Thursday, July 30, 2009
HELP! LOOKING FOR MY VOICE...
I couldn't copy/past my prepared entry this morning. So being a fan of SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, I took that failure as a "sign" and changed my post to the topic that has rattled around in my brain for some time.
I can't find my voice!
I've read the 'how to' books...over and over. I've copied articles galore off the net. I have singlehandedly kept the highlighter companies in business and still...I couldn't find my voice in a paper bag.
Some experts say keep a journal. Others suggest study your email posts. And the list goes on...but where is my voice? How will I know I'm targeting the right stories/publishers if I don't 'know' my voice?
I can spot 'voice' in some of my favorite authors...some I can't....
Study tells me it's a matter of style, tone...use of words...descriptions...I won't bore you with all the things I've read. But I'm still lost!
There's a voice in my head as I write...that's what I type on the page.
I don't belong in the angst/dark stories...I've determined that. Don't have any interest in that area so it makes sense. But...where does my voice fit?
Give me a clue...post your opinion...and enter a drawing to win a copy of my book.
PLEASE!!!!!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
An Aussie in America Elisabeth Rose
It’s a long trip from Australia to almost anywhere. Despite that or maybe because of the isolation Australians travel a lot. Not just north to Asia and across the ditch to New Zealand but we head for Europe and America in droves. I’ve been to Europe twice, lived in Holland for a year and been to China twice amongst other trips. Of course, we always come back because nowhere beats home.
My recent trip to the USA was the second for me. Last time was in 2000, to San Francisco, Denver briefly, New Orleans and New York.
This time because the ultimate destination was Washington DC for the RWA conference, which meant crossing the whole continent, I was determined to see the Grand Canyon. And why not toss in Niagara Falls while we were at it?
So husband Colin and I left Canberra on a chilly, windy, grey, winter July 1st at 2-30 pm to fly to Sydney. Our international flight left at 8-30 pm and arrived in LA at 3-30pm July 1st. We were able to catch an earlier flight to Las Vegas than planned and arrived at our destination on July 1st at 8-30pm. Exactly when we left Sydney, except it was now 104 degrees.
Anyone who’s been to Vegas will know what it’s like and it was pretty much what we expected—full on insanity. The first thing you see when walking off the plane in to the terminal is a bank of poker machines and the next a gigantic poster for a gun shop selling automatic weapons. A sexy young lady suggests we “Come and try one.” We didn’t.
Instead, I wanted to find a library and see my books in real life on a shelf. I checked the phone book for the closest one to the Strip and we hailed a taxi.
“What do you want to go to the library for?” he asked.
Away from the lunacy of Vegas the Grand Canyon is awe inspiring. Everything we expected and more. Fabulous. If you get the opportunity, go.
Next stop Buffalo where we hired a car and drove up to the Falls. Another very impressive display of nature at work. We walked across the bridge and had lunch in Canada. Why not? At least we can see say we’ve been there. By this time Colin was under the influence of swine flu—maybe not the pig version but definitely a horrible lurgy of some sort.
The plan was drive across to friends in Gloucester via the beautiful Finger Lakes. Australia is almost the same size as the USA but the big difference is water. Those northern states have it in abundance, Australia doesn’t. Most of Australia is like Nevada, hot dry and empty. We drove for three days across New York State and went through lots of thriving little towns in lush green surroundings. At home, covering the same distance, even going up the east coast in the fertile strip, the towns are at least forty miles apart with nothing much in between. The population of Australia is close to 22 million. The USA is ten times that or more.
We navigated pretty well. Colin had no trouble staying on the right side of the road (flu ridden and all) and driving an automatic car made things even easier. We were surprised to learn that it’s quite difficult to get a manual car in America. Our main problem was working out which road number took us to where we wanted to go. If you don’t know the route number there’s no clue to where it’s heading. Hmmm. Here our road signs give the destinations, listed with distance. Eg If you’re heading to Melbourne from Canberra or some town along the way you follow the signs that head you to Melbourne and look out for the relevant name as you go. I doubt whether anyone knows many road numbers.
Our friend in Gloucester said when we commented on the road thing, “The rationale is if you don’t know which road you want you're not local so you shouldn’t be here.”
Accordingly we had fun getting out of Ithaca after a stop for lunch. Luckily we knew we wanted to head east and our car had a compass on the rearview mirror. What a lovely town Ithaca is. We sat in a park under huge shady trees and ate organic salad from a student co-operative type store complex. Colin, a jazz drummer, discovered a shop selling all sorts of ethnic percussion instruments and drums. Oddest of all, plastic didgeridoos made in China.
Part 2 continues on August 11th
My recent trip to the USA was the second for me. Last time was in 2000, to San Francisco, Denver briefly, New Orleans and New York.
This time because the ultimate destination was Washington DC for the RWA conference, which meant crossing the whole continent, I was determined to see the Grand Canyon. And why not toss in Niagara Falls while we were at it?
So husband Colin and I left Canberra on a chilly, windy, grey, winter July 1st at 2-30 pm to fly to Sydney. Our international flight left at 8-30 pm and arrived in LA at 3-30pm July 1st. We were able to catch an earlier flight to Las Vegas than planned and arrived at our destination on July 1st at 8-30pm. Exactly when we left Sydney, except it was now 104 degrees.
Anyone who’s been to Vegas will know what it’s like and it was pretty much what we expected—full on insanity. The first thing you see when walking off the plane in to the terminal is a bank of poker machines and the next a gigantic poster for a gun shop selling automatic weapons. A sexy young lady suggests we “Come and try one.” We didn’t.
Instead, I wanted to find a library and see my books in real life on a shelf. I checked the phone book for the closest one to the Strip and we hailed a taxi.
“What do you want to go to the library for?” he asked.
Away from the lunacy of Vegas the Grand Canyon is awe inspiring. Everything we expected and more. Fabulous. If you get the opportunity, go.
Next stop Buffalo where we hired a car and drove up to the Falls. Another very impressive display of nature at work. We walked across the bridge and had lunch in Canada. Why not? At least we can see say we’ve been there. By this time Colin was under the influence of swine flu—maybe not the pig version but definitely a horrible lurgy of some sort.
The plan was drive across to friends in Gloucester via the beautiful Finger Lakes. Australia is almost the same size as the USA but the big difference is water. Those northern states have it in abundance, Australia doesn’t. Most of Australia is like Nevada, hot dry and empty. We drove for three days across New York State and went through lots of thriving little towns in lush green surroundings. At home, covering the same distance, even going up the east coast in the fertile strip, the towns are at least forty miles apart with nothing much in between. The population of Australia is close to 22 million. The USA is ten times that or more.
We navigated pretty well. Colin had no trouble staying on the right side of the road (flu ridden and all) and driving an automatic car made things even easier. We were surprised to learn that it’s quite difficult to get a manual car in America. Our main problem was working out which road number took us to where we wanted to go. If you don’t know the route number there’s no clue to where it’s heading. Hmmm. Here our road signs give the destinations, listed with distance. Eg If you’re heading to Melbourne from Canberra or some town along the way you follow the signs that head you to Melbourne and look out for the relevant name as you go. I doubt whether anyone knows many road numbers.
Our friend in Gloucester said when we commented on the road thing, “The rationale is if you don’t know which road you want you're not local so you shouldn’t be here.”
Accordingly we had fun getting out of Ithaca after a stop for lunch. Luckily we knew we wanted to head east and our car had a compass on the rearview mirror. What a lovely town Ithaca is. We sat in a park under huge shady trees and ate organic salad from a student co-operative type store complex. Colin, a jazz drummer, discovered a shop selling all sorts of ethnic percussion instruments and drums. Oddest of all, plastic didgeridoos made in China.
Part 2 continues on August 11th
Sunday, July 26, 2009
HUMILITY - and justice for all
I used to be a legal secretary and occasionally I fill in as a temp in a couple of the law offices in town. Basically what this means is that I get to spend a day or - God forbid! - a week feeling inept. Since the people in the offices where I work are all basically decent (Don’t tell me any of your sleazy lawyer jokes!), they are kind and forgive my lack of up-to-date office know-how. One secretary tells me she loves it when I come in because she knows she’ll have a good laugh that day. She’s even threatened to write her own book and call it "Sandy Screw Ups." Oh well, they do pay me and it’s always nice to have a little extra mad money.
If I used to work in a law office, how come I’m not more efficient? Have I forgotten that much? Has it been that long? Not really, but in the past few years, the machines used in offices have changed drastically. I’m a writer so I know my way around a computer. But those other machines! One office has a phone system with more buttons than there are squirrels in my backyard birdfeeder. The copy machine does everything but grill sandwiches for our lunch. (Actually, maybe it does and I just haven’t pushed the right combination of buttons yet.) The postage meter is pretty straightforward, but they keep getting a new one, so – you guessed it – I have to be led through the operating process every time.
However, as a writer, an occasional lesson in humility has its upside. The feeling of being slightly off-balance comes in handy when I’m plotting a murder mystery. (Not that I’d ever go that far – unless Diane makes good on her threat and writes that book) It’s not too hard to imagine humility mushrooming into a sense of total inadequacy. In other words, I can empathize with my villain, for I am convinced that a sense of inadequacy is at the heart of most crimes. Think of the usual motives: greed, lust, jealousy, revenge, shame. All have at their core a feeling of being not quite enough – an emotion most of us experience at least occasionally. I certainly do. Fortunately, there are people in my life who are quick to reassure me that my good qualities outweigh my shortcomings. And that is something I acknowledge with grateful humility. People who are willing to grant unconditional acceptance are a wonderful gift - one that I wish I could guarantee to every person on this planet.
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