As promised, double-barreled names. Or, to put it more accurately, names that should not be double barreled.
Reminder: all rants are personal and utterly biased. If you have a double-barreled name, read on at your own risk.
Some poor folks are ancestrally burdened with names that will never fit on an application form. Take one of Scotland's old families, the Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpes. Triple-barreled. Mmm. You'd feel sorry for them if they weren't so rich. Interestingly, they inherited the Gough-Calthorpe part of their name along with a pile of money in the 1800s. Gough-Calthorpe on its own is an application form challenge, however, so I think we must forgive the current generation their outstandingly pretentious name on the grounds that they had no choice in the matter. And respect the daughter of the family, who while trying to make it as an actress, has dropped two of the three names. Sensible lass.
Clever readers, as you all are, will, I'm sure have noticed the use of the word 'pretentious' in the above paragraph. Yes, that is the emotion double-barreled names evoke in the Furbrain. Within the wondrous shores of that land known as Britain, a great many double-barreled names belong to the upper class. That doesn't greatly bother me. Their names are ancient and have often been created as part of marriage deals or financial settlements many centuries ago. Sometimes it indicated that a woman had married beneath her. Now they're stuck with them.
Times have changed, however. What sets my pretensionometer blaring is when people choose to double barrel their names. None of the reasons often cited work for me:
1. 'Well my husband has a very common surname, so we thought if we used both our names it might make it more distinctive.'
The Koala solution: use your name, let him use your name, better yet, don't marry him at all.
2. 'I wanted to keep my maiden name.'
Go right ahead. Keep it. Don't use his nasty patriarchal name at all. In fact, don't marry him.
3. 'I wanted to keep my maiden name and use his name too.'
Go right ahead. We have these handy slots known as 'middle names'. Or, don't marry him.
4. 'I wanted my kids to share my maiden name.'
See answers to 1, 2 and 3 above. Look, just don't marry him. End of problem.
I will, graciously, make one exception. If a child wants to use his/her family name, as well as that of a step-parent, then that's the child's decision and it's a good way to honour all parents. Only if it's the child's decision, though and said child has been thoroughly warned about the pitfalls of application forms.
And so, on to the connection with writing (yes, there is one!). Had you noticed how many writers, particularly female writers, use double-barreled names either with or without hyphen?
Ladies, it is unnecessary. What's more, it is one of the many, admittedly personal and largely senseless reasons, why I will not take your book off the shelf. Georgette Tingle Bingle, you would be unique under either name. Portia Piffleton Prune, likewise. Jane Smith, I have some sympathy for you, but with everybody else fancying up their names like Christmas trees, why not keep it simple? You might find you are the only one. And I might buy your book.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
We take a break from our now-regular ranting...
...to pose a question.
Are you a heavy or a light user of the comma?
Are you a heavy or a light user of the comma?
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Here's another thing I hate...
I'm having such fun ranting! I think we will call this The Ranting Series. I'm sure I can keep it going for quite some time.
This is a writing-related one again, luckily, what with this being a writing-related blog and all. I think.
I cannot stand...when the title of a novel is followed by the words 'A Novel'. As in 'The Story of Pluhjibberycasket. A Novel.' Also 'A Novel by...'. As in 'The Leap Over Frisquagibbet Canyon. A Novel by Persephone Plasket Hughes'.
Usually when I pick up a novel I find most of the clues pointing to it being a novel are obvious enough for me not to need to be told. Often, novels are found in the fiction department, because they are, wait for it, fictional novels (heh heh). In most cases a quick scan of the blurb at the back provides more handy clues that the story within is unlikely to reflect reality (normally particularly obvious in the fantasy genre). Some authors helpfully point out that events and persons in the book are in no way related to real events or people (although am I alone in reading that as a clue that they just might be? Whoops, do you think Aunty Meg will spot that Mrs Jones is based on her, complete with hairy mole, six fingers on her left hand and nasty scratching habit? Hm, better put in that handy disclaimer.)
As for 'A Novel by...'. You are not Jane Austen or any of the Brontes. Really, you're not. This is archaic, unnecessary and, to me, the height of pretension. OK, I might let some elite authors get away with it, but it doesn't mean I'm going to like it. As for the rest of us. No. Don't do it.
The next episode of The Ranting Series will feature double barrelled names. Oooh, don't get me started on double barrelled names...
Feel free to rant on this or any other topic in the comments.
This is a writing-related one again, luckily, what with this being a writing-related blog and all. I think.
I cannot stand...when the title of a novel is followed by the words 'A Novel'. As in 'The Story of Pluhjibberycasket. A Novel.' Also 'A Novel by...'. As in 'The Leap Over Frisquagibbet Canyon. A Novel by Persephone Plasket Hughes'.
Usually when I pick up a novel I find most of the clues pointing to it being a novel are obvious enough for me not to need to be told. Often, novels are found in the fiction department, because they are, wait for it, fictional novels (heh heh). In most cases a quick scan of the blurb at the back provides more handy clues that the story within is unlikely to reflect reality (normally particularly obvious in the fantasy genre). Some authors helpfully point out that events and persons in the book are in no way related to real events or people (although am I alone in reading that as a clue that they just might be? Whoops, do you think Aunty Meg will spot that Mrs Jones is based on her, complete with hairy mole, six fingers on her left hand and nasty scratching habit? Hm, better put in that handy disclaimer.)
As for 'A Novel by...'. You are not Jane Austen or any of the Brontes. Really, you're not. This is archaic, unnecessary and, to me, the height of pretension. OK, I might let some elite authors get away with it, but it doesn't mean I'm going to like it. As for the rest of us. No. Don't do it.
The next episode of The Ranting Series will feature double barrelled names. Oooh, don't get me started on double barrelled names...
Feel free to rant on this or any other topic in the comments.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Beverley Hills 9021lessthan0
It was an attempt to relive the good times. The days when we'd huddle around the tv early on Saturday night and attempt to decide whether we fancied Dylan or Brandon the most. (Dylan for me, every time).
So when the new 90210 started, despite the knowledge that it was probably a crime for me to ogle the boys, I thought I'd give it a look. In fact, I hardly noticed the boys. It was the incredible thinness of the girls that caught my eye - after I'd missed their appearance on screen a couple of times, because of their incredible physical absence. Thank goodness they talked, that's all I have to say.
Now I'm a skinny one. When I was at school my nickname was 'matchstick legs' (witty, weren't they?). But even I never achieved such verge-of-death, skeletal skinniness. And this is attractive? Not when I was a teenager (unfortunately for me - I'd have been hot in 90210-land).
Yes, some people are naturally thin, I'm proof (although not as much as I used to be - childbirth, people, childbirth). A magazine here showed photos of two of the girls before they started the series. Slim, yes, but healthy-looking. Now they look like starved ex-show ponies. And, I'd say, they've been made to do this for the series. The justification was that 'well, that's what everyone in LA wants to look like' . Well, that's no justification to me.
It's both sad and dangerous that girls watching might aspire to this look.
So when the new 90210 started, despite the knowledge that it was probably a crime for me to ogle the boys, I thought I'd give it a look. In fact, I hardly noticed the boys. It was the incredible thinness of the girls that caught my eye - after I'd missed their appearance on screen a couple of times, because of their incredible physical absence. Thank goodness they talked, that's all I have to say.
Now I'm a skinny one. When I was at school my nickname was 'matchstick legs' (witty, weren't they?). But even I never achieved such verge-of-death, skeletal skinniness. And this is attractive? Not when I was a teenager (unfortunately for me - I'd have been hot in 90210-land).
Yes, some people are naturally thin, I'm proof (although not as much as I used to be - childbirth, people, childbirth). A magazine here showed photos of two of the girls before they started the series. Slim, yes, but healthy-looking. Now they look like starved ex-show ponies. And, I'd say, they've been made to do this for the series. The justification was that 'well, that's what everyone in LA wants to look like' . Well, that's no justification to me.
It's both sad and dangerous that girls watching might aspire to this look.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Another unsatisfying read
I'm not having much luck with my random reading list at the moment.
My latest disappointment was a horror story, of sorts. It was reasonably chilling, most characters showed some kind of character and it had absurd moments of hilarity to counterpoint the horror - so on that level it kind of worked.
But...it just went on and on for 350 pages at the same level of tension. The creepy things that happened in the first creepy scene, hinting at something more, just continued to happen. Creepy scene after creepy scene, all well written, but all essentially repeating the same thing. Spooky noise, check, spooky sensation, check, spooky shadow, check...and on to the intervening 'scene of normality'...then on to the next creepy scene: spooky noise, check, spooky sensation, check, spooky shadow, check.
What was lacking completely was the story arc. There was no build up. There was a climax, of sorts, but the eighteen or so creepy scenes prior to that all did the same thing. Spooky noise, check, spooky sensation, check, spooky shadow, check.
For some reason I read to the end. I guess it was because the other elements were all in place and all well handled, so I did keep going - I did have some sense of being in the hands of a capable writer - but in the end it all fell flat.
What are you reading now? Should I read it?
Blogger is bursting with fun new features at the moment. I'm going to mooch through the 'blogs I'm following' thing later. It might be an easy way to relink to you all! Not sure if I can promise PJD his deserved pole position, though, seeing as I have no idea how it works. It might not even be a linky thing at all.
My latest disappointment was a horror story, of sorts. It was reasonably chilling, most characters showed some kind of character and it had absurd moments of hilarity to counterpoint the horror - so on that level it kind of worked.
But...it just went on and on for 350 pages at the same level of tension. The creepy things that happened in the first creepy scene, hinting at something more, just continued to happen. Creepy scene after creepy scene, all well written, but all essentially repeating the same thing. Spooky noise, check, spooky sensation, check, spooky shadow, check...and on to the intervening 'scene of normality'...then on to the next creepy scene: spooky noise, check, spooky sensation, check, spooky shadow, check.
What was lacking completely was the story arc. There was no build up. There was a climax, of sorts, but the eighteen or so creepy scenes prior to that all did the same thing. Spooky noise, check, spooky sensation, check, spooky shadow, check.
For some reason I read to the end. I guess it was because the other elements were all in place and all well handled, so I did keep going - I did have some sense of being in the hands of a capable writer - but in the end it all fell flat.
What are you reading now? Should I read it?
Blogger is bursting with fun new features at the moment. I'm going to mooch through the 'blogs I'm following' thing later. It might be an easy way to relink to you all! Not sure if I can promise PJD his deserved pole position, though, seeing as I have no idea how it works. It might not even be a linky thing at all.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Evacuation
We've been hearing on News for the Eucalypt Dwellers about Hurricane Ike and the mandatory evacuation of parts of Texas. No doubt we are not hearing as much about it as our American blogging friends - I'm sure we get the most dramatic pictures - which are pretty horrific - and the headline stories - likewise. It looks to me like half the state of Texas has been blasted away.
I think that had I been asked to evacuate, I would have done so instantly. I'm chicken. I also have kids. A house is a house, a eucalypt is a eucalypt, but it's nothing compared to their lives. I see that most of the people asked to evacuate did so. But some didn't. They chose to stay, despite multiple warnings that fatalities and injuries would result. The post-hurricane photos seem to make it pretty clear that the warnings were not exaggerated. Now rescuers are going in to try and rescue some of the people who chose not to evacuate.
Does that seem right? Yes, in that people are in pain and difficult situations, and they need rescue. There is no reason why their needs should be neglected. Some may have had good reason for staying - for example, perhaps illness meant that some people couldn't leave and family chose to stay with them etc.. But some of these people at least chose not to leave a danger zone. They're on the news here - declaring confidently pre-hurricane 'well a hurricane hasn't carried me away yet, so why should this one'.
So now, there's a little streak in me that is muttering 'well, I hope they rescued all the people that didn't deliberately choose not to evacuate first; the people that either had no choice or weren't expecting the hurricane to veer their way'; I hope no rescuer is putting their life in danger for somebody who made a deliberate decision to stay without good reason'. Is that wrong? Am I bitter, twisted and hateful?!
I think that had I been asked to evacuate, I would have done so instantly. I'm chicken. I also have kids. A house is a house, a eucalypt is a eucalypt, but it's nothing compared to their lives. I see that most of the people asked to evacuate did so. But some didn't. They chose to stay, despite multiple warnings that fatalities and injuries would result. The post-hurricane photos seem to make it pretty clear that the warnings were not exaggerated. Now rescuers are going in to try and rescue some of the people who chose not to evacuate.
Does that seem right? Yes, in that people are in pain and difficult situations, and they need rescue. There is no reason why their needs should be neglected. Some may have had good reason for staying - for example, perhaps illness meant that some people couldn't leave and family chose to stay with them etc.. But some of these people at least chose not to leave a danger zone. They're on the news here - declaring confidently pre-hurricane 'well a hurricane hasn't carried me away yet, so why should this one'.
So now, there's a little streak in me that is muttering 'well, I hope they rescued all the people that didn't deliberately choose not to evacuate first; the people that either had no choice or weren't expecting the hurricane to veer their way'; I hope no rescuer is putting their life in danger for somebody who made a deliberate decision to stay without good reason'. Is that wrong? Am I bitter, twisted and hateful?!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
When an ending isn't an ending
Thank you, patient readers, for faithfully checking in every now and again, even when there was nothing to read. Here I am again, slightly tattered, but nothing a glass of wine and a big bag of chips won't fix. Video is safely edited and all twelve minutes of it will soon be unveiled, hopefully to the accolade of much corporate success for my client.
So, let's talk for a while about endings.
I read a book recently that didn't have one.
I'll sketch the plot - a woman is kept prisoner by her family in a suburban home, while three strangers who have cottoned on to this try to rescue her. At the end of it, they succeeded. But, you know, it wasn't an ending.
I'm sure that sounds strange, but let me explain that the members of the family and the rescuers all had sub plots. That made the book multi-layered, because every character was detailed, had their own motivation and their own reason for being there.
Not a single one of those sub plots was tied up. Not one. I put the book down feeling utterly discontented and frustrated.
If anyone read Crusie Mayer's workshops last year, they talked about the introduction of plot and sub plots as a formula that had a specific order. I'll probably mess this up, but basically plots come into play like this, in order of importance: ABCDE. In an ideal world they should be tied up in reverse order - least important first: EDCBA. So the overall plot structure of your story looks something like this: ABCDEEDCBA. That's a simple version. But it helps me to understand why the book I read was so frustrating. Its structure was ABCDEA.
It freaked me out. In addition to the discontent and frustration I actually felt slightly disorientated when I put the book down. The loose ends in my head were aching. It took me a few days of thinking and remembering the Crusie Mayer formula to figure out exactly why. There's a dissatisfaction to a half-finished job; and equations without all their elements will never work out.
So, let's talk for a while about endings.
I read a book recently that didn't have one.
I'll sketch the plot - a woman is kept prisoner by her family in a suburban home, while three strangers who have cottoned on to this try to rescue her. At the end of it, they succeeded. But, you know, it wasn't an ending.
I'm sure that sounds strange, but let me explain that the members of the family and the rescuers all had sub plots. That made the book multi-layered, because every character was detailed, had their own motivation and their own reason for being there.
Not a single one of those sub plots was tied up. Not one. I put the book down feeling utterly discontented and frustrated.
If anyone read Crusie Mayer's workshops last year, they talked about the introduction of plot and sub plots as a formula that had a specific order. I'll probably mess this up, but basically plots come into play like this, in order of importance: ABCDE. In an ideal world they should be tied up in reverse order - least important first: EDCBA. So the overall plot structure of your story looks something like this: ABCDEEDCBA. That's a simple version. But it helps me to understand why the book I read was so frustrating. Its structure was ABCDEA.
It freaked me out. In addition to the discontent and frustration I actually felt slightly disorientated when I put the book down. The loose ends in my head were aching. It took me a few days of thinking and remembering the Crusie Mayer formula to figure out exactly why. There's a dissatisfaction to a half-finished job; and equations without all their elements will never work out.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
A rare roast
I'm stoked about this upcoming week on the Book Roast. Agents and editors, people, agents and editors! Starting with the wit and cynicism of Evil Editor on Monday, and finishing with the wit and cynicism of Janet Reid on Friday. Hmm. Is there a theme there?
Thursday, September 04, 2008
A Koala Reads Ril
Thank you for your patience, and taran tara, here is the McKoala version of Ril's beautiful extract.
A Koala Apologises
Mostly to Ril and Robin. For my voicelessness. Have been editing all day (mini movie almost finished!) and haven't had a chance to speak or listen to a word. Must sleep now. Tomorrow, tomorrow...
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Koala Back at Keyboard
Filming went great. In that we teetered on the edge of catastrophe on multiple occasions, but every time we managed to think on our feet and make things work. Not the teleprompter though. That didn't work at all. On the day when one of our filmees was depending on it. It turns out that dodgy cables cannot be fixed with a combination of determination and ingenuity; it takes somebody to drive down to Sydney and back overnight to fetch a new one.
What else happened... It rained on a day when we were supposed to be filming outside. The girl who we were filming on Tuesday went away and didn't come back until Wednesday. The guy who we planned on filming from 6pm to 10pm declared that he had to leave at 5pm. The main presenter had the flu and had pretty much lost his voice, plus he had some of his stuff stolen on the train on the way up and arrived in a deeply grim frame of mind. One of our sets turned out to be a dubious old industrial plant with strange-looking folk wandering about who liked to turn on loud compressors whenever we started filming.
And yet...it was great. I'd forgotten how much fun filming was. As for directing...mostly I just told people how fabulous they were, to keep them in a good mood, and let them get on with it, occasionally asking them to try a line slightly differently. It seemed to work. The presenter left gushing about how professional we were, and how he looked forward to working with us again. Which begs the question, who has he worked with before?!
Paca quizzers: it took me an hour of wandering around my hotel room with my laptop to find the best position to log on to a very shonky wifi. Eventually, crammed into a corner between the wardrobe and the door I managed to get sufficient signal to log on and...beat you! Such is my devotion.
What else happened... It rained on a day when we were supposed to be filming outside. The girl who we were filming on Tuesday went away and didn't come back until Wednesday. The guy who we planned on filming from 6pm to 10pm declared that he had to leave at 5pm. The main presenter had the flu and had pretty much lost his voice, plus he had some of his stuff stolen on the train on the way up and arrived in a deeply grim frame of mind. One of our sets turned out to be a dubious old industrial plant with strange-looking folk wandering about who liked to turn on loud compressors whenever we started filming.
And yet...it was great. I'd forgotten how much fun filming was. As for directing...mostly I just told people how fabulous they were, to keep them in a good mood, and let them get on with it, occasionally asking them to try a line slightly differently. It seemed to work. The presenter left gushing about how professional we were, and how he looked forward to working with us again. Which begs the question, who has he worked with before?!
Paca quizzers: it took me an hour of wandering around my hotel room with my laptop to find the best position to log on to a very shonky wifi. Eventually, crammed into a corner between the wardrobe and the door I managed to get sufficient signal to log on and...beat you! Such is my devotion.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
No furry friend this week
Much rejoicing among Paca's Quiz set, because I'll be on set daaaahlings, and probably in an internet-free zone.
In the meantime there will be fun and chit chat over at the grill...
Get the gossip for me, would ya? Thanks.
In the meantime there will be fun and chit chat over at the grill...
Get the gossip for me, would ya? Thanks.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
How little time do I have...
...I have so little time that I haven't hung up washing for three days.
...I have so little time that I haven't cut the kids' fingernails this week. (Slasher koalies.)
...I have so little time that the nail varnish I put on for a party two weeks ago is peeling off my fingernails all by itself.
For those following the sandwich vs lunch story, guess what? It was more sandwiches. Although one guy did eat them with a knife and fork, so perhaps that counts as 'proper' lunch.
Back to the grindstone...
...I have so little time that I haven't cut the kids' fingernails this week. (Slasher koalies.)
...I have so little time that the nail varnish I put on for a party two weeks ago is peeling off my fingernails all by itself.
For those following the sandwich vs lunch story, guess what? It was more sandwiches. Although one guy did eat them with a knife and fork, so perhaps that counts as 'proper' lunch.
Back to the grindstone...
Thursday, August 14, 2008
First day of filming
Went really, really well!
Clad in my beret and knickers (thanks BT) I lounged in my director's chair, chewing a fat cigar and bellowing instructions through a megaphone.
OK, so clad in jeans and a vaguely funky top...oh, all right, it was cold, so I kept my jacket on for most of the time so nobody even saw the funky top. Anyway, I drifted around artily...trying not to get into anybody's way...
What made it easy was that we were filming a semi-documentary section and our principal interviewee had done this a thousand times before, so he was brimming with useful suggestions and approaches, almost all of which we used. He also added in some off-script information I hadn't had access to and that worked incredibly well.
Once I had made sure that we had all the props we needed, which was a momentary crisis, as the person who was supposed to bring Top Secret Prop A, the only essential prop we need throughout the film, hadn't done it... However, my first lesson in directing was that sometimes you need to fudge things and we fudged it so well that at one point our interviewee forgot he wasn't handling the real thing and while off-camera was discussing the behaviour of Prop A, under the belief that is was the real thing! Fudged Top Secret Prop A is now nestled in a camera bag, ready for to continue its heroic role through the entire movie.
Then it was just a case of making sure I liked the set ups and helping the interviewees with their semi-scripted words - and letting the very experienced cameraman and technical director get on with it.
I think we have a week off filming next week, but I need to do some script adjustments, then we're back on set (that still makes me laugh!) for two or three days the week after.
Oh, and while I didn't have to do any make-up, WO will be gratified to learn that I did purchase coffee and sandwiches. Not because I was the only girl, but because I was the first one there. Note to self: waft in late next time.
Clad in my beret and knickers (thanks BT) I lounged in my director's chair, chewing a fat cigar and bellowing instructions through a megaphone.
OK, so clad in jeans and a vaguely funky top...oh, all right, it was cold, so I kept my jacket on for most of the time so nobody even saw the funky top. Anyway, I drifted around artily...trying not to get into anybody's way...
What made it easy was that we were filming a semi-documentary section and our principal interviewee had done this a thousand times before, so he was brimming with useful suggestions and approaches, almost all of which we used. He also added in some off-script information I hadn't had access to and that worked incredibly well.
Once I had made sure that we had all the props we needed, which was a momentary crisis, as the person who was supposed to bring Top Secret Prop A, the only essential prop we need throughout the film, hadn't done it... However, my first lesson in directing was that sometimes you need to fudge things and we fudged it so well that at one point our interviewee forgot he wasn't handling the real thing and while off-camera was discussing the behaviour of Prop A, under the belief that is was the real thing! Fudged Top Secret Prop A is now nestled in a camera bag, ready for to continue its heroic role through the entire movie.
Then it was just a case of making sure I liked the set ups and helping the interviewees with their semi-scripted words - and letting the very experienced cameraman and technical director get on with it.
I think we have a week off filming next week, but I need to do some script adjustments, then we're back on set (that still makes me laugh!) for two or three days the week after.
Oh, and while I didn't have to do any make-up, WO will be gratified to learn that I did purchase coffee and sandwiches. Not because I was the only girl, but because I was the first one there. Note to self: waft in late next time.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Welcome to Hollywood
I'll be a bit thin around the blogs over the next couple of weeks, because my involvement in this corporate video is expanding.
First I was the writer. By Tuesday I was 'executive producer'. By Wednesday morning, I'd added make up girl to my duties (was that a demotion?). Now, on Wednesday afternoon, I'm the director. That's more like it. I think.
So, when I'm not updating the script, organising people and locations, I'm quivering with fear. Sometimes all three at once.
Filming starts tomorrow...
First I was the writer. By Tuesday I was 'executive producer'. By Wednesday morning, I'd added make up girl to my duties (was that a demotion?). Now, on Wednesday afternoon, I'm the director. That's more like it. I think.
So, when I'm not updating the script, organising people and locations, I'm quivering with fear. Sometimes all three at once.
Filming starts tomorrow...
Friday, August 08, 2008
WOMWIP
I've coined this fabulous new word to use when people ask what I've been doing. 'Working on my work in progress' is what it means.
Now, I don't want this blog to be a catalogue of excuses for lack of effort, but along with womwip (22,000 and counting!) Dull But Paying Work has been putting the pressure on. In a reasonably exciting way, because I've written a script for a short corporate film and the company loves it. Spent yesterday with the client and film crew in a production meeting and doing a photo shoot, plus some background footage. They want me to be involved in the filming process, not something that always happens when you're just the writer. Often the director disappears with the script and returns with something unrecognisable. 'Oh, we just changed a few things.' Gee, thanks. This time I will get to support the creation of my vision, yippee.
The interesting thing from a writing perspective was that during the meeting yesterday, I noticed some things in the script that I hadn't noticed when I was writing. Good things. For example, the way that my use of negative stock footage at the beginning was balanced out by positive stock footage at the end. It reinforces the message of the script in a fairly subtle way, plus the two sections also work as a fantastic structural device - great idea, wish I'd thought of it. But apparently I did. It's all in there and my head was the only one that it came out of.
Weird. Does that happen to you when you're writing?
Now, I don't want this blog to be a catalogue of excuses for lack of effort, but along with womwip (22,000 and counting!) Dull But Paying Work has been putting the pressure on. In a reasonably exciting way, because I've written a script for a short corporate film and the company loves it. Spent yesterday with the client and film crew in a production meeting and doing a photo shoot, plus some background footage. They want me to be involved in the filming process, not something that always happens when you're just the writer. Often the director disappears with the script and returns with something unrecognisable. 'Oh, we just changed a few things.' Gee, thanks. This time I will get to support the creation of my vision, yippee.
The interesting thing from a writing perspective was that during the meeting yesterday, I noticed some things in the script that I hadn't noticed when I was writing. Good things. For example, the way that my use of negative stock footage at the beginning was balanced out by positive stock footage at the end. It reinforces the message of the script in a fairly subtle way, plus the two sections also work as a fantastic structural device - great idea, wish I'd thought of it. But apparently I did. It's all in there and my head was the only one that it came out of.
Weird. Does that happen to you when you're writing?
Sunday, August 03, 2008
A blind spot at which you may poke fun
Alexander Solzhnitsyn, one of the world's literary giants has died.
I will, however, have to take the world's word for it that he is a literary giant. I have a flaw; a fatal flaw when it comes to Russian literature.
*blush* I can't keep up with the names.
I've tried several times to read Russian authors, starting from when I was in my teens. I kept abandoning my attempts, assuring myself in a year or two it would all be different.
It still isn't.
Let's start with the sheer number of characters. Invariably there seem to be millions of them. Add that they all seem to have at least three names, any one of which can be used at any time. Plus nicknames. Plus the entire cast always appear to be interrelated, so many of the names are similar. Just can't keep 'em straight in my head.
Sorry, Russian giants of world literature. But I promise to take others' word for your giant-ness without a single pinch of salt. It's the least I can do.
I will, however, have to take the world's word for it that he is a literary giant. I have a flaw; a fatal flaw when it comes to Russian literature.
*blush* I can't keep up with the names.
I've tried several times to read Russian authors, starting from when I was in my teens. I kept abandoning my attempts, assuring myself in a year or two it would all be different.
It still isn't.
Let's start with the sheer number of characters. Invariably there seem to be millions of them. Add that they all seem to have at least three names, any one of which can be used at any time. Plus nicknames. Plus the entire cast always appear to be interrelated, so many of the names are similar. Just can't keep 'em straight in my head.
Sorry, Russian giants of world literature. But I promise to take others' word for your giant-ness without a single pinch of salt. It's the least I can do.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Almost all better
I'm sure your good wishes made all the difference. Husbad now has Man Flu, however, which we all know to be a million times worse than Woman Flu, so keep the good thoughts coming.
This will be a random post about nothing in particular. Let's have some stats though. Not over the past fortnight, because I have a feeling it's more like a month, but The Woman in the Wall is now up to 18,000 words and zipping along. The things I'm putting that poor girl through. Sad, really. Yet fun. I'm glad to be back into it again. I've given myself a deadline for completing the first draft, which means I need to write an average of 1000 words a day for the next couple of months. Not so easy with work, kids and life. Tough love, though, people, tough love.
In other news...we haven't had a soccer update in a while. It's Soccer Boy's last match this weekend. They've only had one loss the whole season. Some of the parents want to keep the team together; others want to move on and strive for higher grades next year. We're torn. All modesty aside, Soccer Boy is probably the best on the team. But he's had an absolute ball with his friends . We're trying to decide what to do. At the moment the thought is to leave him with his friends so he has more fun, hope they get upgraded a little next year and also throw him into every individual course/talent-spotting opportunity that we see so he is ready for when things get competitive in a year or two. Best of both worlds. However, in the event that every good player on the team moves on, barring soccer boy, we may need to move him too. Fingers crossed that some of the other boys also favour fun over ambition!
Soccer Princess continues ambling around the field, playing aeroplanes, patting dogs and chatting to the other team. What a lovely time she is having. Her team fielded a non-regular player a couple of weeks ago due to low numbers and while Princess and her pals trotted about, doing their thing, this kid beavered up and down the field on his own and scored two goals for them. I don't think the Princess and her Princelings even noticed. There was a helicopter in the sky, and that was much more important.
Ho hum. Weather changeable. Winter yuk. I'm going to see Mamma Mia tonight and eating Thai afterwards. Go the Brisbane Broncos.
Yup. Random.
This will be a random post about nothing in particular. Let's have some stats though. Not over the past fortnight, because I have a feeling it's more like a month, but The Woman in the Wall is now up to 18,000 words and zipping along. The things I'm putting that poor girl through. Sad, really. Yet fun. I'm glad to be back into it again. I've given myself a deadline for completing the first draft, which means I need to write an average of 1000 words a day for the next couple of months. Not so easy with work, kids and life. Tough love, though, people, tough love.
In other news...we haven't had a soccer update in a while. It's Soccer Boy's last match this weekend. They've only had one loss the whole season. Some of the parents want to keep the team together; others want to move on and strive for higher grades next year. We're torn. All modesty aside, Soccer Boy is probably the best on the team. But he's had an absolute ball with his friends . We're trying to decide what to do. At the moment the thought is to leave him with his friends so he has more fun, hope they get upgraded a little next year and also throw him into every individual course/talent-spotting opportunity that we see so he is ready for when things get competitive in a year or two. Best of both worlds. However, in the event that every good player on the team moves on, barring soccer boy, we may need to move him too. Fingers crossed that some of the other boys also favour fun over ambition!
Soccer Princess continues ambling around the field, playing aeroplanes, patting dogs and chatting to the other team. What a lovely time she is having. Her team fielded a non-regular player a couple of weeks ago due to low numbers and while Princess and her pals trotted about, doing their thing, this kid beavered up and down the field on his own and scored two goals for them. I don't think the Princess and her Princelings even noticed. There was a helicopter in the sky, and that was much more important.
Ho hum. Weather changeable. Winter yuk. I'm going to see Mamma Mia tonight and eating Thai afterwards. Go the Brisbane Broncos.
Yup. Random.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Convalescent koala
Thank you for your thoughts and remedies in the previous post.
To date I have applied:
whisky
sleep
cough medicine
whisky
sleep
nasal spray
whisky
sleep
honey and lemon
whisky
sleep
several very rubbish library books
whisky
sleep
Am now hanging on to eucalypt with two claws and a third is twitching.
To date I have applied:
whisky
sleep
cough medicine
whisky
sleep
nasal spray
whisky
sleep
honey and lemon
whisky
sleep
several very rubbish library books
whisky
sleep
Am now hanging on to eucalypt with two claws and a third is twitching.
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