neXtDRAFT 45. Beaches, Bottles and Adoptions

Published: Sun, 11/11/18

Welcome new subscribers. If this is your first neXtDRAFT you'll find poems, stories and pics about my life as an adopted mum (and freelance writer) living between Australia and the Philippines. Every week I also share my best tips for making money as a professional writer and how to navigate your home office workplace while serving clients from all over the world.

Here in the Philippines I support about 20 kids from a rural municipality with food, school supplies and love; while encouraging them to go to school. You'll read their stories here too. And if you are a stamp collector, you'll be the first to see the newest listings in the STAMPS FOR THE VISAYANS eBay store -- where 100% of the proceeds support the kids here.

neXtDRAFT is delivered to your inbox every Sunday(ish) depending of course on the frequent monsoons, powercuts and WIFI outages (which sometimes interfere with my publishing schedule).

Again welcome, I'm so glad to have you part of the neXtDRAFT community. Unsubscribe anytime using the link at the bottom of this page.

Melinda J. Irvine

https://melirvine.com.au/

Hello, happy Sunday, and welcome to neXtDRAFT 45.

Beaches and Bottles.

For the last week and a half I have been wandering the lonely beaches and tidal river systems of the NSW Mid-north coast, photographing poems and picking up bottles for recycling on my trails. Over the past year reverse vending machines have been installed all over NSW including the home town of my parents.

My family have always been people who pick up rubbish from the side of the road, or take away piles of garbage we find dumped in the bush. Often it's big stuff (unwanted furniture and electrical appliances), obviously dumped quietly in the forest to avoid fees at the local rubbish dump. But more often than not it's a pile of trash that could have easily been put in their own bin.

So now with the reverse vending machines Dad (and my Uncle as well) are making short work of the bottles and other recyclables included in those piles of rubbish and sending the proceeds to me to help me with my endeavours to live abroad, adopt Jerry, and help the other kids I've come to know and love over the past (almost) 5 years.

And I feel so grateful for their efforts, picking up bottles (and encouraging their friends to donate their bottles and cans too). With this in mind I eagerly drove the 4 hours up to Inverell earlier this week to visit my Uncle Richard. You'll see in the photos below some of the cool relics in his house, his art, and the little stamp factory he has going. He is the Uncle who collects bottles and cans for me as well.

on the window sill
bottles sitting in echos
memories — not dust

Arriving in Inverell I had a lovely time immersing myself in his creative house -- it's filled with paintings, antiques, sculptures, woodwork, mosaics, loads of books, and of course stamps.You really can't imagine the enormity of the stamp collection: massive (fully lidded) plastic tubs filled albums and albums of rare, endangered, and popular stamps from all over the world.

We did have a lovely time -- me on the computer sitting amongst the paintings and him on his iPad processing the stamps. Just look at these amazing portraits which I found leaning against a window sill behind the lounge where I sat writing blogs for clients. (pictured below) The portraits have been created by collaging torn pieces of glossy magazines. The little poem I wrote (even further down) has already become incredibly popular on the blog.

torn by the staples
the haughty magazine
fashionistas

I took loads of photos as the inspiration for more poems which I'm sure you'll find emerging on the blog in the coming week. And Uncle Richard has prepared heaps more stamps for listing in the store too. We are both determined to get my income level over the line so I can get this adoption process really happening. And a passport for Jerry so he can actually visit Australia, and hopefully live here one day too.

Uncle Richard meticulously researches each of the stamps before listing in the eBay store.

Earlier in the week I spoke with the Australian Government Intercountry Adoption service and I feel ready now to formally lodge an application with the Philippine authorities. I'll be talking more about this over the next few months as I navigate the pile of paperwork and administrative requirements.

As frustrating as this lengthy process can be it is completely understandable that international adoptions must satisfy the laws of Australia, and the laws of the Philippines, as well as the principles and standards of the Hague Convention. Children from developing countries are especially vulnerable to human trafficking and abuse, so I truly believe the laws are in place with good reason.

So tonight begins my last week in Australia (this trip anyway), I have plenty of client work to do and plenty of gifts for Jerry and the kids to pack into my luggage as the week draws to a close. This time next week I'll be back in Philippines with Jerry, so if neXtDRAFT hasn't quite arrived in your inbox you'll know exactly where I'll be. Hugging Jerry and unloading all his new clothes, books and toys.

Till next week.

Mel xx

PS: while visiting my Uncle Richard in Inverell I was also thrilled to catch up with my dear friends Alex and Jane Dudley. Authors, poets and ecologists and the creators of Faunaverse -- the incredible books of Australian wildlife poetry, Alex and Jane are inspiring school kids and communities everywhere to look at the fuzzy and slippery critters in their backyards a little bit more closely. There is a copy of their latest book Faunaverse Tasmania already packed for Jerry and I'll be reviewing it here next week in neXtDRAFT 46.

Sincerely,

Melinda J. Irvine

[email protected]

more than 10,000
low and muddy tides
she stands astern. still

1992 Threatened Species 45c Set of 6 in Block of 6 MUH

The first multi-design self-adhesive stamp issue ...

Threatened Species (1992)

Stamp Corner: 1992 Threatened Species

In the early 1990s, Australia Post created a world first by mass-producing self-adhesive stamps (also known as peel-and-stick). Postal users loved these new stamps so much it led to global changes in postage stamp production.

The first self-adhesives (1990) were printed in singles and issued in boxes of 100 (mainly for business use). But individuals (and stamp collectors) were keen on using the peel-and-stick stamps too, so by 1992 Australia Post began issuing little packs of 5 and 10 of the same stamp.

Australia Post’s market research showed that the public wanted to see more than just one base rate self-adhesive stamp. This led to the release of six designs as part of the 1992 Threatened Species issue.

In the store this week Uncle Richard has begun listing a heap of these in different variations. Have a good browse through the eBay store because you'll find numerous sets including the official 1992 Peel and Stick Sheetlet plus the 1992 Block Set. All in mint (unhinged) condition.

These stamps are beautiful and feature some of Australia's most unique wildlife -- and the goods news too (that almost 20 years on) all of these gorgeous animal species are still with us (though still threatened by extensive land-clearing, foxes, dogs, and feral cats).

INTERESTING FACT: Self-adhesive stamps were actually used as far back as the 1960s but didn't catch on because these early editions didn't have perforated edges -- which is what really what makes a stamp a 'stamp' rather than just a ‘sticker’.

PS: Stamps for the Visayans is a project of my Uncle Richard. In 2014 he inherited the family stamp collection which dates back 3 generations. He sells the stamps individually on eBay and sends the proceeds to help me live in the Philippines with Jerry (as well as run small projects for other disadvantaged children). It's incredible how these $5, $10 and $20 stamp sales (plus the odd big one) add up and make our life here possible.

1992 Threatened Species 45cx5 Peel & Stick Sheetlet

1K Reprint Mint Unhinged (MUH)

Drooping She-oak

drooping
limbs flailing
she-died. not quickly

shreds
of seaweed
break — the beach

The last shreds of seaweed break up kilometres and kilometres of empty low tide beach. Broken from the bottom they were dumped on the sand, soon they will disappear and return home lifeless — on the evening high tide.

Squinting.
Another life
through the cracks.

I’m a professional writer making my way in the world of business. The WritingBiz section is for anyone wanting to make writing a career (or at the very least make some money writing). Each week I share a few ideas on how to find writing jobs, self-publish your own eBooks, as well as how to setup your writing business and run it profitably.

Ethics for freelance writers - integrity

Ethics for Freelancers: Part 2 of 3

Don't be dodgy copywriter.

Copywriting is persuasive writing where you are directly asking readers to buy, subscribe, or join the cause. As writers we hold in our keyboarding hands a responsibility to tell the truth and ensure the products, services, charities, or causes we are paid to write about are presented accurately and authentically.

Exaggerating product benefits and purchase outcomes might result in initial sales for the client, but will not win them (or you) repeat business and long term success.

This blog post is part 2 in a series about ethics for copywriters and focuses on the way you frame your text, source your materials, and represent products (your products and your client's products).

If you are a new copywriter it also will help you sift through the mountains of projects you get asked to do and decide on the ones that are worthy of your attention.

Being an ethical copywriter makes good business sense: you develop a reputation of integrity and get to work with reputable clients -- good people whose products and services are adding real value to the world.

#copywriting #ethics

Organise your stuff before you leave the house

PROFESSIONAL WRITER TIP #7

Plan and organise your stuff before leaving the house

Being a freelance writer is both cool and awkward. Cool because you can pack up your freelance writing gear (Macbook Pro, headphones, and pocket WIFI device) and head out to a portable work space. Awkward because how on earth do you get anything done?

The flexibility of being a freelancer is awesome BUT if you don’t get anything done you don’t get paid. Like when you are working from a coffee shop, co-working space, or library make sure you organise your stuff before you leave the house.

Check and double-check that laptop bag. Sounds really simple but man it’s annoying to get to your favourite coffee shop then find your reading glasses are missing. It’s also damned unproductive.

Make sure all your devices are charged, the prepaid WIFI is loaded, and you’ve synced any cloud-based documents you might need to access offline. Then check again. Have you organised all the research and reading materials you need? Passwords? Double-checked you’ve got those glasses? Headphones? Playlist downloaded? How about that wallet?

#getwriting #productivity

What should I write about on my business blog?

With over 4.56 billion websites pages, eBooks and how-to-guides online, a lot of the stuff you want to write about has been said before. And before that. And before that.

BUT if your customers are still asking questions, and if people in your industry are still making mistakes, or you know a better way of doing something you'll definitely be able to create some content that is still relevant.

Blog directly to your customers and use a conversational voice like you are talking to an old friend. Help them with their problems adding your unique knowledge and experiences.

Writing from Uncle Richard's house this week

Writing from the backroom in Uncle Richard's house. Inspiring to be surrounded by all his wonderful art (oil paintings, watercolours, pastel art, and his interesting mosaics), the stamps (of course), plus all those books and musical instruments. A wonderful place to write.

More poems and stuff on the blog

For more stories, poems, articles and reviews follow my Wordpress blog. More than 700 posts and 1,000s of photos. Tell your friends too.

Back Issues of neXtDRAFT

https://melirvine.com.au/nextdraft-back-issues/

From the vault: Nov 2017

9 year old Jerry writes his secrets in his first journal.

The Little Journal

This time last year we were visiting Iloilo City and Jerry told me he wanted a journal. ‘Tita Mel I want to have one of those books, and just like you I will write my secrets‘. When he asked I was astonished because I had no idea Jerry noticed my writing that much.

When I bought him the little notebook I explained that in your journal you can write how you are feeling, the things that happened in the day, and what you would like to happen tomorrow. He asked if it was ok to draw pictures in his journal, so I told him it was his own private book and he could actually write anything he wanted.

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