Zena Shapter's Blog, page 16
April 14, 2017
Which Stories Would You Read? #OpeningLines
Stephen King (horror writer extraordinaire) says that a story’s opening lines should “invite the reader to begin the story”.
“It should say: Listen. Come in here. You want to know about this.”
Of course what one person wants to know differs tremendously from what another person wants to know. So my top ten opening lines, the sentences that would have me keen to continue reading, probably differ tremendously from yours. The only way to find out is to compare!
Here, I’ll start. My top ten favourite opening lines (not necessarily from my top ten favourite books and in no particular order) are:
“It was night again. The Waystone Inn lay in silence, and it was a silence of three parts.” The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
“No one would have believed, in the last years of the nineteenth century, that human affairs were being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man’s and yet as mortal as his own; that as men busied themselves about their affairs they were scrutinised and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinise the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water.” The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
“I had just come to accept that my life would be ordinary when extraordinary things began to happen.” Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
“We slept in what had once been the gymnasium.” – The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
“I did it. You’re really here. An astronaut. Jesus.” – Your Fathers, Where Are They? And The Prophets, Do They Live Forever? by Dave Eggers
“You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings.” Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
“There was once, in the country of Alifbay, a sad city, the saddest of cities, a city so ruinously sad that it had forgotten its name.” Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
First the colours. Then the humans. That’s usually how I see things. Or at least, how I try. HERE IS A SMALL FACT You are going to die.” The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
“I was born in the year 1632, in the city of York, of a good family, though not of that country, my father being a foreigner, of Bremen, who settled first at Hull; he got a good estate by merchandise, and leaving off his trade, lived afterward at York; from whence he had married my mother, whose relations were named Robinson, a very good family in that country, and from whom I was called Robinson Keutznaer; but, by the usual corruption of words in England, we are now called, nay, we call ourselves, and write our name, Crusoe; and so my companions always called me.” Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
“When he woke in the woods in the dark and the cold of the night he’d reach out to touch the child sleeping beside him.” The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Would you be keen to read any of these stories based on their opening lines?
Which are your own favourite opening lines?
Let me know in the comments below, or online somewhere!
And thanks to my author buddy Simon Dillon for the idea (his top ten sentences are over here)!
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April 1, 2017
How Authors Sign Books Wrap Up #Handwriting #Personality
Wow, what a fun series that was – we have seen a lot of handwriting over the past few weeks! What about your handwriting? Have you analysed it yet? Do you have a broad perspective on life, do emotions rule your thinking, are you optimistic or visionary, how much do you value freedom – find out by writing down a message (to me if you like!) then comparing it to the hints about personality over here!
What about the authors of your favourite genres? Here’s a list of everyone who took part in the series along with their genres, why not click to compare those writing similar things – do they also have similar handwriting? Do they have similar handwriting to you?
AJ Spedding – speculative shorts, graphic novels, steampunk, apocalyptic horror
Alan Baxter – supernatural thrillers, urban horror
Aleesah Darlison – fantasy, picture books, junior fiction, middle grade
Amanda Bridgeman – science fiction
Andrew McKiernan – dark-fantasy, science fiction, crime, horror
Cat Sparks – speculative and climate change fiction
Chris Allen – thriller, action, espionage, adventure
Deb Kalin – fantasy, horror, YA
Dionne Lister – epic fantasy
Ian Irvine – epic fantasy, science fiction
Jack Dann – science fiction, anthologies
Jason Nahrung – speculative fiction
Jason Fischer – fantasy, science fiction, horror
Jo Anderton – speculative fiction, horror
Kaaron Warren – science fiction, horror
Keith Stevenson – science fiction
Kim Falconer – urban fantasy/SF/F, paranormal romance
Lee Battersby – speculative fiction
Leife Shallcross – fantasy, dark fantasy, science fiction, fairy tales
Margo Lanagan – fantasy, YA
MJ Hearle – speculative fiction, YA
Michael Pryor – YA fantasy, science fiction
Nansi Kunze – YA
Nicole R Murphy – speculative fiction, romance, erotica
Pamela Freeman – historical fiction, romance (fantasy and children’s books as Pamela Freeman)
Richard Harland – fantasy, science fiction, steampunk horror
Sam Hawke – fantasy
Sean Williams – fantasy, science fiction
My thanks go to all these amazing authors for their time and effort participating in this blog series, and to you lovely readers for exploring and reading about these amazing authors! I’d love to know whose handwriting or message you liked the best. Let me know!
And if you enjoy insights like these into authors, remember to explore my other blog series too: ‘Where Writers Write’ and ‘What Music Inspires Authors’. Have fun!
March 31, 2017
How Sean Williams Signs Books @adelaidesean
What kind of books does Sean Williams write?
Science fiction and fantasy for readers of all ages.
Tell me more!
Photo by James Braund
Sean Williams is an award-winning, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of over forty novels and one hundred stories, including some set in the Star Wars universe and some written with Garth Nix. He lives in Adelaide, South Australia, with his family and a pet plastic fish. His latest series is Twinmaker, beginning with Jump, available from Allen & Unwin.
Where can I find out even more about this fabulous author?
What does his handwriting reveal?
Compare his swirls and slants to the letters and revelations here, then scroll to check out your next author!
March 30, 2017
How @MichaelJPryor Signs Books
What kind of books does Michael Pryor write?
YA Fantasy and Science Fiction.
Tell me more!
Michael Pryor is one of Australia’s most popular and acclaimed authors of Fantasy and Science Fiction. He has published more than thirty-five novels (including the Laws of Magic series, Machine Wars and 10 Futures) more than fifty short stories, and has over one million words in print. His work has been longlisted for an Inky award, shortlisted for the WAYBR award and seven times shortlisted for the Aurealis Award. Seven of his books have been awarded Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Book status. His latest book is Leo da Vinci Vs the Ice-cream Domination League.
Where can I find out even more about this fabulous author?
His website is www.michaelpryor.com.au
What does his handwriting reveal?
Compare his swirls and slants to the letters and revelations here, then scroll to check out your next author!
‘Dead of Night’ Wins @AustHorror Australian Shadows Award + Book Launch Photos
Congratulations to the Australian Horror Writers’ Association and Shane Jiraiya Cummings for winning the 2016 Australian Shadows Award for Best Edited Work with ‘Dead of Night: The Best of Midnight Echo Magazine‘. Woo hoo! The collection includes my story ‘Darker’. I’m particularly chuffed because the year ‘Darker’ was first published in Midnight Echo I totally forget to enter it into the awards. Duh! (Note to writers out there, don’t forget to enter your stories into awards!). So this is a win for me by association 
March 29, 2017
How Chris Allen Signs Books @IntrepidAllen
What kind of books does Chris Allen write?
Thriller, Action, Espionage, Adventure.
Tell me more!
Chris Allen writes escapist action thrillers having seen and done it all. A former paratrooper, Chris served in three Commonwealth armies across two decades and four continents. He left the military due to injuries, retiring at the rank of Major. In addition to his military career, Chris has served with three law enforcement agencies in Australia, led security operations for an international aid agency in East Timor during the emergency in 1999, and took over the protection of Sydney’s most iconic landmark, the Sydney Opera House after ‘No War’ was painted on the sails. In 2008 Chris was appointed Sheriff of New South Wales, one of Australia’s most historic law enforcement appointments. After self-publishing in 2010, Allen caught the eye of Pan Macmillan’s experimental digital publishing arm, Momentum, and soon became one of their bestselling authors. In his Intrepid series, Chris puts the reader deep within the action. His protagonist, Alex Morgan, represents the embodiment of Chris’s own military and law enforcement insider experience. Intrepid is the Intelligence, Recovery, Protection and Infiltration Division of Interpol, a top secret black-ops taskforce operating in the shadows to protect the world’s most vulnerable people from the worst among us. Cumulative decades of experience in the defence, police, counter-terrorism and justice sectors means Allen often features in the mainstream media, talking about his writing inspiration and publishing journey, including on TV (ABC News, FOX Business) and radio (ABC), and in newspapers (West Australian, Sydney Morning Herald) and magazines (Good Living Magazine, Mindfood). Allen also regularly appears at writing events including the Sydney Writers’ Festival, Perth Writers’ Festival, Book Expo, SpyFest and numerous other writers’ centres and libraries around Australia. Now represented by Curtis Brown Australia, Chris has signed a deal for the full Intrepid series to appear on the big and small screens from 2017 and beyond. Chris and his wife, Sarah, live on the picturesque New South Wales south coast. They have two sons, Morgan and Rhett.
Where can I find out even more about this fabulous author?
Website: chrisallenauthor.com
What does his handwriting reveal?
Compare his swirls and slants to the letters and revelations here, then scroll to check out your next author!
March 28, 2017
How Amanda Bridgeman Signs Books @Bridgeman_Books
What kind of books does Amanda Bridgeman write?
Mainly sci-fi.
Tell me more!
Born and raised in the seaside/country town of Geraldton, Western Australia, Amanda hails from fishing and farming stock. The youngest of four children, her three brothers raised her on a diet of Rocky, Rambo, Muhammad Ali and AC/DC. Naturally, she grew up somewhat of a tomboy, preferring to watch action/sci-fi films and liking her music rock hard. But that said, she can still swoon with the best of them. She moved to Perth (Western Australia) to pursue her dreams and study film & television/creative writing at Murdoch University, earning her a BA in Communication Studies. Perth has been her home ever since, aside from a nineteen-month stint in London (England) where she dabbled in Film & TV ‘Extra’ work. Her third novel ‘Aurora: Meridian’ was shortlisted for an Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. There are currently six books available worldwide in the series and more on the way – both inside and outside the series.
Where can I find out even more about this fabulous author?
Website Link: amandabridgeman.com.au
Twitter: twitter.com/Bridgeman_Books
Facebook: facebook.com/AmandaBridgemanAuthor
What does her handwriting reveal?
Compare her swirls and slants to the letters and revelations here, then scroll to check out your next author!
March 27, 2017
How Leife Shallcross Signs Books @leioss
What kind of books does Leife Shallcross write?
Mostly fantasy and dark fantasy, with a little bit of sci fi every now and then. She has a particular love of playing with fairy tales.
Tell me more!
Leife lives in Canberra with her family and a small, scruffy creature that snores. She loves writing the kind of fiction where the world is a character and readers are in genuine danger of becoming lost for long periods of time. Her short fiction has previously appeared in Aurealis and several Australian and international anthologies. She’s currently working towards having her first novel published (while writing novels 2, 3 and 4…) She is actively involved in the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild and also helps organise Canberra’s science fiction convention, Conflux.
Where can I find out even more about this fabulous author?
She can be found online at leifeshallcross.com and on Twitter @leioss. Her FB page is: facebook.com/LeifeShallcrossAuthor
What does her handwriting reveal?
Compare her swirls and slants to the letters and revelations here, then scroll to check out your next author!
March 26, 2017
Touchstone: a continual source of writing inspiration
Today I’m over on Leife Shallcross’s blog talking about my writing touchstone – the one thing that has inspired and will always inspire me to write. I reveal how I first found that source of inspiration and where, why the experience resonated so strongly with me, how my touchstone reflects other things that interest me as a writer, and how my relationship with my touchstone has changed over time.
It was a fascinating interview to answer, thank you for asking Leife! It took me back to when I was a young publishing assistant, newly single and in need of some magic to enliven my life. I found that magic, and it’s never left me 
How Jason Nahrung Signs Books @JNahrung
What kind of books does Jason Nahrung write?
Speculative fiction.
Tell me more!
Jason Nahrung is a Ballarat-based writer, editor and journalist. His most recent long fiction is the Gothic tale Salvage (Twelfth Planet Press) and 2015’s outback vampire duology Blood and Dust and The Big Smoke (Clan Destine Press). He is undertaking a creative writing PhD investigating life in a climate-changed near-future Brisbane.
Where can I find out even more about this fabulous author?
What does his handwriting reveal?
Compare his swirls and slants to the letters and revelations here, then scroll to check out your next author!
