28 March 2012

FERGUS, MOZART, THE ORANGUTANS, AND ME

Mozart
Fergus

Meet Fergus, Mozart, and my two adopted Orangutans, Rosi and Jarot.
Of course, Rosi and Jarot don’t live with me, but in the Sumatran forest at rescue centres.
 
Rosi
Separated from their mothers when babies, and now looked after by The Orangutan Project, Rosi and Jarot have the chance, along with many other Orangutan babies, to return to the forest where they belong.  If, that is, there is a forest to return to!
Jarot

Why were Rosi and Jarot separated from their mothers at such a young age?  Because the rainforest where they live is being felled for Palm Oil and other crops at an overwhelming rate with the remaining forest being degraded by drought and forest fires.  Extinction, for the Sumatran Orangutan in the wild is likely in the next 10 years.  Extinction for the Bornean Orangutans following soon after.

26 March 2012

KEEP YOUR NOTE BOOK HANDY


With early morning fog and various other mishaps, I spent most of today waiting for planes in airport lounges.  Irritating to say the least, but it did highlight what a treasure trove airport lounges can be for a writer of fiction.  Snippets of dialogue, body language and facial expressions abound not to mention the interesting as well exasperating personalities.  Everything you could wish for to enrich your characters.

Of course, it doesn’t have to be an airport lounge.  It can be the beauty salon, coffee shop, the train, bus.  In fact, anywhere humanity congregates.

So, keep your notebook handy, and the next time you find yourself marking time, make use of the moment.

13 March 2012

A WRITER'S OPENING 'HOOK'

Your first task in beginning your book is to ensure that your reader will turn that first page and read on. Only your imagination limits your choices, but whatever you choose, it has to give the reader a sense that something threatening is happening or about to happen. This can be done in a variety of ways. For example, an intruder, a death, even a doorbell ringing. Wouldn’t you agree that the doorbell ringing in the middle of the night would give you a sense of dread? At least until you opened the door.

The hook can be your opening sentence or your first paragraph but whatever you decide, keep the description to a minimum and don’t use passive sentences. For example.

Esme’s eyelids flew open, her body tensed and her arthritic joints twinged as the scraping noise came again from the room above.  

Straight away we have the name of the character. Esme, in this case. We also know that Esme suffers from arthritis, so is, possibly, elderly. And what is that scraping noise she hears? Is Esme in danger?

Another example.  This time for an opening chapter.

Laurence Harford emerged from the building into the cold night air and lit the cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. Discarding the match, he exhaled, absently watching the smoke blend with the shadows in the dimly lit lane. Moving slowly toward the stone archway and the street beyond, he stopped when a figure stepped into his path. As their eyes met, Laurence’s heart pumped, a sense of recognition and fear registering in his brain. Beads of sweat broke out across his brow, his cigarette fell to the web flagstones and he lurched from the lane into the deserted street, the sound of uneven footsteps sounding behind. 

In this second example something is definitely happening. Who did Laurence see in the laneway, and why did he react as he did?

If you would like to send in examples of your favourite hooks, I'll post them here.