Sucker
Am I a glutton for punishment? I’ve returned to university life after nearly a decade – full- time university life, that is. Yep, l reside hours away from the campus. Yep, I have my kids to look after. And yep, my husband is constantly working in every other city in Australia, other than the one I live in. So that means there is a lot of work at my end: heaving the children to their relative places of childcare and a lot of travel.
One thing for sure, this spontaneous alteration in my lifestyle (and willingness to endure excessive hours of driving) has cemented the notion – I love to write.
After four years of writing fiction, just winging it, floating in the breeze, I decided I should probably learn the names of these techniques that I employ and have thus, enrolled in a Graduate Diploma of Arts (Writing, Editing and Publishing) at The University of Queensland.
Week one and already my days are spent oohing and aahing as I align names to techniques that I have employed in my own writing, but on a – how should I phrase this? – practical level, with complete disregard for the theory of writing. It feels as though I have completed a hands-on apprenticeship over the years where I have learnt the actions and processes involved in writing and am now learning the names for the equipment and techniques used. It definitely feels more – complete.
I think it’s a great way to go about learning this art of writing for a number of reasons:
- I know now that I love writing (you don’t plug away at four full-length novels, sacrificing other opportunities, social and family life, for free, if you don’t love it, or see a future in the field).
- I know that I can write.
- I know this is what I want to do with my life, without a doubt, so I am willing to work hard, and everything I learn is relevant to perfecting my craft.
- I can relate the theory to much practice so I have, in essence, a reality point on the subjects (not like when I did my first degree in Accounting, of which I had no reality on it at all – I didn’t even know how to bank a cheque, let alone help a business handle their taxes. It wasn’t until many years in the profession that all the theory I had ‘learnt’, gained relevance).
So, not for the first time, my life is heading in a new trajectory, but a trajectory that I finally feel sure about, and willing to follow.
The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville – Australian Women Writers Challenge 2012
I wasn’t going to write a review on this book as it is a few years old; however, after reading it, I felt I wanted to. It was written by the long-established Australian author, Kate Grenville, and is a fiction novel based on the life of an actual lieutenant of marines, William Dawes, who was on board the First Fleet that brought convicts to Australia in 1788, and was a scholar in astronomy, language, and mathematics.
Summary
Daniel Rooke is an incredibly intelligent young boy, so much so, it diminishes his ability to connect or relate to other people in his life. Sent away to school at an early age he learns, the hard way, how different he is from others. Not until he joins the marines, where nobody knows of his past, does he feel he belongs, though only superficially. However, after experiencing the tragedy of war, death, and what it actually means to be at the service of His Majesty, he is sent into a decline, preferring solitude.
When the opportunity arises to travel to New South Wales on the First Fleet in 1788, he takes it. In this strange, unchartered new-land, he will be able to undertake scientific work in the field of astronomy, never before carried out. After arriving in Botany Bay, he sets up an observatory upon a peak, away from the main camp of soldiers and convicts, and plods away at charting the stars and weather.
Whilst there, Botany Bay natives visit him and, as a linguist, he takes it on himself to learn the language, recording in careful detail their conversations. From these exchanges, he forms a wonderful friendship with a young Aboriginal girl, Tagaran, who becomes his language teacher of soughts. He builds a mutual affection for the local Aboriginal people, which is what, ultimately, forms the basis of a decision he makes that will change the course of his path in Australia.
Review
I must, first and foremost, comment on Kate’s impeccable writing ability and style. Each word compliments the next, each phrase, paragraph, and page, seamlessly follows the last and, at times, will wrap back upon itself, so beautifully, coalescing one seemingly unrelated idea to the one presented before. Her unpretentious prose sings. I wanted to take each word and play it on the piano, just so I could hear the melody of this novel.
The Lieutenant is a simple story, beautifully bare, and unforced. It is what it is, a fiction novel, recounting the events of England’s first encounters with native Australia. Viewed from this perspective this novel offers no flaws. However, viewed as a work of fiction, required to entertain, it fell short. Though emotive, insightful, and descriptive, I found it hard to keep turning the pages and found my mind wandering and seeking a more thrilling ride.
Miles Off Course by Sulari Gentill
I commenced the 2012 Australian Women Writers Challenge with the Australian crime fiction novel, Miles Off Course. It is the third in a series featuring the main character, Rowland Sinclair, written by Sulari Gentill.
Summary
This story, set in 1933 Australia, begins when a long-time Aboriginal employee, Harry Simpson, is sent to oversee a cattle lease in the New South Wale’s High Country, and goes missing without a trace. Rowland is asked by his elder brother to hunt for Harry and bring him home.
Leaving behind his privileged lifestyle in Sydney, Rowland and his companions, Clyde, Milton and the beautiful, Edna, head into the rugged country-side. Initial clues indicate Harry has simply gone walk-about, but as the story unfolds, they learn it is far more sinister and dangerous.
Meeting many eclectic Australian’s on the way, from a snake-handler to a feminist author, to stockmen and gangsters, they use their combined wits and strengths to out-manoeuvre the ruthless players of a much deeper political conspiracy.
My thoughts
I am no prolific crime fiction reader to be honest, so I felt reading this book was a great opportunity to take me out of my comfort zone. And quite frankly, it did, but in a good way. I found Miles Off Course a gentle avenue into Australian crime fiction. It is a novel written by a woman, for women, and is done so in a very delicate, yet clever way.
The book moves at a gradual pace, unfurling the story-line and clues slowly, but when combined with the short chapters, offering a healthy dose of cliff-hanger ends, some more suspenseful than others, it makes for a page-turner, particularly in the last quarter of the book.
What I found most appealing with this novel is how it weaves Australian history – real newspaper clippings and articles from that era at the beginning of each chapter – with the story line. The utterly clever way this is done, does not reveal itself until the very end when every plot-line and character clicks and ties into place snugly.
The main character, Rowland Sinclair (Rowly), is not your typical hardened ex-police officer turned private investigator, but rather this super-sleuth is an artist and a gentleman. His companions are also fairly out the box, Clyde – a fellow artist, Milton – a poet, and the sultry Edna – a sculptress. This style of character certainly added a feminine edge to the story and I often found myself laughing when reading of the eccentric outfits worn by Milton in the most rugged parts of the countryside.
I immediately felt affinity for the lead character, Rowly, especially as his strength, courage and integrity, even in the toughest circumstances, was presented. Edna, as a character though, somewhat confused me and she felt a little misplaced at times, except perhaps to incorporate a subtle sexual-tension between she and Rowly. On occasions she was presented as a courageous and clever, contemporary woman and at others, a damsel who only seemed to add weight to their plights. Wil Sinclair, Rowly’s eldest brother, oozed power and intelligence and despite his stoic demeanour, he and Rowly’s touchy relationship was portrayed in a very sympathetic manner and in the end, I felt a lot of empathy for their circumstances and history.
Milton and Clyde seemed a tad underdeveloped and I felt by the end of the book I didn’t really know them as much as I would have liked to. However, these points didn’t detract from the wonderful story-line and may only mean I need to read the prior two books in the series. The side-characters, however, I felt were supremely formed and life-like, especially Sarah Brent, the author, and Harry Simpson, the missing employee.
Overall I loved the historical charm of the setting, language and characters in this book which were superbly portrayed from start to finish. I appreciated the clean, no-nonsense writing style of Sulari Gentill, not bogging the story down with extraneous words and detail. And I respected the gentlemanly approach to the story, not overwhelming the reader with gore or profanity, yet still providing an intelligent, twisting tale of crime and conspiracy.
This book certainly educated and entertained concurrently and I only wish now that I had have read the first two books in the series first.
Australian Women Writers: 2012 Challenge
ACCEPTED CHALLENGE – FRANKLIN-FANTASTIC
As a fellow author, I would like to contribute to the notoriety of Australian female authors, so have signed up to do the AWW: 2012 Challenge. As a part of the Franklin-Fantastic level of participation I am to read ten novels and review at least four.
I received a copy from Pantera Press, of the Australian crime-fiction novel, written by Sulari Gentill called Miles off Course. So the starting point has been easily set and the guns have sounded. This will be my first read and review.
So being nothing else left to do but read – START!
http://www.australianwomenwriters.com/p/australian-women-writers-book-challenge_25.html
Cutting the Yo-yo String
Although this is totally off the subject of writing, I thought I would share it with you, in the hope you may find some benefit in it.
We live in a democratic society right? That’s what we are told. We as members of this nation have a right to elect the government we want to run the country; we choose how we want to live, where we work, what we buy, what we wear. We as a nation and end consumer have full consciousness and control over these choices that we make.
Do you believe that?
Is that why when a major software company releases a new product we have truck-loads of people lining up just to be one of the first of many to use this product which we supposedly, desperately need? Is that why when a popular pop star has a certain hair cut we all race out to get the same? Is that why we struggle so much, day in day out, exercising and dieting, just so we can have a body like the supermodel of the minute? Who are the people that say we need a new mobile phone, the latest designer handbag, mineral make up, spray tans, acrylic nails, hair straighteners, size six bodies, flawless skin, cellulite-free legs, toned arms, clump-free mascara, matte foundation, three inch heels, blonde hair, long hair, short hair, brown hair…?
Who is telling us this?
Corporations. Corporations who make millions and billions of dollars from you – the democratic citizen who is fully in control, the conscious purchaser. Corporations, who every day through television, magazines, newspapers, billboards and internet advertisements scream that you are not good enough how you are. Why? When there is no need for a product, why would anyone buy it? They wouldn’t. If there is no need for the diet industry, the cosmetic industry, the fashion industry, then how is one supposed to make money?
The only way to make money is to have people want your product. If no one wants your product, make them want it. But even better, make then need it. How does a corporation do that? Well, here is one example. We get a person, let’s say a young girl. She has to be young. This girl has to have a face that only 1% or less of the earth’s population has. This girl has to be a weight that is impossibly out of reach by the majority of any other woman. We plaster this girl and her body all over magazines and we depict her as being the most desirable thing on this earth to both men and women.
We saturate the entire community with billboards, television commercials, magazine advertisements, internet pop-ups, with images that tell people – this is how you not only want to look, this is how you need to look. We show this girl getting the best jobs, the best men, the most fashionable clothes, the best friends, going to the best parties, driving the best car, wearing the best make-up, having the best hair styles. We show this girl as being the most incredible person to grace this earth and we make people need to be her. So we have the most desirable depiction of a female. Young, flawless skin, perfectly symmetrical face, full lips, sizeable breasts – but not too big and definitely not too small – cellulite free legs, perfect tan, a cute speckle of freckles across the nose but no further, long, blonde, shiny hair that waves in just the right places and falls perfectly over her face, naturally. The perfect female. So perfect, your boyfriend, husband, in fact every man in your vicinity wants her and every woman wants to be her.
We want to be happy don’t we? And isn’t the only way to be happy is go out and buy the trendiest car our money can buy, buy the best clothes that all the ‘it’ girls are wearing, buy the most expensive products for our hair so it shines and isn’t frizzy. Isn’t the only way we can be happy is to lose twenty kilograms so that perfect man or woman, who is only attracted to skinny or buff people, will finally give us some attention. That’s how it is. I’m sure that’s how it is. We need to attain all these impossible unattainables and then our lives will be perfect, just like that girl I saw in that commercial.
Bang, like that, we have created a need. A need to be something you are not, and never will be, no matter how hard you try or how much money you spend. That is exactly how, for example, the diet industry was created.
First you were made to believe that you had to be 55kg’s. Then you were given the fads, the scams and all the false information to get you there – at great cost of course. I mean no one ever lost weight without spending money. But if these diets actually worked – the diet industry wouldn’t still be making billions of dollars because everyone would weigh 55kg’s. It may sound like hysteria, another conspiracy theory or even paranoia, but I assure you it isn’t.
Take a look around, actually notice the advertisements that are shown during your favourite television show. Actually take notice of what these commercials are blatantly telling you. They all have one message – you are not good enough how you are so therefore buy my product and you then will be.
Well I am here to tell you that you are good enough. In fact you are better than just good enough, because you are you, and you are the best you there is. I am also here to tell you that there is more to you than merely a flesh body, no matter how big or small. You are creative, sentient and, best of all, you are free-thinking, with the ability to actually be in control of your own existence and all the choices and decisions that you make.
You are able to evaluate all the information you have for yourself and decide if that information is information designed to help you, or designed to hinder and manipulate you. You have the right to decide what is beautiful, what is important, what is valuable and what is workable for you, instead of just accepting what someone else says.
A novel – twitter style 140 characters or less
I was reading that there is an author in Texas (@veryshortstory), who has gained over 94,000 twitter followers by writing stories in 140 characters or less and tweeting them.
Inspiring. I got to thinking if I am capable of condensing my novels into one or two sentences. Turns out I am.
Here goes!
Patients:
She dances, laughs, dreams, feels pain, tastes so sweetly and falls deeply in love with him. When she wakes, she learns none of it is real.
Perennial:
He’s from her future and the other guy, her present. She loves them equally, but can barely believe that each is actually the other and both, her one and only, her soul mate.
Beautiful Coincidence:
All soldiers need a name. 94yrs after his body is thrown into a mass grave in Fromelles, she helps him find his name, so all can know it.
The paler shade of Autumn:
He promised before he died, she’ll see all that is beautiful and more. But now that she can see, she no longer wants to; not this much.
I’ll let you know when I create some more. Lots of fun.
How technically perfect does your writing need to be to stir, within your audience, a positive response?
I read in a forum with Mathew Riley; how he has been made to defend the commerciality of his novels, yet he is a prolifically purchased Australian author. I also read an article where Stephen King bagged Stephanie Meyer’s writing skills, yet she has put books into the hands of millions upon millions of readers.
This got me thinking about, and I believe it’s a long debated topic, commercial versus literary. Which should a writer, to be labelled as a ‘respected writer’, be leaning towards? For me, the answer is in the audience. Who is your audience? Is it the initiates of the writing industry or is it the masses that actually buy the books.
There was once a Chinese poet who used to, after writing a poem, go down to the street corner and read his poetry to an old lady who sold flowers. If this lady appreciated his poetry and could understand its intended communication, he would have it published. If she didn’t, he trashed it. This poet’s audience was the people and if the ‘people’ couldn’t understand his works, then what is the use of having it published?
So why do crowds of people buy Mathew Riley or Stephanie Meyer or J.K Rowling or Sophie Kinsella? And the list goes on. Well I found the answer in a book I was reading lately called Art written by a man who is the Guinness Book of Records for his prolific book sales, and he said:
‘If you look at or listen to any work of art, there is only one thing the casual audience responds to en masse, and if this has it then you too will see it as a work of art.
If it doesn’t have it, you won’t. So what is it?
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE ITSELF ADEQUATE TO PRODUCE AN EMOTIONAL IMPACT.
And that is how good a work of art has to be to be good.
If you look this over from various sides, you will see that the general spectator is generally unaware of technique. That is the zone of art’s creators.” - LR Hubbard.
Quite an interesting comment to read as I rewrite and edit my manuscript for the umpteenth time seeking greater technical perfection. When is enough, enough? Well that’s simple as per the above quote – when I have produced an emotional impact in my audience.
What do you think?
Bibliography: Hubbard, L. Ron. (1991) Art. Bridge Publications, Inc, California.
Persistence
Persistence is the key!
I’ve read about quite a few people, those who have successes in life, and each tend to emphasise this particular point: PERSISTENCE.
I believe the key to achieving your goal as an author is to keep pushing ahead, despite the barriers and setbacks, until you reach it. It is inevitable, unless you are one of the lucky few, there will be hindrances on the road to being published, there will be rejections, there will be outright stops. But the difference between the author who has a publishing contract and the author who gave up trying, all other things being equal, is the former persisted longer than the latter.
This quote sums it up very simply:
‘All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them’ – Walt Disney.