Things Are Finally Happening.

‘Do not follow where the path may lead.  Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail’.

- Harold R. McAlindon.

Pay The Writer.

I couldn’t agree more with this!

After NANO.

Last year I made my first attempt at participating in NANO, and became I winner.  I made it to the finish line by writing 50,000 words.  Although my fingers ached like crazy and I kept having to pop pills for headaches, it was a great feeling.  Now it’s more than seven months down the track and how far have I come?

In all this time I have not touched the book I wrote for NANO, nor have I even looked over it.  I may have written 50,ooo words, yet the work remains incomplete – there is still more of the story to be written.  The problem is that I have spent the past few days wondering what I am going to do with it.  I wrote madly for an entire month, going by a story I had in my head for many years, and yet I don’t really know my characters or timeframe all too well.  I know I have a female protagonist and her background, which leads to her arrival in Sydney during the early 1800’s, but it wasn’t until yesterday that I knew for certain how it was all going to end.  It was only recently that I read somewhere that you should always write with the ending in mind.

Another fault with my incomplete NANO novel for me is the fact that I wrote ‘ad-lib’.  I did not have an outline before I began writing.  I have tried a number of times to write ‘by the skin of my teeth’, yet I am not that kind of writer, but I did not have the time to prepare a story outline before NANO started due to my studies.  Now that I have spent a few days just thinking of my characters, the plot outline and exactly what time during the colonisation of Australia the story is set in, I know now that quite a substantial amount of what I had written is obsolete.

So if you are considering participating in NANO for this year and you need to work out exactly what you’re going to write, I suggest you start NOW.  Consider your plot, characters and setting carefully, especially if you’re writing in an historical setting.  The research you gain will help move your plot forward, as will a chapter outline if you need one beforehand.  The more preparation you do before NANO officially begins will help ensure the less re-writing you will be doing later.

Farewell to the Brontes.

My Classic Book Club has officially finished reading all the works from the Brontes and we are now looking towards a variety of classic authors and/or novels both old and new.

When it comes to the Brontes, one interesting question was raised, which was ‘Why isn’t Anne Bronte’s books more widely recognised?’  It is a shame really, for Anne’s books are well written and easy to read.  It was suggested that either because Charlotte lived longer that her work naturally overshadows those of her sisters, or that Charlotte was jealous of Anne’s work.  I’d like to think that she wasn’t, after all this does not explain the success of Wuthering Heights.  Emily’s book was not successful at the time it was released, yet it eventually became as popular as Jane Eyre.  Anne’s book The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was also controversial upon it’s release, yet it still proves not to be as successful as her sister’s novels.  This is shame for it is a good story.

I recommend giving Anne Bronte’s work a try and decide for yourself.

Solitude.

‘Solitude is as needful to the imagination as society is welcome for the character’.

- James Russel Lowell.

Rub Shoulders with the Experts.

A couple of years ago, as a member of the NSW Writer’s Centre, I attended a Speculative Fiction Festival.  Here are some of the things I learnt:-

• Fairy tales and folklore from around the world can inspire story telling.  Writers were advised to read the genre and take into account what has already been done.  When writing speculative fiction, world building helps build plot and map making is also a useful tool.  Horror writers should suspend belief and go beyond the boundaries.

• In two different discussions I attended, writers were warned that editors are looking to reject you.  They expect it, so you need to fight for their attention.  When it comes to publication, writers of short stories within this genre should sell to the British market, as they sell better than novels.  Novels, however, have better success in the United States.

• Sean McMullen is one of Australia’s leading SF and fantasy authors.  He has never been a full time author and works full time.  He writes about 200,000 words per year and believes that success breeds desire for more success.  He wrote for twelve years before acquiring an overseas publishing deal.  His fantasy has sold better in Europe than in the United States.

• Margo Lanagan is a multi-award winning SF author.  She only writes short stories and was a writer for seventeen years before being published.  Her collection Black Juice was mostly written on trains.

• Ian Irvine wrote for seven years before being published and only writes novels.  He describes his writing style as ‘full bore’ and will write a 150,000 word draft in 4-5 weeks.  He is now a full time writer.

• Terry Dowling is one of Australia’s most awarded and internationally acclaimed writers of science fiction, fantasy and horror.  He prefers to write short stories 8,000-12,000 words in length.  He believes there is no such thing as ‘genres’ and that everyone is a story teller.  People should be made aware of using other mediums to tell their stories.  This is mainly due to statistics that state that 15 million college educated Americans gave up on reading in 2005.  He has also written a story for a science fiction game.  He currently works full time and believes that ‘quality will stand out’.

• Sean, Margo and Terry advise new writers to discipline your time spent writing and to fill your time so distractions don’t interfere.

I attended the conference without doing my research; I did not know many of the authors and small print publishers.  However, it was good to mix with other writers and learn more about the craft.  Next time I’ll know what to expect and be suitably prepared.  Attend a writer’s festival and rub shoulders with the experts – you’ll be glad you did.

Learning From an Expert – Ray Bradbury.

Writing With Young Children.

Listed below are some ways in which I managed to continue writing while my kids were young.  Maybe they could work for you too!

1. Attend a writer’s festival.  Not only do you gain valuable experience for your writing, your children may also benefit.  Some writer’s festivals cater for children as they hold book readings and have childrens authors talk about their work.
2. Join your local library.  This could be time for you to peruse the shelves for books for your research.
3. Consider joining your local gym.  Some gyms include a child minding service for their members, so the children can be happily playing while you’re exercising.  You could read a book  instead of watching the television or listening to music.  When you’ve finished your exercise for the day, sit down over a cuppa and get out your notebook.  You’re not in a hurry to stop the kids from playing and having fun are you?
4. Try timing yourself.  Write as much as you can on a novel in three months.  Write an article or short story in a week.  Enter competitions, or just use their deadlines for your own work.  If something interferes with your schedule, give yourself an extension, but don’t give yourself too long to get a project done if you can.   Give yourself deadlines and try to stick with them.
5. Create your own website or blog.  If you’re a struggling author, it’s a good idea to have your name ‘out there’.  Share your experiences, both good and bad.   There are many possibilities about what your website/blog could contain; as a beginner you are still trying to find your ‘niche’.  If you come up with a good, unique idea for your website/blog that becomes popular, you could even put out your own newsletter.  Either way, let people see that you’re serious about writing.

For more ideas on how to write around young children, visit my website.

Down the Right Path.

‘If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else’.

- Yogi Berra.

Learning From an Expert – Stephen King.

Oh yes -  I know THIS feeling!