Many of us have a word that often escapes our memories. Funny enough, the word I used to forget the most was “articulate.” People would laugh when I told them that, but it was so difficult to yank that word out of my brain that I wrote it down on the inside flap of a little notebook I used to carry around all the time. When I think back to that now, it seems symbolic of a larger issue.
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Expert-Guided Workshop with Daniella Brodsky
Expert-Guided Workshop with Daniella Brodsky
WHEN: 6-8pm on 4 consecutive Thursdays July 5, 12, 19, 26
WHERE: Daniella’s Captain Cook Studio, Narrabundah ACT
For writers who’ve completed a creative writing course or workshop in the past, or have had some (yes, limited is fine) experience working independently on a novel draft (adult or young adult), this workshop is the perfect opportunity to get some scheduled butt-in-seat time working on your book, with the invaluable input of a group of budding writers in the same boat—all with six-time published novelist Daniella Brodsky on hand to critique and guide you along with craft tips and personalized feedback. As all the best writing groups do, together we’ll build on the foundations of craft, research, inspiration, pacing, conflict, and characterization, using your own weekly writing submissions to put theory into practice and help your projects along in the most useful way—all with the aim of articulating on paper exactly what’s in our heads.
Launch: Princess of Park Avenue ebook
Brand Spankin' New Cover
Dear readers new and old,
I am thrilled to announce the re-launch of one of my favorite backlist titles: PRINCESS OF PARK AVENUE, on sale NOW. For those of you who have become fans later in the game, I am calling this launch series, My ‘Dirty Literary History.’ The name is tongue in cheek and only an attempt to let you know that it’s a
COVER DESIGN CONTEST!
There’s nothing more exciting than artistic collaboration—free of the constraints of the traditional business models, and as authors get our backlist rights back, we’re free to let creativity run wild. In that spirit, I’m looking for a new cover design for my backlist collection, and I’ve set up this contest to give emerging artists the chance for some experience and publicity. The going rate for these covers is about $150, and that’s what I’m offering as a prize—along with image credits.
Civic Library Interactive Blog
My Civic Library Installation
People are often confounded about what goes into a novel, and I’ve blogged about plenty of them—research, reading, and planning. And in the display at Civic Library, Canberra, I’ve attempted to visually display two authentic examples of the various elements that led to my first novel, DIARY OF A WORKING GIRL (filmed as BEAUTY & THE BRIEFCASE), and to my most recent novel, VIVIAN RISING.
Has Research Become Too Convenient?
Lately, there has been a proliferation of articles considering the effects of the hyper-tailoring Google and other platforms have been tinkering with in order to give us only the kind of information we routinely search for. The argument against this selective searching—which I wholeheartedly agree with—is that we won’t have a true picture of news, events, and information, only a pigeon-holed view; but our exposure to new interests could be stifled, too. Which has got me thinking about what this means for research, and on top of that, how the internet in general has changed and impacted the way fiction writers do what they do.
Novel Writing: The Problem with a Plan
The writing world is officially divided: in the game of 80-100K words on paper, there are planners and there are pantsers—those of us who ‘write by the seat of our pants.’ I imagine for the planners, life is quite a bit easier, but I’d also venture to waver it isn’t nearly as exciting—and if the plan is stuck to, the end result is likely to attain a fraction of the depth it otherwise could have.
Sydney Writers’ Festival
To my mind, the best thing about the Sydney Writers’ Festival (SWF) is the way the dialogue can get my mind careening in all different directions. In a roundabout way—and as long as you buy it—I’ll be using this as an excuse for this blog’s tardiness. You hear about topics you haven’t considered; if you have considered it, well, here’s a brand new way to think about it. I hope to share some of that magic with you. Here, the highlights of my two-day literary marathon.
Should a Pulitzer Prize Winner be Boring?
Is there some esoteric symbolism here you're just not getting?
As a novelist, the reader’s experience is foremost in my mind. I certainly admit it took a few goes to truly understand what that meant and how to go about muscling up my offerings, but now I’ve got a firm grasp, I do my best to make sure I never let go. How do I keep Joe Reader involved? In suspense? Emotionally heightened? Turning the page? Empathizing with the characters? And so, when the other day, my father-in-law picked up a gold-medallioned novel I’d purchased for our holiday, and said, “I’m always wary of Pulitzer Prize winners,” his disappointment stuck with me. Why should he be let down by a book granted such high honors? If a book’s at the top of the list, shouldn’t it above all else be a good read?
I HEART MELBOURNE
There is so much to love about this city (have you been to tapas and vodka bar, Naked for Satan, on Fitzroy?), but my favorite bit is the book community. Thanks to my fantastic (and completely in-the-know) Melbers book rep, Brad Chappel, I got to meet two of the city’s Dymocks teams. At 234 Collins St, I was asked to sign an author guest book, which included a mandatory doodle. I cannot draw and the results of my Vivian Rising pigeon attempt were pathetic. I apologize to all pigeons everywhere. Still, it afforded us a good laugh. This is a fantastic bookstore, where I could have spent the whole day (and all my savings). As it stood, everyone suggested Shadow of the Wind, which I gobbled up, despite one peccadillo: Why, why, why abandon the main characters and action to such a degree for backstory not once, but twice? So well written and engrossing I forgive author Carlos Ruiz Zafón.
