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The Legend of Fisher’s Ghost.

In Campbelltown, New South Wales on an evening in 1826, a figure materialised beside a bridge as a frightened witness looked on.  The figure did not speak, but pointed towards a small creek around the nearby paddock.  The figure slowly disappeared as it followed the creek’s course.

The witness, a local farmer, ran into the local pub and told his fellow patrons that he had seen the ghost of Frederick Fisher.  Frederick Fisher had disappeared some months previously, but friend and neighbour, George Worrall informed everyone that Fisher had returned to England.  Worrall also claimed that Fisher had given him the deeds to his farm as he planned to stay in England.

The suspicions surrounding Fisher’s disappearance encouraged police to look into the matter.  Aided by an aboriginal tracker, the police found the body of a brutally battered corpse hidden in a shallow grave.  Worrall confessed to the murder, was found guilty and hung for his crime.

Despite the controversy, Fisher’s Ghost has worked its way into Australian folklore.  A festival is held in Campbelltown every year in his honour.

Do you believe the dead can communicate with the living?

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Blogging Basics.

During this past week, I’ve been tearing my hair out.  Doing an assignment on a blog proposal may sound like fun, yet there were times when I felt like I was going around in circles.  If nothing else, it has certainly helped me to look at my own blog all over again.

As well as the Three Golden Rules of Blogging, here are some of the basics you need to consider (or indeed, remember) when writing a blog:-

  • Do you have a catchy title?  Does it reveal to the reader what your blog’s content will be about?
  • What are your objectives for writing your blog?  Is it to provide information, persuade action or promote discussion?
  • What is your chosen angle, brand or voice?  How will your blog be distinguished from others within a similar genre?  Will your tone be formal or informal?
  • Why is it needed?  Why would your blog be of interest?
  • How will your blog be structured?  This will include interactive elements, images, etc., as well as your written content.  Remember to use tags, which are very important if you want people to find you on the internet.
  • How much research will you need to help support your written content, such as links, etc.?

It’s so easy to start a blog and it can be difficult not to just jump in with both feet.  With the vast amount of blogs out there, you want yours to stand out.  This can take a great deal of time, thought and planning.

Are you using your blog to its full potential? Do you now look at other blogs and wish yours were as good?

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Writing the Short Story.

I recently attended a Short Story Writing Workshop run by the Central West Writers’ Centre.  Award winning author, Chris Womersley was our teacher for the day.  His first novel The Low Road won the Ned Kelly Award for crime fiction.  His second novel Bereft was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award, the Australian Society of Literature Gold Medal and won the Indie Award for Best Fiction.  In 2007 one of his short stories won the Josephine Ulrick Literature Prize, so we were in capable hands.

Here are some of Chris’s advice on how to write the short story:-

  • Be a bit of a magpie when it comes to getting ideas.  Stories are great ‘what ifs’.  Let the reader bring their own ideas to the story.
  • You need to make sure your story is for a short story and not a novel.
  • Don’t adhere too much to real life – experiment.
  • Story is conflict.  Expectations are thwarted, change the status quo.  Start story at the time of change – action, background, character.
  • Who is the best person to tell your story?  First person can be more compelling, third person has more scope.  Generally stick to one character.
  • Be ruthless to characters; kill your darlings.
  • Never use language that your character wouldn’t use.  If it’s out of character, lead up to it – set some groundwork or you could lose your reader.
  • Tense and point of view needs to be consistent.
  • Choice of words shouldn’t be random.
  • Sometimes you need to tell the reader certain things, rather than show. It depends upon the story.
  • Consider listening to music that co-insides with the writing you are trying to produce to help set the tone for your story.
  • Have you conveyed your message clearly?
  • Surprise yourself.  If it’s unexpected for you, it will be the same for the reader.
  • Resolution of plot is not the main attraction.

Have you written a short story?  Got any great tips for writing the short story?

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Step out of the Comfort Zone.

A couple of years ago, I wrote about Writing with Passion.  In order to be successful as a writer, one needs to write what they are passionate about.  Anything else and you’re not being authentic and true to yourself.

A few weeks back after reading a post from Christy Farmer, I began to question my own niche as a writer.  With the combination of these two posts, I have since discovered that some things have changed, but others have remained the same.  I’m still passionate about my favourite genres and particular topics.  I remember one of my lecturers telling us that she found the best essays were written on topics that students felt passionate about.  I believe in what she says and the same rule applies with anything we write.

In recent years, due to my University studies, there has been a shift in the different styles of writing that I do now.  I’ve always enjoyed writing and for me it has mainly been works of fiction.  Since I began my studies, I have been required to write personal essays, travel writing, as well as writing many other essays on various subjects.  Slowly, but surely I have become accustomed to writing works of non-fiction; something I was always afraid of and therefore, made sure to steer away from.

To be a successful writer, one needs to be flexible; especially nowadays with the future of publication.  As technology changes, so must we.  To show that we are willing to try different writing styles and use different ways of publishing, can only improve ourselves as writers.  What we write and how we write it can improve our portfolios, making us look appealing to publishers.

When it comes to writing, don’t be afraid to experiment.  Artists and musicians do it all the time; by doing so they have learnt to evolve and expand not only their talents, but also their audiences.

How has your writing evolved over the years?  Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone?

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From Book to Screen.

These school holidays I became one of many to see the screen version of The Hunger Games.  Although a bit lengthy, I did enjoy it, and having read the book made me understand it better.  Someone did mention that it didn’t go into much detail about the situation with the Capital, but due to time constraints, not everything can be covered within a film adaptation.  This led me to ponder the success and failure of some film adaptations.

Personally, I prefer to have read the book before watching the film version.  For example, the day before I was due to watch Gone with the Wind for the first time, I was up until 3am that morning to finish the book.  Having done so helped me appreciate Scarlett better and therefore reducing me to tears at the end.

Some years ago I read The Power of One and having enjoyed the book, I then decided to get it out on video.  I’m so glad that I never paid the money to see it at the pictures, as I may well have demanded my money back.  The film seemed to have followed the book for about half of it and was then turned into something that was nothing like the book I had just finished reading.  I was bitterly disappointed and have been wary of film adaptations ever since.  According to Wikipedia, this particular film adaptation was based ‘though loosely’ upon the book, further going on to list the numerous differences from the novel.

The film adaptations of The Harry Potter series have worked quite well, although perhaps if they didn’t come up to scratch, there well may have been a major outcry!  It seems remarkable how Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, being the longest book in the series, managed to become the shortest of the film adaptations.

From what I understand Suzanne Collins wrote the script for The Hunger Games and although J. K. Rowling did not write the script for all the Harry Potter films, she did have a large input and specified that the scriptwriter be faithful to the books.  Perhaps that’s a lesson for all scriptwriters.

Do you prefer to read a book before it is adapted to the big screen or after?  Has there ever been a movie adaptation that you didn’t like?

PS: Yep, I’ve changed the look of my blog once again. Just checking to see if you’re all awake!  ;)

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Three Golden Rules of Blogging.

Recently, due to my studies, I have been getting a bit behind in reading blog posts from blogs that I subscribe to.  Let’s face it, it’s a bit of a worry reading about Valentines Day in April!

As I slowly worked my way down into the single digits, I noticed a couple of important  factors regarding blogging.  These factors not only decided on whether to continue subscribing to some of these blogs, but also gave me a wake up call with my own.

  1. Content.  We like to visit blogs for their content, which needs to be informative, engaging and can sometimes give us a bit of an insight into the bloggers’ personality.  This is what keeps us coming back to these particular blogs and maybe even subscribe.  Keeping content fresh can sometimes become a bit of a challenge for the blogger, but it’s always great to see something a bit different.  Try not to write what other people are blogging about, and if you do, put your own perspective on the topic.
  2. Community.  Reading blogs that place a heavy emphasis on the ‘me, me, it’s all about me’, factor is very off-putting.  I used to subscribe to some blogs that were like this, but not anymore.  Try not to bog down readers where the emphasis is all about you.  Sure they like to know more about you, but stick to the old saying of ‘less is more’.  Involve your readers in the conversation.  As Christina Katz says – ‘think we; think community’.
  3. Regularity.  While I was going through the blog posts, I noticed a few posts from blogs I had not heard anything from in months, leaving me a bit bemused.  This can become a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’, and as a result, I unsubscribed to these blogs.  You don’t want this to happen, so make sure you post regularly.  If you post on certain days, place this somewhere on your blog where your readers can see it so that they know what days to expect your posts.  I was absent from my blog for a couple of weeks, and in my last post, I informed my readers and even told them when I would return to blogging.  Remember to act professional and consider your readers.  They are your audience and you are providing a customer service.

Are there certain things that concern you with regards to blogging?

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University Update.

It’s that time again during my studies when I start to panic and begin to ask myself the question ‘why am I doing this again?’  Yes, it’s assignment time.  I have two assignments due this week, which is why I’m in a bit of a panic.

With this point in mind, I intend on having a bit of a break during these school holidays.  I’ll be coming back to the blogosphere on 23 April.  Wishing you all a safe and happy Easter! :)

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2012 – Australia’s National Year of Reading.

In Australia, 2012 is the National Year of Reading.  It’s a joint initiative of government, local libraries, writers, booksellers, schools and many other interested parties to get the nation reading.  It is estimated that a staggering 46% of Australians can’t read.  As a writer, reader, and concerned parent, this leaves me wondering what has happened.  It would seem that the days when we used to call ourselves the ‘clever country’ are long gone!

Personally, I think every year should be a year of reading.  In a household surrounded by computer games, game consoles and i-pads, it would seem I am a bit of a lone voice in preferring to have my nose more securely in a book, traditional or otherwise.  I spent the entire year of 2011 reading to my daughter the entire Harry Potter series – probably the last time I would actually get to sit reading to one of my children.  Just by taking that tiny initiative, she is more interested in reading books than her reluctant thirteen year old brother (and she’s probably read more than him, too).  All I can say is bless you J.K. Rowling!

I’m looking forward to reading books by authors I have never read before.  I’m also looking forward to watching my ever-increasing ‘to read’ pile get lower (yeah I know – that will probably never happen)! :)

Will you be reading more this year?  Read any good books lately?

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Do You Still Have Goosebumps?

I’m currently working on a project that I somehow managed to get a bit side-tracked with.  That side-track happened to be R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps series.  I remember my nephew used to read these books and I managed to read a couple myself.  I found them to be quick, easy reads and not too scary for kids.

This series was highly popular during the 90s, yet I’m left wondering how popular they are today.  They are still being written and have been made into television shows, so maybe that just proves how popular they still are.  However, a lot of the kids I know tend to be reading fantasy at the moment (including my own), but I’m sure kids these days still like a good scare.

So what do you think – do you think Goosebumps is still popular amongst kids?  Did you or your kids grow up on this series?

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Favourite Fictional Mystery.

You may remember in a previous post, I highlighted the fact that as a child, I grew up watching a lot of movies rather than reading a lot of books.

There was a time that during one of our many family outings to the movies that ultimately changed my life.  We were just heading home after seeing the movie Picnic at Hanging Rock in Sydney (yep, showing my age there, I’m afraid).  My dad stopped us as we walked past the shops.  He wanted us to wait while he went and got something, and upon his return he handed me a small parcel, wrapped in a brown paper bag.  Curiously, I took the parcel and opened it.  Inside the bag, to my astonishment, there was a copy of Joan Lindsay’s Picnic at Hanging Rock.  The movie had such an effect on me, yet I had no idea my dad was aware of it.  It was one of those rare moments that my dad and I had actually connected.

At its core and as the title suggests, Picnic at Hanging Rock centres upon the disappearance of a couple of schoolgirls and one of their teachers after a picnic, yet the mystery remained unsolved.  Because it remained a mystery, it began to haunt me.  People don’t just disappear; there had to be an answer.  Peter Weir himself stated that ‘he did everything in his power to hypnotise the audience away from the possibility of solutions’.

As a writer, Joan Lindsay had her own ways of capturing the readers’ imagination.  The solution to the mystery was originally submitted to the publishers, yet the publishers believed the novel would work better if it remained unsolved.  Some years later, after the death of the author, the missing chapter was published, only to become a rare book for not many were printed.  After obtaining a copy for myself, I came to the conclusion that I agreed with the publishers’ decision to leave the mystery unsolved.

To this day, I’ve lost count how many times I have watched that movie.  There are so many things I love about it – the mystery, the era, the music, the scenery, the rock itself.  Over the Christmas holidays I sat and watched it with my kids for the first time and was surprised to find that they, too liked it (although they thought the rock was evil).  It’s one of those places that I’d love to visit, especially after I have heard that others who have been there say that there is an ‘atmosphere’ about the place.

Do you have a favourite fictional mystery?  Has there been a book or film that has had a profound influence on you?