A dramatic scene which reminds me that Australian history is ancient, often sacred and secrete. There are Aboriginal myths shared at this site, but their deeper meaning is hidden from new Australians. A caution that, as writers, acknowledging indigenous stories requires sensitivity and care.
But the landscape is awe-inspiring and we can create our own myths when we write.
As expressed by John Keats: (letter to J.H. Reynolds 1818)
“Almost any man may, like the spider, spin from his own inwards his own airy citadel.”
This day, being Australia Day and the nearly 250 years of baggage that goes with it, I made an executive decision to re-blog my missive on the fine line writers literally “walk” when storytelling.
Feature Photo: An Australia Day tradition: the Barbeque (c) L.M. Kling 2015
In 1986, all pumped up from a successful finish to my university degree, I began writing my “Great Australian Science Fiction” novel. I chose Science Fiction because I thought it would be easy to write.
Hah!
At every opportunity, I inflicted the latest chapter of this rough and raw work on my friends. Below are the first few paragraphs of the very first draft of “Mary’s Story”, which 30 years later would be Mission of the Unwilling, written in 1986. The reason the title changed? Well, frankly, my writing mentor at the time thought the title, “Mary’s Story” was a bit lame. So, the book title had to change to something that would grab the reader. As a result, the main character had a name change.
Here I am inflicting this piece that needs a great deal of TLC to polish it into shape, so you can see that I was just like any other hopeful author, making all the mistakes common to novice writers. Have a look and see what you would’ve changed to improve this piece.
Twenty years passed. The manuscript languished in the cupboard. Unfinished. I had progressed halfway through. Lost my way. Lost in space and time, you could say.
Then a spark, and an idea. The story changed and continued to its end. As technology had progressed from Commodore and floppy disks to Windows PC and CDs, I had to rewrite the whole novel. Not a bad move, actually.
After printing off the reams of paper that made up the book, I took it to my uncle who was in the writerly business.
[2. Sample of MOU from 2008]
Suffice to say, he was not amused and gave feedback: Basic errors like no page numbers and glaring grammatical mistakes to using a ridiculous amount of speech attributions. It would seem that my years of motherhood had been detrimental to my writing craft. Bad habits in my writing had developed. He recommended joining a writers’ group.
Writing is a craft that requires honing skills and words to impact the reader in a positive way. Test readers, editors, fellow writers are essential to a manuscript developing from a rough draft to a polished piece ready for publishing. There is no shame in reworking or rewriting a story.
[3. Sample of MOU after reworking from writers’ group feedback, before my mentor gave her feedback]
I recall my writers’ group mentor saying that with feedback: listen to it, consider it and if it works for you, implement it. If not, put the suggestion aside. It’s your writing, it’s your voice.
You may see in the sample 4 and 5, that I took most of what my writing mentor advised. There were suggestions further on in their manuscript appraisal, that I didn’t agree with. One was the use of the expression “Man!” which they said wasn’t used in the 1980’s that it was only an expression that turned up in the 1990’s. I begged to differ, as I lived through the 1970’s and 1980’s as a teenager/young adult and behold, I remember the expression “Man!” being used; not just locally in Adelaide youth circles, but also on the television.
[4. Sample of mentor’s feedback]
My mentor stressed that we need to consider our readers. Who is our audience? What do you want your story to say to them? Is the story for entertainment? Or do you have a point to make? In the end, you won’t be sitting alongside them and being able to point to a word and say, “Sorry, I didn’t mean that—this is what I did mean.”
Our written work needs to stand on its own literal two feet and make sense to the reader without the author having to be the virtual translator, and thus committing the mortal writing “sin” of “author intrusion”. Author intrusion is when the author tells the reader how they should see, think and understand the narrative. For example, think of “author intrusion” like explaining the punchline of a joke.
[5. After many more drafts, and 30-years later—Mission of the Unwilling, those paragraphs as they were, published in 2015.]
The editing process never ends. More changes in 2022: A cover aligning with the War Against Boris Series, a new “preamble” chapter, more proof corrections and formatting done to make a second edition. check out Mission of the Unwilling as it looks now.
The final result is about refinement of the work: sentence tightening, word tweaking, word cutting and polishing the prose. All through revising and proof-reading.
Now I know you’re all hanging out for the nitty-gritty; the how do I make my writing good? Make it shine? How do I make my story clear and interesting for my readers?
For a start, invest in a good “How to Write” or “Grammar and Spelling” book. The reason we have and learn this language tool of grammar is to keep us all speaking and writing our particular language on the same page. It’s like a cake recipe. Follow the recipe, the cake bake is a success. It’s so that we understand each other. Adhering to the grammar and spelling rules helps readers understand what you have written. Not misunderstand. Of course, rules can be broken for effect, but you need to know the rules of your writing craft well to have the skill to know how to bend (or even break!!) them.
As I have mentioned in previous blogs, the World Wide Web is full of resources for writers. So, no need to “reinvent the wheel”. I have mentioned Microsoft Word Editor and Grammarly but there are other websites out there you can search for and find.
Our own Indie Scriptorium’s Mary McDee has some good grammar tips which you can look at. Click on the link here on her post on the Little But Important Words as an example.
I come back to the lesson I learnt from my dad: Keep It Simple.
Use basic sentences. Avoid purple prose. Use strong verbs and choose words that are understood by most readers. Be consistent.
After all, the aim of reading is for the reader to have an experience they find enjoyable and worth their time.
We, at Indie Scriptorium met last week and reflected on our direction and purpose, especially in relation to our weekly blogs. Recently, I came across this post by fellow blogger, Anthony Robert, which to me, hits the spot when it comes to getting out there and increasing our presence.
Writing a book is difficult enough, but getting it edited, published and marketed adds three additional jobs to the process. A new author must go through a tremendous learning curve and expend a lot of time and effort to get their book completed to a professional standard. Luckily, there are some places to turn to for help. I have listed three organisations I have used for support, advice and information.
The Institute of Professional Editors IpEd
“Editors work with writers for the benefit of readers. They help writers get their message across with greater clarity, elegance, forcefulness and insight.”
The Institute of Professional Editors encompass editors, of all types from both Australia and New Zealand. They offer some excellent services for writers.
Check out their website for helpful articles about what editors do, the three types of editing and how editors are trained and accredited. They also cover the skills needed to be an editor. They even have advice on self-editing.
The IpEd. web site offers information about how to brief an editor and how to make a contract with one.
The Find an Editor Service is an invaluable way of finding the right editor for your project, whether it’s a romance, a history book or an academic paper. The search engine asks you some simple questions and then provides a number of editors that will fit your criteria.
I have used this service and found a wonderful editor who whipped my two novels into shape.
For more information go to the web site: Click on the link here.
The Australian Society of Authors (A.S.A.)
This professional organisation has been established for over forty years. A.S.A. provides services to aspiring, emerging and established authors and illustrators.
Services Include:
• On-line courses on a wide range of topics. • Providing advice on subjects such as copyright, royalties and contracts. • Supplying information about fair rates of pay for authors and illustrators. • Offering mentorships and manuscript appraisals. • Providing guidelines and templates for contracts. • They make submissions to Parliament about issues affecting authors and illustrators. • A find service for creators and illustrators. • Speed dating – 3-minute sessions to pitch your work to an agent or publisher. ($30 fee)
Annual membership fees (2024) Associate – $160 Full member – $215
This is a state wide service for authors, both aspiring and published. They are located in the Institute Building on the corner of Kintore Road and North Terrace. Right next door to the State library.
People can join for an annual fee of $98. Concession card holders and young writers can join for $60.
They offer courses, workshops writing festivals and other activities both on-line and in-person. There are fees for all activities but members get a 30% discount.
In addition, Writers SA provide manuscript assessments, pre-submission assessments, mentorship programs, feedback, consultations and synopsis audits. All these services are provided at a cost. The fees are negotiable depending on the scope of the service and size of the manuscript.
It is certainly a good idea to browse through Writers SA web site. Look at Opportunities to discover competitions and publishers seeking submission. They also have a list of Writer’s groups throughout South Australia. You can also subscribe to their free newsletter and read their blog.
If interested in joining Writers SA contact them on 0476999002
“The only time I feel alive is when I’m painting.” – Vincent Van Gogh. “I can’t change the fact that my paintings don’t sell. But the time will come when people will recognize that they are worth more than the value of the paints used in the picture.”
[The Sunflower; a Van Gogh icon (c) L.M. Kling 2018]
A current example of those discouraging times when our books don’t sell; I recall my experience during two years in art exhibitions of not selling—not one, not even a cheaper unframed painting. So, at the time, I could relate to Vincent Van Gogh.
As writers we too feel disheartened when our books don’t sell. We’ve spent hours, weeks, months, maybe years writing, refining and producing our “babies” just to see them sit there on the shelf, unloved, unwanted, buried under millions of competing books in the Amazon ranking list.
Perhaps you were one of those authors who attempted to take the traditional route, sending query letters to potential agents or big-name publishers, only to receive the rejection letter months down the track. And this happened over and over again.
Or maybe like me, you saw the writing on the wall, bypassed all that palaver; went straight to Amazon, Draft to Digital, (or some other online publishing service) and self-published. Whichever way, the result is the same, the product must be sold. Even in traditional publishing, we are selling our books to the publisher then, if we are successful, they expect us to promote our books at book launches, speeches and signings.
Advertising, it’s all about marketing and advertising.
So, here I was, I had my “baby”, (actually “babies” — five books now), and to advertise, I have my blog, my website and most recently, Indie Scriptorium Self-Publishing Collective. Week in, week out I blog and post. I try and keep up with my followers by reading, liking, and following their blogs. Sometimes I offer my books for free on Kindle. I’ve tried a bit of advertising too. Slowly my contingent of followers has grown.
Yet, I see my friends or associates on social media pumped up with successes and bestsellers to their name. There’s influencers who have monetised their websites and now own a portfolio of properties. Then there are the bloggers who have 100,000-plus followers.
How do they do it?
All the while, here’s you and me, the wallflowers, missing out.
Believe me, being a wallflower is discouraging.
But, fellow wallflowers, don’t be discouraged.
Don’t give up.
Persevere.
I keep reminding myself that those success-stories often start with struggle. The people who are successful in sales, most often put themselves and their products out there. They spread the net far and wide, so to speak. They don’t give up when faced rejection. They keep on going. They have goals. And when they fail, they pick themselves up and keep on running.
True, there are some for whom success falls in their laps. But for most of us, we need to make the effort to reap the rewards.
The comment Van Gogh makes resonates with me. Although he sold only one painting in his life, he believed in his work, and the timeless quality of his art, as one can see from his quote at the beginning of this post.
I believe that’s how it is for me when I am writing, and also painting. I feel alive. And echoing what so many of my fellow “creators” say, I would rather be creating than getting bogged down in all the marketing and advertising. Like Van Gogh, I can’t change the fact that my books or paintings don’t sell…
I was fortunate enough to attend a session curated by Associate Professor of Creative Writing, Amy T. Mathews at Flinders University at the 2024 Romance Writers of Australia conference. Called Romancing Academia I was intrigued to find out how a university course tackled the most popular form of fiction, romance.
It was an amazing revelation. Doctor of Philosophy doing romance?
The presenters were brilliant speakers who spoke passionately about their PhD. topics. Their analysis of the tropes used in Romance was entertaining, enlightening and inspiring.
It became obvious that Romance was much more than light entertainment to these academics. One session delved deep into the sociological, historical, psychological value of strong independent romantic heroines. It discussed how feminism is portrayed in popular literature.
Another session looked at the ways writer’s avoid incorporating characters of ethnic diversity or Indigenous characters for fear of getting it wrong.
The issue of informed consent in romantic relationships was another lively topic for a thesis.
Another speaker examined the arranged marriage trope which was contrasted with the reality of arranged marriages in many modern societies. It was explained that arranged marriages can be culturally acceptable and a welcomed way for single people to meet potential partners.
Romancing Academia was informative and enjoyable. It also highlighted for me the opportunities available for writers who want to hone their craft.
I’ve been writing for five years and have produced two historical romance novels. I’ve learnt lots by researching and writing blogs for Indie Scriptorium. I’ve honed my skills as I’ve analysed the work of other writers in my critique group. I’ve acquired information about writing romance from the Romance Writers of Australia articles and wonderful sessions at RWA conferences.
Looking back, it’s amazing how much my writing craft has developed. When I started my first novel, I didn’t have a clue about what I even needed to know. Luckily, I had two university degrees and a career in social work so I could portray characters well and understood the motives that drive people. I relied on good beta readers and editors to get my ideas into readable prose.
But do I need more? The more I write the more I realise I don’t have the skills to adequately portray the ideas, themes and goals that I want to write about. The Romancing Academia session made me think more carefully about what I write. I’ve come to realise that my passion is portraying realistic history in the format of entertaining fiction. I love history, especially neutralising the misogynist and racist biases that have been offered up over time. To do this with authenticity in fiction is not easy.
Romancing Academia opened my eyes to the possibility of enrolling in a university course that focuses on creative writing. A way of fast tracking the knowledge and skills I need to become a better writer.
In South Australia, all three of our universities offer undergraduate and post-graduate courses in Creative writing.
University of South Australia offer:
Bachelor of Arts (Creative Writing and Literature)
Bachelor of Creative Industries
Graduate and Masters degrees
For information contact 8302 2376 or you can submit an on-line enquiry. Visit their web site https://study.unisa.edu.au for more information.
Our Indie Scriptorium Team has been busy this week preparing for a fantastic local author event, Wordfest. If you happen to be in Adelaide, come to Woodcroft Library, 3 to 7pm this Tuesday September 10.
Indie Scriptorium Self-Publishing Collective Anthology 2024 will be available in print from this date.
As well as the anthology, we will be selling our print copies of our books which include:
Indie Scriptorium -- Self Publishing Collective 