Dawn
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| 03-05-2011 8:46 PM |
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| And boo to that agent Peter - bit cheeky to not get in touch at all. Onwards and upwards I guess! |
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Dawn
www.psychiatristparent.wordpress.com
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Karyn
Posts:334
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| 03-05-2011 8:47 PM |
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| James: did the teacher who gave you Animal Farm not preface it with any history teaching?? |
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Karyn Markwell |
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Dawn
Posts:248
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| 03-05-2011 8:48 PM |
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| James - I wish I could enjoy Wolf Hall. I rarely don't finish a book, and yet I have tried reading Wolf Hall three times and three times have failed to get into it and given up! I love that period of history, and I just don't know why i can't enjoy it. Maybe I should try again... |
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Dawn
www.psychiatristparent.wordpress.com
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Peter
Posts:448
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| 03-05-2011 8:51 PM |
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Karyn, it was me that fluffed Animal Farm. The teacher may well have given some clues re its interpretation, but I wasn't the sort of student to pay much attention. Not in English, anyway.
James, I haven't read those books, but I will. Precedents on how to get away with this sort of theme could be invaluable. |
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http://writer.catplace.net |
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Karyn
Posts:334
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| 03-05-2011 8:51 PM |
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Dawn: That's Donna Tartt's The Secret History, right? I read it for the first time last year. I enjoyed but didn't love it.
I read and re-read the classics and love them a bit more each time.
Conversations about books may be deep - but they're always the best! :) |
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Karyn Markwell |
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James
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| 03-05-2011 8:53 PM |
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Oh God, I listened to 'We Need to Talk About Kevin' on CD while doing some long distance drives. It still haunts me. What a book.
Okay, boys versus girls. I try not to think about it too much because then i might create a voice that is too far away from what I have been successful with in the past. I do what I have always done with my stories, I try to put myself into the shoes and therefore the mind set of the character. I have two daughter and watched them through their teen years, which helped and I remember girlfriends from my own youth which must also have fed into the mix. I know the simple things - that girls are focussed more on relationships than what happens,. but I have always been a plot driven wrioter and to stop doing that would put me out of my zone. So lots of things happen in 'Silvermay'. I make her the centre of all of them and i examine her heart's response to some of the things she does more than I would with a male character. But that's where it stops.
With dialogue, I switch to the way I hear the female voice and put that on paper. Blokes can do that if we have an 'ear.'
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Karyn
Posts:334
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| 03-05-2011 8:53 PM |
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| James: I know, I'm amazed I got through WH at all when I was 17. I couldn't imagine my 17 year old twin nieces being able to appreciate its value. |
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Karyn Markwell |
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James
Posts:17
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| 03-05-2011 8:57 PM |
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Wow, this is exhausting - and I thought I might actually do some writing tonight.
Has anyone managed any?
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Dawn
Posts:248
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| 03-05-2011 8:59 PM |
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| hehe - I've done virtually nothing James, but learned a lot from your posts! So it's been worthwhile. I'll try to do another half an hour then have dinner... |
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Dawn
www.psychiatristparent.wordpress.com
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Karyn
Posts:334
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| 03-05-2011 9:00 PM |
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OK, Racers, it's 9pm.
Time to stop!!
Has anyone got a favourite paragraph or two to share?
Dawn and Peter: we had a great one from each of you last week. Have you each got another favourite? |
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Karyn Markwell |
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Peter
Posts:448
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| 03-05-2011 9:00 PM |
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| 250 highly murderable words. But I can cut words any time. Bouncing ideas is a rarer opportunity. :) |
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http://writer.catplace.net |
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Karyn
Posts:334
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| 03-05-2011 9:02 PM |
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| Peter: oh, good, I agree! |
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Karyn Markwell |
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Peter
Posts:448
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| 03-05-2011 9:02 PM |
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‘Doesn’t matter. You’ve just admitted it. That’s good enough for me.’ PR pulled out his mobile and dialled three digits. But before he could speak, the door he was standing beside burst open, knocking him hard against the wall. He slumped face down to the floor, not moving.
‘What’s happening?’ said David, stepping into the room. ‘You okay?’
Jason tried to speak, but found it easier to motion with his head to behind the door, where PR was gingerly shaking his head. He looked up, with a furious expression.
‘You reckon your fat mate is going to stop me?’ He arched his back to get up.
David strode over to him and dropped his bulk hard onto the small of PR’s back.
‘Oooph,’ went PR as the wind was forced from his lungs. He thrashed his limbs around like an inverted turtle trying to turn over, but David’s weight kept him pinned.
‘Can you get up?’ asked David.
‘No, you fat moron, you’re sitting on me!’ said PR.
‘I wasn’t talking to you.’
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http://writer.catplace.net |
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Dawn
Posts:248
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| 03-05-2011 9:04 PM |
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| Ursula sat on the edge of a saggy brown chair and tried not to breathe too deeply. There was the unmistakable smell of stale sweat and smoke, soaked into the walls and furniture. She looked at her fingernails to avoid catching anyone’s eye. Even the nurse who had shown her to this room looked suspect. What kind of professionals have pierced eyebrows? She glanced around her. In the centre of the room, there was a circle of mismatched chairs, with a space where the two chairs that the nurse had dragged over to this window were now. The walls were covered in poster paper with vividly coloured drawings, collages, and poems. It was more like a junior school classroom than a hospital for adults. There was an old pool table in the far corner, the felt shiny, and one leg was resting on some folded up napkins. There were no cues or ball, at least that was something, she wasn’t quite sure that it was safe in here. She had already been approached by a man who asked her some frankly rude and personal questions before he was escorted away by a nurse. She uncrossed her legs, crossed them the other way, then looked through her handbag. |
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Dawn
www.psychiatristparent.wordpress.com
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Karyn
Posts:334
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| 03-05-2011 9:05 PM |
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Peter: your posts always make me laugh! They're so energetic. Is your entire ms like this?? They'll need to turn it into a movie just to keep up with the action.
Thanks so much for sharing - it's awesome! |
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Karyn Markwell |
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James
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| 03-05-2011 9:07 PM |
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These are great.
I am so impressed that you got some work domne while taking part in the blog.
Normally, I have to have complete quiet and cut myself off from the world, the coffee maker, the biscuit barrel, the telephone, switch off my email account and ten other things besides.
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Karyn
Posts:334
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| 03-05-2011 9:08 PM |
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Dawn: your description really sets the scene - we can imagine it so vividly. I love the line about your professional with the pierced eyebrow!
Thanks for sharing it with us - and I hope you manage to get some more editing done. |
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Karyn Markwell |
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Dawn
Posts:248
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| 03-05-2011 9:08 PM |
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| Peter - I always want to know what's happened before and after your scenes - action packed as always! I think your strong point is this type of dynamic scene :) |
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Dawn
www.psychiatristparent.wordpress.com
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Peter
Posts:448
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| 03-05-2011 9:09 PM |
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Dawn, I especially love 'She uncrossed her legs, crossed them the other way, then looked through her handbag.' Classic show, not tell. :)
Karyn, I like writing in that style, but I'm careful to vary the pacing a bit. Don't forget that that's supposed to be the climax (of sorts), so it should have a bit of a bang. |
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http://writer.catplace.net |
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Karyn
Posts:334
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| 03-05-2011 9:09 PM |
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James: sorry I chatted so much that you weren't able to write! We love having special guests so we make the most of them.
Thanks so much for sharing about your new novel and for all of the advice you've given us tonight. It's been awesome. |
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Karyn Markwell |
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