I have started to read Eckhart Tolle’s book ‘A New Earth Awakening To Your Life’s Purpose’ and, so far, I have found it insightful and wise. He doesn’t want to be anybody’s ‘Guru’. I have even watched some of the excellent discussions between him and Oprah Winfrey on
http://www.oprah.com/obc_classic/webcast/archive/archive_watchnow.jsp

Lots of love,

Grace

I had a wonderful time last Friday. I was an extra on an ad which extolled the deliciousness of a certain brand of cakes. Loads of us extras were in a room in a Dublin hotel. When we weren’t expressing (in a variety of ways) how wonderful the cakes were to camera we had some great chats. The fact that is was cake that brought us together pleased me. I genuinely like cakes. There is a cafe in Dublin called The Cake Cafe and it’s one of my favourite places for a cuppa.

I love the far ranging conversations that can occur with strangers when one is, theoretically, waiting around for something else to happen….to be ‘called’ for a shot etc. Spirituality, interior design, helpful insights into damp proofing, cakes and much more were discussed in a cosy, enjoyable way. It was, in a way, a ‘day out’. It was a bit weird and wonderful and also slightly boring in places…filming does tend to involve a lot of hanging around. But there is such a thing as therapeutic tedium. It was basically a day devoted to cake. (Many years ago I was a stand-in to Sinead Cusack on a film and that was also fun, though cake was not offered with such frequency.) Cakes also crop up in my novel ‘The Truth Club’.

‘Simple Pleasures’ are becoming more valued. I recently wrote an article about this subject. I talked with people who love cooking, storytelling, knitting and gardening. One person I interviewed is a fan of the website www.Knitty.com I haven’t knitted for ages. But I do feel tempted to buy some yarn and meet up with some of the pleasant sounding people who sit around knitting together in cafes…there might be cake there too!

Lots of love,

Grace

Two robins regularly visit my little patio garden. One of them is less shy than the other. In fact he has become fairly tame. This is because I sometimes give him cheese. Sometimes he waits for the cheese at the tip of a bamboo cane…swaying somewhat acrobatically. So far I’ve given him mature cheddar. He’s a perky little chap.

I sometimes feed bread to the numerous ducks on a nearby river and they clearly enjoy it. However I recently decided to give them some cake. I’d bought a cake that was far too sweet for my tastes…though I am usually very fond of cake. Would the ducks like a bit of cake too? I tossed bits of it into the water and they dived for it most enthusiastically. They looked quite ‘pleased’ in fact. Hope they’ll still enjoy bread!

Lots of love,

Grace

A little reminder that you can listen to the Tara radio documentary I made if you click on the relevant icon at the right hand side of this page. Tara is a wonderful place. I really would encourage you to visit that beautiful Hill. It has been called Ireland’s Acropolis.

Anyway…a little while ago I wrote an article for an Irish newspaper called The Evening Herald about a book called ‘Simply Irresistible The Art of Seduction’. It’s by a top U.K. psychiatrist called Dr Raj Persaud and is about ‘How To Find And Keep Your Perfect Partner’. It contains a lot of fascinating information. Apparently loads of psychologists have been doing seduction research. Basically it’s about the psychology of attraction. When I chatted with Dr Persaud he asked me to imagine I was ’seducing’ a Hollywood hunk and then he coached me about what to say to him. To be truthful, it didn’t sound that romantic to me. But it was also most intriguing! I mentioned Jeff Bridges to him but in the article I wrote ‘let’s pretend I said George Clooney’. After all George is single! And George is gorgeous. Anyway last Saturday, when I looked at the paper, I found myself pictured with George beside the article…oh the wonders of modern technology. He was holding an Oscar and I was wearing a large pink shawl and leaning against him. The truth about this photo. of myself is that it was taken when I was leaning against a tree - it was for another article and taken some years ago. I look rather contented in it because I love trees. If I did meet George I would tell him that ‘Ordinary Miracles’ features an adorable pig called Rosie as one of the characters. After all he was besotted with his pet pig. He knows about porcine charisma.

Anyway I had a good laugh about the photo of George and myself, and then I went off to a special Gathering. Some wonderful Shamans from the High Andes of Peru were in Dublin to share some of their wisdom and healings. John Cantwell and Karen Ward organised the Gathering. It was such a privilege to sit with these immensely wise ‘Qero’ people. They have so much to teach us Westerners. How they love Mother Earth. And they have such a beautiful connection with Great Spirit. They know so much about love and joy and healing. And they have beautiful big smiles! A gorgeous playfulness sometimes. These indigenous teachings are becoming increasingly important. They can help to reconnect us more deeply with our souls. Our calling. They remind us of what is truly important. I am so grateful for that.

Yes, it was a day when I was ‘pictured’ with George Clooney and met the Qero. A real mixture.

In Beauty May You Walk.

Lots of love,

Grace

Love,

Grace

hostwriters.com
hostwriters.com is a new, user-generated webspace developed by the Verbal Arts Centre.
Have you got a masterpiece on your hands that no one else has read?
Do you want the world to see your work?
Do you want to get the support, advice and feedback from other writers and readers?
Don’t have the time to go to your local writing group?
Then hostwriters.com is the website for you.
Just register on the site free of charge and upload your work. Once registered you can review other writing or set up your own page.
You will become part of an online community of writers and readers who will be the first to hear about exciting literary events all over Ireland.
For further information please contact:
hostwriters@verbalartscentre.co.uk
www.hostwriters.com

Love,

Grace

I completed a short story late last night. It had been languishing in my computer for a while…partially written…a bit of a puzzle. It had started off as one thing, turned into something else and then changed again. I was exploring various feelings and situations in it, but what did it want to share? It had been stripped down and clothed again…questioned and explored. It found some kind of answer. That’s what it wanted. It’s partly about how the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves inform our lives. I am a student of ancient healing traditions… shamanism..and wise teachers have shared this theme with me many times. It’s also about what we can learn from a garden…from nature. And it’s about loss and love and renewal.
I share this with you to show some of the mysteries of writing. It is a processs…a journey…an exploration.

I have written an article for the Western Mail about my Welsh family roots. That too, was a journey. As I wrote it I realised my Welsh connections are particularly important to me…my Dad was very Welsh…a lovely man…because I know almost nothing about my mother’s biological parents. She was adopted by a rather grand Anglo Irish Irish family called the de Veres. As I wrote the article I recalled trips to ‘Granny in Wales’…the long poetic Welsh place names…gatherings. The photo of me as a little girl in a summer frock sitting on a Welsh lawn with a tortoise. Dad had been in choirs as a boy. He loved singing. We knew that was part of his Welshness. And in church - he was a clergyman - his children sang loudly too. After all it was part of our heritage. His father was a fluent Welsh speaker. And his Mum baked the most wonderful cakes.

In the article I mentioned my website and said it contained some advice for writers.

Being a writer is a highly personal calling. There are loads of good books, courses, websites etc. on the subject, but one crucial piece of advice is to encourage budding authors to actually write. You wouldn’t believe how many people have told me that they want to write but find the process rather intimidating. Perhaps they are remembering their school days or old voices that said they weren’t good enough…maybe they feel that what they write has to be ‘perfect’…
maybe they feel that what they have to say simply isn’t sufficiently important. My advice about this is to write anyway. You are good enough and what you write doesn’t have to be brilliant, stunning and fabulous…though maybe it will be. Be playful! Lighten up. Write and see what you come up with. Be kind to the parts of you that are doubtful. Show yourself some compassion. Tell the critical part of yourself that you would welcome its constructive feedback a bit later on, but it can take a nice break during your first draft. The ‘critic’ can be useful to you later as you refine and edit and hone your work, but for now you need the freedom to explore and experiment. Encourage yourself as you would a young child and be a kind parent to the scared parts of you as you set out on this adventure.

Of course books about writing and courses and websites can be enormously helpful, but it is the process of writing that will reveal what sort of writer you are. What are the ideas, situations and feelings you feel drawn to exploring? What do you want to share? What do you want to know? Writing can be a great teacher. The saying ‘a writer writes many a thought he didn’t know he had’ is absolutely true. You can find yourself gaining precious insights into your characters as you spend time with them. Let them guide you.

If you decide to show your work to someone only share it with someone who knows how to encourage. Sometimes when people are asked to read something they feel their job is to point out what is wrong with it. This sort of insight into different people’s approaches can be hugely helpful to you if you are a writer who wants to explore the diverse ways in which people communicate. For example we have all met people who feel they need to point out the tiny flaws in an otherwise magnificent dinner. A similar character in a novel could be most interesting….why did they become like that? Do they judge themselves as harshly? When did the glass become half empty instead of half full? Could it have been some childhood experience? It’s all great material!

However as you start out as a writer you need to be very selective about your reader or readers, if you choose to share your work at this early stage. If you yearn for feedback choose someone who will think it’s fabulous that you have written something. Someone who knows how to celebrate your attempts. Of course one also wants them to be honest, but there are many ways of being truthful. Constructive criticism can be very helpful. But your own opinion of your work is what really matters.

The Arvon Foundation runs many wonderful courses and details are on the Internet. The magazine Mslexia is for ‘Women Who Write’ and contains many helpful articles. And the book ‘Becoming A Writer’ by Dorothea Brande is wonderful, as is ‘The Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron.
Read books that inspire you. For example I love Anne Tyler. She reminds me of why I want to write.

Why do you want to write? Only you can tell yourself that. And if you’re not sure of the answer right now don’t worry. Make peace with your questions and see their gifts. It’s a journey of discovery. Write because you want to. If you get published that is a wonderful bonus. But enjoy the journey anyway. Be brave and kind and learn to be your own teacher. The advice you give yourself is precious.

‘The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook’ and ‘The Writer’s Handbook’ and many other books, websites and courses can provide information about finding an agent. I sometimes advise people to go into a bookshop and pick up the books by the authors they love. If they read the Acknowledgments the author’s agent will probably be mentioned. At least that way they know the agent likes the books they like. Don’t be too discouraged by rejections. Learn what you need to learn but continue to believe in yourself. The business side of publishing is just that…a business. Along the way you will come into contact with people who really know what they are talking about…you will sense that what they are saying can really help your work. I welcome feedback from such people. If they suggest a change to a manuscript and I know the story needs it I am more than happy to take their advice.

Anyway, good luck with your writing. It is your own journey. Joining a writers’ group can be most helpful. Listen to the advice that helps you. Be willing to learn but also honour what you already know.

Love,

Grace

A number of years ago I saw an otter on the banks of a local river. That was a thrill. There are lots of ducks there these days and one of them is rather exotic looking and clearly from elsewhere. Every so often I toss bits of bread into the river and they eat it with eager splashes.

I bought a beautiful piece of fabric in the January sales. It cost E40 and normally would have been around E190. It looks very fetching on a comfy chair in my kitchen.

Have just made myself a cup of coffee and added cinnamon to it. When I lived in California all the cafes seemed to smell of cinnamon and I really liked that spicy, sensual scent.

With lots of love and light,

Grace

Description:

Tara : Land, Legend, Legacy
January 6th 2008
Producer: Grace Wynne Jones

As the controversy surrounding Tara continues, this programme explores the myths and legends of the ancient site. Included in the documentary are eminent historians, archaeologists, Shamans, a druid and film star Stuart Townsend.

Hope you may be able to listen in. It’s a fascinating tale!

Love, gratitude and blessings,

Grace

The podcast below is linked from the Newstalk site.

© 2007 Grace Wynne Jones / Newstalk / BCI.
Note: it is a large file and may take some time to load.

Since I was living in a large rectory at the end of a long drive in the middle of the Irish countryside Badedas seemed like a wonderful, though improbable , match-maker. And the fact that the man might turn up with a horse was immensely appealing. My first great love was a pony called Merrylegs.

On the subject of match-making, I’ve recently enjoyed some programmes on the telly about a woman who gets families and pals to search for a ’suitable’ partner for a friend or relative. Ava, a character in my novel ‘Ready or Not?’ would certainly approve. She is the mother of the book’s main character, Caddy. Ava is bossy and opinionated and has very high standards with regard to housework. When she first turned up in the novel I didn’t like her. However in her forthright way she firmly explained to me that she was far more complex than I suspected. And she also very much wanted her daughter to marry a man called Dan. She’d done her research and she approved of him.

I grew very fond of Ava…her vulnerabilities and her sturdiness. At one point she ends up eating snails in France with a man she met on a train, though she is ‘not that sort of woman’…or maybe she is. She goes on quite an adventure! I felt particularly tender towards her secret sorrows. She has so much love in her. She just needs to learn how to show it.

I bought a bunch of Christmas cards yesterday. Dear Ava would probably have many of her cards ready for the post by now. She would of course have a list. She would walk to the post office in the country town near her home and have a little chat with the postmistress. Then she would go into Sally’s cafe and gently mention that the tea leaked out of the stainless steel teapot as she poured it…it is an ‘issue’ that she feels needs to be addressed.Then she would munch her cream bun and ponder on some of life’s mysteries….including why people went on so much about sex when, in her experience, it was like watching fireworks in another city. Her husband certainly enjoyed it anyway. And who was going to buy the awful amateur art up on the cafe’s walls? And why oh why did her daughter read self help books that made finding love sound like quantum physics? Then she would start wondering about Christmas presents. Caddy would need some more tasteful accessories for her dinner parties. The fact that Caddy does not actually host dinner parties is a fact that has slid off her. Napkins…perhaps she needs more napkins.

Yes, you can see why Caddy might find Ava very irritating. But for some reason I am enormously fond of her.

Love and light,

Grace