Today's top honour goes to Suffolk Writings, whose post Remembering is not just a way of honouring a family member but a glimpse of an era when life was so different. The other top posts were Country Lite's Pressing Concerns Ho-Ho; San Meredith's Inside the Pyramid; Dot's Dixie Land; Whitterer on Autism's The Day of Rest; Mary's Little Wonders and Hammer's superbly evocative post titled Veterans’ Day.Friday, November 16, 2007
Post Of The Day
Today's top honour goes to Suffolk Writings, whose post Remembering is not just a way of honouring a family member but a glimpse of an era when life was so different. The other top posts were Country Lite's Pressing Concerns Ho-Ho; San Meredith's Inside the Pyramid; Dot's Dixie Land; Whitterer on Autism's The Day of Rest; Mary's Little Wonders and Hammer's superbly evocative post titled Veterans’ Day.
Telling Right From Wrong (Part 17)
Don't Go Round And Round In Circles
Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON
While I was finishing my second novel I took a break from this series of posts where I answer questions from writers. But I handed over my manuscript a fortnight ago and today I've had a query from an Australian writer called Shane, who has almost completed his first novel. This is what he said:
I've written about 80,000 words and estimate that I am about 80 per cent finished. I had a look at your blog and noticed that you have had some real success with your published novels and was hoping you might be able to spare a couple of moments to give me some advice on getting my novel published.
Yes, I'm always happy to help. There are two ways you can jump here, depending on how thoroughly you've edited the 80,000 words. I'll come to your options in a minute, but I choose to edit AFTER I've finished writing. I'll explain why in a forthcoming post.
Option 1. If you've edited the 80,000 words, and you're reasonably confident that the edited version is good to go, you could consider getting in touch with publishers and agents. Generally, Australian publishers prefer that rookie (ie: unpublished) authors go first to agents.
If this is what you want to do, you now need to write a synopsis of your novel. Some people write synopses that are 10,000 words long, but my synopsis for my first novel, Vegemite Vindaloo, was just three sentences long.
The process of contacting agents and sending them your synopsis and the first three chapters of your novel is described in an earlier post in this series, A Monopoly On Query Letters.
Option 2. Finish the entire book, give it a complete edit and polish and then send the synopsis and first three chapters to agents. The choice is yours.
Bear in mind I'm only an email or blog comment away and it would be my very great pleasure to mentor an up-and-coming Australian novelist. I was extremely lucky to find a major publisher the wrong way, even before I'd finished my novel, but I would like to use that experience to guide other promising novelists.
Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHONWhile I was finishing my second novel I took a break from this series of posts where I answer questions from writers. But I handed over my manuscript a fortnight ago and today I've had a query from an Australian writer called Shane, who has almost completed his first novel. This is what he said:
I've written about 80,000 words and estimate that I am about 80 per cent finished. I had a look at your blog and noticed that you have had some real success with your published novels and was hoping you might be able to spare a couple of moments to give me some advice on getting my novel published.
Yes, I'm always happy to help. There are two ways you can jump here, depending on how thoroughly you've edited the 80,000 words. I'll come to your options in a minute, but I choose to edit AFTER I've finished writing. I'll explain why in a forthcoming post.
Option 1. If you've edited the 80,000 words, and you're reasonably confident that the edited version is good to go, you could consider getting in touch with publishers and agents. Generally, Australian publishers prefer that rookie (ie: unpublished) authors go first to agents.
If this is what you want to do, you now need to write a synopsis of your novel. Some people write synopses that are 10,000 words long, but my synopsis for my first novel, Vegemite Vindaloo, was just three sentences long.
The process of contacting agents and sending them your synopsis and the first three chapters of your novel is described in an earlier post in this series, A Monopoly On Query Letters.
Option 2. Finish the entire book, give it a complete edit and polish and then send the synopsis and first three chapters to agents. The choice is yours.
Bear in mind I'm only an email or blog comment away and it would be my very great pleasure to mentor an up-and-coming Australian novelist. I was extremely lucky to find a major publisher the wrong way, even before I'd finished my novel, but I would like to use that experience to guide other promising novelists.
Sweet Nothings
Doughnuts Could Be Creature Comforts
Whether the mystery critter roaming northern Florida is an orangutan, a "baby Bigfoot" or something else, wildlife officials think it might have a bit of Homer Simpson in it. After a bear hunter said an animal that could be an orangutan stole jelly doughnuts from him, a wildlife investigator has tried to use sweet treats to lure the creature into the open in Baker County. There have been several sightings of what witnesses have described as a "big orange ball of fur," though officials have yet to confirm it's an orangutan. Fish and wildlife investigator Ken Holmes laid doughnuts at the base of a tree in hopes of catching the animal, but it eluded him.
FOOTNOTE: Catch a Bigfoot? That's some feat.
Whether the mystery critter roaming northern Florida is an orangutan, a "baby Bigfoot" or something else, wildlife officials think it might have a bit of Homer Simpson in it. After a bear hunter said an animal that could be an orangutan stole jelly doughnuts from him, a wildlife investigator has tried to use sweet treats to lure the creature into the open in Baker County. There have been several sightings of what witnesses have described as a "big orange ball of fur," though officials have yet to confirm it's an orangutan. Fish and wildlife investigator Ken Holmes laid doughnuts at the base of a tree in hopes of catching the animal, but it eluded him.
FOOTNOTE: Catch a Bigfoot? That's some feat.
Liquid Gold In The Sky
Morning Has Broken (But I've Fixed It Now!)
Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON
Sometimes you're just in the right place at the right time. This shot was taken about five months ago, during the Australian winter. I just gaped at the sky with disbelief because it looked more like a summer skyscape than a freezing cold morning when I had ice on my car. I framed this shot carefully, because I wanted the silhouette of the trees as well. Just as I lined up the shot, three seagulls in very loose formation flew into the mid-section of the frame. I could not have asked for more.
Cattle Class
This Ain't The Calgary Stampede
There was a stampede at McDonald's in West Haven, Utah. No, not customers. Cows. Yup, cows. Yup, I see the irony of this situation! Eight of them escaped from a trailer when the rear gate opened as the driver pulled in. It took about two hours to round them up. "Maybe they were going to hop in the freezer, save the middleman," Weber County sheriff's Sgt. Dave Creager said. The roundup was called "Operation Hamburger Helper" and a nearby resident even hopped on his horse. Wayne Sanders said, "I don't know where they came from, but I'd say they'd have to weigh 800 pounds apiece and they were on a pretty good trot."
FOOTNOTE: Would you like frights with that?
There was a stampede at McDonald's in West Haven, Utah. No, not customers. Cows. Yup, cows. Yup, I see the irony of this situation! Eight of them escaped from a trailer when the rear gate opened as the driver pulled in. It took about two hours to round them up. "Maybe they were going to hop in the freezer, save the middleman," Weber County sheriff's Sgt. Dave Creager said. The roundup was called "Operation Hamburger Helper" and a nearby resident even hopped on his horse. Wayne Sanders said, "I don't know where they came from, but I'd say they'd have to weigh 800 pounds apiece and they were on a pretty good trot."
FOOTNOTE: Would you like frights with that?
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Post Of The Day
Once more we have a tie for top spot today, with Moosekahl's Remember A Veteran and Rachel's Before There Was Breath. Close behind were Top Champ's Fire Station Trip, Peter Miller's ABC Wednesday - Quarry, Misty Dawn's I'm Thankful Beyond Words, Who Dat Dare Pokah's Unfairness is Reality, Shrink Wrapped Scream's Peter and the Mongrel and Melissa's Buttons.
Your Park Is Worse Than Your Spite
How Many Metres Must I Travel To Find A Meter?
Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON
I'm posting this to prove that even the most mundane sights can have an interesting visual effect for interstate and overseas readers. This shot, taken a year ago, simply shows a council sign on an old-style coin-slot parking meter. These are now a rare sight in Melbourne. Until about ten years ago, there were many of the slot machines, but now they're a rarity. Most street parking sites dictate that you put your money into a machine which gives you a ticket that you then display on your dashboard. (Remind me to tell you how the word ``dashboard'' came into existence - it's a great story.)
You see, this ordinary picture brings me to one of the really interesting things about blogging. A newspaper is read mainly by people who live in the geographical area where it is printed - and only on the day of publication. But blogs are read around the world. And I reckon everyone is keen to see what your little patch of the universe looks like. I've always encouraged bloggers to post pictures of ``everyday'' sights - because they hold interest to the wider readership that is the international blogging community.I was also very gratified to see the amount of feedback that started cropping up in the comments section of my post Get The Picture. I'd barely published the post when the comments started rolling in. This is the best part about the interactive nature of blogs - the comments are often as entertaining as a blog itself. So if you have time, do read the comments and you'll see lots of advice as well as plenty of humour.
You'll also see a great comment from Joan, who says: ``Thanks for the advice. I am not a photographer but I just like beautiful photos and I take my little camera everywhere with me. '' That's the spirit, Joan. That's what gives a blog an extra personal touch. Take pictures. Post them on your blog. And you'll see that your photography improves as a result.
Everyone's enjoying themselves? Good, because that's my specific intention. This blog is a seven-day-a-week party, so just roll up, folks!
Wee Wee Wee, All The Way Home
Falling Down On The Job
What do you do if you're in a traffic jam and you simply have to pee? Don't do what this German motorist did. Heinrich Mannhaim left his car and thought he would relieve himself from a flyover. Just one problem. It was dark at the time and he somehow fell almost eight metres (23 feet is the official height) from the A20 bridge at Neukloster in northern Germany. He survived with only mild concussion and was treated for shock. I guess he really did go a bridge too far.
FOOTNOTE: To pee or not to pee, that is the question.
What do you do if you're in a traffic jam and you simply have to pee? Don't do what this German motorist did. Heinrich Mannhaim left his car and thought he would relieve himself from a flyover. Just one problem. It was dark at the time and he somehow fell almost eight metres (23 feet is the official height) from the A20 bridge at Neukloster in northern Germany. He survived with only mild concussion and was treated for shock. I guess he really did go a bridge too far.
FOOTNOTE: To pee or not to pee, that is the question.
Get The Picture
Maybe This Post Will Click
Dawn, Melbourne Cricket Ground. Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON
If I can help you to improve your photography or your writing, let me know. I've published posts on this blog to answer queries from photographers and writers but for the past six weeks or so, I was concentrating on finishing, editing and delivering my second novel, Muskoka Maharani, to my publisher and my agent.
That took precedence for a while, but now that I'm "back in Blogland", I'd like to acknowledge my Canadian friend Vic Grace, who suggested I resume posting advice. So here goes. All you have to do is leave me a comment with your query - and I'll answer in the form of a post, with a link to your blog.
If you want to catch up on my writing advice, there are several posts on my blog with the label "Telling Write From Wrong".
For the many bloggers who also use cameras, my advice is always simple. If something catches your attention, stop and photograph it. Chances are you might not encounter the same sight again. And even the most mundane sights can make a great picture in the right light. We're not all born photographers (I'm entirely self-taught, by the way) but digital technology has enabled most people to improve their skills far more rapidly because of instant view-and-edit options.
Good luck, good shooting - and do ask me your questions. I look forward to them.
Dawn, Melbourne Cricket Ground. Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHONIf I can help you to improve your photography or your writing, let me know. I've published posts on this blog to answer queries from photographers and writers but for the past six weeks or so, I was concentrating on finishing, editing and delivering my second novel, Muskoka Maharani, to my publisher and my agent.
That took precedence for a while, but now that I'm "back in Blogland", I'd like to acknowledge my Canadian friend Vic Grace, who suggested I resume posting advice. So here goes. All you have to do is leave me a comment with your query - and I'll answer in the form of a post, with a link to your blog.
If you want to catch up on my writing advice, there are several posts on my blog with the label "Telling Write From Wrong".
For the many bloggers who also use cameras, my advice is always simple. If something catches your attention, stop and photograph it. Chances are you might not encounter the same sight again. And even the most mundane sights can make a great picture in the right light. We're not all born photographers (I'm entirely self-taught, by the way) but digital technology has enabled most people to improve their skills far more rapidly because of instant view-and-edit options.
Good luck, good shooting - and do ask me your questions. I look forward to them.
Hurry Potter
Wow, It's All Starting To Add Up
It seems Harry Potter has magically transformed a struggling Nottinghamshire primary school. Robert Mellors Primary and Nursery in Arnold has leapt up the school league tables since adopting a Hogwarts theme. Students cast mathematical "spells" to solve subtraction "riddles" and English lessons involve writing scripts based on the popular character. Year groups are now named Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, after the houses at Hogwarts in J. K. Rowling's books. The school has gone from being in the lowest 25 per cent of schools to being just outside the top five per cent in three years.
FOOTNOTE: Will it help them to spell?
It seems Harry Potter has magically transformed a struggling Nottinghamshire primary school. Robert Mellors Primary and Nursery in Arnold has leapt up the school league tables since adopting a Hogwarts theme. Students cast mathematical "spells" to solve subtraction "riddles" and English lessons involve writing scripts based on the popular character. Year groups are now named Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, after the houses at Hogwarts in J. K. Rowling's books. The school has gone from being in the lowest 25 per cent of schools to being just outside the top five per cent in three years.
FOOTNOTE: Will it help them to spell?
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Post Of The Day
All blogging is a form of sharing your life with others, but this post simply had to win today's main prize - Nap Warden's But For The Grace of God. The others that made an impression were Lee's Response to Weekend Wandering; Self Taught Artist's Red and New; Digital Flower Pictures' Scarlet Maple; Misty Dawn's My Cold Blind Shower; Jabber Jaws' Thought of the Day; Shabbily Ever After's Treasure Hunt and OzLady's Divide and Conquer.
Black To The Future
Q Is For Queensland
Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON
No, it's not a black-and-white photograph! But do let me tell you the story ...
Two years ago we were up north in Queensland for a week's holiday. We rented an apartment at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast and when I say it was beachside, I mean it was beachside! All we had to do was go down to the lobby, cross the street and we were on the beach. The ad slogan for Queensland is: ``Beautiful one day, perfect the next'' and we were there before the weather got too hot, so it really was perfect.
One morning, we were just about to head downstairs when I noticed it had clouded over. I went out to the balcony to see if there was any chance of rain - and saw this amazing sight. The clouds had come rolling in and while the sun had been blocked out, its rays were actually shining through like some fake theatre backdrop.
I quickly reached for my camera and shot two frames, one vertical and one horizontal. This was back before I got my Pentax K100D, and the scene was shot on film with one of my favourite cameras, a Canon EOS 3000. The really interesting aspects of this shot are:
a) You can actually see a patch of lilac sky on the right and no, I haven't modified this image in any way;
b) Look on the horizon and you'll see a strip of silvery light across the surface of the water;
c) Because we were on the sixth floor, I was actually on the same level as a row of trees - so their silhouette of the upturned branches actually gives the image an added element of realism.
Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHONNo, it's not a black-and-white photograph! But do let me tell you the story ...
Two years ago we were up north in Queensland for a week's holiday. We rented an apartment at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast and when I say it was beachside, I mean it was beachside! All we had to do was go down to the lobby, cross the street and we were on the beach. The ad slogan for Queensland is: ``Beautiful one day, perfect the next'' and we were there before the weather got too hot, so it really was perfect.
One morning, we were just about to head downstairs when I noticed it had clouded over. I went out to the balcony to see if there was any chance of rain - and saw this amazing sight. The clouds had come rolling in and while the sun had been blocked out, its rays were actually shining through like some fake theatre backdrop.
I quickly reached for my camera and shot two frames, one vertical and one horizontal. This was back before I got my Pentax K100D, and the scene was shot on film with one of my favourite cameras, a Canon EOS 3000. The really interesting aspects of this shot are:
a) You can actually see a patch of lilac sky on the right and no, I haven't modified this image in any way;
b) Look on the horizon and you'll see a strip of silvery light across the surface of the water;
c) Because we were on the sixth floor, I was actually on the same level as a row of trees - so their silhouette of the upturned branches actually gives the image an added element of realism.
Shoot Happens
Auto Repair Injury A Nut Case
A man trying to loosen a stubborn wheel nut blasted the wheel with a 12-gauge shotgun, injuring himself badly in both legs, according to sheriff's deputies in Kitsap County, Washington state. The 66-year-old man had spent two weeks repairing a Lincoln Continental for two weeks at his home. From about arm's length, the man fired the shotgun at the wheel nut and was ``peppered'' in both legs with buckshot and other debris, with some injuries as high on his body as his chin.
FOOTNOTE: Hot shot.
A man trying to loosen a stubborn wheel nut blasted the wheel with a 12-gauge shotgun, injuring himself badly in both legs, according to sheriff's deputies in Kitsap County, Washington state. The 66-year-old man had spent two weeks repairing a Lincoln Continental for two weeks at his home. From about arm's length, the man fired the shotgun at the wheel nut and was ``peppered'' in both legs with buckshot and other debris, with some injuries as high on his body as his chin.
FOOTNOTE: Hot shot.
Another Brick In The Wall
It's Montreal's Brick-And-Mortar Rainbow
A wall in Montreal's Gay Village. Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON
A wall in Montreal's Gay Village. Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHONSole Beneficiary
They’re Big Shoes To Fill
A New Zealand shoemaker has created (and donated) a gargantuan pair of shoes for a 2.36 metre tall Fijian missionary. At 44 centimetres from heel to toe, the size 23 black leather shoes are no ballerina's slipper. McKinlay's Footwear's Graeme McKinlay said it was the largest pair made in the company's 128-year history. Missionary Kali Selei had been wearing size 22s for the past few years, but they were a bit small. The new shoes will be delivered in a carton, not a shoebox.
FOOTNOTE: The bridge of size.
A New Zealand shoemaker has created (and donated) a gargantuan pair of shoes for a 2.36 metre tall Fijian missionary. At 44 centimetres from heel to toe, the size 23 black leather shoes are no ballerina's slipper. McKinlay's Footwear's Graeme McKinlay said it was the largest pair made in the company's 128-year history. Missionary Kali Selei had been wearing size 22s for the past few years, but they were a bit small. The new shoes will be delivered in a carton, not a shoebox.
FOOTNOTE: The bridge of size.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Post Of The Day
Cue the music, run up the flags. Play the national anthems as the champion steps up to the podium. Ladies and gentlemen, raise your glasses for today's winner. It's Suldog with Set 7 – Weird and Wonderful, Boricua in Texas with Squirrel’s Nest, Diva Tee with the pithy Yippeeee, Florida and Baby Blue Spider with Taking The Last Boat.
Ol' Man River
Picasso Might Have Loved This Blue Period
Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON
Sometimes the simplest photograph can bring you great pleasure. This is just a no-frills, straightforward shot taken from the footbridge leading to Flinders Street Station here in Melbourne. But the overwhelming blue tones throughout the scene really grabbed my attention.
I just framed it simply, so that the buildings on either side would dictate the perspective of the scene. We get amazing blue skies here, even in winter. But the thin wisps of cloud here added great value to a very tranquil scene. On the left is Southbank, the recently developed business and arts precinct. On the right is the central business district. And running diagonally across the Yarra River is the disused Sandridge Rail Bridge.
There have also been a few people asking me about the lens I used for the previous shot, titled Paper Moon, showing the sliver of the moon alongside the silhouette of a tree. It was a Sigma 125mm lens and the shot was taken without a tripod in rather mundane circumstances last night. I had actually gone to wheel the garbage bin onto the nature strip, then I saw the moon - and did what you would expect of me. I left the bin exactly where it was and rushed in to get the camera. I've certainly got my priorities right!
Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHONSometimes the simplest photograph can bring you great pleasure. This is just a no-frills, straightforward shot taken from the footbridge leading to Flinders Street Station here in Melbourne. But the overwhelming blue tones throughout the scene really grabbed my attention.
I just framed it simply, so that the buildings on either side would dictate the perspective of the scene. We get amazing blue skies here, even in winter. But the thin wisps of cloud here added great value to a very tranquil scene. On the left is Southbank, the recently developed business and arts precinct. On the right is the central business district. And running diagonally across the Yarra River is the disused Sandridge Rail Bridge.
There have also been a few people asking me about the lens I used for the previous shot, titled Paper Moon, showing the sliver of the moon alongside the silhouette of a tree. It was a Sigma 125mm lens and the shot was taken without a tripod in rather mundane circumstances last night. I had actually gone to wheel the garbage bin onto the nature strip, then I saw the moon - and did what you would expect of me. I left the bin exactly where it was and rushed in to get the camera. I've certainly got my priorities right!
No Can Do
It’s Like Goldilocks And The Three Beers
It may have seemed like an emergency at the time, but a Connecticut man is now regretting his call to 911. The man was arrested after police said he called several times and asked them to bring him beer. He was charged with disorderly conduct and taken to hospital for treatment for an undisclosed ailment.
FOOTNOTE: Mystery ale-ment.
It may have seemed like an emergency at the time, but a Connecticut man is now regretting his call to 911. The man was arrested after police said he called several times and asked them to bring him beer. He was charged with disorderly conduct and taken to hospital for treatment for an undisclosed ailment.
FOOTNOTE: Mystery ale-ment.
Paper Moon
Thin Edge Of The Wedge
Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHONA clear night. A crescent moon. A handy silhouette. And a camera just a few feet away. It's so easy when all the determining factors fall into place so neatly. This was taken a few hours ago, at dusk on Monday night here in Melbourne.
Strip Cheese
Now, That's Contempt Of Court
A German man who was appealing against a conviction for streaking didn't help his case when he stripped off in court. "The court withdrew for deliberations and during the adjournment the man removed his clothes again," said a spokesman for the court in the city of Duisburg. "It appears he sees it as art, and views himself as a living work of art." The 60-year-old was in court to appeal against his conviction for running onto the pitch naked during a soccer match and striking a range of "body builder poses".
FOOTNOTE: Naked ambition.
A German man who was appealing against a conviction for streaking didn't help his case when he stripped off in court. "The court withdrew for deliberations and during the adjournment the man removed his clothes again," said a spokesman for the court in the city of Duisburg. "It appears he sees it as art, and views himself as a living work of art." The 60-year-old was in court to appeal against his conviction for running onto the pitch naked during a soccer match and striking a range of "body builder poses".
FOOTNOTE: Naked ambition.
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