This year, I've had the greatest Christmas present ever for a writer - the wonderful Kate Cuthbert of Harlequin Escape Publishing has said "Yes" to my submission. It's for the book that co-won the People's Choice Award in the Romance Writers of New Zealand's Clendon Award 2012, an historical romance set in the days of the Otago gold rush.
All very exciting, and so great after the years of trying. Getting a short story "Yes" is pretty amazing, but getting one for a whole book, now that's something else.
Publishing date unknown yet, and I have to admit to being a bit scared about what happens next. It's all a bit of an unknown process, even though I've had many others tell me of their experiences. But doing it yourself, mmmm. And a big shout out of thanks to all who have helped me on this amazing journey: the other writers of RWNZ and SpecFic NZ, my family for their endless tolerance, and to Massey University's creative writing papers' lecturers and tutors. Their paper on script writing in particular, taught by Stuart Hoar, was great for someone writing genre fiction.
So here's to 2013, the year of Mary Brock Jones, author.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
A belated Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone in the blogosphere. I am slowly emerging from the annual orgy of too much work, too much food, and too much cooking. Plus all the lovely bits, like lots of family and lovely pressies. I do love buying for the people I love - or I would if they gave me any idea what they wanted somewhat earlier than the weekend before Christmas. Thankfully the shops now run lots of last minute pressie sales - to wet your appetite for the boxing day post Christmas sales, I guess.
This year I basically cooked two Christmas dinners - one on the Sunday before, for the son and daughter-in-law who were going to her family for the big day, and a second for the extended family on the big day. so I am very definitely over cooking for the rest of the summer. But both were lovely days. We either had all the family here, or talked to them by Skype on the day, including my son overseas (a loooooong way away), and my sisters overseas. Yay for Skype. Not quite the same as being there, but watching my sister talking to me while trying to control a 5 yr old grandson was just like having her here.
Christmas - it might bring out the bah humbug in me during the December silly season before hand, but the actual days - wow. There is no night more magical than Christmas Eve, a night when everything is possible and the great mystery enwraps you in its joy. My favourite night of the year. May all the joys and wonders of this season go out to all of you, wherever you may be.
This year I basically cooked two Christmas dinners - one on the Sunday before, for the son and daughter-in-law who were going to her family for the big day, and a second for the extended family on the big day. so I am very definitely over cooking for the rest of the summer. But both were lovely days. We either had all the family here, or talked to them by Skype on the day, including my son overseas (a loooooong way away), and my sisters overseas. Yay for Skype. Not quite the same as being there, but watching my sister talking to me while trying to control a 5 yr old grandson was just like having her here.
Christmas - it might bring out the bah humbug in me during the December silly season before hand, but the actual days - wow. There is no night more magical than Christmas Eve, a night when everything is possible and the great mystery enwraps you in its joy. My favourite night of the year. May all the joys and wonders of this season go out to all of you, wherever you may be.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Saved by the Cat
If you haven't yet come across this gem of a book, then beg, borrow or steal a copy of "Save the Cat" by Blake Snyder. Although written for screenwriters, the advice in it is totally applicable to any kind of genre fiction, and saved me tonight. Up till now, I have been the kind of writer described as a 'pantser" ie I write by the seat of my pants, making it up as I go along.
But that method is not working for my current book. I'm stuck, wallowing in pages of bland, go nowhere words, that would drive a reader to insensibility if they were kind enough to keep reading them.
So I am having to do some pre-planning, to kick life into the plot and find out where I am going. And for that, my fallback guardian is Blake Snyder's 'Cat', filled with simple lists and how-to check sheets. It might look like 'write-by-numbers' hokey, but it actually works. And his suggestions are so simple and easy to follow that even a pantser like me can come up with a simple, 1 page plot map, with all the required story peaks and troughs filled in.
Will I follow it? Who knows. Will it get me writing freely again - already has, and that's what really counts. I'm off on my journey again, out of the swamp, and here's to the adventure to come.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Moving and a kindle
Two big events have coincided in my life. We have moved house - yuck - and I now have a kindle. I ordered one of the new kindle paperwhites while we were in the States, and it has now arrived. This is my first excursion into e-books, and I'm still getting used to it. Biggest plus - the books are so much cheaper and accessible. Many titles are hard to find here in NZ, but now I just have to go onto Amazon, and seconds later they appear on my kindle. Second plus - it's so portable and versatile. The light works great, so I can read in bed at night, and it's fits in my bag easily when I go out.
I still like reading a Proper Book better, though. But I can't afford to read all the proper books I want to, given the cost of paperbacks here, or postage and currency conversion costs if you order through Amazon. And now I can read all the stories of friends who are published on e-book only. So many treasures awaiting!
As for the moving house, we've now managed to find most of the stuff we really really need. There are still boxes everywhere, but the new house has an honest-to-goodness office, so that is a big plus. But for the rest of it, for me moving house rates for down there with going to the dentist and public speaking. My arms are aching from packing things, carrying things and unpacking things. Why we accumulate so much stuff as we go through life is beyond me. One day, I might just learn how to throw stuff away - on second thoughts, nah, ain't gonna happen.
I still like reading a Proper Book better, though. But I can't afford to read all the proper books I want to, given the cost of paperbacks here, or postage and currency conversion costs if you order through Amazon. And now I can read all the stories of friends who are published on e-book only. So many treasures awaiting!
As for the moving house, we've now managed to find most of the stuff we really really need. There are still boxes everywhere, but the new house has an honest-to-goodness office, so that is a big plus. But for the rest of it, for me moving house rates for down there with going to the dentist and public speaking. My arms are aching from packing things, carrying things and unpacking things. Why we accumulate so much stuff as we go through life is beyond me. One day, I might just learn how to throw stuff away - on second thoughts, nah, ain't gonna happen.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Music to write by
I have a new favourite album - or rather, two albums - by my latest find: the band Mumford and Sons.
It is a truism that life is a continuous cycle. Stay around long enough, and everything comes around again. I grew up in the years of folk. The Seekers got me through my senior college exams. The voices and words of Joan Baez, Celtic, British and American folk, Woody and Arlo Guthrie, Crosby, Stills, Nash and John Denver spun my teenage dreams . And now we have the folk tradition, but reinvented for today. Grittier, louder, more rocking. And I love it. Yay for Mumford and Sons. I now have both their albums on my play list, Babel and Sigh No More. Plug into YouTube and search them out. They are also great performers. They reject that stupid tradition of musicians standing on stage looking like they are having their teeth pulled. Watch this live show and tell me you wouldn't have been jumping in the audience too!
It's also introduced me to the new phenomenon of folk rock. Lots of fun, words that mean something and that you can sing to, but with that driving edge of rock. Irresistable. Look out for the bands Fun and Dawes, and of course in a related vein, Florence and the Machines.
My son is horrified. What am I doing listening to his generations' music. They are good and I enjoy them, that's what. And they say things I want to hear. There is a future still.
It is a truism that life is a continuous cycle. Stay around long enough, and everything comes around again. I grew up in the years of folk. The Seekers got me through my senior college exams. The voices and words of Joan Baez, Celtic, British and American folk, Woody and Arlo Guthrie, Crosby, Stills, Nash and John Denver spun my teenage dreams . And now we have the folk tradition, but reinvented for today. Grittier, louder, more rocking. And I love it. Yay for Mumford and Sons. I now have both their albums on my play list, Babel and Sigh No More. Plug into YouTube and search them out. They are also great performers. They reject that stupid tradition of musicians standing on stage looking like they are having their teeth pulled. Watch this live show and tell me you wouldn't have been jumping in the audience too!
It's also introduced me to the new phenomenon of folk rock. Lots of fun, words that mean something and that you can sing to, but with that driving edge of rock. Irresistable. Look out for the bands Fun and Dawes, and of course in a related vein, Florence and the Machines.
My son is horrified. What am I doing listening to his generations' music. They are good and I enjoy them, that's what. And they say things I want to hear. There is a future still.
Friday, October 26, 2012
US trip
I'm back home in NZ after travelling to Canada and the US. The highlight - a visit to NASA's Kennedy Space Centre. And as our guide there said, this is a place of hope. To see what man is capable of, is truly inspiring.
My husband reckons my eyes were whirling the entire time we were there - and he was probably right. I have a photo with a genuine astronaut - Bruce Melnick, one of the shuttle astronauts. I saw the Apollo 11 capsule, spaceships plural - rockets and all, inside an actual launch control centre room, one of the shuttle launching pads. So much, and we only had a day to spend there, so had to miss out on a lot more. It's an amazing place, perched on the edge of the Atlantic, surrounded by a wildlife refuge ( we saw a bald eagle and alligators during the tour) and yet on this flat island, linked to the land by a huge bridge, you have the pinnacle of human engineering on earth. And yes, men are going back into space from there, our guide assured me.
There were other wonders, - the beautiful heart of Washington DC, the colours of fall in rural Virginia and Tennessee, the crisp clean air of Vancouver ( a lovely city), listening to upcoming country singers in Nashville bars, and both Americans and Canadians are wonderfully polite and hospitable people. But NASA was it, for me.
My husband reckons my eyes were whirling the entire time we were there - and he was probably right. I have a photo with a genuine astronaut - Bruce Melnick, one of the shuttle astronauts. I saw the Apollo 11 capsule, spaceships plural - rockets and all, inside an actual launch control centre room, one of the shuttle launching pads. So much, and we only had a day to spend there, so had to miss out on a lot more. It's an amazing place, perched on the edge of the Atlantic, surrounded by a wildlife refuge ( we saw a bald eagle and alligators during the tour) and yet on this flat island, linked to the land by a huge bridge, you have the pinnacle of human engineering on earth. And yes, men are going back into space from there, our guide assured me.
There were other wonders, - the beautiful heart of Washington DC, the colours of fall in rural Virginia and Tennessee, the crisp clean air of Vancouver ( a lovely city), listening to upcoming country singers in Nashville bars, and both Americans and Canadians are wonderfully polite and hospitable people. But NASA was it, for me.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
US excursion
We are travelling in the US at the moment. It's my first visit, and a fascinating time to make it. Just weeks before a presidential election. I now understand why the US has relatively low voter turn outs. I wouldn't bother voting either after months of the election ads and endless media waffle about just how the candidates held their mouth when they said something.
On the other hand, there is the US print media. The New York Times is a Paper that employs real Journalists. And yes, those capitals are intentional. It's commentary on the presidential debate was a joy to read. It discussed policy, what the candidates actually said, why they said it, what the context was. And USA Today dissected the candidates more extravagant claims with a properly contextualised review of the real facts behind the claims. Including looking at more than what has happened in the last 5 minutes. America will not go down while such discussions flourish.
On a lighter note - paperbacks here are so cheap compared to NZ. I am going to incur some definite overweight charges on the way home - either that, or I may be forced to buy one of the fancy new kindles available here - and then I could download all the stuff that's off licence in NZ too. The wonders of travel!
On the other hand, there is the US print media. The New York Times is a Paper that employs real Journalists. And yes, those capitals are intentional. It's commentary on the presidential debate was a joy to read. It discussed policy, what the candidates actually said, why they said it, what the context was. And USA Today dissected the candidates more extravagant claims with a properly contextualised review of the real facts behind the claims. Including looking at more than what has happened in the last 5 minutes. America will not go down while such discussions flourish.
On a lighter note - paperbacks here are so cheap compared to NZ. I am going to incur some definite overweight charges on the way home - either that, or I may be forced to buy one of the fancy new kindles available here - and then I could download all the stuff that's off licence in NZ too. The wonders of travel!
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