Helen Lowe's Blog, page 191

Big Worlds On Small Screens: Rebecca Fisher Discusses “Gargoyles”

~ by Rebecca Fisher

Introduction:

To my mind, there are three animated TV shows that stand head and shoulders above the rest. They appeal to adults as well as children, contain mature themes and elaborate storylines, and elevate “Saturday morning cartoons” into an art-form. They are Warner Brothers’ Batman: The Animated Series (and assorted spin-offs), Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender, and this: Disney’s Gargoyles. Attributed mainly to co-creator Greg Weisman, more recently known for hi...

Tuesday Poem: “cresting the shingle bank”

cresting the shingle bank

a flock of shags turning as one

to watch me

© Helen Lowe

—

Toward the end of last year I spent upward of 5 weeks in a remote coastal location, working on my current book.

I also wrote a number of haiku during that time, which I am currently featuring as Tuesday Poems. As these are works in progress, your feedback/critique is welcome.

—

To read the featured poem on the Tuesday Poem Hub and other great poems from fellow Tuesday poets from around the world, click here or on the...

Gorgeous Words: Patricia McKillip & “The Riddle-Master Of Hed”

Well, I could just say “Patricia McKillip” and end right there — but I thought I’d start at the beginning of my reading journey into her wonderful worlds — and words — with The Riddle-Master Of Hed.

Anyway, I’m not going to say how old I was when I first read this book, or how long ago it was either (nope, not telling!) except to say that I still love the book ‘after all this time’ — for very many reasons, but not least Ms McKillip’s gorgeous way with words.

Here’s a wee sample of what has spun...

A Poetry Quote for Sunday, From Peter Sansom

“You are writing in the dark if you read no one but yourself. And in the dark, you can’t even read yourself properly.”

~Peter Sansom, from Writing Poems (Bloodaxe, 1994)

—

This is a poetry quote — but I personally feel that it applies to all forms of writing.

Inside Middle Earth: From The Road Trip

credit: B Miller

I’ve been posting a few “Inside Middle Earth” photos, just as a bit of fun.;-)

Not all of them are The Lord Of The Rings or The Hobbit film locales. Some are from a friend’s road trip around Aotearoa-New Zealand last year — some of which have now made their way onto a personalised calendar. (Yay! I get one!!)

This photo, of a gannet flying at the colony at Muriwai, north-west of Auckland, was one of the photos featured for February 2014.

A Geography Of Haarth: Place Between

The Wall of Night Series map; design by Peter Fitzpatrick

The A Geography of Haarth post series is traversing the full range of locales and places from The Wall of Night world of Haarth. Each locale is accompanied by a quote from either The Heir Of Night, The Gathering Of The Lost, or both.

This week, it’s onwards into “P.”

—

Place Between: a name for the space between worlds and different planes of existence.

.

“Slowly, the shadow undulated across the floor and up one of the frayed tapestries, ble...

More Fun Speaking “New Zild”

On Saturday February 1, I started having a little fun with “speaking Nu Zild”, in which I explained that:

Although “we don’t commonly hear our own accents … I’m told New Zealanders — or “Kiwis” as we often refer to ourselves — are popularly held to have reduced the English language’s vowel 5 sounds to approximately 2.5 … [So] … I thought you might like to learn how to “pronunciate New Zild” all correct-like…”

Here’s “B”:

“B is for Bull: you know, what you get charged for ‘goods and services’.” ...

Gorgeous Words: Mary Stewart & “Madam, Will You Talk?”

On Monday, I let you in on the little secret that I Simply Love Writing!

I don’t think it’s any secret though that I also Simply Adore Reading!

There are are a huge number of reasons for that, including that I love stories and storytelling. Another is revelling in the gorgeousness of some writers’ way with words.

One of my favourites in that respect is Mary Stewart and one of the examples of her gorgeous way with words appears in her debut novel, Madam, Will You Talk (1955):

“The evening was draw...

Tuesday Poem: “Penelope Dreaming” Features On Michelle Elvy’s Glow Worm Blog

I am delighted that my poem, Penelope Dreaming, from the Ithaca Conversations sequence, is featured on fellow Tuesday Poet, Michelle Elvy’s Glow Worm blog today.

You can read Penelope Dreaming, plus a few words about the poem and the sequence, here:

Penelope Dreaming on Glow Worm Blog.

—

To read the featured poem on the Tuesday Poem Hub and other great poems from fellow Tuesday poets from around the world, click here or on the Quill icon in the sidebar.

Psst, Secret…

[Drum roll!]

I love writing: I love sitting down with the story and getting absorbed in the characters and — breathless! — what’s going to happen next, and my fingers flying over the keyboard while the cicadas chirr through the open window (summer) or the sleet dashes against the pane (winter.) Even the angst-ridden pacing and midnight-oil burning when characters are misbehaving and the plot is recalcitrant are still all part of the creative process — with the reward the moment when it all com...