Lately the internet has been in love with the Guardian's 10 Rules of Writing Fiction by the authors at the top of the pile, people like Margaret Atwood (swoon) and Micheal Morpurgo and PD James. I hardly need to turn my head to bump into a link to the list. It was even on Boing Boing the other day!
Not to be left out, Blogger Tom Howard also came up with a list of 10 Rules for Writing Fiction. Here's a couple from Mr. Howard:
2. Writing in blood will add a much-needed touch of sickening horror to your work; it will also indicate to publishers that you mean business.
6. Never open a book with the weather. Use your fingers instead.
I thought it was time TfB got into the spirit and tried to come up with our own 10 Rules for Writing Fiction. I'll start us out.
1. Despite advice from the misguided, adverbs add colour. Where would the world be without bumpily, answerably, and remedially? How would you write the sentence- "I bumped along bumpily" without such lovely words?
2. Avoid characters that bite. If you're writing a novel, it might take years to finish. Try to get the cost of band-aids written into the contract. It adds up.
3. Settings waste time. Never mention them.
4. When writing, three things are mandatory: a cat to walk across the keyboard and delete the most perfect sentence you've ever written, chocolate in amounts that should not be revealed in polite company, and a connection to Facebook where you can brag about the fact that you are procrastinating.
5. Get a door. A big heavy one. With a lock. Preferably one that closes you inside of a room.
Okay- that's my contribution. Whatda ya got?
Friday, February 26, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Our Morning Walk
In the morning me, my dog Chelsea, and her dog, Buster the African Sausage Dog, set out on our walk.
The road is long but full of adventures.
We walk and explore until we reach our turn-around tree.
Buster makes sure everyone knows we were there.
We lay down and take a rest and think about bunny rabbit clouds.
It's time to head back!
....but there's still plenty to investigate...
....like the interesting wildlife.
We can see home now...
...and there's the gate.
A good hearty walk needs to end with a nice cool down.
Thanks for coming along!
We all enjoy getting out and about.
The road is long but full of adventures.
We walk and explore until we reach our turn-around tree.
Buster makes sure everyone knows we were there.
We lay down and take a rest and think about bunny rabbit clouds.
It's time to head back!
....but there's still plenty to investigate...
....like the interesting wildlife.
We can see home now...
...and there's the gate.
A good hearty walk needs to end with a nice cool down.
Thanks for coming along!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Critiquing Other People's Work
I finished my third round of edits on my second romance but I had a niggling feeling. There was something not quite right. I want a surprise and then a big surprise and I feared surprise number two was too obvious. So I asked a writing friend if she might give it a read. In a day she was done and back to me with some nice comments, but then the next day she said she hates critiquing as it gives her too much stress since she knows how bad comments about her own writing affect her so she doesn't want to do the same to others. I felt bad I'd put her through so much agony. At the same time I did recognise her comments for what they were, a slightly too large pile of sugar.
I know two things: 1) No writer is perfect. 2) No writer likes criticism. Both of these do make critiquing other writers' work difficult, but what are we to do? We can't see our own work clearly. We must ask for some one's eyes and, at least for me, I find the best eyes are writers' eyes.
This is my take on critiquing: if someone asks me, I do my best. I take my time and point out everything. I do this because I feel I agreed to give it a look. I shouldn't do that unless I care about that writer and their writing. If I care about the writing, I want it to be the best that it can be. I'm definitely not the know all for what good writing is, I only know what I think works. I always qualify my comments at the beginning by saying it is my opinion, take it or leave it. I know reading criticism is difficult, but we must accept it as part of our job description as writers. If I send a critique that says something like- "Oh that was a nice story"- beware, it means I don't care about your writing enough to give you a passage to improve it.
I should say though, I would never take book reviews and comments at Amazon as criticism that would direct my writing. Those are something different. I'm talking about proper criticism from another writer or someone with interest in my writing's success.
I understand my writing friend's angst and I've made a promise not to ask her to critique my work again, but it has got me wondering- is it okay to just write the best piece of writing that you can and send it off to the publisher without fresh eyes to see it?
I know all writing advice says no, but I'm currently down to zero people who I trust enough to give me honest advice. I had a terrible experience with an online writing group and will never do that again, and where I live there is no one I can work with in person. Also I write across so many genres few want to follow me there.
And what about critiquing? Must all writers do it? Some people believe it is mandatory for a writer to critique others so they can understand their own writing better. What do you think? I'd be interested to know.
I know two things: 1) No writer is perfect. 2) No writer likes criticism. Both of these do make critiquing other writers' work difficult, but what are we to do? We can't see our own work clearly. We must ask for some one's eyes and, at least for me, I find the best eyes are writers' eyes.
This is my take on critiquing: if someone asks me, I do my best. I take my time and point out everything. I do this because I feel I agreed to give it a look. I shouldn't do that unless I care about that writer and their writing. If I care about the writing, I want it to be the best that it can be. I'm definitely not the know all for what good writing is, I only know what I think works. I always qualify my comments at the beginning by saying it is my opinion, take it or leave it. I know reading criticism is difficult, but we must accept it as part of our job description as writers. If I send a critique that says something like- "Oh that was a nice story"- beware, it means I don't care about your writing enough to give you a passage to improve it.
I should say though, I would never take book reviews and comments at Amazon as criticism that would direct my writing. Those are something different. I'm talking about proper criticism from another writer or someone with interest in my writing's success.
I understand my writing friend's angst and I've made a promise not to ask her to critique my work again, but it has got me wondering- is it okay to just write the best piece of writing that you can and send it off to the publisher without fresh eyes to see it?
I know all writing advice says no, but I'm currently down to zero people who I trust enough to give me honest advice. I had a terrible experience with an online writing group and will never do that again, and where I live there is no one I can work with in person. Also I write across so many genres few want to follow me there.
And what about critiquing? Must all writers do it? Some people believe it is mandatory for a writer to critique others so they can understand their own writing better. What do you think? I'd be interested to know.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Louis Nchindo-R.I.P.
I hesitate to write this post but I feel many people who read my blog don't live in Botswana and don't know what is occupying our daily conversations as of late. In Botswana we've been dropped into the middle of a real-life novel; one with twists and turns and intrigues of the most devious kind.
Louis Nchindo was the managing director of Debswana, the 50-50 partnership between diamond giant DeBeers and the government of Botswana. Nchindo was to face 36 charges of corruption in a case set to begin in April. Many of the charges stemmed from the time he was the head of Debswana while others involve a land deal; the land deal mishaps also have his son's name on the charge sheet. A few weeks ago, it came out in the press that our second president, President Masire, received loans from Debeers while Nchindo was at the helm and that the ruling party, Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) had also received money from the diamond miners.
Shortly after this our third president, President Mogae, went public with revelations that Nchindo threatened to reveal secrets about him, including details about his girlfriend, if the corruption charges were not dropped. President Mogae did not report this alleged attempt at blackmailing to the police but apparently told Nchindo that no charges would be dropped.
Last week everything came to the dramatic climax when Nchindo's family reported him missing. By Thursday morning rumours were being passed through cellphones and on the internet that Nchindo was found dead in the bush, his body half eaten by animals. Even on Friday, police in the country refused to admit that Nchindo was dead though international sources were reporting that fact. In the end, the facts were Nchindo was found in the bush dead. His body eaten by animals, only his torso intact. Quick-quick the body was apparently identified by forensic scientists to be Nchindo's, and he was cremated.
Here are the three obvious options:
1. He could take no more and committed suicide.
Unlikely given his abundant resources and legendary arrogance.
2. Someone killed him.
He had a lot of information on a lot of powerful people and a court case could get very messy.
3. The dead person is not Nchindo and Nchindo has skipped the country.
At least in the Facebook groups and conversations I've been part of this is the most widely held belief among Batswana.
So that's where we are. But, too, this is Botswana. What do I think? In a few weeks people will forget all about it and the case will disappear. Budding Batswana novelists should take notes; I see a blockbuster in the making.
Louis Nchindo was the managing director of Debswana, the 50-50 partnership between diamond giant DeBeers and the government of Botswana. Nchindo was to face 36 charges of corruption in a case set to begin in April. Many of the charges stemmed from the time he was the head of Debswana while others involve a land deal; the land deal mishaps also have his son's name on the charge sheet. A few weeks ago, it came out in the press that our second president, President Masire, received loans from Debeers while Nchindo was at the helm and that the ruling party, Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) had also received money from the diamond miners.
Shortly after this our third president, President Mogae, went public with revelations that Nchindo threatened to reveal secrets about him, including details about his girlfriend, if the corruption charges were not dropped. President Mogae did not report this alleged attempt at blackmailing to the police but apparently told Nchindo that no charges would be dropped.
Last week everything came to the dramatic climax when Nchindo's family reported him missing. By Thursday morning rumours were being passed through cellphones and on the internet that Nchindo was found dead in the bush, his body half eaten by animals. Even on Friday, police in the country refused to admit that Nchindo was dead though international sources were reporting that fact. In the end, the facts were Nchindo was found in the bush dead. His body eaten by animals, only his torso intact. Quick-quick the body was apparently identified by forensic scientists to be Nchindo's, and he was cremated.
Here are the three obvious options:
1. He could take no more and committed suicide.
Unlikely given his abundant resources and legendary arrogance.
2. Someone killed him.
He had a lot of information on a lot of powerful people and a court case could get very messy.
3. The dead person is not Nchindo and Nchindo has skipped the country.
At least in the Facebook groups and conversations I've been part of this is the most widely held belief among Batswana.
So that's where we are. But, too, this is Botswana. What do I think? In a few weeks people will forget all about it and the case will disappear. Budding Batswana novelists should take notes; I see a blockbuster in the making.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Time to Accept the Inevitable
In his article at Huffington Post by Dan Agin makes the point that the scribes who wrote out books by hand also thought the gig would never end, just like current publishers who keep repeating the mantra that paper books will never die. The biggest thing slowing down the demise of paper books is the prohibitively priced Kindle, but according to Agin, that's a done deal too as Amazon has free software you can download to read ebooks on your PC or laptop. And besides any technology company worth a grain of salt is busy as I speak developing their own form of the Kindle so the prices for the readers are bound to crash soon making them available to most folks.
But Agin warns-It's tragic because when an industry dies because of corporate blindness, people do get hurt. When the automobile put the horse and carriage trade out of business, blacksmiths and carriage makers became irrelevant overnight. But before that happened people were up to their eyeballs in media baloney that the automobile was only a fad.
As writers we need to look at the situation clearly using our business brains. How do we get the best possible position in this new game? Already there are many pluses. To start with- 50% (and sometimes more) royalties on ebooks. Having to pay publicists, for sure, and agents, perhaps, from your slice of the pie may fall away too. As writers we will have much more control over sales. If we have a blog or website, which most of us do, we can set up a bookstore in minutes. There will be no more worrying if your book is shelved cover out or spine out or if it has made it into the storefront window. Blog book tours will be the norm rather than the exception.
It is time to let go and accept the future. For writers, at least from my perspective, things are looking pretty bright.
But Agin warns-It's tragic because when an industry dies because of corporate blindness, people do get hurt. When the automobile put the horse and carriage trade out of business, blacksmiths and carriage makers became irrelevant overnight. But before that happened people were up to their eyeballs in media baloney that the automobile was only a fad.
As writers we need to look at the situation clearly using our business brains. How do we get the best possible position in this new game? Already there are many pluses. To start with- 50% (and sometimes more) royalties on ebooks. Having to pay publicists, for sure, and agents, perhaps, from your slice of the pie may fall away too. As writers we will have much more control over sales. If we have a blog or website, which most of us do, we can set up a bookstore in minutes. There will be no more worrying if your book is shelved cover out or spine out or if it has made it into the storefront window. Blog book tours will be the norm rather than the exception.
It is time to let go and accept the future. For writers, at least from my perspective, things are looking pretty bright.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Bad Bad Blogger
Apologies to my readers for hardly blogging at all last week. I've had visitors from the United States; a friend from high school and university and his partner. We were busy remembering and laughing and having a huge pile of fun. It's always a bit bittersweet when people visit me here. I know it's very expensive for them to get to Botswana and when they leave I know they'll not likely visit again and we may never see each other again either. So it was lovely, but tinged with sadness.
The other bit that is filling my mind right now is a job. My husband is currently living about 200 km from me in the capitol city of Gaborone attending university. He doesn't like living alone. Also the government pays him his full salary for the first year of school, but for the second and third year he goes on half salary. We can survive on that, but my writing income is not always as steady as I would like it to be so some months it could be tight. So on the weekend there was a good job in the paper for a publishing manager in Gaborone. He wanted me to apply so I could go and stay with him in Gaborone. I've done it, but I'm not sure I want the job.
I have been a full time writer now for about three years and before that I owned my own business for ten years so it's been a long time since I was an employee. And I'm not really someone who can do things halfway. I can't say I'll take the job and write too. If I take the job I intend to give them my time. So it will be two years of very little writing. I've just really started building up solid relationships with my publishers and I am fearful this could back track my good work so far.
At the same time my husband has been my biggest supporter in every way. Perhaps it's time I give a bit back. It's all keeping my head spinning. In any case, I've only sent my CV; they may not even call me for an interview and then they may meet me and see I'm not what they want. I'm trying not to worry about anything. Trying to wait for the bridges to appear before I see how I'm going to get across. But I can't help feeling a bit sad about it all.
The other bit that is filling my mind right now is a job. My husband is currently living about 200 km from me in the capitol city of Gaborone attending university. He doesn't like living alone. Also the government pays him his full salary for the first year of school, but for the second and third year he goes on half salary. We can survive on that, but my writing income is not always as steady as I would like it to be so some months it could be tight. So on the weekend there was a good job in the paper for a publishing manager in Gaborone. He wanted me to apply so I could go and stay with him in Gaborone. I've done it, but I'm not sure I want the job.
I have been a full time writer now for about three years and before that I owned my own business for ten years so it's been a long time since I was an employee. And I'm not really someone who can do things halfway. I can't say I'll take the job and write too. If I take the job I intend to give them my time. So it will be two years of very little writing. I've just really started building up solid relationships with my publishers and I am fearful this could back track my good work so far.
At the same time my husband has been my biggest supporter in every way. Perhaps it's time I give a bit back. It's all keeping my head spinning. In any case, I've only sent my CV; they may not even call me for an interview and then they may meet me and see I'm not what they want. I'm trying not to worry about anything. Trying to wait for the bridges to appear before I see how I'm going to get across. But I can't help feeling a bit sad about it all.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Good Writing
I’ve been having conversations about writing and what good writing is and if it is always the same. Are there things that are intrinsic to good writing? Can we produce a checklist that we can tick off as we assess a piece of writing? Or is good writing in the eye of the beholder? What about bad writing? Can it be seen straight away?
People who know me and my writing know that I am a composite just as my writing is. I am in introvert who talks too much in public. I love to exercise and get out and active, but I will eat a piece of cake before an orange on any day of the week. I read Victoria Holt and I love Kazuo Ishiguro. I love Sue Townsend and all of the Spud books and I get weak in the knees knowing there is a new Margaret Atwood out and about and I do not own it. My writing is just like that. Just like I hate to be put in a box in my life, in my reading, and I hate to be put in a box with my writing. I write for children. I write romance. I attempt to write literary. I write detective and sometimes even write ghost stories. I write exactly what I feel like writing. I try to do the best I’m able to with each.
But is good or bad writing defined by style? Can people who love literary fiction look at genre and say that it is good writing? Or will people who write literary fiction always see genre as weak writing, as bad writing? Writing for genre is all about plot. It is storytelling. Literary is about an exploration of character; plot is what happens, but of far less importance except for where it moves the character. Of course, occasionally they cross. I don’t see one better than the other- I love them both.
I guess my point is – is there a definition of good writing or is it fluid and subjective? What do you think?
People who know me and my writing know that I am a composite just as my writing is. I am in introvert who talks too much in public. I love to exercise and get out and active, but I will eat a piece of cake before an orange on any day of the week. I read Victoria Holt and I love Kazuo Ishiguro. I love Sue Townsend and all of the Spud books and I get weak in the knees knowing there is a new Margaret Atwood out and about and I do not own it. My writing is just like that. Just like I hate to be put in a box in my life, in my reading, and I hate to be put in a box with my writing. I write for children. I write romance. I attempt to write literary. I write detective and sometimes even write ghost stories. I write exactly what I feel like writing. I try to do the best I’m able to with each.
But is good or bad writing defined by style? Can people who love literary fiction look at genre and say that it is good writing? Or will people who write literary fiction always see genre as weak writing, as bad writing? Writing for genre is all about plot. It is storytelling. Literary is about an exploration of character; plot is what happens, but of far less importance except for where it moves the character. Of course, occasionally they cross. I don’t see one better than the other- I love them both.
I guess my point is – is there a definition of good writing or is it fluid and subjective? What do you think?
Friday, February 5, 2010
Uganda, Homosexuality, and the Rest of Africa
Early in my writing career, I was contracted to write a book about Uganda by an American publisher. According to the agreement, I would write it and an American academic would then look at the book and have his say (and his name on the cover) and then I would be given the proofs of the final copy with the edits and I could decide if I wanted my name on the cover or not. I was never given the proofs. The book went to publication after the publishers accused me of plagiarising and threatened not to pay me. I didn't plagiarise anything and they never gave me the option to remove my name from the cover. I was not happy with the final book which turned a Uganda I saw as a success story into another African basket case. I try to ignore I was part of the book's propaganda and I often feel ashamed about the whole thing.
Time has passed and things have changed. President Museveni has gone from being the saviour of Uganda to being the chain around its neck. His iron grip on power is killing a country that has had more than its share of suffering. Now thanks to influence from an American Christian cult, The Fellowship, he is attempting to get a bill passed that could give homosexuals the death penalty for loving each other.
One thing you can say about Christians, when it comes to Africa, they have some serious staying power. The seeds they planted have taken root and grown filling the entire space. There is a passion and vehemence about African Christian churches that I've not seen in other places. Perhaps it is some amalgamation of traditional religion with the teachings of Christianity, I don't know. It's funny how the typical response of Africans who are against homosexuality is that it is an imported concept, some Westernised activity imposed on Africans. I wonder why they never see the same thing can be said about Christianity.
The fear now is that Museveni's vehemence against gays will spread. Already a Malawian gay couple who married were arrested in December. Mugabe has not been quiet about his views on gays. Even here in Botswana it is illegal to be gay though no one has been arrested. The non-governmental organisation Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana (LEGABIBO) is unable to operate properly in the country as it is unable to be registered, as such there is no organised way for gays to fight against the unfair and out-of-date legislation.
I sometimes can't quite feel a problem that is far from me, that I have no personal connection to. So when I hear about the terrible, stupid, preventable shortage of food that Zimbabweans will have in the coming months, for example, I don't let the words flow in and out of me. I stop them along the way and think of people I know in Zimbabwe- personally- people who will miss meals to feed their hungry children. Only then does the impact of what is happening find its true space in me.
In 2007 Ugandan Monica Arac de Nyeko won the Caine Prize for her story Jambula Tree about the two girls Anyango and Sanyu and the forbidden love that they had for each other. It was a painful story to read and it stuck with me. Characters tend to live on in my mind, in some sort of semi-real state. And as I watched Museveni joking on the TV about how overseas leaders were calling him and tell him sending gays to the gallows was not a good move diplomatically, I thought of Anyango and Sanyu.
In this world, where hate is everywhere, how does one's thoughts get so mixed up so as to get to a position where love is wrong? I don't believe Jesus or God would be on Museveni's side; if they are I don't think I can follow along behind them.
Time has passed and things have changed. President Museveni has gone from being the saviour of Uganda to being the chain around its neck. His iron grip on power is killing a country that has had more than its share of suffering. Now thanks to influence from an American Christian cult, The Fellowship, he is attempting to get a bill passed that could give homosexuals the death penalty for loving each other.
One thing you can say about Christians, when it comes to Africa, they have some serious staying power. The seeds they planted have taken root and grown filling the entire space. There is a passion and vehemence about African Christian churches that I've not seen in other places. Perhaps it is some amalgamation of traditional religion with the teachings of Christianity, I don't know. It's funny how the typical response of Africans who are against homosexuality is that it is an imported concept, some Westernised activity imposed on Africans. I wonder why they never see the same thing can be said about Christianity.
The fear now is that Museveni's vehemence against gays will spread. Already a Malawian gay couple who married were arrested in December. Mugabe has not been quiet about his views on gays. Even here in Botswana it is illegal to be gay though no one has been arrested. The non-governmental organisation Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana (LEGABIBO) is unable to operate properly in the country as it is unable to be registered, as such there is no organised way for gays to fight against the unfair and out-of-date legislation.
I sometimes can't quite feel a problem that is far from me, that I have no personal connection to. So when I hear about the terrible, stupid, preventable shortage of food that Zimbabweans will have in the coming months, for example, I don't let the words flow in and out of me. I stop them along the way and think of people I know in Zimbabwe- personally- people who will miss meals to feed their hungry children. Only then does the impact of what is happening find its true space in me.
In 2007 Ugandan Monica Arac de Nyeko won the Caine Prize for her story Jambula Tree about the two girls Anyango and Sanyu and the forbidden love that they had for each other. It was a painful story to read and it stuck with me. Characters tend to live on in my mind, in some sort of semi-real state. And as I watched Museveni joking on the TV about how overseas leaders were calling him and tell him sending gays to the gallows was not a good move diplomatically, I thought of Anyango and Sanyu.
In this world, where hate is everywhere, how does one's thoughts get so mixed up so as to get to a position where love is wrong? I don't believe Jesus or God would be on Museveni's side; if they are I don't think I can follow along behind them.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
100 Stories for Haiti
100 Stories for Haiti is a project started by UK writer Greg McQueen to try and raise some money for the Red Cross to help the people in Haiti. On January 19th, Mr. McQueen woke up with an idea and 100 Stories for Haiti was born. In quick as lightning fashion, he and his team asked for submissions (they got 400+ of them), read them, and chose their 100. My story, Birds of a Feather, is one of the stories to be included in the book.
The books will be out as an ebook published by Smashwords and a POD published by Unbound Press. Every book bought will help. I'll let you know when it is out so all of you can rush to buy it.
*** And completely off topic- today is my husband's birthday. Happy Birthday Sweetie!!!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
My new year's resolution said I would be blogging every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and everything would be written the Sunday before. It is the 1st of February and I have failed. I had a HORRIBLE weekend. I've been in a fury and could write nothing. So Sunday slipped away.
Today I had to take Catman (finally) to the vet in Palapye (70 kms away) and myself to the dentist, so I wouldn't have to pitch up in Egypt with one front tooth missing. Now my Monday is almost finished and I have nothing to blog about except that if I had a plane ticket I would be on a plane and gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. One way; first class, please.... hopefully tomorrow this will pass. Cross fingers for me and my wayward brain chemistry.
BUT what I can talk about today is that maybe I will get a publishing/books/ writing/ author column after all! Last year I sent a proposal to some of the national newspapers in Botswana and the response was less than enthusiastic. Nevertheless, I'm stubborn, so I did a follow-up at Mmegi, the newspaper I normally freelance for, and the editor said he'd run four weeks as sort of a pilot.
So I've sent the four columns. They are:
1. So You Want to be a Writer? (The publishing situation in Botswana)
2. What's a Motswana writer to Do? (How to break out of the borders)
3. The Tricky Art of Querying
4. Rejection Acceptance
So if you read Mmegi -be on the look out for the columns. Let me know what you think, and maybe more importantly- let them know what you think.
Today I had to take Catman (finally) to the vet in Palapye (70 kms away) and myself to the dentist, so I wouldn't have to pitch up in Egypt with one front tooth missing. Now my Monday is almost finished and I have nothing to blog about except that if I had a plane ticket I would be on a plane and gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. One way; first class, please.... hopefully tomorrow this will pass. Cross fingers for me and my wayward brain chemistry.
BUT what I can talk about today is that maybe I will get a publishing/books/ writing/ author column after all! Last year I sent a proposal to some of the national newspapers in Botswana and the response was less than enthusiastic. Nevertheless, I'm stubborn, so I did a follow-up at Mmegi, the newspaper I normally freelance for, and the editor said he'd run four weeks as sort of a pilot.
So I've sent the four columns. They are:
1. So You Want to be a Writer? (The publishing situation in Botswana)
2. What's a Motswana writer to Do? (How to break out of the borders)
3. The Tricky Art of Querying
4. Rejection Acceptance
So if you read Mmegi -be on the look out for the columns. Let me know what you think, and maybe more importantly- let them know what you think.
Friday, January 29, 2010
A Plunger, Bostek, Cellotape and a Paper Clip
I have always dreamt of being the Ms Fix-It type. I knew a woman, a teacher I used to work with, who taught design and technology. She had a fantastically tidy lab with all sorts of scary equipment- you know the kind- POWER TOOLS. She could take any of them from their assigned place on the wall and turn them on and use them without losing a single finger. Our headmistress at the time was always asking her to do complicated things. “Could you build the school a classroom out of Coke tins and left over magwinya?” And this woman would smile and say, “Of course” and take down the exact power tool needed for the job and get to work. The resulting classroom would be a work of art that could bring tears to your eyes. Even now, years later, I think of this woman with silent awe.
I often say off-handedly to my husband, “You know life would be so much better if we had a power drill.” There is a part of me that really wants a drill. The part that still has hope that I could BE that D & T teacher, and if only I had a power drill I too could build a Coke tin and magwinya classroom. But then there is the realist side of me, the side that knows I am not that woman.
My box of fix-it tools, sadly, has nothing that requires an electrical connection. The box is not full; it has four things: cellotape, a plunger, bostek and a paper clip. In my world most things can be sorted out and made to work in some sort of fashion with one or a combination of these four things. I have an accelerator on my car held to the other plastic bit with a paper clip. Our fridge that doesn’t close properly has a strip of cellotape you must replace after closing. Bostek was keeping my recently put away Christmas tree, that lost its connecting bits, together. And our bath tub drain likes the attention of a good plunge or two before it allows a single drop of water to escape down the drain. My tool kit keeps my life going and the things I need working, but it lacks the elegance of taking out a power saw and a burning hot welding machine, donning some sexy goggles, and getting to work.
The thing I often wonder about that woman is -did she become herself once she got her hands on those power tools or was she already formed like that and the power tools were just going to be part of her destiny? The answer to that would make a big difference in my decision to drop my collection of tools and make that leap of faith and buy a power drill.
I often say off-handedly to my husband, “You know life would be so much better if we had a power drill.” There is a part of me that really wants a drill. The part that still has hope that I could BE that D & T teacher, and if only I had a power drill I too could build a Coke tin and magwinya classroom. But then there is the realist side of me, the side that knows I am not that woman.
My box of fix-it tools, sadly, has nothing that requires an electrical connection. The box is not full; it has four things: cellotape, a plunger, bostek and a paper clip. In my world most things can be sorted out and made to work in some sort of fashion with one or a combination of these four things. I have an accelerator on my car held to the other plastic bit with a paper clip. Our fridge that doesn’t close properly has a strip of cellotape you must replace after closing. Bostek was keeping my recently put away Christmas tree, that lost its connecting bits, together. And our bath tub drain likes the attention of a good plunge or two before it allows a single drop of water to escape down the drain. My tool kit keeps my life going and the things I need working, but it lacks the elegance of taking out a power saw and a burning hot welding machine, donning some sexy goggles, and getting to work.
The thing I often wonder about that woman is -did she become herself once she got her hands on those power tools or was she already formed like that and the power tools were just going to be part of her destiny? The answer to that would make a big difference in my decision to drop my collection of tools and make that leap of faith and buy a power drill.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Mma Ramotswe on BTV
The books by Alexander McCall Smith about the traditionally built detective Mma Ramotswe have been made into a movie and a series shown on BBC. Lucky for TV viewers in Botswana our local television station has been able to air the movie and the series on Mondays and Wednesdays after the 9pm news.
The books are set in Botswana and at the time of filming our government paid money to the production company to get them to film the movie and the series here in Botswana. The production company was planning to film in South Africa where there are far more trained personnel and other facilities needed for such a big production. To do the same thing in Botswana would be very costly as much of what they needed would have to be brought in. But the government of Botswana thought the movies would help to attract tourists to our country if the film was shot here so used tax money to entice them to our side of the border. I, for one, think it was one of the better investments of our public funds. If the local newspaper columnists are anything to go by, I may be alone in my belief.
Last week, Sonny O. Serite a columnist in The Telegraph had a scathing commentary on the programmes. His beef comes in a three guises:
1. Jill Scott who plays Mma Ramotswe, and her secretary played by Aniki Noni Rose are vilified by Serite for not producing a perfect Setswana accent.
2. Serite claims that big roles played by South African actors could have easily been played by Batswana actors.
3. He says the plots are simplistic -"the story line is too childish and it is very difficult to follow the series and connect what you saw on Monday with what you see on Wednesday".
Serite says from the outset that "....I am one of those who were never caught in on the hype that came with the release of the movie..." later he admits to having never watched it until it was free on BTV. The assumption is he also did not read the books, though he doesn't mention that clearly. He claims the movie was meant to ..."depict Botswana and the lifestyle of Batswana..."
I believe Serite operates from quite a few false premises. The Mma Ramotswe books are not nonfiction; the movie is not a documentary. It is a work of fiction. Just as Mr. Bean is a character based on a man in Britain, Mma Ramotswe is a character based on a woman in Botswana. I doubt anyone with sense makes the assumption when watching Mr. Bean that this is how all British people are; the same can be said for Mma Ramotswe. The books are a gentle, comical view of Batswana. A much nicer take than the normal picture given by the world of Africa: the land of disease, starvation, and inept governments. A breath of fresh air if you ask me.
As has been mentioned over and over throughout this debate in Botswana, we are barely walking when it comes to film and television production. The few Batswana actors with a CV longer than half a page all work in South Africa or overseas. The Mma Ramotswe films gave many Batswana opportunities to learn more about the film industry- both in front and behind the camera. I, personally, know many people who worked on the production and can add it to their CVs to boost their chances of getting more significant positions for the next production that comes along.
If you look through the cast list you will see quite a few Batswana with substantial speaking roles in the series. For example, Lebogang Motubudi does an excellent job as Mma Makhutsi's brother who is sick with AIDS. It is a speaking role spreading over a few episodes. Joe Matome has a speaking role as the curio shop owner. Musicians such as Tshilo Baitsile and Gaolape Basuhi appeared in the movie and were involved in the soundtrack. I'm only mentioning a few, but to say Batswana did not benefit from this production is disingenuous.
We also need to accept that film production is a business. It would be an unpardonable risk to cast an unknown in the major roles. People like Jill Scott and Aniki Noni Rose are famous Hollywood names. The accents might have been better, but few outside Botswana would even recognise the difference, and, in the end, weren't these films made for a foreign audience? Didn't the government invest that money so foreigners could get a look at our beautiful country and decide they would like to visit?
I think Serite and those of his ilk have seriously lost the plot. It is more of the same. Batswana have the terrible tendency to always look for the dark side. Why is no one mentioning the sterling performances by Batswana actors in the production? Why are they not happy that a writer who lived in Botswana for many years (contributing significantly to the development of this country while here) has gone on to write such delightful and popular books that have shown even the most geographically challenged foreigners that a country called Botswana exists?
The PHD (Pull Him/Her Down) Syndrome is alive and well in my country, I'm afraid, and it is doing nobody any good.
The books are set in Botswana and at the time of filming our government paid money to the production company to get them to film the movie and the series here in Botswana. The production company was planning to film in South Africa where there are far more trained personnel and other facilities needed for such a big production. To do the same thing in Botswana would be very costly as much of what they needed would have to be brought in. But the government of Botswana thought the movies would help to attract tourists to our country if the film was shot here so used tax money to entice them to our side of the border. I, for one, think it was one of the better investments of our public funds. If the local newspaper columnists are anything to go by, I may be alone in my belief.
Last week, Sonny O. Serite a columnist in The Telegraph had a scathing commentary on the programmes. His beef comes in a three guises:
1. Jill Scott who plays Mma Ramotswe, and her secretary played by Aniki Noni Rose are vilified by Serite for not producing a perfect Setswana accent.
2. Serite claims that big roles played by South African actors could have easily been played by Batswana actors.
3. He says the plots are simplistic -"the story line is too childish and it is very difficult to follow the series and connect what you saw on Monday with what you see on Wednesday".
Serite says from the outset that "....I am one of those who were never caught in on the hype that came with the release of the movie..." later he admits to having never watched it until it was free on BTV. The assumption is he also did not read the books, though he doesn't mention that clearly. He claims the movie was meant to ..."depict Botswana and the lifestyle of Batswana..."
I believe Serite operates from quite a few false premises. The Mma Ramotswe books are not nonfiction; the movie is not a documentary. It is a work of fiction. Just as Mr. Bean is a character based on a man in Britain, Mma Ramotswe is a character based on a woman in Botswana. I doubt anyone with sense makes the assumption when watching Mr. Bean that this is how all British people are; the same can be said for Mma Ramotswe. The books are a gentle, comical view of Batswana. A much nicer take than the normal picture given by the world of Africa: the land of disease, starvation, and inept governments. A breath of fresh air if you ask me.
As has been mentioned over and over throughout this debate in Botswana, we are barely walking when it comes to film and television production. The few Batswana actors with a CV longer than half a page all work in South Africa or overseas. The Mma Ramotswe films gave many Batswana opportunities to learn more about the film industry- both in front and behind the camera. I, personally, know many people who worked on the production and can add it to their CVs to boost their chances of getting more significant positions for the next production that comes along.
If you look through the cast list you will see quite a few Batswana with substantial speaking roles in the series. For example, Lebogang Motubudi does an excellent job as Mma Makhutsi's brother who is sick with AIDS. It is a speaking role spreading over a few episodes. Joe Matome has a speaking role as the curio shop owner. Musicians such as Tshilo Baitsile and Gaolape Basuhi appeared in the movie and were involved in the soundtrack. I'm only mentioning a few, but to say Batswana did not benefit from this production is disingenuous.
We also need to accept that film production is a business. It would be an unpardonable risk to cast an unknown in the major roles. People like Jill Scott and Aniki Noni Rose are famous Hollywood names. The accents might have been better, but few outside Botswana would even recognise the difference, and, in the end, weren't these films made for a foreign audience? Didn't the government invest that money so foreigners could get a look at our beautiful country and decide they would like to visit?
I think Serite and those of his ilk have seriously lost the plot. It is more of the same. Batswana have the terrible tendency to always look for the dark side. Why is no one mentioning the sterling performances by Batswana actors in the production? Why are they not happy that a writer who lived in Botswana for many years (contributing significantly to the development of this country while here) has gone on to write such delightful and popular books that have shown even the most geographically challenged foreigners that a country called Botswana exists?
The PHD (Pull Him/Her Down) Syndrome is alive and well in my country, I'm afraid, and it is doing nobody any good.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Contest Deadlines You Don't Want to Miss
There are some important deadlines for contests coming up for writers in Botswana, Africa and the Commonwealth.
1. Penguin Prize for Africa Writing
If you haven't entered this one yet, you better get cracking as the deadline is 30th January, 2010. The prize is for book length manuscripts; either fiction or nonfiction, from citizens of African countries. Fiction rules are here and nonfiction here. The prize in each category is R50,000 (USD 5000) and a publishing contract. The shortlist will be announced in April 2010.
2. Commonwealth Short Story Competition
This annual flash fiction competition has changed slightly this year. The deadline has moved up to 31 March, 2010. They offer prize money for the twenty or so highly commended stories, the regional winners and a 2000 (British pound) prize for the overall winner. This year there will be two additional prizes: one for the best children's story and one for a story around the theme of "Science, Technology and the Community". It is a free contest open to citizens of any Commonwealth country. All winning stories are recorded on CD and sent to all radio stations in the Commonwealth to play the stories on air.
3. Bessie Head Literature Awards
This has become an annual writing award in Botswana for citizen and resident writers. This year the categories are: novel, short story, and children's story. The word count limits for short story and children's story are outrageous (10,000 words) but don't let that scare you off-keep in mind that is the maximum word count. A story of 1000 words is still acceptable. The prize money is for first position only: novel -P2500 and short story and children's story-P1250. The rules are a bit complicated and require things such as certified copies of IDs etc. so please read them carefully. The deadline for submissions (which must be posted only) is 20th March 2010.
4. The Baobab Prize
The Baobab Prize is an American based literature prize for citizen writers of any African country. Its goal is to promote African writing for children. There are two categories: junior for children ages 8-11 and senior for children ages 12-15. There is also a prize for writers below the age of 18 called the Rising Writer's Prize. Prize money is $1000 (USD) for the main categories and $800 (USD) for the Rising Writer's Prize. Entrants can send up to five stories. The deadline for submissions is 26th April 2010.
So folks- let's get writing. Contests open up doors and get your name out there. Remember the worst that can happen is you don't win and that will push you to try harder next year.
So Good Luck Everyone!!!
1. Penguin Prize for Africa Writing
If you haven't entered this one yet, you better get cracking as the deadline is 30th January, 2010. The prize is for book length manuscripts; either fiction or nonfiction, from citizens of African countries. Fiction rules are here and nonfiction here. The prize in each category is R50,000 (USD 5000) and a publishing contract. The shortlist will be announced in April 2010.
2. Commonwealth Short Story Competition
This annual flash fiction competition has changed slightly this year. The deadline has moved up to 31 March, 2010. They offer prize money for the twenty or so highly commended stories, the regional winners and a 2000 (British pound) prize for the overall winner. This year there will be two additional prizes: one for the best children's story and one for a story around the theme of "Science, Technology and the Community". It is a free contest open to citizens of any Commonwealth country. All winning stories are recorded on CD and sent to all radio stations in the Commonwealth to play the stories on air.
3. Bessie Head Literature Awards
This has become an annual writing award in Botswana for citizen and resident writers. This year the categories are: novel, short story, and children's story. The word count limits for short story and children's story are outrageous (10,000 words) but don't let that scare you off-keep in mind that is the maximum word count. A story of 1000 words is still acceptable. The prize money is for first position only: novel -P2500 and short story and children's story-P1250. The rules are a bit complicated and require things such as certified copies of IDs etc. so please read them carefully. The deadline for submissions (which must be posted only) is 20th March 2010.
4. The Baobab Prize
The Baobab Prize is an American based literature prize for citizen writers of any African country. Its goal is to promote African writing for children. There are two categories: junior for children ages 8-11 and senior for children ages 12-15. There is also a prize for writers below the age of 18 called the Rising Writer's Prize. Prize money is $1000 (USD) for the main categories and $800 (USD) for the Rising Writer's Prize. Entrants can send up to five stories. The deadline for submissions is 26th April 2010.
So folks- let's get writing. Contests open up doors and get your name out there. Remember the worst that can happen is you don't win and that will push you to try harder next year.
So Good Luck Everyone!!!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Just what we need- Another Private Hospital in Botswana
For a few weeks now Bokamoso Private Hospital in Gaborone has been getting free advertising on Botswana Television news thanks to my tax money. Apparently it is owned by the big medical aid schemes in Botswana and managed by some American hospital conglomerate called OR International. That explains why every person from the hospital interviewed on BTV has an American accent. Great- let's emulate the American health care system because it's doing such a fine job.
One wonders which bigshot politician also holds shares in the Hospital so that BTV could be used as its defacto PR department. Goes back to transparency and the declaration of assets something Botswana politicians pretend is a silly notion from the even sillier and irreverent media.
For people outside of Botswana let me give you a bit of information about health care in Botswana. We have a very large and widespread public health care system. There are clinics in most villages where basic health care is provided. In larger villages and towns there are quite substantial hospitals. In Mahalapye, where I live, we had quite an old hospital but it was recently replaced with a big, modern new one. Service is sometimes poor, but occasionally excellent, much depends on the staff.
I delivered both of my children at the old Mahalapye Hospital and it was fine. For my daughter the labour was quite long, more than two days, and when she was finally born she had an Apgar score of 2. Thanks to the quick work and knowledge of the nurse and doctor on duty my daughter is fine. I knew a woman who delivered her son in Gaborone and he too was born with an Apgar score of 2, he is profoundly retarded, unable to sit, or do anything for himself. It all depends on the staff.
We pay a small fee and all expenses are included in that fee. Recently at Princess Marina Hospital, the government hospital in Gaborone, heart surgery was done for the first time. The patients paid nothing.
I think what Botswana has done in terms of health care is quite remarkable. It is not perfect, but they know this and are trying to improve. Training people to become doctors, nurses and other health professionals takes a substantial part of the government's education budget. One of the biggest problems, though, is retaining staff. The civil service tries to pay what it can, but it cannot compete with private organisations.
And now we have Bokamoso Hosptial. So the government trains doctors and nurses at their expense (our expense) so that a private hospital can employ them. Compounding this is that only the wealthy can afford medical aid, 1 out 18 Batswana have medical aid. So the other 17 of us go to the government hospital where there are no doctors or nurses because they have gone off to the greener pastures of Bokamoso Hospital.
Private health care in general has a detrimental effect on the public system. The most educated go to private health care providers. These people are often the ones who feel they are in a position to complain about poor service. They too are often the ones making decisions about the public health care system, decisions that will not effect them.
The commercials/news stories on BTV about Bokamoso Hospital show all the fancy equipment the hospital has. I'm sure they are important but I learned from experience that machines in the end are not what make the difference, it is the quality of the personnel. Sadly, they may end up having a monopoly on that too.
One wonders which bigshot politician also holds shares in the Hospital so that BTV could be used as its defacto PR department. Goes back to transparency and the declaration of assets something Botswana politicians pretend is a silly notion from the even sillier and irreverent media.
For people outside of Botswana let me give you a bit of information about health care in Botswana. We have a very large and widespread public health care system. There are clinics in most villages where basic health care is provided. In larger villages and towns there are quite substantial hospitals. In Mahalapye, where I live, we had quite an old hospital but it was recently replaced with a big, modern new one. Service is sometimes poor, but occasionally excellent, much depends on the staff.
I delivered both of my children at the old Mahalapye Hospital and it was fine. For my daughter the labour was quite long, more than two days, and when she was finally born she had an Apgar score of 2. Thanks to the quick work and knowledge of the nurse and doctor on duty my daughter is fine. I knew a woman who delivered her son in Gaborone and he too was born with an Apgar score of 2, he is profoundly retarded, unable to sit, or do anything for himself. It all depends on the staff.
We pay a small fee and all expenses are included in that fee. Recently at Princess Marina Hospital, the government hospital in Gaborone, heart surgery was done for the first time. The patients paid nothing.
I think what Botswana has done in terms of health care is quite remarkable. It is not perfect, but they know this and are trying to improve. Training people to become doctors, nurses and other health professionals takes a substantial part of the government's education budget. One of the biggest problems, though, is retaining staff. The civil service tries to pay what it can, but it cannot compete with private organisations.
And now we have Bokamoso Hosptial. So the government trains doctors and nurses at their expense (our expense) so that a private hospital can employ them. Compounding this is that only the wealthy can afford medical aid, 1 out 18 Batswana have medical aid. So the other 17 of us go to the government hospital where there are no doctors or nurses because they have gone off to the greener pastures of Bokamoso Hospital.
Private health care in general has a detrimental effect on the public system. The most educated go to private health care providers. These people are often the ones who feel they are in a position to complain about poor service. They too are often the ones making decisions about the public health care system, decisions that will not effect them.
The commercials/news stories on BTV about Bokamoso Hospital show all the fancy equipment the hospital has. I'm sure they are important but I learned from experience that machines in the end are not what make the difference, it is the quality of the personnel. Sadly, they may end up having a monopoly on that too.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The Books Have Arrived!!
On Friday, I received my author copies of two short story collections I wrote with two other Batswana writers, Wame Molefhe and Bontekanye Botumile. I'm so pleased with the books I can't stop looking at them. They look so jolly and inviting. I'm so proud my name is on the cover. (the third one will be coming out next year)
In 2008, we three women writers set out to write short story collections for upper primary school. We agreed we would do three; for standards 5,6, and 7. We had a fanatically short amount of time, I think it was about three months. I was lucky as I had quite a few stories already written. We started writing and submitting stories to each other. We critiqued and edited and finally decided which stories we could use and in which books they would go. It was a stressful process for all of us. We submitted the books to Pentagon Publishers and they were then submitted to the Ministry of Education. To our surprise and delight -all three were selected as prescribed books.
What I love most about these books is that each of us are very different writers so there is quite a wide selection of stories for children to choose from. Bonty has made her mark re-telling traditional tales and in these books she writes many of her stories about mythical snakes that live in Setswana folklore such as the scary Kgogela,the Hypnotist. Wame writes of modern problems kids face and how they find their ways through. Her story Another Mother, for example, is about the problematic situation of a young girl's father marrying again after the girl's mother dies. I often am inclined toward the silly, as in my story about the magical TV that allows you to reach in and get what you see on the screen ( The Problem With That TV), or the occasional social message as in my story My Friend, Jackson about the friendship between a Mongwato boy and a Mosarwa boy.
We often hear in Botswana, that Batswana are not readers. I love thinking that maybe somehow, somewhere a story in one of these books will ignite the love of reading in a few young hearts. How lovely that would be.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Satan Talks Tough With Pat Robertson
Here in Botswana, on a Sunday morning we get the pleasure of listening to Pat Robertson on BTV. Since in my home we are currently down to one television station ( a blessing and a curse) we usually drink our morning tea while having fun with Pat and his 700 Club. To be honest, I was not surprised to find my bud Pat tried to use the earthquake in Haiti to his advantage. He's like that. He gets letters from people,people with real problems, like the lady last week with the husband addicted to porn. Pat has a tricky way of turning everything upside down and sideways to get to the point where every problem can be solved by pledging your life to his god and popping out a bit of change for Pat's bulging pockets. I'm wondering how the porn guy is doing with that. I must say though his method seems to have backfired on my friend Pat and now his slip is showing in a most embarrassed way.
For those who missed Patty's words of wisdom, here they are:
"Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it," he said on Christian Broadcasting Network's "The 700 Club." "They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III, or whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, we will serve you if you'll get us free from the French. True story. And so, the devil said, okay it's a deal." Robertson said that "ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other"
Okay before you rush off to the bathroom to vomit, you must get the follow-up. Apparently Rra Satane watches the 702 Club religiously and he was not too pleased. He dashed off a letter to The Star Tribune in Minnesota (of all places) to set the record straight:
Dear Pat Robertson,
I know that you know that all press is good press, so I appreciate the shout-out. And you make God look like a big mean bully who kicks people when they are down, so I'm all over that action. But when you say that Haiti has made a pact with me, it is totally humiliating. I may be evil incarnate, but I'm no welcher.
The way you put it, making a deal with me leaves folks desperate and impoverished. Sure, in the afterlife, but when I strike bargains with people, they first get something here on earth -- glamour, beauty, talent, wealth, fame, glory, a golden fiddle. Those Haitians have nothing, and I mean nothing. And that was before the earthquake.
Haven't you seen "Crossroads"? Or "Damn Yankees"? If I had a thing going with Haiti, there'd be lots of banks, skyscrapers, SUVs, exclusive night clubs, Botox -- that kind of thing. An 80 percent poverty rate is so not my style. Nothing against it -- I'm just saying: Not how I roll. You're doing great work, Pat, and I don't want to clip your wings -- just, come on, you're making me look bad. And not the good kind of bad. Keep blaming God. That's working.
But leave me out of it, please. Or we may need to renegotiate your own contract. Best, Satan
LILY COYLE, MINNEAPOLIS
Comments??
For those who missed Patty's words of wisdom, here they are:
"Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it," he said on Christian Broadcasting Network's "The 700 Club." "They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III, or whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, we will serve you if you'll get us free from the French. True story. And so, the devil said, okay it's a deal." Robertson said that "ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other"
Okay before you rush off to the bathroom to vomit, you must get the follow-up. Apparently Rra Satane watches the 702 Club religiously and he was not too pleased. He dashed off a letter to The Star Tribune in Minnesota (of all places) to set the record straight:
Dear Pat Robertson,
I know that you know that all press is good press, so I appreciate the shout-out. And you make God look like a big mean bully who kicks people when they are down, so I'm all over that action. But when you say that Haiti has made a pact with me, it is totally humiliating. I may be evil incarnate, but I'm no welcher.
The way you put it, making a deal with me leaves folks desperate and impoverished. Sure, in the afterlife, but when I strike bargains with people, they first get something here on earth -- glamour, beauty, talent, wealth, fame, glory, a golden fiddle. Those Haitians have nothing, and I mean nothing. And that was before the earthquake.
Haven't you seen "Crossroads"? Or "Damn Yankees"? If I had a thing going with Haiti, there'd be lots of banks, skyscrapers, SUVs, exclusive night clubs, Botox -- that kind of thing. An 80 percent poverty rate is so not my style. Nothing against it -- I'm just saying: Not how I roll. You're doing great work, Pat, and I don't want to clip your wings -- just, come on, you're making me look bad. And not the good kind of bad. Keep blaming God. That's working.
But leave me out of it, please. Or we may need to renegotiate your own contract. Best, Satan
LILY COYLE, MINNEAPOLIS
Comments??
Friday, January 15, 2010
Short Circuit- Blog Book Tour Stop
Today, Thoughts from Botswana is happy to host Vanessa Gebbie editor of Short Circuit: A Guide to the Art of the Short Story.
(Read my review of the book here.)
Welcome Vanessa!
TFB: How were the contributors chosen? Did you assign them topics or did they stipulate what they wanted to write about?
VANESSA: The short story world is very small, really. I have got to know many superb writers, many of them prize-winners in quality literary competitions, and many of them writers who also happen to teach writing. Others I knew of, via the Internet, blogging, by reputation… It was a simple matter to draw up a wish-list of contributors. (example – I knew I wanted to cover the short short story, or flash fiction. Two names were obvious – Tania Hershman and David Gaffney.) Both Salt authors.
VANESSA: The short story world is very small, really. I have got to know many superb writers, many of them prize-winners in quality literary competitions, and many of them writers who also happen to teach writing. Others I knew of, via the Internet, blogging, by reputation… It was a simple matter to draw up a wish-list of contributors. (example – I knew I wanted to cover the short short story, or flash fiction. Two names were obvious – Tania Hershman and David Gaffney.) Both Salt authors.
But that raised another issue. Although this book was to be published by Salt, I wanted the contributors in the main body of the book to be not all Salt writers. In the end, we have a 50% split.
Before I approached anyone, I drew up the topics I wanted covered. That was easy. I was taught to strip a story down into its craft elements, to analyse the efficacy or otherwise of that element within the work. It worked for me, so I wanted to follow that approach in the book. I also wanted to cover as many process issues as I could get my mitts on!
I asked writers to contribute, and apart from one, the original wish-team said yes! If they had an idea themselves, that was terrific. The pure ‘process’ essays such as Alison MacLeod’s treatise in taboo, or Adam Marek’s on the writer’s response to originality, for example, answered a real need for writers to see what makes a story resonate and buzz rather than be pedestrian. As the writers talked to me about what they would write, the craft elements all appeared organically. The contributors picked things they felt passionate about – and if they were passionate about everything, I maybe gave them a gentle shove in a particular craft direction! Then I waited to see what was left – and I wrote the chapter on openings, which I find very interesting and very difficult anyway – so it all panned out fine.
TFB: At the beginning and the end of the book you include this quote from Faulkner-
TFB: At the beginning and the end of the book you include this quote from Faulkner-
“Let the writer take up surgery or bricklaying if he is interested in technique. There is no mechanical way to get the writing done, no shortcut. The young writer would be a fool to follow a theory. Teach yourself by your own mistakes; people learn only by error. But when it comes right, it is the best feeling in the world.”
Why is this so important to you? Doesn’t this run head-on into the idea of writing a textbook on short story writing?
VANESSA: Exactly. It sure does. I think there has to be an element of total bewilderment allied to times of confidence/stubbornness if you are going to be a good writer. The swing between confidence and self-doubt sets up a dynamic that drives you onwards. Without the self-doubt we’d never bother to try to get better. Without the confidence in ourselves and our work we’d never have the faith to send work out.
Short Circuit is not a didactic ‘do this or else’ sort of book! The whole idea is to get away from the type of book that says ‘do this and you will become a writer fast’ and gives the budding craftsman/woman the impression that if they follow that ‘law’, they will cut a corner and become a great writer uber-quick. There is no substitute for writing and writing and writing, and reading and reading – and it takes a long time to get it right. I agree with the ‘teach yourself by your own mistakes’ quote.
VANESSA: Exactly. It sure does. I think there has to be an element of total bewilderment allied to times of confidence/stubbornness if you are going to be a good writer. The swing between confidence and self-doubt sets up a dynamic that drives you onwards. Without the self-doubt we’d never bother to try to get better. Without the confidence in ourselves and our work we’d never have the faith to send work out.
Short Circuit is not a didactic ‘do this or else’ sort of book! The whole idea is to get away from the type of book that says ‘do this and you will become a writer fast’ and gives the budding craftsman/woman the impression that if they follow that ‘law’, they will cut a corner and become a great writer uber-quick. There is no substitute for writing and writing and writing, and reading and reading – and it takes a long time to get it right. I agree with the ‘teach yourself by your own mistakes’ quote.
But having a team of great writers and teachers all sharing tips and thoughts with you can only help on the journey – save a few of the pitfalls, sharpen your act, keep you on the straight and narrow, save you making fundamentally silly errors.
At the same time, you’ll notice that some of the contributors contradict each other. Marvellous! That doesn’t weaken the book, it strengthens it! There is no simple a, b c in writing fiction. Everything is complex. I WANT the reader to question, disagree, to hit against what it said. I want them to get a little closer to the heart of their own creativity, as I said in the introduction – I do not want them to ape other writers just because they are told to! If what they suggest chimes with you, then fine. If not – move on.
TFB: I’m curious about the exercises at the end of each chapter (which are excellent by the way), did each contributor submit their own exercises or did you as the editor write them?
VANESSA: Many did, and many didn’t. Some go so far as to say they don’t actually like ‘writing exercises’ themselves. Salt Publishing decided they wanted something for the reader to try out, at the end of each essay – each topic covered. So where there were no ideas from the contributors, yours truly came up with something she found useful herself, from workshops I have attended. Or even something invented for the purpose.
TFB: As a writing teacher what is the single most easily corrected mistake a newbie short story writer makes?
VANESSA: I think my answer to that is ‘over-writing’. I think overwriting is easily spotted, once you know what it is. Once you learn that actually, floral tributes, modifiers, saccharine and purple words do not a great piece of prose make. I think many new writers aim to be clever, and writerly. The results are the opposite – distinctly un-clever and nothing like a good writer.
TFB: I’m curious about the exercises at the end of each chapter (which are excellent by the way), did each contributor submit their own exercises or did you as the editor write them?
VANESSA: Many did, and many didn’t. Some go so far as to say they don’t actually like ‘writing exercises’ themselves. Salt Publishing decided they wanted something for the reader to try out, at the end of each essay – each topic covered. So where there were no ideas from the contributors, yours truly came up with something she found useful herself, from workshops I have attended. Or even something invented for the purpose.
TFB: As a writing teacher what is the single most easily corrected mistake a newbie short story writer makes?
VANESSA: I think my answer to that is ‘over-writing’. I think overwriting is easily spotted, once you know what it is. Once you learn that actually, floral tributes, modifiers, saccharine and purple words do not a great piece of prose make. I think many new writers aim to be clever, and writerly. The results are the opposite – distinctly un-clever and nothing like a good writer.
But you see I’m using I think, over and over? It depends on the writer, surely?! There are others – the use of cliché and tired images. Spending ages describing a character’s appearance to ‘make him real’. I worked once with a writer who spent paragraph after paragraph telling me that her female character had a tiny waist, wore satin jumpsuits and was very beautiful. Fine – so what? I still don’t know who she is. And all easily corrected. Hopefully, a zip through Short Circuit will iron out the easily corrected blips!
TFB: Graham Mort says in the book, “The reader, I would argue, both experiences the story as it unfolds and completes it”. How important do you think it is to leave space for the reader in a short story?
VANESSA: Hugely. If I don’t enter into the story and take part in it, I am just a passenger, watching puppets. I need to be IN it, to believe in the world and the unfolding events. If the writer put everything on a plate, tells the reader everything, there is nothing for the reader to do apart from follow the plot. For this reader, that is not satisfying fiction. Not good fiction. Not memorable fiction.
TFB: Graham Mort says in the book, “The reader, I would argue, both experiences the story as it unfolds and completes it”. How important do you think it is to leave space for the reader in a short story?
VANESSA: Hugely. If I don’t enter into the story and take part in it, I am just a passenger, watching puppets. I need to be IN it, to believe in the world and the unfolding events. If the writer put everything on a plate, tells the reader everything, there is nothing for the reader to do apart from follow the plot. For this reader, that is not satisfying fiction. Not good fiction. Not memorable fiction.
Reading, to be satisfying for this writer, needs to be active. Not passive. I don’t want a story to play itself out like a film created by someone else. I want to make the pictures.
But I need to add that there are oodles of readers who don’t want to read like this, who find it a pain, and think I am being a pretentious so and so. That’s fine- there’s room for all of us.
TFB: In Alison Macleod’s chapter she says, “If you know everything you want to say as you start writing, the story won’t be a story; it will be a message". What is your view on this?
VANESSA: I know what she means. Think of some fables – stories that are told expressly to illustrate a moral. Or the ghastly and bloody Victorian cautionary tales - it’s the message itself the reader was intended to recall. There are no layers, just the message sledgehammer that hits you between the eyes. I think she means that if you plan to say something specific, and force the piece into something that shouts what you intend, the story may end up weaker than if you come at it in a more organic way – exploring, allowing your creativity to work.
But I need to add that there are oodles of readers who don’t want to read like this, who find it a pain, and think I am being a pretentious so and so. That’s fine- there’s room for all of us.
TFB: In Alison Macleod’s chapter she says, “If you know everything you want to say as you start writing, the story won’t be a story; it will be a message". What is your view on this?
VANESSA: I know what she means. Think of some fables – stories that are told expressly to illustrate a moral. Or the ghastly and bloody Victorian cautionary tales - it’s the message itself the reader was intended to recall. There are no layers, just the message sledgehammer that hits you between the eyes. I think she means that if you plan to say something specific, and force the piece into something that shouts what you intend, the story may end up weaker than if you come at it in a more organic way – exploring, allowing your creativity to work.
But it IS hard to put into practice sometimes, I know that!
I would also add here that some writers can manage to do what she counsels against – and one example is William Golding. He deliberately wrote Lord of the Flies as a fable. He knew what he was wanting to say and he went for it. And went for it with his full talent, his full imagination, his skills as a writer. I think rather than win the Nobel Prize for Lit, most of the rest of us would fail miserably…
TFB: Elaine Chiew admits to being controversial in her chapter on endings when she says “neatly-tied up endings, everything resolved, often seem contrived by the author to me”- are such endings passé? Do we need unresolved issues to make it in the modern world of short stories?
VANESSA: I don’t think so – but it’s an interesting thing isn’t it? I am no academic, and have not made an academic analysis of the stories that constantly make it to the highest level. Maybe I should. But Elaine gives away what she is saying in one word… ‘contrived’. If anything at all feels contrived, the author is intruding and the fictive dream is shot. The ending of a good story is fundamental – isn’t it what stays with us long after the reading is done? If everything is too neat, then ‘they all lived happily ever after’ or something equally final slams the story shut. Isn’t it good to leave an echo, no matter how slight?
TFB:Okay, Vanessa, in 25 words explain why my readers should purchase Short Circuit- A Guide to the Art of the Short Story immediately.
VANESSA: It’s recommended by the Bridport, Fish, Asham and Frank O’Connor Prize organisers, by writing teachers, by writers. AND there’s 20% off at Salt Publishing! (25 words)
I would also add here that some writers can manage to do what she counsels against – and one example is William Golding. He deliberately wrote Lord of the Flies as a fable. He knew what he was wanting to say and he went for it. And went for it with his full talent, his full imagination, his skills as a writer. I think rather than win the Nobel Prize for Lit, most of the rest of us would fail miserably…
TFB: Elaine Chiew admits to being controversial in her chapter on endings when she says “neatly-tied up endings, everything resolved, often seem contrived by the author to me”- are such endings passé? Do we need unresolved issues to make it in the modern world of short stories?
VANESSA: I don’t think so – but it’s an interesting thing isn’t it? I am no academic, and have not made an academic analysis of the stories that constantly make it to the highest level. Maybe I should. But Elaine gives away what she is saying in one word… ‘contrived’. If anything at all feels contrived, the author is intruding and the fictive dream is shot. The ending of a good story is fundamental – isn’t it what stays with us long after the reading is done? If everything is too neat, then ‘they all lived happily ever after’ or something equally final slams the story shut. Isn’t it good to leave an echo, no matter how slight?
TFB:Okay, Vanessa, in 25 words explain why my readers should purchase Short Circuit- A Guide to the Art of the Short Story immediately.
VANESSA: It’s recommended by the Bridport, Fish, Asham and Frank O’Connor Prize organisers, by writing teachers, by writers. AND there’s 20% off at Salt Publishing! (25 words)
Fantastic Vanessa. Thanks so much for stopping by and good luck with the book. Readers, if you want to buy a copy of this excellent book click here.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
My Pre-Writing Method
I only know the method of writing that works for me and that method changes with every project. My first detective novella, The Fatal Payout, was written with very little pre-planning. I had a sketchy plot skeleton with a few names and that was it. For me, I found this quite inefficient for writing detective novels since the writer needs to be firmly in control of the plot or they will find that they’ve written themselves into a hole where they either can’t justify the ending or they’ve made it too obvious and the reader will be disappointed.
With my next three detective novellas each became progressively more pre-planned. When I started my first romance, Kwaito Love, I had come to the decision that pre-planning would work well for romance too. Again just like in a detective novel, I feel the author needs to keep a firm hand on the plot and the characters so as to build up the romantic tension at key points. I’m not sure how writers who don’t pre-plan do this. I’d be interested in knowing.
My pre-planning includes an A3 size general plot map, character bibles, usually an A4 for each character, then chapter synopses and occasionally an A3 calendar if time needs to be kept very clear as part of plot tension. The decisions at the beginning are not written in stone though, if I find as I start writing something else works better I change, as can be seen by the crossing out on the character bibles in the photo above. I do all pre-planning by hand in my terrible, and degenerating handwriting.
I found a new trick that is proving helpful as I begin my new romance, He Can’t Be the One. I wanted to see my characters more clearly so I paged through magazines and newspapers until I found them. I cut out the photos and stapled them to the respective character bible. I’ve found this very useful as I write.
I’m not sure how I will proceed when I start my next project which is not genre but literary; the book I want to work on during my residency in Egypt. I feel a bit as if literary fiction might need a freer reign as it is less about plot and more about character, but I find as I’m thinking about the project I’m already writing things down. I’ll have to wait and see.
How do you approach your projects? Is it always the same or does what you’re writing affect the process? I'd love to hear about it.
With my next three detective novellas each became progressively more pre-planned. When I started my first romance, Kwaito Love, I had come to the decision that pre-planning would work well for romance too. Again just like in a detective novel, I feel the author needs to keep a firm hand on the plot and the characters so as to build up the romantic tension at key points. I’m not sure how writers who don’t pre-plan do this. I’d be interested in knowing.
My pre-planning includes an A3 size general plot map, character bibles, usually an A4 for each character, then chapter synopses and occasionally an A3 calendar if time needs to be kept very clear as part of plot tension. The decisions at the beginning are not written in stone though, if I find as I start writing something else works better I change, as can be seen by the crossing out on the character bibles in the photo above. I do all pre-planning by hand in my terrible, and degenerating handwriting.
I found a new trick that is proving helpful as I begin my new romance, He Can’t Be the One. I wanted to see my characters more clearly so I paged through magazines and newspapers until I found them. I cut out the photos and stapled them to the respective character bible. I’ve found this very useful as I write.
I’m not sure how I will proceed when I start my next project which is not genre but literary; the book I want to work on during my residency in Egypt. I feel a bit as if literary fiction might need a freer reign as it is less about plot and more about character, but I find as I’m thinking about the project I’m already writing things down. I’ll have to wait and see.
How do you approach your projects? Is it always the same or does what you’re writing affect the process? I'd love to hear about it.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Why'd they Reject Me?
Every rejection gets us wondering:what is wrong with my manuscript? Agents and publishers rarely have time to tell us. This post on the web this last week might give us some insight.
It is from literary agent Janet Reid's blog. She gives a breakdown of why she rejected manuscripts she had requested to see (124 in total). This means the writer got through the query stage and the three chapters and was hopeful s/he was on the road to getting an agent. But not actually- as you will see.
Just plain not good enough: 21
Good premise, but the rest of the novel didn't hold up: 11
Not compelling or vivid, or focused; no plot/tension: 10
Slow start or the pace was too slow: 9
I didn't believe the narrative voice: 5
Structural problems with the novel: 8
Interesting premise, but not a fresh or new take on familiar plots/tropes: 7
Had caricatures rather than characters: 2
Boring: 3
Grossed me out: 2
Major plot problems: 2
Needed more polish and editorial input than I wanted to do: 2
Good books but I couldn't figure out where to sell them: 7
Got offer elsewhere; I withdrew from scrum: 2
Great writing, just not right for me: 2
Not right for me, refer to other agents: 9
Not quite there/send me the next one: 1
Sent back for revisions with editorial suggestions and I expect to see them again in 2010: 9
Getting second read at FPLM: 1
Got offer from me: 2 (Congrats you two!!!!)
So? Does this make us feel better ...or worse? 2 out of 124? I think I feel sad.
It is from literary agent Janet Reid's blog. She gives a breakdown of why she rejected manuscripts she had requested to see (124 in total). This means the writer got through the query stage and the three chapters and was hopeful s/he was on the road to getting an agent. But not actually- as you will see.
Just plain not good enough: 21
Good premise, but the rest of the novel didn't hold up: 11
Not compelling or vivid, or focused; no plot/tension: 10
Slow start or the pace was too slow: 9
I didn't believe the narrative voice: 5
Structural problems with the novel: 8
Interesting premise, but not a fresh or new take on familiar plots/tropes: 7
Had caricatures rather than characters: 2
Boring: 3
Grossed me out: 2
Major plot problems: 2
Needed more polish and editorial input than I wanted to do: 2
Good books but I couldn't figure out where to sell them: 7
Got offer elsewhere; I withdrew from scrum: 2
Great writing, just not right for me: 2
Not right for me, refer to other agents: 9
Not quite there/send me the next one: 1
Sent back for revisions with editorial suggestions and I expect to see them again in 2010: 9
Getting second read at FPLM: 1
Got offer from me: 2 (Congrats you two!!!!)
So? Does this make us feel better ...or worse? 2 out of 124? I think I feel sad.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Should Writers Review Books?
I read a review of a book on a blog recently and the owner explained that she often gets asked to write reviews of books on her blog but rarely does since she doesn't want to bash other writers' books and doesn't want to write a lot of fluff about friends' books she's not so sure about.
I review books occasionally here, mostly when I'm blown away by a book or it touched me in an important way. I also occasionally give books a miss. I implement my father's advice when it comes to book reviews on this blog- if I have nothing good to say, I keep quiet. Something I don't often do in my real life, usually to my own detriment.
I read this great article as The Rumpus about the problematic position of writers writing reviews of other writers' books. The author is Joshua Mohr and he says-
Yes, I like to read book reviews, and in the past I’ve enjoyed writing them. Right now, though—and who knows if it will change—it feels like a violation, a petty way to throw a wrench into someone else’s artistic career. A publishing career is hard enough without people who should be on the same team wielding criticism like a weapon.
What do you think? Should writers review books? What about a writer on a mission to bash the competitor? The world is not all rainbows and puppies, even in the writing world. Should we leave book reviews to non-writers only to stop any conflict of interest?
I review books occasionally here, mostly when I'm blown away by a book or it touched me in an important way. I also occasionally give books a miss. I implement my father's advice when it comes to book reviews on this blog- if I have nothing good to say, I keep quiet. Something I don't often do in my real life, usually to my own detriment.
I read this great article as The Rumpus about the problematic position of writers writing reviews of other writers' books. The author is Joshua Mohr and he says-
Yes, I like to read book reviews, and in the past I’ve enjoyed writing them. Right now, though—and who knows if it will change—it feels like a violation, a petty way to throw a wrench into someone else’s artistic career. A publishing career is hard enough without people who should be on the same team wielding criticism like a weapon.
What do you think? Should writers review books? What about a writer on a mission to bash the competitor? The world is not all rainbows and puppies, even in the writing world. Should we leave book reviews to non-writers only to stop any conflict of interest?
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