Penultant week of the Arts Centre Residency

11 October 2021

At the beginning of the residency, three months seemed a long time, especially when we went into lockdown. But that time, with no distractions, proved to be great for my writing. I set a goal of how many chapters I wanted to complete in a week and I kept writing until I achieved my target. Sometimes the writing stumbled along, sometimes it was rushed with too much telling, and sometimes it flowed from my fingers. But I have reached my goal of finishing my first draft before I finished the residency. 

I had several things I wanted to achieve over the residency; the first being to write a junior fiction novel about Sir Ernest Rutherford; the second, using the opportunity while in Christchurch to visit schools and promote my books. A Covid-19 lockdown stymied that for a while, but I did do six author talks over the time (with one to do next week). Also, participation in the Word festival, which was cancelled, and then postponed to a date in November (but I'll be home then). And a book launch cancelled twice! The bookseller had ordered a box of 'Remarkable Animal Stories' and so to help sell them, we decided to do a book signing at the new Telling Tales bookshop on Saturday 16th October from 11.00-1.00pm. Please come along if you're in town.

The third thing I wanted to achieve was to get to know Christchurch more and I did. I biked around Hagley Park daily past the daffodils and jonquils, under the cherry trees, and over the bridges with ducks and swans swimming underneath. I also swam at the hot pools every weekend, not counting four weeks of lockdown and then maintenance. I drove to Black Diamond Harbour, Sumner, Amberley and Akaroa. At the latter I discovered the Giant's House, saw seals on a Black Cat boat (we had hoped to see Hector dolphins but were out of luck), and had a drink overlooking the water. We were very fortunate to have splendid weather that weekend.

Over the school holidays, I taught Write Like an Author workshops to 8-14 year old students in Dunedin and Christchurch. Both groups had kids that loved to read and write, which made them a pleasure to teach. Lots of talent in the rooms, too.

With only a nine days to go, I'm now looking forward to going home and seeing the family. I've missed them terribly. I had planned to fly back, one month after I had arrived here, for the weekend. My husband was also going to join me for a weekend away at Hamner Springs (it would have been our first time there), and my family were going to fly to Nelson to celebrate my birthday on my way back. All those plans were scuppered. But I can't complain, I've had freedoms that I wouldn't have been able to enjoy if I had been home in Auckland.

So, with my thoughts on leaving, I realised it has been a real privilege to stay in the Arts Centre with its century old stone buildings. Our bedrooms overlook the Botanical Gardens and I often hear laughter and music. I've seen a group of middle-aged women practicing their cultural dance, families picnicking on the grass verge, and hundreds of people walking or biking along the pavement every day. Plus I've been served a dawn religious rant from the Prophet each morning. It's given me a new perspective on living in the city.

Hannah Wilson, the Arts Centre creative residencies coordinator, has helped make our stay here very comfortable and she's been very supportive of our varying careers in the arts. She's arranged a photographer to take professional photos that we can use going forward. Plus met us fortnightly for coffee breaks to check we've got everything we need and we're surviving psychologically in this Covid world. She's also spent time in the weekend administrating our workshops. Chris, Shelley and others at the Arts Centre have also been very supportive.

Things I'll miss when I leave: my friend Lorraine Orman who's been great company, Ruth Parkyn - a dear 92-year-old who has been incredibly generous sharing meals and looking after my car (no parking at the Arts Centre), my cousin Mark Buckley who has taken me out to dinner several times, catching up with Jenny Cooper - the stunning illustrator from Amberley, the cinema - four steps downstairs from our apartment, the park at my doorstep, Rutherford's den, and those fortnightly meetings with Hannah and the three other Arts residents: Nathan, A.J., and Tilly. And I can't forget Fifi Colston, my traveling buddy, who helped me drive all the way down from Auckland to Christchurch and is going back up to Taupo with me as well (I'll continue the trip to Auckland on my own, going through two Covid borders).

Stay safe!

Maria Gill

		Fifi and I at the Giant's House, Akaroa
Fifi and Ruth	Seals in Akaroa Harbour
View from our accommodation		Blossoms in Akaroa

Alert Level 2 at the Arts Centre, Christchurch

17 September 2021

 

Last week I typed three chapters, this week one. I've been processing 'writers block'. My inner voice or imposter syndrome voice has been questioning whether I've written the right version of the scientist's life. I tried out a more expository style but it just felt like I was talking at the reader, so I've gone back to the third person point of view, creative nonfiction style. 

I'm struggling with what to leave-out and what to include. The scientist was a student for a long time and I can only say he sat exams and then waited for his results back home, so many times. I'm not going to edit what I've written so far, I'll tackle this problem when I'm doing a structural edit. But each sentence seems to deposit on the page in very slow fashion.

But I haven't just been writing this week... I also visited two schools in the Akaroa region. I traveled down on the Monday, having a late lunch at the Little River cafe. I had the best salmon frittata I've ever eaten. The buttery scalloped potatoes on top made it stand out from the rest.

I then checked into Akaroa Waterfront apartments and when they say five metres from the water, they're not joking. Sometimes accommodation is not as good as the photographs online, but they were for this place.

In dusk light, I strolled to the Akaroa lighthouse. The temperature had dropped to 5° Celsius and therefore was a brisk walk. Not many people were on the streets. Akaroa is such a pretty town with its boxed windowsill flowers, colourful houses, and a picturesque bay. I was so enamored with the place, I persuaded two writer friends to spend a weekend early October just so I could come back again.  

Around the corner from where I was staying, I had dinner at a restaurant 10 metres from the waters' edge. As soon as I saw blue cod on the menu, I was sold. Fish is a specialty in this area.

The next day I taught three classes at Akaroa Area School. A talk about writing animal stories for young students and an author talk for the older students. They were a great audience. Then I drove over the windy, hilly road to Little River school. I delivered two more talks to extremely well-behaved students there. The young ones loved the puppets and enjoyed the animal stories. The older students were interested in my 'Ice Breaker!' story about Akaroa born Captain Frank Worsley, and other Cantabrian famous people such as Captain Charles Upham and Kate Sheppard.

Unfortunately, I had to leave that beautiful area that afternoon, but I'm looking forward to returning in two week's time with friends.

The rest of the week went in a blur; lunch with my writer friend Lorraine Orman, dinner with my cousin Mark, and a radio interview with Kapiti Beach FM. Interviewer Catherine Scullin had worked with the SPCA in Australia and had met Little Miss Sunshine, the chicken in my 'Remarkable Animal Stories from New Zealand and Australia' book. I hope her enthusiasm for the book will encourage people to buy it. I happen to know that Scorpio Books has a large collection of signed books to sell.

Tonight I'm going to paint the town pink by stepping down one flight of stairs to the cinema. How lucky are we to have a picture theatre so close! They tend to specialise in smaller films, film festivals and movies with subtitles. I'm going to watch the French film 'Eiffel'; a true dramatization of how the Eiffel tower was built. I'm always interested in how writers/playwriters treat true stories.

So, not many words written this week but my brain is processing the story. I'm also tweaking the front sections every time I sit down. And I do sit my butt down to write from 9.00 - 6.00 pm every day. Though, this weekend I plan to visit an illustrator friend, see more of the Canterbury countryside, and get ready for another school visit on Monday.

Fingers crossed that Auckland goes into Alert Level Three on Monday. Friends and Family in Auckland are bursting to get out of Level Four.  I'm also hoping that the 90 percent target for vaccinated New Zealanders works, so that we can have a more normal 2022. I get my second vaccine on the 30th.

Take care,

Maria