Val Tobin's Blog, page 12
October 24, 2018
Information Density
Great post on “show don’t tell.” I’d tell you more, but I’ll just let Eric Lahti show you.
Information density refers to putting more information into a single statement than is readily obvious. Think of it as a process of layering key pieces of a story on top of, or underneath, other things that are happening. Oftentimes it gets revealed through dialog, but there are other ways to accomplish it.
If you’ve been writing for any length of time, you’ve probably heard someone say, “Show, don’t tell.” In fact, you’ve probably heard it enough that it makes you want to strangle a manatee in the nude every time someone says it.
It’s a bit of cryptic phrase. This is, after all, writing we’re talking about, not cinema; showing stuff in prose seems like the antithesis of telling a story. I’ll admit, I struggled with getting my head wrapped around it. But, like all things, once you come at it sideways, it makes a bit more sense. The path…
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August 27, 2018
A Date With . . . Sylva Fae
Wonderful interview with Sylva Fae.
My latest date with an indie author arrived a bit late, but was well worth waiting for, as I am sure you will agree. I am grateful to Sylva Fae for interrupting her holiday to answer my questions.
Sylva grew up in Lancashire where, “[If] there were hard times for my parents . . . they kept them well hidden from me and my brother. I had a simple but fun childhood, and I look back with fond memories. My parents were artists who had a love of travel and the outdoors. My dad especially loved travelling and would prioritise holidays abroad over buying expensive toys etc – he wanted us to experience new places and learn about other cultures first hand. My mum was the driving force behind buying a farm, which became a sanctuary for injured wildlife and unwanted pets. When not chasing hens and goats out of…
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August 17, 2018
Lighting a Candle (Saturday Sound-off)
Well said.
At our local supermarket check-out this morning one of my neighbours was in front of me in the queue. Shortly after I left I caught up with her and we walked together down the hill, chatting about the weather and recent developments in our small retirement community. When we reached the church she parted company with me saying that she was going to light a candle for a friend and went on to explain how very ill this person was.
Found this image at https://smecsundaymorningforum.files.wordpress.com
As an atheist I regard the idea of lighting a candle in the belief that it might effect a cure or ease someone’s passage into the after-life as somewhat bizarre. But I would not publicly ridicule a person holding that belief or all followers of Roman Catholicism for that and other, to me, futile practices.
Like most Catholics, however, I do condemn some of the…
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July 24, 2018
A plea to authors – please speak out about piracy
I’ve had a worrying experience with a local book club. I’m not sure it is as it appears, so I won’t name names. But either way, it raises worrying questions about the way authors’ work is valued.
Recently, a book club invited me to make a presentation about Lifeform Three. The club voted to read it. The organiser went out of the room. Ten minutes later she returned. The books were ordered, she said! So quick. Everyone went home happy.
Except. I should have seen seven UK sales within 24 hours but there was only one. An ebook. Being indie, I know the local bookshops don’t have that many copies. Also, cheap second-hand copies on Amazon are scarce. Did the club just pretend they were going to read it?
It was sweet of them to spare my blushes. And I couldn’t exactly ask.
I shrugged it off. But this…
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July 14, 2018
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: VAL TOBIN
Thank you for the interview, Theresa Jacobs.
July 12, 2018
My Other Car is a Porsche
A news item caught my eye this morning. Apparently, a woman accidentally stole a car, thinking it was the car she’d rented. She drove the stolen car around for two weeks before returning it to the rental company, at which point, the mistake came to light.
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via giphy
As I read this story, I thought, I could totally make a mistake like this.
All cars the same colour look pretty much identical to me.
When my brother-in-law was buying a new car years ago, I asked my sister what kind.
“Green,” she replied.
Her hubby said, “That’s not what she meant. She means what make and model”
I replied, “Actually, that is what I meant.”
We had a chuckle over the fact that my sister and I both think alike when it comes to cars.
The only way I recognize which car is ours in a parking lot is by the license plate. You wouldn’t believe how often I walk towards a Porsche, mistaking it for our Mazda 3. Strange how my brain always mistakes the more expensive vehicles for our little go-kart.
Bottom line is, I could be anywhere in the world at any given time. Don’t leave your keys in the car in a parking lot — especially if you own a Porsche.
June 30, 2018
WATWB – Try Talking, It’s Easier Than Fighting
Victor Hugo once said something interesting about enemies. Most people think it was Winston Churchill, but there’s no evidence he ever said “You have enemies? Great. It means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” There is, however, plenty of evidence that Victor Hugo said something similar:
“You have enemies? Why, it is the story of every man who has done a great deed or created a new idea. It is the cloud which thunders around everything that shines. Fame must have enemies, as light must have gnats. Do not bother yourself about it; disdain. Keep your mind serene as you keep your life clear.”
A little less punchy than the supposed Churchill quote, but also more eloquent. Such is Victor Hugo, I guess. On the other hand, Churchill stomped Nazis, so he gets a pass if he was less eloquent than a professional author.
On a somewhat…
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June 28, 2018
A Date With . . . Lesley Hayes
An interview with the talented Lesley Hayes.
My ‘date’ this week is with a woman who lives a stone’s throw from the ‘Dreaming Spires’ of Oxford.
“I moved to Oxford about thirty years ago, having flirted with the idea of living here for at least five years before that. I was born in London and lived there until my early twenties. I’d never want to go back there for more than a visit now.
I’ve found Oxford is an ideal place for writers, eccentrics, and artists. It’s a place that celebrates diversity, and where you can be anonymous if you wish, and yet experience the feel of a village if you want to find your tribe. I love the way history is embedded in its streets and secret alleyways.
My own personal history is embedded there too, now. The only thing I would change seems like wishing for the tide not to turn – I’m not keen…
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June 18, 2018
Signs from the Other Side
Hawk in the Cemetery, Courtesy of Bob Tobin
When my father passed away in 2005, something strange happened around the time of his funeral.
As my mother and brother sat in the living room at my parents’ house, they heard a thud on the front door. My mother said it sounded as though someone had dropped something on her doorstep.
She got up to check it out and when she opened the front door, she found a hawk, a pigeon in its talons, sitting on a large rock in her front yard. They stared at one another for quite a while — long enough for my brother to join her and see it for himself.
After a while, the hawk flew away, carrying the pigeon with him. White feathers covered the front steps and yard. My mother said that, for weeks after, she continued to find white feathers inside her front door.
I consulted with a First Nations friend who studies nature signs, and he told me the hawk is a messenger from the other side. Whether you believe in this type of spirit communication or not, you have to admit the coincidence was weird.
Birds of prey feature often when we seek a sign from my father. This wasn’t the first freaky coincidence, nor the last, and when it’s not a hawk we get, it’s an owl.
Since this past weekend was Father’s Day weekend, I longed to receive a sign from my dad. He’s been gone for so long, and I wanted to hear from him again.
Saturday evening, my husband and I went for a walk in the cemetery next to our house. As we rounded a bend, we were halted in our tracks by two crows dive-bombing something in a tree overhanging the path we walked.
Just then, a bird cried out, and we looked up to see a hawk sitting on the branch of the tree. He stood proud and resolute, not a bit rattled by the angry crows attempting to unseat him.
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Hawk Feather, Courtesy of Bob Tobin
Awed, we climbed a nearby hill and watched them for awhile, and my husband snapped some pictures. The crows cawed in fury and flew at the hawk but never touched him. The hawk remained unrattled, keeping his perch. He gave the odd screech, a sound that sent chills through me.
Since the stalemate seemed like it would continue for a while, we decided to resume our walk. As I made my way down the hill, I spotted a feather in the grass before me: a feather from the hawk.
I picked it up, thinking about my father. Hawks always remind me of my father since that day one visited my mother after he died.
June 4, 2018
Interview about Injury on ReadFree.ly
[image error]Cool news: Injury now has a featured page on ReadFreely, which includes an interview with your’s truly, and you can view it here: http://www.readfree.ly/injury-by-val-tobin/
The voting is still going on for RF’s Best Book We’ve Read and Injury is lagging. I’d appreciate your vote to help bump it up in the rankings. The link to the vote page is here: http://www.readfree.ly/bbwray2018/
You might need to click on the links twice to get the pages to display. A glitch in their system resolves links to the home page.
Thank you for voting for Injury!
