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.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
A Question of Voice
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.
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.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Meg Rosoff at the Wheeler Centre
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
You Might Have Missed - Claire de Lune
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.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Happy Passover and Happy Easter!
Hope you all find time during the holidays to settle down to some enjoyable reading.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Books Read While Travelling
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.
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.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Dancing in the Dark shortlisted for the Children's Choice Book Awards 2011
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
A short post from Budapest
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...
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...
Saturday, March 26, 2011
New from the US - Dancing in the Dark has finally found a US home
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.
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...
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.
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.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Tomorrow
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...
Friday, March 18, 2011
A Trip Down Memory Lane
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Apologies
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!
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!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
World Book Day
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.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Writing Class - Revealing Character Through Action
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’?
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’?
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Enid Blyton's Missing Manuscript
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.
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?
Don't you just love this old black-and-white photo of her?
And check out the picture below:
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
You Might Have Missed - It's Not All About You, Calma
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.
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.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Writing Class - Editing for Publishers: What your English teachers never told you
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?
· 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?
Friday, February 18, 2011
Down Memory Lane - The Magic Faraway Tree
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.
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.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Ever had your novel rejected when you know it's good?
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.
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