artwords

26 Monday Nov 2012

Tags

Honiara, Solomon Islands, third world countries, writing

I love art, I come from quite an artistic family.

They draw, paint, cook, play musical instruments and some can even sing. Then there is the photographers.

I write! And pictures painted with words are art! Aren’t they?

So, here are some of my words, I hope you enjoy them and please let me know if you do. If you don’t, and you can tell me in a kind and caring way, then you can offer your opinion too.

“Something in the Water”

[Jared stepped out of the plane and a wet blanket of humidity settled over him. The contrast from the air conditioned plane intensified the smothering atmosphere of the tropics.

“Oh thank god!”

He turned to look at the dark haired woman who’d harangued the flight staff the whole three hours since they’d boarded in Brisbane to when they’d touched down at Honiara Airport. He looked back up the mobile aluminium stairs to where she was rummaging in a huge handbag, some designer label or other he assumed, noting the ridiculous but matching five inch heels as she clattered down the stairs.

“Damn!” still digging about in the bag she stopped, not seeming to care or even noticing that she held up the line of the passengers’ waiting behind her to exit the plane.

Jared shook his head slightly and moved toward the WWII relic of an air terminal. He’d not been to the Solomon Islands before, but he’d done enough dives in what were essentially third world countries to recognise a people left behind.

The sun beat down onto the tarred expanse between the plane and the large asbestos building. He entered through timber framed glass doors. He nodded hello to the blank faced security guard and looked up at the carved totem poles and an enormous carved eagle that decorated the dingy interior. Cavernous and every bit as steamy as outside the only architecturally redeeming feature of the building was a beautiful vaulted timber ceiling. A low hum announced the presence of ineffectually high ceiling fans.

“I’m sorry Ma,am, you can’t smoke here,” a deep voice interrupted Jared’s inspection of the surroundings and he knew before he looked around that it would be the good looking woman who’d been the bane of the Solomon Airlines staff.

“Oh, of course, I’m sorry,” she actually sounded sorry, Jared realised and looked back at her, she stood holding a lit cigarette aloft, looking around for somewhere to dispose of it he supposed. He’d never been able to summons up much sympathy for smokers, he detested the slavish worship that caused smokers to go to ridiculous lengths to kneel down at the altar of nicotine.

He joined the line at what served for customs and showed his passport, then moved through an opening in the asbestos partition wall to another line waiting for the luggage carousel to creak it’s load around past the vulture-like crowd. He watched amused, the way people lined up, watching to identify their bags from the multitude, to pounce and scramble to grab it before it escaped and disappeared back through the opaque plastic strips.

His back-pack appeared on the halting conveyor and he grabbed it and made his way out to the front of the airport.

He exchanged some Australian money to Solomon currency and within seconds was assailed by a colourfully dressed taxi driver.

“You need a taxi mate?” the short man squinted up at him through a waft of cigarette smoke.

“Yeah, that’d be great.”

“Where to?” he grabbed Jared’s back-pack and headed out through the automatic doors.

“The Kitano Mendana.” Jared said as he followed his back-pack to a beat up Toyota Corolla circa 1970’s. The engine idled and the Black Eyed Peas “Lady Hump” crackled from tortured speakers.]

Don’t forget, let me know how this scene makes you feel? Does it pull you into the heat and humidity of Honiara International Airport?

Fact or Fiction, the art of making stuff up

19 Monday Nov 2012

Posted by Paula Beavan in Uncategorized

≈ 6 Comments

Hello again reader, it’s a short and sweet post this sunny monday. I’m busy!

I’ve been working my nano project, as you know, and there have been times when I’ve written stuff that is purely made up.

For instance, I have our girl Kiki taking a local seasickness remedy. Now before I am howled down with shouts of “There’s no such thing!” I don’t care, I made it up. I didn’t want to to have to suffer through another 6 hour boat journey with Kiki heaving her guts up!

So, when is it ok to make stuff up and when should we be factual?

It’s a fine line isn’t it? I believe my making up a seasickness remedy is a bit of fun, that takes the opportunity to fill out Kiki’s personality. To show her in a different light. To make the journey from Makuna to Honiara a little easier for her.

I suppose I could have done it other ways, but I quite like the little quirky twist it gives the overall story.

I’ve read books that are ridiculous in their mistakes. Explaining how to do things that I know is wrong, made up and it totally destroys the book for me.

The incorrect information I mention, not that I will be specific, is more than annoying. The thing is that the information in such books is easily proven. Anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of the subject would spot the error.

My seasickness cure, well, it could be true, it could easily be as true as it could be total fiction. I wouldn’t know. But I like the story line and I’m making no apologies for making it up.

Have you read books with wrong information? Have you felt like writing a letter pointing out the errors to the author?

Do you think that sometimes it doesn’t matter? Well as long as it’s sort of realistic?

monday monday, can’t trust that day . . .

12 Monday Nov 2012

Posted by Paula Beavan in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

books, literature, spear fishing, writing

Here we are reader, another Monday, a writerly Monday if all goes to plan, but as the Momma’s and Papa’s say, you can’t trust it.

Another thing reader, if you came in here looking for advice on writing, I think there’s a pretty good chance you are in the wrong place.

However, if you are here to read about the hills and hollows, twists and turns, or even the ups and downs of a fledgling writer?

Then my friend, you are right where you should be!

This week I can share that the first ten days of NaNoWriMo have been great, my writing’s going smoothly, or it was. I’ll come to that later.

As you know reader, I purchased a fantastic “How to” book in “Nail your Novel” by Roz Morris, and I got planning and plotting, I even wrote a detailed synopsis. And then I waited for days until November One! Waited and waited, or so it seemed. Then 1/11/12 rolled around bright and early on a Thursday morning and as soon as I was out of bed. (Well after cleaning my teeth, going to the loo and making a lovely cup of coffee) I opened up Scrivener and began.

I couldn’t believe it reader, it poured out, the story that is. And what’s even better is, I was loving it. Loving that my writing seemed to be quality, each word felt like a ‘Keeper’. When I read back over it, I wasn’t horrified, I had expected to be horrified. I was last year. But beyond a few small tweaks, I really liked what I’d written. I sent some scenes to my favourite readers.

And yay, they all came back wanting more, please. MoRe PLeaSe they said. Wow, this is encouraging, I wrote on, and on. It flowed, I’d think of a small plot twist and felt as if the story was gaining strength, gaining momentum.

I loved it.

But now reader, I seem to have hit a little bit of a sagging middle. My next job is to dig deep, suck it up and write on.

So this week, I’ll be dreaming about tropical idylls, swaying palms, underwater scenery. Watching DVD’s of spear fishing, free diving and imagining the sand between my toes.

How about you? What will you be doing, writing about or even imagining?