neXtDRAFT Issue 7. Celebrating two years with Jerry

Published: Tue, 11/28/17

Welcome to issue 7 of neXtDRAFT thank you as always for clicking the link in your inbox. My apologies for the changes in scheduling and formatting over the past few weeks; I've now decided to schedule neXtDRAFT now Tuesday (4.30pm Sydney time).Trying to post it out on a Monday was just stressing everyone out so I think Tuesdays will work much better. This week is the first week using my new email management software and I'm super happy with the results (and hope you are too).

FAMILY ANNIVERSARY

This week is a special week for Jerry and I, in fact today is our two year anniversary! On this day two years ago Jerry arrived in Manila after a more than 24 hour boat ride from the southern island of Mindanao. Some months before this I had known Jerry when he lived in Estancia. I'd found him wandering around and his father (paralysed on one side of his body from a stroke) had no idea really where he was. I'd helped put him into school and he lived with me for a few short weeks.

His father however had taken him away from Estancia and I worried that I would never see him again. I also worried for his safety (there is so much war and armed conflicts in Mindanao) plus he was in a remote, rural region and not going to school. I truly believe in the miracle that was finding him again and will always be grateful that his father spent his final months sending Jerry to me and entrusting his son to my care.

So today is our family anniversary, of course Jerry has no clue. He trotted off to school with his brother this morning just like any little school boy who'd rather stay home and play than sit the whole day in a classroom. Also click on the picture of Jerry and his brother Ryan to learn more about Ryan's story too, and how he has made his way into the life of his little brother.

THE BUSINESS OF WRITING

This week is also the launch of my new writing website: http://WritingBiz.net. My journey to become a professional writer has involved laborious amounts of research and effort just to get going. As an Australian writer it's even more difficult to find accurate and relevant information to inform your writing practice so I decided to start my own website, sharing the things I've learned to help other writers. I've shared my inaugural post below. Let me know what you think.

#ENDVIOLENCE

Saturday, 24 November was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. More than 30% of all women everywhere in the world have experience violence and sexual assault during their lives. I think the #metoo campaign which I wrote about in neXtDRAFT Issue 2. demonstrate that these statistics are current and probably conservative. As women we find it difficult to speak out against the men in our lives and we feel afraid that no one will believe us.

"Break the silence. When you witness violence against women and girls, so not sit back. Act."

Ban Ki-moon - Former Secretary General (United Nations)

This week I want to share a poem "Into His Direction" I wrote back in 2015 after witnessing a violent incident in Iloilo City. I had the poem translated in Tagalog and read it in both English and Tagalog at an International Women's Day event back in 2016. If we truly want to #endviolence against women and girls in our world we all need to take a stand and educate our husbands, fathers, brothers, nephews, sons, friends and uncles that violence against women is never acceptable.

TILL NEXT WEEK

Thank you for your interest in my writing and in my life here with Jerry in the Philippines. I'm always happy to receive your emails and read your comments. Also if neXtDRAFT isn't your thing don't be afraid to unsubscribe, at the same time if you love it don't be afraid to tell all your friends.

All our love.

Mel and Jerry xx

JERRY COMES HOME

"Help your brother’s boat across, and your own will reach the shore."

Hindu Proverb

A BOY AND HIS BROTHER

client work: writing your personal bio

What is it about writing about ourselves that terrifies us so much?

It's been well-quoted that people are terrified of speaking in public (some studies rank it higher even than the fear of death). And in the writing world perhaps this fear manifests itself into the blocks and trepidation that people seem to experience when being confronted with writing about themselves, especially in a personal or professional bio. How do you feel about it?

Into His Direction

Witnessing a violent incident is always challenging, we never quite know what to do and how to act. I wrote this poem after witnessing something terrible on the streets of Iloilo City in 2015. A crowd of people, a security guard and me watched and a man physically abused his wife and did nothing as she eventually disappeared into his direction.

WritingBiz: getting started as a professional writer

Begin by defining yourself as a writer with a daily writing practice

The decision to become a professional writer happens somewhere between the inner knowing that you are a writer, the daily act of writing itself and then some kind externalisation. Like when you find yourself finally saying the words “I’m a writer”, or you notice people are always asking for your help to write better stuff.

Jerry says goodbye to his father while Jerry's cousin explains that the paper we just signed means I won't take Jerry out of the Philippines without his permission. Jerry's sister and older brother Ron also signed the paper entrusting Jerry to me. It's the last time Jerry saw his father, he died the following August.

28th November 2015

I wanted to close this week with some photos and poems about my favourite colour. Jerry said to me on the weekend ... "Tita Mel, you only like trees and rice paddies because your favourite colour is green". To which I replied, "But what if my favourite colour is green because that is the colour of trees?". He's still thinking about it.