About Me
- Satima Flavell
- Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- I am based in Perth, Western Australia. You might enjoy my books - The Dagger of Dresnia, the first book of the Talismans Trilogy, is available at all good online book shops as is Book two, The Cloak of Challiver. Book three, The Seer of Syland, is in preparation. I trained in piano and singing at the NSW Conservatorium of Music. I also trained in dance (Scully-Borovansky, WAAPA) and drama (NIDA). Since 1987 I have been writing reviews of performances in all genres for a variety of publications, including Music Maker, ArtsWest, Dance Australia, The Australian and others. Now semi-retired, I still write occasionally for the ArtsHub website.
My books
The first two books of my trilogy, The Talismans, (The Dagger of Dresnia, and book two, The Cloak of Challiver) are available in e-book format from Smashwords, Amazon and other online sellers. Book three of the trilogy, The Seer of Syland, is in preparation.I also have a short story, 'La Belle Dame', in print - see Mythic Resonance below - as well as well as a few poems in various places.
The best way to contact me is via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/satimaflavell
Buy The Talismans
The first two books of The Talismans trilogy were published by Satalyte Publications, which, sadly, has gone out of business. However, The Dagger of Dresnia and The Cloak of Challiver are available as ebooks on the usual book-selling websites, and book three, The Seer of Syland, is in preparation.
The easiest way to contact me is via Facebook.
The Dagger of Dresnia
The Cloak of Challiver, Book two of The Talismans
Mythic Resonance
Mythic Resonance is an excellent anthology that includes my short story 'La Belle Dame', together with great stories from Alan Baxter, Donna Maree Hanson, Sue Burstynski, Nike Sulway and nine more fantastic authors! Just $US3.99 from Amazon.
Got a Kindle? Check out Mythic Resonance.
Follow me on Twitter
Share a link on Twitter
For Readers, Writers & Editors
- A dilemma about characters
- Adelaide Writers Week, 2009
- Adjectives, commas and confusion
- An artist's conflict
- An editor's role
- Authorial voice, passive writing and the passive voice
- Common misuses: common expressions
- Common misuses: confusing words
- Common misuses: pronouns - subject and object
- Conversations with a character
- Critiquing Groups
- Does length matter?
- Dont sweat the small stuff: formatting
- Free help for writers
- How much magic is too much?
- Know your characters via astrology
- Like to be an editor?
- Modern Writing Techniques
- My best reads of 2007
- My best reads of 2008
- My favourite dead authors
- My favourite modern authors
- My influential authors
- Planning and Flimmering
- Planning vs Flimmering again
- Psychological Spec-Fic
- Readers' pet hates
- Reading, 2009
- Reality check: so you want to be a writer?
- Sensory detail is important!
- Speculative Fiction - what is it?
- Spelling reform?
- Substantive or linking verbs
- The creative cycle
- The promiscuous artist
- The revenge of omni rampant
- The value of "how-to" lists for writers
- Write a decent synopsis
- Write a review worth reading
- Writers block 1
- Writers block 2
- Writers block 3
- Writers need editors!
- Writers, Depression and Addiction
- Writing in dialect, accent or register
- Writing it Right: notes for apprentice authors
Interviews with authors
My Blog List
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When Red Walls Attack—Be You in a Trend-Obsessed World - Pexels Image by Melanie Brumble I watch a lot of Food Network and HGTV. I find it calming and motivating. I’m not much of a cook, but I’ve learned a litt...4 hours ago
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The Aspidistra Radio Transmitter #WW2 - by Deborah Swift Harold Robin - WW2 Radio Engineer *The Shadow Network *which forms the title of my latest book refers to the fake news radio stations set u...6 hours ago
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England and Egypt in the early middle ages: the papal connection - England and Egypt in the early middle ages: the papal connection When the Venerable Bede (d. 735) looked out from his Tyneside monastery across the North...6 hours ago
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608. Women as Shields and Scapegoats: Talking Kate Middleton with Melissa Blue - Mel Blue was my guest when we discussed Spare – which has become one of my most listened-to episodes – so I asked her back to talk about the narratives of ...9 hours ago
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Medieval Battle Injuries: What Archaeology Can Tell Us - Archaeology is transforming the way we understand medieval warfare. One way it is doing this is by revealing what kinds of injuries and wounds warriors rec...15 hours ago
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While My Chapman Stick Gently Weeps - I’m coming down to the last month of writing on this current novel, so I expect that there will be a lot of fairly short entries here while I devote most o...16 hours ago
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Top 10 Scream Queens from Movies and TV: Which Is Your Favourite? - What are Scream Queens? Typically, Scream Queens are the ultimate female character, especially in the horror or thriller genres. They are renowned for th...18 hours ago
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April is Camp NaNoWriMo… - This year I’m doing something different, I’ve been editing over the last few NaNoWriMo’s and Camp NaNoWriMo’s. I need to get these books out into the world...1 day ago
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How to Make $30,000 a year Blogging - The post How to Make $30,000 a year Blogging appeared first on ProBlogger. Ever dreamt of making a living through blogging but feel overwhelmed by the jo...2 days ago
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The Great Discworld Retrospective No. 12: Witches Abroad - When we last left the Witches, all the way back in Wyrd Sisters, things seemed to have settled down a little bit in the mountainous kingdom of Lancre. Ther...5 days ago
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D.W. Buffa - D.W. Buffa's new novel is Lunatic Carnival, the tenth legal thriller involving the defense attorney Joseph Antonelli. He has also published a series that a...5 days ago
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What “Burnt” Can Teach Us About Conflict and Stakes - *By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy* *The whole point of creating conflict and stakes is to use them.* My husband and I are big fans of both cooking shows an...1 week ago
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Researching the birth of the first domestic violence refuge - Read a researcher's journey exploring the first few years of Chiswick Women's Aid. The post Researching the birth of the first domestic violence refuge ...1 week ago
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Just Been To See…Dune 2 - Poster. Fair use. I’ve just been to see Dune 2. I was impressed with the first film, which was pretty faithful to the novel, though it ended, not on a...1 week ago
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"An '80s Tenement Love Story' from Bourbon Penn 31 an Aurealis Award Finalist - It's humbling to see my latest story "An '80s Tenement Love Story" recently announced as a finalist for an Aurealis Award. This is the second time I've ...1 week ago
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In which I can now worry significantly less about something terrible happening to 126 things... - I spent yesterday in Dallas, at the Heritage Auction headquarters -- I had decided to auction off some artwork and memorabilia to benefit two charities ...1 week ago
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A home: feels like a whirlwind - We’ve been home exactly one week. I was telling Matthew that I haven’t found my groove yet. I’m currently grooveless. Last post was from London. I don’t th...3 weeks ago
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A home: feels like a whirlwind - We’ve been home exactly one week. I was telling Matthew that I haven’t found my groove yet. I’m currently grooveless. Last post was from London. I don’t th...3 weeks ago
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‘The Noble Salvidge’ in conversation with Will Yeoman at York Writers’ Festival - On April 13th I will be attending the York Writers’ Festival and appearing in conversation with WritingWA’s Will Yeoman. It looks like a really interesting...3 weeks ago
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Trip to Brazil 2024 - Landing in the Megalopolis of Sao Paulo On February 7th I flew to Sao Paulo, Brazil to start a 17 day teachi...4 weeks ago
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#2 - WEP Get Together - March 2024 - Hello fellow WEPpers and friends! Welcome to the second WEP Get Together! *Starting in April, we go bi-monthly. * The WEP team decided to keep in to...4 weeks ago
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New chat on the Lovecraft Ezine - I had a great chat with Mike Davis of the Lovercraft Ezine. We talked about about social media for creators, about small-town horror, about my books, and...5 weeks ago
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Royal Travel: Two Months at Edward II's Court - Unlike later centuries when the monarch spent most of the year in and around London, and went on progresses in the summer when the city got too hot and sti...2 months ago
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Photo Parade 2023 - A bit of fun at the beginning of the new year. I’m following several German travel blogs, and that way came across the annual Photo Parade (Fotoparade) on ...2 months ago
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Happy Public Domain Day 2024, the end of copyright for 1928 works - My annual reminder that January 1st is Public Domain Day, and this year copyright has ended for books, movies, and music first published in the U.S. in 192...2 months ago
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The White Horse Band - Live Blues/Rock - 31 March 2023 Hi All, Time for some LIVE Video Music from me… (as opposed to my original stuff)…. I got into a blues/rock band for a one off gig at ...3 months ago
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Konrath Thanksgiving - Black Friday - Cyber Monday Kindle Bundle Sale - *Get all of my ebook box sets on Amazon Kindle for 99 cents each, November 23 - 28.* *THAT'S 33¢ PER BOOK!* Almost my entire backlist of fifty-four ebooks...4 months ago
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Questions from year 9 students - Recently – actually, not very recently but I somehow forgot to write this sooner – I did what has become an annual online Q&A with the Year 9 girls at Bedf...4 months ago
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On Ohio, and the novels, and the new class - Just small news here. The new class is finished in first draft, and I’m now (and for the first time ever) doing the complete course bug-hunt and clean-up B...5 months ago
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Big disruption hit book publishing before AI showed up - Publishers Weekly recently hosted a stimulating and smart online session about AI and publishing, thanks to the organizing and moderating skills of Peter...5 months ago
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Flogometer 1180 for Christian—will you be moved to turn the page? - Submissions sought. Get fresh eyes on your opening page. Submission directions below. The Flogometer challenge: can you craft a first page that compels me ...7 months ago
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Storny Weather - I've just been out fixing up the damage from last night's storm. This is pretty much the first time I've been able to spend much time outside and do any...7 months ago
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#347 - I've been querying agents for the last 6-months and have over 50 rejections. I'm not sure if my novel isn't very interesting/sellable or if my query let...7 months ago
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Parody - The other day, for the first time in a very long time, I heard the Barbie Song. So, being me, I decided to parody it, in hour of Alianore Audley and *The...8 months ago
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Parody - The other day, for the first time in a very long time, I heard the Barbie Song. So, being me, I decided to write a parody. Hope you like it! *Hiya, Ali...8 months ago
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To Live and Love - To live and love for the both of us Ten years ago today I made that vow I've struggled in the decade since Not always knowing exactly how Ten years you've...8 months ago
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“It’s Random” – a random scribble - “Why am I even here? It’s random. No Divine Thing. No actual “purpose” except what we make of it. I haven’t made anything of it except to be restless, to a...9 months ago
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#MemorialDay, remembering a female patriot ancestor - *© 2022 Christy K Robinson* We are taught stories about heroic men who gave their lives to bring independence and liberty to their families, friends--and...9 months ago
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Mother’s Day Celebration (for a week!) - Originally posted on IFWG Publishing: We publish a fair bit of horror in many sub-genres, and celebrating Mother’s Day shouldn’t be exempt from our itinera...10 months ago
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A tale of two titles - I have done something notably foolish. Which is perhaps nothing new, though the circumstances on this occasion are unusual. To whit, I am publishing two bo...1 year ago
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Poem: If Wishes were horses - A team of horses racing toward me Brown like the uniforms of soldiers fortressing me around Speckled like a found family, salt of the earth Whit...1 year ago
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another review for the Christmas Maze - *The Christmas Maze by Danny Fahey – a Review by David Collis* Why do we seek to be good, to make the world a better place? Why do we seek to be ethi...1 year ago
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Children’s Rights QLD Ambassador - Children’s Rights QLD appointed Karen Tyrrell (me) Ambassador for Logan City, ahead of Children’s Week, 24-29 Oct 2022. I’m an award-winning child-empowe...1 year ago
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ANWERING THE CALL: LESSONS FROM THE THRESHOLD - NEXT STORY SANCTUARY "Anwering the Call: Lessons from the Threshold" Sept. 20, 7 pm eastern $30 Online Whether you're starting a project, a school year, ...1 year ago
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The Green House, Chapters 1-4 (Revised) - [Dear Reader: Having refined my intentions for this novel based on a lot of recent thinking about life and art, I have restructured and revised the first f...1 year ago
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Publishing Contracts 101: Beware Internal Contradications - It should probably go without saying that you don't want your publishing contract to include clauses that contradict one another. Beyond any potential l...1 year ago
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Tara Sharp is back and in audio book - SHARP IS BACK! Marianne Delacourt and Twelfth Planet Press are delighted to announce the fifth Tara Sharp story, a novella entitled RAZOR SHARP, will be ...1 year ago
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Website Update - My website www.stephendedman.com has been updated, with details of my latest books; please check it out!2 years ago
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Non-Binary Authors To Read: July 2021 - Non-Binary Authors To Read is a regular column from A.C. Wise highlighting non-binary authors of speculative fiction and recommending a starting place fo...2 years ago
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ATTENTION: YOU CAN’T LOG IN HERE - Hey YOU! This isn’t the forum. You’re trying to login to the Web site. THE FORUMS ARE HERE: CLICK THIS The post ATTENTION: YOU CAN’T LOG IN HERE a...2 years ago
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I'M INSIDE A SHORT STORY!! - Ok everyone, you have to read this very short short story. Firstly because it is good, (check out the Bligh story within it too), but also because I'm ...2 years ago
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Grandmother Dragon Forever - It feels like centuries since the last time I wrote something for the Dragon Cave. Only something of great importance would drag me out of my retirement...3 years ago
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What communicates power? - Well, I have to say, I wasn't expecting to get this far behind on my reports on the show, but the launch month was very busy, and then the next month turne...4 years ago
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The Legendary Game Pac-Man Has No Meaning. - [image: The Legendary Game Pac-Man Has No Meaning.] The Legendary Game Pac-Man Has No Meaning. Let's take a look at how this word came about. Actually, P...4 years ago
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Readers Notice and They Care - Readers care about story details and they care about characters. Both last night and this afternoon I had conversations with readers upset about the way au...4 years ago
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Review of Verdi's MacBeth (WA Opera) - *Our president, Frances Dharmalingham, has written a critique of a recent visit to the opera: Verdi’s ‘Macbeth’.* At Christmas 2018, my family’s gift to ...4 years ago
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Breakout 3: tips for engaging your audience - Tips for engaging your audience: how to improve presentation, public speaking confidence and presence on stage, no matter how small the stage is. Present...4 years ago
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The Trains Don't Stop Here - It's been a long, long time since my last blog post. One of the main reasons for this – apart from life being way too busy in general – is that, in my dwin...4 years ago
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Portrait of a first generation freed African American family - Sanford Huggins (c.1844–1889) and Mary Ellen Pryor (c.1851–1889), his wife, passed the early years of their lives in Woodford County, Kentucky, and later...4 years ago
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Revisiting the Comma Splice - One of the difficulties as an editor, particularly when working with fiction, is to know when to be a stickler for the rules. For some people this is not a...4 years ago
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New releases - SFFBookBonanza - StoryOrigin - SciFi and Fantasy Book Sale - New Releases – Jul 2019 The latest and greatest new releases in Science Fiction and Fantasy books! New releases July 2019 99 cent sale - July 22nd - 28t...4 years ago
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Assassin’s Apprentice Read Along - This month, in preparation for the October release of the Illustrated 25th Anniversary edition of Assassin’s Apprentice, with interior art by Magali Villan...4 years ago
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STOLEN PICTURE OPTIONS TELEVISION RIGHTS TO BEN AARONOVITCH’S RIVERS OF LONDON - *STOLEN PICTURE OPTIONS TELEVISION RIGHTS TO BEN AARONOVITCH’S * *RIVERS OF LONDON* *London, UK: 29April 2019*: Nick Frost and Simon Pegg’s UK-based ...4 years ago
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A Movie That No Writer Should See Alone - Really. REALLY. Trust me on this. particularly since this film, ‘Can you ever forgive me?’, is based on a ‘True story’ – and too many writers will see too...5 years ago
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Review: Trace: who killed Maria James? - [image: Trace: who killed Maria James?] Trace: who killed Maria James? by Rachael Brown My rating: 5 of 5 stars Absolutely jaw-dropping, compelling readin...5 years ago
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Dance Photo Shoots - Photo Session Planning & Preparation Have you ever wanted to do a photo shoot for dance but have been a little unsure about how and what really happens? ...5 years ago
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On Indefinite Hiatus - (Which I pretty much have been from this site for a while already, but for real now.) You can find most archive content through the On Writing page, and li...6 years ago
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2017 Ditmar Winners Announced - Over the Queen’s Birthday weekend, spec fic fans gathered for Continuum 13: Triskaidekaphilia. Continuum is always a great convention, and this year it was...6 years ago
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Writing about the Crusades and talking about a "meddlesome priest" - The Middle Ages are in the news again, so here is a roundup of recent news articles. We start with three good reads from historians talking about the crusa...6 years ago
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The One and the Many – every Sunday - My first serious girlfriend came from good Roman Catholic stock. Having tried (and failed) to be raised as a Christian child and finding nothing but lifele...6 years ago
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A Shameless Plug Ian Likes: Bibliorati.com - A little-known fact is that I once had a gig reviewing books for five years. It was for a now-defunct website known as The Specusphere. It was awesome fun:...7 years ago
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Book Review - Nobody by Threasa Meads - Available from BooktopiaThe subtitle for this work is *A Liminal Autobiography*. Liminal: 1. relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process. 2...7 years ago
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A whole 'nother year-and-a-bit - Well, we have let this blog slip, haven't we? I guess Facebook has taken over from blogs to a very large degree, but I think there is still a need for blo...7 years ago
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2017 Potential Bee Calendar – & ladybirds and butterflies - Bees on flowers – all sorts of flowers (& bees) – and lady birds and butterflies. There were hundreds (literally) of photos to choose from. This is a small...7 years ago
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What is dyslexia? - *" **The bottob line it thit it doet exitt, no bitter whit nibe teottle give it(i.e ttecific lierning ditibility, etc) iccording to Thilly Thiywitz ( 2003)...8 years ago
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Rai stones - *(Paraphrased from Wikipedia)*: Rai stones were, and in some cases are still, the currency of the island once called Yap. *They are stone coins which at th...10 years ago
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Cherries In The Snow - This recipe is delicious and can also be made as a diet dessert by using fat and/or sugar free ingredients. It’s delicious and guests will think it took ...11 years ago
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Al Milgrom’s connection to “Iron Man” - Via the Ann Arbor online newspaper - I felt it was worth repeating as a great example of Marvel doing the right thing by a former employee and without the ...13 years ago
Favourite Sites
- Alan Baxter
- Andrew McKiernan
- Bren McDibble
- Celestine Lyons
- Guy Gavriel Kay
- Hal Spacejock (Simon Haynes)
- Inventing Reality
- Jacqueline Carey
- Jennifer Fallon
- Jessica Rydill
- Jessica Vivien
- Joel Fagin
- Juliet Marillier
- KA Bedford
- Karen Miller
- KSP Writers Centre
- Lynn Flewelling
- Marianne de Pierres
- Phill Berrie
- Ryan Flavell
- Satima's Professional Editing Services
- SF Novelists' Blog
- SF Signal
- Shane Jiraiya Cummings
- Society of Editors, WA
- Stephen Thompson
- Yellow wallpaper
Blog Archive
Places I've lived: Manchester, UK
Places I've lived: Gippsland, Australia
Places I've lived: Geelong, Australia
Places I've lived: Tamworth, NSW
Places I've Lived - Sydney
Places I've lived: Auckland, NZ
Places I've Lived: Mount Gambier
Places I've lived: Adelaide, SA
Places I've Lived: Perth by Day
Places I've lived: High View, WV
Places I've lived: Lynton, Devon, UK
Places I've lived: Braemar, Scotland
Places I've lived: Barre, MA, USA
Places I've Lived: Perth by Night
Search This Blog
Sunday 30 September 2007
New Books - and more on Writer's Block
Sunday, September 30, 2007 |
Posted by
Satima Flavell
Well, I'm sorry to report that I’m still not back with the WIP (of which more later) but OTOH I'm delighted to tell you about a super new book by one of my favourite authors, Juliet Marillier. Cybele's Secret is another Young Adult book, following on from Juliet's earlier offering, Wildwood Dancing. I have a real weakness for good YA books and this is the second one I've fallen in love with this year. The first was L.S. Lawrence's Eagle of the East, which I also reviewed for The Specusphere. You can follow the links at left to read my critiques, and if they appeal, hie thee down to thy local bookseller and ask for them to be ordered if they aren't in stock. If you love good historical fantasy you won't want to miss either of these.
OK, back to the WIP. Or rather, back to discussion of Writer's Block, the reason for not wipping this fortnight past. After last week's post, I had e-mails and comments from several writing buddies and I'm sure they won't mind my passing their suggestions along.
Carol Ryles says:
Personally I like to go for a walk and listen to one of my audio books downloaded on my iPod. Before I got the iPod I used to listen to cassette tapes borrowed from the local library on my walkman. It's nice to listen to prose rather than read it. It enters your mind through a sense we under use when reading and writing. Already our eyes our tired from reading, our sense of touch filled up from typing, and all the while, we've been closing our ears to outside sounds, trying to concentrate. Therefore, when walking I can use other senses: the smell of fresh air and the sound of prose in my ears. My mind takes it all in and quite often a spoken phrase or paragraphs connects with something I've been trying to write and inspires me to try again.
Carol also recommended two excellent web sites:
Exercises for Writer's Block
and
St Cloud State College Literacy Education
Each offers helpful tips, some of which echo those given here and others that range from the quick fix for temporary blocks to serious long-term projects for the hard cases.
Joel Fagin says:
If it's a case of not wanting to write what you need to write, then I'd say: don't. Write something that's purely fun just for you and come back to the thing you don't want to do after a bit of a break.
Sonia Helbig says:
I've learned three tricks which help me when I'm stuck.
(i) Write out the crap (be prepared to write whatever comes out, be non-judgemental about it, in fact expect it to be crap which gets rid of my nasty editor that perches on my shoulder).
(ii) Believe that I often will have to write my way into the story (keep writing, keep the hands moving, and eventually something useful will appear on the page)
(iii) Have fun (if I'm not having fun, why will my reader)
Over the course of this week, I've actually come to the conclusion that the reason I can't get on with the WIP is that I'm not happy with the way I'm presenting the main character. Several critters have commented that she seems "too nice", lacking depth, even uninteresting. I want to get across what I see as her greatest strengths - her ability to withstand stress without getting riled and her way of treating people, even servants, with humanity and respect. I want her to come across as a decent woman who takes on more than she can cope with when she enters into a pact with an otherworldly being and finds she has to pay the piper. Her biggest fault is her tendency to push unpleasant things aside and when she has to confront sheer nastiness she tends to dither. She's always been the nice lady who helps and counsels people, which apparently comes across as shallow and boring. Problem: how do you write such a character without making her into a Mary Sue?
Any and all suggestions gratefully received!
OK, back to the WIP. Or rather, back to discussion of Writer's Block, the reason for not wipping this fortnight past. After last week's post, I had e-mails and comments from several writing buddies and I'm sure they won't mind my passing their suggestions along.
Carol Ryles says:
Personally I like to go for a walk and listen to one of my audio books downloaded on my iPod. Before I got the iPod I used to listen to cassette tapes borrowed from the local library on my walkman. It's nice to listen to prose rather than read it. It enters your mind through a sense we under use when reading and writing. Already our eyes our tired from reading, our sense of touch filled up from typing, and all the while, we've been closing our ears to outside sounds, trying to concentrate. Therefore, when walking I can use other senses: the smell of fresh air and the sound of prose in my ears. My mind takes it all in and quite often a spoken phrase or paragraphs connects with something I've been trying to write and inspires me to try again.
Carol also recommended two excellent web sites:
Exercises for Writer's Block
and
St Cloud State College Literacy Education
Each offers helpful tips, some of which echo those given here and others that range from the quick fix for temporary blocks to serious long-term projects for the hard cases.
Joel Fagin says:
If it's a case of not wanting to write what you need to write, then I'd say: don't. Write something that's purely fun just for you and come back to the thing you don't want to do after a bit of a break.
Sonia Helbig says:
I've learned three tricks which help me when I'm stuck.
(i) Write out the crap (be prepared to write whatever comes out, be non-judgemental about it, in fact expect it to be crap which gets rid of my nasty editor that perches on my shoulder).
(ii) Believe that I often will have to write my way into the story (keep writing, keep the hands moving, and eventually something useful will appear on the page)
(iii) Have fun (if I'm not having fun, why will my reader)
Over the course of this week, I've actually come to the conclusion that the reason I can't get on with the WIP is that I'm not happy with the way I'm presenting the main character. Several critters have commented that she seems "too nice", lacking depth, even uninteresting. I want to get across what I see as her greatest strengths - her ability to withstand stress without getting riled and her way of treating people, even servants, with humanity and respect. I want her to come across as a decent woman who takes on more than she can cope with when she enters into a pact with an otherworldly being and finds she has to pay the piper. Her biggest fault is her tendency to push unpleasant things aside and when she has to confront sheer nastiness she tends to dither. She's always been the nice lady who helps and counsels people, which apparently comes across as shallow and boring. Problem: how do you write such a character without making her into a Mary Sue?
Any and all suggestions gratefully received!
Sunday 23 September 2007
Writers' Block - the dreaded malady
Sunday, September 23, 2007 |
Posted by
Satima Flavell
I'm at the dreaded two-thirds mark of my WIP and find myself stuck. There is no reason why I should be stuck—I have what looks like a workable outline and I'm reasonably happy with the first two thirds, at least for a first draft—but somehow I can't seem to motivate myself to write the last third.
I've struck this blocking point before and I've read of it happening to others, too. I've spent hours in self analysis. Am I really happy with the outline? Am I scared to finish the novel? Is the room too hot? Too cold? Do I need more vitamins? More chocolate, maybe? Or do I just need a swift kick in the pants?
I wish I knew. If you have any cures for this malady (other than an 18 month break, which is how long it took me to get back to my first novel after the same blocking point!) do please share it with me.
I've struck this blocking point before and I've read of it happening to others, too. I've spent hours in self analysis. Am I really happy with the outline? Am I scared to finish the novel? Is the room too hot? Too cold? Do I need more vitamins? More chocolate, maybe? Or do I just need a swift kick in the pants?
I wish I knew. If you have any cures for this malady (other than an 18 month break, which is how long it took me to get back to my first novel after the same blocking point!) do please share it with me.
Sunday 16 September 2007
Another test to try
Sunday, September 16, 2007 |
Posted by
Satima Flavell
Here's a meme that's doing the rounds (I got it from Simon Haynes who had it from Anysia.) I've blogged my weakness for doing tests before - I've even signed up for Hey Cupid (and Cupid is the last deity I want to notice me, thank you!) because of the entertaining range of tests the site offers.
This one, however, is a bit more serious in intent, albeit good fun to do. Go to Career Cruising and sign in with the username: nycareers and the password: landmark. Take their "Career Matchmaker" questionnaire.
What did they come up with for you?
My results, obtained after three rounds of questions, demonstrated yet again that the things I like and am good at don't make any money – unless you're very, very good and very, very fortunate. My top three? Ha! Historian, Anthropologist and Writer.
If all the people with MAs or PhDs in history or anthrop had jobs in academia those departments would have ten or twenty or a hundred times the number of staff. As it is, such graduates can be found in working in offices and factories; as bus drivers, mail deliverers and in all sorts of other jobs that are, by and large, quite uncongenial to their personalities. Of course, with another year or two of training they can become teachers or librarians, but I'm sure if they'd wanted to be teachers or librarians they wouldn't have signed on for a higher degree in the first place. It's a sad fact that a higher degree in the Humanities only sets you up to be an academic. If you can't get an academic job you have to do something else altogether.
With writing, it's just as hard. A degree in creative writing will not guarantee you publication. Nor will many years of starving in a garret while you learn the craft of putting stories together. Here again, there are only so many books published in any given year and there are so many good writers about that it really does boil down to luck when it comes to attaining that elusive goal – getting published. And sadly, the performing arts are just as bad or worse.
My list of 40 possible occupations included lots of things that I've had to do in the many and varied jobs I've had, such as ESL teacher (#9) Critic (#11) Researcher (#16) Technical Writer (#20) Archivist (#32) Dancer (#35) and Print Journalist (#40). I've only incidentally taught in scho0ls (teaching crops up again and again on the list in various guises) but I taught dance for over 20 years and in the process had to be a Special Effects Technician (#13) Casting Director (#30) and something of a comedian (#6). In days long past, I trained as an Actor (#7) and a Musician (#21). I even have some training towards being a Foreign Language Instructor (#15). Mind you, there are a few things on the list (#5 Political Aide, #18 Artist or #23 Criminologist) that I can't picture myself doing under any circumstances but by and large Career Matchmaker is as good a vocational guidance test as I've ever done. It showed me yet again that like many people whose gifts lie in the Arts and Humanities, I'm a jack-of-all-trades. I take consolation from the fact that most published writers have the same kind of story to tell.
Now, all I have to do is get a book or two finished and start taking tickets in that Publication Lottery!
This one, however, is a bit more serious in intent, albeit good fun to do. Go to Career Cruising and sign in with the username: nycareers and the password: landmark. Take their "Career Matchmaker" questionnaire.
What did they come up with for you?
My results, obtained after three rounds of questions, demonstrated yet again that the things I like and am good at don't make any money – unless you're very, very good and very, very fortunate. My top three? Ha! Historian, Anthropologist and Writer.
If all the people with MAs or PhDs in history or anthrop had jobs in academia those departments would have ten or twenty or a hundred times the number of staff. As it is, such graduates can be found in working in offices and factories; as bus drivers, mail deliverers and in all sorts of other jobs that are, by and large, quite uncongenial to their personalities. Of course, with another year or two of training they can become teachers or librarians, but I'm sure if they'd wanted to be teachers or librarians they wouldn't have signed on for a higher degree in the first place. It's a sad fact that a higher degree in the Humanities only sets you up to be an academic. If you can't get an academic job you have to do something else altogether.
With writing, it's just as hard. A degree in creative writing will not guarantee you publication. Nor will many years of starving in a garret while you learn the craft of putting stories together. Here again, there are only so many books published in any given year and there are so many good writers about that it really does boil down to luck when it comes to attaining that elusive goal – getting published. And sadly, the performing arts are just as bad or worse.
My list of 40 possible occupations included lots of things that I've had to do in the many and varied jobs I've had, such as ESL teacher (#9) Critic (#11) Researcher (#16) Technical Writer (#20) Archivist (#32) Dancer (#35) and Print Journalist (#40). I've only incidentally taught in scho0ls (teaching crops up again and again on the list in various guises) but I taught dance for over 20 years and in the process had to be a Special Effects Technician (#13) Casting Director (#30) and something of a comedian (#6). In days long past, I trained as an Actor (#7) and a Musician (#21). I even have some training towards being a Foreign Language Instructor (#15). Mind you, there are a few things on the list (#5 Political Aide, #18 Artist or #23 Criminologist) that I can't picture myself doing under any circumstances but by and large Career Matchmaker is as good a vocational guidance test as I've ever done. It showed me yet again that like many people whose gifts lie in the Arts and Humanities, I'm a jack-of-all-trades. I take consolation from the fact that most published writers have the same kind of story to tell.
Now, all I have to do is get a book or two finished and start taking tickets in that Publication Lottery!
Sunday 9 September 2007
Favourite Modern Authors and Books
Sunday, September 09, 2007 |
Posted by
Satima Flavell
OK, friends - here are my favourite modern authors and their books. This is not the definitive list, you understand. It's a list of my current faves in the fantasy and historical genres. I won't put them in order because that varies day-by-day, let alone week-by-week or month-by-month! Instead they are in order of author, by surname. Top ten? Hah! This is my top 25 + ring-ins and even so I'll bet I've left someone out.
Here and there I've had to include a series 'cos I just can't separate them. These are very subjective opinions so don't take them as required reading. Your taste might be quite different – as might mine, next week!
Anthony, Piers: Cthon and Prostho Plus. I was at one time a serious PA fan and these are the two I remember enjoying the most. Two more different works from one author would be hard to find. I must check them out again some time in light of my now advanced years and superior wisdom:-)
Carey, Jacqueline: Kushiel's Dart. Her others in that trilogy are nearly as good, and it's possible that her new trilogy, starting with Kushiel's Scion, is just as good or better. What do you think?
De Camp, L. Sprague and Pratt, Fletcher: The Incompleat Enchanter and other, related works. These have a complicated publishing history and have appeared under a variety of titles. All are very funny, but they are a bit dated now.
De Pierres, Marianne: The Parrish Plessis books. Incredibly original cyberpunk fantasy. Not normally my kind of thing, but I loved these.
Gaiman, Neil: American Gods and Anansi Boys. I mean to read more Gaiman as I suspect I'd enjoy all his work, as I love anything with a mythological basis. These two obviously come out of sound scholarship in that field.
Haynes, Simon: The Hal Spacejock series. These are really, really funny!
Hearn, Lian: Tales of the Otori series. I'm looking forward to reading her new prequel, Heaven's Net Is Wide.
Hobb, Robin: The Farseer Trilogy. I've actually liked all of this author's work to date, but I hope she goes back to the world of these early novels soon.
Jerome K. Jerome: Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog!) and Willis, Connie: To Say Nothing of the Dog. I had to pair these because I bought them together and read them sequentially. The original was my favourite book when I was twelve and revisiting it with Connie Willis's take on it to follow was a delight.
Kay, Guy Gavriel: The Sarantine Mosaic (2 books). I love all this man's work, especially A Song for Arbonne, Tigana and The Lions of Al Rassan. My admiration for this writer, as with Carey, Luckett and Marillier, is based not just on his excellent plots and easy-flowing style but on his scholarship in the fields of history and linguistics.
Kerr, Katherine, Daggerspell. This was one of the best fantasies I'd ever read but sadly, I couldn't learn to love the sequel and haven't read any of her others. That's my failing, not Kerr's, and I shall try again some time.
Larke, Glenda: The Isles of Glory Trilogy and The Mirage Makers Trilogy. One of the most original writers on my shelf. The Shadow of Tyr, book two of Larke's second trilogy, is one of the best reads I've had in the last ten years.
LeGuin, Ursula K.: The Left Hand of Darkness is a strong contender for my very favouritest book of all. I also love her Earthsea books, which are officially YA but I don't let that bother me!
Lewis, Ada: Jenny. A sentimental fave from my teen years. Like others of that era, Lewis's work is a tad dated now. Nevertheless, I re-read this one every few years.
Luckett, Dave: The Tenebra Trilogy. (Officially YA, but see above!) Luckett is meticulously correct with his history and linguistics, even though his books are set on another world.
Marillier, Juliet: Wildwood Dancing. Another YA book. I love all this author's books but this is my top fave. Her three series, Sevenwaters, The Bridei Chronicles and the Saga of the Light Isles are also top-notch in my book. Like all good historical fantasy writers, Marillier does her research thoroughly and as with Carey, Kay and Luckett, we can be sure than her history and linguistics are up to scratch. Watch out for my review of her new YA one, Cybele's Secret, coming soon!
Martin, George R.R. A Song of Ice and Fire (series) I can't separate these, and in fact one should not because they are one long story, broken into instalments. One day it must end, I shall grieve…
McIntyre, Vonda N. Dreamsnake. This is the only thing I've read by this author, one of the most highly acclaimed of the last 30 years, but her fans assure me all her stuff comes up to the mark.
Miller, Karen: Kingmaker, Kingbreaker (duology). These are hard to beat for intrigue and adventure. Miller is just one of the many wonderful female fantasy writers Australia has produced in recent years. If I included them all this blog would fill the page.
Seton, Anya: Katherine. Not as historically accurate as a purist might like, but a good read and a sentimental favourite from early teen years. In those days I devoured Elizabeth Goudge as well but her work is hard to come by now and I didn't keep any of them, more's the pity. Mary Stewart and Rosemary Sutcliff date from that era as well.
Stewart, Mary: The Crystal Cave Another contender for top favourite. I found the others in the series good reads, too. Another meticulous writer, whose research is second to none.
Sutcliff, Rosemary, The Eagle of the Ninth (OK, what is it with me and YA books?)
White, T.H. The Once and Future King. A classic, and rightly so.
Woolley, Persia: Child of the Northern Spring. Unfortunately I didn't catch this author until her famous King Arthur trilogy was O.P. and now the books command ridiculous prices second hand, so I haven't read the others:-(
Wyndham, John: The Chrysalids. I have all Wyndham's books and read them again every few years, but this is my favourite.
Zelazny, Roger: Nine Princes in Amber et seq – at least up to book five, when I thought they started to fall off. Funny thing; I haven't really liked anything else of his.
So there you have it! Do we share any favourites? Please tell me yours!
Here and there I've had to include a series 'cos I just can't separate them. These are very subjective opinions so don't take them as required reading. Your taste might be quite different – as might mine, next week!
Anthony, Piers: Cthon and Prostho Plus. I was at one time a serious PA fan and these are the two I remember enjoying the most. Two more different works from one author would be hard to find. I must check them out again some time in light of my now advanced years and superior wisdom:-)
Carey, Jacqueline: Kushiel's Dart. Her others in that trilogy are nearly as good, and it's possible that her new trilogy, starting with Kushiel's Scion, is just as good or better. What do you think?
De Camp, L. Sprague and Pratt, Fletcher: The Incompleat Enchanter and other, related works. These have a complicated publishing history and have appeared under a variety of titles. All are very funny, but they are a bit dated now.
De Pierres, Marianne: The Parrish Plessis books. Incredibly original cyberpunk fantasy. Not normally my kind of thing, but I loved these.
Gaiman, Neil: American Gods and Anansi Boys. I mean to read more Gaiman as I suspect I'd enjoy all his work, as I love anything with a mythological basis. These two obviously come out of sound scholarship in that field.
Haynes, Simon: The Hal Spacejock series. These are really, really funny!
Hearn, Lian: Tales of the Otori series. I'm looking forward to reading her new prequel, Heaven's Net Is Wide.
Hobb, Robin: The Farseer Trilogy. I've actually liked all of this author's work to date, but I hope she goes back to the world of these early novels soon.
Jerome K. Jerome: Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog!) and Willis, Connie: To Say Nothing of the Dog. I had to pair these because I bought them together and read them sequentially. The original was my favourite book when I was twelve and revisiting it with Connie Willis's take on it to follow was a delight.
Kay, Guy Gavriel: The Sarantine Mosaic (2 books). I love all this man's work, especially A Song for Arbonne, Tigana and The Lions of Al Rassan. My admiration for this writer, as with Carey, Luckett and Marillier, is based not just on his excellent plots and easy-flowing style but on his scholarship in the fields of history and linguistics.
Kerr, Katherine, Daggerspell. This was one of the best fantasies I'd ever read but sadly, I couldn't learn to love the sequel and haven't read any of her others. That's my failing, not Kerr's, and I shall try again some time.
Larke, Glenda: The Isles of Glory Trilogy and The Mirage Makers Trilogy. One of the most original writers on my shelf. The Shadow of Tyr, book two of Larke's second trilogy, is one of the best reads I've had in the last ten years.
LeGuin, Ursula K.: The Left Hand of Darkness is a strong contender for my very favouritest book of all. I also love her Earthsea books, which are officially YA but I don't let that bother me!
Lewis, Ada: Jenny. A sentimental fave from my teen years. Like others of that era, Lewis's work is a tad dated now. Nevertheless, I re-read this one every few years.
Luckett, Dave: The Tenebra Trilogy. (Officially YA, but see above!) Luckett is meticulously correct with his history and linguistics, even though his books are set on another world.
Marillier, Juliet: Wildwood Dancing. Another YA book. I love all this author's books but this is my top fave. Her three series, Sevenwaters, The Bridei Chronicles and the Saga of the Light Isles are also top-notch in my book. Like all good historical fantasy writers, Marillier does her research thoroughly and as with Carey, Kay and Luckett, we can be sure than her history and linguistics are up to scratch. Watch out for my review of her new YA one, Cybele's Secret, coming soon!
Martin, George R.R. A Song of Ice and Fire (series) I can't separate these, and in fact one should not because they are one long story, broken into instalments. One day it must end, I shall grieve…
McIntyre, Vonda N. Dreamsnake. This is the only thing I've read by this author, one of the most highly acclaimed of the last 30 years, but her fans assure me all her stuff comes up to the mark.
Miller, Karen: Kingmaker, Kingbreaker (duology). These are hard to beat for intrigue and adventure. Miller is just one of the many wonderful female fantasy writers Australia has produced in recent years. If I included them all this blog would fill the page.
Seton, Anya: Katherine. Not as historically accurate as a purist might like, but a good read and a sentimental favourite from early teen years. In those days I devoured Elizabeth Goudge as well but her work is hard to come by now and I didn't keep any of them, more's the pity. Mary Stewart and Rosemary Sutcliff date from that era as well.
Stewart, Mary: The Crystal Cave Another contender for top favourite. I found the others in the series good reads, too. Another meticulous writer, whose research is second to none.
Sutcliff, Rosemary, The Eagle of the Ninth (OK, what is it with me and YA books?)
White, T.H. The Once and Future King. A classic, and rightly so.
Woolley, Persia: Child of the Northern Spring. Unfortunately I didn't catch this author until her famous King Arthur trilogy was O.P. and now the books command ridiculous prices second hand, so I haven't read the others:-(
Wyndham, John: The Chrysalids. I have all Wyndham's books and read them again every few years, but this is my favourite.
Zelazny, Roger: Nine Princes in Amber et seq – at least up to book five, when I thought they started to fall off. Funny thing; I haven't really liked anything else of his.
So there you have it! Do we share any favourites? Please tell me yours!
Sunday 2 September 2007
My Top Three
Sunday, September 02, 2007 |
Posted by
Satima Flavell
I intended to make a list of my top ten books for this blog, but when I started I realised that perhaps I should do my top ten authors, since in the Top Ten the same authors often appear more than once. Then I realised that my top ten authors would take up at least three posts so I cut it down to the Top Three. Anyway, my top ten books fluctuate month by month, and while in many cases the authors on them change only over decades, my Top Three, Shakespeare, Tolkien and Chaucer, never change.
That doesn't mean I read these guys regularly: in fact, in the case of Chaucer I'm too lazy to read the original language. And when it comes to Tolkien I liked the LOTR movies as much as the books. (Do I hear mutters of 'philistine' from among the ranks?)
Shakespeare, however, is different. I do read his works, preferably in a group and out loud. It's sad that many school children today find his language as difficult as I find Chaucer – but then, they find Tolkien as difficult as I found Dickens when I was young. Language changes and with modern technology it is changing faster and faster. The language-based arts, therefore, have become more ephemeral than ever.
Nevertheless, like many English speakers, I still admire William Shakespeare most of all. In my book, he was the best fantasy writer of all time - and he did it all with words. His plays were intended to be spoken on stage with minimal props and sets, so his words needed to stand alone without the help of the brilliant FX available to modern screenplay writers. He hardly ever came up with an original plot, either, but do we remember his sources today? Of course we don't. His contemporaries likewise plagiarised earlier writers and we don't remember them, either, until we study English lit at uni and are made to learn about them and their works:-)
And Shakespeare wasn't only the best fantasy writer but also the best poet. Not only are his plays are full of poetry but also his sonnets, read aloud, are perfect little monologues. He bridged the boundary between reading and performance better than anyone else I've read.
Tolkien I love not just for his stories and his influence on my beloved genre, but for the tremendous amount of background work he put into his writing. Anyone who invents a dozen or twenty languages, several of them in great detail, while holding down a day job deserves a medal and a pension. But his books are far richer because of this work and in my book he has set the mark for all fantasy writers after him. It is one of the things I harp on in my critiques. We can't all be Tolkien – in fact, we don't need to be – but if we are writing works set in another place and time language must be an important component. I recently mentioned in a critique that consistency in naming patterns and language generally can be a big help to the reader in sorting out who belongs to which race and fights on which side. Guy Gavriel Kay, a disciple of Tolkien, is the modern master of this discipline.
And Chaucer? I love him for his stories and his witty, wicked, compassionate understanding of human nature, but even more so because he is generally credited with being the first person to use the developing English language, rather than Norman French, as a medium for popular fiction. He is the twenty-somethingth great-grandfather of us all.
Several other writers almost make it – Defoe and Austen, for example, are probably four and five on my list, and if we look beyond the boundaries of our own language where do we stop? Dante, Horace, Goethe… Hey, I have to get ready to go out!
That doesn't mean I read these guys regularly: in fact, in the case of Chaucer I'm too lazy to read the original language. And when it comes to Tolkien I liked the LOTR movies as much as the books. (Do I hear mutters of 'philistine' from among the ranks?)
Shakespeare, however, is different. I do read his works, preferably in a group and out loud. It's sad that many school children today find his language as difficult as I find Chaucer – but then, they find Tolkien as difficult as I found Dickens when I was young. Language changes and with modern technology it is changing faster and faster. The language-based arts, therefore, have become more ephemeral than ever.
Nevertheless, like many English speakers, I still admire William Shakespeare most of all. In my book, he was the best fantasy writer of all time - and he did it all with words. His plays were intended to be spoken on stage with minimal props and sets, so his words needed to stand alone without the help of the brilliant FX available to modern screenplay writers. He hardly ever came up with an original plot, either, but do we remember his sources today? Of course we don't. His contemporaries likewise plagiarised earlier writers and we don't remember them, either, until we study English lit at uni and are made to learn about them and their works:-)
And Shakespeare wasn't only the best fantasy writer but also the best poet. Not only are his plays are full of poetry but also his sonnets, read aloud, are perfect little monologues. He bridged the boundary between reading and performance better than anyone else I've read.
Tolkien I love not just for his stories and his influence on my beloved genre, but for the tremendous amount of background work he put into his writing. Anyone who invents a dozen or twenty languages, several of them in great detail, while holding down a day job deserves a medal and a pension. But his books are far richer because of this work and in my book he has set the mark for all fantasy writers after him. It is one of the things I harp on in my critiques. We can't all be Tolkien – in fact, we don't need to be – but if we are writing works set in another place and time language must be an important component. I recently mentioned in a critique that consistency in naming patterns and language generally can be a big help to the reader in sorting out who belongs to which race and fights on which side. Guy Gavriel Kay, a disciple of Tolkien, is the modern master of this discipline.
And Chaucer? I love him for his stories and his witty, wicked, compassionate understanding of human nature, but even more so because he is generally credited with being the first person to use the developing English language, rather than Norman French, as a medium for popular fiction. He is the twenty-somethingth great-grandfather of us all.
Several other writers almost make it – Defoe and Austen, for example, are probably four and five on my list, and if we look beyond the boundaries of our own language where do we stop? Dante, Horace, Goethe… Hey, I have to get ready to go out!
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