Ten years ago, on 5 September 2015, after many months of preparation and with much trepidation, I launched my website and published my first story online. Making my writing available to the public in this way was a groundbreaking step for me as a writer and the beginning of an exciting new chapter of my life.

An aspiring writer

I’ve always enjoyed writing. I also like to discover and understand the nature of people and things. As a child, I wrote stories and poetry. Indeed, I still have the typed manuscript of a full-length story I wrote when I was 10 years old. My dear dad spent hours typing it for me. I believe he did so to encourage my efforts and nurture my dream of becoming a writer.

At high school, I won prizes for my writing. As an undergraduate, I wrote assignments and scientific reports. I did lots of writing during my working life – first as a teacher, then as a public servant and academic. But most of that was formal or technical writing. As recently as 2002, I published my PhD thesis, Chaplaincy in Queensland State Schools: An Investigation.

Rather than writing assignments, reports and theses, what I really wanted to do was to write about life and people and everyday things. I wanted my writing to connect with ordinary folk, readers like you and me.

With this in mind, between 2003 and 2005, I undertook several writing courses offered by the Queensland Writers Centre. They included writing your memoir, writing life stories, use of dialogue, getting your writing published. These courses were just what I needed. And, as it turned out, when I was no longer in the workforce, I had the time and motivation to fulfill a lifelong dream … to write stories from the heart.

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.

C S Lewis

In early 2007, long before retiring age, I left paid employment to care for my elderly mother. At the time, she was showing signs of early-stage dementia. As a way of revitalizing her memory and finding out more about her life while there was still time, I decided to write her life story. I did so, combining text with photographs and memorabilia, producing two large photobooks. You can read about this process, and a little of my mother’s story, in My mother, a young woman. Writing my mother’s life story made me realise I had a lot of stories in me.

That was 2007. I was in my mid-50s.

It would be another 8 years before I launched my website and published my first story online.

About “Love in a little black diary”

“Love in a little black diary” is an online collection of short stories. True stories. Creative non-fiction. Tales about people, their struggles and achievements, their pain and joy. Reflections on life and things that are important to me. Stories that bring the past to life. Stories that will make you laugh and cry.

My stories are essentially first-person narratives based on my life and personal experiences. As is typical of memoir writing, they are based on my memories of people, places, events and themes that have shaped my life. Some of my stories may touch you deeply. They reveal God’s providence and grace in my life and the lives of special others and the triumph of faith, hope and love over adversity and suffering.

I chose “Love in a little black diary” as the name for my website in recognition of my paternal grandmother’s wartime diary. The diary, covering the period 1941-1945, is a precious item in my collection of family history memorabilia. As well as being a source of much information, it’s a testament to the love my grandmother had for her three sons. Two of them served in the 2^nd Australian Imperial Force (2^nd AIF) during World War II. To find out more about my grandmother’s diary, and why it is so special, read A mother’s love (and a little black diary).

Mustard seed growth

In 2015 when I launched my website and blog, I was excited but at the same time a little terrified about making my writing available to the public. Would people read my stories? Would they like them? Or would this experiment be a big “flop”?

Little did I guess that, in the ensuing years, I would connect with so many people online through my website and blog and have thousands of people reading my stories and following my Facebook page. Today, I even have a complementary YouTube channel, with 22 videos and 247 subscribers.

I remember how excited I was when the number of followers of my Facebook page reached 1000. That was in July 2017. Today, my Facebook page has more than 4000 followers.

138 stories

Since I launched my website a decade ago, I’ve posted 138 stories on my blog. Of these, my husband has contributed four, my daughter two. This means that, on average, I’ve written and published just over 13 stories each year. That’s more than one per month. From the start, I hoped to write a new story each month, but believed that to be an unachievable goal. Self-talk: “Oh, ye of little faith.”

You’ll find a wide variety of short and not-so-short stories on my blog.

Some, like Staffroom Antics and Bung-in Cake, are quick reads. Of these two examples, one is a “little gem” from my husband’s teaching days. The other is a recipe and my commendation of it. Other stories on my blog, like The Moura Café and a family history puzzle, are lengthy works that required weeks, even months, of research and meticulous composition.

“Food” stories outnumber those in each of the other four categories on my blog. This is not surprising, given that food is such an important part of life. So many of my memories are associated with food. My mother, grandmother and a special aunt were dedicated home cooks and great role models for me. From them, I learnt the rudiments of food preparation, presentation and home cooking. I still use many of my mother’s and aunt’s recipes. I’ve shared a number of their recipes, and two of my mother-in-law’s recipes, in stories on my blog.

The most popular food story on my blog is My mother’s 1949 spiced meatloaf: Home cooking in post-war Australia. It’s based on my mother’s life, my recollections of her cooking in the 1950s, a 1949 recipe book, historical data, and my own experience of home cooking.

The most-read and shared story

The most-read and shared story on my blog is The Medway Creek (Bogantungan) rail disaster: Have you heard the children cry? (February 26, 2019). I wrote it in response to feedback on a similar article I posted on Facebook on February 26, 2018. The 2018 Facebook post reached 70,383 people, had 18,831 engagements, attracted 423 comments and was shared 429 times. Clearly, people wanted to read about this historic (1960) event, Queensland’s second most deadly rail accident. To my surprise, many respondents wanted to “talk” about the accident.

A year later, on 26 February 2020, I published a second article about the 1960 Medway Creek rail accident. Between February 2019 and February 2020, I carried out in-depth research of the accident and its aftermath. I examined the report of the Board of Inquiry and the Coroner’s Inquest file (Queensland State Archives), newspaper reports on microfiche (State Library of Queensland) and newspaper reports of an earlier collapse of the Medway Creek rail bridge (1956).

In December 2019, my husband and I visited the site of the accident and took photographs. We also visited the Longreach and Ilfracombe cemeteries, where we found the graves of the two children who died in the accident.

In the resulting article, Hear the children cry: Bogantungan and the 1960 Medway Creek rail accident, I combined my research findings with rich pickings from the recollections of those involved in or affected in some way by the accident and its aftermath. It’s the second most-read and shared story on my blog.

From ideation to reality

In early 2015, after making the decision to write short stories and publish them online, I brainstormed story topics. I jotted down all the story ideas swirling around in my head. There were many. I wrote lists…and more lists. At the same time, I tried to group all the possible story topics into four or five categories. I looked for common themes (life’s lessons, family, faith, people, ageing, mortality, food and cooking, travel). I composed a number of stories in readiness for the launch of my website. Eventually, I settled on five categories (life, people, food, places, little gems).

Setting up my website

I did a lot of research about websites and blogs before I set up my own. The process took months. To begin, I examined a wide range of different websites, focussing on content, appearance and ease of navigation. I studied a variety of writing styles and formats. I decided what I liked and didn’t like, what worked well and what didn’t work well. Importantly, I found a couple of trustworthy websites that showed me exactly what I needed to do to set up a website and blog.

My son helped me with the technical aspects of setting up my website. He showed me how to register my website’s domain name (judithsalecich.com). He arranged a web host (server) for my site and downloaded the software I needed to run my website. From the start, he oversaw the security, compliance, and overall functionality of my site. I could not have done these things without his help.

I had to learn how to use WordPress. This included embracing a whole new vocabulary. I learnt terms like backend (the administration area of the site) and frontend (what the public see). Also dashboard (the control panel), theme (design software) and plugin (a small piece of software for added functionality). Of all the new terms I came across, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) was the most puzzling. Put simply, it’s the process of improving visibility of a website and webpages on search engines.

Thankfully, I found WordPress easy enough to use and well-suited to a blogging website.

In the meantime, I took an online photography course. It included learning how to take great photographs and prepare images for use online. I learnt how to use Adobe Lightroom (an online photo editing tool) and Canva (an online graphic design tool). I designed the logo for my website using Canva.

Given I was setting up a website, writing stories and taking a photography course all at the same time, I found myself on a steep learning curve. And this was just the beginning…

Website design and layout

Setting up my website involved making decisions about its design and layout. What I wanted was a clean, uncluttered design and simple layout. A Bluchic theme, Beverly, best met these requirements. It provided an attractive, minimalist design, a limited colour palette and a neat newspaper-style layout. The content fitted into a central container of predefined maximum width. The space on either side of the container was filled with a plain coloured or patterned background or left blank.

I chose the Beverly theme for another reason. It offered two horizontal navigation menus, one for the main pages and one for categories. I liked this dual menu system, designed to help users quickly and easily find and access the website content they are looking for.

Importantly, Beverly was “responsive”. That means it automatically adjusted the website’s layout, content and design to fit various screen sizes, from desktops to mobile phones.

Website changes and renewal

In the 10 years since I launched my website, I’ve made a number of changes to the site. I made the first change in 2017. By then, I was writing very few “little gems” (extra short pieces) and instead a significant number of “family history” stories. As a result, I decided to add a “family history” category to the site and delete the “little gems” category. In so doing, I had to recategorise a number of stories, which (I presume) most website visitors didn’t notice at all.

In 2019, I made the second change. I switched WordPress editors. When I began working with WordPress, I used the original, word processor style content editor by default. Known as the Classic Editor, it featured a single-window interface with a toolbar for formatting text and adding media (images, videos). In December 2018, WordPress introduced Gutenberg, a block-based system for creating and editing posts and pages. After several months clinging on to the system I was familiar with, I tried the block editor. And I liked it.

I implemented the third change in 2021. After using the Beverly theme for 6 years, I was well aware of its limitations and outdated design. Furthermore, Bluchic was about to stop providing Beverly users with support and updates. Thus, I made the bold decision to redesign my website. I wanted to make it more contemporary in appearance and more flexible in functionality. I found in GeneratePress Premium and Generate Blocks just what I was looking for. With these amazing tools, I rebuilt my website.  

The story writing process

For me, each story I write and publish on my blog is special, regardless of its subject or length. It’s like a baby in gestation. I put much thought into how I will construct a story, what to include and what not to include. I reflect on the topic for a long time before I begin to write. Importantly, I do a lot of reading and research on and around a topic. I spend a great deal of time choosing and preparing photographs for a blog post. When necessary, I contact people to gain or check information.

I am often working on two or more stories at the same time. One may be nearly finished, another in the research stage. I’m always considering topics for future stories.

Each story takes considerable time and effort to compose. I write and I rewrite. I won’t publish a story on my blog until I am thoroughly satisfied with it. Even the title of a story requires creative thinking and much deliberation. Of late I use an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool to provide suggestions for blog post titles, which I find most helpful.

Finally, I decide on the most suitable date on which to publish a story, for maximum impact. This applies especially to stories associated with particular seasons or days, like Easter and Christmas, Anzac Day and Remembrance Day.

Sources of data

Memory is essential to my storytelling. It’s the foundation of memoir writing. Having lived with and cared for someone with dementia (read My mother’s latter years: Living with dementia), I praise and thank God daily for the gift of memory. Memory is what enables us to learn, build our identity and find our way in the world. It helps us understand and interpret past experiences, plan for the future and make meaningful connections with others. Fortunately, as a writer, I don’t have to rely on memory alone.

I have access to a large collection of memorabilia. The collection includes my own and family diaries, letters, postcards, certificates, recipe books, photographs, artwork and newspaper cuttings. It includes many precious kept items. I have articles from one side of the family dating back to the late 1800s. From the other side of the family, one family tree has been traced back to the mid-1700s.

I use photographs of people, places, food and memorabilia to help bring my stories to life. In this regard, I am indebted to my husband who is an avid collector of memorabilia and encourages me to take many photographs, especially when we travel. I must admit I’ve often complained about his accumulated “stuff”. And I can hear myself saying, “Do you really want me to take photos of this?”

But today I am thankful for Tony’s kept items and his persistence when I don’t want to be bothered taking photographs. I’m also indebted to my mother Evelyn, who left me her bountiful stash of loose photographs, negatives, photograph albums and keepsakes.  

Reader contributions

Since I began publishing my stories online, a number of readers have provided me with memorabilia from their own collections. Among these folk who have made themselves known (via my website or Facebook) are cousins I did not know existed. Others were complete strangers. I’ve since met a number of them in person. Some have become my friends, which is a special blessing. The material they’ve passed on includes letters, photographs, books, copies of archival documents and artifacts. I am so grateful for these individuals who have shared their time and resources with me so willingly and generously. 

Another source of data are interviews with informants and with individuals who are subjects of my stories. Informants are people with particular knowledge of a person, place or event. Most of my interviews with informants are conducted over the phone. With subjects, like Betty Anderson and Willis Lin, I meet with them and interview them face-to-face.

Other key sources of data

I’ve found various government data sources invaluable in my research and writing. One is Trove, the National Library of Australia and its partners’ free online research portal. I’ve used Trove frequently to access digital copies of newspapers, Government Gazettes, magazines, newsletters and public domain photographs.

As an aside, through my use of Trove, I’ve learnt that newspapers were the social media of their day. People shared their news in the “Social Chat” pages: who was traveling where and when, who was visiting whom, who attended the local dance or ball, birthdays, engagements, weddings, anniversaries, transfers, retirements, hospitalisations. It was all there. And it’s still available today. I wonder if information people share so freely on social media today will be accessible to family historians in 10, 20 or 100 years’ time.

Another government source of data is the National Archives of Australia, the official repository of all Commonwealth government documents and materials. Its collection includes defence and war service records and immigration and citizenship records, many of which I’ve accessed online. The Queensland State Archives, the official repository of Queensland government documents and materials, is located in Brisbane, so I’ve been able to visit and access documents there in person.

The Australian War Memorial online collection is a useful source of information and photographs pertaining to Australia’s military history and heritage.

Yet another useful source are State Library collections. The one I’ve visited most often (online and in person) is the State Library of Queensland. Its collection of Queensland’s historic photographs, manuscripts and books, some of which are available online, is an invaluable source of data.

Widening one’s viewpoint

My husband Tony and I like to travel. Many of the places we’ve visited are subjects of stories on my blog. They include places of interest and of personal significance.

On my blog you’ll find stories about interesting places we’ve visited in Australia and overseas. Many of these places, like Windorah, Winton and Croydon, are in Queensland (my home state). My stories aim to take you there, virtually and metaphorically, in time and space. Visit outback Queensland: A virtual tour of Windorah and In the tracks of Cobb and Co: The Winton-Boulia route are two examples. Of the stories on my blog about places we’ve visited overseas, the most popular one is Weihnachten: Christmas in Germany.

Visits to places of personal significance

Tony and I plan our travel itineraries to include places of personal significance. These are places where we’ve lived, studied or worked. Returning to these locations stirs up memories and feelings of nostalgia (both positive and negative) of people and events long forgotten. They are also places where our ancestors lived, worked, raised a family and are buried. Visiting these sites provides us with greater understanding of our predecessors’ circumstances and context and helps us feel more strongly connected to them, emotionally and spiritually.

Both of us have returned to the places where we lived as children. For me, that’s Rockhampton (Central Queensland); for Tony, it’s Korčula (Croatia), Fishery Falls and Freshwater (North Queensland). In From Korčula my island home to the canefields of Fishery Falls, Tony recounts his childhood days in Korčula, the long voyage to Australia, and the beginning of his new life in North Queensland.

Tony and I have visited Rannes (Central Queensland). It’s where my maternal grandparents and great-grandparents lived and where my mother and her siblings grew up. I spent many a school holiday there. When I was old enough, in the early 1960s, I travelled from Rockhampton to Rannes via Mount Morgan on the railmotor service. After Rockhampton, Rannes is the place that looms largest in my childhood memories. Not surprisingly, I’ve written many stories about Rannes, most in the context of family history. Auntie Dulcie and the Bung-in Cake is a good example. It focuses on the special relationship I had with my aunt, which began during my childhood visits to Rannes.

As recently as December last year, Tony and I went on a family history pilgrimage. We travelled to Victoria to see the birthplaces of my paternal grandparents and sites where my paternal grandmother’s parents lived and worked and raised their family (read Finding my roots: A family history pilgrimage to Victoria). It was not my first (Proposch) family history pilgrimage.

In 2016 and again in 2022, Tony and I visited Cottbus (Germany) to learn more about the paternal side of my family and my Wendish roots. Cottbus is the cultural and political centre for the Lower Sorbs (or Wends). My Wendish (Proposch) ancestors came to Australia from a village near Cottbus in the 1850s (read Easter in Germany: Sorbs, Wends and Easter eggs). 

Tony and I have visited locations where my father and two of my great uncles served during World War II and World War I respectively. In 2023, we found the site of the World War II military training camp at Wondecla on the Atherton Tablelands (North Queensland). There my father spent 12 months between tours of duty in New Guinea (read My father’s World War II army service: Completing the puzzle).

Earlier this year, Tony and I explored historic sites in and around Mons and Ypres (Belgium). At least one of my four great uncles who enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in World War I saw active service there.

We visited Mons for yet another reason. When my maternal great-grandparents moved to Rannes in 1915, they named their property “Mons”, after the first major battle of World War I. My maternal great-grandparents and the house they built on their property is the subject of two family history stories on my blog: Mons: Whose house is that? and Mons: Whose house is that? The sequel. A surprise.

About publishing

Having my own website and blog enables me to publish my writing, making my stories instantly available to the public. In the past, publishing referred only to text, images and audio-visual material produced in hard copies. Today, electronic publishing or online publishing is common. Copyright laws govern ownership of all published material, including that published online. Importantly I own the copyright of the material I publish online. On the other hand, what I post on my Facebook page, for example, belongs to Facebook. The copyright is not mine, but Facebook’s.

One day I may publish some of my stories in book format. I can envisage a number of subjects and themes for possible books based on the range of topics covered by my blog stories. I’m well aware that the book I promised on the subject of the 1960 Medway Creek (Bogantungan) rail accident has not yet materialised. That I regret.

A number of my stories have been republished in magazines and newsletters and online. Here are two examples. Earlier this year the Hawkesbury Family History Group reproduced my article Family heirlooms: How to keep the memories alive in its quarterly newsletter, the Hawkesbury Crier. The Birdsville Visitor Information Centre uses my online story The Birdsville Cemetery: Graveyard in the sandhills as part of its promotional material. 

As a writer, my website and blog have given me a public profile that I would never have had otherwise. I’ve been invited to speak on radio and address community and special interest groups. Most of these invitations have come as a result of people’s interest in story writing, memoir, family history or local history.

Connecting with readers

By far, the most rewarding aspect of having my own website and blog and publishing my stories online is connecting with readers. During the past 10 years approximately 300 readers have signed up to receive email notifications each time I publish a new story on my blog. I jokingly and affectionately call these people my “fan club”.

Some readers have provided feedback by adding comments at the end of a blog post. Many more have provided feedback by commenting on my “Love in a little black diary” Facebook page or in Facebook groups where my stories are shared. Others have contacted me via the GET IN TOUCH form on my website.

Through my website and blog, I’ve connected with readers from as far away as Canada and Germany, and closer to home, Papua New Guinea. Not surprisingly, the majority of my readers live in Australia.

The feedback I receive from readers inspires me to keep writing. I’m continually encouraged and humbled by readers’ comments like: “Beautiful story.” “Well researched and very well written.” “Keep your stories coming.” “I love your blogs.” “I look forward to your next article.” “I was hooked.” “A remarkable effort of research and compilation.”

Inspiring each other’s writing journey

The most gratifying feedback is when readers let me know that my stories inspire their own writing journey. Some of these folk are seasoned researchers and writers; others would-be writers. One person wrote, “Fabulous stories. I checked out your blog and your family stories are wonderful and inspire me to write our family history.”  Another wrote, “It has been wonderful to read your mother’s story, on her time in the Air Force. … I am trying to put together a book … You have now given me more impetus to get the book finished.”  

Yet another reader was so moved by the stories of my mother’s wartime service, that he resolved to write his own mother’s story. He even sent me a copy of his first draft, for comment. In the Forward to the article he produced, he began with these words:

After reading Judith Salecich’s account of her mother’s time in the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF), the parallels between my own mother’s experience and that of Judith’s mother, motivated me to try to do something to record my own mother’s recollections of her time in the WAAAF while the opportunity still existed. Hopefully this will become something that my own children and grandchildren will find interesting and of value into the future.

The impact of a 10-year “experiment”

The greatest impact of my writing and blogging journey during the past decade has been on me. I’ve learnt so much. About writing, managing a website, digital marketing. About myself.

Writing is addictive. It can take over your life, if you let it. There have been countless evenings when I promised myself I’d stop writing at 10:00 pm. Then I discover it’s midnight and I’m still at my laptop trying to find the right words to finish a sentence. Even when I’m not writing – going about my usual daily activities – I’m thinking about how to finish the latest story or what I will write about next. I’ve spent many a sleepless night composing a story in my head.

I had to adapt my writing to suit online publishing. You will find that I use headings and subheadings to help structure content and make it more readable. This applies to the content of my web pages as well as my blog posts (stories). I use shorter paragraphs and more concise language. I add bold or italics for emphasis or clarity. I’ve learnt the importance of using keywords in my web content, so people can more easily find my website and my stories in online searches.

“…writing is both a creative outlet and a means of sharpening my mind…”

Writing requires hard work, discipline and perseverance. I’m happy to put in the time and effort, as I find the writing process rewarding. It requires focus, planning and forethought, organisation of one’s thinking, and reflection, among other abilities. For me, writing is both a creative outlet and a means of sharpening my mind, using and continuing to develop my God-given cognitive abilities and related skills.

Initially, I shared the administration of my website with my son. A website administrator is responsible for design and content updates, monitoring the site’s performance, ensuring its security and troubleshooting technical issues. Today, I can perform most of these tasks, although I’m still learning and I seek help when things go awry.

When a technical glitch appears or online platforms misbehave, my first instinct is frustration. I confess, it’s times like these that highlight my lack of patience. I’ve realised, begrudgingly, that some problems can’t be solved in a single sitting, or overnight.

I’ve learnt how to use digital marketing to promote my website and blog. It involves using sign-up and contact forms on my website, social media platforms (like Facebook) and email marketing campaigns to reach and connect with website visitors, readers and online followers. Although I’ve reaped the benefits of much of this online communication—forging connections with new people, exchanging ideas in real time, and expanding the reach of my stories—I’m well aware of the fickle and fleeting nature of social media.

My husband Tony is my greatest supporter and critic. Whenever I bounce my story ideas off him and seek his feedback, or ask him to proofread a draft, he responds positively and offers helpful suggestions. Despite the hours I spend in front of a computer screen and the late nights I keep, he doesn’t complain. He has been my constant, trusted companion on my writing and blogging journey of the past 10 years, always believing in me and encouraging me to keep following my dream.

In 2015, before I launched my website and blog, I asked myself three questions: Would people read my stories? Would they like them? Or would this experiment be a big “flop”?

After a decade of story writing and blogging, I can confidently say that people do read my stories and, from the feedback I receive, readers do like them. They like them a lot.

Was the experiment a big “flop”?

I don’t think so. But you, my dear reader, may be the best judge of that.