Castle News

I work from home. We had a small office that was set up for minor accounting things and has a lot of sundry supplies that we don't really have the room for. But, as one of the benefits of becoming an empty nester is that I was able to shuffle around some rooms. It was hubbies idea to start with, but after he mentioned it I couldn't really get it out of my mind. We relocated the left over furniture and supplies from the girls and then we combined them into one room. This made

I don't know when it started, date wise, but I met Dianna some time in 2024. She'd just started up BCP Creations and wanted to put out a collaborative novella series.

Getting your book out into the world is quite the achievement, but it doesn't end there. There are more than and estimated 22k books released each year in Australia alone. Then you have to consider; when you are on the internet it is an international Market! I couldn't even guess how many books are released annually worldwide. There are so many creatives striving for attention.

I am returned this day to answer your queries. Although there have been many, I will only answer questions three. Your patience and understanding will be rewarded in well-considered responses. The demands on my time are high and the answers I provide will sate the most curious mind.

There is an alignment that settles over me when I get up early in the morning compared to sleeping in. I feel as though sleeping in equals missing out on so much. Normally it isn't a dramatic sleep in. But a sleep in none the less makes me feel like I didn't do what I was meant to. I think this is something that I need to work on. I was riding every day in the mornings but that fell through after a time and I didn't even get a chance to see the sunrise. I would get up with h

Have you every struggled to choose what to watch on your favourite streaming service? Sometimes it feels like there are too many options! There are no right or wrong answers when you are searching, it is a choice. Sometimes this choice is just for you and sometimes it will impact the family. Worst case scenario you start watching something and then change your mind and have to go back to the very beginning - Search mode. I remember when I was much younger, we used to go to th

So, write-ins. Why do we do them?

As the ancient gods and beasts fade into memory they are fresh in my mind's eye. We walked the shadowed path hand in hand and I measured their secrets. I continue to guard those secrets for time immemorial. That wisdom has stayed within me. New elements emerge from the essence of creation, as they have done many times before. Each time I have witnessed the change, my duty has been to quell the disquiet from the shadows.

I met J A Duxbury online not long after I started the Bushland Castle Productions. I think it was something to do with the podcast and advertising the second series on her writing group. I was open to new interviews at the time and she was keen to come on as a guest. We discussed the business at length and as I had been out of the game for so long I wanted to know how I could best support current writers. I had a fair idea what I was interested in, but there was a chance thin

Owning your list is important. You may likely have already heard this ad nauseum if you are in the small business world, but it is true. I lost access to Meta before Christmas for almost two weeks and I couldn't do anything about it. I was fortunate enough to have the pages reinstated, but I lost so many contacts at that time that I don't really know what the cost of it was. Because I am only a fledgeling company with limited items for sale, it wasn't immediately noticeable.

Bushland Castle Productions has just opened the gates for 2 writing Scroll competitions. A Speculative fiction challenge that focusses on the Catalyst of change and a Memoir challenge that focusses on the heritage that built your foundation. The team are excited to work through the submissions and the Council of Quills have been assembled.

I was interviewing someone for the podcast recently and I asked who their ideal writing avatar was. This is something that I was introduced to when I first started the podcast in 2018 and it has popped up in writing circle, marketing plans and business development. Who is your ideal client/student/reader/listener. What do they look like, what are they passionate about, when to they find time to listen to podcasts/read books/hang around on social media?

I am a writer. It is something that brings me joy. A big part of being a writer is reading. Reading widely with intent and reading widely for the sheer joy of it. I was sitting at my desk the other day and I just finished reading one of the Novellas that is currently at the beta phase. This was a fantastic opportunity, as beta reading often is, to note where I am engaged/excited, where I am conflicted/confused and if there are any parts within the story that push me out/pul

So, we all know that writing a novel, novella or even a saga can be a soloist performance. But sometimes it doesn't have to be. Are there times when you wish you had someone to throw ideas around with? To brainstorm with or just have a chat with?

Today I am writing the blog from the Crown towers in Perth. I have a beautiful view of the water and the city. The main room has a relaxing chaise lounge, the most luxurious bed with overlarge puffy pillows, a table and some chairs. When I am reading I can recline on the chaise, while working on the laptop I am at the table with a beautiful view every time I look up from the screen. To support my work requirements, I have my laptop bag and another bag with supporting document

The first fiction reading journal I used wasn't really anything special. I had heard of the idea from someone online and thought that would be a great way to keep track of the books I had read and remind me about the stories, months or years down the track. It has come in handy when a third book comes out and I really want to read it, but it was a while ago since I read the first. I write my own opinions in it, so when I read it back to myself it normally brings me back to th

I thought that it would be fun to start and daily post within the Bushland Pages community. Something that will help people try mindfulness for at least 5 minutes a day. These activities are short and things that you most likely already do every day. I am just writing it down and suggesting people give it a go. People have been sharing their reflections with me and it has been great to hear some of the creative interpretations of these different activities.

When you start a project sometimes it seems like there are so many moving parts that you have to start putting in the right order. I know for the Otherworldly Emergence series there have been many aspects that I had to pull into order to make it make sense. Every creative project deserves a moment of your time to put together a general plan.

For some people the creativity flows continuously and it is hard to capture all the drops in time before distractions steals it away. For others, there seems to be a blockage in their pipes! The blank page elicits fear and confusion. The self doubt spiral begins to spin like the water down a drain.

There are several reasons in the creative industries that you may require a media pack. When you are guesting on a podcast, any interview opportunities, speaking engagements, building collaborations and potentially sponsorships. These are created as your one stop information package to send out. It could be through a google link, or an email, as long as the information gets through.