Helen Lowe's Blog, page 103
September 8, 2016
“The Wall Of Night” Character Series: Andrew Robins Features Rowan Birchmoon
Over the past few weeks I’ve been hosting a guest post series in which The Wall Of Night series readers feature a favourite character in the series. Each post has been wonderfully different, so when Andrew asked if he could contribute a post as well, how could I say no?
So here it is, our bonus Character feature: enjoy!
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Character Feature: Rowan Birchmoon, the Winter WomanA Guest Post by Andrew Robins

UK/Aus/NZ
I was inspired to write this addition to “The Wall of Night” Char...
September 7, 2016
A Fun Thing I Saw On Twitter
Well, I thought it was fun anyway, but I am a writer and that by definition means a language person.
This gem bounced into my Twitter feed via Matt Anderson of the BBC (@MattAndersonBBC) and fellow writer, Alan Baxter (@AlanBaxter) in Australia. So now you know it’s fully international in an Anglo-Australasian sort of way. (OK, that’s a pretty narrow definition of “international”, but still, wider than just NuZild.)
Anyway, here’s the quote, which comes to you under the title:
Things Native E...September 6, 2016
The Inaugural National Writers’ Forum, 16 – 18 September: “Building Fantastic Worlds”

National Writers’ Forum
I was delighted to be invited to deliver a masterclass on worldbuilding as part of the inaugural National Writers’ Forum, to be held in Auckland on 17-18 September — and now it is just a week and a half away.
The Forum will commence with the Janet Frame Memorial Lecture, delivered by Joan Rosier-Jones, President of Honour for the NZ Society of Authors. The keynote address on the Saturday is from Chris Cleave, acclaimed author of Everyone Brave is Forgiven, Incendiary a...
September 5, 2016
“The Sea” by Tim Jones — A Tuesday Feature
The sea does not negotiate.
The sea does not read communiques released at the end of others’ negotiations.
The sea is not subject to the constraints of the electoral cycle.
The sea welcomes contributions from anywhere.
The sea welcomes water from the Greenland icecap and the glaciers of Antarctica.
The sea welcomes your input.
The sea is not interested in money.
The sea does not accept donations from oil, gas or coal companies.
The sea neither knows nor cares about your new eco-frie...
September 4, 2016
Having Fun With Epic Fantasy: My Love Affair with Long Names, Part 2
September 1, 2016
“The Wall Of Night” Character Series: June Young Features A Band of Brothers — & Shares A Wishlist

USA
A few weeks back, I ran a mystery giveaway — with part of the mystery prize being the opportunity for everyone who entered to:
“…contribute a guest post telling blog readers who your favorite character in the WALL series is, and why, and also what you hope for that character in the fourth and final book?”
Three commenters took up the guest post offer and today I bring you the third of these character features — in which June Young features a Band of Brothers from Daughter of...
August 31, 2016
Having Fun With Epic Fantasy: My Love Affair with Long Names, Part 1

USA

UK/Aus/NZ
Over the past few weeks I’ve been looking at the influence of names on both worldbuilding and character development in Fantasy literature. Those posts are here:
Today I’m going to begin a slightly more irreverent look at the place long names have in Fantasy literature — which is something of a love-ha...August 30, 2016
“Making It Overseas” — Another WORD Christchurch Event
My event, in fact, although of course I got to share it with two other, very fine authors, Tania Roxborogh and Ben Sanders.
August 29, 2016
“Doris’s petticoat” by James Norcliffe — A Tuesday Feature
this is a place I have to leave
the faded wallpaper
the deceased framed on the walls
the bad spelling
it’s enough to put
sugar in your gasoline
Doris said
and I agreed
they’d built a Mediterranean garden to catch the sun
forgetting that each night the shadows come
and the olive trees clump stump-footed into blackness
the pencil cypresses point accusingly
the lemons get increasingly bitter
wouldn’t it make your tendrils twitch?
said Doris
but I disagreed
my tendrils had long...
August 28, 2016
WORDChristchurch Fun
From the 24-28 August, despite some fairly bleak weather, the Christchurch books, writers, and readers festival still managed to rock.
Because I am still recovering from being ill these past few weeks I didn’t get along to as many events as I would have liked, but I did manage to make it to a few, as well as catching up with some friends-in-writing in person. This is my very first ever selfie with YA writers Joanna Orwin and Rachael Craw.
We had just been attending th...