Obsessing over the Orient Express refurb, little street libraries, and seeing Jane Harper at Adelaide Writers’ Week
This week’s book giveaway is 'Thirst for Salt' by Madelaine Lucas.
I met up with two writers I’d previously only known in Zoom-land before as we’re in a fiction feedback class together. It was a pleasure getting to know them further on a more personal level and talk shop about short stories and efforts towards publication over coffees and bagels. While others are interested and often supportive, there’s nothing like chatting with people who truly get what you’re trying to do and the ups and downs of the process. I’m inspired to get to more in-person writing events more often.
The next day, I managed it – seeing Jane Harper talk at her Adelaide Writers’ Week session, ‘The Aussie Queen of Noir’. It was an overcast day, but the rain held off and probably provided some genre-appropriate atmosphere, to be honest. I was enthralled by Jane’s talk. Surprised I didn’t embarrass myself in some way, I was fangirling so hard. She was answering a lot of questions about her (rather extensive) planning approach to her novels, which suited me down to the ground, as that’s what I’m trying to do at the moment in the same genre. Having never written a crime novel before (or any novel), I was full of uncertainty about how you plant clues and red herrings into the story, how you craft a satisfying mystery etc. What she said demystified a large chunk of the process and left me feeling keen to keep going on my manuscript, so it was very much worthwhile going. Plus, Jane seems super-nice and down-to-earth. I liked her a lot.
Another arty outing I had this week was to see a circus performance at the Adelaide Fringe Festival. We saw enSOMNIA which was about the journey one of the performers went through to be diagnosed with narcolepsy. Full disclosure: we know one of the performers, but even if I didn’t I’m sure I’d still be saying how enthralling this show was. Think aerial tricks on a floating bedframe, a metal moon, and some ouch-looking chains, plus a mesmerising drag queen, ace singer, and someone throwing sparks off their own body parts. It was nightmarish and dreamlike in equal measure, but all fab entertainment.
News
1. Came across the revelation this week that the Orient Express is being refurbished and will resume chugging along in 2025. Passengers will be travelling between Paris and Istanbul. I’m extremely here for this news, even if it means I’d be risking ending up as an Agatha Christie stabbing victim onboard. A bar car with plush green couches! Stripey French decor! Glass panels engraved with grapes and blackbirds! I’m adding this to my bucket list and nobody can stop me. As a bonus, trains are one of the blissful modes of transport where I don’t have to worry about motion sickness. Win!
2. Never met a little street library I didn’t rush over to and explore, even if I leave the books where they are. I see them as symbols of community spirit, colourfully decorated curiosities, and a way to pass the joy of a good book along to random strangers. So I was pleased to read this story on how their numbers have boomed from 30 to more than 4,500 since 2015, fuelled in part by the pandemic.
Reviews
1. I recently tried the Mecca Cosmetica ‘Bright Eyed’ hydrogel eye masks for the first time while I was under the weather. Honestly, I use masks occasionally 99% as an extra layer of luxury and self-care during a long hot bath and 1% for any actual skincare benefits they might offer. I’m not certain how de-puffed and de-wrinkled I felt after wearing these little undereye gels, but I did feel soothed and pampered so I’m counting it as a win. The gold flecks in them and metallic packaging are a nice touch, too.
2. Even though I’m very much a feminist (I’ve been called a ‘feminazi’ more than once in my life), I found The Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitis a little heavy-handed in this regard on occasion. I’m not one to talk, though – the fiction I write is sometimes as subtle as a sledgehammer. After success in the true crime arena, this is Petraitis’s debut novel, so I feel confident she’ll only get better. The plot centres around a series of rapes where victims are roofied at local pubs in a coastal town. Senior Detective Antigone Pollard has just moved back to the area and investigates with her (police) partner Wozza. Although I wasn’t wholly convinced by this novel, I still raced through it and was more and more invested in the story as it went along. Once or twice, I felt like characters acted in a fashion I felt was implausible, but overall, the characterisation was good and the ending was neatly done, with a nice twist. I’d read more from this author for sure.
3. Going out to the Fringe Festival, I figured there was no better time to get experimental with my make-up and crack out the Mecca Max Zoom Liner in ‘Baby Blue’. I was aiming for a reverse cat-eye look (ie a heavier line underneath the eye than on top with a flick at the sides). To my amazement given my lack of make-up application skills, it ended up looking decent! Here’s the proof:
I was mighty impressed by this eyeliner. It’s a retractable crayon type and is on the harder side rather than wet and messy. As someone with hooded eyes, this suits me just fine although others might find there’s too much drag on their eyelids during application. Probably better for an eyeliner novice like me than someone who’s got the cat-eye flick down to a fine art, but I thought it was neat and am inspired to wear it more often.
Raves and Faves
Lessons I’m learning from writing my first novel
1. Time marches on
I’m writing about a scene I used to live in – 20 years ago. I figured this wouldn’t be a problem, but it has become one much earlier on in the writing process than I would have predicted. Not only has technology changed in the meantime, society has, laws and rules have, human nature has… Just because you know about how something used to be doesn’t mean that knowledge translates down the track. Things change… bummer.
2. I might not be as much of a plotter as I thought
In fiction writing terms, there are two camps. Those who meticulously map out their plot before they begin putting pen to paper (‘plotters’ or ‘planners’). Those who just start writing and fly by the seat of their pants, often lamenting that characters develop a mind of their own and leading them in unexpected directions? They’re the ‘pantsers’. I’d always strongly identified as a plotter, but now that I’m writing to monthly deadlines for the feedback course I’m doing, I’m just needing to get the words down any way I can. What’s more, I’m actually enjoying slapping all manner of things down on the page and seeing what sticks.
3. I’m both better and worse at this than I anticipated
Going from what the fine folk in my fiction feedback group are telling me, I have some strengths I didn’t realise (creating tension happily being one of them considering I’m writing in the crime/thriller genre). I also have some shortcomings that had never been an issue when I was creating much shorter stories (pacing and a tendency towards melodrama being the main ones).
4. I know even less than the absolute zip I thought I knew about motherhood
I’ve never professed to any sort of interest in parenthood. I know nothing about having or looking after children. Unfortunately for me, both my narrator and her best friend are mums. I keep sticking the children in the corner and expecting them to be quiet in various scenes and anyone who’s ever met a child in their entire life is going to cry foul at this. Even I know it’s unrealistic, although I didn’t expect this to be as much of a sticking point as it’s turned into from the very start. I need to research how children behave, stat.
5. I might actually be able to do this humungous thing
For every single word added to my word count, I gain a tiny piece of belief that I can do this. I’m excited to watch it grow. Even when I’m rushing to get words down, the story I’m weaving early on isn’t too bad. Don’t get me wrong – I still have some major, major things to figure out to make a satisfying story for the reader, but the early signs are surprisingly good. I’m sure I’ll lose this optimism many times over during the project, but it’s nice I’m not crushed by overwhelm from the outset.
Giveaway
The winner of last week’s giveaway, a copy of Locked Ward by Anne Buist, is Mark Wye. Amazing! Mark, I’ve emailed you.
This week the giveaway is the newly released Thirst for Salt by Madelaine Lucas. Pop your name and email address in here to enter.
Playlist of the Week
Posh girl from Chelsea vibes:
1. Night Dancer – imase
2. Who’s That Girl – Eve
3. As It Was – PREP
4. CUFF IT - Beyonce
5. This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) – Natalie Cole
6. Made You Look - Meghan Trainor
7. on & on – piri & tommy
8. Beautiful People – Melanie
9. The Village Green Preservation Society – The Kinks
10. louis vuitton – VKZ
11. Kill Bill (Sped Up) – frxzen
12. The Thing – Pixies
13. Unholy (feat. Kim Petras) – Sam Smith, Kim Petras
14. golden hour – JVKE
15. Starry Night – Peggy Gou