August 24th, 2010
I follow various writers’ blogs and I’m always interested to see what they are reading because they usually range over unexpected territory. In June I posted about the books I was reading or had read recently. Time to do it again.
I tried reading Elizabeth Kostova’s book The Historian but after 250 pages I had to put it down. I didn’t care enough about the characters to keep reading and I found it to be repetitious and guilty of what I was told is a major crime in novel writing – cramming in all your lovely research because you find it too interesting to leave out. leave it out, it’s a narrative traffic jam. If I was fascinated by the history and legends of Romanian vampires perhaps I would have persisted - but I’m not, so I didn’t.
I moved onto Sarah Waters’ book The Night Watch which had me right from the start. I prefer a straight narrative with no flashbacks, but I found the characters so compelling the back- to- front storytelling enhanced rather than detracted. I wanted to know more about them and finished the book with a sigh, disappointed that there was no more. I’ve bought two more of her books but have had to squirrel them away for the time being.
After the disappointment of The Historian I wanted the soothing pleasure of an old favourite so I returned to Sebastian Faulks’ Birdsong and took my time with it - I’d read it before. A second, slower reading always pays off and I found myself moving deeper into the story of Steven, Isabel and the soldiers in the hell of trench warfare. A humane and riveting story.
Because I’d recently read Faulks’ The Girl at the Lion D’Or I thought I may as well go for the trifecta and picked up Charlotte Grey. I was curious about how Faulks slips secondary characters from previous books into the foreground of subsequent stories. For example, Charlotte’s father was Steven’s (Birdsong) commanding officer in World War One. Hartmann, who seduces Anne in The Girl at the Lion D’Or, finds himself on the way to a concentration camp in Charlotte Grey, along with the German Jewish doctor who rescued Steven in Birdsong.
I was also reminded of the botched film of Charlotte Grey - a disappointing translation from book to film. But aren’t they all.
I moved on to contemporary Urban Fantasy with Trent Jamieson’s Death Most Definitely. I have never been interested in fantasy, science fiction or paranormal stories. But Trent is an Australian writer, the book is set in Brisbane and he’s a stablemate of mine at Hachette Australia, so I decided I would give it a go. I loved the location and the surreal goings on in the middle of a sub tropical Australian city. The inventive and imaginative aspect of the book had me turning pages, and while I’m not a convert to the genre I have to read the next two in the series to find out what happens. If you like urban fantasy it’s a great read.
I moved onto Irene Nemirovsky’s Suite Francaise because I found a very cheap copy and had been meaning to read it for awhile and still had the taste of Vichy France in my mouth.
Paul Gray in The New York Times writes -
“”Storm in June,” the first novella of “Suite Française,” opens as German artillery thunders on the outskirts of Paris and those residents who have trouble sleeping in the unusually warm weather hear the sound of an air-raid siren: “To them it began as a long breath, like air being forced into a deep sigh. It wasn’t long before its wailing filled the sky.” … With the utmost narrative economy, sharp, scattered images coalesce into an atmosphere of dread. Parisians wake up to the realization that nothing, particularly the gallant French Army they have read and heard so much about, stands between them and the Germans, and they decide, as one, to get out fast. To depict the widespread chaos that ensues — railroads hobbled by overcrowding or bombed tracks, shortages of gasoline and food — Némirovsky concentrates on a few individuals caught up in the collective panic.”
Next I picked up a book by George Makari called Revolution in Mind: The Creation of Psychoanalysis – a very readable account of the development of new ways of thinking about inner life, an evocation of old Middle Europe and the feuding Freudians, Jungians and Kleinians who squabbled over the intricacies of their theories while seemingly oblivious to the disastrous state Germany was sliding toward. Now I’m switching between Freud and Robert Harris’s The Ghost - about a ghost writer, a politician with a nefarious past - because I need something light to switch off with after reading about the spiteful bickering and territorial spats of theorists at play.
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August 23rd, 2010
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August 1st, 2010
I wandered along the other day thinking about whether or not I held a principle that I would die for - as you do. Something beyond self interest. I probably will never be put to the test so it’s easy for me to say, yes, there is one.
Universal education.
Education for all is a cornerstone of the Enlightenment, right? Education to banish ignorance and superstition so we can approach living in as reasonable a manner as we can, valuing reason and knowledge above our animal lusts for power, possession and shagging all who wander inadvertently into our orbit. We all agree on that?
You are nodding your head, sipping your coffee, saying yes … go on … your point, madam?
My point is this. It is only a principle, not a reality, despite all the posturing and blather of our politicians and educationalists. We have education. Just enough so we can find the remote control and switch onto Master Chef, find the car keys and make our way to Consumer Durable to buy a molten chocolate fountain, and then relax in front of some funny Youtube videos, then go to bed with our f**k buddy. And don’t ask me to read, crikey, I might over stimulate myself and goodness knows what will happen then?
I rant because I was myself perhaps overstimulated last night while attending a social event distinguished by a goodly smattering of very intelligent people, employed in the tertiary education sector in Chemistry, Languages, Nuclear Physics, IT, Engineering and, bless ‘em, Creative Writing.
I know from my own observations that tertiary education is sliding into laughable territory - user pays, buying places, overseas students, lowering the bar so that it’s practically underground – have all contributed. But when I hear anecdotes from those in the frontline – and yes they are anecdotes, but put a glass of wine in the hand of any academic in Australia and you’ll hear the same things – they produce a frisson of fear in my vitals. I’ll be dead before we see the real impact of the Great Dumbing Down, but my kids will feel it and it’s not going to be an easy ride for them. I suppose a single purpose electric donut maker will be some consolation though.
I wouldn’t die to save the Australian education system as it is, and as it will be in ten years time. But I would willingly stuff the petrol soaked rags into bottles and bay for the blood of all vocational educationalists as I storm the barricades erected around the lickspittle lackeys who design education to fit the interests of the capitalist running dogs of the corporate world rather than human beings if I thought the educational values of the enlightenment could be restored to education.
Modern History does not start in 1945. Or maybe it does for those curriculum design bots.
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June 15th, 2010
Repetitive Strain Injury appears to be an occupational hazard for writers. Consideration must be given to where you write and how you sit when you write.
I did consider it, and then promptly forgot as I slouched, tensed, lolled, stayed at the keyboard for hours on end and did just about everything a writer shouldn’t do. And so I have RSI from my shoulder down to my wrist.
I’ll be limiting myself to important emails and very short writing sessions for now - all blogging activities have to cease until the injury heals.
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May 27th, 2010
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May 25th, 2010
For someone who likes to finish what they start, blogs can be infuriating. An endlessly gaping cyber maw that must be fed no matter what other claims you have on your time. This is only a problem for the conscientious like myself, however. But I will not abandon it, as so many abandon their blog to drift on the sea of ether like a virtual Marie Celeste - even though I am still up to my weary eyeballs in the sequel to The Book of Love.
Numbers of visitors to this site are rising steadily, three thousand per month at the moment, so I’d like to give a big shout out to all my Russian followers, particularly Lyudmilla who wants to marry me or sell me viagra. Russia is currently racing Australia for second place in visitor numbers – first place, of course, goes to the Americans, (hi guys). I’d like to think the Russians are keen because my lead character, William, in my current book, has a Russian background. I’d like to think that, as I say, but the reality is that probably a third of my visitors have one tiny blinking red eye, a line of code trailing behind them and an ISP way closer to the Arctic than any of my readers.
The search terms that bring people to my site are always interesting. Increasingly people find their way here through Googling me, The Book of Love, Hachette, the Queensland Writers Centre, manuscript development and so on, but other popular search phrases this month are US Imperialism, old sensual crones, pajama parties in the sixties, bare Italian tits and phillipa jam. Curious …
The majority of these visitors land, look around and nip off, the next group stay over an hour. And the others fall at all points between. Sixty five percent of my core visitors have me book marked and I’m linked to, among others, a Polish forum for teenagers who want to chat about their desktop icons.
But then I have over a dozen websites book marked, from weighty news sites, to writing/publishing gossip/tips/agonising to interior design sites, a number of Italian picture sites, writer friends, a food history blog, columnists, celebrity trash, vintage lingerie, cartoon illustration and a film review site.
And no doubt all of these sites have those ubiquitous Russians, with their love of old photos, marmalade recipes and my book, flocking to them as well.
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May 20th, 2010
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May 9th, 2010
In twenty words or less tell me why you write
I write to bring to life the characters that live in my dreams and to see what hey want to tell me.
Do you have any formal training in creative writing? And how long have you been writing?
I wouldn’t say I have formal training. I did a minor in Creative Writing at University but the teacher was so nasty I didn’t write again for ten years. I’ve always written. As a child I wrote books and books of poetry and I have many half started novels. I began writing again in earnest about five years ago and have written a book a year since then.
What do you consider to be your successes as a professional writer?
I don’t really consider myself to be a professional writer yet because I am not making money out of it. I think I would say that any success I have had has been due solely to persistence.
You were selected to take part in the QWC/Hachette Australia
Manuscript Development Programme in 2008. What were some of the highlights? What impact did it have on your writing and professional development?
For me, just being chosen was a highlight. It was very affirming. The opportunity to sit down with Vanessa from Hachette and get her feedback on my novel was completely wonderful. I found Kim an inspiring lecturer and I got so much out of what she told us, especially with regard to plotting.
The chance to spend the week with seven other writers from around the country and just focus on writing and sharing ideas was invaluable. The gift of the ongoing friendship with those writers is a total bonus and a delight.
Being part of the program gave me lots of confidence which has led to me throwing my hat in the ring in other competitions and I think it made me feel legitimised in my writing – that it was more than a hobby.
What do you really love about writing?
I really love starting a new story. It’s like I’m heading off on a wonderful journey with new friends and we have so many opportunities to get to know each other better.
Rejection comes with the job of writing, so how do you get over it and keep going?
I’ve had plenty of rejection. I consider myself a bit of a writing bridesmaid – as in “always the bridesmaid never the bride”. I am much better with rejection now than I used to be because I have come to understand that it isn’t personal and has almost nothing to do with me at all. I have to say a standard rejection letter or e-mail doesn’t even affect me anymore. I do find it harder when I get very close and still can’t quite get over the line. To help me get through it I go to the second-hand bookshop and read a book by an author in my genre, usually one with two or three books, and preferably a book I don’t love and I think “Somehow he/she got over the line so there’s no reason I can’t too.” (You don’t want to choose anything too awe inspiring in these situations because that just fuels the feelings of inadequacy!)
What are you working on now?
I’m working on some women’s fiction with romantic undertones. At the moment I’m about 2/3 of the way through a novel.
What books are you reading and where is your favoured reading spot?
I am reading lots of chic-lit and women’s fiction because that’s what I write. Apart from that I just finished Barbara Kingsolver’s, The Lacuna which I loved and The Elegance of the Hedgehog, which I didn’t. I have a wing chair in my living room that I love to read in. I snuggle in there with a cup of coffee and float away.
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April 28th, 2010
In twenty words or less tell me why you write.
I started writing because I had a yen to do it. I continue to write because I am a writer.
Do you have any formal training in creative writing? And how long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing stuff since high school. Fortunately, I started writing stuff I was prepared to share with the world almost exactly ten years ago. I have no background in arts or humanities (I did health sciences for reasons I am still grappling with), but I did a postgrad in professional writing, editing, and publishing a few years back so I would have such a huge discrepancy between what I did in sunlight and what I did in the wee hours. I started a proper Masters in Creative Writing too, but I didn’t get far. I’m not sure if or when I’ll get back to that.
What do you consider to be your successes as a professional writer?
Background stuff. I have to say this, because (to use fishing terminology) I’m yet to land the big one (whether in writing or in fishing). This will sound wanky and it’s quite accidental I assure you, but I seem to be awfully well connected these days. A big part of this is longevity: I keep turning up. As a result I have lots of people in the industry whom I know and who in turn appear interested in what I’m working on. I figure one of these connections has to pay off eventually. My job is just to keep turning up. It’s worked for me so far.
You were selected to take part in the QWC/Hachette Australia Manuscript Development Programme in 2008. What were some of the highlights? What impact did it have on your writing and professional development?
The most valuable thing I took from the MDP (can I call it that?) (yes, you can, ed.) is a cohort. Writing is a lonely profession, especially when the people around you are sick of hearing about your latest plot development or character trait. While the eight of us from 2008 are scattered throughout the country, we still keep in touch and share each other’s triumphs and disappointments. It was especially important for me since, almost immediately following the program, I relocated away from home with nothing but a pair of small children and a whippet for intelligent conversation. A motley bunch of writers at the end of an email address was in incredibly valuable source of sanity.
The other important thing I took away from the program was a far more mature approach to the business side of publishing and an understanding that a good author-publisher relationship is a partnership, not a hierarchy. That single piece of knowledge has served me well through the rollercoaster of the last eighteen months.
What do you really love about writing?
I don’t know of anything quite as satisfying as nailing a sentence. Really nailing it: every word in its place and no fat. I think to achieve any kind of longevity as a professional writer, one has to really enjoy the nuts and bolts. You might have a crappy day at the keyboard, but if you nailed one sentence, you’ll go to bed content as a baby.
Rejection comes with the job of writing, so how do you get over it and keep going?
I’m not sure rejection gets any easier over time. The tragedy of rejection is the mismatch in expectation. As the writer’s expectations rise, so the rejections become harder and harder. To be honest, the rejection that has most upset me—the one that absolutely skewered me—arrived just this year. It’s not a case of getting over it and moving on. You move on precisely in order to get over it. And some of them you never quite get over. You work on and try to forget it happened.
What are you working on now?
Two things: a non-fiction anthology (as co-editor) and my fourth novel. Both projects are related to rock music and Brisbane. The anthology will most likely be published at the end of this year. The novel will be published, I hope, before I die. I’ve just made the call that I intend to write a chapter of the novel each day until it’s done. Tonight is my first night and instead I’m writing this. Good start, huh?
What books are you reading and where is your favoured reading spot?
I wish I had a favourite reading spot other than bed, but young children make the act of languid reading outside of bedtime impossible. I figure I’ll find one again in a few years when they are able to entertain themselves. I’ll set up a comfy chair on the deck maybe. At the moment, I’m reading The Sorrows of Empire by Chalmers Johnson: non-fiction about US imperialism and militarism. This is my light reading while I take a break from the second half of Lolita (I like it, but it’s intense). I’ve got another six or seven books lined up after those. Probably my favourite reads from the last six months or so: Disgrace by JM Coetzee knocked me sideways (and I now refuse to allow the film to sully my picture of it) and Devil May Care, the new James Bond book by Sebastian Faulks was so much fun I read it in a few days.
MDP cohort minus one
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April 23rd, 2010
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Habitual Reading Two
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