Zine Review: Pieces #1 On Writing, Reading & Growing Up

Pieces 1

Pieces #1 On Writing, Reading & Growing Up
Nichole
http://wemakezines.ning.com/profile/Nichole
https://www.etsy.com/shop/fictionandnot

This zine (and #2-#5) came through a trade I made a few years ago thanks to the We Make Zines site. Nichole prefers trades to outright sales, so my financially-challenged self was quite happy.

I had a good feeling that I would like this first one because I am an author (and was back when I made the trade, too) and love a lot of things that are writing-related. This zine did not disappoint.

Pieces takes a ‘snippets of life’ approach to her zine with, well, snippets of her life. Bits and pieces that surround reading, writing, authors and what it means to grow up as a creative person. She does skip around in time – jumping forward and back – but chronology doesn’t matter as much as the feelings of the scenes involved. While my glitchy self would have loved chronology, my free love hippie self was happy to go with the flow.

What was even better is how many experiences Nichole and I had in common. For instance, I also wrote for Young Authors when I was in school. I also started using British spellings in school only to be told a resounding no. (Yay for moving to Australia and putting extra letters in all sorts of words! Colour!) While she was not allowed to read at the table, I was not allowed to write. But we were both convinced (if only a little bit) that the characters would get up to something while we were away.

We’ve even both met Garth Nix.

I won’t give it away, but the zine ends on an exhilarating (especially if you’ve done it yourself) note that leaves you wanting to know what happened next.

Don’t Call Me Cupcake 2

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Last October (HOW DID TIME GO SO FAST?! WHERE HAVE I BEEN?!) I took an anxiety-filled dive into the world of making my first perzine. Up until then, my zines always had the focus of other people in some way, shape or form. I never really took a stance and talked about how I felt.

Mostly because I’m a chronic fence-sitter, and expressing my opinion on anything opens me up to criticism. And criticism makes me cry.

I wish I was joking.

Anyway, the whole thing was liberating. Wonderful. Yeah, I made some statements that are no longer true for me, but that’s life. People change. However, it’s been way too long between zines.

Before 2015 is out, I really want to create DCMC 2. The first zine was about introductions. Why I chose the name Nyx, an intro to my world of bipolar, an intro to my art therapy, etc. I have finally decided on the ‘theme’ for the next issue:

Fear

I do have some non-fear-related pieces to put in there to lighten up the mood a bit, but the main focus will be fear/s. I do deal with anxiety as well as decision-making phobia and so on. However, while I’m still in the planning stages…

Do you have any suggestions about a fear related topic you’d be interested in reading about? (Or another topic you would like me to write about.) Anything. A response to thoughts, a question, anything really… I am open to suggestions within reason, so if you have any, please let me know.

Call for Submissions: 30 before 30 Ideas

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Yeah, I still don’t have my list finished. I have started on some of these, so I am still thinking that I will get this done.

Here’s the thing: I turn 30 in a bit under a year. I want to create a ‘thirty things to accomplish before I turn thirty’ list because I think it would be fun.

Whenever I start, though, it turns into my current to-do list. Bah.

So tell me your suggestions! I don’t promise to do them, but I do promise to have a good think about whether it/they should be on the list. So far I’ve had suggestions like watch the sun rise on the beach, go skinny dipping, and learn a different language. I’m also looking for food/drinks to try and other experiences. I’m not exactly rich, so I can’t fly to Japan or anything, but I’ll sort that all out once I have plenty of suggestions to choose from.

Have at it!

Hello Friday!

What a week!

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I found a recipe to bake eight large choc chip bikkies. Perfect sized batch.

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I found out my cat is Scrabble Cat! He never has to use the dictionary to look up a word.

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I found out Zine Ninja loves Picnics – and not the sit-on-a-blanket kind.

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I know Mondays are usually reserved for mail, but what the heck. Mail! This one came via sendsomething.net

Out & About – Zine Ninja Adventures

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Zine Ninja had a grand time out and about. A friend – I think she shall now be known as Kickass – and I ran a few errands in preparation for her mum’s/my friend’s birthday tomorrow. Zine Ninja got introduced to the yummy treat known as a Picnic.

Bliss.