Hazel Edwards's Blog, page 3

My P.D. James Tribute Month

As a tribute to P.D. James who passed away recently, in her nineties, I've decided to (re)read as many of her titles as I can manage during January. Usually I read randomly, based on recommendations of friends or minds which attract my interest or because a certain subject such as Antarctica interests me. As a longterm mystery writer, P.D. James style of psychological characterisation I've always admired. And then by accident, I found her 'memoir' of one year in her seventies and was intrigued by the writerly process. As also interested in memoirs by writers, I liked the sub title of A Fragment of Autobiography on her 'Time to be in Earnest'.


Have other readers tackled a specific writer in chronological order? Anyone else tried P.D. James in this way? Luckily I've also found the Good Reads author page devoted to PD James which is useful.

Re-Reading?

Do you re-read books? For comfort? For style? Nostalgia?
Rarely would I reread a book.And yet since I've recently been reading Laurie R King's series about Mary Russell, the wife of Sherlock Holmes , I've become aware that reading out of sequence is a problem.

I might go back and start from the first book. This is a rare series where the period style is comfortingly different and enjoyed for the Mary character's deductions.

Do you re-read? Why?
The Language of Bees

Writing a Non Boring Family History & Memoirs

Suddenly readers are mining history for the terrific factual stories from and about their own families. So there's been a boom in reading biographies as a kind of apprenticeship to see how others have written about facts and influential personalities. Some of whom may be relevant to the lives led by your family.

Which bits to include? Which to leave out? How to make anecdotes interesting? The context or setting matters too.That's why reading how others have written about that period, place or personality can help.

A workshop which includes hints for crafting historical facts in ways others might want to read can provide short-cuts.Saves time for the reader and the writer PLUS shares stories about extra-ordinary, so-called ordinary relatives.

'Memoir' is one of those elastic terms which cover any length writing. Often readers and would-be writers claim they want to share family history with their younger family members, but child-readers need to have material crafted in formats which appeal to them.

Recently I've written for the Aussie Heroes series which is aimed at 10 year olds. Fred Hollows, Weary Dunlop and Edith Cowan (from the $50 note) are some of the notables. Each of these books required the same amount of research and even more crafting of the writing than an adult book.(Often adults read kids' non-fiction books as an easy introduction to the subject or the historic period)
So keep mining ideas from history, because this enriches all our minds.And find yourself a workshop.

Literary 'Selfies' or Autobiographies?

How many times do they use 'I'? Is the tone self-deprecating ,egotistical or genuinely sharing weaknesses and strengths? Is the autobiography just chronological egotism? A kind of literary 'selfie'?

I've been reading autobiographies recently, but unless they are witty and have genuine style or give an insight into a competely different world, I think I prefer biographies where there is some evaluation and historical context.

'Misery memoirs' exasperate but genuine sharing of difficult circumstances can be vicarious experience for the reader. Quiet courage exists in many so-called 'ordinary' stories, by extra-ordinary people. Family histories can capture this.

Authors are often asked if they will write their autobiographies but often their lives are already reworked in their fiction. But a memoir can be any length…even a flash 'selfie'.

How Long Should a Story Be?

As a reader, I like to feel the story goes on long enough for the characters to live in my head, after the story has finished.

How long is an acceptable novel-length? Genres like science fiction or science fantasy have their conventions of big,spine creasing books with many pages.
'Short ' stories vary enormously from 1,000 words upwards. Since I often write YA novels, I use 30,000 words as my guide, and yet picture books may have as few as 400 words (like the cake -eating hippo stories) despite having layers of sub text.
Short crime or mystery stories depends upon a twist at the end, and so a sequel may not be an option.

But with non-fiction memoirs, I prefer the writer to be brief and candid, rather than 'fill in' to make a word limit.
Maybe a story should be long enough for you to recommend the book to a friend or to seek others by the same writer?

Themed Book Launch Food:Trail Magic

Food and books go together, especially at a launch. Often titles can suggest a food theme. Or even provide great photos.

I've been to a few Antarctic book launches where the food has been all white: fish, ice-cream, ice, rice and even milky drinks.

It's been said that food is the sex of children's books. Enid Blyton was the expert at that.And as the author of 'There's a Hippopotamus on our Roof Eating Cake' I've eaten a few cakes in my time (although just making a roof cake is easier than the challenging hippo shape)

But when 'Trail Magic: Going Walkabout for 2184 Miles on the Appalachian Trail' was launched in Darwin recently, Trail Mix of fruit and nuts was an easy solution, as the theme of the kindnesses that strangers offer, to THRU walkers on the Trail. No Moonshine, as alcohol was not permitted at the council pool where it was launched.
Maybe with some titles, you could take an empty plate or glass and allow the reader to imagine? Which book titles could you suggest food to accompany? Unsure how you'd provide the food for an e-book launch online?

Is reading several books simultaneously, being promiscuous?

'How can you hold more than one book in your head at once?'

A friend complained that I was not paying each author sufficient attention. She accused me of being promiscuous in a literary kind of way.

I often have three or four books in progress at once. One may be on the Ipad and I read it on the train, another audio while exercising and a third in print format. But apart from the formats, they might also be completely different kinds of books in subject or genre. One may be non fiction. Another a mystery or adult crime.

I thought most people read in multiple books.Do you have multiple books which you are reading? Do you feel you are insulting the author by reading others at the same time?

Frankly it doesn't seem any different from being a freelance author where you may have several big writing projects which require different kinds of research, plotting or crafting. It is possible to switch between the ideas.

Currently I'm researching Islamic customs for a junior chapter book, have written about first elected female parliamentarian Edith Cowan in the Aussie Heroes series for ten year olds and just finished Trail Magic with my son. He did ALL the THRU walking, I just helped proof reading Trail Magic: Going Walkabout for 2184 Miles on the Appalachian Trail|20424486] .

Just vicarious experience, not literary promiscuity.

Reviewing Books by Friends (Honestly)

If you are an author or a keen reader, chances are you have friends who write books. Or even friends of friends, or relatives of friends or acquaintances of your mechanic or hairdresser.

If the book is really worth reviewing,I love to share the joy of reading that story.

Problems arise if you are asked to review a book where you like the person but not the book. Or it is a favour for a friend,but you need to retain your reputation for objectivity.

With the increasing number of self-published titles, earlier editing /sifting processes are by-passed. Previously,reviews were allocated by literary editors to professional reviewers with experience based on wide reading enabling links to comparable works. Now authors seek their own reviewers.

Some self-published books are excellent: works of crafted passion. And some are amateurish and badly put- together. But reviews can attract significant attention to those titles for the writers.

So although I've recently been asked to read three very good books by friends, in future, I am unsure what to do. Just say 'No.'? Limit myself to favourite genres? Specify which kinds of books I read for pleasure? Or maybe I will read the book first before I answer whether I will review it? Unsure if there is enough life time for that. What do other readers do?

And I'm also conscious of the amount of work behind any book and do not want to hurt fragile author feelings.
Maybe I will not review friends' books? Maybe there is a friendless future?
What do you think?

Which is Your Favourite Book Ever?

'Just name one book as your No 1. favourite.'

Could you isolate one title only?

Sometimes I'm interviewed about favourite food, colours, writers or the one book I'd choose for a desert island.

Hard choice.

Much depends when you became acquainted with the mind behind that story in that book. And often reading goes in personal 'fashions' or genres. I've been through espionage, crime, mystery, adventure travel, satire, politics, self-help, biography and now moving into history.And that's just in my reading, let alone research for my own writing.

If pressed, I say 'George Orwell's 'Animal Farm' because of the multi-layerered political satire which is also accessible for younger readers.

If the question is meant to be personal about a book I've written, I say "The one I'm working on at present.'

Or 'Writing a Non Boring Family History' because of the boredom eliminated.

Or if it really is a hypothetical desert island, maybe a 'how to' manual.

Writing A Non Boring Family History

Choosing Books for Discussion in a Book Club

How do others choose their mix of book club books?

My husband is the only male left in a book club which has been given some abysmal choices by the administering library who subscribes to an 'old' central organisation who provide multiple copies and notes at a considerable fee. Although the group is asked for their choices on a list each year, these are ignored and existing books are recycled. As a member for three years, I admire his stoicism in finishing irrelevant titles.However I keep pointing out the wealth of marvellous and current books, and why don't they choose their own? One each per month and buy their own copies.That would help local authors too.

However, their book club discussions are stimulating and from varied viewpoints even if the subjects have been depressing or not well written. (Except for about two books in three years.)

Non fiction? Fiction? Controversial? And which titles do you recommend?

I'd always assumed a book club was to introduce you to titles you might not have chosen for yourself. And to enjoy the discussion? And maybe the meal afterwards?
As an author, I love groups to discuss my books, whether I am there or not!