Creative Community Lockdown Collaboration!

Books are here! Over the past few months, I’ve been busy doing everything I can to keep both my creativity and the creativity of others inspired. It’s been a tough time for a lot of authors – author appearances cancelled, author appearances not even organised, community creativity projects ditched due to withdrawn government funding, publishers and agents closing, going on hiatus or cutting back, and all the while battling lockdown fatigue. There have been such drastically reduced opportunities for authors, it’s been easy to loose heart… and thus creativity.

So what better time to invent a creative project to keep us all going: an anthology of stories and song by my writers’ group… all inspired by lyrics!

I gave my writers’ group just one instruction: use any well-known lyric, rhyme or chant for inspiration. Famous lyrics endure because they resonate with meaning. By connecting with those lyrics, writers can reinvent and extend that meaning to others.

It worked! Writers chose sources as diverse as U2, Shakespeare, Dire Straits, Les Misérables, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Florence and the Machine, The Hollies, Moby, The Eagles, and Muse. Not only did the words of these great artists uplift us all as creators, but we produced a captivating and delightfully eclectic range of work to uplift readers too – from the humorous to life story, historical fiction, fantasy, sci fi, crime and mystery. There’s something for everyone – even a musical script! Here’s the blurb:

Lyrics are magical – they can instantly impact our emotions, entice our bodies to move, and… inspire other artists! Feel your way through this highly imaginative anthology of stories and songs, all inspired by lyrics, rhymes and chants. Creative minds connecting to invent and conjure, cast and delight!

The writers contributing to this anthology are: Phil Burgin, Millicent Davis, Peter Fagan, Guy Hallowes, Rodney Jensen, Azmeena Kelly, Mijmark, Kate Mitchell, Tara Ray, Howard Reid, Elise Robertson, Rose Saltman, Zena Shapter, Susan Steggall, and Sonia Zadro.

These brave creators, and myself as editor, now hope to entertain you with the anthology available in both print and ebook, from as little as $4.99. More details, along with links to order via online bookstores such as Amazon, Booktopia and Barnes & Noble, are over here.

In what ways has your own creativity been challenged by the Covid-19 pandemic and/or lockdowns, and what has been your primary motivation to keep your creativity fresh and strong?

Photos from the Launch!

Congratulations, everyone!!