Uni, internet and trying to absorb everything for dialogue.

Hey anyone who's interested.
I haven't posted for such a long time. I have started uni which is really great. I live for it every week. The feedback from 20 other people reading your work is a bit grueling but also exactly what I wanted. The lectures are informative and fun. It feels like such a luxury to sit and talk about writing - compared to when I was an undergrad and I studied some subjects that weren't that exciting. Or rather weren't my passion.

But focusing on writing for three or more hours a week is heaven for me.
Craig Bolland is a really interesting and informative lecturer. He did a lecture on voice which was really great the other day.

Something I have been learning recently from being online and meeting people who connect from all around the world via a blog or your website or whatever. I have come to really appreciate chatting to people from different places, and in relation to writing we can learn a lot of nuances of language. Uk ways of speaking, American slang, people with English as a second language it is all so useful. If you are typing or chatting to someone it is very conversational and a great way to pick up how to write dialogue. It is right there for us to see.

On the internet words are the only thing you have. So I am learning that it can help my writing, particularly of dialogue and this is a pleasure. I always used to hate dialogue but after a course a few years ago I discovered the liberty and beauty of dialogue. How the author can say so much in dialogue, or in what is left out of dialogue?

I used to hate it and think I couldn't do it but now I have fallen in love with it. I am writing more stories with more dialogue in it than before. Hemingway wrote so much conversation and it was dynamic and real and harsh sometimes but it put you right there in between the two people.

So, I am really enjoying exploring dialogue, especially in relation to have different opinions expressed in a short story or novel. A character might think this and someone else might think that. This seems very exciting to me, inserting ideas into the narrative and showing differing opinions. The web of life, the beauty of the world.

Also, if you chat to writer friends I have found I start to tell stories to them. In a story way, (I think I do this in conversation too). And one friend and I were writing a dynamic comedy together whilst chatting. It was fun. I can feel the life of language on the internet. I haven't felt it before.

Craig mentioned this in his lecture, exploring different voices and tones going on the internet and playing around - he mentioned pretending to be someone else which I won't do. But the other stuff I can really understand how it can help to generate ideas, remind us of what dialogue and conversation looks like on a page.

Anyway, I have handed a short story in to uni and I will be having a consultation in another couple of weeks. So depending on how I go, I may or may not talk about it.
(: No I probably will share about the feedback.

See you later. Feel free to comment if you wish, it's always great to hear from people.
(:

Editing Using my Imac

The other day I discovered an effective editing technique for myself. I had heard it said that you should read your work out loud to see what works and what doesn't. I had tried this before and it didn't seem to work for me. Then after playing around with Garage Band on the mac I realised I could use the audio recording facility to hear my story read back to me. Then I could do more versions and read it out loud and edit it as I could hear the things that weren't working and I wanted to change them.

When the story was merely the words on the page it didn't have the same effect on me as hearing the problems read out loud. It seems to make it more tangible when you read it out because you feel as if you are an outsider to the text. Hearing a story is a really good way of seeing whether the dialogue works or the text is flowing correctly. If the sentences are too long or not clear enough. For me this has provided another dimension in editing. For a longer piece maybe you could take one chapter at a time and read it out. It would have to be after the whole manuscript had been written.
I am starting my Grad Certificate in a couple of weeks and I am very excited to learn more, write more and to receive feedback from others and from a lecturer. Bring on July 21.

Lost some of my work...

Don't you hate it when you have written something you are really happy with and then you discover you have saved over it or lost it? Well that is what has happened to me. A part of my novel that I enjoyed writing has now disappeared. Dissipated out into the air. The words, letters that created the piece have gone. 

I want to be like Peter Carey and Ernest Hemmingway who didn't care. Peter Carey said he routinely threw out good writing to challenge himself to do even better work and Ernest Hemmingway in A Moveable Feast lost his whole first novel, left it in manuscript form in a taxi. He didn't care that much. They had a robust attitude to their writing and didn't believe in holding onto things. I will get to that soon. I will write the piece again and it will hopefully be better than it was before. That is very possible- everything needs work after the first draft anyway. 

Anyway I wanted to write this blog, knowing there will be other writers who have had this happen and can empathise with me. One must let go and hold our pieces lightly. If I wrote it once I can challenge myself to do it again. 

Peter Carey, Paul Auster, Ian McEwan

I really enjoyed watching Peter Carey, Paul Auster and Ian McEwan on ABC recently being interviewed by Jennifer Byrnes.

It was great to hear the perspectives of three men who have written for many years. I have followed Peter Carey's writing for the past few years, especially since I was able to interview him and after studying some of his work at university.

Anyway, it was great to see what Paul Auster was like, his thick accented deep voice with a slight lisp (I think), his New York perspective, his giving and unassuming personality. Ian McEwan and his story about getting into writing because he never wanted to get a job.

The thing I was really encouraged about was when they all agreed that every book they come to write is a NEW challenge. I would've thought that once you had written ten or fifteen books your techniques are there or something and then you know where you are going (they would do to some degree) but it is refreshing to know that each book presents a new adventure of discovering how best to write THAT particular book.

Peter Carey said all of the books he wrote before he was published set him up to write Bliss, and then writing The Illywhacker (which he said was extremely challenging) prepared him to write Oscar and Lucinda effortlessly. I remember Bob Dylan saying, also in his early career about all of the songs he had written up to the point contributed to him writing Like A Rolling Stone effortlessly.

I can see the value of simply writing, practicing the craft.

My violin playing provides another lesson for me. I have to practice every day to get the techniques and get my fingers moving effortlessly across the strings. I have seen an improvement in the 6 or 7 lessons I have had. Applying this to writing, I need to just keep doing it and each time hopefully I am absorbing (unconsciously) technique. I have finally started to write my novel again! Random scenes. I haven't written it for ages, lots going on in my life, and I have been writing poetry which has been great too, to use words in a more free flowing way.

I am going to remember that even writing veterans like Peter Carey and Paul Auster come to each book and feel like it is a fresh challenge, a new unchartered writing journey. This fact encourages me. I want to keep writing so that maybe I will be able to say all those novels, stories and poems I wrote that maybe not many people knew about, prepared me to write another piece effortlessly.

Emerging Writers Festival Melbourne

I flew down to Melbourne for the weekend, specifically to check out the emerging writers festival and to see some friends. Melbourne delivered characteristically chilly weather, the Town Hall where the panels I attended was ostentatious, regal and beautiful all at the same time.

The festival was refreshing. I love the well established writers festivals. I really enjoy listening to published authors talking about their work or how they managed to get where they are today, the struggles and triumphs or intellectuals discussing some high philosophical subject matter. However, it was refreshing to attend a festival where people who have not yet become well known were featured on panels and were sharing their knowledge. Where the "not yet" writers or the emerging writers were acknowledged and their experiences were shared in open forums and discussions about how to make it when you are undiscovered or what to do when you are undiscovered.

There was an interesting panel on getting your work out into the public arena, with discussion of a poems on menus, buses, trams, when you wait for a coffee at the counter, on sign posts on a mountain trail. Getting your work out into the public arena where it can be read and appreciated or not as the case may be.

Spoken word and zines were discussed, web techniques, self publishing, book distribution, marketing, blogging of course, all of these things were discussed as well as editing, quality of work and attending courses. Though a lot of things I had heard many times before, some of what the individual emerging authors had to say was a fresh take on certain aspects and I appreciated this.

The Zine and Small Press Fair was wonderfully creative. Little match boxes with life paintings inside on miniature match box size canvases, comics, zines, boxes with concertina illustrations, drawings, mini shots (Vignette Press) which is one short story per little booklet, so many gorgeous items, skillfully constructed, inventive, inspiring and interesting. It was a pleasure to attend the festival. It inspired me to continue with some ideas I have had of late. Hi to Simon Groth who chaired one of the panels I attended and did a great job.

Art to do or not to do? (From A Pocket Full of Poesy)

Who really gives a crap about art, anyway?
The artist slaves away,
All day,
In solitude and self annihilation,
For the hope of some acylation,
Which may or may not eventuate,
It may be after they’re dead, too late.
Writing a poem, song or book,
Painting a picture to hang in a nook.

But art is undervalued
And maybe it should be,
It doesn’t provide survival for me,
Except for our souls, it speaks to a deeper part
Of the human heart.
It should be seen as essential
And a link to the spiritual
Instead of relegated and delegated
To a place of marginalization,
Or condescension
Because it cannot be measure by the money you make,
Or the time it can take,
It cannot be measured in a laboratory,
Or simplified in its glory.

It takes its place in life,
Amidst all our strife,
Never to go away,
Heaven forbid the day,
That we ignore the beauty and vulnerability,
Of artistic expressions,
Or let science, progress or materialism bull doze our inner artistic impressions.

Art, to do or not to do?
What would I have if I didn’t have you?
It’s not really a question that a real artist entertains,
For what else would they do with their brains?
They are wired to create,
Something thought provoking, and hopefully, great,
That can cause people to pause or sigh
Or even to cry,
That can call us deeper into the question of why?
That may simply provide a space to reflect,
In parts that we often neglect,
And allow us enjoyment,
Meaning replacing bewilderment,
Love instead of despair,
Hope, and sometimes, someone to care.
An artist, to be or not to be?
It is not a choice I make, it is who I am-me.

My book in the library...

Hello again,

I haven't blogged for a while, a lot is going on in my life.

My book A Pocket Full of Poesy is now in my local library, in the local author section and in the Non Fiction Poetry section of the shelves in two libraries. It is nice to see my book on the shelves.

I know a lot of people do not respect self publishing and I never did either. It was when I discovered a literary journal who published on lulu.com that I started to look into it further. Then I realised how I could publish work that was not accepted elsewhere and see if people enjoyed reading it as well as feeling like I had accomplished something. I first published my short stories and people really liked them. I also discovered that a number of bookshops (independent) will take books on consignment. These have been all good discoveries to make through this process.

It is a confidence boost to publish your own work. A number of famous authors have self published their books at some point in their careers, some of these include; Margaret Atwood, William Blake, Lord Byron, Willa Cather, Stephen Crane, e.e. cummings, W.E.B. DuBois, Alexander Dumas, T.S. Eliot, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Benjamin Franklin, Zane Grey, Thomas Hardy, E. Lynn Harris, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ernest Hemingway, Robinson Jeffers, Spencer Johnson, Stephen King, Rudyard Kipling, Louis L'Amour, D.H. Lawrence, Anais Nin, Thomas Paine, Tom Peters, Edgar Allen Poe, Alexander Pope, Beatrix Potter, Ezra Pound, Marcel Proust, Irma Rombauer, Carl Sandburg, Robert Service, George Bernard Shaw, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Upton Sinclair, Gertrude Stein, William Strunk, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Henry David Thoreau, Leo Tolstoi, Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, and Virginia Woolf.

I find this heartening. There is a stigma towards self publishing but it does not mean that a writer is not good at their craft, as we can see with the list above. (It does not mean it will be great writing either, I am just saying the format doesn't dictate the quality of the work.)

Having been around the band scene for a long time and having two partners who were in bands and produced their own CDs and sold them, I began to wonder why authors could not try to do the same thing. In the music world on Myspace there are a number of talented musicians who write really good songs and produce and market the cds themselves and sell to a small but devoted fan base. I believe there are some people who self publish who are quality writers. Maybe they haven't found a publisher who wants what they write (JK Rowling took ten years to find a publisher willing to publish her Harry Potter books) why we are so scared to take matters into our own hands?

Self publishing means you can write what you want and if you are serious you will make it the best piece of work possible. The stigma against self publishing is still real and though the standard of self published work can be low, it can also have gems within its range. I simply wanted to move forward in my work and expose it to as many people as possible, through my own means. All I would like to say is don't right people off who publish on the web or who self publish, it does not mean they are good or bad. Read their work and see for yourself.

I would recommend self publishing- it gives an author a sense of accomplishment, whilst you are writing the novel or waiting the many months before you receive the rejection letters. In this process you can achieve something and keep the book forever. Those of us who choose to self publish are in good company shown by the author list above. And for those of us who wish to put our art out into the world and not wait for someone to discover us, self publishing is a perfect and acceptable way to do this.

Everyone creates art so that others can see, read, touch, hear and experience their work. Self publishing for authors is like an exhibition for a painter, maybe someone important will notice your abilities, but even if they don't you will be communicating with people through your work.
The great thing is people will get to read your work which is what we want. I have people who have read my stories and poetry from all over the world and around Australia. Internet story websites are also really good for exposure as well. Anyway, enough of my ranting. Thanks for reading. All the best for your creative endeavours whatever they may be.

Getting away...

I managed to get away for a couple of days recently. It was extremely peaceful and relaxing. What is it about mounds of green mountainous rock and deep green broccoli trees standing beside running streams through lime green grass, that draws us deeper and to more tranquil parts of our soul?

The romantics talked about it, beauty and truth. Beauty stimulates in me a longing for something more than our physical life. I took a few photos of the trip. I think beauty reflects who we are and reminds us we have a soul. Beautiful poetry, glorious music, rich paintings, pristine beaches, the immaculate white of daisies and the intricate tiny world of perfectly designed flower petals and the minute insect communities that inhabit these areas.

I went away to Northern New South Wales, an exquisite part of the country. It looks like England probably because the English planted oaks and pine trees and other stunning greenery when they came over two hundred years ago.

When I am surrounded by beauty and I am exploring or getting away or traveling I find my mind opens up and I am inspired. Travel is a deep experience for me. It is experiencing the world, seeing new things, taking on an adventure or a challenge, encountering new people and cultures, finding out about Others around the world. It is about learning, exploring; yourself, the geographical and philosophical world and other people's societies, history and culture. It provides perspective for me, insight, it stimulates change in my life, enlightens me, inspires me, opens my world up instead of closing it down (as so many other things do in life).

Of course, traveling is fun for goodness sake! Downright, freaking good fun. I don't see the point of living and not experiencing the world around me. I don't have a desire to have a pristine lawn and the latest BMW four wheel drive, or children with straight, white teeth, give me a mountain track and an untouched river, a cultural and physical journey any day of the week. Show me something about life, living, myself, how the world works, the world's history, its ugliness and shining glory. To me travel, has two levels the physical and the internal.

When I traveled in Nepal it was striking, edifying, enriching, educational and wonderful all at the same time. I put some demons to rest in Nepal and most importantly, I put to rest certain things in relationships and felt freed from the control of my past.

Anyway, I have rambled enough. I would like to post some photos. Feel free to share your views on traveling or getting away. I love to receive comments. Thanks for reading.

New Poetry Book

Hello

I have recently been writing poetry and I have just published a collection called A Pocket Full of Poesy. If you want to check it out or purchase it click on the below link.

http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=877719

Thanks a lot for your visit, it is good to see you.
Suzanne

Reviews:

a good voice 7 Mar 2008

by Julie Powell

I happened to notice A Pocket Full of Poesy by Suzanne Strong and thought it a good idea to comment on something other than novels.

Beauty Divine, the first poem of the collection, had so many levels but I will only talk of my immediate response. My first impression was that it wasn't about a plant at all but a person whose harsh life had moved to an even harsher death. 'Down to a solitary green stem' brought to mind someone who was in the last stages of cancer - such sadness.

Still, the poem had hope, as if in death (whether a plant or person) there is life around the corner, though to me it was filled with hurt.

I don't read that much poetry so I may be completely off track but I will say it was a powerful and emotional string of words.

Constant, the second poem made me smile though I still feel there was an aura of sadness about it. Poetry of course is like music, helping us dance with those difficult emotions that roll around inside waiting for release.

Poignant indeed but well constructed and certainly something to think about.

Julie Elizabeth Powell, author of Gone

Shamelessly brilliant 20 Feb 2008

by Aleksander Granger

It has a very special way of being human, which so much poetry seems to lose, and I love the down to earth voice it has. It's brilliance is really in its simplicity.

Colourful and lively. 23 Jan 2008

by jadzia1994

Suzanne's poetry book has a great start to it. The poems I have read are colourful and lively and bode well for more of the same. Her style is jaunty and playful full of fun and joy of life. I love her poetry it's just my cup of tea, and I'm sure it will be yours too.

Regards Anne Rogers

Author of The Shift Worker (Poetry)

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