writers-bitz

My Word: How do I Choose?

2012-01-08T17:02:00.000-08:00

Hi

I have been busy editing the second book in the 'Raven Lucas' series and an interesting dilemma popped up.
A word.
Not just any word.
It had to be the correct word.
Okay, maybe I'm slightly neurotic. But hey, that's a good thing when you're editing, isn't it?
Isn't it?
This is the sentence that caused the dilemma:
'Raven felt sick. Her thoughts careered all over the place, remembering every scary scene she'd ever watched on TV, never dreaming she'd be in a situation like this.'
My editor suggested that I might really mean 'careened' rather than 'careered'.
There is only one letter difference between the words. Did it really matter?
I began an investigation that took over an hour and involved checking dictionaries, a thesaurus and discussing the words at length with my writer husband David.
Yes, I had heard the word 'careen'.
But what, exactly, did that and 'career' mean and therefore imply within the text?
I checked the meanings.
'Careen': to rush carelessly, to serve.
The implication of rapidity that most often accompanies the use of careen as a verb of motion may have arisen naturally through the extension of the nautical sense of the verb to apply to the motion of automobiles, which generally careen, that is, lurch or tip over, only when driven at high speed.
Okay, my character Raven is thinking hard and fast. But was she tilting over, lurching? Did that suggest uncertainty or fallibility in her thoughts?
I checked 'career':
Apart from the obvious 'profession or occupation' there was another meaning.
2. A path or course, as of the sun through the heavens.
3. Speed: "My hasting days fly on with full career" (John Milton).
To move or run at full speed; rush.
[French carrière, from Old French, racecourse, from Old Provençal carriera, street, from Medieval Latin (via) carrria, (road) for carts, feminine of carrrius, from Latin carrus, a Gallic type of wagon; see kers- in Indo-European roots.]
Wow. That was interesting. The root meanings of a racecourse, a carriage, a street.
I decided on leaving 'careered'.
1. It suited the meaning of the scene better. Raven's thoughts were rapid but not 'tilting' or crashing.
2. The word 'careered' is sometimes heard on the TV news and should be more familiar to most of us.
3. My readers will be aged 10 and older. They would probably be more familiar with 'career' than 'careen'. Careened sounded more old-fashioned.
So, in the end, it came down to the exact meaning, including original roots of the word; the sense of the scene in the story and what was really happening there and the possibly familiarity to the readership.
All this over one word.
Yet it was important to me.
I learned so much about the meanings by pursuing one word.
Language is fascinating.
If the story as a whole matters, then choosing one correct word matters.
If you can do that without disappearing into your own neurosis.
Now, onto the next page ...

Happy Writing
Christine Harris

The Problem of Names

2011-08-17T00:51:00.000-07:00

Hi

My husband, David Harris, also a writer came back from a school visit yesterday with a wonderful story about names.

Apparently finding names for new babies is as difficult as finding them for story characters.

Sometime told David, 'I am glad you mentioned your grandson's name was Finn because we are going through the alphabet for grandchildren's names and we had to skip "F" and go straight to "G" because we couldn't think of anything we liked beginning with "F". Now we have.'

Bet that turns up in a story somewhere.

Cheers,
Christine Harris

Who Was The Youngest Published Writer In the World?

2011-08-10T02:55:00.000-07:00

Hi

Writers come in all shapes and sizes.
And ages.
I found this link to a quirky page called 'The Wee Web' about child writers.

How old was the youngest writer ever published?

Click here to find out.

cheers,
Christine Harris
(who is feeling much older after reading the above webpage!)

What is the Future of Book Publishing?

2011-07-24T01:19:00.000-07:00

Hi
There has been much discussion lately about ebooks, digital this and that and the predicted demise of the printed book. Discussion is a good thing.
A few headaches, groans and two e-book readers and two Android PC tablets later, I am beginning to understand some of the difficulties and joys of digitalisation.
The Guardian has a great books section for adults and younger readers.
This includes podcasts on a variety of topics.
Last night I listened to a podcast which consisted of a series of interviews done at the Book Tomorrow conference in Milan. I can highly recommend it as good thinking material.
There were some ideas presented that I hadn't considered before, such as -
What will happen to the relationship between writer and reader if there are no longer occasions such as book signings?
Will we still have the same archival material if we simply delete emails and no longer keep paper copies? (mind you, it's good for trees)
And the one comment that made me smile knowingly. Someone expressed the view that they were disappointed that there weren't more authors present. The audience was mostly publishers and editors.
I can answer that one. They couldn't afford it.
Authors don't have a budget like employees of publishing houses.
Besides, the authors were probably home writing.
Or getting headaches trying to work out their new electronic devices and wishing they were writing.

Happy writing (and reading),
Christine

World Press Photo Exhibition

2011-07-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

Hi
Check out the amazing World Press Photos winners gallery 2011.

What caught my attention, apart from the photos themselves, was learning that the judges of this photographic competition looked at photos for one second to narrow them down to a shortlist of 200.

First impressions do count.
A good photo, painting or story will resonate.
Resonance is ' The ability to evoke or suggest images, memories, and emotions'.
Isn't that what we want for our written stories too?

One writer I know works out an emotional plot as well as an action plot when planning a book. As readers, we need to feel something about the characters, their predicaments, hopes, failures, dangers and dreams.
If facts alone were enough, we could all publish lists.
But we want more.
We want stories.
We want to be involved.

First impressions count with manuscripts too.
It helps to make it easy for a busy editor to read our story.
Keep it neat, preferably typed on a computer.
Large enough font that the editor won't go blind or give up on our story.
Wide enough margins for them to write notes and to allow for photocopying (your story might make it to an acquisitions meeting and multiple copies will be needed).
Clear identification on title page of author name and contact details, story title, word count and date.

Usually, submissions include a brief letter, short resume, an overview of the book and about three chapters.
It's important to use our proverbial 'second' of time wisely.
At first glance our story should start with confidence. Make something happen straight away (do we really care that it is 23 degrees and that the sky is blue with four fluffy clouds?).
Words like 'quirky ... gripping ... mysterious ...' come to mind.

And there is a good idea for a writing warm-up. Write a list of adjectives to describe the kind of feeling/atmosphere you would like to have in your first chapters.
Then do it.

Happy writing,
Christine Harris

Are Bookshops Dying?

2011-06-20T00:55:00.000-07:00

Australian Small Business Minister Nick Sherry said, last week, 'In five years, other than a few specialist booksellers in capital cities, we will not see a bookstore, they will cease to exist.'

Yes, there have been many changes to the way people buy and read stories. I have an ebook reader and I buy books online, but I also browse in bookstores.

However, like other customers, I have found some stores most unhelpful. Recently I asked a store if they had a particular book and the sales girl shrugged and said, 'I don't know.' I had to ask her to look it up.

On the other hand, I find independent stores that have dedicated bookreading staff can be really helpful and enthusiastic.

There are many reasons for the flood of readers going to the Internet rather than a brick-and-mortar store. I found the forum comments underneath the ABC article the most interesting part of the news item.

Click here for the full article and readers' comments and suggestions.

What do you think?

Writing Warm Up - Sounds I've never Heard

2011-04-26T17:19:00.001-07:00

Here is a short but interesting exercise that's great as a warm up for writing.

Write a list of sounds you have never heard.

Click here to read a few things that 10 - 12 year old writers thought about.

This is just a short list, why not aim for 20 or 30? Stretch yourself.

If you find it a little challenging, think of places you've never been, people you've never met.

I often kick off a workshop by suggesting one idea - such as - I've never heard Johnny Depp say he loves me (yet)

(although I did recently see a car number plate that read - MRS DEPP).

But you get the idea. It's fun to share this writing exercise with a friend or group. It's bound to cause a few giggles.

Happy Writing
Christine Harris

Writing Killer Fiction

2011-04-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

Hi
I have just finished reading Carolyn Wheat's "How to Write Killer Fiction: the Funhouse of Mystery and the Roller Coaster of Suspense".
It has helpful and practical hints on creating suspense and a good over-view of crime fiction.

Here's an interview with Carolyn Wheat from Readers Voice.

And another from Margie Lawson.

I'd recommend it highly.
Rather than waste time reviewing it, I'm going to start reading it all over again.

Happy writing
Christine Harris

'Vook' Here!

2011-03-27T01:29:00.000-07:00

Hi
I thought I was 'out there' when I began downloading plain text electronic books onto my e-book reader.

Now there are 'vooks', a combination of text, video and social networking links for both fiction and non-fiction. You can watch them on your Internet browser or download apps for i-phone, i-pad, Amazon Kindle or Android devices.

Check out this short video from YouTube, an interview with Judith Curr of Simon & Schuster.

Vook.com has vooks to buy and download, also author/publisher information.

New York Times books section has a thought-provoking article about vooks.

Whether authors choose to embrace all these new technologies or not, it's good to be aware of what's out there.

happy writing,
Christine Harris

Congratulations Shaun Tan

2011-03-02T19:22:00.000-08:00

By now you've probably heard the news. Shaun Tan and his co-director Andrew Ruhemann won an Oscar this week for 'The Lost Thing.'
The video, from YouTube, is a taste of the short animated film.

Shaun has also won the Dromkeen Medal (awarded to an Australian citizen for significant contribution to Children's literature.)

Click here to watch an interview with Shaun, where he talks about his work, inspiration and illustration.

cheers,
Christine Harris

Writing - How to Begin When You Really Don't Know How

2011-02-17T23:29:00.000-08:00

Hi

Last week I was in that 'Oh no, I have to start my book but my brain is empty' mood.

So I sat down to make a list of all the ways to start:

Pick a name
If your main characters have names– it makes them real, closer to you.

Photographs.
Photos are great to use as a prompt for your main character.
If you want to avoid those hideous porno photos that come up on the Net when you put in physical descriptions, try hair-dressing websites with head and shoulders snapshots or hairdressing magazine. You can buy them or ask your hairdresser for old issues they plan to throw out.

Interview your characters, ask them questions about their lives, likes, dislikes, inspiration, aspirations.

Music
Choose something that gives you the right atmosphere for your genre. It can also put you in the right mood.

No Distractions
Go somewhere like a forest or beach or lock yourself in a room with no distractions. Do not start the day with emails, Internet or anything electronic. Emails can put you in a bad mood, give you heaps of work and the Internet is ... well, it’s a fun distraction which can eat up hours.

Blitz Days
Mark out blitz days on your calendar for the next two weeks. Each one to be a whole day where you don’t answer the phone, check emails, cook (nothing wrong with leftovers).

Exercise
Start the day with a walk, cycling or a timed visited to the gym.
Oxygen helps you think and moving your body can calm those excitable parts of your brain that won’t let you focus on your ideas. But if you walk with a companion – No talking. It’s just you and your mind. I know, it’s scary. But try it.

Test Scenes
Open a file that will not be the start of your book, but is a place for you to ‘play’ with scenes, paragraphs or even sentences in any order.
Later, if you write something that you love, you can cut and paste into your story.

Make a deal with yourself
Set a timer for a specified amount. I chose one hour.
I often choose one hour. When buzzer goes, I can get up go for a walk, trim a tree in the garden. No more than half an hour off, then back to work for another hour. I only have to do this for a day or so, then I’m into my story.

Read a ‘how-to’ Book
I find no matter how strange I find other writers methods, there is always something inspirational or surprising in books on how to write.

Title Page
Set up a file with page numbers and a classy title page. Suddenly it looks like a real manuscript.

Word or Page Target
Work out a reachable goal for either a word or page target, then reward yoursel when you get there.

Brainstorm your Favourite Words
Just to get your brain working, write down a long list of your favourite words and see how many you can slip into your story.
Another fun game that David and I play is that we give each other a word for the day, something eccentric but not too obscure and the challenge is that we have to use that word in that day's writing.

Read Your Own Work
Take half an hour/quarter of hour/any finite time period and read back over something you wrote and are proud of. You did it once, so you can do it again.
Read a review that is positive and upbuilding (hopefully you've used the other sort to line the bottom of your birdcage).

Oh, and guess what?
By the time you have tried all of these, you will be amazed to discover that you have started your book.
Or at least, be reasonably organised, in the right frame of mind and suitably exercised to do so.

For more hints on How Do I Make Time to Write and What do I Do About Writers Block? try the hints on the Writers Section of my website.

Happy writing.
Christine Harris

Trauma and Stories

2011-01-24T01:20:00.000-08:00

Stories are a way to cope with traumas.

I was thinking about this when I read an article on ABC news online about children in flood-ravaged Queensland going back to school.
Teachers are being urged to look for signs, physical and emotional, of children's difficulty with memories of the tragic event.

Writing, drawing, composing songs or plays can help children cope with the aftermath.

The Fiji Times ONLINE quotes Mr Dorovolomo from the Solomon Islands. He said that after the Solomon Islands tsumani in 2007 'art, drawing and writing in particular, drew out each student's experience of the event and helped them cope with the devastating shock.Most drawings were of children fleeing to the hills.
Because drawing and writing is more individualistic than standing in front of a class and telling a story, it is encouraged to help emotionally distressed children. And together with sports, it is a matter of trauma relief for children.'

Also on the ABC website is a story about traumatised teenagers in Haiti being given digital cameras to record photos of their country post-earthquake. The photos are wonderful, full of joy and hope.

Speaking of writing and writers, the Queensland Writers Centre is trying to raise $20,000 for the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal. All of the money will go to the fund. They have set up Writers on Rafts.
Entrants can purchase a ticket to win prizes that include book packages, author visits or having a book character named after you.
More than 150 writers (including myself) have pledged or donated prizes.

cheers,
Christine Harris

Failure and Imagination

2010-12-13T22:01:00.001-08:00

Hi
I found an interesting online article in Harvard Magazine, taken from a J.K.Rowling Harvard commencement speech, about the 'fringe benefits of failure and the importance of imagination'.
It's well worth a read.
cheers,
Christine

Writing Triggers

2010-12-09T17:16:00.000-08:00

Hi
I just had an email from a friend in Taiwan, who is experiencing the age-old 'procrastination disease'.

At an author talk, part of the South Australian Writers' Festival, I heard Frances Fyfield say that her friend rang to say that she was desperate because she'd cleaned everything, polished her silver cutlery (I buy stainless steel so I can't use this one) and now she was faced with a dreadful prospect.
She had to begin writing.

If the size of a writing project seems overwhelming, then start small.

We do this with kids when they baulk at a meal - so we cut the food into little pieces and cojole them into eating 'just this bit' and then 'what about this bit' and so on until, surprise! the plate is empty.

I find brainstorming or playing with words is a great way to warm up in a small way for a large project.

One game that works a treat is the pick one word, any word, use it as an answer and make up questions to go with it. This reverses our normal mental process where we seek an answer for a pre-set question given by someone else. We therefore think differently.
This works for writers of any age.

Here is an example of how this worked well in workshops with 9-12 year old writers.

I gave them the word meatpies.
Here are some of the creative answers:

What's the brother of a sausage roll?
What's the worst nighmare of all cows?
What is your girlfriend's nickname?
What do you drag behind a boat to make a fat man swim?
Where is 'Babe' now?
What does a clown wear on his face?
What would be the same size as Joanna's eyes?
What is hard on the outside but looks like slops on the inside?
What happens when half of a glossy book falls off and a black and white bird is replaced by a cow?
What happens if you have 'neat spies' and instead of the 'n' in neat, you have a 'm' - and you take out the first 's' in spies?

Have a go - either use this word and add to the list, or choose another from a dictionary.

cheers,
Christine Harris

Every House is a Story

2010-11-16T19:06:00.001-08:00

Houses. We live in them, admire them, repair them, but how often do we think of houses as inspiration?

The first time I can remember wanting to write a novel, as an adult, was when our family moved into an old house in the country.
The deeds described the original owner as "Mr White, occupation - gentleman".
We discovered the whitewashed little building had a history. Two people had died there in past times. A jilted young man pushed a rifle through the front window and shot his ex-fiancee (that became my parents' room) and a man hung himself from a beam (but we never discovered which one).
I wanted to write about that house. It had stood silently for years while all sorts of things were happening inside.
My dad did some renovations and discovered that the gap between ceiling and roof had been insulated with dried seaweed (highly flammable and had to be replaced). There were old newspapers beneath the floorboards.

I never did write that book. But the desire stayed with me. Many years later when I was writing the Vibes series, an old Bed and Breakfast in Victoria became a major part of Masks.

Houses provide atmosphere. Check out the opening episodes of Battlestar Galactica and you'll see what I mean. The moment you catch sight of that long glass wall that over looks water and you get the impression of lots of white and glass - you just know even without being told, that a futuristic story is about to unfold.

My husband, David Harris, also a writer, ended up producing a novel Fortress (for readers 10+ years) after we went for a walk in the country one day and found a huge building, obviously a dwelling, but built like a literal 'fortress'. It had high walls and shuttered windows and breathed 'secrets'.
'The people in there are hiding something,' David said.
And he had to write about it.

'I much prefer that other place we saw with the dragons on the roof and the pair of legs sticking out of the chimney. They were just crazies. Happy crazies. Good on them. The "fortress" was sinister,' he added.

Many writers suggest writing in different places to change the way we're thinking. But I reckon it's good to include the building, rather than exclude it.
Who lived here?
What is the feeling I get sitting here?
If the house was an emotion, which one would it be?
Is this sanctuary or a place from which I need to flee?
What kind of house/dwelling would suit the genre of my story?

A fun exercise is to choose a photo of someone you don't know, from a magazine or the Internet. Then imagine what their house would be like and write its description.
Do this half a dozen times.
Then split them up, putting random people with random houses.
They don't match? Good. Now we're onto something.
Why doesn't the person match the house?
There's a story!

Click here to download a page of writing prompts from my website that involve a slightly-opened doorway in a house. (Downloadable pdf)

Glenn Close is quoted as saying, “It always amazes me to think that every house on every street is full of so many stories; so many triumphs and tragedies, and all we see are yards and driveways.”

cartoon: www.wizardofdraws.com

How Maps Can Help You Write Better

2010-10-27T20:17:00.000-07:00

Maps. You expect to see them in the front pages of a fantasy novel, with those little inverted triangles to represent mountains, castles, rivers and dotted tracks.

But maps can have more uses to a writer than you’d first expect.

When I wrote my ‘Audrey of the Outback’ series of three novels, the editor asked me to draw a map of the house and surrounding area. At first, I thought this was a waste of time. I mean, Audrey’s house was a simple Outback structure with a vegetable garden, outdoor dunny and a chook house. But I knuckled under and drew the map. To my surprise, I discovered that in the writing of the book, I had gotten things in the wrong place and forgotten others.

The map was a handy reference. Especially for a series, when time can elapse between books and you forgot many details from the first book.

A sketch map proved useful for my Spy Girl series. I drew the layout of the room as my starting point and not only did it help with description, it helped me believe in the room, in the character, and orientated me.

Another use for maps is if you have a big fight scene, especially inside a room or house where there will be furniture and obstacles. Sketch the room and keep it handy when writing the scene.

Google maps can be used for geographical information, mountains, roads, aerial shots. Google Street maps can help if your character is searching an area or fleeing a villain. You can have a real person’s ‘eye view’ by using this kind of map.

One of the various dictionary definitions of ‘map’ is plan, delineate, or arrange in detail; "map one's future". This can apply in a literary sense as well.

Go on, try it. Draw a map of the house/garden/suburb/farm you are writing about and see what you discover.

Cartoon: Jeff Bucchino, Wizard of Draws

Misadventures With my New E-book

2010-10-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

Hi
Since my last post it's been an interesting, if not frustrating time, learning all about e-files, books and e-readers.

Just when I thought I had nutted out how to use the thing, a myriad of problems have arisen.

E-books and e-readers are certainly on their way in, but to me, they are not yet as simple as picking up a book. All things electronic are great when things are going smoothly, but bring out the animal in me when they are not.

I'll show you what I mean ...

Initially, I plugged my new e-bk reader (I-River Story) into my computer, but my computer would not read it. So I could charge it up, but not put any books on it.
My IT helper suggested I connect the reader on my husband, David's, computer to see if the problem was my computer or the reader.
I did this.
It connected.
But, I had to test if files could be put on there.
When I downloaded an e-pub file (a free one, out of copyright) I discovered that I could not open it.
Ah, I needed software - Adobe Digital Editions.
Being on David's computer, I opened an Adobe account for him and downloaded the software.
At this point, I was smug, wallowing in David's admiration.
Big mistake.
Then, I discovered that I needed to Authorise it. When you buy books that have DRM licencing (to stop copying and printing) you have to authorise transference to a device. If you click Not to Authorise, then the file is forever stuck on one computer. Even when you upgrade, the file cannot be moved to another hard drive.
So I Authorised.
It worked.
Ok.
I took my computer in to be fixed so I could download bks in my own office instead of making David do the shopping so I could have his room for an hour.
Apparently my temporary download file was full.
The IT guy emptied it.
I paid him $66.
Brought the computer home replugged everything.
Attached E-bk reader - yay! It connected.
Now it was time to buy a book from an online store.
Signed up and bought a book.
It would not transfer to my reader - a window popped up saying my e-bk reader was authorised to someone else (it had read David's computer and email address) but I bought the book under my own.
I tried everything. Unstalled the Adobe Ditigal software, set up an Adobe account for myself, resinstalled software under my own email address and account.
And bought the book a second time.
The e-bk reader still would not take the file, as that was authorised to David still.
Growing increasingly cranky, I emailed Books on Board, where I bought the E-pub file book (and they were really helpful and answered four times, immediately and cheerfully).
Books on Board suggested I de-authorise the Adobe Ditigal and change it from David's email address to mine and they gave me instruction for how to do it (and I never would have worked it out myself).
So, obediently, I went into David's Adobe account and tried to change from his email address to mine. But it wouldn't let me because it said my email address was already in use (I know, it was mine!!)
I emailed the guys at Books on Board again, telling them this.
They refunded one of the two purchases of the book and put the e-bk file back for me to start again with a fresh download.
It still would not go from computer to e-bk because the little pop up window told me my ebk reader was registered to someone else (David).
Grrr.
It seems to be that the licencing problem is a big one. And the different formats. What works on one reader will not work on another. It's chaos out there.
When I inquired, yesterday, at my local library if they intended to have ebook files for borrowing, the answer was, 'We're talking about it, but we have to sort out the licencing'. (I totally get that.)
Ok, I thought, running out of online forums and patience, I will put the e-bk reader back to the factory setting and see if that helps. I can simply start all over again.
I did that and when I got to entering date and time, it froze.
The reset button would not work.
It was a public holiday.
So it sat, frozen, for 24 hours till the store where I bought it re-opened.
I took it in.
No one there knew anything about e-bk readers. They decided to send it to I-River to fix (they wouldn't just replace it, they wanted to look at it - maybe to convince themselves how frozen 'frozen' can be).
Then they told me that it would take one to six weeks before I got my reader back.
Lucky I've got some books to take with me when I go away.

Christine Harris (both the authorised and unauthorised person)

E-Book Readers - good or bad?

2010-09-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, I confess.
I bought an E-Book reader.
After months of saying loudly how much I love paper books, I succumbed.
Electronic publishing is here to stay, and is growing in popularity. As better and more varied titles are available to download, e-publishing will develop even more.

I bought an I-River Story Ebook reader.
Good: It is light and easy to read (not backlit like a computer screen).
Bad: No sales person in the store where I bought it knew anything about it, not even how to turn it on or charge it.

Good: I found some websites with free e-books to download (those out of copyright, mostly classics). One of the best of these is Project Gutenburg.
Bad: When I went to download, I found I couldn't read the e-pub files on my computer. I discovered I had to download software to read them (just as I need Adobe Reader to read pdf files).
Then Good again: Adobe Digital Editions is a free download that enables you to read e-pub files on your computer. Files can be sorted into a kind of online library.

Good: There is a growing choice of e-books to download.
Bad: It pays to be careful as I found some of the books had typos or were self-published (not that this is bad in itself. I have published books myself - but bad in the sense that they were obviously not edited or double-checked by anyone other than the non-professional writer).

Good: Often you can preview chapters before downloading on good sites.
Bad: Some sites won't let you download a sample unless you sign up and give all your details and, personally, I don't want to do this simply to buy a book.

Good: I downloaded and took on holidays with me recently about a dozen books and the e-reader only weighs a few grams.
Bad: I couldn't read on take off or landing because of the electronic interference thing. And one of the cabin crew asked me to turn the e-reader off about 20 mins before we landed.

Good: I can increase the font size, read in landscape or portrait or read in bed without straining my wrists or neck.
Bad: As a habitual book sniffer, I can't satisfy this need by sniffing an electronic slate (but I'll survive).

Good: I can also use the e-reader to listen to music (and it's good quality) - any cheap old earphones seem to fit if you're stuck, even airline giveaways - I can make notes on a separate function - bookmark the page so I don't have to scroll through pages to find where I last finished reading. I can catalogue files into folders as I would on my home computer.
Good and Bad: I can read both pdf and e-pub files, but the pdf simply enlarges and drops off both sides whereas an e-pub file wraps the text, which is brilliant.

Good: There are many reviews of various devices online to help you choose an e-book reader.
Bad: The instructions for how to use the reader were in a pdf format and crammed textually on the reader - and there were scant instructions on the Net, even on the I-River website but ...
Good Again: I finally discovered why they put the instructions into pdf format. I realised I could print them in A4 size and read them quite clearly. Something you can't do with e-pub files.

There are still too few books available in electronic format, but I figured I'd better learn while it's still reasonably early.
I have found that my early prejudices were unfounded. I can enjoy both mediums. Also, I've discovered that most people who swear they will never use an e-book reader have never seen or touched one.

There is a lot of talk at the moment about issues concerning publishing books in e-format, and more issue will become apparent as time goes on.
In October I'm attending two forums about e-publishing, where many of the current issues will be discussed. I'll share more of that information next month. But already editing copyright, the quality and pricing (both overpricing to consumers and underpayment to authors), DRM (digital rights managment) software that stops people copying books, writing styles (already e-publishers want shorter paragraphs, more white space but novellas may become popular again as it isn't a costly exercise getting them into e-bks as it is in paper format). And there are already apps, apparently, for i-phones etc that allow interaction by fans with the novel. I've yet to investigate this one and its implications myself.
ABC has an interesting article online about e-publishing, well worth a read. I have to agree with the title of the article, 'The Future is Now'.

cheers,
Christine

Gladstone Carnivale 2010

2010-08-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

Hi

Writers' Festival and school visits are part of an author's life.

Recently I flew to Gladstone in Queensland for the literary Carnivale. (There I am in the photo signing autographs.)

I asked Robyn Sheahan-Bright, one of the organisers some questions about how the Carnivale came about and why the committee feels it is so important that they work hard for months to make it all happen.

Christine: What is the Curtis Coast Literary Carnivale and how often is it held?

The Carnivale is held every two years in Gladstone Qld. It is three days of schools workshops with five guest authors (this year David Miller, Lisa Shanahan, Michelle Taylor, Colin Thompson and Christine Harris) preceded by a day of writing and illustration workshops for adults, an exhibition, a literary dinner and an online project.

In 2010 we also welcomed M argaret Kennedy Literary Agency as our guest in the adult program. She appraised works sent to her earlier, and participated in a panel discussion with the guest authors.

We cover a large area including Miriam Vale and Calliope. There are many young families, so school support is huge, not only from this region, but also from Biloela, Bundaberg, Yeppoon and Rockhampton. We had 3400 students attend the schools sessions held at the CQUniversity (Gladstone campus) and many more came to see the exhibition of Colin Thompson and David Miller’s works at the Gladstone Regional Art Gallery and Museum. Their works will be on display until the end of August 2010.

This year we held our first very successful online project ‘Net a Story’, helped by Chris McMaster and local author Kathryn Apel with 30 local school groups from 14 schools involved. (The Learning Place hosted the activity.)

Michelle, Colin, me (Christine), Lisa, David.

Note how 'shy' we all are! (not)

Christine: How did the Carnivale first come about?

The idea began in 2004 after a series of one-off author visits. There were no such events held in the region and given the success of other regional festivals such as the Ipswich Children’s Literature Festival, Somerset Celebration of Literature, and Voices on the Coast, we formed a local committee. The Carnivale was held in 2005, 2006, and became biennial in 2008. This year we celebrated our fourth Carnivale. The CCLC is still the only literary festival in this region which has school students as its main target audience. (The very successful weekend Bundaberg Writefest is largely for adult writers.)

Who makes up the committee and why did they join?

Local librarians, teacher librarians and community members. We have terrific organisational and networking skills in the teacher librarians and librarians on our committee, such as GRC Youth Services Librarian Sue Norris (Secretary/Treasurer) and GRC Manager-Regional Libraries Peter Cramb who are at the ‘hub’ of the organisation; Chris McMaster of Tannum Sands SS handles school bookings; Janelle Gibson-Coombs is regional sales representative for our sponsor. The Bookhouse and organises book sales; Pamela Whitlock (GRAGM Director), Janelle Roy (South SS), Linda Ryan (Toolooa SHS), Sandra Vince (Chanel College), Kathryn Apel (author and Miriam Vale SS), Bindi Waugh (author/artist and community member), Trudy Zussino (community member) and Robyn Sheahan-Bright (President and community member) complete the local team.

Where does the funding come from?

Since this is a supportive small community, we’re fortunate to be able to access ongoing in-kind support not only from Gladstone Regional Council but also from CQUniversity Australia which provides their Gladstone Campus free of charge. In 2010 we also received sponsorship from Rio Tinto Alcan, QER, The Bookhouse, Rydges, Jetset Gladstone and Qantas (with some support too from Austicks, QAL and Gladstone Quota). And we’ve again been successful in receiving a grant from the Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) which is ‘a Queensland Government and Gladstone Regional Council partnership to support local arts and culture’ for the new online component of this year’s program.
The Queensland Writers Centre (QWC) has also been involved in each CCLC and sponsored Michelle Taylor’s participation for 2010. Students also pay a small fee.

Why do you think the Carnivale is important?

It fulfils a need not being met by any other event or activity, to offer local students the opportunity to meet and be inspired by a number of authors and illustrators.

It promotes literature and literacy in the region.

Also, it offers local aspiring writers and illustrators professional development. Local author Kathryn Apel of Miriam Vale has praised the CCLC’s contribution to her career as a proffesional writer.

Bindi Waugh attended Ann James’ workshops in 2008 and was encouraged to attend the Australian Society of Authors/SOBI ‘Illustrators Retreat’ which took place later that year in Adelaide.

CCLC puts Gladstone region on the national map as part of a network of such events promoting literature, and will potentially attract other such activities to the region. For example, author visits were arranged via Speakers Ink which has been very supportive of local writing activities.

The QWC also regularly features the CCLC in its regional program, and links to the CCLC are included on a number of national arts organisations’ websites.

Any feedback from kids or amusing anecdotes?

One student was heard to say this year upon arriving at the venue, ‘Can it get any better?’

All visiting students were clearly excited and inspired, and to witness in several sessions hundreds of prep/early school students busily cutting out paper birds under David Miller’s instruction in a totally focussed way was one evidence of how engaged all the students were.

Hundreds of books were sold.

The online component was also well-received by schools, with several teachers remarking on how passionate about writing their students had become. That’s one project we’ll certainly be repeating next time.

The CCLC is unique in this region.

When Should you Begin Reading to Children?

2010-07-22T23:04:00.000-07:00

Sooner than you may, perhaps, think.

Researchers from Wurzburg University in Germany recorded the cries of 30 French and 30 German babies to analyse their melodic patterns, pitch and frequency of cries and discovered that each group of babies imitated the patterns of their parents.

Debbie Mills, a reader in developmental cognitive neuroscience at Bangor University, said: "This is really interesting because it suggests that they are producing sounds they have heard in the womb ...'

I used to read to both my children before they were born and I know that my daughter, Jenny, hated the sound of the cake-mixer because every time I stood at the sink and turned on the mixer, she would start jumping about in the womb.

Check out the BBC news article online for more info.

And the video below, from YouTube is a real cutie - it's only short - a few seconds, but I love it.

I have lots more on my website about reading to children and ways to encourage reading and writing.

cheers,
Christine Harris

Cartoon: Wizard of Draws

2010-07-17T02:05:00.000-07:00

Hi

I am currently reading 'The Writers' Tale' by Russell T. Davies and Benjamin Cook. It is a fascinating look into the anguish/joy/confusion of a fellow writer.

Click here to go to a link to an extract.

It's long, at 700 pages, but I am rapt by how Davies confesses that he does anything else but write because he knows he has to, and is panicking - and I can identify with that.

I heard crime writer, Frances Fyfield, speak at Adelaide Writers' Week some years ago and she told of a friend - also a writer - who rang her up in distress one day because she had cleaned everything in her house, including the silver and now she had to start writing!

The website www.thewriterstale.com has the usual reviews and biogs, but it also has scripts to download. Being engrossed in how the 'Dr Who' series was written, it felt incredibly personal to read the scripts.

Out of curiosity, I downloaded 'The Next Doctor' script and tonight, I'm going to watch the episode with script in hand to see how much is on the page and how much is in the director and actors' hearts and minds.

If you're curious too, and don't own the series DVD, you can watch 'The Next Doctor' on YouTube.

cheers,
Christine Harris

2010-07-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

Hi

Characters are the backbone of a story.

For my three novels in the 'Audrey of the Outback's series, I hit a bit of a wall during the writing (typical for me) so I sat outside in the garden with my pretty gel pens in a variety of colours (attractive pens and stationery mean better ideas - I'm certain!) and interviewed Audrey, my main character.

The trick is to answer the questions in the voice of the character, not yours. At first I found the answers were mostly me, then I began to relax and 'listen' to Audrey. The answers became hers.

Try it, and you can come up with backstory, character traits, distinctive speech patterns to insert in dialogue and plot ideas. You and your character will get to know each other well.

Many years ago I read in some publisher guidelines that they expected a writer to know everything about their character, including their shoe size BUT you don't use it all, only what is necessary.

Check out some possible interview questions. (As it is quite long, I've started putting them online in smaller segments).

Audrey Interview: Part 1

Audrey Interview: Part 2

You can make up your own questions, ones that interest you and suit your character. Audrey is a young girl, living in the Australian bush in 1930 - so my questions were simple and targeted appropriately.
If, for example, your character is a 40 year-old secret agent, then some of your questions might be different.

You can also use 'Memory Jar' questions for your characters.
Check out these from the FOR WRITERS section of my website.

Write on!
Christine Harris

Tips for Writing Suspense

2010-07-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

Hook The Audience.

Begin with the mystery or in the middle of the action. Descriptions of places and people comes later.

Don’t explain everything.

We only know what the character knows. If she hears a sound outside, is petrified and can’t investigate, then we too have no idea what is going on. Too much detail – an 'information dump' – kills suspense.

Setting.

A creepy setting leads naturally to a creepy story. Think about where you might make the action happen.

Pacing.

Keep the story rattling along, but allow regular ‘breathing’ times for readers. Reveal information a little at a time, not all at once. Keep the reader following to find out what happens.

Red herrings.

These are false, but believable clues that lead to dead ends. Too many are annoying, but a few – where the character and the reader are misled – are good.

Time is short.

Crank up the urgency. The hero must act within a short time frame or all will be lost.

End chapters on a cliffhanger. This is easy to do if you write a scene, then cut it in the middle. That cut becomes the chapter end. Readers should be eager to turn the page.

Show don’t tell.

We read, therefore we are moderately intelligent. Flatter us. Let us into the story using the human senses, body language, feelings, tone of voice etc.

Create a villain that is a real match for the hero.

The danger must be real.

Never make it easy for your character.

Throw dilemmas and complications at her constantly.

Be unpredictable.

The Future of Publishing

2010-06-23T02:28:00.000-07:00

Hi
Check out this short YouTube video about the future of publishing. It is very clever. Stick with it to the end - it leads to a surprise.

THE FUTURE OF PUBLISHING

Christine Harris

Ten Things You Can Learn About Writing from ‘Master Chef’

2010-06-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

Be prepared to try something new.
Recognise and learn where to use the ‘ingredients’ or elements of stories.
You don’t always need a written ‘recipe’ or outline. Try free writing of scenes or the organic approach.
Cheerfully take instructions from the team leader. Writers need to work with a team that includes the publisher, editor and designers to produce a good book.
Learn to follow a recipe when necessary. If you are asked to produce work to fit guidelines or a deadline, do your best to stick to those so the end result is correct and pleasing.
Listen to critics’ feedback (while being aware that taste in food and stories is subjective and, in the end, you are the chef/writer).
Taste other people’s ‘cooking’. Read current and classic literature, especially in the genre or style in which you wish to write.
Take notes, recorded or inscribed, about your processes and what you are learning about your craft.
Not everyone will like your work. Live with it. Take criticism – but not to heart, so that it discourages you.
Enjoy the fruits of your labours.

My website www.christineharris.com has many more hints about writing.

Master Chef Australia
Cartoon by Jeff Bucchino, Wizard of Draws

'The Best Vacation Ever' Writing Fun

2010-05-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

Hi

If you are a parent wondering how to keep your kids amused during your next holiday, or you're a young writer wondering what to write about on your holiday, you might like to check out the ABC Teach downloadable print out for ideas.
It is brilliant, and includes ideas for activities before, during and after a holiday, and can involve the whole family.
As well as working out a budget, filling in a survey of family members wishes for a holiday, there are also ideas for what to do with photos, what to bring, working out transportation needs, a scavenger hunt and recording observations along the way.

Click here to download the 16 page holiday writing booklet 'The Best Vacation Ever'.

Happy writing,
Christine Harris

aviator cartoon: Jeff Bucchino, Wizard of Draws

What's the point of a 'Sidekick'?

2010-04-26T03:47:00.000-07:00

What do Batman, Sherlock Holmes, The Cisco Kid, Don Quixote and Peter Pan have in common?

A sidekick.

Where did this term originate? A Wikipedia article suggests it was originally slang used by pick-pockets.

A sidekick is a useful character in literature and movies. Here are some of the ways to employ them.

A sidekick ...

Helps us experience the story through his/her eyes
Makes us believe there is something likeable/redeemable about the main character (eg. Sherlock Holmes inspires affection in reliable Dr Watson)
Keeps the hero humble
Plays the fool for the straight man, or the straight man to the comic character
Can have complementary skills that allow the hero to accomplish more
Is good for revealing character or plot through dialogue with the hero
Doesn’t have to be human (Spock in Star Trek, Wilson in Castaway)
Can perform functions/deeds that the hero will not (eg, Dr Who will not use a gun, but others in the show will)
Provide an emotional connection, be a confidant of the hero
Is a contrast to the hero (eg a talkative sidekick highlights the strong, silent type hero)
Can get the hero into even more trouble, to increase the tension
If unreliable, can add to the danger
In desperate situations, he/she can rescue the hero.

Sidekicks should not be ...

more attractive than the hero (unless the point is to show that brains are better than a beautiful body)
smarter than the hero
in more scenes than the hero
look like the hero (unless there will be a case of swapped identity, either on purpose or accidentally)

If names of sidekicks are flashing through your mind right now, you might like to try out these quizzes compiled by Entertainment Weekly and test your knowledge.
50 Greatest Sidekicks, part 1.
50 Greatest Sidekicks, part 2.

Keeping a SLOG

2010-03-31T20:31:00.000-07:00

Hi
I found a fun way to do some interesting writing - a SLOG.
Basically, it means keeping a sleep journal and a dream journal.
This weblink http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chsleep.html
leads to a page with questions to think about before filling out the writing pages and also pdf downloads of the sleep and dream journals.
They are not only interesting writing exercises, but the things we record from our dreams can become fascinating scenes in stories, or a trigger for a whole story.
I've done this several times with short stories.
I have a book in my collection called 'Writers Dreaming' by Naomi Epel and I found it gripping and inspiring in a creative way.
To get the general idea of the book, you can read excerpts online.

Fantasy Writing Tips

2010-02-01T01:46:00.000-08:00

Hi
Peter Shaffer is reported to have said, 'I think one of the best guides to telling you who you are, and I think children use it all the time for this purpose, is fantasy.'

Mmm. Interesting.

While toying with writing a fantasy novel, I browsed around to find some basic info to get the principles straight in my head. No point reinventing the wheel, as they say, so here are some of my favourite, helpful fantasy writing links:

Fantasy Sub-Genres: Fantasy Fiction Factor, Lee Masterson
World Building 101: Lee Masterson
A Way with Worlds - Your main Character: Steven Savage
A Way with Worlds main menu: Steven Savage (many choices of topics)
Creating the Fantasy World: Sara Douglass
Creating Villains People Love to Hate: Lee Masterson
5 tips to writing a fantasy novel: Matt Ide
How to Write Your Own Fantasy Novel: Spark Notes (hilarious)
How to Write A Fantasy Novel: Squidoo (practical)

Character Biography Worksheet: The Scriptorium (different perspective to the above downloadable sheet)
100 Character Development Questions to Ask Your Fantasy Character: Laura Cushing
Writing Fantasy: Fiction Factor (wonderful list of articles from which to choose).
145 Fantasy Writing Tips: Richard Harland

Terry Brookes, famous for his fantasy novels, answers questions about writing on his website in great depth. In fact, his answers are so good, he gets his own paragraph - not just another dot point!

cartoons: Jeff Bucchino, Wizard of Draws

Dyan Blacklock explains the Australian Children's Laureate

2010-01-15T23:03:00.001-08:00

Dyan Blacklock is a writer and the general manager and publisher at Omnibus Books, South Australia. She describes her role as 'varied and layered and in some ways defies description'.
Dyan is passionate about 'assisting anything that promotes reading for children', which is one reason she has joined the Board of the Australian Children's Literature Alliance (ACLA).
The Alliance also includes 'representatives from most states and across the industry. It includes 'booksellers, book promoters such as the CBCA and Fremantle Literature Centre, illustrators, the APA, the ABA, and others, all experts in their particular field.
'A great deal of work has had to be done to fulfil all requirements for a board and to also gain deductible gift recipient status, which is in the pipeline.'
ACLA is working towards establishing an Australian Children's Laureate.
Dyan Blacklock says, 'The Laureate position has the potential to validate children’s books, children’s authors and illustrators and children as readers.
'We need a single, well-known champion for children’s books and reading; someone who can bring both validity and kudos to the world of children’s books.
'Of course this is an entirely personal opinion, but I have always thought it was strange that society has such disregard for children that they underpay teachers and child care workers, remove librarians from primary schools and will spend more money on an adult book than on a child’s book.
'Children’s publishers would never get away with charging the same money for a children’s paperback novel of the same size and extent as an adult work because one is perceived as more valuable than the other.
'People tend to be dismissive of children’s publishing unless a book has made so much money it’s impossible to ignore. It’s never as prestigious to win a children’s book award as it is for an adult author to win an award unless it has a huge financial prize (Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2009), such as that won by children’s author, Sonya Hartnett recently. It’s interesting to note that Sonya is now frequently promoted as an adult author.
'Markus Zusak was barely a name until his book was taken up by the world of adult publishing.
'Gillian Rubinstein had to write an adult book under a pseudonym before she made the big money.
'I always recall Anne Spudvilas telling me that when she was hung in the Archibald Prize Exhibition she was amazed at being treated like a grown-up because this was art and not illustration.
'Am I oversensitive to this adult vs. child issue? Perhaps. But I have spent more than fifteen years working in children’s publishing and over that time I have see a great deal of this dismissive behaviour and frankly it really presses my buttons.
We have been able to consider a number of potential issues in the light of the experience of our colleagues in the UK and the US. The need to have a dedicated person to manage the Laureate’s commitments, the need to establish a fund to support the Laureate’s personal project, the need to liaise effectively with publishers and the need to pay the Laureate are some of the things we have discussed.
'I think an Australian Children's Laureate is vital.'

For more information check out:

'The Australian' newspaper online article.
Australian Children's Literature Alliance website.

Or contact:

Tina Lehnert, Project Officer ACLA tlehnert[at]slv.vic.gov.au

Meet Tristan Bancks, Writer

2009-12-13T23:44:00.000-08:00

Tristan Bancks tells stories for the page and screen. He has a background as an actor and television presenter in Australia and the UK. His short films have won a number of awards and have screened widely in festivals and on TV. Tristan has written several books for kids and teens, including the explosive Mac Slater, Coolhunter series (Random House Australia, Simon & Schuster US) and his new illustrated series, Nitboy (Laguna Bay Publishing), about everybody's favourite minibeasts. Nitboy is currently being developed for television. Tristan's new Young Adult novel, it's yr life (Random House) was co-written with actress / author, Tempany Deckert. Tristan's drive is to tell inspiring, fast-moving stories for young people.

He has some intriguing things to say about his writing ...

The most recent thing I’ve written is ... a food fight scene for my new book series about the first kids in space.

I write because ... I have no other choice. I've tried to stop but I can't. It just keeps happening.

If I were to meet one of my characters in real life, it would be ... Mac Slater, because I'd love to have a go on his flying bike. But I wouldn't mind meeting Ned, the Nit from Nit Boy and spending a few hours on the scalp with him. (I don't think I'd drink blood, though.)

A hero is ... most interesting when they have faults or some darkness.

The best kind of bad guy is ... someone with likeable qualities, too. I think that makes them extra-alluring and dangerous.

The strangest place I’ve written is ... on a laptop, sitting in a tent, in the Mojave Desert.

If my writing was a food, it would be ... Pop Rocks or Magic Gum. Something that explodes in your mouth. I like to write short, sharp and fast and I like humour that jars.

My best time for writing is ... 9-midday and 3-4pm. I start at 8 but take an hour to settle in. By 12 I can't think straight but I find my flow again as the afternoon cools down. I could go till 5 or 6 but I'm committed to finishing at 4 so that I can have a life.

When I was young, one of my favourite books was ... My Side of the Mountain. It's about a kid who strikes out from New York and lives for a year in the Catskill Mountains, surviving off the land. I love books about surviving in the wild. I have no survival skills whatsoever but I'm totally intrigued by people who do.

The biggest influence on my writing is ... music, chocolate, green tea, images around my office and something inside that needs to observe the world and make stories out of the things I see.

The best writing advice I’ve ever had was ... 'Only Begin' - Thomas Keneally. I sit down at the computer and write and sometimes the inspiration's there, other times it isn't. I see writing as a practice and I know I can always make it better later, so I just lay the words down and see where they take me.

Meet Norman Jorgensen

2009-12-06T14:44:00.000-08:00

Norman Jorgensen is a writer who lives in Western Australia.
Aside from writing and reading, he likes old movies, travel and workworking.
Of course, there's a lot more to Norm than that. Check out his website for more info.
Over the years of this blog, I've interviewed several writers who gave tips and stories. But Norm, whom I've known for years, is truly enthusiastic about books and reading (his life partner is even a librarian, which was very clever of him).
I asked Norm some questions about his writing. Here's what he said:

The most recent thing I’ve written is ... Gold Fever- A historical novel still being edited. I write because ... It oozes out of the end of my finger tips and onto the keyboard like green slime. Just think what it’d do to me if I kept all that slime bottled up inside me. Splat!

If I were to meet one of my characters in real life, it would be ... (why?) Michael Hardy, the hero of A Fine Mess and Another Fine Mess 002, He’s actually based on me if I were younger, cooler, braver, better looking, but, unfortunately for him, he’s not as lucky as me. I am so mean to him.

A hero is ... Abraham Lincoln, the US President during the Civil War. He was born on the same day as me and we understand each other. (No one else seems to understand me, but I bet he would if he was still alive.)

The best kind of bad guy is ... The sweaty one who falls in the quicksand near the end. Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle.

The strangest place I’ve written is ...Sumburgh Lighthouse, Shetland Islands, where Robert Louis Stevenson sat by the fire and wrote Treasure Island. Fantastic! I managed a shopping list by the same fire. It was a longish one.

If my writing was a food, it would be ... (why?) Jelly and ice-cream.

My best time for writing is ... (why?) 4 pm to 7pm became that’s when the ABC news comes on. Plus holidays. Sitting under a palm tree by a resort pool on the few times I can afford it is most productive. (Yeah, right!)

When I was young, one of my favourite books was ... (why?) Kidnapped by RL Stevenson. The heart stopping drama, action and romantic characters captured my imagination and have never let me go. I still read, even now, trying to find anyone as good as RLS, and it has never happened, except for C Harris, of course.

The biggest influence on my writing is ...My editor, Cate Sutherland, who stops me from becoming far too silly and showing off how clever and witty I can be, instead of sticking to the plot.

The best writing advice I’ve ever had was ... The examples of JK Rowling, JRR Tolkein, James Joyce, Frank Herbert and John Steinbeck ... famous writers who never gave in, even after 16 or more rejections that each of them received. They all believed in their own work enough to keep on sending it to publishers, time after time.

Writing for a Local Newspaper

2009-11-22T00:31:00.000-08:00

Joan Clayton works for an Adelaide Hills local newspaper, The Courier. When she isn’t writing (she reckons she’s semi-retired, but it’s hard to believe!) she studies philosophy for her ‘own satisfaction; hobbies badminton, bridge, scrabble and crosswords’.

I asked Joan about how she began writing for a local paper and what tips she has for people who would like to get into this area. Here’s what she said …

I began as a correspondent at The Courier in the days when much community news was sent in by people around the Hills - paid by the column inch. (I was recommended for this by a friend who was the Aldgate correspondent) I looked after the Uraidla - Norton Summit area.

My work was accepted, and after a couple of years, I was given a trial as a reporter in the office (3 days a week) while a senior staff member was on a long holiday. Serendipity! I stayed on for more than 30 years, gradually becoming full time, and expanding the range of news I covered, to include local, State and Federal government issues.

I've always been interested in people, community events and current affairs - the heart of a local newspaper. Now I specialise in the arts, food and human interest items, and also compile the cryptic and simpler crosswords each week.

Working for a local paper in the local community - especially for a long time - means that people recognise me as 'the lady from the Courier'. This is very useful, as they often have interesting things to tell me. But it also means people can speak to me quite directly about any complaints, misprints etc relating to the paper.

There were plenty of funny things, but rather personal in nature - better kept that way!

The most unusual and interesting interview was with the former national leader of a minor party, who spoke out about some new policies of the party. I asked if this meant he had resigned or would resign his membership; he paused, and said, 'Yes, I will have to.' That of course made front page news.

Anyone who would like to write for a local newspaper should
(a) be interested in people and community activities;
(b) practise writing about anything at all, read the paper to get an idea of the style and length of articles;
(c) try sending a piece in to the editor.

The usual route is via a BA in journalism, or a degree in a suitable subject such as politics, Australian studies or English. During the journalism course, students are sent on placements and this can often lead to job opportunities later. High schools also have work experience programs, which give young people a 'feel' for what journalism is all about.

Character Traits that Help Writers

2009-10-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

Hi
Recently I gave a talk at a writers' seminar where I listed the character traits that I believe help writers:

Determination - keep the end goal in mind, don't let obstacles stop you.
Endurance - think marathon not sprint - there is no instant success. Humility - You're going to need this when you hear what editors have to say, and when you read reviews of your book.
Practical good sense – create a plan that’s achievable, yet one step further than you think you can go.
Courage - one definition is 'the ability to confront fear, pain, risk/danger, uncertainty, or intimidation' .
Work hard.
Joy - in your ideas and words.
Passion - believe in your abilities, ideas and words.

Writing Do's and Don'ts

2009-10-11T12:04:00.000-07:00

Hi
I found a website this week with some excellent writing tips, including Do's and Don'ts and thoughtful things to say about whether it's better to write a single/stand alone book or one that might fit into a series.
Rita Herron is a romance writer, but most of her writing tips can be applied to any genre.
Writing is one of those occupations where you go on learning, no matter how many books you've done. And articles like Rita's are a real help.
bye
Christine Harris

Six Degrees of Separation: learning from others

2009-09-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

We can all learn from each other. A cliche perhaps, but still true. Often I am asked if I have any tips for beginning writers and my first answer is always 'Read'. Soak yourself in the genre. Read in the style in which you would like to write, watch movies in the same genre. It is not a matter of 'copying'. There's no joy or challenge in that. But we can be inspired and learn techniques and skills.
Our mind is like a sponge. It soaks in our experiences, without us even being aware of it sometimes. If we read a lot, then we will absorb the language, rhythms and techniques. It's like a writing course that we borrow from a library or buy at a bookshop.
The ABC Articulate Blog has an interesting little piece on the connection between 'Wall-E' and Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin movies.
Perhaps there are only six degrees of separation between books or movies, not just people!

Top Tips for Interviews: Bill 'Swampy' Marsh

2009-08-29T01:46:00.000-07:00

My friend, Bill Swampy Marsh, has written several books that are stories about real Australians, based on interviews. Bill's books are a growing success and he draws the most wonderful, funny, sad, shocking stories out of people.

I asked Bill for his Tip Tips on how to conduct good research interviews.
Here's what he said:

1 - make doubly sure that any recording equipment you are going to use
is working and that you have extra batteries and tapes and pencils, pens
and paper etc. Nothing is worse than spending an hour interviewing
someone and getting home and finding that the tape recorder didn't work.
It happens. It's happened to me.

2 - find a place that's comfortable to the person that you're
interviewing ... and also yourself.

3 - start recording. First, get all the contact details about the person
as you may want to contact them later to clear up any inconsistencies or
you may need extra information or you might like to sent them the story
for their okay. This is all to do with getting them comfortable with you
and being recorded. That's a big hurdle.

4 - begin lightly to gain their confidence by asking them general things
about themselves ... where they come from ... how they got to where they
are ... what they like ... what they don't like. This is done, not only
to settle them down but, it could be information you may need to fill in
the story. It also shows that your are interested in THEM.

5 - once you feel that you've gained their confidence begin the
interview proper. Hedge your questions. It's like fishing ... what
you're looking to hook is a good, solid storyline and when people talk
they are scattered.

6 - once you think you may have a storyline, probe a little deeper ...
all the time thinking about how you would write the story with a
beginning, middle and ending. If that doesn't work out or you think that
it's not strong enough for a story keep asking general questions until
you get the 'sniff' of another possible storyline.

7 - if you come upon a storyline that you think might be a goer, rethink
the structure of it as a written story and get them to 'repeat' the
story, led by your line of questioning i.e say, 'Now, if I was going
to write this story I'd need to know how you got there in the first
place' and you've got the start of the story. Then lead them into the
mid-section of the story - 'so what happened then?'. Fish for a twist at
the end. If, by now, you can see one and they don't offer
it just say, 'You know, if I was writing this story I'd finish it along
the lines of ...' and more often than not they'd agree with you and
so you'd use that as a possible ending.

8 - I think the most important thing to hone is the ability - and I'm
still working on it - to ask questions in the direction you feel that
the story should go, without confusing them and all the while think
about the structure of the story.

9 - always listen to what they have to say and be open for any
surprise elements that they might inadvertently throw in ... which would
be another worthwhile storyline to follow. Sometimes people will tell
you what they want you to write yet, there could be a more important
underlying story that, with a little - gentle - probing, they're willing
to tell.

10 - be aware of them and their sensitivities i.e don't push them too hard or that'll only put them off. Be aware of the story you may write from the interview. Part on good terms. They've given you some of their won precious time - respect that.

11 - you are NOT more important than the person you're interviewing.
They are the important ones.

How can you tell if you are a Writer? (fun quiz)

2009-08-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

How can I tell if I'm a writer?

A quiz for the brave, ambitious and feeble-minded...

A. You embarrass yourself in public. What do you do next?

Run home and cry.
Pretend it never happened.
Write about it, then publish it for all the world to see .

B. You buy a new book and the first thing you do when you arrive home is...

Place it in the bookcase.
Show your partner, child or pet.
Sniff the pages.

C. When you attend writers' festivals you carry...

A box of tissues.
A glass of champagne.
A notebook.

D. You keep hordes of paper-clips in your desk drawer so you can...

Keep several pages together.
Magnify them and watch them jump together.
Play with them when you are stuck for ideas.

E. You get sweaty palms when...

A gorgeous jogger goes past your house.
You watch a romantic movie.
Someone from the library telephones you.

F. When you are invited to a launch you...

Tell friends you have been asked to watch a rocket take off.
Bring your camera because you've never seen a human cannonball.
Hope people will assume you are a writer.

G. You think three people are...

A trio.
A nuisance.
A crowd.

H. When you are alone you...

Meditate.
Phone your mother.
Practice signing your autograph.

I. You receive a wad of junk mail, so you...

Ditch it in the bin.
Scrunch it up and use it as fire-starters.
Read it.

J. Buy a newspaper so you can read the...

News.
Comics.
Reviews.

K. When you have letters to write you...

Pretend you have a broken finger.
Forget about it.
Find they are long enough to enter in the Guinness Book of Records.

L. You believe you are...

Sensible.
Clever with words.
A masochist.

If your answers contained a majority of:

1's. Get a life.
2's. See a psychiatrist.
3's. Plan your book launch speech.

Hints on Writing Historical Fiction

2009-08-21T23:51:00.000-07:00

David Harris has excellent tips on writing historical fiction and memoirs. His latest series, Time Raiders is history told as cliffhanger adventures. Here are his basic guidelines:

Research, research, research and keep going back to the original writings of the real-life archaeologists.
Adapt. Be true to the spirit and high moments of the history, while changing the original memoirs into a cliffhanger.
The telling of a cliffhanger is driven by the hero’s obsession, crises, fearful uncertainties, and by danger, action, adventure, people pushed to the edge. Biographical and historical information is revealed through the eyes of somebody caught up in the emotions of dramatic moment. The settings are not stage backdrops. Places are what my people see and feel in moments of crisis.
The readers. Content, structure, themes, vocabulary, sentences are designed with the readers, aged 10+, always in mind. But style, like the story, must challenge the readers to go beyond themselves.
The length. I can’t tell the whole story, so I choose the parts that say it all. That means agonizing selection.
The beginning. I never start at the beginning, but at an exciting moment. Rather than explain what’s going on and why, I let the readers discover things bit by bit, as the people in the story do. (People in my books get really upset with me if I call them characters. They want their name used. They aren’t objects. I am permitted to call them people.) For example, I began Monsters in the Sand with Austen Henry Layard about to be shot by a hidden assassin. Blood of the Incas begins with Hiram Bingham trapped on a mile-high cliff during an earthquake.
Develop potential adventures. Hiram Bingham briefly mentioned a dangerous panther. I seized upon that idea as a great way to reveal personalities, history, places and to increase suspense. True panther. Imagined hunt. In book #2 Monsters in the Sand, Austen Layard is asked to cure a sick child and if he fails he will be killed. In Layard's actual memoirs this event is given brief attention but I found it exciting and it revealed so much of his character that I expanded that part of the story. It also dramatically set the time (mid-1800s) and place (Southern Persia).
Clear, powerful motives, not events, drive the story. Otherwise plot degenerates into just one damn thing after another. In Blood of the Incas, we need to know why Hiram Bingham has a passionate obsession with the past. His grandmother’s gift and the scene in the cave with the mummy are important to show what drove the hero to endure such hardships and take so many risks. True motives. Imagined grandmother.
The ending must be an exciting, credible climax, which ‘closes the circle’ by resolving the main problem set up in or near the beginning.
True discovery. True lives and true lies. Historical fiction and official historical ‘truth’ may be bias, propaganda, mistakes or lies. But academic historians and novelists are in the same hunt for truths of the past. Sometimes different, but complementary truths. My Time Raiders have imagined characters and situations, but they give us a glimpse into all kinds of truths about human beings, places and historical events. Readers are welcome to join the hunt for What Really Happened.

David has more hints and weblinks on his Writing Tips page.