Here Be Dragons

You'd think you were looking into a volcano full of fire and brimstone, but that is actually one of the three local open cut coal mines on Monday night. This one in particular fell in the path of the local fires when preventative measures were not taken. Not so sure how they're planning to put that out, but they better think fast! 

Seeing this pictures made me think of dragons, and dragons made me think of a conversation I was having with my boyfriend regarding genres. 

Basically, my boyfriend thinks that naming one of the genres 'fantasy' is silly, because one of the definitions is simply 'to imagine the occurrence of', and isn't that what ALL books that aren't non-fiction are? Of course, I had my disagreement and specified that the genre is named for the other meaning of imagining the impossible or improbable. 

Well, I heard him out, and he asked me what sort of things make something 'fantasy'. My initial response was an alternative world with mythical creatures like fairies and unicorns and dragons. Then he pointed out that not all books with alternative worlds are considered fantasy, and that not all books with mythical creatures are considered fantasy either. Like I don't consider my own manuscript WALLS a fantasy, although it's in an alternative world, and the Hunger Games is considered Young Adult/Dystopia (and that has mockingjays and mutts, so they count as mythical creatures). Then he asked if I consider creatures like vampires and witches and werewolves fantasy, and I realised that no, I class them as supernatural. Then he asked me what genre I put the Harry Potter series in, and I said fantasy. When I said that, I stopped for a moment and frowned at myself, because Harry Potter has witches and wizards and vampires and werewolves, which I class as supernatural, but I consider those books fantasy. 

In the end, I decided that it was down to themes: what the emphasis is on and what kind of emphasis is put on it. Supernatural is dark and scary and you want it to go away (we discussed where the line between supernatural and horror was, but I won't go into that now because I don't want to creep myself out again). Fantasy is meant to leave you in awe of the world you've been presented with. 

We came to the conclusion that we need to make some sort of graph to decide where books fall along the line of fantasy, and that fantasy needs to be renamed 'Here Be Dragons'. Of course, I reminded him that his favourite fantasy book(s), The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, very deliberately doesn't have dragons. And no, the draccus does not count! 

So what are you thought on genres and where do you draw the line between ones that are similar? 

- Bonnee. 

Meanwhile, In Australia...

This photo was taken from a plane that was about to land at Melbourne airport.

Now, I'm not currently living in Melbourne, though I was there yesterday morning, hours before this photo was taken. I didn't think to check the Country Fire Authority website before I left, and if I had, I would have stayed where I was, because it would have been safer than the three hour trek home. I very nearly couldn't get all the way home and if I'd taken the later train like I had originally intended, I would have been stuck on the other side of a closed train track and freeway forty minutes from home overnight. By that point, even the back roads had been closed. Luckily, I took the earlier train, and the back roads were still open and a few good souls were carting buses full of stranded passengers from one side of the fire to the other via the back roads while they still could. It was all low visibility and lots of smoke. Hours after I made it home, the areas we'd passed through on buses were told to evacuate.

Yesterday was the worst fire danger day since the Black Saturday bushfires in Feb 2009. My hometown remained safely out of the way... the fire kind of did an arch around us. There is an open cut coal mine on fire one town over, which can't be good news, but I'm relieved that conditions didn't get as bad as they did in '09, at least not as near to me, because that shit was just terrifying.

Conditions are heaps better in my area today, but other places are still in trouble, and things could get worse again any moment.

So basically, don't come to Australia. Especially not Victoria. Everything is on fire.

And the moral of this story? Check the CFA website next time!

So... how are you all doing? :) 

- Bonnee.

Review: 'Watchmen' graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbson

Greetings all! While those of you in the northern hemisphere shiver and rug up, my little part of Australia is experiencing a heatwave. We have had 40 degree days since Monday and the nights have not given much relieve. A storm swept through the region last night with not very much rain, but a few lightning strikes causing fires. Nothing of serious impact to me and my family at the moment though. I am staying cooped up in side to avoid the worst of the heat. The weather should cool down to the 20s over the weekend.

Meanwhile, I've started doing a bit of editing on my first-draft for WALLS. Some awesome friends offered to workshop the first chapter for me and I've gotten some good feedback and helpful criticism. I might get chapter 2 edits underway later today.

And now for a review. My awesome boyfriend gifted me a copy of Watchmen: The Deluxe Edition by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbson for my birthday last year and I've finally read it. I'm going to cheat and give you the Goodreads summary, because I want to keep this blog pot relatively short:

Who watches the Watchmen?

In an alternate world where the mere presence of American superheroes changed history, the US won the Vietnam War, Nixon is still president, and the cold war is in full effect. WATCHMEN begins as a murder-mystery, but soon unfolds into a planet-altering conspiracy. As the resolution comes to a head, the unlikely group of reunited heroes--Rorschach, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre, Dr. Manhattan and Ozymandias--have to test the limits of their convictions and ask themselves where the true line is between good and evil. 
Reference here.

And once again using the post from Lynda R. Young's blog as a reference...

Characters: My favourite was Rorschach, because I always love the really messed up guys, especially when they're still the good guys despite all of that. While he presents the darkest point of view throughout the comic, the way he talks is sometimes also funny. I really enjoy the way he recounts things. My least favourite character would have to be Laurie Juspeczyk, the second-generation Silk Spectre, mostly because I found her to be an over-emotional strumpet. She just bugged me.

Plot: It's a close one, but although Rorschach is my favourite character, Dr Manhattan's point of view is also amazing and I loved the part where he *SPOILER ALERT* went to Mars and was reflecting on his past, but how it wasn't his past because there is no such thing as past, present, and future, and everything is happening all at once. It's a confusing concept and I canNOT explain is sufficiently, but it was pretty cool. There were a few points during the story where I felt things moved a little too quickly and didn't delves into the details and reactions of characters enough after certain things happened, but aside from that it was pretty great storytelling.

Setting: Alternate U.S as per the description in the summary. Considering how different they made it to what it really is, I think they did a brilliant job with world-building.

Style: Being a comic, the majority of the writing was dialogue and it really helped me to get to know the characters. Each had a distinct way of talking, whether it be the words they used or didn't use or the sophistication of how they phrased things or the particular things they talked about.

Originality: While I thought a couple of the ideas in the comic were a little bit far fetched, I cannot fault this comic on originality. This was a really different take on the world and good vs evil. An excellent read.

Well, I think I managed to keep that relatively short considering it was meant to be a review, so now I'm going to write and continue to stay cool indoors.

Have you read the Watchmen graphic novel? How is the weather where you are?
- Bonnee.

P.S - due to some social pressures and a need to keep in contact with some otherwise uncontactable friends, I have created a Twitter and Tumblr account. Twitter is going to be mostly writing related micro-blogging and Tumblr is just whatever. Please see the Find Me page if you would like to follow me on either.

Melbourne Writers Festival: 'Verandah twenty-eight' launch

So a couple of weekends ago, I went to the Melbourne Writers Festival event for the launch of the Deakin run literary journal Verandah, which was releasing it's 28th annual edition. I got to explore the inner workings of Federation Square to locate the venue. That was interesting. Eventually, I found the place and I made it there on time and had a bit of an adventure and plenty of fun along the way.

I stumbled upon the event 'Words On The Square' in my search. Giant outdoor Scrabble, yay!

The Verandah launch ran for around 40 minutes and it was a nice first experience. I've never been to any sort of launch before. A few of the people who had taken part in assembling this years edition spoke, one of the girls did a live music performance, the artwork that is featured in the journal was being played in a slideshow, and a couple of the lucky people who had something published in the journal had a chance to read their piece. It was a really nice environment! (Except for that guy who quite obviously only came for the free food and ate very loudly and messily for the entire event... he smelled really bad too.)

So after the formal part of the event was over and it was down to socialising and just celebrating, I got myself a copy of the new edition of Verandah and headed over to Flinders Street Station, just across the road, planning to catch the next train back to my hometown (I hadn't been home for a few weeks). It was a Saturday, and as I got to the station, I realised I'd looked at the Friday timetable and had actually just missed my train. As in, I saw it leave as I walked into the station. Oops! Double checking the timetable, the next rain wasn't for more than an hour. So what did I do for the next hour? I wander around Melbourne and take random photos on my phone! Yay!

St. Paul's Cathedral

There were police cars and stuff randomly going past in a hurry when I was taking this one. Also, for some reason, whenever I see St. Paul's Cathedral in the dark, I half expect to see Batman crouching somewhere up there, watching over the CBD. 

Flinders Street Station

I did a lot of loitering around here. I didn't want to stray too far from the station in case I missed the next train too, or in case I got stabbed. 

The Yarra River and Southbank

This photo was taken from the bridge on St. Kilda Road. I kept feeling like I was going to accidentally drop my phone into the water or something stupid, but I wanted you to see all the pretty lights! 

Southbank and the Eureka Tower

More pretty lights! And the tall building up the back is the Eureka Tower. 

Yarra River and the bridge on St. Kilda Road

I stood on that bridge to that the previous two photos. I'm pretty sure I nearly got stabbed going down to the river's edge to take this photo... 

More pretty lights!

Can you guys tell that I love pretty lights? 

Eureka Tower (again)

Aaaaand then I legged it back up to St. Kilda Road and went back to Flinders Street Station, because there was a real stabby sort of vibe down by the water's edge. I'll have to take another adventure in the daytime with more photos to share with you all. 

On a different note: the poem I had published in the Deakin Writers Club magazine last month can now be read on Goodreads. Check it out :)

Been to any launches lately? Ever played giant out-door Scrabble? Had a random adventure around Melbourne (or your own local city) recently? 

- Bonnee.

Melbourne

After spending Sunday and Monday in both the outer suburbs and the CBD of Melbourne, I've decided that this year is going to be the start of a new little project. As well as working on WALLS (which, admittedly, I haven't touched in a couple of weeks now), I want to make an effort to write some short stories set in Melbourne and the suburbs. I've had some people in the blogosphere give me the idea of incorporating elements of Australia into my writing. Whilst KATHERINE was set in Australia, I think that making Melbourne the setting will help incorporate more of it into my stories. 

Having said that, let me show you around. 

Flinders Street Station. Located on the corner of Flinders Street (duh) and Swanston Street in Melbourne. This is the most used railway station in all of Melbourne and is used by all of the Metropolitan train networks and is the second-last stop when traveling into the city on a V-line train from the eastern countryside. Flinders Street is my favourite place to get off the train when I'm coming in from the countryside. I love getting off here because the surrounding streets are the ones I know best, with the places I always shop. 

Federation Square. Located right across from Flinders Street Station on the corner of Flinders Street and Swanston Street/St Kilda Road. Whilst the building is often considered a bit of an eyesore, there have been many concerts and large get-togethers in the square. During a regular day, there are often awesome street performers and buskers putting on a show for the public. It's always fun to be walking by and check out what's happening over there. 

Breadtop. One of my favourite places to buy something to eat. This is a little Asian-style (not sure of which specific countries in Asia...) bakery, where everything I buy is always amazing. Like their red bean buns, or their bamboo charcoal bun, or their pork floss bun, or their chicken curry bun... There are several outlets around Australia, but my usual stop is on Elizabeth Street, not far from Flinders Street Station. 

Max Brenner. Do you like chocolate? What about hot chocolate? Well, it might be pricey, but heck, this place is amazing. Forget about Starbucks and Gloria Jeans. If you have some change to spare, find one of these place and spoil yourself. Usually, I stop by the one in Melbourne Central (our next stop in the tour). Outlets across Australia open between 8 and 10 in the morning, and sometimes stay open as late is midnight. 

Melbourne Central Shopping Centre. If you're looking for somewhere to buy stuff... you've come to the right place. Okay, so people in America or wherever have probably seen places much bigger than this, but for little country-bumpkin me, this place is HUGE! I get lost in this place so easily, and I'm not certain I've been everywhere inside it. It's filled with shoe shops, clothes shops, and plenty of places to sit down and grab a bite to eat or drink. There's a place in there that makes really nice crepes with ice cream... I THINK it's called Harajuku Crepes. 

Docklands. This is a cute little area in Melbourne which includes the Harbourtown outdoor shopping center (see picture), an ice skating rink and a glow-in the dark indoor mini-golf course. The whole place can only be described as cute by somebody like me. I don't know where it is exactly, but I DO know that if you catch the city-loop tram (it's free, last I checked), it does make a stop there. 

Southern Cross Station. Also known as Spencer Street Station, as it is located on Spencer Street, between Collins Street and La Trobe Street. This is the end of the line for all regional Vline trains, no matter which direction they're coming from. Of course, like Flinders Street, it is a commonly used station by all metropolitan trains. There is a huge DFO for shoppers who like bargains, attached to the station. This is also where buses to and from the airports start and terminate. 

Chinatown. The whole of Little Bourke Street is dedicated to the (very large) Asian population of the city. There are plenty of restaurants from all countries in Asia here. Anyone want to play Spot-The-Aussie? 

Of course, there are plenty of other places to go in Melbourne, but these are just a handful of my favourites where I'm likely to set a story. I also get the feeling that characters will be using a lot of trains and trams and buses... 

Hope you've all enjoyed this tour around Melbourne! There will probably be more to come :) 

- Bonnee. 

The Text Prize Competition

Some of you might remember that I posted way back in November about the 2013 Text Prize.

This competition is open to residence of Australia and New Zealand of all ages, both published and unpublished. Submissions open as of the 4th of March (my first day at university!) and submissions close on 3rd April, 2013. Please follow the above link for more information on the competition, including the entry form.

Do you have a Children's or Young Adult manuscript of over 20,000 words that you'd like to enter for a chance to win a $10,000 contract with Text Publishing?

I will be submitting my manuscript for 'KATHERINE' after re-adding the scenes I took out for the Novella Writing Competition in December to get it back over that 20,000 word mark, and giving it another proof read.

Today, I printed off a copy of the first draft of 'KATHERINE' (with the deleted scenes included) to give to the woman who was my English teacher for most of high school. I have my fingers crossed that I will receive some helpful feedback from her at some point, and that putting the manuscript into the Text Prize competition with the deleted scenes re-added is a little more successful than last attempt. I firmly believe that the story is better with those extra scenes and events.

Thanks for stopping by, and what are you doing with your manuscripts and W.I.P.s right now? 

- Bonnee.

Happy New Year: Australiana

Happy New Year to one and all!

Now this is going to be a bit different from my usual blog entries... But as a writer, I love words. Big words, little words, serious words and funny words. I also love it when you can twist words. So here's a little video I'd like to share with you, filled to the brim with Aussie humour... Keep an eye on the pictures, they might help you out a bit.

Is it scary to all of you non-Australian people that I understood the majority of what just happened? Fair dinkum, I understood a lot of that.

Happy 2013 from Australia.
- Bonnee.

The Text Prize by Text Publishing (Aus, NZ)

Source: http://textpublishing.com.au/about-text/the-text-prize 

Calling all Australian and New Zealand writers!

Submission for the 2013 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children's Writing opens on 4th March 2013 and closes on 29th March, 2013. 

Do you have a novel you would like to receive a $10,000 contract with Text Publishing for? This competition is open to all Australian and New Zealand writers, both published and unpublished, of all ages. 

Click on the link above to go to the Text Publishing website, directly to the page containing information about The Text Prize. From there, you can also download the 2013 entry form and read more information about the competition. 

I hope to give this competition a crack myself. Best of luck to any other Australians and Kiwis who want to give it a shot! I'd love to hear from you if you decide to participate and I'd be happy to chat about it as you make progress. Start writing! 

(Thank you to Greg Gorton for sending me the link in the first place.) 

- Bonnee. 

Australian Literature

So I graduated last week. Classes are finished and school is out! Over the first 19 days of November, I will sit 5 exams which will hopefully give me the score I need to get into my first-preference course at Deakin University next year.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about what this summer will hold for me, and I've narrowed it down to four main things: Reading, Writing, Working my ass off and Socializing. Of course, I've already made a big start of that second one, as I told you in my previous post about what my NaNoWriMo endeavours are. But yesterday, I decided to kick-start the reading aspect. It was a toss up with what to read first: The Hunger Games trilogy, or the 7 books of the Tomorrow series. Considering I'd already read the first of the Tomorrow series (three or four years ago, admittedly), I decided to pick up the second book and start reading that.

I heard about the Tomorrow series around the same time I heard about The Hunger Games, but before THG became a big thing in Australia. After talking to some of my international friends, I realize that a lot of you probably have never heard of Tomorrow, When the War Began or the other books in the Tomorrow series, but they are bloody amazing, Australian-written books by a great author, John Marsden. In short, the Tomorrow series is about a group of eight Aussie teenagers who go bush-bashing (camping) one week over their summer break, and return home to find that their town and country has been invaded by an unidentified foreign nation. The series follows this group of teenagers through their fight to avoid being killed or captured while they try to do what little they can to fight the enemy, guerrilla style. I loved Tomorrow, When the War Began, and now almost 150 pages into book two, The Dead of the Night, I'm eager to finish reading the whole series this summer.

But reading this series makes me think about literature written and set in Australia, by Australians. And especially when it focuses on aspects unique to Australia: our cities, wildlife, climate, etc. Some of these things, I hope to incorporate into Katherine, but that isn't the focus. Katherine is focused on issues that are can be experienced all over the world. Then I thought, there's nothing stopping me from writing something that has a bigger focus on Australia as a setting after I finish the things that are already on my to-write list. I am an Australian, living in Australia. There is plenty I could write about and share.

The question is then, what do you guys want to read about if I write about Australia? Do you even want to read about Australia at all? Or do you think I'd be better off making other Australians my target audience?

- Bonnee.

Love-shy by Lili Wilkinson

A few weeks ago, I was randomly picked by Lili Wilkinson to receive a copy of her new book Love-shy.

I received my copy of Love-shy on Friday night, opened it up and couldn't put it down. I'm a slow reader, so 309 pages in 3 days is a good effort for me! Especially after completely reading Oleanna the night before.

Anyway, Ms Wilkinson's book was amazing, engaging, funny and full of attitude and characters that I adored. Protagonist and aspiring journalist Penny Drummond discovers that a boy at her school suffers from love-shyness - which, yes, is a real condition - and sets out to find out who he is and help him, with plans to make a Pulitzer Prize-winning article about him. But along the way, not all goes according to plan. There is more to the love-shy boy than meets the eye, and Penny discovers some things about herself that she'd never realized before.



Another awesome thing about this book is that Lili Wilkinson is an Australian author, and I'm digging a lot of the humour that's been used to help make this story great. Love-shy was published by Allen & Unwin this year.




Has anyone else read this awesome book yet? Do it!


- Bonnee.