sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

Big Question 2: Where do you work?

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Time for anotehr big question. this is where I ask you, the blog reader, to share your experiences with other readers.
So, today’s questions: Where do you work? I’m referring here to your workspace for writing, rather than any other job you may hold oustide the home.
For me, I have a desk in the room that should be the formal dining of our home. Who needs two dining rooms, for goodness sake? But my four bedroom home does not have a separate office, so I have appropriated this room for my office. As well as my desk there’s two bookcases and a lower profile shelving unit for my files. I’ve also relented and moved my kids’ computer desk into this space because I was sick of their computer being poked into a tiny corner in the living area. Still, my desk and computer are mine alone, and the kids respect that.
My desk is never tidy. It has piles of books to be reviewed, pie ls of stories to be rewritten, a pile of bills to be paid, and other important pieces of paper. It also has a pen holder, a wooden giraffe, a stuffed owl and three small elephants.
It works for me.
So, tell me what your work area is like. Is it messy or clean? A room or a corner? let me know by leaving your comment below.

Read a Book Today: Part 2

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A few days a day I encouraged readers of this blog to read more books. Today, I’m reminding you not just to read books in your chosen genre, but to read them as a writer. That is, as well as enjoying the books for their own sake (and if you don’t enjoy reading in your genre, you won’t enjoy writing in it, either), also use the reading process to examine the writing process.

Ask yourself:

1. What structure has the author chosen? Is the story chronological – does it start at the beginning and move straight from one event to the other? Does it instead use flashbacks or jump around from past to present to future? How does the chronology of the story affect the reader’s understanding of events?

2. What form is being used? If you are reading a picture book, for example, is it a rhyming book? A recount? A fairy tale? Is the story told using diary entries, letters, emails or using narrative prose? Again, how does the form affect you as reader?

3. What point of view is being used? Is the story told in first person (I/we), second person (you – this is very unusual) or third person (he/she/they)? If third person, is it a limited perspective or omnipotent?

4. Are there any parts of the story which jar as you read them? Why? Is it word choice? Poor exposition?

5. How do you feel about their characters? Are there characters you love? Hate? Feel indifferent to? Do you think the author means you to feel that way, or is there a problem with the character portrayal?

These are only some of the elements you can consider as you read. There are dozens more questions you can ask yourself as you read. You may find that if you are new to writing you need to consciously ask yourself these questions during and after the reading process, but as you get used to reading as a writer, you will find that things jump out at you unbidden.

The purpose of all this questioning and exploring is to make you aware of the craft used by other writers, so that you can improve your own craft. The point is not to copy everything you see, but to gradually unearth a variety of elements which you can draw on in your own writing. By seeing how different writers develop their storylines, for example, you can develop different strategies for your varying plots. By examining the use of different points of view, you can come to understand the benefits and drawbacks of each.

Some writers read books twice – once as a reader, cover to cover, the next as a writer, taking mental or physical notes as they go. This might work for you, but can be time consuming.

Get into the habit of reading as a writer and you will, in time, see your own writing improve. So, what are you waiting for? Go and read a book.

How to Write Reviews

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There is a great blog entry about writing good book reviews here at Christine Harris’ blog. Christine talks to Susan from the Book Chook Blog about reviewing. Susan has some great advice, and even very nicely gives Aussiereviews a plug (thanks Susan).

Read a Book Today: Part 1

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So you want to be a writer? Great. It’s a good thing to be – I should know, being a writer myself. So, the first thing you need to do is to start reading.

When I say this to an audience of would-be writers, there are always some frowns. Shouldn’t a would-be writer be writing as often as possible? Yes. But first and foremost, the writer should be a reader, reading as widely as possibly in the genre or format in which s/he hopes to write. So, if you want to be a children’s writer, you should be reading as many children’s books as possible – and preferably new release books. Here are five good reasons to become a reader.

1. Reading new release books gives you an understanding of the market. You can learn what sort of books different publishers publish. By reading bestselling books you can learn what sorts of books are popular with buyers.

2. Reading well-written books gives you an insight into the structure, style and so on of a good book. Conversely, reading badly written books gives you an insight into what not to do. How do you tell the difference? The poorly written book is the one that bores you, confuses you, or plain makes you give up in disgust.
3. Related to reason 2, reason 3 is that reading improves your writing. You absorb more than you realise when you read. Ideas for structuring the plot, syntax and grammar, new words and more are sneakily stored away in your subconscious for when you need them.

4. Reading is relaxing. It is time to yourself and for yourself, or, in the case of reading aloud to someone, a sharing experience.

5. Reading is inspirational. When you read a good book you are often inspired to work on your own ideas, wondering if you, too, can bring a reader to feel as you do about the book you’ve just read.
I could give you more reasons, but hopefully by now I’ve convinced you – reading is good for you as a writer. So what are you waiting for? Pick up a book today and simply read.

The Big Question 1: How Did You Celebrate When You Got Your First Acceptance?

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Okay, time for a new feature here on my blog. I like to constantly add new things, and I thought it would be fun to post some questions to get you, the reader, to share your experiences.
So, question number 1 is: How did you celebrate when you got your first acceptance?
For me, I remember very clearly getting my first book acceptance. It was for Speak Out, a book of printable black line masters, and the acceptance came based on an outline and sample pages, so I still had to get the actual book written.
Anyway, I remember getting the phone call and standing in the kitchen with my three children, husband and mother in law all present while I tried to sound serious and professional and not too over-excited. Then, when I got off the phone, I jumped and down and squealed. This was not a great idea because, at the time, I was heavily pregnant – a piece of information I hadn’t given the publisher for fear they wouldn’t want me!
Then, of course, I had to get the book written before the baby was born, which I did. The rest, as they say, is history.
Okay, over to you. Please share the story of your first acceptance by posting in the comments section below. Go on! I look forward to reading how other writers celebrate.
sallymurphy.com.au