Check It Out!

In another life, I am an author. While I try not to let that life cross into my zine life too often, my wonderful student debt dictates that I put my squirmy feelings aside and ‘cross promote’. Not that I have anything against sales as such – I’m just not built to be a salesman. (Even as much as my life could benefit were I such.)

I have recently released the ‘boxed set’ of my first three books. It’s an interesting set in that the first I wrote before my Professional Writing & Editing Cert IV and diploma stuff, the second book I wrote during, and the third book I wrote as I was finishing up. So you can really see how much my style has changed and been polished up in that time.

Of course, the set is cheaper than buying the ebooks individually. Check it out here on Amazon. Any sharing and, of course, purchases, are greatly appreciated.

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Zine Review: The Third Biannual Mildly Informative Booklet Depicting Graphical Representations of General Occurrences and Observations

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I need to learn to take better pictures…

The Third Biannual Mildly Informative Booklet Depicting Graphical Representations of General Occurrences and Observations
Sarah McNeil
A6
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/SarahMcNeil

Phew! What a title! Not to be confused with Updated Report of Observations Which Somehow Seem to Reflect Abstractly on Life (Stat 2)

With pie charts like ‘Things I Put On My Various Tumbler Accounts’, a coffee flow chart, and ‘Books To Get For My Sister/Her Baby’, this is another zine that gives a glimpse into a life in a fun way. I do wonder if the zine creator has a real sense of the picture she paints of her life, if it’s simply ‘a bit of fun’, and if my picture is actually in any way accurate.

It doesn’t really matter, as most of the fun is really in not knowing. Not reading too deeply.

I love this zine as much as I love Sarah’s previous zine of graphs and charts. The addition of lists was a decision I adore (bring on the lists!). However, the thing that really got me for this zine is the first pie chart, regarding spelling occurrence wrong, which I have done today no less than five times. It’s always good to know one isn’t alone. 😉

This zine is what it is in that you’ll be able to tell fairly straight away whether you’ll like it or not. I appreciate that very much.

Happy Mail From Germany!

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Wowza! I was starting to get worried that this one had been lost to the postal gods, but it arrived safe and sound today. Very happy about that. This is from a woman on Swap-Bot who really wanted to try Tim Tams and other treats. So I sent some her way, and she sent me this massive pile of awesomeness. So happy. Stationery and sweets. That’s all it takes, really.

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German newspaper! I asked her to send me a page from her local paper. I’m not sure what the attraction is, but I like seeing newspapers from around the world. And magazines, of course, but they tend to be heavy.

I did try for my life to upload/embed a little video of the goodies on the table. BUT it just wouldn’t upload and wouldn’t embed. So if you want to see a short shot of stuff, hear me speak, and hear me make a silly voice, check out my Instagram page.

Call for Submissions: Dear Anonymous 4

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Dear Anonymous has a rolling, open submission, so you can submit your letters at any time!

DA4 is on its way, and you still have time to get your letters in. These letters can be confessionals, but they can also be whatever you like them to be. Write to your life, write to your cat, write to your past or your future… Dear Anonymous is about writing the letters of the things you can’t say for whatever reason.

Basically, you’re right in the 1 – 500 words range, but shorter is better. BUT, this zine is about expression, and I don’t want to force anyone to clamp down on their passion just for me. I’m flexible.

Send letters to theauthor at inkyblots.com If I don’t respond to you within a few days, comment here.

All contributors will receive a PDF copy. (Possibly a print copy depending on my financial status at the time of printing.)

*** Do you have a call for submissions for your zine? Let me know!

Zine Review: Pieces #3 On Writing, Drinking & Demons

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Pieces #3 On Writing, Drinking & Demons
Nichole
http://wemakezines.ning.com/profile/Nichole
https://www.etsy.com/shop/fictionandnot

I understand now what drives a lot of people to do this and, more importantly, the vague reasons why.

Pieces #3 is one of those zines where I want to quote everything because I identify with this, and with this, and with this…

You get the picture.

From the beginning, Nichole had me with this zine for a number of reasons. Perhaps because I’ve been so desperate to write – to actually finish something. Or perhaps because I’ve been exactly where she was when she made this zine: longing for the possibilities an altered state of mind might provide. I, too, used to look down my nose at people who did such things, but I also now understand why they do it…

As Nichole states on the first page, this zine was written over two days in a flow-of-consciousness style while she swims to the bottom of a bottle of Captain Morgan. It’s an interesting transition as the first strip of black is put on the page partway through the journey and ends with white text on a page of black – plus a photocopied, handwritten page almost as if to prove it had happened.

Even in the literally darkest part of the zine, she seems unsure to the point of needing ‘proof’. Or I could just be reading into it too much. Either way, I still feel the urge to take her out for an ice cream and tell her that I really like her zines.

The next morning in the zine dawns bright once again with black-bordered type on white pages. Attempts to write disappear completely in the wake of ice creams and conversations. While the whole thing left Nichole feeling like she wasn’t sure whether it was a success or not, I see it as the former. After all, I think producing words requires ‘getting out and living a bit’.

For the anxious and shy, sometimes that requires alcohol.

Drinking never seems to accomplish what I initially set out to do…

I hear you.

Somethin’ somethin’. Continue reading “Zine Review: Pieces #3 On Writing, Drinking & Demons”