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I am writing a book
A recently over heard conversation went as follows:
“I am writing a book. I’ve made a great start: I’ve numbered all the pages.”
Consider the following:
- Countless people say they are going to write a book.
- Only a few ever begin the actual writing.
- If you have started writing a book you are in rare company.
- If you have actually finished writing your book you are in elite company.
- If you have rewritten and edited your book you are almost unique.
- If you have submitted to a publisher a well written, well edited and professionally presented manuscript, you are very special.
Don’t just say you are going to write that book.
Just get on with it.
Good writing.
Book Review: “Treasure Hunters” by Allan Baillie
Treasure Hunters
A few weeks ago I finished reading the novel for teenagers called Treasure Hunters written by Australian author Allan Baillie. What an entertaining read it proved to be.
I’d read some of Allan’s books before but I forget which ones. On checking his website I found out how truly prolific his writing career has been. His list of published books is indeed daunting. The list of prizes and awards he has won for his books is truly amazing. Reading his autobiographical notes on his web site is also amazing. He has led a life that can only be described as full-on adventure – including once being arrested on the suspicion of spying!
Treasure Hunters is best described as a thriller. Sure, there is adventure there too, but the narrative carries the reader on up to the exciting climax. Masterful storytelling indeed.
The main character Pat joins his father on a quest to find the world’s richest shipwreck off the coast of an Indonesian island riddled with political and social turmoil. The dangers of diving to great depths adds yet another layer of danger and Baillie casts an exciting net over the action.
I’m not into diving and have very little knowledge in the field, but Baillie weaves in enough information along the way to help even the most ignorant reader understand what is happening, and the dangers faced by the characters.
It is a thrilling read and highly recommended.
It is also worth reading the author’s autobiographical notes on his web page here.
References:
- Baillie, A 2002, Treasure hunters. Camberwell, Victoria, Penguin Australia.
- Allan Baillie web-page, accessed 26th June 2010.
Review: Nights in the asylum
No Comments »22nd June, 2010; Category: Authors, Books, Fiction, Master of Arts course, Novels, Reviews, Writers, Writing a novel
Nights in the asylum
Book review: Nights in the asylum by Carol Lefevre
It was suggested by my supervising lecturer that I read this novel. Last week we had the author as the guest speaker at our regular fortnightly seminar. These are usually critiquing sessions where we try to help each other with the novels we are each writing for our Masters of Arts. Carol, a quietly spoken author talked to us for nearly two hours, going into details of how she went about the writing of this and her subsequent novel. I found her discussion on the inspiration of each work to be very interesting, and a major work can stem from a simple thing such as a photograph. Interestingly, my own idea for my current novel came from a photograph.
The word “asylum” in the title has great significance. All three main characters in the story are seeking a different form of asylum, mirroring the differing meanings of the word. Miri, the main character, is seeking sanctuary from the turmoil of a failed marriage and the death of a teenage daughter. Aziz, on the run after escaping from a detention centre, is seeking political asylum. Suzette and her baby are seeking refuge from an abusive, violent husband. All three are thrown together by circumstances into the same house in an unnamed mining town in outback Australia.
One of the most intriguing elements of this novel is the constantly shifting point of view. Each section or chapter (some are short, others quite long) is headed with a name of one of the characters, mostly the major three (but sometimes even minor characters for a few pages). Each section has the story told from the point of view of the character named in the title of the section. It sounds like a complicated way of writing, but it is wonderfully effective. By dipping into the heads of each character in depth like this we get a much deeper understanding of the particular mental turmoil and physical torments faced by that character. We also gain a greater understanding of and appreciation for how they perceive other characters in the story. A very clever technique and masterfully handled by the author. It is a technique I initially grappled with and rejected when writing my novel. I knew the pitfalls and knew my skills were not equal to the task. (Read more here.)
Another major element of the story worth mentioning here is a device known as the flashback. Many writers love this technique and it can be overused and used poorly. This author has used flashback to great effect, filling in details from the past and helping the reader to more fully understand each character’s strengths and weaknesses.
There are many other wonderful aspects of this novel and I can only touch on some briefly.
- The powerful mining town mentality of the townspeople comes through strongly.
- It is worth reading just for the beautiful use of language.
- The sense of isolation for all three main characters is a brooding presence throughout.
- A sense of the inevitability of the ending carries the reader along – not wanting it to happen, but resigned to the fact that it must end that way.
Overall, a brilliantly written work, told with compassion and finesse. And it’s an entertaining read as well.
Reference:
Lefevre, Carol, 2007, Nights in the asylum, Random House Australia, North Sydney
Writers and public speaking
I would guess that writers are mostly introverted people, happy to sit in their office tapping away at their computer creating stories, novels, poems, articles and whatever. Many shy away from the spotlight of public speaking. I believe that this is a narrow view of the writer’s life, one that is potentially limiting to their success as writers.
Writers need to be public speakers
As much as some writers might want to run from this suggestion, in order to promote one’s work the writer today needs to e a good public speaker. I have done considerable public speaking in other areas but very little in relation to my writing. Over the last 5 years I have had many opportunities to speak about Australian birds as a direct result of another blog of mine, Trevor’s Birding.
Prepare to be a good speaker
Joanna Penn on her blog The Creative Penn has written an excellent article on this very topic. Her article How to prepare for public speaking covers the topic really well. I recommend that you flip over there and have a read – or listen to her video. Excellent stuff.
Good writing.