Vida Li Sik's Blog, page 2
June 21, 2018
What's in a picture?
https://www.vidalisik.com/blog/what-s...
I am an avid photographer . . . using my mobile phone ever since I was relieved of my brother's Nikon camera while walking down Bree Street in downtown Joburg, on my way to a photography course.
Anyway, I digress. I've taken thousands of photos ever since. I like images that generate conversations that often end up with long or short stories and lots of laughter. It was hard to choose, but I'd like to chat about five of my favourite ones:
When I was at school and varsity, the Jacaranda trees would serve as a reminder of exams, usually that it was too late to study by the time you see them bloom. I also love trees and every October/November I'd take a photo of the Jacaranda trees in bloom and post it on Facebook. Within minutes I'd have friends and family from far and wide comment on how much the trees remind them of South Africa and how much they miss seeing these majestic trees or purple menaces (when you slip on their petals or have to sweep them up).
I have a knack of spotting the unusual in nature. Sometimes it only makes sense to me, but it doesn't stop me from finding little things to marvel at. There's this tree outside my bedroom window and as it grows, i these "eyes" appear for awhile and eventually dry up. I posted one on FB and asked people to guess what it was. It freaked out a number of friends, but I let them stew for a day before I revealed the full photo.
One of my all-time favourites is of my eldest son, hanging upside down on a jungle gym. He was still in nursery school and the principal would take photos of the children every day and post them so parents could see what their kids got up to. This one is in a frame perched on a table in our lounge. Every visitor who sees it for the first time inevitably asks, "Why is it upside down?" And that's how yet another conversation starts. . .
Lastly, I love trees (yes, I know I said that already), birds and the blue sky I see almost every day over Jozi. i love photos that combine all three. We have an Acacia tree in our backyard and when we sit on the patio, we can watch some weavers building nests in it, groan when the female comes to inspect it, decides she doesn't like it and start demolishing the structure. Needless to say, we have many bird stories with which to entertain our guests - from pesky Indian Mynahs, the African Hoep-Hoep and Hadedas who've made their home in our yard and how I once admired an unusual pigeon that perched on my garden table, only to find it killed by our dog Beethoven, a mere 20 minutes later.
So, what's in a picture? I'd say, a thousand words, more or less.
I am an avid photographer . . . using my mobile phone ever since I was relieved of my brother's Nikon camera while walking down Bree Street in downtown Joburg, on my way to a photography course.
Anyway, I digress. I've taken thousands of photos ever since. I like images that generate conversations that often end up with long or short stories and lots of laughter. It was hard to choose, but I'd like to chat about five of my favourite ones:
When I was at school and varsity, the Jacaranda trees would serve as a reminder of exams, usually that it was too late to study by the time you see them bloom. I also love trees and every October/November I'd take a photo of the Jacaranda trees in bloom and post it on Facebook. Within minutes I'd have friends and family from far and wide comment on how much the trees remind them of South Africa and how much they miss seeing these majestic trees or purple menaces (when you slip on their petals or have to sweep them up).
I have a knack of spotting the unusual in nature. Sometimes it only makes sense to me, but it doesn't stop me from finding little things to marvel at. There's this tree outside my bedroom window and as it grows, i these "eyes" appear for awhile and eventually dry up. I posted one on FB and asked people to guess what it was. It freaked out a number of friends, but I let them stew for a day before I revealed the full photo.
One of my all-time favourites is of my eldest son, hanging upside down on a jungle gym. He was still in nursery school and the principal would take photos of the children every day and post them so parents could see what their kids got up to. This one is in a frame perched on a table in our lounge. Every visitor who sees it for the first time inevitably asks, "Why is it upside down?" And that's how yet another conversation starts. . .
Lastly, I love trees (yes, I know I said that already), birds and the blue sky I see almost every day over Jozi. i love photos that combine all three. We have an Acacia tree in our backyard and when we sit on the patio, we can watch some weavers building nests in it, groan when the female comes to inspect it, decides she doesn't like it and start demolishing the structure. Needless to say, we have many bird stories with which to entertain our guests - from pesky Indian Mynahs, the African Hoep-Hoep and Hadedas who've made their home in our yard and how I once admired an unusual pigeon that perched on my garden table, only to find it killed by our dog Beethoven, a mere 20 minutes later.
So, what's in a picture? I'd say, a thousand words, more or less.
May 26, 2018
How Campnanowrimo helps me write
Another virtual writing camp is done and dusted!
How many times have you said or heard someone say "I want to write a book"? Many times, I'm sure. But until you sit down and actually write something, it will only remain a pipe dream. That's where the National Novel Writing Month (www.nanowrimo.org) can help turn your dream into reality.
A writing buddy told me about this yearly Internet-based creative writing project that runs from 1-30 November. The aim is simple: write a novel of 50 000 words over a period of 30 days. Yikes! It sounds like a lot but when you break it down, it comes to 1667 words per day. I took up the challenge in 2014, to prove to myself that I could. And I did.
I made every effort to reach the daily goal of 1 667 words per day, in between my day job, caring for my family and other social responsibilities. I wrote mainly at night and put in extra effort on weekends. That's how I managed to write my debut sports romance novel Bowled Over.
Was that first draft perfect? No way! Far from it. I then signed up for Camp Nanowrimo (www.campnanowrimo.org) during the months of April and July) to revise, revise and revise again. These Internet-based virtual camps are more relaxed as you decide on a project and set your own goal for that month. I made new writing friends from around the globe and their encouragement saw me over the line time and time again, as I'm a procrastinator of note.
Now another camp has ended, my fourth in a row. I used this one to revise another novel that I finished writing during the July camp last year.
I'm eternally grateful for these times because they've helped me finish a story that lived only in my head for over a decade.
Who or what has helped you accomplish your writing goals?
How many times have you said or heard someone say "I want to write a book"? Many times, I'm sure. But until you sit down and actually write something, it will only remain a pipe dream. That's where the National Novel Writing Month (www.nanowrimo.org) can help turn your dream into reality.
A writing buddy told me about this yearly Internet-based creative writing project that runs from 1-30 November. The aim is simple: write a novel of 50 000 words over a period of 30 days. Yikes! It sounds like a lot but when you break it down, it comes to 1667 words per day. I took up the challenge in 2014, to prove to myself that I could. And I did.
I made every effort to reach the daily goal of 1 667 words per day, in between my day job, caring for my family and other social responsibilities. I wrote mainly at night and put in extra effort on weekends. That's how I managed to write my debut sports romance novel Bowled Over.
Was that first draft perfect? No way! Far from it. I then signed up for Camp Nanowrimo (www.campnanowrimo.org) during the months of April and July) to revise, revise and revise again. These Internet-based virtual camps are more relaxed as you decide on a project and set your own goal for that month. I made new writing friends from around the globe and their encouragement saw me over the line time and time again, as I'm a procrastinator of note.
Now another camp has ended, my fourth in a row. I used this one to revise another novel that I finished writing during the July camp last year.
I'm eternally grateful for these times because they've helped me finish a story that lived only in my head for over a decade.
Who or what has helped you accomplish your writing goals?
