Helen Lowe's Blog, page 109
June 22, 2016
The #TheWallOfNight Question I Missed
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In posting a blog version of the #TheWallOfNight Q&A that took place over the weekend, particularly the followup questions that featured on Tuesday, I realized that I had missed answering the first part of a two-part question. Mea culpa!
Anyway, the great thing about the blog is that I can always remedy the omission, so here goes:
Ruth asked: “How did you decide the names of the Houses?”
HelenL: The development of the Houses was a progression that started with Night, the reasons...
June 21, 2016
It’s National Flash Fiction Day — & I’m Reading :)
Yeah, nah: today is national Flash Fiction Day here in Nu Zild and tonight I shall be one of a very fine line-up of readers for the Christchurch event, Flash In The Pan.
Where: Space Academy, 371 St Asaph Street
When: 6 pm – 9 pm
What: Readings by guest authors; finalists and winners of the SIWA and National Flash Fiction competitions; spot prizes & more!
Who: A very fine line-up as I said, with several reading sessions throughout the evening, but the guest authors include:
Alice Andersen Do...June 20, 2016
The #TheWallOfNight Q&A on Twitter, Part 2
As promised yesterday, Part 2 comprises a blog version of the follow-up questions that came up during the course of the Twitter Q&A.
Also as noted yesterday, for the cheerful commentary and witty repartee you will have to visit the Twitter hashtag #TheWallOfNight site—which is really very easy. Just search on the highlighted words (or click on the embedded link) and you will find all the goodness, for sure!
OK, now onward to those bonus Q’s and m’ A’s. 
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The Wall Of Night Q&A: #TheWallOfNigh...June 19, 2016
The #WallOfNight Q&A on Twitter
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UK/AU/NZ
The Wall Of Night series Q&A went ahead on Twitter on (my) Saturday night and rolled for three hours, with plenty of follow-up questions and comments, which I hope means a good time was had by all.
As promised, for those of you who are Twitter-averse or couldn’t make the #TheWallOfNight gig, I am posting the initial three Questions and my Answers here. I will post the follow-up questions as well, but tomorrow, since the first three make for a long post.
For the cheerful commentar...
June 18, 2016
The Influence of Trees on Landscape — In My Books!
Even in the cover — please note the trees…
Last Sunday, I reflected on how trees not only influence human creativity in terms of art and literature, but play an important part in defining the landscape of the fantasy worlds in my books.
In the first post, I focused on Thornspell.
Today, I’m turning the spotlight on The Heir of Night, Book One in The Wall Of Night quartet.
…& their absence
Probably the most significant way in which trees shape the landscape in The Heir of Night is through thei...
June 17, 2016
“The Wall Of Night” Q&A Is Nigh
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UK/AU/NZ
I was going to say that the Q&A is coming up today—except that I know it will still be tomorrow, for many of you.
Plus, although it will start my today, it will be almost my tomorrow as well.
Anyway, in case you missed it Tuesday, here are all the deets on:
The “The Wall Of Night” Series Q&A
When: My tonight at 11.30 pm (2330 hours) NZ time
Where: I shall be on Twitter
What: Answering three questions from the FB Haarth group about Daughter of Blood & The Wall Of Night series.
U...
June 16, 2016
“He was my friend…”
A day like this (but ‘not this day’)
Yesterday, I attended a funeral — a gathering of many in and outside a lovely little old country church, on a winter’s day that was both chill (in the shade) and sunlit, with snow on the Southern Alps which looked very close in the clear air across the plains.
Several very moving eulogies were given in memory of Eileen, who like the year’s summer turned to autumn, has also left us — but the specific words that have stayed with me were those of the friend w...
June 15, 2016
Sometimes, when you’re writing…
I remember learning how when you’re putting together a poster, the ‘clear space’ around the words and images can be as important as the message.
Sometimes, when you’re writing, it can be like that, too.
Not so much in terms of what you put on the page, but in the pauses between putting words on the page.
“Er, waddya mean?” you may say.
What I mean is that sometimes I may write a section of a book, whether a chapter or a sequence of chapters (or even, in fact, a whole book) and then press paus...
June 14, 2016
Big Worlds On Small Screens & “Fantasy Films From the Eighties That Weren’t That Bad” — Rebecca Fisher Discusses “Highlander”
~ by Rebecca Fisher
I’ve heard it said it’s difficult to be a fan of Highlander, and I believe the claim. The first film has since become a cult classic, but was followed by four sequels, two television series, a cartoon, an animated movie, a Japanese anime, ten original novels, and nineteen comic books – all of varying degrees of awfulness.
“There can be only one…”
Oh, and apparently a reboot is in the works. Some people just don’t know when to leave well enough alone.
But if we cast aside a...
June 13, 2016
Events Coming Up: a Haarth Q&A, plus National Flash Fiction Day
The world of Haarth map; design by Peter Fitzpatrick
FB Group Haarth — & A Special Q&ALast week I mentioned a forthcoming Q&A on Twitter, in which I’ll be responding to questions on Daughter of Blood and The Wall of Night series posed by members of the newly formed FB Group Haarth:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/haarthThis will be going ahead next Saturday, 18 June (almost at the nadir or zenith of the year, depending on your hemisphere) on Twitter, using the following hashtag:
#TheWallOfNi...
