into us: a group of people sharing ideas, asking questions, and undertaking our own hero’s journey. Even a book-hugger like me has to admit that it’s a fascinating premise.

So what about you? Are you a book-hugger, or an e-reader aficionado? And, most importantly, what should a book be? Should it be tactile and sensory, lightweight and portable? What is your perfect book, and how should it be used?

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The Future of the Book article:     http://futureofthebook.org/blog/2013/03/18/the_future_of_the_book_is_the/ 
iTunes price disparity:                   http://www.macstories.net/stories/the-great-disparity-in-global-itunes-prices/ 
Book Dedications:                         http://bookdedications.wordpress.com/
Amazon scandal:                           http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18amazon.html?_r=0
The Cheeky Monkey:                    www.cheekymonkeycomedy.com
Old book smell:                             http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/06/that-old-book-smell-is-a-mix-of-grass-and-vanilla/ 
Smell and Memory:                       http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120312-why-can-smells-unlock-memories

Poetry - This Tree Is Not Like The Others

A poem by Emily.

This tree is not like the others.

 

The branches swing like arms towards me. 

The bark is warm and vibrates between my fingers. 

The leaves whistle a melodic tune as they blow in the wind. 

This tree is not like the others. 

The roots twist and turn in the soil, like veins criss-crossing on the palm of a hand. 

The posture is like a soldier going into battle. 

The trunk, like a long and slender thigh. 

This tree is not like the others.

The face, etched into the papery skin, looks to the landscape. 

And remembers a time, when it could walk, when it could talk. 

When it was human.

Getting Into Poetry

Our bloggers here at Willow Patterns Remixed have been experimenting with different methods and strategies to cut up, mix, glue, flip, scramble, sample, reference, jumble, and remix the stories told over a year ago in Willow Patterns. So far we've written a few letters from the perspective of different characters present in the 9 short stories, each connecting them together. But now we are going to be looking at poetry.

Some find the hardest thing about poetry is choosing something worth writing about that hasn't been done before. So our bloggers are not only looking at different styles of poetry, but also what can be created from the creations of others.

Here's a simple sonnet and haiku Maddy came up with.

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Sonnet – The rhyming poem, first 12 lines, every other line rhymes. The last 2 lines rhyme with each other.

Reading Willow Patterns was like waking up every morning experiencing a new day.

Every chapter was completely different from the next, a new story to tell.

However, array of topics were to be spoken of within each chapter in a certain way.

Each author could do with them what they liked.

Showing us their flair and creative sway.

Some chapters I thoroughly enjoyed, while others’ not so much.

I thought some were quite dark, mysterious and quite frankly, gray.

It was a project put before 9 authors to finish within a 24 hour time frame.

Completing a task in that timeframe would have felt like they were writing an essay.

They were stuck in a library amongst that whole time,

Eating pizza, endless snacks, and drinking coffee while they felt they were fading away.

Oh what a brilliant job they did,

Their work must be applauded and admired for being shut away.

Writing a book within 24 hours, without turning away.

Haiku - Only 3 lines and is 17 syllables all up
Line 1: 5 syllables
Line 2: 7 syllables
Line 3: 5 syllables
And doesn’t have to rhyme


Haiku 1:

Willow Patterns was

A book with nine great stories

Written in post haste

Emily 3. Creativity In Numbers

Arguably the biggest hurdle for the group within this project has been figuring out how to merge the facts and figures of the Willow Patterns data with creative techniques such as poetry, music and sculpture. I know for me specifically, this has been difficult because it is hard to see numbers and stats as anything other than graphs and tables, which is how I have traditionally dealt with data.

To try and find a way to decipher the data, and express it in a clear and more creative way to the average individual, I turned, like always, to Google. I had always been under the opinion that creative pursuits and data belonged to two completely different spheres, where one revolved around endless possibilities and the other was confined to numbers. However, when conducting my Google search I discovered how wrong I was; it appears that creativity and data are inexplicably linked. A creative data strategist, Becky Wang claims that much of the creativity we see in the media or books is reliant on data and numerical research (2013). In her job, she is responsible for researching and collecting data for head media agencies which are then turned into advertisements, billboards and other marketing communications.
 These agencies require her to collect data on what their consumers are interested in or are attracted to. Once this data is collected it is up to her to interpret the data and determine what will work best in marketing communications. For example, if a company’s data indicates that their consumers have a real interest in innovation and technology, Becky decides whether using an ad with a green screen or animation and graphics will be effective. “The end product is always creative; revolutionary technology in adds, amazing images or photos on billboards... but these things could never be created without the data first” (Wang, 2013).

Similarly, authors and filmmakers have to research and interpret data when embarking on a new story. If the story has any non-fictional elements or is based on a particular period or event, authors and filmmakers need to research to ensure they are telling the story with a level of accuracy. This research often requires interpreting data. However data can also be used for inspiration. When an American writer of short stories was formulating his next piece, he stumbled across data revealing the 300 most used words in the English language. This data became stimulus for a poem he wrote within his next story (Webb, 2013).

With this in mind, I believe it is now time to revisit the Willow Patterns data and look closer at what the numbers and figures have to offer. By keeping an open mind and focusing on what the data is actually telling us, as opposed to just the physical numbers, we should be able to create some diverse and unique representations of the Willow Patterns journey.

An Interview With Rjurik Davidson

 Not only was it great to get some info on the surprising ease of wrapping up Willow Patterns, but we also ask Rjurik some questions about his writing style and what's next for him in the writing world. 

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1. As you were a close second in finishing your chapter, and indeed were almost done before dinner arrived, can we assume then that the writing process for you on the day was an easy one or were there some stressful moments the data doesn't identify?

You're right, it was surprisingly easy for me, and I think that had to do with the context. We all simply had to finish the piece. Usually, there are plenty of reasons to walk away from the writing: the phone rings, Facebook calls, emails arrive, you just feel like stopping. Instead, at every tiny moment I felt like stopping, at every moment when I didn't know what to write, I simply had to keep going. Once these decision were made - by the context - the only ones I had to face were story questions. What is the plot? What do the characters do now?

2. Your story is very unique, taking a new tangent with the future of the human race. Was this an idea you had held previously or did you come into the project looking to start something completely from scratch?

I had no idea what I would write. Partly this was because we agreed on a number of things in common at the beginning of the day. Bringing an idea to that would have been dangerous I think. The key moment, for me, was when someone suggested the stories take place in a library. When that was agreed upon, together with the suggestion that there be a flood involved, the image of an empty, ruined library sprung into my head. Then immediately afterwards, a notion of two warring characters, then the opening line: "At night I sharpen the axe..... " So it was all pretty much conceived in the moment.

3. Some of the other authors so far have had reservations about their work on Willow Pattern, what with it being a fast first draft and all. How did you feel about your own work, and and the outcome overall?

I don't really have any reservations. No. I mean, it's a first draft, but my story has a vitality to it, a lack of frills which I like. I recently re-read it and there are a few errors - including an erroneous name - but I think it works well. I think you're bound to have uneven contributions during a process like that. But it worked for me. I wish I had a 24-hour book project every day. It would certainly increase my productivity!

4. Being the last writer on the book allowed for certain freedoms as well as more constraints to tie the book together, which you did tremendously well. How did being last effect your writing? And did you put your hand up for the job?

I did put my hand up for the job, because I wanted to write speculative fiction. I wanted the ruined future library that I pictured during the initial discussions. As soon as I got that, I tried to incorporate as much of the common ideas and characters as I could. This meant periodically checking out the wall where people placed little notes, ad well as listening to the others when we had our mid-day meeting. During the actual writing, though, I could only afford a piece of my mind to what the others were doing. Mostly it was: "How do I make this story work?"

5. The title of your collection The Library of Forgotten Books brings to my mind Borges and I have read that he is an influence of yours also. Were there any specific influences in your Dark Tides story for Willow Pattern that you can recall?

Looking back on it, I'd say my story is quite Ballardian. It reminds me of his early stories, the ruined world, humanity which is transcending in some way. The environmental concerns are my own, as is the way I handle the conflict between human and post-human. In Ballard, humanity is doomed. In my story, well, it's uncertain what the future holds. There might be a bit of Peter Carey in there too. I love Carey's stories, and maybe 'Crabs' might be an influence here?

6. Certainly 12 hours to complete a short story is out of the ordinary, how long do you generally spend on one of your pieces of short fiction?

The stories of mine which work the best tend to be written quickly. Sometimes even in around two sittings, though they're never finished in one day. I'll tinker with them a couple of times after that, to add the little bits the story often really needs to be complete. Others I work and work on, and they often become huge and unwieldy - sometimes these end up working, but there are others that are half-finished and I don't know if I'll ever complete them. Nowadays I want to simplify. I find beauty in that simplicity. In music they call it knowing "when not to play." The word for it is grace - doing something with the simplest possible motion. That's what I'm starting to appreciate more. I've been reading Ursula Le Guin, and she has that grace.

7. You were, for the most part, writing short fiction before working on Unwrapped Sky, your first novel, at the time of the 24 hour book. How do you find the differences between novel writing, short stories and this rapid approach? And which do you prefer?

I love short stories, but I haven't worked on any for some time. Sadly, unless you're Alice Munro, you're not going to be able to survive as a short story writer. So it's novels for me at the moment and I spend a lot of time in the midst of these very complicated books thinking "I just want to write short stories!". I love them both though. Still, a novel is a big investment, and when they don't work you can't just walk away. I will however get back to stories in between novels. I can't leave them alone for too long.

8. With your first novel almost ready for release what is next for you?

Well, I'm working on the second novel, a sequel to Unwrapped Sky. It's called The Stars Askew and I'm about to send it to my editor. Then I'll be working on a 1890s Australian steampunk novel. It's set in an Australia which still has the inland sea, and the lead character is a suffragette. It involves a massively changed Melbourne, automatons, and Australian megafauna. Most of all, it should be fun. It will be nice to leave the world of Unwrapped Sky and write something simpler and snappier.

9. And would you ever consider being involved with something similar to the 24 hour book again? Perhaps now you're a novelist, a 24 day novel?

Yes. Yes. Yes. But a 24 hour novel might be a bit complicated, unless you had time to plan. a 3-day novel, perhaps? But then you've got finance problems. Anyway, I loved the experience and would do it again in a heartbeat.