Nicole R. Murphy's Blog, page 11
February 2, 2011
More Amanda Palmer–the ninja gig
A bit of background, for those of you not as keen on Amanda as I am – when she tours, she likes to use up the days between the paid gigs by finding cool places to gather people for free, impromptu gigs.
In Canberra, the inspiration came when she heard about the anarchist bike group Rat Pack and decided they sounded cool fun. So it was developed – people will bikes could meet her and the Rat Pack at 6pm, and then ride to Garema Place to gather more folks before heading to Aspen Island where there would be a gig featuring Amanda and a Canberra band Mr Fibby.
Aspen Island is where stands the Carillion, Canberra’s bell tower.
[image error] Purty, ‘tain’t it?
So I arrived, with Donna in tow, at 7.30 to settle in for a concert. Except there was a concern that it might not happen, cause those dark clouds you see in that picture were just the beginning, and over the end of the lake it was dark, and there was lightning…
So Mr Fibby prepared themselves to play, but Ms Palmer had some other ideas. Just as they were about to start, she (up in the bell tower) was invited to have a go at playing the bells. I didn’t recognise the song myself but she later said it was Coin Operated Boy (probably the biggest instrument that’s ever been played on). At first it was all cool, but Mr Fibby were ready to play and when the carillionist got on to play (They Had It Coming, from Chicago) the cries of rage from band and crowd began.
Finally, Mr Fibby got started.
It was great – folk, with an attitude and a severe dose of theatricality. Donna and I are both determined to seek them out and see them again.
Anyhoo, two songs and then fat drops of rain began. ‘Follow me!’ cried the singer and so we all traisped into the base of the carillion, which is open. Here is where I sustained my injury. I was sitting down, hands splayed on either side to settle myself and bam! A girl SAT ON MY HAND! Fucking thumb got crushed and it’s still swollen and useless as. You’ve not idea how much you use your thumbs until you can’t.
My pain was forgotten as the storm started in earnest and sitting wasn’t an option any more – we stood and crammed together and watched the rain shoot in sideways and soak us. For Mr Fibby, with their beautiful instruments, it just wasn’t a good idea.
For Amanda however, who was only using a ukelele (someone had brought a piano out but it was no good in this weather either) it wasn’t an issue. So she grabbed the piano stool, stood on it and started.
Donna and I ended up just a metre or so from her, in the second circle, so we had a great view. The sound was spectacular – the tower acts as a chamber for the sound of the bells. At one point, Amanada looked around in glee at the tone she was getting.
She performed for a bit under an hour. The storm would die, then would blow up again but always there was lightning in the background. We all go soaked, my thumb was throbbing and yet I have to count it one of the best experiences for a long while.
I don’t think the recordings get across the power of Amanda’s voice – strong, clear, with a really deep resonance. Wonderful.
Here’s some video I took – it gets turned the right way up after a few seconds, so stick with it.
[image error] Amanda Palmer’s Canberra Ninja Gig–Feb 2 2011So yeah, there you go. Amanda Fucking Palmer rocks!
February 1, 2011
A night of art and beauty–Amanda Palmer and friends
Last night I introduced two of my sisters to the joy that is Amanda Palmer and also fell a little more in love with the Amanda philosophy myself.
The night started with some songs by The Jane Austen Argument. I loved the songs – there was a wonderful mix of heartfelt and funny and the voices were just wonderful. They've just released their first EP here and I've downloaded it.
That was followed by Mikelangelo and the Great Maldovio. There was an element of cheese in their performance but it was kept from the depths by some incredible talent. I really enjoyed the way they were so earnest and yet so in touch with the audience and prepared to have fun with it.
A bit of an interval, then it was Amanda time. She started by coming down the stairs on the other side of the audience (my sisters and I managed to score the second row – awesome!) with just her ukelele, singing 'Making Woopee'. Then she sat down at the piano and commenced to impress the hell out of me with her playing and her voice. It was strong, confident, emotional.
She did a nice mix of songs – a couple of Dresden Dolls (one of my sisters was tickled pink she did Coin Operated Boy), a couple from Who Killed Amanda Palmer, some from the new album and so extras as well.
She sat down on the steps to the stage to do In My Mind and it really hit me. I've been beating myself up a bit lately cause I've not been as good with the diet as I was late last year. I know the issue – I'm at a weight now that I'm comfortable with. Sure, a bit more off would be nice, but it's not important like losing the first eight kilos was and I really don't mind where I'm at. Then the song and I realised that was okay – this is me, I'm fine with it, I'm fine with the choices I'm making at the moment. So I'm going to keep focussing on eating healthy and getting fitter but you know what – if I don't lose any more weight, that's fine. I'm happy where I am.
One of the things I enjoyed was how flexible Amanda was. She was playing the theatre at the National Gallery of Australia, to a Canberra crowd (which by tradition isn't the rowdiest bunch) so she played it up in other ways. She took a couple of audience requests (including playing The Bed Song, after a bit of discussion about why she wasn't sure she should do it – what a fucking excellent song, will hopefully be on the next album cause DAMN!).
The other thing I really loved was the obvious enjoyment in what she was doing. Amanda takes what she does very seriously, but the public persona at least is that she doesn't think this makes her any better than anyone else. This tied in nicely with something that came up in a chat I had on Monday. I was asked my opinion of Bryce Courtney having once said there are two types of people in the world – writers, and those who sit at the feet of writers. My take – yeah, not everyone can do what I do, I accept that I have a talent and a skill that sets me apart, but it doesn't make me special or better than anyone else. Don't put me on a pedestal cause of what I do.
Anyway, I saw that as being part of Amanda's view as well, and a big part of her appeal to me. Creating art is wonderful and important for yourself and for society, but it doesn't make you any better than the receivers of the art. After all, art only really exists when it's interacted with by a viewer. At least, that's my take today.
The gig ended with a piece of history – the first ever (I'm sure) crowd surf in the NGA. Amanda said she'd set herself the challenge of crowd surfing when she saw how elegant the venue was and after getting all the musicians together and getting the crowd involved in singing 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' (cause you've gotta crowd surf to a beat), she was up and being born up and then down the seating, ukelele raised in triumph. A great end.
After, I got my copy of the book Who Killed Amanda Palmer? and told Amanda what an inspiration she'd been to me (with some tears in my eyes). I told her about my creative journey recently and about the trilogy and she grabbed my hand and congratulated me.
I'm trying to convince myself I really DON'T want to never wash that hand again.
Anyway, she's playing a ninja gig in Canberra tonight and I'm going to go again, to get a different view and a different sense and immerse myself again in the art and beauty that is Amanda Palmer.
In the meantime, for your entertainment – the current single.
[image error]January 30, 2011
Year of the handbag–January–the book bag
One my resolutions for this year (as a way to explore my creativity) was that each month, I was going to make a different type of handbag. This would also provide me with at least a dozen brand new handbags by the end of the year and we all know that a girl can never have too many handbags [image error]
I think this was started by the appearance last year of handbags made from books. Natalie Portman had one at a premier. I think that I also at some point saw this video -
[image error] From Curbly Craft
Anyway, yes, the first handbag I’ve made is the recycled book handbag, and despite the fact that I forgot that I saw this video (I watched it after making the first handbag) I used pretty much the same method.
It’s a bit rough – I didn’t do anything to neaten up the attachments of the handle to the bag, and some of the material didn’t quite line up but frankly, it worked out really well. The book itself is a perfect colour and design – looks great, doesn’t it? – but it’s not quite thick enough to work really well. My purse doesn’t fit in there, for example. But I have used it, and apart from the thickness issue it didn’t fall apart and looked great, so I was really happy.
I learnt a bit about the cutting and glueing from the first one, and put that to use on the second bag I made. This one is actually a clutch purse.
The book is Notebooks, by Murray Bail. It’s a cute little book and I thought made a nice-sized clutch, which it does. The pink material turned out to be a little too much for the overall look (I wanted to use a nice material for this, rather than the calico I used in the first one) but still I quite like it and I’m thinking it might well be the purse I take to the Aurealis Awards.
Both of these purses were essentially glued together, but looking on Etsy.com, I saw book handbags where the internals appeared to be sewn together and then glued into place, so I decided to do that for the last handbag.
The moment I saw this book, I loved the idea of turning something called ‘The Evolution of Man’ into a handbag. So I went the whole hog with it – hence the pretty pearl handles and the pearl button clasp. I don’t think the internal material is quite pretty enough, although it is fun and suits the book.
The sewing didn’t quite work out as well as I’d hoped – I managed to ruin the tops of the sides – and time will tell whether it lasts any longer than just glueing it all in. It certainly took longer to do, so I’m not sure it’s worth it. I had to make the handles (came in a kit) and I’m not holy convinced they’re going to last.
One thing I did do was little pockets on the inside – makes it handier. In terms of size, this book was just about perfect. I’m going to be taking this to Amanda Palmer tomorrow night, so it will get a workout.
So, there’s my January handbags. I’ve not got one that I’m a hundred percent satisfied with, and the book bags are so easy to do (the first two only took two-three hours each) that I’ll keep fiddling through the year and hopefully get a cracker-jack one.
Next month, I’m doing some more recycling. This time, it’s a teatowel that I bought while on the retreat. It’s linen, and very pretty. I’m thinking of turning it into a draw-string bag, with plaited shoulder strap. You’ll get to see it at the end of February.
January 27, 2011
Happiness is …
An author who's got reviews in a couple of Australia's largest newspapers, has had a fabulous insight on how to make things really interesting in her new book and is currently reading with great joy and love a fabulous series of urban fantasy.
First, the reviews. I don't think I've posted any reviews of Power Unbound so far – hang on. (goes to check blog, sees I posted to the first review here). Right, so that was the very first. Just before Christmas, this review appeared and I was seriously chuffed with it. One of the things that I was determined to do in this series was make each book stand alone, so you could pick up either of them and get enough of a sense of what was going on to be able to just dive into the book at hand and not have to go find the others. I was delighted to find that I'd achieved that with this review.
That was confirmed in the review by Sandy McCutcheon that appeared in the Courier Mail in Brisbane and the Telegraph in Sydney on Saturday. Again, it's made clear that you don't need to read Secret Ones to enjoy Power Unbound. The reviewer also called it a "rollicking romp through the space where fantasy and romance collide" and said the series had a "straightforward and engaging narrative". Also, she said Ione has a "wicked line in wit". Hear that! I wrote a witty character [image error]
Am sooooo happy.
Now, onto the insight. The book I'm writing at the moment (Hope Lost, book two of the People of the Star, sequel to Dream of Asarlai) is a little different in that it's not a straight-forward romance. There is in fact a love-triangle and while I'm pretty sure I know who the girl will choose (although there's still a ways of the story to go…), I'm being challenged by needing to make both men seem like a good candidate for her.
At the moment, I've kinda got the odds stacked against the guy who's gonna end the story alone, but last night I realised I could change that and it would be great. It's too easy for her to choose one guy over the other because of an issue with power (I'm saying no more than that cause I can't give away too much storyline) but if I swap the power stuff over, then it becomes much more intriguing – what they offer her becomes much more evenly balanced and it becomes about which one she decides is the right one for her.
Right now, I'm quite excited by the idea. I don't know where it's going to lead the story and I'm not going to get to find out in the near future – I'm only working on this draft for another three days before I go back to working on Freedom Found, book one of the trilogy. But I love this moment. It's like when you're building a house and it all just seems a pile of wood and bricks and tiles and then the frame goes up, the brickwork starts and you can see the shape of the building to come.
Finally, a quick note on what I'm reading. I fall in love with series, and then have to get my hands on every book available. Happened last year with Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse books and Vicki Pettersson's Signs of the Zodiac.
This year, my first love is Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series. I read the first book a couple of years ago and loved it, but at that point I didn't have a major book-buying habit and so I didn't get the rest. Then, when I asked Twitter about stories with good love-triangles, this was brought up and I went ' ah, yeah, I liked that book'. So I downloaded book two on Kindle and read it on Wednesday. Then yesterday I downloaded books three to five and read TWO of them. I've only got one more to go *sniff*. Book six is out in March, so not too long to wait but – how will I survive that long with out Adam?
January 25, 2011
Australia–our potential
Today is Australia Day – one of our favourite public holidays, the celebration of the arrival of the first European settlers and a day that was once a favourite of mine but is quickly losing it's glamour.
You see, for the past few years, Australia Day has become a celebration of jingoistic pride – caucasian kids parade around wearing flags for capes, sneering at anyone who isn't and telling people who don't look like them to go home. There's a sense that if you're not out here showing THE WORLD how cool Australia is, you don't belong.
Apart from the fact that none of this LOOKS COOL (I'm already shuddering over the scenes I'll see on the news tonight), it's also sad because to me it means we've missed a real opportunity.
Australia Day doesn't just revolve around celebration. The Indigenous peoples call it Invasion Day – the day that they lost it all. Combine that with the fact it's early in the year and I think Australia Day should be the country's New Year's Day – look back and acknowledge the success and recognise the failings, then look forward and work out how to do better this year.
There is a hell of a lot to be proud of in Australia. Our standard of living, health and education is extremely high. Our economy is sound and our political system secure and open. Australians as a people are amongst the hardest working in the world, and few can beat us as getting on and fixing things when it all goes wrong. Our military is small but highly trained and well regarded world-wide and we're also a creative and inventive mob.
There's also stuff that we're still not getting right. Indigenous rights and livelihoods for example – it's really embarrassing that a country as rich and skilled as Australia can't provide health and education for a small number of people. On some human rights we've got a deservedly proud record, but we're still falling down in respect to how we're treating the boat people. And while we've got some of the best laws in the world in terms of how homosexuals are treated, the question is why do we have laws at all? Why isn't it automatic that any human being who lives in Australia is entitled to the same protections and allowances?
Our record on the environment is terrible. We're the LAST county in the world that can afford to pussy-foot around on this – our land is delicate (for all it's blatant beauty and seeming hostility) and when it all goes to shit, we'll be one of the first to go.
The thing is, there's no reason for us not to be better at all this. We've got a sound political system with no tyrants ruling us. We've got a strong economy, we're educated and skilled and we know how to work a hard week.
The only thing stopping us is us and attitudes such we'll see today – a national pride that has a fantasy-laden view of reality and refuses to accept that seeing the bad as well is a good thing.
Our report card for 2011 – not living up to potential.
January 24, 2011
Flood fundraisers
There's a few fundraisers or ways to donate for the Queensland Floods focussed on those of us who love the written word.
The Authors for Queensland auction has closed, but here's some other ways to get involved:
RWA Flooded Communities Book Appeal
We've all seen the devastation the recent Queensland floods have wrought and have wondered how we can help. We know that for many affected families, books will not be high on their priorities list for some time to come.
But...
We also know how valuable books can be in providing time out when reality gets tough.
So…
With the aid of some wonderful volunteers, we've put together a Romance Writers of Australia Flooded Communities Book Appeal.
What we need?
FICTION BOOKS! Romance books, children's books, young adult books, genre books, whatever – either new or in sparkling condition.
Please send them to:
RWA Flooded Communities Book Appeal
PO Box 1717
Noosaville Post Office
Noosaville BC
Queensland 4566
When to send them?
Now! And any time over the next few months. The books will be boxed and delivered to the appropriate libraries/schools/neighbourhood centres/community centres in batches as soon as the communities are ready to receive them. We'll be liaising with councils, libraries and schools to ensure this is done appropriately. Feel free to pop a note inside, or if you're an author, sign it.
Questions:
If you have a question about donations, email Jess Anastasi:Jess@jessanastasi.com
If you work in a library / council / community centre / school in a flood affected area, email Rachel Bailey:rachel@rachelbailey.com.au
Writers on Rafts
At Writers on Rafts, you can buy raffle tickets to win a range of prizes from more than 150 writers and writers organisations around Australia. Want to have tea with Nick Earls and chat about his books? Think an hour one-on-one online with megaseller Valerie Parv will help you carve out the career you want? Desperate to appear in a character in Jessica Rudd's new book? Here's your chance.
Silent Auction
Australian Romance Readers Association will be holding a silent auction at the convention in Sydney in March. Want to get a fill of romance books? Here's the place to be looking. http://australianromancereaders.wordpress.com/silent-auction/
Here's hoping that the fabulous folks affected by floods all over Australia will be back on their feet asap.
January 23, 2011
Working titles
Titles are so hard – you're trying to sum up the essence, the theme, the character's journeys, the plot in just a few words and do it without giving away any of that.
I've been needing to come up with working titles for the new trilogy, cause I was just confusing myself with all the book one, book two stuff. I had some titles in my head but I knew they weren't going to fly.
The Free Ones, for example, is what I was calling the trilogy (cause it's about them) but that's too close to Secret Ones to use. And I have a fabulous title for book three, except it will give the whole thing away so I can't use it.
Finally, I've sat down and I've nutted out what I'm going to use for now. Understanding of course that they'll probably get changed should I ever sell these novels.
So the trilogy is called People of the Star, which readers of the first trilogy will know refers to the gadda. This trilogy is more about the gadda as a whole than one person, so I think it's a good idea.
Book one will be called Future Found. I'm sticking with the two-word title thing that we used in the first trilogy. It gives a nice sense of how everyone is feeling as the events of this book unfold. Despite the fact some terrible things happen in it, it ends on a nice sense of hope.
Book two will be called Lost Hope cause yeah, everything that seemed so good in the first book is gonna fall apart in the second. Apart from the HEA that the couple have.
Book three will be called The Sanctuary and not only refers to the way the couple feel about each other, but a growing need for the gadda as well.
So now you know what you'll be hearing me refer to in the future.
January 20, 2011
Plans and not working out…
So I'm sitting here and I should be working but I'm not, cause I just went to check on my Amanda Palmer music stock and realised iTunes has lost most of the album Who Killed Amanda Palmer so I'm having to buy it again and it takes a bloody long time cause iTunes is so frickin' slow…
Yeah, annoying. Still, first world problems and all that.
So, I want to record what I need to work on for the next couple of weeks, cause otherwise I'll forget. So here's the plan:
* Research, edit and submit story for CSFG anthology Winds of Change
* Get as many words down on book two of trilogy as I can before Feb 1
* Start editing/revising book one on Feb 1 to give to readers on March 1
* Proof Rogue Gadda
* Come up with names for new trilogy, cause just calling it book one etc is confusing the hell outa me
That's enough to go on with for now – when I got to see Amanda Palmer on Feb 1, hopefully it will be a reward for getting all this done, and getting it done well.
January 19, 2011
So, how ya been?
Good? Great, glad to hear it.
Me? Oh, I’ve been busy. Busy busy busy!!!
In case you haven’t kept up with events at the Fantasy Writer’s on Retreat blog, over the two weeks I was in Oberon I -
* changed the hero’s occupation, re-wrote scenes to account and finished book one of the Free Ones trilogy (total – 31,000 words)
* started book two of the trilogy – eleven chapters at the beginning, some of the later scenes (total – 33,000 words)
Also managed to do quite a bit of reading, watching some incredible films (oh my god Inception is fabulous!), go for lotsa walks, do some nature visits, eat lotsa fabulous food and only put on 0.2 of a kilogram (I is legend!)
As well, I did the final edits for my story in this great antho:
Scary Kisses was one of my favourite anthos of 2010 and I’m really looking forward to seeing what we’ve got next.
So yes, FWOR 2011 was another successful two week retreat. Plans are afoot for FWOR 2012 – hope it does happen again, I have such a great time with these people and get such work done.
Cat and Russell – ping pong [image error] We hads deer – baby ones! [image error] Beautiful Jenolan Caves
[image error] Stunning Kalaga Falls[image error] The stunning (in an entirely different way) big trout
I went home via Cowra – it’s my dad’s hometown, I hadn’t returned since my grandmother died twenty years ago and I was in the right general part of NSW …
Visited my grandparents graves, put some flowers there, spent some time. Strange to think that people who were so important in my life don’t know the cool stuff that’s happened – my various jobs, my wedding, my writing…
Visited the Japanese Gardens – always a favourite when I was a youngster.
So now I’m back home. Taking a few days to tidy up after more than three weeks away (and Christmas before that) and then it’s onto proofing Rogue Gadda and continuing to pound the words into book two.
January 3, 2011
For the next two weeks…
You'll find me here: http://fantasywritersonretreat.wordpress.com/
Today I head off on the annual FWOR (Fantasy Writers on Retreat) get-together. This year we're in Oberon, in the mid-west of NSW. Internet access will be sketchy, so can't guarantee constant contact, but we'll keep you up to date with the shenanigans as best we can [image error]
My main aim – 61,000 words written (that's to beat the previous record of 60,000 words which I set at Metung in 2009). That should see me finishing the draft of book one of The Free Ones trilogy and getting a start on book two.
It should have well and truly seen me finish book one, except that on Sunday I realised that my hero has the wrong job. So I'm going to have to do a fair bit of re-writing of the beginning before I can get started on the last twenty-odd thousand words of the book.
I've also got a couple of short stories that I need to polish up, get critiqued and submit over the next couple of weeks.
I love my weeks with my friends at FWOR – it's going to be a very productive and fun time [image error]
Except I will miss my eleventh wedding anniversary and with Hubby going to NZ to play in the NZ Open (croquet), it will be three weeks before we see each other again.
Will miss you, darling.
