Robyn Bavati: Read, Write, Think

Change of Address!

2012-02-03T11:12:00.000+11:00

Since my new website/blog is now up and running, I will no longer be blogging from this address, but from http://www.robynbavati.com/

Read, Write, Think will remain online for anyone wanting to read or re-read earlier posts, but no new content will be added here, at least for now.

I'll log in periodically so I can keep up with the latest posts from the wonderful bloggers I follow, and I hope you all visit me at my new address from time to time.

Au revoir!

Happy Birthday Koala!

2011-10-29T18:23:00.000+11:00

On Wednesday (26th October) I had the good fortune of attending Koala's 25th Birthday celebration and awards ceremony. When Dancing in the Dark was shortlisted and I was invited to attend the birthday celebration, I wasn't sure I'd go. I'm so glad I did. I met about fifteen other authors, all wonderful and friendly. The event took place in the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre in Sydney, in a fantastic theatre packed with school kids.

The kids all came wearing party hats and each school had made a hat for one of the authors. We sang Happy Birthday to Koala. Each author told an amusing story about the best/worst birthday present ever received. Then there were book signings, and photos with kids, followed by lunch for the authors, publishers and organizers.

The event was fantastically well organized and a lot of fun. For more information about the Koala Awards (which are the NSW Children's Choice Awards), and to view the shortlists and winners, visit the Koala website.

A Question of Voice

2011-08-31T11:46:00.001+10:00

Apologies to readers who've been unable to post comments as a result of technical difficulties. (I've been having the same.) Here's a question Matt emailed to me about an earlier post on Alternating First Person Point of View:

I'm curious what your thoughts are on alternating between first and third person, or at least third person and third person limited. When writing, I feel my world is so much more immersive from a first-person perspective, but naturally I keep running into things I want the reader to know without the protagonist's awareness. I would also like to give readers a fair chance to identify with other characters. So I was thinking of having occasional third-person chapters peppered throughout my novel. What are your thoughts?

Here is my answer:

It looks like you're coming up against a problem most authors have to face - what narrative voice to adopt given the obvious strengths and limitations of each.

It's true that writing in the first person is very immediate and a good way to immerse your reader in the story right from the start, but the obvious limitation is that the reader can only know what the narrator reveals. The advantage of writing this way is that the reader experiences the story in the protagonist's shoes, and is generally surprised or shocked along with the protagonist at critical moments. However, this is not always the case. If you choose a naive narrator to tell the story - for example, someone mentally imbalanced or a child - the reader is able to 'read between the lines' in a way that the protagonist cannot, and therefore understands more than the protagonist can, even though it is the protagonist who has supplied the information. A good example of this is Room by Emma Donoghue.

As for your desire to give your readers a 'fair chance to identify with other characters', I believe this can be done when writing in the first person, even if it's from a single person's point of view. The most common way to achieve this is through dialogue - if you give the other characters a chance to speak and voice their opinions, you can make them fully relatable. What people say and do goes along way to shedding light on who they are, and what they think and feel. You can also use your characters to make comments about other characters, so if your protagonist seems to, say, mistrust one character and respect another, a different character can be seen to trust the very person not trusted by the narrator, and lack respect for a character the narrator admires.

Just as your first-person narrator can engage in conversation with other characters, so too he/she can overhear things they say - either unintentionally or deliberately. Similarly, he/she can receive/find letters, emails, diaries, etc.

Writing from the third-person intimate point of view can often give a similar sense of immediacy and intimacy as the first person, with the advantage that you can write different chapters from different characters' viewpoints without worrying about whether the voice sounds too similar - which would be my main concern with multiple first person viewpoints (though I must say that there are certainly many writers who manage multiple first person viewpoints competently and to great effect).

As to whether you should write primarily from a first person point of view but throw in a few third person intimate chapters from other characters' perspectives, my own feeling is that it may be difficult to achieve this without undermining the structural clarity of the novel as a whole. Alternating between third person distant and third person intimate is fairly easy, but won't solve your problem. Alternating between omniscient narrator and third person will allow you the flexibility to give differing viewpoints, but will be just as problematic for your novel in terms of narrative structure.

I feel the most elegant way to solve your problem would be to decide on either first or third person narration (whether single or multiple) and use the tools described above to shed light on other characters when the need arises.

However, there are no hard and fast rules about novel-writing. A draft is not written in stone, and sometimes the best way to know whether something will work is simply to try it. While I would not personally attempt a novel that mixes first person narration with third person narration in the way you describe, (at least, not at this point in my writing life), that's not to say you shouldn't. What may not work for me may work for you. Only you can decide.

Popping back briefly

2011-06-24T13:51:00.000+10:00

to say thanks for your comments. I'm experiencing technical difficulties with Blogger at the moment and for some reason am unable to post comments either on my own blog or anyone else's. This has happened to me before, but after a few days the problem resolved itself as unexpectedly as it had appeared, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Love to you all!

Leave of Absence

2011-06-23T12:52:00.007+10:00

If you are generous and forgiving enough to be reading this, I must begin with an apology. I know I'm in serious breach of blogging etiquette by having disappeared from the blogoshpere with no explanation. The truth is, my absence wasn't planned. I kept thinking I'd be back soon, but I realise now that it might be some time before I return, due to other commitments.

I do plan to resume blogging some time in the future, at which point I hope to return with a brand new website and new-look blog.

On the positive side, I've been busy working on my second novel, which does seem to be coming together slowly but surely. I guess there's no 'quick' way of writing a novel - at least, none I've discovered. But in the meantime I'm enjoying the journey.

For those of you who wanted more of my Writing Class, I'm sorry to disappoint. I can, however, reccomend some fabulous blogs for both experienced and aspiring writers. These include:

http://storyfix.com/
http://wordplay-kmweiland.blogspot.com/
http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/

These are just a few of the really wonderful blogs out there.
Good luck with your writing.

I'll do my best to pop in to read all of your blogs from time to time, until I next return to blog again.
Best wishes to you all!

Meg Rosoff at the Wheeler Centre

2011-05-06T18:56:00.000+10:00

on Tuesday evening was as entertaining as expected. She began by speaking about her new book, There is no Dog, coming out in August. The title, she explained, was inspired by the image of a dyslexic atheist standing outside a church with a placard proclaiming 'There is no Dog'. Apparently, in the novel, God is a nineteen-year-old boy who creates a world, but does it badly. He is selfish and self-absorbed and doesn't care terribly much about his handiwork; the second in command, who genuinely cares, is left to clean up the mess.

Meg hit the literary scene with a bang when her first novel, How I Live Now, was published in 2004 and garnered a string of literary prizes, and her subsequent novels have also achieved critical and commercial success.

A Harvard graduate, Meg said that 25 years in advertising was undoubtedly an excellent apprenticeship for becoming a writer, since advertising is about selling people something they neither want nor need - which is pretty much what a writer has to do. After all, 'no one really wants or needs your book. You have to make them think they do.'

Yet for all her humour, Meg has a sincere belief in 'the transformative power of storytelling', saying that 'the story you tell about yourself defines who you are. By changing the story, you can change who you are.'

To questions about her own process, Meg said: 'All my characters are kind of me, in extreme versions.' She admitted she is weak on plot so generally steals her plots from other books. She also said that there is more than one way to write a book - while she has written some books in the first person and it has felt like taking dictation, with other books she's had to struggle, painstakingly building the novel one bit at a time.

Meg spoke about the redemptive power of caring for somebody else, which I understand is one of the main themes she explores in her books. 'Once you're responsible for someone else, it's very freeing, because you can no longer be self-indulgent and self-absorbed.' Her point was that self-absorbtion is actually the cause of a great deal of pain.

Her tips for writers? Try not to use adjectives or adverbs. Aim for economy. Cut your manuscript by one third. Oh, and read a book called The Unstrung Harp by Edward Gory.

She clearly takes her own advice, as the extracts she read from her books were beautifully, sparsely written and superbly crafted.

You may be interested to know that when writing a novel, Meg runs out of steam at around 25,000 words (end of first draft), and the editor (a new one for each book since they always fall pregnant) is beside herself with worry, not seeing how Meg will manage to bring the story to the requisite length for a full-length book. And yet she does. Though her longest book to date was just over 50,000.

When asked her opinion on endings, Meg said only a cheerful person could write an unhappy ending, but that she herself is too depressive to get away with that, and must have an optimistic one. 'I could never write a really awful ending,' she said, 'because then I'd have to go off and kill myself.'

I can't tell you what I think of Meg Rosoff's books as I haven't read them. But I'm certainly planning to read them now.

You Might Have Missed - Claire de Lune

2011-04-27T20:52:00.000+10:00

by Cassandra Golds. An absolutely delightful fairytale for upper primary - old age. I loved every minute of this charming story about a young dancer who can't speak, and befriends a mouse who can. Magical, moving and magnificent, this wonderful book, first published by Penguin Australia in 2004, has received a great deal of well-deserved praise.

Happy Passover and Happy Easter!

2011-04-21T21:50:00.002+10:00

Hope you all find time during the holidays to settle down to some enjoyable reading.

Books Read While Travelling

2011-04-17T20:43:00.000+10:00

include:

Me and Mr Booker by Cory Taylor - a disturbing story about the romantic/sexual relationship between a schoolgirl and an older, married man. A well-written, somewhat confronting novel. Highly recommended, but don't mistake it for a YA novel - this is strictly for adults, despite the protagonist's age.

I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman - a serial killer makes contact with a woman he raped over twenty years earlier, when she was still a teenager. She's the only one of his victims who escaped with her life, and she wonders why she was the one who got away. Told from the alternating perspectives of the woman and the rapist/murderer, now on death row, this is a psychologically interesting story.

Daughters-in-Law by Joanna Trollope - like all her books, this one is very readable, written with Trollope's trademark elegance. It's a cosy, snuggle-up-with type of book. Doesn't try to solve the world's problems but does deal with relatable characters and their problems.

Room by Emma Donoghue - reminiscent of Sofie Laguna'a One Foot Wrong (not so much in the story itself as the voice of the young protagonist), this is a brilliant, heart-wrenching tale about a mother-and-son in captivity, and their flight to freedom. The novel is narrated by five-year-old Jack, who views the room as a safe haven rather than a prison and the outside world as the real threat. The novel is a poignant and powerful testimony to maternal love, and well-deserving of the many major literary prizes and awards for which it has been shortlisted.

Sing You Home by Jodi Piccoult - another book to sink your teeth into. This one tells the story of a a couple whose infertility problems lead to divorce. When she finds herself in love with a woman who may not be infertile, she wants to use her and her ex-husband's frozen embryos. However, he has undergone a religious conversion, and when he looks to his church for guidance, he is told that he should not allow these 'pre-born children' to be raised in a lesbian home. The tale is Interesting and unpredictable, and makes good holiday reading.

Dancing in the Dark shortlisted for the Children's Choice Book Awards 2011

2011-04-15T06:53:00.000+10:00

So delighted to share this news. Shortly before leaving Israel on Tuesday, I found out that Dancing in the Dark had made the CBCA list of Notables. This morning, after a mere 3 hours sleep last night (yes, I'm still very, very jet-lagged), the week got even better when I opened my inbox and found out that it has also been shortlisted for YABBA's CCBA awards for readers in Years 7-9. It's gratifying to know that my novel has found its way into the hearts of the very readers for whom it was intended.

Lovely to come home. The trip was wonderful - a complete break from routine. Now it's time to get back to work on my second novel.

A short post from Budapest

2011-03-29T05:04:00.000+11:00

to thank you all for your lovely and supportive comments, emails, etc.

Budapest is a beautiful city. The Buda side is hilly, which fabulous views of Pest.
The food is surprisingly good, and we keep discovering charming streets and squares.

Day after tomorrow it's back to Israel...

New from the US - Dancing in the Dark has finally found a US home

2011-03-26T04:58:00.001+11:00

As this was confirmed while I was travelling, I was waiting till I returned to Melbourne to let you know. But since my wonderful US agent WERONIKA JANCZUK has already announced it on her blog and some of you already know, there seems no point in waiting. Hence...

I'm thrilled to share the news that Dancing in the Dark will be published by Flux in Jan/Feb 2013. I know it seems ages away, but the upside is that Flux is a fabulous company that specialises in YA and has a terrific list.

Special THANKS TO MEGAN BURKE. Were it not for her blog, and her interview of the youngest literary agent I have ever heard of, I would not have known that the passionate, dedicated and super-energetic Weronika even existed.

Apologies to my fellow bloggers for having been largely absent from the blogosphere of late. I (perhaps unwisely) came to Europe with neither an iPhone (which I don't possess) nor a laptop - so must rent time on the hotel computer if I want to so much as check my email. And since there's so much to see and do, I haven't had time to read your blogs or even respond to comments on mine.But I'm thinking of you...

Re requests for photos - another apology. I've snapped a few on my mobile phone but am embarrassed to admit that I haven't yet learned how to download them, so that too will have to wait...

And one final apology - I haven't managed to heighlight the names of Megan Burke and Weronika Janzcuk and provide links to their blogs because I'm currently using a German keyboard and it's significantly different from what I'm used to.

Prague, Vienna, and some exciting news...

2011-03-26T04:41:00.000+11:00

Spent 3 days in Prague and one in the nearby medieval city of Kutna Hora. Walking through the old city of Prague is like walking through history, its architecture very much unchanged.

The Jewish Museum, housed in a number of restored/renovated synagogues, is really excellent, but I had mixed feelings about the huge role it plays in the city's tourism. On the one hand, the museum does a fantastic job of educating people about the Jewish community in Prague and the surrounding areas - the history of persecution and anti-semitism, culminating in the Holocaust. On the other, it's unsettling to see such horror and cruelty turned into entertainment for tourists.

Unlike Prague, which seems kind of static and frozen in time, Vienna is vibrant and dynamic. What a marvellous city - an eclectic mix of old and new that works really well.

If you like cake, Vienna is the place to be. With such an amazing selection of the most exquisite cakes and patries, it's so difficult to choose just one.

Today, we lashed out and had lunch in the revolving restaurant in the Danube Tower. What fabulous views!

And last but not least, the exciting news my title promised...
No, actually I think it merits a post of its own.

Tomorrow

2011-03-20T06:15:00.000+11:00

I'll be up at 4.00 am. to be at the airport by 5.00. Flying to Prague, where we'll spend 4 days and nights. Then on to Vienna and Budapest - 10 days in all...

A Trip Down Memory Lane

2011-03-18T16:40:00.000+11:00

but this time, not through books. I've spent the last few days in sunny Tel Aviv, walked for hours, saw the house I lived in for 10 years, as well as the kindergarten and school my kids attended. Had a wonderful afternoon in the redeveloped port, now a place to meet with friends while gazing out at the Mediteranean. Spent a day in Jerusalem - had forgotten how beautiful that city can be with its manginificent views.

Israel's a foody country and the food is fabulous - the quality of the fruit and vegetables is fantastic and the cheeses to die for. Even the simple 5% cheese with its melt-in-the-mouth texture makes you salivate.

Being here, back in the country I lived in for 17 years, seeing the people who were so much a part of my life, evokes so many mixed emotions - nostalgia maybe chief among them. As the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Today, kids all over the country will go to school in fancy dress to celebrate Purim which is on Sunday. Though it's only 7.30 in the morning, I've already seen some little relatives in costume - a 2-year-old nephew is a lion, and a 6-year-old niece is Minnie Mouse.

Apologies

2011-03-09T21:07:00.000+11:00

for my recent absence. I've been busy getting organized for a trip, beginning at 6.00 am tomorrow morning. I'll be away from Melbourne for 5 weeks, during which time I'll be spending 2 nights in Seoul en route to Israel, 2 or 3 weeks in Israel and the remaining 10 or 12 days or so in Europe - not sure where exactly, except that Prague is definitely on the agenda.

The last time I travelled overseas was over 4 years ago, so this one's a biggy. I'll probably have Internet access some, but not all, of the time, so will check in occasionally, when I can.

In the meantime, Happy Reading! Happy Writing! Happy Blogging!

World Book Day

2011-03-03T23:15:00.000+11:00

Did you know that today was world book day? I'd never heard of this until today. It's a celebration of much-loved children's books. Click here to see and hear some favourite stories.

Writing Class - Revealing Character Through Action

2011-02-27T20:04:00.000+11:00

Novice writers often make the mistake of describing their characters rather than showing them in action. This not only slows the story down, but can be tedious to read.

To make your writing more powerful, try replacing common character descriptors with revealing action that forms part of the story. For example:

1. Instead of ‘Ted was stingy’ or ‘Ted was frugal’:

· Ted rummaged in the dark for his box of used matches. No point in throwing them out when he could use them again.

· Ted folded the piece of toilet paper over again and again; it would be a waste to flush it away after just one wipe.

· Why was the little girl asking for money? It had taken Ted a lifetime to accrue what he had, and he wasn’t about to part with it now.

2. Instead of ‘Beth was generous’ or ‘Beth was kind’:

· Beth gave the remaining coin to the beggar.

· Ignoring the rumble in her stomach, Beth handed her sandwich to the man with the limp. He did look hungry.

· As she changed the baby’s nappy, Beth smiled at her mum. ‘I’ll look after him,’ she said. ‘You go and rest.’

Do you prefer this approach? Or would you rather stick with ‘Ted was stingy’, ‘Beth was kind’?

Enid Blyton's Missing Manuscript

2011-02-26T09:04:00.000+11:00

How timely that so soon after taking my trip down memory lane with Enid Blyton, this article appeared in this morning's Age. The mystery surrounding this missing manuscript is a fitting reminder of a much-loved author who wrote, among other things, quite a few mysteries.

Don't you just love this old black-and-white photo of her?

And check out the picture below:

Oh, how styles of book covers have changed over the years! Don't you just want to follow those mischievous children and see where they go?

You Might Have Missed - It's Not All About You, Calma

2011-02-23T19:11:00.000+11:00

by Barry Jonsberg. This book is one of my all-time favourites. The story is narrated by Calma, a Year 11 student who tells us fairly early on that she is unreliable narrator. She is also a very believable one, and she relates her tale in a clever voice full of wit and humour.

This is a story about family, friends and jumping to conclusions. It's funny, relatable and very, very readable, and manages to combine realism with a good dash of romance. As an added bonus, the reader learns quite a lot about English (in which Calma excels) along the way.

Published by Allen & Unwin in 2004, It's Not All About You, Calma was shortlisted in the CBCA Awards, Older Readers, in 2005. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend you do.

Writing Class - Editing for Publishers: What your English teachers never told you

2011-02-20T16:42:00.000+11:00

When writing &/or editing fiction, bear in mind that publishers prefer:

· Active rather than passive writing. eg. A waiter was serving Sally a piece of pie when a speeding Volvo shattered the window (16 words) rather than: Sally was being served a piece of pie by the waiter when the window was shattered by a speeding Volvo (20 words).

· Strong action verbs rather than weaker verbs attached to adverbs. eg. John strode down the aisle and grabbed the bride (9 words) rather than John walked purposefully down the aisle and forcefully took hold of the bride (13 words).

· The use of a few, well-chosen adjectives rather than a profusion of adjectives. eg. The essay was long, and yet it lacked depth (9 words) rather than The essay was long, drawn-out and extensive, and yet it lacked depth (12 words). Or better still, no adjectives at all. eg. The essay lacked depth despite its length (7 words).

It’s not a question of ‘good’ writing or ‘bad’ writing. Nor is it the case that the passive voice, passive verbs, adverbs or strings of adjectives should never be used. It’s just that, as the above examples show, active writing, strong verbs and fewer adjectives will generally make your writing sharper, clearer, and above all, shorter.

If you can get your message across in as few words as possible, your work will be more engaging and easy to read. And if your book is a long one, it won’t be because your writing is long-winded, but because you’ve focused on developing your plot and characters and exploring your themes.

Your thoughts on this one?

Down Memory Lane - The Magic Faraway Tree

2011-02-18T19:52:00.002+11:00

and anything else by Enid Blyton. Let the critics say what they will, but this author must have done something right. Why else would generations of kids all love her books? The Magic Faraway Tree was a personal favourite (as was the Magic Faraway Tree Again), and I read it over and over again.

I first read it at the age of six or seven, but even at the age of 12 or 13, when my reading level was way beyond it, I'd still revisit it from time to time, and always enjoyed it as much as ever.

If there's one thing Enid Blyton knows how to do, it's keep the reader turning the pages. She hooks them on plot, has them bursting to find out what happens next, and makes sure the payoffs are worthwhile.

I loved climbing that tree, entering those magical lands, eating those toffee shocks, sliding down the slippery slip, making friends with Silky, fearing Dame Washalot.

Literary 'experts' might bag Enid Blyton, but in my opinion, writers can learn a lot from her bestselling books.

Ever had your novel rejected when you know it's good?

2011-02-17T19:51:00.000+11:00

If you have, then you're in great company. Maureen Lang, today's guest blogger on Rachelle Gardner's blog On Life as a Literary agent, has written a terrific post called Don't Take This Personally, in which she reminds us of just why even a seasoned author's book might be rejected, even if it's the best book ever. I felt I just had to share.

You Might Have Missed... No Worries

2011-02-15T17:28:00.002+11:00

by Bill Condon. The story is narrated by seventeen-year-old Brian who has dropped out of school and is working the night shift in a milk factory. His mum is mentally ill - dangerously so - and his dad is living in a shed. The issues he has to deal with are serious and confronting, but it's not entirely doom and gloom. There's a wonderful cameraderie among his co-workers, and a tentative, blossoming romance with a fabulous girl. Still, it's an ultimately distressing novel, though sadly accurate in its portrayal of the way in which the mental health system can often let you down.

The novel packs a huge emotional punch but is easy to read. The language is simple and direct - in fact, masterful. Not a single word is redundant or out of place. This was a book I couldn't put down.

Published by UQP in 2005, No Worries was an Honour Book in the CBCA awards 2006 and was shortlisted for the New South Wales Literary Awards. I'm so glad the judges didn't miss this one. Did you?

The Winner of my Competition for a Free Manuscript Assessment is Announced...

2011-02-11T13:55:00.000+11:00

The competition to win a free manuscript assessment for an MG or YA novel is now closed. Thanks to those of you who entered.

The lucky winner is Jeigh Meredith, who has been notified by email.

Jeigh blogs at WriterBrained - a fantastic blog, well worth a visit!

To those who missed out this time, I hope to run this competition again later this year.

Congratulations, Jeigh!

Do fashions in writing really change?

2011-02-09T21:09:00.000+11:00

This post was inspired by Sally Rippin's comment on my previous post, Less is More, and the idea that it's never a good idea to bombard the reader with too much detail. Sally said:

'It's interesting you write about this... because...last night as I finished reading Roald Dahl's 'BFG' to my youngest son... I couldn't help thinking...how much detail he uses in describing not only surroundings but also action, much more so than many contemporary children's writers do. I guess writing fashions change as do children's reading styles and expectations.'

I agree, I think writing fashions definitely change, though I'm not sure to what extent the changes are dictated by children's reading styles, and to what extent they are determined by the publishing industry. Or rather, could it be that a change in publishing standards has resulted in a corresponding change in reading styles?

Certainly, novels became shorter with the advent of television, and shorter still once the Internet became a ubiquitous part of daily life. There is so much competition for our leisure time, and recent surveys have suggested that attention spans are becoming shorter.

In the nineteenth century, long, highly descriptive novels were the norm. Few such books would be published today. But there are always exceptions.

A number of people in the Australian book industry agree that had JK Rowling sent her manuscript to Australian publishers, Harry Potter would never have been published, because it was just too long.

Which brings me to further distinctions: 1) fashions in writing are not neccessarily the same the world over - the Australian publishing industry in particular favours literature that is spare and concise, and 2) fashions differ between genres - fantasy writers can often get away with longer, more detailed descritpion where writers of realistic fiction cannot.

Now, more people are writing than ever before (writing itself has become more fashionable) and some readers will only read short books so that they can read more books in total. However, I believe there will always be readers who want a good, long story they can sink their teeth into.

Fashions aside, my suggestion to keep details to a minimum was really about the quality of writing. As Sallly observed, Roald Dahl's writing is very descriptive, and yet I don't believe it suffers from too much detail, since in his case, every word enhances the story. And in the end, that's what counts.

Two (and a half) days left to enter

2011-02-08T07:18:00.000+11:00

the competition to win a manuscript assessment. If you know anyone who might benefit from a free assessment of their MG or YA ms, spread the word!!!

Writing Class - Less is More

2011-02-06T17:45:00.000+11:00

A certain amount of description is essential in all good stories, but writers often struggle with getting the balance right. How much description is enough? How much is too much?

It’s important to give your readers enough description to allow them to imagine the scene without bombarding them with too much detail. The trick is in revealing only the salient details.

Writers are often told they must know everything about the fictional world they’re creating, but this advice can be counter-productive. If your scene takes place in a garden, you probably don’t need to know or describe every plant in that garden (unless, for example, one of those plants is poisonous and will later become a weapon used for murder, in which case you might).

Likewise, you probably don’t need to tell the reader exactly what your characters had for breakfast (unless one of your characters turns out to be allergic to something he ate).

As a general guide, assess each detail for its relevance to the story you’re telling. Include only those details that reveal character, advance the plot, or in some way enhance your story.

Still not sure? Try removing the detail. Is your story poorer for the lack? If so, put it back. If not, leave it out; it probably just isn’t needed.

Paring down can strengthen a story. Trust your reader to fill in the gaps.

Bookclub with The Younger Sun

2011-02-05T21:28:00.047+11:00

was a lot of fun. The kids are lively, interested, and avid readers with plenty to say. We met in the Hogwarts Room in The Sun Theatre, which really does look like a set out of Harry Potter, and we sat at a long, Hogwarts-like wooden table.

It was great to meet the lovely Kate, who manages The Younger Sun and does such a fantastic job of co-ordinating the bookclub.

I was chuffed to discover that The Younger Sun is not just the name of the bookclub , it's the name of a bookshop specialising in children's books, and it's right across the road from its parent, The Sun Bookshop. When so many bookshops have only a small section of childrens and YA books stuck somewhere at the back, it's refreshing to find a whole bookshop devoted entirely to kids of all ages.

Thanks Kate and gang for a wonderful day!

Down Memory Lane - A Fish Out of Water

2011-02-03T20:13:00.000+11:00

This delightful book by Helen Palmer was first published in the US in 1961. It's a charming story about a boy who buys a goldfish, and ignoring strict instructions not to feed him too much, is dismayed to find that the fish outgrows his fishbowl, a number of vases, the bathtub and the local pool.

Interestingly, Helen Palmer was married to Theodor Geisel, more commonly known as 'Dr Seuss', and the book is based on a short story he wrote in 1950.

A Fish Out of Water is still in print and probably will be for years to come, entertaining generation after generation. There's just something about it!

You Might Have Missed... The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

2011-02-02T21:07:00.000+11:00

by Mark Haddon, though chances are you didn’t, since more than 2 million copies have been sold. This book would probably rate in my Top 10 Ever. It’s a brilliant example of crossover fiction – adults seem to rate it more highly than teens.

Haddon tells a highly original story narrated by the 15-year-old protagonist, a boy with autism, though Interestingly, the word ‘autism’ is never mentioned. The language is deceptively simple, the content insightful and authentic. An absolute masterpiece!

First published in 2003, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time won the 2003 Whitbread Book of the Year and the 2004 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book.

From the intriguing plot to the brilliant characterisation and the uniqueness of the voice, this novel succeeds at every level. I can’t recommend this book enough.

Dancing in the Dark - 1st Birthday!!!

2011-02-01T06:00:00.002+11:00

Today is the first anniversary of my debut novel. Exactly a year ago, Dancing in the Dark hit the bookshelves. Even now, a whole year later, I still get a thrill when I find it in bookshops.

The two years between completing the manuscript and seeing the final book in print were filled with smaller milestones and highlights. These include:

· Finding an agent (Debbie Golvan of Golvan Arts Management) to represent me.

· Having a number of publishers expressing interest.

· Receiving emails from publishers saying how much they loved the book.

· Entering the offices of Penguin Books and meeting the publishers.

· Receiving actual offers.

· Accepting an offer.

· Receiving the signed contract.

· Meeting and working with Michelle Madden, a lovely, dedicated and highly professional editor. Ditto the rest of the staff at Penguin.

· Seeing the beautiful cover design (by one very talented Evi Otemoto, whom I’ve yet to meet).

· Holding the actual book in my hands.

· Putting the book on my shelf at home.

· Seeing multiple copies of my book in a fabulous window display at Sunflower Bookshop.

Post-publication highlights include:
· The launch of Dancing in the Dark – I enjoyed it immensely.

· Reading positive reviews of the book in newspapers, blogs and magazines.

· Being interviewed for radio, newspapers, magazines, blogs and e-zines.

· Receiving fan mail.

· Meeting readers who tell me how much they loved the book.

· Receiving invitations to appear at the Melbourne Writers Festival and the Brisbane Writers Festival, and attending those festivals.

· Meeting other writers.

I’m humbled by the fact that my dream to be a published author has become a reality. Heartfelt thanks to those who worked behind the scenes – the unsung heroes at Penguin and the booksellers who’ve recommended my book to their customers.

Last but by no means least, a huge thankyou to all of you who’ve taken the time to read my book when there are so many others to choose from. I don’t take a single one of you for granted.

Writing Class - Teach it to learn it!

2011-01-30T17:54:00.000+11:00

Did you know that the best way to learn something is to teach it to others? This is true not only of writing but of many things. In fact, many people teach whatever it is they most want to learn.

If you’re passionate about writing, try this: Get hold of a piece of unpolished writing – it could be your own – and try to find three things that could be improved.

Then share your findings with a friend. You’ll be surprised how teaching someone else can enhance and consolidate what you already know.

Upcoming Appearance - Bookclub with The Younger Sun

2011-01-28T18:23:00.000+11:00

So glad I'll soon be visiting the The Younger Sun Teen Bookclub. Can't wait to meet Kate and her brilliant band of bubbly bookworms.

We'll be chatting about my debut novel, Dancing in the Dark. Feel free to join, whether you've read it or not.

When: Saturday the 5th of Feb, at 2.00 pm.
Where: The Sun Bookshop, 10 Ballarat Street Yarraville

Believe it or not, I've only been to Yarraville once, even though I live in Melbourne. That was for a book launch about two years ago, and where do you suppose it was? You guessed it - The Sun Bookshop. It's a delightful shop that simply oozes book love, and it spills into the foyer of the adjacent theatre (where Kerry Greenwood's book was launched, complete with musical numbers and home-made muffins).

The delightful bookshop and theatre are situated in the heart of the equally delightful Yarraville shopping strip, worth a visit in itself. Such a wonderful place to stroll and browse and stop for coffee and cake or a full-blown lunch. I'm planning to make the most of it!

Wonderful Wesites

2011-01-27T20:08:00.000+11:00

I’m a sucker for wonderful websites, and I’ve just been visiting those of some children’s authors whose sites reflect their books and their writing.

These include the sites of:

1) Cassandra Golds – her website looks beautiful and magical, just like the fairytales she weaves.

2) Jayne Lyons – whose site is designed to look like the places her stories are set in, and who is 100% committed to using the same language on her website as she does in 100% Wolf and the rest of the series.

3) Doug MacLeod – this website is replete with his own brand of humour, and last but not least…

4) JK Rowling – her official website is every bit as spectacular as one would expect, and as imaginative as the books they represent.

Interestingly, most websites of adult and young adult authors don’t seem to reflect their authors’ books in quite the same way.

My own website was consciously designed to reflect my debut novel, but I’m now at a crossroads. The site really isn’t working for me as I’m not able to manage it myself and must rely on someone else to update the content. I’ve therefore decided to replace the entire website with one that I will be able to manage alone.

So I wanted to ask you: Do you think an author’s website should in some way reflect their books?

Down Memory Lane - The Curious Adentures of Fairy Fluster

2011-01-25T08:45:00.000+11:00

This is the first post in the series Down Memory Lane, a series that takes me back to my childhood favourites - the books I read again and again.

One of these was The Curious Adventures of Fairy Fluster, written by Hazel Willson and published in 1956. This was a charming book about a well-intentioned fairy who kept getting her spells wrong. It wasn't exactly a novel, as each chapter dealt with a different adventure.

I wish I could get hold of this book again, but sadly, I believe it's out of print, and I haven't been able to find it second-hand.

Does anyone else remember this book? Are there books you loved as a child that are no longer for sale?

COMPETITION! WIN A MANUSCRIPT ASSESSMENT!

2011-01-23T10:45:00.000+11:00

I’m thrilled to announce the very first competition on this blog!

For a chance to have your YA or MG manuscript (of no more than 60k words) assessed by me (I’ve done manuscript assessment for IP Books and Hachette Livre – formerly Lothian Books), just follow the blog and leave a comment (or email me) saying what book you’ve read in the last month and why you liked it.

If you blog, tweet or facebook about this comp you'll receive an additonal entry (for each one!), so be sure to add links to each relevant field along with your comment so I can verify.

I'll assign a number to all entries and the winner will be decided by a random number generator. Make sure you leave your email address as well as your comment (or email it to me separately) as the winner will be notified by email before the announcement on the blog is made.

Comp closes 10th of February (5.00 pm. Melbourne time).

Any questions? Just ask. Can’t wait to see what you’ve all been reading!

You Might Have Missed... Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children

2011-01-22T16:30:00.001+11:00

by Jen Storer (Penguin, 2009). This is a wonderful story about an orphan without a guardian angel to protect her. But Tensy is no ordinary girl, and perhaps there’s a deeper reason for this grave anomaly.

Jen has a unique and enchanting way with words, and she uses an omniscient, humorous narrator to weave a captivating, New Age tale.

Shortlisted for the 2010 Aurealis Award, the 2010 CBCA Younger Readers Award, the 2010 WAYRBA children’s choice awards and the 2010 inaugural Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, Tensy Farlow is a fabulous, challenging choice for children aged 10-13.

An absolute delight to read, it’s a novel to nourish the heart and soul.

New Blog Directions Revisited

2011-01-21T15:49:00.001+11:00

Following my post on new blog directions earlier this month, I have decided that in 2011, as well as keeping you updated about my own work as a writer and related events, I will:

· Continue with the Writing Class. If you have a particular issue or question you’d like me to address, just email me at robynbavati@gmail.com Feel free to comment on the writing classes. Other opinions are always welcome.

· Write a series of posts under the heading You Might Have Missed… in which I will talk (briefly) about books (mainly YA but some MG and occasional adult novels) that I have enjoyed and recommend. These posts will focus on books that were published prior to 2010. In this way, I hope to help keep great books flourishing after the publicity and fanfare following initial publication has died down.

· Include a series called Down Memory Lane, in which I will recall some of the books I loved as a child.

What are the books you’re worried people might have missed? And what are the books you loved as a child?

Writing Class - Alternating First Person Point of View

2011-01-19T20:14:00.000+11:00

Many of the novels I read in 2010 use alternating first person points of view. This means that the story is told, in the first person, by more than one narrator, the viewpoint generally switching back and forth between two or more characters.

It’s a popular form of storytelling, both generally and in YA novels in particular, but it’s problematic because of the difficulties involved in doing it well.

An example of alternating first person point of view done well is Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and in this case, there is a simple reason for its success; the novel was written by two different people. The two characters who narrate the story are both called Will Grayson, but as each Will Grayson was written by a different author, the reader is exposed to two distinct voices.

That is not to say that an alternating first person point of view only works where there is more than one author; however, it takes a highly skilled author to pull it off.

In some of the novels I read last year, the characters’ voices were so similar that I found myself constantly reading back or skipping forward to figure out which character was currently narrating the story. This happened even with stories that were told by characters of different sexes, and was particularly apparent where the narrators were of a similar age.

In some of these books, as if in anticipation of this very problem, each chapter had the name of the narrator at the top of the page. While this is certainly useful, it’s more of a cop-out than a solution, since the narrators should sound so different that the possibility of confusion should never arise.

Jodi Piccoult is an example of a writer skilled in voice. While there’s a consistency to her authorial style, she manages to create distinctive voices. Her book My Sister’s Keeper (told from 8 different points of view), exemplifies her mastery of voice and point of view.

The key lies in knowing your characters, hearing their voices in your head, understanding the way they think and the way they speak.

If you allow your characters to narrate their story, their whole identity must be expressed through their narration. It goes without saying that an eighty-year-old woman will not sound the same as an eighteen-year-old man. Their use of language will differ.

Bear in mind that if your characters are not different enough to sound different, you might have a deeper problem of character and characterisation. But not necessarily – it could just be that you’re not yet a brilliant enough writer to handle alternating first person points of view. If this is the case, you might be better off writing in third person point of view.

I’ve chosen to write about this very specific problem today as I’ve seen so much of it lately and it’s been on my mind. (Next week, I’ll write more generally about point of view.)

Have any of you noticed this problem, too?

New Blog Directions for 2011

2011-01-08T23:41:00.000+11:00

I've been thinking of a few blog ideas I might try out this year, but I thought I'd run them by you first and ask for your feedback.

Idea One: The inclusion of a regular spot (eg. once a week or once a month) where people can ask questions about writing and I will do my very best to answer. If I have trouble answering them myself, I will enlist the help of others.

Idea Two: Delivery of the Writing Class in a more organized and scheduled way, rather than posting random classes when I feel like it, as I've been doing to date.

Idea Three: The addition of something along the lines of 'My favourite post of the week' in which I provide a link to a post I particularly liked. For example, this post on 'eight lessons in story from The Sound of Music.'

Would love your feedback on these ideas. Would you like to see these kinds of posts? If so, how often? I'm also open to suggestions for other kinds of posts. What are the sorts of things you want to read?

Books That Pose Interesting Questions

2011-01-07T12:59:00.000+11:00

Just finished reading Finding Violet Park by Jenny Valentine. If you haven't yet had the good fortune to come across this fabulous author, do seek her out. Her work is so interesting and original.

Chapter 23 begins with the question: 'If you could interview anyone and ask them five questions that they had to answer truthfully, who would they be and what would you ask them?'

A lot of books pose interesting questions. What are some of the questions you've come across in books you've read?

Advice and a Blessing for the Coming Year

2010-12-30T15:56:00.000+11:00

If 'Phsician, heal thyself' is the best advice one can give to a doctor, then 'Writer, know thyself' might well be the best advice one can give to an author. Research may take you far and wide, but the heart of your story will be found within. It is through insight into yourself and your own experiences that you will find something of value to share with others.

May you have the imagination and playfulness to create great stories, the courage to look within to discover their meaning, the perseverence to shape and perfect them and the generosity to share them with the world. May your courage and generosity return to you a thousand-fold.

To all my blog followers, fellow bloggers and facebook friends

2010-12-24T12:23:00.000+11:00

Thanks for your interest, comments and ongoing support. I wish you joy, peace, health and love in the coming year.

Writing Class: A question of timing

2010-12-21T20:40:00.002+11:00

When should information be revealed? How much? How soon?

I have in my head an image of a man bending over a prostrate body of a woman. The man is wearing a mask and carrying a knife. The woman is bleeding, unconscious. Undeterred, the man plunges the knife into her flesh…

Can you picture the scene? What are you thinking? What is happening here? Have you understood that the man is a criminal, the woman his victim?

Imagine a story that begins this way.

Now imagine that as you continue reading, further details are revealed. It slowly becomes apparent that in fact, the man is not a criminal, but a surgeon. The mask is a surgical one. The knife is not a weapon but a scalpel. The man is not a murderer killing an innocent woman. He is a heroic doctor saving a life.

This is an example of withholding information as a plot device – the writer playing with, and deliberately misleading, the reader.

More commonly, information is withheld to create suspense or maintain tension. In a Whodunit, for instance, you won’t find out who ‘done’ it till the very end.

However, certain information should be given upfront; it forms part of the set-up. This includes all aspects of characterisation. (For a review of the difference between character and characterisation, see an earlier post.)

If your character has a stutter, a limp, wears glasses or is bald, this information should be given as soon as the character is introduced. It won’t do to let the reader know halfway through the novel that the protagonist has black hair. If you want to provide this information, do it before the reader has begun to picture him as a blond or a redhead.

Don’t wait till page 200 to tell the reader that your hero has blue eyes (unless it’s a plot device and you were deliberately misleading the reader into thinking he had brown ones when in fact he was wearing contact lenses all this time…)

Likewise, if you tell the reader in Chapter 2 that the protagonist has a sister called Mary and a brother called Jo, don’t wait till Chapter 6 to mention Alex (that is, unless you have a specific reason for doing so), since the reader will assume a three-sibling family.

In short, check your timing. Always be conscious of how much information you provide, when, and why.

Looking for some great YA reads for the summer? I recently read and recommend:

2010-12-20T08:29:00.000+11:00

Letters to Leonardo by Dee White – so moving! This book begins with fifteen-year-old Matt Hudson receiving a letter from the mother he thought was dead. Determined to find out the truth behind the lie, he seeks her out – and discovers far more than he bargained for. If you like a tearjerker, this one’s for you, but have a box of tissues handy – I haven’t cried so much in ages.

Angel Fish by Lili Wilkinson – a vividly imagined account of the Children’s Crusade narrated by one of its fictional participants, the naïve and sensitive Gabriel. This is a beautifully-written novel that is as thought-provoking as it is insightful. It has a timeless relevance.

Six by Karen Tayleur – a well-plotted, well-written novel about a group of teenagers who share a horrifying secret. One of them dies in a car accident, but we don’t know who. This quick and easy read is a suspenseful page-turner with a mix of distinctive characters and a clever ending.

Writing Class: The function of subplots

2010-12-16T18:55:00.000+11:00

A single plot, otherwise known as ‘the major plot’, generally isn’t enough to sustain a novel. Even if the major plot is strong, it will tend to fizzle out if not supported by one or more subplots.

Subplots perform an important role when it comes to pacing the novel. Interspersing the major plot with a subplot slows down the novel and increases tension. When you want to make the reader wait to find out what happens next in the major plot, you can simply move to the subplot.

The subplot must relate to the major plot in a critical way. While this relationship may not be obvious at the start of the novel, it must be apparent by the end. Subplots aren’t merely digressions into other, unrelated stories. They must be linked in some way to the major plot. The best subplots are those that are also thematically related to the major plot, perhaps highlighting another aspect of the theme, or approaching it from a different angle.

Subplots usually tell the stories of the secondary characters. Like the major plot, each subplot must be a complete story in itself, with a beginning, middle and end and an arc of its own.

When recognizing that their novel needs further development, novice writers sometimes make the mistake of adding more characters and too many subplots. This results in too many under-developed stories, and weakens rather than strengthens the novel as a whole.

It is therefore best to limit your subplots to two or three, and don’t add characters just to flesh out your story. Rather, develop your characters and their stories, and always make sure your subplots complement your major story.

More gems from one of my favourite blogs, Glass Cases...

2010-12-10T18:04:00.000+11:00

Click here to be inspired by Sarah's small tribute to John Lennon and what he had to say about writing.

Writing Class: The Plot Thickens - or if it doesn't, it should...

2010-12-10T10:46:00.002+11:00

When first attempting a novel, many writers have a great idea. They know how to begin their story. They may know how they want it to end. It’s just the middle that is problematic – the 200 or so pages that take the reader from start to finish.

Most writers know they need a conflict, for conflict is the fuel of story. There is a character with a want or need, and an obstacle preventing that character from fulfilling that want or need.

Some common examples:

· Girl wants boy, but she is shy, and boy doesn’t know she even exists.

· Boy wants girl and is about to ask her out when he loses his job, and no longer thinks he’s worthy of her.

· A piece of jewellery is stolen from a woman who wants to find the thief and get it back, even though this may be dangerous.

· An athlete has his heart set on winning a particular race even though he’s lost months of training due to an illness, and his odds aren’t good.

So far, all this information is contained in the set-up. But what happens next? To keep the reader hooked, you’ll generally need to complicate the plot – to heighten the conflict and increase the stakes. The above examples may look like this:

· The more shy girl sees of boy who doesn’t know she exists, the more interested in him she becomes. She keeps her feelings to herself, not even confiding in her best friend, Jane. Increasingly aware of his positive qualities, she decides to overcome her shyness and approach him but just then Jane tells her that she’s noticed this guy (same guy, of course) she thinks is cute, and has decided she’s going to ask him out. Girl secretly hopes that boy will refuse, but pretty soon he and Jane are an item…

· Boy loses his job just before he asks girl out. Landlord puts his rent up so not only is he jobless, he is also in debt. A slump in the economy makes finding another job particularly difficult. Girl appears more beautiful every time he sees her. Meanwhile, he knows for a fact that lots of wealthy guys are asking her out. A chance encounter with her reveals that she is even kinder, sweeter and more understanding than he’d ever imagined, and she takes up permanent residence in his head, but his debt is rising…

· The woman whose ring has been stolen is determined to get it back because it was given to her by her grandmother, and has a great deal of sentimental value. During the course of tracking the thief, she discovers that he is not only a thief; he is also wanted for murder. In the meantime, she finds out that the ring is actually worth a great deal of money…

· The athlete trains with persistence and determination and feels he just might be getting somewhere. But then he has a relapse and another precious week of training is lost. Meanwhile, he discovers that winning the race will mean a scholarship to a university, and is his only chance at tertiary education. He’s hopeful that with renewed perseverance he might have a hope. Then he finds out that he will be racing against the formidable X, who has never ever lost a race…

In short, the obstacles become greater, the stakes higher, so that much is to be gained if the characters achieve their goals, and a great deal to be lost if they do not.

Of course, not every novel will look like this, but most popular, commercially successful novels will. Generally speaking, giving your main characters a hard time will elicit sympathy from the reader and generate respect when your characters finally overcome seemingly impossible obstacles to achieve their goals.

If you're editing a first draft, make sure you've complicated your plot, increased the obstacles, and raised the stakes. A good question to ask yourself is this: Have I made things as difficult for my character as I possibly could?

Recently read and highly recommend...

2010-12-09T09:03:00.000+11:00

Adult non-fiction: Foreskin's Lament by Shalom Auslander - a witty and wonderful book about how years of 'theological abuse' left this author scarred for life. So insightful, entertaining and brilliantly written.

Young Adult: Hush by Eishes Chayil - had to read this one because of its similarities to Dancing in the Dark. It too is set in a haredi (ultra-orthodox) community, though it's much darker, as it deals with incest and sexual abuse. Desptie the gravity of its subject matter, it's a very easy and compelling read.

Young Adult: Mice by Gordon Reece - a powerful, thought-provoking psychological thriller about what happens when a teenage girl and her mother retreat to a house in the country to escape further bullying by culprits who got away scott free. A real page-turner!

Young Adult: Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell - as beautiful as its title suggests, with flawed, relatable and endearing characters you'll always remember.

Children's Fiction: Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool by Odo Hirsch - adorable, clever, delightful, and beautifully written. This is a book full of heart. It's one of those rare gems that remind you why you liked reading in the first place.

What have you read lately? And what do you recommend for the approaching holidays?

Writing/Editing Class - pacing your manuscript, beginning with the very first chapter

2010-12-04T21:40:00.000+11:00

Problems with pacing generally fall into one of two categories:

1) the story is too fast
2) the story is not fast enough

When the story is too fast, too much is revealed too soon. Often, this will detract from the steady build-up of tension that stories require.

When the story is too slow, you will probably lose your readers well before they finish the novel.

When checking your manuscript for problems of pace, bear in mind that you need to pay special attention to your opening chapters, and in particular Chapter One because: a) this is the chapter that will determine whether your reader will read on, and b) mistakes made in Chapter One are often indicative of mistakes made throughout the manuscript.

The first chapter needs to hook the reader, and in order to do this, it’s important to raise questions that won’t be answered right away. Common hooks include:

· the arrival of a letter – what portentous information does it contain?
· the discovery of a dead body – who dunnit, how and why?
· a stranger’s arrival in a close-knit town – how will the dynamics of the community change
· anything that is out of the ordinary, that will effect a change in the status quo.

Whatever your hook, make sure your story doesn’t give away too much too soon. You want to keep your reader invested – guessing, wondering…

Yet while delayed gratification is crucial, it’s important to plunge your reader straight into the story. Too many would-be writers make the mistake of delaying the start of the story until after they’ve completed a lengthy set-up, including detailed descriptions of the characters and their backstories. This is not only unnecessary but counter-productive. Characters and the world they inhabit should be revealed as the story unfolds. Readers don’t want a character study; they want a story. And you don’t have a story unless something happens.

So when reading over Chapter One, ask yourself the following questions:
What happens in this chapter? (Something must.)
What is the hook?
Are readers left with unanswered questions? (They certainly should be.)

If you are satisfied that Chapter One is working, keep reading. Check the pace of the entire manuscript. If it feels too fast, it could be that there is:

a) not enough description
b) insufficient character development, or
c) insufficiently developed sub-plot/s.

If this is the case, your readers will probably feel dissatisfied, though they may not know why.

To slow the story down, increase tension, and provide a more satisfying reading experience, you may wish to:

a) add description
b) develop the characters, or
c) develop the subplots.

On the other hand, your story, or parts of it, may feel too slow. In this case, the culprits could be:

a) repetition
b) long-winded description
c) lengthy dialogue
d) too many sub-plots
e) overindulging in internal monologue
f) digressions into tangents that are not essential to the story you’re telling.

For all the above, the solution is the same: cut, cut and cut some more.

The beginning of a novel is a promise to the reader. Make sure you deliver, but slowly, so that your promise is not entirely fulfilled until the final sentence.

Moving From the First Draft to the Second

2010-12-02T21:34:00.000+11:00

Congratulations to all who completed NaNoWriMo and now have a first draft ready for editing. Throughout the month of December I’ll be posting titbits on what to look for when going through that first draft, and how to improve it. I’ll be giving tips on pacing, story, major plots and sub-plots, voice, character, point of view, etc., though not necessarily in that order.

To start with, here is a link to K.M. Weiland’s 7 tips for editing – well worth reading whether or not you’ve already begun the editing process.

Good luck writers, and hope to see you back here soon.

Gems from the lips of Odo Hirsch

2010-11-25T12:34:00.000+11:00

On Tuesday I had the great fortune to meet the highly acclaimed and prolific children’s and YA writer Odo Hirsch. The Melbourne-born writer lives in London, so it was wonderful to have the opportunity to hear him speak.

Odo’s first novel for children, Antonio S and the Mystery of Theodore Guzman, was published in 1997 and is still in print. Since then, he has published twenty books, and is still producing quality fiction at an impressive rate.

He began his talk by explaining that ‘Odo Hirsch’ is his pen name, and he chose it because he thought it sounded quirky yet believable. His real name is David Kausman, and he was still a practising doctor when he started writing. He wanted to keep his two careers completely separate; hence the pseudonym.

As he rarely speaks to groups about his writing, he said he hoped we would interrupt him with questions as often as possible; that way he’d tell us things we wanted to know. Here are some of the questions people asked him, along with his answers:

When you want to write a new novel, where do you start?
Sometimes I start with a character, sometimes with a concept or an idea. Regardless of where you start, you must have a sympathetic character with whom readers can identify… It’s the resonance that creates the affection. Readers must care about the character, and for that to happen they need be able to imagine themselves in the character’s position… You can have an anti-hero as the main character, but it’s much harder to do.

The Hazel Green books started with the character. You need an endearing and consistent character. But sometimes I start with a theme. One theme that is very important to me is exploration. So I create a world in which the character can explore.

What’s the hardest part of the book to write?
The beginning. You have to know where you’re going to go, because the beginning is the set up and lays the groundwork. When you’re just starting, it can be hard to know where the story will take you.

Why do you write?
Stories are a way of trying to work out something in your own life. Writing is a kind of wish fulfilment.

Do you have any advice to writers?
Write something you really believe in, something that is meaningful to you.

Where do you get your ideas?
You have lots of ideas, but you end up writing about the ones that really grab you and maintain your interest over time.

Do your novels have common themes?
Yes. Some of my books are quite similar on the surface, but if you look deeper, you’ll find they are really quite different. There may be themes that overlap, but each book will also have something that makes it unique.

How do you structure your day?
I just sit down and do it. People who want to write sometimes ask me for tips, and I tell them to create a space. That’s what you need. A quiet space where you can shut the door and immerse yourself into the world you’ve created. Your characters live there, so that place really has to be there in your head.

What makes a writer?
It’s all about creating that space. Everyone can write one book – no, that’s not true, you need a certain command of language and mastery of craft – but everyone has a story in them. It’s when you can write more than one that you make the transition from someone with an interesting story to someone who’s a writer.

Is it difficult?
I don’t regard it as work, but it is – it’s very hard work. But it’s a wonderful feeling when it all comes together in the end.

Do you read a lot?
Yes, but I don’t read much fiction. I read mostly history and politics, and that’s where I get most of my ideas. People are often surprised when I say that, but it’s true.

How do you decide what age you’ll write for?
Your ideas naturally gravitate towards a certain age group.

Some books are really easy to read, like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, where the language is very, very simple, and every kid can read it, but yours are not. Do you have a particular type of child in mind?
No, I write for children generally, but the child has to be reader.

Has this proven problematic with publishers?
Only when I was first trying to get my work seen by a publisher. Sometimes people in the publishing industry love to put you down. An agent who read my first book sent the manuscript back with the comment: "No child would read this book unless they were physically restrained." But the first publisher who saw it wanted it.

Courses in writing for children teach that the main character should be 2 or 3 years older than the target reader, but I read one of your children’s book where the main character was an old man. How did you get away with that? Was it because you were already successful and respected in the field?
The book you’re referring to is Pincus Corbett’s Strange Adventure, and it worked because the main character, the old man, was actually very childlike and childish, so children could identify with him. But yes, you do have more leverage once you’ve already had some success.

Could you comment on what it’s like working with an editor?
The editor always comes up with something worthwhile. You do have to be discriminating in what you accept because the editor doesn’t have your vision of the book, but a good editor really does improve the book. A good editor identifies problems and inconsistencies, but they have to ‘get’ the book; they have to understand your vision.

Do you have any advice on self-editing?
The age-old “Murder your darlings” really is the best advice. You need to keep the big picture in mind. It’s the big picture stuff that really matters. If you find yourself insisting on a particular sentence, or detail, that’s probably the bit that will have to go. Also, you never really finish. Your book is not a final product – it's a snapshot – a frozen picture of where it was at the time it had to go to print – and at that point you let it go.

How does your own personality impact on your writing?
I’m very analytical, and this is not necessarily a strength. If you’re too analytical, your writing can become quite dry. There has to be an emotional, intuitive element to writing, so I have to be careful not to over-analyse.

You’ve won a lot of awards. What effect does winning an award have?
It increases sales.

What are you working on at the moment?
I’m currently writing a sequel to Darius Bell.

Would you ever consider writing for adults?
Yes, I have considered it, and I think at some point I probably will.

And that’s it, folks. Hope you found something useful in what this wonderful and successful writer had to say.

Did you Know

2010-11-22T12:00:00.001+11:00

that the highly acclaimed children's author, Oddo Hirsch, will be speaking at Sunflower Bookshop tomorrow (Tuesday November 23rd) at 4.45 pm for a 5.00 pm start? Entry is free (and includes wine and cheese) but you must phone to reserve a place. Sunflower Bookshop is located at 434 Glenhuntly Road, Elsternwick. Phone: (03) 9523 6405. I'm looking forward to hearing what this very accomplished writer has to say.

Writing Class - On Character

2010-11-21T16:23:00.000+11:00

Do you know the difference between characterization and character? The former concerns itself with outward appearances – physical attributes such as height, build, hair colour or complexion. It also encompasses physical idiosyncrasies, which may or may not be indicative of a mental state. Perhaps your character has a nervous tic, or twitch, or walks with a limp.

Beginning writers often mistake characterization for character, but characterization alone is never enough. Aristotle said that character is revealed in the way a person acts when under pressure. If you want to understand your characters, ask yourself what motivates your characters. What are their deepest desires and greatest fears?

It is only through understanding the inner workings of their psyches that you’ll manage to create characters that ‘leap off the page’ and live on in the reader’s imagination long after the story itself has ended.

If you want to write an uplifting story, you’ll want your characters to change over time. Allow them to overcome their demons in the end.

In the interests of consistency, some writers make the mistake of showing the same character trait over and over, in different ways, so that the story becomes repetitive, and the character is denied a chance to grow. They mistake repetition for character development.

You may, of course, decide that your particular story demands a character who doesn’t change, doesn’t learn, doesn’t develop – and that’s okay if it’s done deliberately to serve your story.

Generally speaking, though, it’s only through allowing your characters to develop that you’ll create the kinds of characters with whom readers will want to identify. Readers want to struggle alongside the characters. They want to experience the fear, the courage, and the triumph.

If you allow them to do this, they’ll think back fondly on these flawed but inspiring characters, and remember them as wonderful friends they have come to know.

In Need of a Blog Doctor

2010-11-17T20:47:00.000+11:00

My blog is feeling poorly, and as a result you may find yourself unable to post a comment. A huge thankyou to Jen Storer for alerting me to the fact that there's a problem. I was going to suggest that you email your comments to me and I'd post them for you. However, I've just discovered that I too am unable to post a comment - and on my own blog!

If any of you technological whizz kids out there think you know what the problem might be, and how I might solve it, I'll be eternally grateful if you let me know. (Megs, are you listening?) I trust that in the near future I'll locate a blog doctor who can give my blog some TLC and nurse it back to health. In the meantime, I hope you continue to read and enjoy my posts.

You don't have to like my book...

2010-11-15T22:56:00.001+11:00

but please be honest about your objections. An article in this week's Australian Jewish News quotes Rabbi Kennard as saying that my book "bases its presentation of religious Jewish life on inaccuracies and distortions (and) celebrates dishonesty...( that it' s full of)
misrepresentations, one-sided depictions and polemical arguments."
Yet he is unable to point to a specific inaccuracy, distortion, or misrepresentation. The fact is, words such as these can't be applied to the portrayal of fictional characters. The characters in my novel are just that - characters - and the way they behave is well within the realm of possibility. Just because he personally doesn't know any haredi people like those I've portrayed (or claims he doesn't), doesn't mean they don't exist.

As for the accusation that Dancing in the Dark celebrates dishonesty - that's simply absurd. The protagonist is extremely tortured and conflicted over the fact that she deceives her parents, and does so only because there is no other way she can achieve her dream.

But fellow writers, know that there will always be people who don't like what you write. There will even be people who object to the fact that you write. Why else are there so many articles and posts drifting around the blogosphere lately that bag the whole concept of National Novel Writing Month, telling people not to bother?

Laura Miller has written a post about why NaNoWriMo is such a bad idea, and Carolyn Kellog has written a beautiful one about why she's wrong. Veronica Roth writes sensibly about why
not writing is an important part of writing itself.

My own view? There may be times when a challenge like NaNoWriMo will be just what you need. There may be times when you'll need to stop and think. Rewrite. Edit. Think some more.

The publishing industry is full of people who will try to discourage you. A few years ago I did work experience at a publishing house that had just decided not to accept any more unsolicited manuscripts. The publisher - a woman who had been at the helm of that company for many years - told me that there were enough writers as it was. And when I asked her whether she thought that perhaps newcomers should be given a chance, she said, quite simply: 'They shouldn't be writing.'

Imagine what wonderful books we'd be missing out on if all new writers took that advice. Don't let the publishing industry put you down. If you want to write, then persevere. There will certainly be those who don't like what you write, but they don't have to. Why not write to please yourself? And if you do manage to write something you really love, chances are someone else will love it too.

3 Ms - Me, Megs and Morton.

2010-11-08T17:23:00.001+11:00

Today, at Megan Burke's suggestion, I went to hear Kate Morton at the Weeler Centre. First met up with Megs at Mr Tullk where we had cake for lunch (don't be fooled by the euphemistic "banana 'bread'") and discussed... what else?...writing and books.

We talked about the need for story to determine the structure, and not the other way around (it's never a good idea to first impose a structure and then try to make the story fit) and interestingly, Kate mentioned, and agreed with, that very point.
BR>
She also talked about how she weaves together different timelines because her interest is not in history as such, but in how the past impacts upon the present.

Interestingly, she said that the 'contemporary' timeline in her latest book takes place in 1992, because it's easier for a writer not to have to take into account emails, mobile phones, and all the latest technology. To me this indicates a major difference between YA and general fiction. In YA fiction, 1992 would virtually be considered history, and 'contemporary' means right now, this minute, today. Publishers of YA fiction are concerned their books do not seem dated (unless they are intended as historical fiction).

Kate also read an extract from her latest book. It was beautifully written, beautifully imagined, and left the reader (or in this case, listener) wanting more. Over 3,000,000 copies of her books have been sold throughout the world, and though I haven't yet read any of them, I'm planning to now.

The controversy over Book Censorship at Mount Scopus College is still raging, with the article appearing as one of the four most popular articles on the online magazine. 76 comments so far, (including some very nasty ones about me) and the number is rising. Apparently, 94 people have posted it on their facebook page.

Ouch! I'm under attack!

2010-11-03T18:57:00.000+11:00

Much as I was rearing to get back to working on my novel, it's a little hard to concentrate when I feel as though I'm dodging bullets. Don't know if any of you saw a tiny article in the Heckler (back page of The Age) on Sunday (October 31), revealing the fact that Dancing in the Dark has been banned from the library at Mount Scopus College. (You must be getting sick of hearing about it.)

The article did not go unnoticed by the editors of Galus Australis, an online 'forum for discussion and debate about Australian Jewish life'. Similarly, my session at the Melbourne Jewish Book Festival heightened the controversy. Galus Australis asked me for an account of what had happened, and also asked Rabbi James Kennard for his perspective on the issue.

In just 2 days, the issue has attracted nearly 50 comments. To read about, or contribute to, the debate, click here.

I haven't responded to any of the comments - I think the novel speaks for itself, and fortunately, a lot of people are arguing the case against censorship far more eloquently than I ever could.

I'll end this post with a question: Do you think censorship is ever justified, and if so, under what circumstances? Opinions welcome!

Done and Dusted, and That Second Novel...

2010-11-01T20:41:00.001+11:00

Have finally completed all requirements towards my MA, which is a huge relief as I like to finish what I start. More importantly, I am now free to work on my novel. It was great getting back to my own writing after not having time to touch it for several weeks.

Writing novel Number 2 comes with its own set of problems - not so much in the writing itself as in the expectations, or percieved expectations, of the author. No one considered me a 'real' writer until my first novel was published. I knew I had it in me to write a novel, but as no one else knew it, no one expected anything of me.

It's quite different now. People regularly ask me when the second one will be ready, and how it's coming along. Given that the reviews of Dancing and Dark were overwhelmingly positive, I can't help wondering whether my second novel will 'live up to' the first.

I started about 4 different 'second' novels before settling on the one I chose. They all had potential, but with anything I write, I start out by exploring various story ideas, and it takes a while to find out which ones will 'stick'. I have to love the story. It has to be engaging enough to capture my attention for a number of years. I need a story with themes I can see myself discussing well into the future.

A question that presents itself is this: How similar to the first novel should the second one be? There are obvious problems if it's too similar - it will feel repetitive and not worth reading. But readers who've loved the first novel will want a degree of similarity - after all, there's a reason they're looking for another novel by the same author.

I once looked for another novel by an author who'd written a novel I'd loved - one of those wonderful British contemporary novels. I found one, but it turned out to be a spy novel I didn't enjoy, and failed to finish. It was so unlike the first novel that I thought it must be by a different author with the same name, but research revealed that it wasn't. It was the same author. Different genre.

Some writers (Sonya Hartnett comes to mind) switch markets and genres with remarkable ease, and every novel is a masterpiece. Others carve out a niche for themselves in a very specific market, and each book is a bit like reading more of the same. Most fall somewhere in between.

I'm hoping I'll get the balance right, and that readers will enjoy my second novel. (And sorry, I won't tell you what it's about until I have a completed draft and a signed contract.) In the meantime, I'm not going to worry too much about whether my second novel is too similar to the first or not similar enough. I'll just have to trust myself, and hope that I can come up with a second novel that I'll enjoy reading, and that others will too.

If you're a writer who's found that second novel problematic, I'd love to hear from you. If you're a reader with strong opinions about second novels, I'd love to hear from you, too. And if you have any idea why the bottom half of this post shows highlighted lines behind the text, please enlighten me. I'm still a blogging novice, especially as far as anything technical is concernd.

Wrap-up of the inaugural Melbourne Jewish Book Festival

2010-10-28T19:47:00.002+11:00

On Monday night I heard Raphael Aron speak about Cults, Terror and Mind Control. Very interesting. He said that cults and terrorist organisations both use similar methods to recruit people and to control their thinking, essentially undermining their ability to think independently.

While such organisations often exploit those at a particularly vulnerable time in their lives, no particular personality type stands out as being more vulnerable than another. Intelligence and emotional stability are no guarantee you won't be sucked in; nor is socio-economic background a relevant factor. Scary or what!

Raphael suggests that the solution lies in the government introducing programs into schools to educate kids about the existence of such institutions and the dangers involved. If kids are made aware of the methods used and taught to identify early signs of recruitment, they will be better equipped to resist. The problem, Raphael says, is that while innocent people still have the time and the ability to get out, they don't yet know enough about the organisation that is luring them in to want to get out, and by the time they know enough, it's too late.

Programs educating kids to be aware of stranger danger etc. have been very successful. So Raphael is petitioning the government to approach the issue of cults and terror organisations in a similar way. It doesn't help that many people no longer see terrorist organisations for what they are - seeing phenomena such as suicide bombing as a legitimate means of fighting a battle, and labeling terrorists 'freedom fighters' - and fail to understand that they are cults bent on destruction, with no regard for human life.

On Tuesday I heard Jon Faine speak at The Sunflower Bookshop. Jon's book From Here to There was recently released. In his session, Jon talked about the road trip with his son that inspired the book. They spent six months driving through non-Western countries, most of them ending with 'stan'. The main insights he gained during this time were a renewed perspective on all that we have in the West and take for granted, and an understanding that the world's poorest people are also the most generous.

John was entertaining, personable and inspiring.

And last but not least, the last night of the festival (last night, in fact) began with my own session, a conversation about the controversy Dancing in the Dark has given rise to in the Jewish community. Michelle Prawer gave a dramatic reading from the book, then asked me why it was so controversial. I explained that it had been banned at Mount Scopus College - although five copies were purchased, the principal refused to allow them to placed on the library shelves. She then asked me whether I thought censorship was ever justified.

In fact, I do. I think it's justified to censor material that incites hatred of, or violence towards, other people. I don't think it's justified to censor a book simply because it presents an alternate viewpoint.

The event was well attended, the overwhelming majority agreeing with what I had to say. One orthodox rabbi took the principal's side, claiming that I had written a truly sad story about a girl who gave up her religion and her community in order to dance, and that instead of portraying this as something tragic, I had portrayed it as a triumph, and her as heroic.

I agree that it's sad. Not because she chose autonomy over a restrictive religious lifestyle, but because she lost her family in the process. It's sad that her family couldn't love and accept her for who she was. And yes, she was heroic. It takes great courage to stand up for your convictions, and great determination to pursue a dream against such difficult odds.

My session was followed by Esther Takac talking about her book: Genesis: The Book with Seventy Faces. Esther began by pointing out that our sessions were thematically linked in that both dealt with the idea of respecting and valuing other viewpoints. Her book tells the stories of the book of Genesis and provides many different interpretations for each of them, including liberal and feminist interpretations as well as orthodox ones.

All in all, a stimulating, thought-provoking and successful festival.

Correcting an Error

2010-10-25T11:28:00.000+11:00

Sorry, made a mistake. Thanks for pointing it out. National Novel Writing Month ends at the end of November, not the end of October. So tips for working on the second draft will be posted in December. Enjoy your month of unrestrained and hectic writing...

Hello my friends, it's been a busy time...

2010-10-24T23:24:00.000+11:00

Have been working hard to finish off my MA (the dreaded exegesis has been completed - cue enormous sigh of relief - and have one more assignment due Nov 1st). Have been missing my blogger friends. How are you all?

The radio program last week went smoothly but don't know if anyone actually listened - none of my friends could find the station, or else they forgot. Nevertheless, the Melbourne Jewish Book Festival is underway. Just got back from it about half an hour ago.

Tonight was a very interesting and entertaining session called My Son/Daughter the Doctor: Doctors as Writers. It was about being a doctor and a writer and on the panel were writer/doctors Serge Liberman, Leah Kaminsky and Howard Goldenberg. Serge spoke quite seriously, Howard read out a very entertaining story he'd written, and Leah related a heart-warming anecdote about a ninety-plus-year-old patient who entered the seniour Olympics and won a gold medal. Her delivery was so engaging that it prompted me to ask her afterwards whether she had studied drama. (She hasn't, but says she is a natural drama queen.)

There was an interval during which a supper of goodies and drinks was served in an adjoining room, and after that a sneak peak at The Pen and the Stethescope, a book of short stories all written by doctors who are also highly acclaimed authors, including both Australian and international doctor/writers. Some are internationally renowned; others are not, but all are outstanding writers. The Pen and the Stethescope will be launched at Readings Hawthorn on Wednesay November 17 at 6.00 for 6.30 pm. and is open to the public. All welcome.

I'll be back later this week to blog about other events at the Jewish Book Festival, including Raphael Aron's session tomorrow night on Cults, Terror and Mind Control, Jon Faine's session on Tuesday 26 (day after tomorrow) on his new book about travelling with his son, and my own session on Wednesday about the censorship of Dancing in the Dark and the controversy that has ensued.

As of next week, I hope to be back to blogging more regularly. Since NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is coming to a close and writers the world over will have unpublishable first drafts on their hands, I will devote several posts to tips for assessing that first draft and improving on it with the second one.

If I've been remiss in commenting on your posts lately, it's only because I haven't had time to read them. But that too will change...

Not This Monday, After All...

2010-10-11T03:08:00.000+11:00

For anyone planning to tune in to Lion FM on Monday 11th October for the program about the Melbourne Jewish Book Festival, I just found out that the 11th is only the pre-recording. The show will actually be going to air on Monday 18th of October, at 5.00 pm.

Good luck to all of you bloggers out there who are taking part in NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month. It's a fabulous idea and a great way to get a new novel underway.

WIN A PASS TO THE JEWISH BOOK FESTIVAL

2010-10-07T21:41:00.000+11:00

A competition is underway and you can win a pass to the Jewish Book Festival, which will take place every evening from October 23-27 inclusive. Competition closes Monday October 18. Click here to find out more.

Tune in on Monday

2010-10-07T21:20:00.000+11:00

This Monday, October11th, as part of the lead up to the Jewish Book Festival, I'll be interviewed radio Lion FM96.1 Feel free to tune in. The program is called Jewish Life Matters, and will begin at 7.00 pm. I'll be discussing Dancing in the Dark and the fact that it has been banned from certain Jewish schools.

Exegesis Looming

2010-10-03T20:09:00.000+11:00

Apologies for having been absent so long. My course (Master of Creative Media/Creative Writing) is nearing completion and I find myself with a great deal of work to do and little time in which to do it. I've finished my major project - an adaptation of my novel as a screenplay, or at least a draft of it - but now I must write my exegis - a report on the research undertaken to assist in my project. If I fail to complete the exegesis on time, the entire two years will be have in vain. So forgive me if I don't write many posts over the next few weeks.

Part of the reason I left it so long was that the more I heard on the subject, the more confusing it became. This could be due to the fact that the class on exegesis writing is given to a cross-section of creative practititioners, so that writers are studying alongside photographers, musicians, etc. And for all the explanations of what was required, we were never shown specific examples.

A huge thanks to Jacinta Halloran, a writer who was in my novel-writing class in Prof. Writing & Editing several years ago, and who sent me a copy of the exegesis she completed a couple of years ago. Thanks to Jacinta's fabulous example, I have a much better idea of what's required.
Jacinta is the author of Dissection, a wonderful, literary novel about a female doctor who is sued for negligence after making an error in judgement. Short-listed for the Victorian Premier's Award, the novel reveals how a single mistake can ruin lives.

Doctors are particularly vulnerable. Years of excellent diagnoses count for nothing if a single serious error is made. This is something every parent can relate to. A mother turns her back for a single second and a child drowns. She is deemed a 'bad' mother. People are so quick to judge, blame and criticise. The one second counts for everything. The hours, days and years she has been a wonderful mother count for nothing.

I remember when my kids were small, how I'd sigh with relief at having made it through another day. It's a feeling that never leaves you, the sheer relief and gratitude that they are alive and well. Equally memorable is the anguish when they are unwell or unhappy. When something happens to someone else's child through a moment of negligence, you think: There but for the grace of God go I.

For those of you who are already parents, be thankful for those acts of grace but give yourselves a pat on the back for all the things you've done right, for the hours, days, weeks, months and years of sheer devotion to your children. And for those of you who haven't had kids yet but secretly think you'll be perfect parents, be warned: There's no such thing. Parenthood may be rewarding but no other job demands such constant vigilence, strength and commitment. Parenthood is the definition of responsibility.

So why worry about an exegesis? If I write it poorly, no one will die, no one will be seriously injured, no lives will be ruined. And how glad I am to have that in perspective! Compared to being a parent, writing an exegesis has got to be a piece of cake!

Rainy Days and Mondays

2010-09-27T18:23:00.000+10:00

I was fooled into thinking the lovely weekend weather was here to stay. Sigh! The upside of a grey and miserable Monday is how wonderful it feels to get home at the end of the day.So shed those sodden clothes and snuggle into a pair of cosy pajamas. Then treat yourself to a mug of hot chocolate or a bowl of soup and curl up on the couch, book in hand. Go on, you deserve it.

Some of my happiest moments are spent doing just that. Isn't it great that reading's not just for the rich and famous, the thin or the beautiful? I love the idea that you can borrow a book from your local library without paying a cent, that one of life's greatest pleasures and simplest luxuries is free for all... Do take advantage of it.

And now I'm off to take my own advice. Rainy Mondays have a silver lining, after all.

Writing Class: Single Sentence Synopsis

2010-09-23T15:09:00.001+10:00

When people ask what your novel is about, they generally want to know the ‘what happens’ of the story. And they want you to tell them as quickly and succinctly as possible.

Eg. Dancing in the Dark is about a girl raised in an ultra-orthodox home who, when forbidden by her strictly religious parents to have ballet lessons, starts to dance in secret.

Stating what your novel is about in just one sentence might seem like an easy thing to do, but many would-be novelists find it hard. Instead, when asked what their novels are about, they ramble. They begin to tell the entire story. They are often so immersed in minor details that they fail to notice their audience yawning.

Knowing how to describe your novel in a sentence is essential – and not just to enable you to pitch it to a time-poor agent or publisher in a thirty-second window of opportunity. It’s essential because it helps you focus your story.

A good story has a strong and definite direction, and summing your novel up in a single sentence is a great way to keep on top of your story and give it direction. After all, you can’t expect to reach your destination if you have no idea where you’re headed. (Which isn’t to say you need to know every detail of your story before you write it, or how it ends; you don’t).

Do you know where you’re headed? Can you write a sentence that sums up your story?

On Lies and Literature

2010-09-20T22:02:00.000+10:00

I have a friend who doesn’t read fiction. It’s not that he isn’t a reader – he’s heavily into history, autobiography, and memoir – but he doesn’t see the point in reading ‘a made-up story’. Interestingly, he reads reviews of fiction (since they are not fiction), but he won’t read fiction, regardless of how glowing those reviews might be. He wants ‘the truth’.

As a lover of fiction, I have always believed that fiction has the edge over non-fiction when it comes to conveying emotional truths. That’s why I love it. That’s why I read it. But I have just finished reading Justine Larbalastier’s Liar, and whether deliberately or not, she has challenged that view.

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read Liar and are planning to, STOP HERE; I might just give the plot away.

Liar is narrated by protagonist Micah, a self-confessed liar. I began reading with the belief that, like with most fiction, by the end of the novel I would know ‘the truth’ of the story, that despite the narrator being a liar, I would be able to sift the truth from the lies.

This did not happen. As the novel develops, the narrator simply admits to more and more lies, until at the end you’re left wondering whether she made the whole thing up. Especially since she constantly reminds us that she is a liar.

At the first mention of the word ‘werewolf’, I was tempted to put the novel down, though admittedly I’d also been tempted to put it down when told that Micah was born ‘covered in fur’. It’s not that I don’t like reading books about freaks or werewolves or people who aren’t wholly human; it’s just that I want to know what kind of book I’m about to read before I begin.

Nevertheless, I did continue reading, and when I finished the book, I was left wondering (though not actually caring), whether Micah was human or werewolf, whether there even was a murder in the first place, and whether there was any point in trying to figure it out.

We all know that fiction consists of ‘made-up’ stories, but generally there’s an unspoken pact between writer and reader. The writer promises to make the story as believable as possible, at least for the duration of the reading experience. The reader agrees to suspend disbelief. Liar breaks this pact, and I can't help wondering whether this undermines the very purpose of fiction.

It’s not that I dislike or disapprove of unreliable narrators. On the contrary – they can be wonderful both as a device and as characters, and can enrich stories immeasurably. But usually the author enables the reader, eventually, to get to the truth of the novel, to the emotional heart of it. With Liar, I couldn’t help thinking: If I still don’t know what part of the story, if any, was supposed to be ‘true’, why did I bother? If Micah is such a pathological liar, then send her to a shrink and leave me out of it.

I guess the fact that I could think in these terms means the author must have done something right – she created a character I ‘kind of’ believed in. And there is no doubt that she is a highly skilled writer. What she has done in Liar has been done deliberately and masterfully.

Perhaps the point of the novel wasn’t to enable the reader to solve a puzzle, but simply to explore the concept of lying. Even so, I’d have liked to be persuaded that what I was reading was somehow true. When I read fiction, I want to suspend my disbelief.

I like verisimilitude in literature, not outright lies. How about you?

Writing Class: Do you know what your character really wants?

2010-09-18T21:00:00.000+10:00

Fiction is fuelled by conflict, and writers generate conflict by asking themselves two basic questions:
1. What does my character want?
2. What is preventing my character from achieving that goal?
Almost every creative writing class will teach aspiring writers to ask, and answer, these two questions.

But there is a 'surface want', and there is a 'deeper want'. The 'surface want' is usually clear to both writer and reader. The 'deeper want' is another matter. You may not know your character's 'deeper want' when you start your story. You might have to dig deeper to find out.

Stories that don't look beyond the 'surface want' generally won't get published, and if they do, they'll fail to satisfy. It's the 'deeper want' that will give your story substance and meaning.

When the 'deeper want' is understood by the character, and fulfilled, the 'surface want' can then be realized. (This is usually the case, though occasionally the 'surface want' becomes unmportant, and is therefore abandoned.)

Think of one of your favourite novels. What is the main character's 'surface want'? What is the 'deeper want'? Think about the book you're writing. What does your character want? And what does your character really want?

Feel free to share your answers.

A Question of Genre

2010-09-14T10:04:00.000+10:00

Hannah Moskowitz has written a really interesting post about the differences between MG (Middle Grade) fiction and YA fiction, the first which she defines as being for ages 11-14 and the latter for ages 15-18. She says that MG fiction is more of a protagonist-against-the-world situation, where the main character is trying to fit in, whereas YA fiction gives us protagonists dealing with personal problems focusing on very specific relationships, and the group is less important. (This is a very brief summary; for a more comprehensive analysis, read her post.)

Personally, I feel the differences she describes relate more to genre than to age, and that both kinds of books can be found for readers ranging from the very young to those who no longer count their birthdays. What do you think?

What is it about love stories?

2010-09-12T22:11:00.000+10:00

Adele at Persnickety Snark doesn't quite buy the idea of love at first sight, and thinks YA literature is suffering from unrealistic ideas about love. As for me, I'm a sucker for a good love story. There has to be a reason that romance sells, and some of the best contemporary YA literature combines good writing with quirky characters falling in love.

That said, the characters aren't always the obvious 'hotties'. The last 3 books I read were: Beatle Meets Destiny, Six Impossible Things and Graffiti Moon. They're all great books, and they're all love stories. But they're not just love stories. The characters must also deal with other issues. And though these teenagers are modest, likeable and endearing, their flaws are revealed as well as their strengths.

It's the combination of characterisation, real-life problems, and fabulous writing that makes for a book you want to read.

Of course we want love to triumph in the end, but it triumphs only when the characters admit their mistakes, and become stronger, better people as a result of doing so.

Unrealistic? It may be, but is there something wrong with a bit of escapism in fiction? And isn't it good for our souls to believe in love?

On Blogging and Reviews

2010-09-10T17:28:00.000+10:00

A number of posts have been floating around the YA blogosphere raising questions about reviews. It has been noted that sometimes little cliques of bloggers write reviews to promote their friends, and as a result the reviews are less than honest. I must admit, sometimes I rush out to buy a certain book after reading rave reviews, only to be greatly disappointed.

Megan Burke asked: What are authors and publishers looking for in a blog review? Clearly, publishers and writers want their books promoted and praised, but surely the point of a review is to give the reader an idea of what to expect. While opinions are obviously subjective, I do feel bloggers should be writing honest reviews.

When Megs helped me set up my own blog, we discussed the issue of reviews, and it was actually she who pointed out the need to be honest. I’d been thinking of using my blog to write reviews, but on reflection, quickly realised I wouldn’t be able to write anything negative about another writer’s work. You see, I know how much goes into it, and I can honestly say that completing a book is a huge accomplishment. So unless the writer was guilty of racism, sexism or any other kind of unsavoury ism, I’d be loath to criticise. (Strangely, I wouldn’t feel quite the same way if asked to write a review for a professional magazine, such as Viewpoint or Reading Time. Somehow, I see the Blogosphere more as a friendly than a professional space.)

Tye Cattanache of The Book Gryffin is also averse to the idea of writing negative reviews. Her solution is to review only the books she likes. If she thinks a book doesn’t merit a positive review, she simply won’t review it at all.

But while there’s something a little distasteful (to me) about the idea of writers posting negative reviews, I don’t mind the idea of bloggers doing it. Bloggers who aren't published writers (as in, don’t have a book in print) wouldn’t necessarily have the same sense of loyalty as published authors to support their peers.

Having said that, what if your status changes? I wonder how blogger extraordinaire Steph Bowe of Hey, Teenager of the Year will manage the transition. Now that she’s a published (and very famous) author (of a book I'm looking forward to reading), will it change the way she writes reviews? Will she even continue to do so?

(I should have said in a previous post that I met a number of wonderful authors up in Brisbane, and she was among them. And yes, she looks every bit as gorgeous in real life as she does on her blog. I chatted with her and her lovely mum at Festival First Night, and sat next to her for a few minutes at the signing table, where we signed scraps of paper and the occasional book.)

So, should writers post reviews of other authors' books? And if they do, is their obligation to their readers or their peers? What do you think?

It’s a sticky issue; hence my decision not to use my blog to write reviews. However, if I read a YA book and love it, I might just mention it... On that note, I'll finish by saying that in the past month, I’ve read and loved: Beatle Meets Destiny by Gabrielle Williams and Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood. I’m currently reading and loving Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley.

That’s all, folks. Comments welcome!

Home, Sweet Home and No, I'm really not interested in becoming a Christian...

2010-09-06T21:16:00.000+10:00

Arrived back in Melbourne earlier this evening after almost a week away. It's always nice to come back home. Loved Brisbane. It's a really pretty city, and it's built around a river so you can zip across one part of the city to another by ferry. Went on to Mooloolaba (hubby came too), and spent two nights and a day walking, eating, and reading Fiona Wood's Six Impossible Things, which I finished on the plane. It's delightful, charming, witty... well worth your time.

Didn't have Internet access in Mooloolaba, which is why I couldn't fill you in on my last day of the BWF until now...

Friday's session was called 'Let's Talk About Religion' and it was chaired by Belinda Jeffrey, who wrote an excellent book called Brown Skin Blue. She's also just published another one - literally just out - called Big River, Little Fish which I haven't yet had a chance to read. Anyway, the session took place in the Breezeway, which is basically a big red tent set up outdoors between the State Library and the Gallery of Modern Art (where my other sessions were) and it went really well. Not only do I love talking about my book, I also love talking about religion...

Anyway, after the session ended I headed over to the designated author-signing area - has anyone else noticed that school kids rarely line up with the actual book in hand, but with bookmarks, notebooks or scraps of paper to be signed instead? Some just want a bit of a chat, or to ask a question they didn't have a chance to ask during the session. And sometimes it's not the kids, but their teachers, who have comments or questions.

Most of the comments and questions are the sort of thing you might expect, but on Friday after my session something rather bizarre happened. An elderly teacher from a Christian school thought this might be an appropriate time to try to convert me. She wanted to know whether I had considered Christianity, whether I had read the New Testament (assuring me that everything would fall into place if I did), and whether I had delved into what Jesus had to say...

Moving on...

I absolutely loved every moment of my experience both at the MWF (too short) and the BWF, and hope I'll be asked to attend again.

Brisbane Writers Festival contd. and Why teens think bigger than adults

2010-09-02T18:01:00.000+10:00

The Festival was buzzing today, as a steady stream of both adults and kids flowed through the various venues. My sessions went well. The online session was a first for me. What a great way of involving kids from regional schools!

Simone Howell posted a link to an article by Jason Steiger about the session at the MWF on why teens think bigger than adults. Apparently, the writers featured spoke of the sense of wonder kids have, and how important it is to maintain that sense of wonder in order to view the world with the fresh eyes of a curious child.

I think another reason teens think bigger than adults is that their prejudices have not yet set in. Where some adults' opinions are so firmly set that nothing can possibly change their minds, teens are more open to to other viewpoints. And unlike younger kids who tend to buy into whatever it is their parents are selling, teens are at a time in their lives when they're ready to challenge previously unexamined ideas and beliefs.

Books help them to do that. They also help keep alive that sense of wonder Lia Hills and Jostein Gaardner spoke of, and give them (albeit vicariously) experiences they might not otherwise have.

Can you think of any other reasons teens think bigger than adults? Please let me know.

My First Writers Festivals… uh, as a writer, that is…

2010-09-01T13:27:00.000+10:00

Yesterday morning I left my luggage in a locker at Southern Cross Station and continued on to Fed Square for my session, Family Matters. By the time I found the Green Room I was much later than I’d anticipated, but luckily, I did make it to my session on time. I hope I managed to appear cool, calm and collected by the time the kids filed in.

Amra looked striking in a brightly coloured dress and bright red coat, in contrast to my purple and black. Ruby is tall and slim and is the sort of person who looks elegant even in jeans, and she chaired the session with grace and professionalism. She gave a (brief) bio about us both, then asked each of us to tell the audience about our books and read an extract.

We discussed, among other things, the degree to which our work was informed by our own lives, how people have reacted to our novels, and to what extent they recognise themselves in our stories. We also talked about the fact that what kids grow up believing is so much a result of their upbringing and the families who raise them, and that there comes a time when they themselves begin to realise this.

The audience were terrific – very interested and attentive. I’m not sure exactly which schools were represented, but I did recognize the uniforms of The King David School (Year 9 was there) and Xavier College – it was great to know that boys too are reading my book despite the ballerina on the cover.

After the session I got to meet Kirsty Murray (yay!) – she’d come to see Ruby, her daughter, who did her proud – and we had a nice chat.

Brisbane greeted me last night with lovely warm weather. I arrived too late to attend the Qld Premier's Literary Awards, though I was chuffed to be invited. This morning I met Fiona Wood and we had breakfast together. Just bought her book, Six Impossible Things, and am looking forward to reading it. Also met Dave Hackett and Rebecca Sparrow.

My session went well. I was introduced and interviewed by Joy Lawn, longstanding member of the
CBCA and current judge of the fiction award for younger readers. She's really gentle and softly spoken.

The kids were fabulous. They were really engaged, and their questions were intelligent and thoughtful. I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

It's all happening tomorrow...

2010-08-30T19:42:00.000+10:00

...and the nerves have officially kicked in. I'll be going by train to Southern Cross station so I can put my luggage in a locker, then onto Fed square for my session with Amra. Later I'll collect my suitcase before taking the sky bus to Tullamarine, and then it's on to Brisbane. I keep worrying that I'll forget to pack something crucial, or that I'll dress too warmly tomorrow, or not warmly enough (what is the temperature like inside ACMI 1?), and that my clothes will arrive in Brisbane all crushed and creased (ironing is something I never got the hang of so I no longer try, but most clothes don't need it if you put them on a hanger straight out of the wash).

I'm new at this. Wish me luck!!!

Countdown to my sessions at the writers festivals...

2010-08-29T19:28:00.000+10:00

Never been on a panel at a writer's festival before and this week will be jam-packed. For me, the excitement begins the day after tomorrow. I'll be speaking at a session with Amra Pajalic, chaired by Ruby Murray, at the Melbourne Writers Festival, and then I'll be flying to Brisbane (that very same day)for the rest of the week.

Never been to Brisbane before, and am so looking forward to it. I've heard it's a really lovely city and can't wait for a spot of warmer weather. My flight arrives at 6.15 pm on Tuesday, so I won't quite make it to the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards, but was chuffed to be invited. Congratulations to all the short-listed authors.

I do plan to attend the official opening of the BWF and the party afterwards on Wednesday the 1st, and I'm looking forward to meeting lots of wonderful writers, and having lots of chats about books. I'll keep you posted.

A Visit to Mount Scopus College and a Chat with the Rabbi

2010-08-25T18:53:00.000+10:00

Back in June, the librarian at Mount Scopus College asked me to come to the school during Book Week to discuss Dancing in the Dark with the Year 9 students. Since the book is about a Jewish girl who rejects an orthodox lifestyle in order to pursue a career as a dancer, when James Kennard, the school principal and himself an orthodox rabbi, found out about the scheduled visit, he had 'some concerns'. Reluctant to promote the book, he suggested I talk to the students about my writing, but 'not mention the book'. The librarian told him that wouldn't work, since the book was the reason she'd invited me in the first place, and instead proposed that she facilitate a discussion between him and me about the book. He agreed, and the discussion took place this morning.

To those of you who wanted to listen in, I did try to have the session recorded, but Rabbi Kennard didn't allow it. Basically, he was extremely critical of the book (I'd been warned he would be), and made it clear that its message was contrary to the values and beliefs of orthodox Judaism. In that he was correct, since one of the tenets of orthodox Judaism is that the orthodox lifestyle is the only 'right' way for Jews to live. My book, on the other hand, promotes the idea of individual choice in matters of religion, and rejects the one size-fits-all approach.

He also claimed that the book was full of 'inaccuracies' in its portrayal of the haredi (ultra-orthodox) community, and that religion was at all times conveyed in a purely negative light. I strongly disagreed with both these claims, and ended the session by suggesting that the students read the book and make up their own minds.

All in all, I think it went well, and was an interesting and valuable discussion, as a lot of hands went up for the Q&A session at the end. It was just a shame that we only had 45 minutes - another 15 would have enriched the discussion further.

I also had the privelege of running a writing workshop for a selected group of Year 9 students - once again, far too short, but the kids managed some terrific writing.

Celebrating with the CBCA Victorian Branch

2010-08-20T18:45:00.000+10:00

Today, the Victorian Branch of the CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) celebrated the announcement of the CBCA awards. While the national announcement of the winners and Honour Books took place in Queensland, the Victorian branch made their own local announcement at Manor Lakes P-12 Specialist College. As a local author, I had the privelege of receiving an invitation to this special event, and was able to meet, among others, authors, illustrators and long-term members of the CBCA.

The CBCA is a not-for-profit organization that supports and promotes reading and offers annual awards in 6 categories - from early childhood to young adult. Its members work on a purely voluntary basis to share their love of books with children throughout Australia.

Manor Lakes P-12 Specialist College is a new school in Wyndham. Their librarian is the lovely and dedicated Tye Cattanache best known for her blog, The Book Gryffin. Tye reviews only the books she likes; her opinions and recommendations are well-considered.

Penguin Visit Revisited and Gearing up for the Melbourne Writers Festival

2010-08-18T21:34:00.000+10:00

Megs wanted to know why my visit to Penguin yesterday was so interesting, so here goes:

Penny Tangey, who is a comedian as well as a writer, spoke about her book, Loving Richard Feynman. Though the book is ostensibly an epistolary novel, the protagonist doesn't actually intend sending the letters to the long-deceased Richard Feynman but is really writing to herself, so the letters in fact constitute a personal diary. Penny was inspired by her own journals and diaries, which she has kept since childhood. She read out excerpts - extremely amusing. She has this really dry sense of humour, all the funnier for her dead-pan delivery.

Then came Kate McCaffrey, author of Beautiful Monster. Kate started off by saying she didn't know she'd have to follow a comedian, and wouldn't be as funny - and yet, she was. Though her books aren't funny - she's the queen of 'teen angst' - she's a really entertaining speaker.

I was next - decidedly unfunny, but hopefully interesting and informative. I spoke a bit about what my book was about, and how I hope it will be taken into the classroom. I mentioned the difference between what teachers/librarians want kids to read and what kids themselves want to read, and how I aimed to bridge this gap by writing a book that would be accessible to reluctant readers yet thematically complex enough to be thought-provoking even for the most sophisticated readers. I also spoke of how, while Dancing in the Dark is an obvious choice for girls' schools, a number of teachers in co-ed schools have said that they always put books with boy appeal on the syllabus, because "girls will read a boys' book, but boys won't read a girls' book." To me, this seems very unfair, so I suggested that teachers consider putting two books on the syllabus - one 'girls' book and one 'boys' one, and give students a choice.

Then came Gabrielle Wang who talked about the fact that the protagonist in Little Paradise was based on her own mother, and the problems she encountered in the writing process as a result. An evocative and courageous love story, it's quite a lovely one.

Last but not least, Oliver Phommavanh spoke about Thai-riffic. Like Penny, he's a comedian as well as a writer, and it's evident the minute he opens his mouth. He hopes his novel will get the reader chuckling as it explores the migrant's experience in Australia.

And on to this morning, when I met up with Amra Pajalic (The Good Daughter), who will be my co-panelist at the MWF on Tuesday 31st August, and Ruby Murray, who will chair the session. It turns out that Ruby Murray is the daughter of the well-known YA writer, Kirsty Murray. (Ruby is also a budding author, currently at work on her first YA novel.)

It was lovely meeting Amra and Ruby, and chatting about our novels (mine and Amra's), which deal with similar themes. I'm looking forward to what should be a really interesting session at the MWF. If you'd like to come along, please do. I always think the sessions in the Schools Program are the best value for money. Tix only $6.00.

A Visit to Penguin

2010-08-17T22:20:00.000+10:00

Had an interesting time at Penguin in Camberwell this afternoon talking to teachers about my book. Also had the pleasure of hearing Penny Tangey, Kate McCaffrey, Gabrielle Wang and Oliver Phommavanh talk about theirs.

Do We Need a Definition for YA Literature?

2010-08-17T08:16:00.000+10:00

When I read Meg's post this morning, I was reminded of a concern that arises quite frequently for me when I read 'YA' literature. Megs described a book that was so full of violence and abuse that she couldn't imagine recommending it to anyone younger than at least 16.

As a mother of 3, I can't help but take issue at such books being labelled YA. My own son, now nearly 23, was a precocious reader, and when he was in his tweens and early teens I had no idea what he was reading, except that it was found in the YA section of the library, thereby guaranteeing its 'suitability'.

However, when he was in his late teens he told me that, though he had not wanted to admit it at the time, he now realised that many of those books had been not only challenging and confronting, but actually damaging.

I don't believe there is any issue that should in itself be taboo for children or teens. But the more confronting the subject, the greater the need for sensitivity when writing about it for school-age readers.

I think part of the problem is that there doesn't appear to be a strict definition of what YA literature actually is. Sometimes it's considered literature that is suitable for readers aged 12-18, and at other times it can seem to target readers anywhere from 8-25.

While I dislike the idea of restricting books to particular age groups, I do feel guidelines need to be more specific if they are to be genuinely useful. What do you think?

Another Talmudic Offering

2010-08-15T12:35:00.000+10:00

This one's for Lila. The Talmud suggests a person should wear a metaphorical coat with 2 pockets - in one pocket the maxim: I am as insignificant as the dust of the earth, and in the other: The entire world was created for me.

It's a way of balancing pride and humility, and while the first pocket allows you to take a philosophical view of the world and achieve perspective, the second is a reminder of the Torah view that every person is an entire universe: If you take a life, it's as if you have destroyed an entire world, and when you save a life, it's as if you have saved an entire world.

Perhaps that's why fiction is so compelling, even when it deals with only a few main characters. In reading about individuals, (fictional or otherwise), it's as if we're reading about entire worlds.

Advice from the Talmud

2010-08-14T12:50:00.000+10:00

According to the Talmud (the great compilation of Jewish learning comprising the written and oral law, and detailed explanations and commentaries upon them, including differences of opinion), a person should do three things for posterity:

1. Plant a tree
2. Have a child
3. Write a book

What do you think of this advice?

Puffin Turns 70!

2010-08-12T09:19:00.000+10:00

Yesterday evening I had the privelege of attending Puffin's 70th birthday, which was warm, friendly and fabulous. An exhibition of Puffin Books tracing a timeline from Puffin's inception to the present day, and featuring original artwork, provided a pleasant and nostalgic trip down memory lane. There were speeches, 'Happy Birthday' was sung to a large stuffed Puffin on display in the centre of the room, and there was a real sense of shared purpose and reward.

Older people who had worked with Puffin Books for twenty or thirty years and have now retired celebrated alongside the newest and youngest members of the staff, and there was an impressive turn-out of well-known and fantastic authors and illustrators. I'm so glad I had the chance to attend.

Joanne Fedler on Hunger and Megs to the Rescue Once Again

2010-08-10T20:41:00.000+10:00

Just got back from the Sunflower Bookshop where Joanne Fedler spoke about her latest book, When Hungry, Eat. What an inspirational woman! She spoke about our tendency to judge our experiences, rather than allow them to speak to us and teach us what we need to know.

Nearing her 40th birthday, Joanne was shocked by an unflattering photo of herself in a bikini, and vowing to shed unwanted kilos, went to see a dietician who told her, among other things, to 'make friends with hunger'. The idea of hunger had such negative connotations for her that at first she was reluctant to follow the dietician's advice. But eventually she did, tutoring herself first to recognize hunger - she had never experienced it before - and then coming to realise that her physical hunger mirrored a spiritual hunger for all she had lost through leaving South Africa and immigrating to Australia.

Joanne talked of the need to discover just what it is we're hungry for, and how we can ultimately allow that hunger to teach, guide and inspire us. She learned that the best way to feed one's own hunger is to help others assuage theirs.

In the course of her journey, Joanne found out that everyone is hungry for something. She signed my copy of her book with the blessing: 'May all your hunger become your friends.' Amen to that, and may it be so for all of you!

Now that I have the idea of gratitude firmly in my mind (thanks to Joanne), I must thank Megan Burke who once again gave up her time to continue my blogging education, even though she was feeling unwell and had a million other things to do. Thankyou, Megs!

The Word 'Protagonist' Disputed

2010-08-08T10:44:00.002+10:00

Did you know that the word 'protagonist' has Greek origins and literally means 'first contestant' or 'first character'?

Accordingly, there can only be one protagonist in a play or story, and it is the character who first appears. Therefore, when a novel is related in the first person, the protagonist is always the narrator, even if he/she is not the main character.

'Protagonist' has come to mean 'main character', and people often refer to multiple 'protagonists'. But if 'protagonist' is simply a major character, what name do we give to the character who first appears? Does it even matter?

It's nitpicking, I know, but the stickler in me wants a distinction. Do you?

For the Girl in Me

2010-08-06T17:08:00.000+10:00

I wanted to begin this blog with a picture - I found the perfect one, of a teenage girl reading, but you may have noticed that I'm new to blogging an haven't quite mastered the tecchy aspects of it yet, so bear with me. It might take a little while till I get the hang of it.
In the meantime, imagine a picture of a young girl reading, and read on...
Did you know that in a 7-year period every single cell in your body replaces itself? Well, it's true - and it raises an interesting question: If you're made up of cells, all of which individually die long before you do, then what makes you you? Are you the same you you once were, and if not, then who are you?
Consider this: People suffering from Alzheimer's get disoriented and literally lose their sense of self because they lose their memory. Even more confusing - memory is said to reside in each and every cell in our body, rather than a single specific area in the brain. So it exists at a cellular level as well as at a mental level, and it would seem that new cells come complete with ready-made memories. All of which is just a roundabout way of saying that you are the sum of your experiences, and memory is what gives you your sense of self.
My point? Simply that who you are now consists almost entirely of who you have been. Once you have experienced something it's with you forever.
I have been many things. I was once a baby, then a child, then a young adult, then a young mum etc. etc. And my point is, in some level I am still all those people. They are all an integral part of me.
Writing is a wonderful way to process your memories - to understand more about who you are, and who you have been. So when I write YA, I'm writing for the teenage girl who lives within me. Who do you write for?

Do Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth?

2010-08-05T16:43:00.000+10:00

One of the things I like about writing is that I can do it alone. I've always been suspicious of books that have two authors and I tend to avoid them. But when I read a review of Will Grayson, Will Grayson, I just had to read it. Arguably my favourite book of 2010, the dual authorship in this case makes so much sense. The book is written in the first person but from two different characters' points of view, each narrating alternate chapters. Now, usually, when a book is narrated in the first person from multiple viewpoints, there's a problem of voice. If two characters are narrating, they have to sound different, and it's a rare writer indeed who can truly manage to pull this off. But when two different writers are at work, each narrating a single voice, the problem disappears. So it's a clever solution - apart from which, I loved the book. There's the straight Will Grayson and the gay Will Grayson, who don't know of each other's existence at the start of the book but end up as friends. And there's a fabulous, larger-than-life character called Tiny, who is physically, emotionally and spiritually huge. It's a wonderful, life affirming book, and I loved its message of love and tolerance, for oneself and others.

Experience versus Imagination

2010-08-04T14:08:00.000+10:00

I was chatting with Megan Burke yesterday (bookworm-megs.blogspot.com about life versus imagination. Fantasy aside, do you need to experience the things you write about? My view - not really. You don't need to commit suicide in order to write about a character who does. You do need to imagine - try to get inside that character's skin. Megs thought that not having a lot of life experiences could be a drawback for a writer. It could be; on the other hand, from the minute we're born (and probably even before) we are in fact experiencing life. It's not experience that makes us writers, but the way we reflect upon those experiences. Every living breathing minute is fodder for story - at least, that's my opinion. What's yours?