Helen Lowe's Blog, page 163
January 12, 2015
Earthquake Repairs: Could 2015 Begin My Year Of Living Heroically?
The hero goes on a journey…
As mentioned recently, fellow Supernatural Underground-er, Amanda Arista’s post-series on Living Heroically was one of my favourites of 2014. In it, Amanda followed the steps of the classic Hero’s Journey, starting with the opening gambit of: “But I Don’t Wanna,” said Every Hero Ever.
Yesterday, when looking ahead to 2015, I mentioned that 2015 will be “be the year when the insurance repairs to the earthquake damage on our house should at least start, if not be finis...
January 11, 2015
On 2015 and Resolution
On Friday I took a retrospective look at last year’s new year’s resolve—and promised to return today with some thoughts on my goals and challenges for 2015.
I caught up with some friends today where we discussed this very topic and one of the important resolutions for all of us was to try and improve work-life balance. This is a big one for me, because the last five years have felt like an unending grind of earthquakes, the aftermath of living in a majorly damaged city, while continuing to slo...
January 10, 2015
NZ’s Sir Julius Vogel Awards: Time To Get Nominating
The Sir Julius Vogel Awards are given annually by SFFANZ for achievement in New Zealand Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. The current nomination period is open until 31 January.
Unlike many other SFF awards internationally, anyone can make a nomination (although only members of SFFANZ and those attending the National Science Fiction-Fantasy Convention can vote for the shortlisted works.) The shortlists are determined by the number of nominations received, so don’t hold back—if you have a wo...
January 9, 2015
Thanking My 2014 Contributors
Blogging regularly is no small task, so the assistance of regular contributors is a boon, one for which I am profoundly grateful with “…on Anything, Really.”
Rebecca Fisher & Big Worlds On Small Screens:
Rebecca Fisher
On Tuesday, I posted the blog’s 10 “Most-Read” posts of the past year, two of which were from Rebecca Fisher’s Big Worlds On Small Screens column. As noted then, Rebecca has kept this column going every fortnight for 18 months, so I’m delighted that you all seem to be enjoying it...
January 8, 2015
About That Resolution, Then…
Tis the season…for lists, for sure, but also for retrospectives and resolutions.
I’ve managed both lists and retrospectives over the past two days with
The 10 Most-Read Posts of “…On Anything Really”, 2014
and
respectively.
Today it’s time for a retrospective on last year’s resolution, which was simply this (abridged):
“Daughter Of Blood, The Wall Of Night Book Three Daughter Of Blood, The Wall Of Night Book Three Daughter Of Blood, The Wall Of Night Book Three Daughter Of Bl...
January 7, 2015
My Favourites From 2014
Yesterday, I posted the 10 Most-Read Posts From 2014, here on the blog, — i.e. your favourites.
Today I’m turning the spotlight onto a few of my favourites from the year, not necessarily all on the blog. But I will start with my favourite post of the year:
1. My Personal Favourite Post:
Because after close on 2.5 years of writing, completing the manuscript for Daughter Of Blood so was a moment of intense joy. Being able to share the good news was joyful, too.
2. Top Honour:
Being no...
January 6, 2015
The Most-Read Posts of “…On Anything Really” From 2014
Today, it’s that time of the new year — when I wrap up the Christmas-New Year break period by looking back at the 10 blog posts of 2014 you found most interesting.
In 2012 and 2013 I revealed this over 10 days with a final wrap up at the end. I’m doing things a little differently this year for two reasons: firstly, because I’ve just completed the Twelve Days of Epic Christmas, but also because the pattern of what you looked at this year falls a little differently—which I’ll explain after the e...
January 5, 2015
Twelfth Night
As of yesterday, I completed counting down the Twelve Days of Epic Christmas here on the blog—and depending on how you count them, i.e. from December 25th as the first day, or alternatively December 26th as the first day of the Christmas season, either last night or tonight is Twelfth Night. Which got me thinking on what Twelfth Night is all about, other than marking the end of the official twelve days.
The most recent tradition is that Twelfth Night is “officially” when all Christmas decorati...
The Twelve Epic Days Of Christmas: It’s A Wrap
So here it is, my compleat Twelve Epic Days Of Christmas:
On the Twelve Epic Days of Christmas, My True Muse sent to me:
A Twelve-Sided Table from a Room with Twelve Doors
Eleven Normarch damosels
Ten Ijiri AssassinsNine Derai Houses
Eight Night Honor Guards
A Jhainarian Seven
Six Emerian Oakwarders
Five messenger horsesFour Emerian marches
Three weapons of power
Two mysterious heralds
and
One chosen hero!
.
—
And there may be another post later in the day, also on a seasonal theme… 
.
January 4, 2015
An Epic Christmas: On The Twelfth Day…
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true Muse sent to me…
A Twelve-Sided Table from a Room with Twelve Doors
‘Malian…saw her own awe and wonder mirrored in Kalan’s face. The room’s twelve walls remained, but now the roof was far overhead and points of fire glimmered in the arched dome. Like stars, Malian thought, staring up—or meteors burning through space.
The twelve doorways, too, had grown tall, stretching toward the distant roof. Each frame was outlined in golden flame and the solid wooden do...
