Observations on Me by Me...

Unity Books (on facebook) linked to this interesting article in the Guardian - a piece written by an author about how success affects you. I liked this bit - "The thing is that nobody becomes a writer because of his or her tremendous ease with social interactions and the spontaneity of the spoken word." (ain't that the truth) and the bit about consistency of style: how we work hard to figure out how to be consistent and then once we are, have to figure out how to change.

Whether we are successful or not, time changes us. I am no longer the wide-eyed rube that I was in 2000, toiling away in free-wheeling isolation. Whether my writing is better or worse for the influence of my experiences over the last eleven years, there is no denying it is different. I think though that you can still clearly see ME in my writing from either end of that time period.

And as my brain is fried by finishing my current WIP (now at 40,913 words - having started with a goal of 40,000) here are some observations on ME by ME
1.Straight down rain makes me think of Beatrix Potter - I expect to see Peter Rabbit in his blue coat running across the front lawn any minute
2. I am craving rare steak but don't blame the vampires or were-wolves.
3. I've been researching what dates Easter fell on in 1943 and all about cotton seed oil and the (potentially fatal) by-product left behind by pressing the seeds
4. Wishing the instant departure of my e-mails was matched by an instant reply
5. I'm thinking of changing my favourite colour
6. Would like to question the birth certificates of all those people questioning Obama's - see how they like it to be perpetually doubted with no chance of 100% proof
7. Would like to write a novel based in Ancient Egypt
8. I am afraid of....ha ha like I'm ever going to tell you that
9. My favourite numbers are 3 and 7
10. I'm not keen to meet my writing heroes because I would be speechless in their presence

So there :)

Mr Gaiman didn't visit...

There is a lot of paper in the office where I write. I like to have hard copies of my work because although I believe in them and consider myself not a complete technophobe, some deep part of my brain remains undeniably suspicious of computers. Sometimes they eat your work and then laugh at you when you try to retrieve it. Luckily (touch wood) I have not had too many computastrophes, but a recent experience has convinced me of the benefits of hard copies. Some years back (before the new millenium) I wrote a shortish fantasy novel with a reluctant prince as the central character. I brashly submitted it for the Tom Fitzgibbon award and while it didn't get anywhere, I did get my first real bit of feedback from one of the judges, the very lovely Jo Noble who said some kind and encouraging things. On her advice I made some additions but couldn't quite fix it to a point i was happy with. But one addition in particular was rather groovy and a bit sparkly and I always thought if I could fix the bones up around the best scenes in the story I would have something saleable. Well I think I've figured out the bones but I cannot find in computer file or in hard copy that sparkly addition which has kept my faith in that story alive all these years. I am trying to write it from memory but folks before you move on from any story whether you are satisfied with it or not - TAKE A HARD COPY AND PUT IT SOMEWHERE LOGICAL. It has probably developed a mythical brilliance that it doesn't deserve but I am sure that added scene was a gem even if only semi-precious (or just needing some polishing) and I am going to be sweating trying to pull as much of it as possible out of the dim dark memory recesses of my brain over the next few weeks. Wish me luck :)

Here is a short meme to keep you amused (or surprised) in the meantime

1) I like soccer better than rugby because soccer players have better legs
2) I learned classical ballet as a child and irish dancing in my thirties
3) I like Linkin Park (the Transformers made me)
4) I'm not big on foreign, arthouse or indie films.
5) I have a magnolia obsession - these are the coolest trees in the world
6) I also have a Chrysler Building obsession. It is my most favourite piece of art ever.
6) Housework is evil
7) I have a tattoo.

First lines and dangling carrots...

Saw an interesting meme on Lili Wilkinson's (young australian author) blog t'other day and thought I'd give it a go. Its all about first lines from your own writing. So here goes:

Published
Clever Moo (PB) - Margaret was not like her best friends, Daisy and Bossy

The Were-Nana (PB) - For Stella Rosa's older brother Simon, there was no better fun than scaring his sister

Jack the Viking (novel) - "Ready Jack?" asks a blond boy my age, carrying a sword and shield.

The Gift (ss) - Everyone says I talk too much.

Unpub'd but completed Work
Pirate Eye (junior chapter book) - "What's wrong with you?" the big boy at the school gate asked.

The House That Went to Sea (PB) - Granny Gale's house smelt of fish, and rocked with the booming of the waves.

Jack the Viking: Magnetic North (novel) - I don't dream so much anymore.

The story I'm working on now begins with the first line of an essay the main character is writing for school which I quite like - Apparently my older sister Michelle was perfect.

I found it a fascinating exercise with slightly surprising results. What do you think? The new picture book I just finished has my shortest first line ever - Old Tatty. I guess if it gets picked up an editor might have something to say about the punctuation of my first few lines and that first sentence will get longer. I have a bunch of short stories pub'd and unpub'd I haven't included in this exercise. Maybe I'll do them another day. I'm now up to ten short stories either pub'd or signed up for publication. If I can increase that number just a wee bit more I might start dreaming about assembling a collection one day.

I have other dreams for my writing including: to be published overseas (especially in a different language) and to (be paid to) travel overseas for my books. One of the blogs i check out regularly had a very interesting snippet of information in it the other day. Moon Rat (who hangs out at Editorial Ass) talked of a children's novel that took 5 years to find a publisher and the first print run was a miniscule 1,000 copies. I would love to have me a copy from that first print run today - it would be worth a wee bit. Go check out the book she's talking about. It shows that you have to hang in there and believe in your work even when things seem to be going badly, although things don't always turn out as well as this has :) I need to hear this kind of stuff as I have been grumpy about recent events and feasting on far too many crabby patties lately. Sorry to the two workmen working next door who got a terse comment or two from me yesterday when i asked them to move their van from my driveway so I could go out. I am finishing up (at LONG last) the rocket-science-like university assignment I have been working on since Adam was a boy and trying to finish up my current WIP which is going okay but which I am now having enormous doubts over. Too late I guess, to wonder if its saleable - less then 10,000 words to go (although thats to the end of the first draft only). But these two things are not filling me with joy - they are filling me with huffing and puffing, sweating brow grumpiness. I need a carrot dangling. The overseas trip we are planning is too far away to perform this function so I will have to find something else.

meme...

I am shamelessly pinching this meme from http://www.thescarlettree.blogspot.com/ because as she says, its rather snazzy, and because I've always wanted to have a go at one of these:-

1.make a list of things you can see without standing up
-the kitten curled up asleep on my dad's old rocking chair
-my luscious front garden
-a big old mess of papers (including assorted writing, reading and stuff I have no clue what to do with
-chocolate because you should always have some on hand in case the apocalypse arrives

2.what were you like when you were five
-short, cute, itchy with excema, wheezy with asthma, spoiled

3.what colour is your bedroom?
-its painted a colour called Donkey

4.what was the last thing you bought?
-picnic ingrediants for my wedding anniversary

5.what are you listening to right now?
-cicadas

6.what song are you currently listening to a lot?
-Single Ladies by Beyonce

7.if you could have any super power what would it be?
-teletransportation with the ability to take anything anything animate(family) or inanimate(luggage) with me that i am touching at the time

8.what was the last reality tv show you watched?
-Project Runway - i like anything where I can observe people in the throes of the creative process

9.what is your most challenging goal right now?
-finishing my current WIP. Being patient.

10.if you could have a house, totally paid for, fully furnished, anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be?
-Manhatten, New York

11.favourite vacation spot?
-On board a cruise ship


12.what is your favourite children's book?
-at the moment its a toss up between Dear Greenpeace by Simon James and The Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen and Kevin Hawkes.

13.name one thing you can't resist no matter how bad it is for you?
-I'm so bad I have two things - chocolate and champagne

14.if you could meet anyone - dead or alive - who would it be?
-Jane Austen, and Jesus (I'm not terribly religious but he was really good in Jesus Christ Superstar)

15.if you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
-I actually like my current job but i'd like more money, book sales through the roof, and some international travel thrown in thanks