As several visitors to my site have asked about purchasing a copy of this book, I thought it time I gave the details of where you can purchase it world-wide. See poster above for the distributor’s contact. Also, I include a recent review of the novel, which I am most happy to share with you all.
You may have thought I’d never get going on this idea of a memoir of me as a youngster. True, I didn’t get far, but there were other things I had to do. But now I have looked through my initial rough sketches, and have decided to show them to you, I feel it is a small start. My plan, from here on in, is to complete a couple of images in colour on good paper, using watercolour and pencil, as a trial for the finished product. Today however, it’s just more pencil roughs. Except for the photo of me, left, taken on a Brownie camera in the 1950’s. Yes, I’m that old.
This past week has been rather exceptional, and yes, I am still talking books. My book launch went well, with a good crowd out to support me, and Paradox Books, through whom I am selling my book locally. My old friend Liz, from Melbourne, introduced me and spoke about knowing me from age fourteen. She spoke so well, and was kind, as she’d promised. Then it was up to me to read a passage from my book. Fortunately I love reading aloud, and enjoyed this bit very much. Then came the feeling of being a little bit famous, as there was a queue for me to sign books. I would have posted a shot of me, but decided this image was better.
I apologise for the lack of posts and comments on others posts. The intention has been to write about something other than THAT book (a sketch for a change perhaps?), but truly it’s a topic I can’t get rid of, just yet. I’ve yet to prepare words for a speech, and practice reading a passage aloud for the book for the launch this coming Thursday, and also be part of the gang creating canapés for the occasion. Boy, have I been stressed! Even my usual bubble-bath soak hasn’t rid me of my anxiousness. And then, last Thursday I received the first review of Mrs Forsythe by Terry Toner from Dusty Shelves. (See image above).
Last week I put up a new page on my WordPress site about my books. I have yet to flesh it out, with links to reviews and the like, but take a look, I am open to advice.
This week I received cartons filled with my new book, Mrs Forsythe, and then a different kind of busyness began. My publicist had sent me a list of reviewers I was to send copies to, so they could read it and make fabulous comments (I hope!). Every part in publishing a novel takes time, and wrapping and addressing each book is just part of that process.
I had always thought myself a reader of fiction which relied on stories which were grounded, and didn’t take you to other realms, such as fantasy, or science fiction. I am speaking as my adult self here, for I certainly read and enjoyed fairytales as a child. Recently I attended the Auckland Writers Festival, and was lucky to hear Australian writer Trent Dalton speak. The Auditorium was packed, and the audience didn’t just wait until the end to show spontaneous applause. Afterwards I bought the title All Our Shimmering Skies, rather than Boy Swallows Universe, as the blurb on cover said it was better. Perfect timing as I was flying to Australia soon after and I was keen to get ‘stuck in’. It certainly was a page turner and I’d almost finished it before touchdown.
Yes, the first draft is done, and now sits with the reader, though I would like to add a little more about what went into reaching that goal. Writers will know that it isn’t just a matter of coming up with a great idea and sitting at the computer and let the words fill the pages, easy peasy. There is the matter of plotting, and making a loose timeline. For me the setting was 1970s Wellington and the years my protagonist lived there. I sketch this out by hand rather than type it up, and mark where I think specific scenes, or events may occur. What was happening during those years? Research next, to top up my memory of these times. So much goes into this, for example: what movies were shown, what music was played, who was prime minister, what sports were popular, what programmes ran on the radio? You get the idea.
There is a reason I haven’t been churning out any posts recently, and it’s because I’ve been focussed on finishing my novel. It’s been a long road, sometimes smooth, often bumpy, as I squinted at my computer screen and squeezed out the words. How lovely it must be to write some people have said to me, and it is, don’t get me wrong, it’s a great creative thing to be making up a long piece of fiction. But it is hard work. I think I summed it up when my granddaughter gasped when I told her how long it had taken. I said, “I guess it’s a little like homework, it needs plotting, planning, and a lot of patience to work it all out.” My manuscript is not huge at 74,000, though enough I think, since it’s taken me two and a half years of my life to produce it.
Mimesis is a word I’ll never forget, as it was written in capital letters on a whiteboard in blue, as the subject of my first ever writing class at university. I sat in the auditorium waiting for the lecturer to appear, wondering what on earth I was doing there, as I was a ‘mature’ student and didn’t have a clue what the word meant. I think after all these years I have got a handle on its meaning. It is when life is mimicked through Art and Literature. Yesterday I reversed this process, when my life happened to imitate literature – through inadvertently copying a character’s behaviour from the novel I am currently writing. The problem might be different: solo travel for my character, and swimming alone, for me, but the underpinning for both women is anxiety, and the desire to change.
The week started well. Get hold of a good book and there’s no stopping me; waking early and reading for hours until the clock reminds me it’s way past getting up time. I’m talking about Sarah Winman’s novel Still Life. A warning; there is nothing still about this narrative. It contains great characters, settings, and themes like unrequited love that keep you turning the pages to find out, do they? Or don’t they? until the end; or if you are a lover of art, then this is for you, as there is plenty in here to keep you enthralled. Especially in Florence, where a good deal of the action takes part. To quote from Patrick Gale who writes on the cover: ‘Harnesses big-hearted storytelling to a dizzying historical sweep to celebrate love in all available colours.’
So, with Still Life of one sort on my mind, the other Still Life beckoned to me, or rather, I spotted the large bowl of fruit on my table and knew what I must do and that was to sketch a still life to accompany the little rant above. Less is more sometimes, and thinking this I selected two pears and a small apple to comprise my Still Life.
I have used Faber Castell artist-quality coloured pencils, a combination of Apple Green, Cadmium, Yellow Ochre, Brown Ochre, Van Dyke Brown and Dark Sepia. I love nothing better than starting with a fresh sheet of drawing paper and seeing how my marks become solid forms through the rendering of colour and tone. I was pleased that this sketch took just an hour to finish, and not three days like the book. However, I love both versions of Still Life!
Still Life was first published in Great Britain in 2021 by 4th Estate
Last week saw the Auckland Writers Festival very much alive in our city. I did not attend many events as the week was already flooded with other activities. I wish to write about one event though, of a discussion between Tracey Morrison (Te Arawa, Ngāi Tahu), a well-known New Zealand broadcaster, and Monty Soutar ONZM (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Awa, Ngā Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Kahungunu). They talked about his latest book Kāwai, a shortlisted novel for the recent Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Monty has received commendations and awards for his scholastic achievements and work to raise the understanding of the history of Māori in many fields, and Kāwai is his first venture into writing fiction. If you are thinking that the discussion about his book might prove a little dry, or boring, you’d be wrong.
Three weeks ago I was asked to speak alongside author Caroline Barron, at the Auckland branch of New Zealand Society of Authors meeting. I was intending to write a short post on this earlier, but life, again, got in the way. Last week I was frantically writing as much on my novel as possible before visitors arrived, which meant I neglected everything else. And then, this week came around, and suddenly it was ‘all hands on deck’ to clear out our bedrooms as new carpet was due to be laid Thursday. The bedrooms are clean and vacated and the rest of the apartment looks a mess!
Now, here I am finding time to write a few words about the talk I mentioned at the start. Caroline Barron and I have written both memoir and adult fiction, and were asked questions by the chair Maria Gill, as a joint interview, about the similarities and differences in how we approached the process of writing in each of these genres. Maria, posed interesting questions, such as: What’s the relationship between honesty and good storytelling? Often Caroline and I said virtually the same thing, swapping the mic from one to the other to say our piece. With this question, I said “Honesty for me was being authentic; staying true to the ‘character’ in the memoir and presenting facts accurately.” This then led to the discussion of how important research is writing in either genre. We both agreed that research was essential for both.
We were asked if there were differences in the way we structured each form. I start with a timeline, which places scenes, or ‘happenings’ along the line, with the year each takes place. Another question was, how do you approach the task of deciding what to include or leave out in your memoirs or novels? And the ethical implications of writing about real people. With my memoir, I began the narration from the time I could recall events vividly, and ended with the death of the main subject. I stayed as true to all the main characters as was possible, and fiddled more with what occurred when. Again, research is required, such as; what politician was in power, what songs and programmes were popular. Plus the games, foods, sweets…
When writing about real people in memoir, it is necessary to let them know that you are writing something which may include them, but to soften this somewhat, I fictionalised the names of all my characters in the book. My family, which were the main group in my memoir, knew that the children were based on them. I had only two siblings to deal with here, and they were comfortable with my decisions (I believe), as I consulted them throughout. With fiction, I have sometimes based a character on someone I have observed, not actually known, whose characteristics, physicality, hair style or demeanour has taken my attention. But again, the characters; the setting and details of place need to be authentic, down to their mannerisms, quirks, speech patterns, etc. There’s that word again and one I can’t emphasis enough when it comes to writing interesting work which will capture a readers imagination.
It was great to speak alongside Caroline Barron that night. The audience liked what we had to say too; even saying it was a ‘stimulating’ session. Thanks Maria for asking us along.
The trip to Wellington last week catered for two needs; to see my friend Jayne, and to gather research for the book I am writing. Jayne and I met when I lived in the area many years ago. We had a lovely couple of days together, one of which involved Jayne offering to drive me around the areas I wished to research. So, we headed across town, through the ‘tooting’ tunnel and towards Lyall Bay – one of the places the protagonist of my novel lived in the 1970s. I’ve called her Marjorie and she is based on a very complex woman I used to know well. Back then she liked to be called Mother.
It began many years back, when I was was helping a ten-year-old with ideas for a story. In a nutshell, her ideas fed mine, and set me thinking of my own story for children. This would of course be an illustrated story, done by yours truly. After writing many drafts, I decided on creating the first illustration; something that might work for the cover. Apart from the grandfather, who features in the story, the drawing above features all the other main characters in The Lost Civilisation. From top left, clockwise; the parrot Herakles, Penelope, Achilles the dog, Helen of Troy, the cat, and Archimedes, the goldfish, all named after figures in Greek mythology.
Some months back, when writing about my newly published short story collection, l promised to post any good reviews. I did receive a very good one last month, but it was in a newspaper and difficult to copy clearly. However, much to my surprise, another very positive review appeared last Friday in a website Booklovers. Chris Reed reviewed the collection, and what he said brought tears to my eyes – of joy. So, I would love to write about something joyous, when often there seems little to be joyous about (I’m talking World News here). I had to trim the page for a screen shot, but have included the link for the full read below.
ARTISTRY 