Celine Kiernan's Blog, page 10

Flat Stanley’s Celine Kiernan Diary

7th February: Mr Flat Stanley arrives in Ireland (sent all the way from Arizona by Cooper who wanted him to tell her what it was like to live in Ireland)

He was feeling a little under the weather so Celine wrote to Cooper for him:

Dear Cooper,

As you can see, Mr Flat Stanley has safely made his way across the Atlantic ocean and is now heating his feet on my laptop as he looks around my kitchen. Tomorrow his Irish adventures will begin as I will bring him into Dublin with me. There may be tea and cake involved. I will take photos.

He has asked me to say hi, and that he misses Az because he is terrifically cold. I shall be sure and make him wear a hat tomorrow.

big hugs

Celine

Later Stanley wrote to Cooper to let her know that he was OK

Dear Cooper

Flat Stanley here! I feel very much better now that I’ve changed my clothes and brushed my hair (whew! That flight took it out of me, let me tell you! I couldn’t feel the nose on my face when I first arrived!)

Here I am with Celine’s dog, Indy. You can’t see it in this picture but we’re sitting beside a roaring fire while Celine makes me a coat for tomorrow’s trip to Dublin (don’t worry – she’s going to send all these messages and photos home in the envelope with me.)

I have no idea what it says on my tee-shirt! Celine says you should ask your class on Monday. If any of them can guess (or find out) she’ll draw them anything they like and send it home with me!

hugs from Ireland

your friend

Flat Stanley!

PS: Cooper. Celine is dyslexic and can’t spell. My T-shirt should say ‘Stanley is ainm dom’ Celine says if you want to know anything about being dyslexic just ask xoxo

LATER

Well no-one guessed what ‘Stanley is ainm dom’ means (Celine says it is Irish for ‘My name is Stanley’) but Celine has sent you a drawing anyway – it is of the characters from the new book she’s working on. The girl with the rabbit hat is called ‘Mup’ and the angry looking boy is ‘Crow’. They’re going to be in a book called ‘Begone the Raggedy Witches.’

Celine has written lots of books for teenagers, but this will be the first book she’s written for younger kids.

She says she’s having lots of fun writing it. (I gave her loads of help though! She’d better thank me in the acknowledgements!

I also helped her draw this picture (honestly, I don’t know how she ever got anything done before I arrived! She’ll be lost when I finally go home.)

 February: Stanley and Celine head to Dublin, to teach writing, and have tea and cake.

Here I am wearing my warm coat and scarf, on the bus to Dublin. As you can see, it’s raining outside. Celine says it rains a lot in Ireland. She tells me that most Irish people have webbed toes and fingers and they are at their most comfortable living under mossy rocks in steams and bogs – like frogs. She says that if the sun shines for too long, Irish people shrivel into dried prune-like creatures and you need to water them with a watering can so they can plump back into shape again (I’m not sure I believe this, Cooper, but as it never stopped raining while I was here I can’t say for sure that Celine is telling fibs)

Celine lives in Virginia, CountyCavan which is quite  long way from Dublin. It took us about two hours on the bus to get there. This picture was taken in Kells, where the book of Kells got its name.

The book of Kells is a very old book (nearly 1300 years old!) and is full of beautiful drawings, one of which Celine thought you might like to see.

This is a drawing of a lamb from the book of Kells. Imagine, someone in 800AD drew this! There are lots of lambs running around the fields in Cavan at the moment, but none of them have wings like this chap does!

DUBLIN

In Dublin we went to the Irish Writer’s Centre where Celine sometimes helps other writers who are working on their own books.

Like a lot of the buildings in Dublin, the Irish Writer’s Centre is very old. It’s what is called a ‘Georgian Building’ which means it was built in time of the British King George (back when Ireland used to be part of the British Empire) It dates back to the mid to late 1700’s (which means it’s nearly three hundred years old!) One of the ways you can recognize a Georgian building is the lovely windows. Here I am standing in one of those windows, looking down over the garden of remembrance (a small park dedicated to the memory of all those who gave their lives in the cause of Irish freedom) Can you see me? I’m very small in this picture!

I was very quiet all day while Celine and her students talked about stories and did writing exercises. The stories they were writing were very interesting. I’m looking forward to reading all their books one day!

Then some of the students took a photo with me. This is me and Elizabeth, Emily and Bex.

When Celine finished teaching we headed out into Dublin!

We went to O’Connell St which is Dublin’s main street.

Celine took this photo of me in frount of the GPO (general post office)

During Ireland’s war of Independence, Celine’s grandfather fought against the British army here. No fighting today, just lots of rain and shiny footpaths and happy people enjoying their Saturday.

Then we met Celine’s friend Maria. Celine and Maria have been best friends since they were six years old. They’ve known each other a very long time and are like sisters!

We met up at the Spire which is a great big shiny needle which soars way up into the sky on O’Connell St) Here I am with Maria and Celine’s daughter Grace, and Grace’s boyfriend Dean. You can see the base of the Spire in the background!

Everyone showed me around Dublin and even though it got dark very fast (it gets dark around four o’clock in the winter in Ireland) there was lots to see. Like Arnotts shop, which is the oldest department store in Dublin (it dates from 1843, which makes it 170 years old! Imagine that. People have been buying things here for 170 years!)

It began to rain very heavily so we went to the Gresham Hotel for a cup of hot chocolate. The Gresham Hotel is even older than Arnotts, and has been running as a hotel since 1817! As you can see it’s a little bit posh (look at those chandeliers!)

After our hot chocolate, Celine and I went back to Cavan on the bus. It was a long day! We were glad to get home and put our feet up in frount of the fire with Indy and Celine’s husband Noel.

Celine’s working week

Every day, Celine works in her office writing books

This is a photo of us in her office where she and I are just about to settle down to writing.

Indy sleeps beside the bookshelves while Celine works. But I stood beside her computer and made lots and lots of suggestions for the new book.

In the photo below, you can see me trying to think of good names for Celine’s characters, while Celine is working on her new book.

I think I was very useful!

Can you see that frame beside me? That is a set of teeny tiny books that a very clever fan of Celine’s made. They are miniature copies of Celine’s Moorehawke books. They’re amazing! They even have little tiny pages. Celine loves them. Of all the pictures and presents and letters that her fans have sent her, they are her very favourite things.

SNOW!

One day it started to snow so Celine and Indy and I stopped working and ran outside to enjoy it. This is a photo of me in Celine’s garden as the snow drifts down. It was pretty, but very cold!

A few days later, we shared this photo with Cooper on facebook, and Cooper asked did it snow much in Ireland, and also were there any leprechauns.

This is the note Celine sent on FB:

Hi Cooper, It’s absolutely my pleasure to have Stanley here. He’s a very polite fellow indeed and no trouble to me at all. (he stands by my laptop as I’m writing my new book and is very quiet)

It only snows sometimes in Ireland . Mostly it rains and rains and then rains just little bit more. Like today, for example, which has seen non-stop torrents of rain since before dawn. All the snow is washed away I’m afraid! (have you seen the photo I showed last week seals swimming up the streets of Cork city? There was so much rain that they were able to swim along looking into the shop windows! Kind of cool huh?

I’ve never done facetime, but I do sometimes talk to people on skype (because my books are sold all over the world, I sometimes even talk to schools on skype which is very exciting because I get to see what a class room is like in Australia or in America without even having to leave my office!) Isn’t technology amazing?

xoxoxox Celine

  PS: I have never seen a leprechaun – but that means nothing, as I’ve never seen a millionaire either and people assure me that we do have them in Ireland !

Very soon it was almost time for Stanley to go home. But there was one more trip to be made first.

6th March

This is World Book Week, and Celine has been talking in schools and bookshops around Ireland about her writing. Today she brought me to Sligo where she will be speaking in the Hawkswell Theatre for the last day of the ‘We ♥ Books’ Book Tour.

Here I am backstage with authors Sarah Webb and Oisin McGann as tour director Tom Donagan helps set up their performances.

Soon the audience arrived and the theatre packed out. All the kids were delighted to see me ( I’m pretty sure I’m the only reason most of them turned up! I’m far more famous than Celine or Sarah or Oisin!)

See them all waving at me. What a great bunch!

Sadly I then had to leave the stage, so the writers could come on and talk about books and writing and things. I thought this was a shame, but the audience seemed to like them. They asked Celine lots of very interesting questions (like – ‘what’s the worse nightmare you ever had’ and ‘would you mind if your books were made into movies’) But I’m sure they would have preferred me to stay on stage.

At the end, Celine and Sarah and Oisin all wanted their photo taken with me (well, of course they did! Look how happy they are to meet me!)

And that is it! My time in Ireland is up. Tomorrow I’ll drive to Cavan, climbed back inside my envelope and Celine will packed me off home to Arizona.

I think I’m ready to go. I’ve had lots of fun in Ireland, and it was good that I was able to help Celine to write her books (how will she manage without me????) but I’m looking forward to some sunshine now.

ARIZONA HERE I COME!

Wynter & Cats (for Emily)

I’m heading to Drogheda tomorrow (3 march 2014) to give some readings and a talk in Waterstones bookshop (4 pm if you fancy dropping in to see me)

It’s been approx two years since I was last in Drogheda, and way back then I promised a young lady called Emily that I would do her a drawing of a young Wynter Moorehawke with her cats.

It’s been a long wait, Emily. I’m so sorry. I hope you like it after all this time.

We ‘♥’ Books: Hawkswell Theatre Sligo

ARGH! How can I have forgotten to mention that I will be appearing in the Hawkswell Theatre Sligo next week ( 7th of March) at 10.30 as part of the We ‘♥’ Books Tour?

Myself, Sarah Web and Oisin McGann will be prancing about on stage singing the praises of books and explaining why we ‘♥’ them so very much.

Tickets cost €3. Details are here

 

(& if Sligo is too far to travel, don’t forget I’ll be in Drogheda, 4pm on Monday the 3rd at the Waterstones bookshop)

Waterstones Drogheda, reading & talk

I’ll be in Waterstones bookshop in Drogheda next Monday (3rd of March) at 4 pm for a reading and a talk. Come along and see me if you’re in the area.

I’ll be in Drogheda Grammer School earlier in the day, reading from Into the Grey. But I haven’t decided which of my books I’ll read from in Waterstones. I might take requests! (I’m actually considering an excerpt from the new one I have coming out in 2015 – but we’ll see)

Hope to see you there.

FILM CRIT HULK on why people make movies

WHY (do) PEOPLE WANT TO DO SOMETHING SO TRIVIAL AS TELLING STORIES IN THIS MEDIUM (film). IT SEEMS SO SILLY IN A WORLD FULL OF PEOPLE WHO DO REAL THINGS. TEACHERS. DOCTORS. FIREFIGHTERS. THE KINDS OF FOLKS WHO FILL THEIR DAYS WITH MUNDANE HEROISMS AND GET LITTLE TO NO RECOGNITION FOR IT (AND OFTEN, THEY GET OUR DISDAIN). BUT THE REASON THIS INDUSTRY CAN FEEL SO HOLLOW AT TIMES IS THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY MESSING WITH SOMETHING INCREDIBLY POWERFUL: THE AFOREMENTIONED LETHAL COMBINATION OF IMAGE AND SOUND. AND IF WE HAVE MADE SOMETHING WITH THE POWER TO MAKE PEOPLE CRY IN 30 SECONDS, THAT CAN MAKE PEOPLE OPEN THEMSELVES UP AND LEARN TO WALK A MILE IN ANOTHER MAN’S SHOES, THEN WHY DO WE JUST KEEP USING THAT INCREDIBLE POWER TO MERELY INDULGE PEOPLE? TO PLACATE THEIR MINDS AND JUST GIVE THEM NAKED GRATIFICATION?

from this fascinating dissection of The Act of Killing

The Ending of The Rebel Prince

SPOILERS FOR THE REBEL PRINCE: DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE SPOILED!

You’re sure?

OK.

So I got a note this morning from a lovely reader in the US who asked me why I’d chosen to end the trilogy the way I did (with a ‘five years later’ epilogue following straight after a scene of intense action) It’s not something I get asked often, but it is something I have been asked before, so I figured I might as well make my answer public

Dear ()

It just felt right that way  I wrote it many different ways – with Razi & Wyn operating on Albi and Chris. With Sól mourning Hally  and protecting Mary. But in the end it always felt better that the reader themself  picture those scenes. The aftermath wasn’t as important to the focus of the story I wanted to tell. To me the story I’d needed to tell had been what happened during the meeting with Razi,  Wyn & Jon and then the terrible attack which followed. The attack is the culmination of all the misunderstandings and distrust which happened during the trilogy, but I felt the epilogue was what was needed in order to round the whole thing off – as that is Wyn’s reward and the results of all her hard work and determination during the trilogy.

Does that make sense?

(PS: a person once wrote to me and said ‘you got tired and just wanted to finish it quickly.’ I confess this hurt. Not because they haven’t the right to feel what they want about the ending – that of course is a reader’s prerogative – but because this misconception dismisses the amount of work and thought which went into it. The ending is such because I fashioned it that way out of choice. I wrote such a lot which I then cut because it felt better to me that way. That isn’t laziness, it’s making a choice to dump months of work because in your heart you feel the story is better told without it  )

*******

And that’s the answer

OK, back to the grind stone.

Sakura Medal, Inkwell Critique Services & Down a New Rabbithole

It’s only been a couple of weeks since I handed the new book over the the agent and – despite all my good intentions re having a proper rest – I’ve already fallen down the next rabbit hole. This is Mup and her good friend Crow, the two main characters from my latest WiP (a book specifically written for children this time around)

As always, I already feel like the book’s going to kill me. But I love my characters . I’m looking forward to spending the next six or seven months in their company.

There will be more drawings – its just that kind of project

I fully intend to stick to my internet blackout for this project- like I said, doing without the net seems to be the only way to get my scattered brain to focus these days – so it’s going to be a little quiet around here. Before I go though, two nice pieces of news:

1/ Hot on the foot of it having won the 2013 RAI Book of the Year Award, Into the Grey has been shortlisted for the prestigious Sakura Medal (English High Catagory) It’s up against some stiff competition but even being nominated is a great thrill as – like the CBI CHildren’s Choice Award – the shortlisted books (and the winner) are chosen solely by kids based on their enjoyment of the book

2/ I’ve accepted a position as a manuscript consultant over at the Inkwell Group who offer a range of services to help authors get their manuscripts ready for submission to agents or publishers. From now on I will be one of the many industry professionals available to critique novels or WiP’s in hopes of bringing them closer to a publishable standard.

OK. That’s all my news.

Back down the rabbit hole with me.

Panti’s Noble Call at The Abbey Theatre Feb 1st 2014

The superb speech from Rory O’Neill aka Panti Bliss in the after math of RTE’s cowardly and disgraceful decision to pay the Iona Institute 85k. 

Moving. Powerful. True.

Thank you Miss Panti Bliss. Thank you Rory O’Neill.

Fantasy Novel Writing Course

Bookings are still open for the writing course I’ll be teaching in the Writer’s Centre, 19 Parnell Square, Dublin, on Sat 1st and 8th of February. This will be an intensive two day course, and is for writers looking to complete or polish a fantasy novel (horror/magic realism/high fantasy/paranormal romance: all types of fantasy are welcome). The course itself will focus on the attendees, and will be tailored to suit them. Exercises will be general to the group, but designed to tackle specific problems or stumbling blocks attendees may be facing in their own project. Places are going fast so please book early.

For information and bookings go here

Or contact the Irish Writer’s Centre: +353 1 8721302

And so, once again, I’m done…

After two years four months of hard graft, I’ve finished my latest novel. It’s printed out. It’s been sent to my agent. I’ve done all I can on it for now.

This was a tough one. Possibly one of the hardest things I’ve ever written. I can only trust I’ve done the story justice and hope it’s received well. There are little bits of this one dotted about online, if you fancy a taste of it. I guess the biggest section is this one I put up on goodreads. I posted this to celebrate having converted the first 30k to 1st person ( after I realized the voice wasn’t working for me and went back to the start)

I learned something very important while working on this one. I learned I need to switch off the internet if I’m to get anything done these days. Not just switch it off, but actually send it away (I ended up asked my husband to bring the router to work with him) I just didn’t have the self-control not to keep going online. I’d kid myself I was only ‘checking for mail’ or ‘hopping onto facebook’ or ‘researching that word’ but whole hours of my time were being sucked down the drain by the damned thing. Once I removed myself from temptation, I found it much easier to maintain a train of thought and to stick with a chapter til the very end. Also, and perhaps even more importantly, my breaks from writing became actual breaks from my desk. I got up. I moved around. I went out into my garden. I was, in fact, a lot healthier for my lack of internet access.

I’m taking a week off now, and then I’m heading down the rabbit hole into the next book. I’m looking forward to this one. It’s not exactly light (I don’t think I’m capable of light!) but it promises to be a fun, magical, adventurous type of project. I need that after all the death and introspection of my last few novels. By its very nature it will be a shorter project, maybe only six months or so of writing involved. That’s the plan anyway! lets see how it works out for me, shall we?

So that’s it. Time for me to kick back for a few days.

Don’t forget, anyone who wants help or guidance finishing, polishing or just plan wrestling with their fantasy novel, I’m giving a two day writing course in the Irish Writer’s Centre on  Saturday 1st Feb and Sat 8th. Details are here