Helen Lowe's Blog, page 139
September 7, 2015
The Tuesday Poem: I Am Guest Editor On the Hub, Featuring Bernadette Hall
Today I am the guest editor on The Tuesday Poem Hub, featuring The Fox by Bernadette Hall.
Selected as one of the Best New Zealand Poems of 2009, The Fox has been one of the most enduringly popular of the poems I’ve featured since joining the Tuesday Poem community in 2010.
So today I decided to give it the additional recognition it — and Bernadette — undoubtedly deserves, by placing it centre stage on the Tuesday Poem Hub. I’ve also included Bernadette’s illuminating “story” of the poem, aga...
September 6, 2015
Questions Writers Get Asked: Which Is Most Important, “Voice” or “Story”?
I hear versions of this question quite a lot, most frequently in its first-cousin incarnation, “plot vs character?”
So here’s the thing about that little contraction vs. (versus) in its legal usage, e.g. Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce. You don’t say it as vs. What you say is, and:Jarndyce and Jarndyce.
Or, “plot and character” — which is pretty much as it should be, in my humble opinion.
So, too, for the “Voice or Story?” question. The way I see it, it’s all about “Voice and Story—and Character.”
Ther...
September 5, 2015
Wrapping Up The Week 1: From Dragons, Through Book Quote Fun, To That “L” Word
The Wall of Night Series map; design by Peter Fitzpatrick
Yup, I kicked off the week with dragons — & maps… “Here be Dragons”, in fact, and —
The Magic & Power Of Maps—
USA: Jan 2016
While on the Supernatural Underground I built on last month’s US cover reveal with some cover quote fun:
“Helen Lowe’s Wall of Night series has the potential to become a classic right up there with the likes of George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire.” ~ SF Site
Well, who wouldn’t have fun with that—but there’...
September 3, 2015
The “L” Word: What Christchurch Is Crying Out For, Five Year’s Post The First Earthquake
“L” for Leadership, that is.
Today is the 5th anniversary of the 7.1 earthquake that kicked off (greater) Christchurch’s 18 months of earthquakes, including the 6.3 ‘quake of February 22, 2011, that killed 185 people.
There is so much I could say about these past 5 years, and I have said some of it under these Earthquake Reports here on my blog. Mildly, I might add, and trying to focus on the positive as much as possible.
But today I’d like to focus on what I personally feel as the greatest a...
September 2, 2015
About The Characters: Meet The Minor Players in “The Heir Of Night” — Ber
UK
USA
The recent unveiling of the US and UK covers for Daughter Of Blood has inspired me to spend some on-blog time with the characters from the first two books in the series—in the same way I spent time on the worldbuilding in A Geography Of Haarth.
I also decided to on the more minor players to begin with, because: “I think it’s the presence of the smaller characters that “makes” a story, creating texture around the main points of view.”
I’m starting at the beginning, with characters from...
September 1, 2015
I Have Some Book Quote Fun—On The Supernatural Underground :)
It being the beginning of the month, I have a feature post up on the Supernatural Underground — and I’m extending last month’s reveal of the US cover for Daughter Of Blood, The Wall Of Night Book Three, with a focus on the quotes from review site SF Site and Library Journal.
There’s a few from other speculative fiction authors. 
And a synopsis!
UK: Jan 2016
USA: Jan 2016
So do click on over and take a look:
Having Some Book Cover Quote Fun!Enjoy. And if you “like” please do spread the word!
...August 31, 2015
The Tuesday Poem: “The House Of Wives” by Jennifer Compton
1.
Ah – he said. Camogli. Casa delle mogli. The house of wives.
Because their husbands were fishermen and so always at sea.
Or it can mean houses packed close together. The village
like one house with many wives, calling out to each other
from their windows. Or, further back, after the deity, Camuli.
A sound too much like Ca’mogli to let the happy joke go past.
But – I replied. If they were fishermen then many would
have been drowned dead. The house of widows instead.
That...
August 30, 2015
“Here Be Dragons”: The Magic and Power Of Maps
The Wall of Night Series map; design by Peter Fitzpatrick
One of my earliest reading fascinations was with the place of maps in story, particularly in historical fiction where the known world faded into the blankness of uncharted territory, and the legend promised that, “Here be dragons.”
And then, of course, I discovered Fantasy—where the unknown might very well be inhabited by dragons.
One of the great allures of Fantasy is the way it explores “wonder” and “possibility”, as well as the abil...
August 28, 2015
Stina Leicht On Writing Great Dialogue—New Now On The Supernatural Underground
As you know, I post once a month on the Supernatural Underground — where we’ve recently been joined by two-time John W. Campbell Award nominee for Best New Writer, Stina Leicht.
In her first post, Stina is talking just that: writing — great dialogue, in fact.
It’s a fascinating post, and if you’re at all interested in the craft of writing I encourage you to check it out:
Stina Leicht On Great Dialogue You may also like to check out Stina’s new novel, Cold Iron — it’s what’s called “flintlock...
August 27, 2015
It’s National Poetry Day — Here’s My Poetry Roundup!
Firstly, if you’re in NZ, visit the National Poetry Day 2015 website and check out their Calendar Of Events — with luck there’ll be something fun to join in, at a venue near you!
Secondly, poetry isn’t just a once-a-year one-off: it’s happening every week on The Tuesday Poem — and this week the featured poem is by exciting new voice, Annabel Hawkins:
What Heartbreak Felt Like Well worth checking out if you have not done so already! And while you’re there on the Hub—do take a look at all the w...
