The world is full of Gonna Do's!

       

 Over the past couple of years I have begun more frequently to define myself as a writer. Since I no
longer work, due to an injury, when people ask me what I do I prefer to have an answer other than "I'm unemployed". No one wants to be defined as "unemployed". So, though I have yet to be published, I tell people I am a writer, if for no other reason than to save face. I, like most every writer, have written in one form or another all my life. I wrote random tales of fantasy as a child, I wrote poetry and arbitrary prose as a teen, and now I write novels. I haven't taken literary courses or been to college, but I have always had a knack for the written word. Since starting the process of writing novels I am constantly seeking knowledge about the art of writing, and I continue to learn every day.
          I don't care if you have written one hundred bestsellers or one chapter of your first book, if you have advice, or an opinion, I will listen with an open mind. I may not agree with you, but I will think about your words and consider your opinion before I make that decision.

          The funny thing about calling yourself a writer is, once you say you're a writer every monkey with a keyboard is, too. Since calling myself a writer, I can't count how many people have told me they "want to write a book", or are "writing a book". There is a way I have found to sort the "Gonna Do's" from the "real writers". Talent aside, because talent is not something we can judge by talking to a person, Gonna Do's want to discuss their writing by telling you how brilliant they are and how much, and how well, they have written. Gonna Do's will always find a way to turn the topic back to their awesomeness, without any discussion of your writing or the trials and tribulations we know accompany this fickle art form. Real writers, on the other hand, want discuss their work, and yours. They want to talk about the brick walls they've hit along the way, the way in which they and their conversational-counterpart (you) have overcome these walls, they want to talk about all aspects of the writing process, like the options for plotting, character definition, plot holes, the pros and cons of character profiles, the challenges of publishing. The list goes on.

          I came across one such "Gonna Do" a few days ago. Now, I don't pretend to know everything there is to know about writing the quintessential bestseller, but I do know the mistakes I have already made, and am happy to pass that knowledge along to someone who hasn't had the displeasure of making them yet. I was happy to hear about his experiences, and what he was writing. But, like all good Gonna Do's, he only wanted to talk about his own writing and how fabulous it was, despite only having written two chapters. Still, I didn't hold this against him, and continued to listen to what he had to say. However, when I tried to interrupt his self-aggrandising diatribe with a suggestion based on my own experience of completely destroying my first novel by doing exactly what he was doing, he politely explained that he knew better. He told me it was just how he wrote. Okay, we all have a different process, I can dig that. But I thought I was just "doing what I do" when I made that same mistake. If someone had given me that same advice when writing my first novel, it would be published now instead of being a beloved project that I poured my heart and soul into which is now doing nothing more than taking up space on my hard drive.

          So, what did I do? I let him go, let him tell me how fabulous he was, and didn't offer another word of advice for him, all the while with the knowledge that he was heading for disaster.

          And that, boys and girls, is how you spot a Gonna Do! Someone who thinks they have all the answers but will never accomplish their dreams for the sake of self-reverential pride.

          I'm ashamed to admit, in the past I have made the mistake of thinking I had all the answers, only to find out down the track how wrong I was. So, for your own sakes, don't dismiss the advice of other writers regardless of their accolades. Just listen, take on board what they have to say, question them if you have doubts. But never be so absorbed in your own knowledge that you can't learn something knew by listening to someone you never thought to seek advice from.

          I guess before I leave you I should tell you what the advice was. He told me he edits as he goes, that, although he's only written two chapters, he's already edited numerous times. I advised him against it, and told him I killed my first novel by doing exactly that. I even quoted Iain Banks, "Get it finished and then you can go back. If you try to polish every sentence there's a chance you'll never get past the first chapter.” But he told me he knew what he was doing. There were other signs, but that's when I knew he was a Gonna Do.

Have you ever met a Gonna Do?

PLEASE HELP ME FIND RESIDENTS OF THE 1976 CEDAR BAY RAID!

Some thirty-eight years ago, three years before I was born, a terrible injustice befell a group of people whose only crime was to throw off the shackles of modern society, to deny the subjugation of the status quo in peaceful solitude… and maybe puff on a joint here and there.

Relying only on their ingenuity, hard work, and the cooperation of community members, these people, happily claiming the title of Hippie, created a veritable utopia in the rainforest, by the beach of Cedar Bay.

They grew their own food, built modest dwellings, and lived in harmony with their environment and their fellow man –we should all be so lucky.

Their happy paradise came to a terrifying end when the government sent a swarm of police and Navy to remove them from the bush and destroy their homes –a swarm, to remove a few peaceful Hippies. But it didn’t stop there –what ensued that day is an affront to human rights and dignity, and a clear message that we are not free. 

  
I was raised by a mother who also claimed the title Hippie. She taught me about the healing powers of plants before it became a fashion statement of the wealthy; she taught me the importance of caring for the world around us, the world that sustains us; and she taught me to accept others no matter their background, beliefs, or colour. I was fortunate to be raised by someone who was willing to indulge my dreams and encourage me to follow them.

My dream was always to be a writer. A great author who writes great stories, stories that impact how others see the world. And when I learned, only two years ago, of the atrocities inflicted upon a group of peaceful Hippies, I immediately felt a connection to their story. This was a story worth telling, and worth hearing. And with a little luck, and some long hours on my part, it might just be the kind of story that makes people think.

So I began to research, reading every article and snippet I could find on the 1976 raid at Cedar Bay. I even came across a university paper, and a recording of a radio interview with two of the victims. But, alas, every lead eventually came to a dead-end.

I tell you this with the express intent of reaching some long silent members of the Cedar Bay community, and imploring them to come to me with their story.

Your story will be told with dignity, exemplifying the truth of what you were subjected to as you tell it. I have no impulsion to exploit the victims, and will change the names of anyone from whom I am unable to gain consent, to avoid misrepresenting them.

If you were there, or know someone who was, please contact me. Comment here or find me on G+, Twitter, or Facebook. Search Alana Harbison and send me a private message. Thank you.