Archives
It's been another good year for me professionally and I will now skite about it: My second and third books, Magic Lessons and Daughters of Earth, were both published to some very nice
reviews and
reader responses. The whole Magic or Madness trilogy sold to
Editora Record in Brazil, Magic or Madness and Magic Lessons sold to
Mondadori in Italy, while Magic Lessons and Magic's Chld sold to
Amarin in Thailand. And then there was the recent sale of the trilogy to the
Science Fiction Book Club for a 3-in-1. Not to mention Magic Lessons being on the shortlist for the Aurealis.
It was a great year for
Scott who hit the ...
Posted by Justine at 9:50, December 31st, 2006 under Bloggery, Cricket, Daughters of Earth, How To Ditch Your Fairy, Last Day of the Year, Magic or Madness trilogy, Praising, Scott's books, Sport, State of the World, Sydney/Australia, Vainglory, Writing goals & milestones |
Has there ever been a more exciting post title? No, there has not.
I've added a plugin that gives this blog my favourite thing about livejournal: comment notification. I'm excited. Hope you will be too.
From now on when you go to comments
here there'll be a little ticky box with the words "Notify me of followup comments via e-mail" just below your comment. If you tick the box you'll get an email when someone else comments on that post. This means that you don't have to keep coming back and checking the blog to see if the conversation has continued. You'll get cute little email notifications.
Hope you find it useful.
Happy new year!
Posted by Justine at 17:15, December 30th, 2006 under Bloggery |
There's a bunch of kids playing loudly next door and one of them just yelled out, "I am the ruler of the universe!" I'm thinking that's not a bad resolution, but a tricky one to follow through on. The kid next door did not succeed, because now all the kids are yelling that they are the ruler of the universe. Scott included.
I like the idea of resolutions. I like the idea of trying to better or test yourself in some small concrete way. And I especially like the idea of lots of folks all over the place all resolving to do stuff at the same time. But like most everyone else I'm usually crap at sticking to them.
I was ...
Posted by Justine at 13:40, December 30th, 2006 under Excuses, Food, Frippery |
What is wrong with England?
shite fielding: Look at Australia in the field and then look at England. The Poms with a few exceptions (Collingwood, Panesar, Pietersen) have no intensity. They don't run down every single ball, turning fours into threes, twos into ones, and saving singles. They look lethargic and bored.
shite captaincy: Flintoff looks lost. He's not leading by example given his poor batting displays and erratic bowling and he's not leading on the paddock. His field placings have been all over the place. He elects to bat when the wicket is iffy. He doesn't seem to know whether he's playing test cricket or Sunday arvo mah jong. And way to not show any confidence in your new bowlers ...
Posted by Justine at 9:11, December 29th, 2006 under Cricket, Sport, Sydney/Australia |
A few folks seem to be under the impression that
my last post was advising people not to look themselves up on the interwettys.
No way.
I not only google, I also icerocket, blogpulse, technorati and feedster. And I don't just look up my own name, I looks up Scott's, and other friends as well.
What can I say? I like to know what's being said. Also bad reviews don't upset me that much. Well, bad reviews of my books are getting more and more duck's backy, but I do get irate at some reviews of Scott's and other dear friends' work. And do not diss Angela Carter!
I used to leave comments saying thanks for good and interesting reviews, or answering questions ...
Posted by Justine at 9:01, December 28th, 2006 under Bloggery, Writing life |
Posted by Justine at 9:28, December 27th, 2006 under Ranting, State of the World, Writing life |
Posted by Justine at 9:47, December 26th, 2006 under Cricket, Excuses, Sport |
I just came across a
lovely piece by Mark Lawrence about the outsiderness of living through Australian summers while knowing very little about cricket:
What [being a migrant] means is that I have very little understanding of the finer points of cricket, and don't play it at all well. I can't tell the difference between 'long leg' and 'short leg', and I have absolutely no idea where 'mid-on' is. After over a decade living in Australia, I do have an idea of how the game is played, but only a middling understanding of how it is scored or how a test proceeds. Strategy? Not a scratch. So much so that during the recent Ashes test in Adelaide, I ...
Posted by Justine at 0:01, December 23rd, 2006 under Cricket, Praising, Reading, Sport, State of the World, Sydney/Australia |
Magic Lessons has just had its very first Australian award shortlisting---it's up for an
Aurealis. I'm dead excited! And Scott's The Last Days is nom'd too. Woo hoo!
Here's the full list Young Adult shortlist:
Monster Blood Tattoo: Book One. Foundling. D.M. Cornish (Omnibus)
The King's Fool. Amanda Holohan (ABC Books)
Magic Lessons. Justine Larbalestier (Penguin)
Wildwood Dancing. Juliet Marillier (Pan Macmillan)
The Last Days. Scott Westerfeld (Penguin)
The rumours I'm hearing are that Monster Blood is going to take it. And why not? Great title. Plus it's illustrated! Why don't my books have pretty pictures? Not fair!
Many fine writers are shortlisted in other categories such as Deborah Biancotti, Grace Dugan, Margo Lanagan, Lucy Sussex, Anna Tambour, and Sean Williams. Damn my ...
Posted by Justine at 0:10, December 22nd, 2006 under Magic or Madness trilogy, Vainglory |
Shane Warne is retiring. I cannot believe it. He was good for another three or four years easy. What the hell?!
Thank God I get to see him bowl in Sydney. He is the best bowler I've ever seen tweaking the leather. And I've seen some greats. I don't know what I'm going to do with no Warne to watch? Aaaarggh!!
And what is he going to do now? The mind boggles.
How can I go to bed on this calamitous news?!
Update: I have deleted comments on this thread which I deem to be disrespectful. When I am in deep mourning my sense of humour is impaired. I do not mock your sporting idols (okay, except for Johnny Damon. But that's different.)
Posted by Justine at 0:19, December 21st, 2006 under Cricket, Sport |
Posted by Justine at 9:37, December 20th, 2006 under Publishing business, Writing life |
Posted by Justine at 18:31, December 19th, 2006 under Publishing business |
Seeing as how I've talked about
chapter titles I figured I should talk about book titles, too. But, buggered if I know what to tell you. I'm terrible at titles! I've already
mentioned they're useful and that you definitely need one, but as to what it should be? Dunno.
I've heard that these are the sure fire ways to make a title:
a phrase from the bible or Shakespeare or Yeats or some other well-known poet (best for your literary has-a-shot-at-the-Booker type novels)
a line from a pop song or nursery rhyme (best for genre novels, particulary crime)
The+concrete noun+of+abstract or proper noun (best for high fantasy, think The Lord of the Rings)
Anyone think of any title formulas I'm missing?
I can also ...
Posted by Justine at 8:58, December 19th, 2006 under Bloggery, How To Ditch Your Fairy, Magic or Madness trilogy, Titles & names |
The Ashes are back where they belong and all is right with the world.
Now if only they'd give us the actual urn!
Posted by Justine at 16:32, December 18th, 2006 under Cricket, Sport |
Posted by Justine at 23:05, December 17th, 2006 under Fans & readers, Magic or Madness trilogy, Vainglory |
I haven't been blogging the third test because I've been sitting in front of it entranced, transfixed, and incapable of typing (plus there's the whole absence of wireless thing). Those first two inning were something else, weren't they?
I can't tell you how thrilled I am to see Andrew Symonds back and making magic for the Australian test side. He's one of the best fielders of all time. His bowling was fabulously effective---if only he could stay in a tad longer he'd be a lock on the number six spot. Frankly, I think his performance in this test should bag him number six no matter what. His fielding alone makes an insanely big difference. Plus he's one of the most entertaining ...
Posted by Justine at 12:38, December 16th, 2006 under Cricket, Sport, Viewing |
My friend Laura is writing a book with Men's Health Magazine on "The Best Sex in the World" and desperately needs non-USian folk to give her real stories and quotes about their sexual derring-do. If you'd be interested in filling out a quick (and anonymous) questionnaire on the subject, drop her a line at mhsexsurvey@gmail.com. She says that "You'll be forwarding the cause of better sex everywhere---and it's fun to do with a partner."
The
second survey is being done by Tobias Buckell. He's trying to find out how many novels folks wrote before they sold their first. I wrote two which both remain unsold. It was my third written that became my first published novel (Magic or Madness). If ...
Posted by Justine at 0:04, December 16th, 2006 under Bloggery |
I sat in on a young writers' workshop in Brooklyn a few months back. In the midst of our chatter about the horrors of the publishing industry, the joys of writing, and the inadvisability of living on a steady diet of ramen noodles, one of the students asked how come all the writers seem to know each other and are always thanking each other in the acks of their books. The question was sparked by a student telling us his favourite writer is Jonathan Lethem and my mentioning that I once house sat for Lethem. (Yeah, yeah, I know, shocking name dropping. ((I am now house sitting for Melina Marchetta. Nyer nyer!)))
Sarah Mlynowski answered that writing is a lonely ...
Posted by Justine at 0:10, December 15th, 2006 under Cons & Other Gatherings, Writing life |
Posted by Justine at 0:06, December 14th, 2006 under Reading, Writing life |
My friend Tempest is running into some trouble for
dissing the wearing of ill-fitting corsets. People are rightly saying that they can wear whatever they bloody well please. And Tempest is rightly saying that she can rant about whatever she bloody well pleases.
While it's incredibly rude to lecture people to their faces ((Yes, even if you're their parent. Especially if you're their parent!)) about the inappropriateness or ill-fittedness or ugliness or general appallingness of what they're wearing, it is perfectly fine to hold forth about it on your blog, or with your friends, as long as you're not naming anyone (unless they're famous ((Which is why we have the joys of
gofugyourself.))), or posting photos (again doesn't apply ...
Posted by Justine at 0:02, December 13th, 2006 under Fashion |
Posted by Justine at 0:18, December 12th, 2006 under Praising, Reading, Writing process, Young Adult literature |
Posted by Justine at 0:35, December 11th, 2006 under Magic or Madness trilogy, Praising, Reading, Vainglory |
Ya know, toilet designer people, when folks go to the loo they do not want to be reminded that they're going to die. How come you lot don't realise that? What is your problem? Why do you keep designing dunnies that bring Edgar Allen Poe to mind? Is premature burial really the theme you were going for?
If it isn't then here are my tips for what to avoid:
Do not use all dark wood materials
Do not make the toilet teeny tiny
Have windows, or, you know, at least gaps above and below the doors
Dim lighting is also a no no. Romance is not what most of us are looking for when we're on the bog
Red lighting also not fabbie for the toilet ...
Posted by Justine at 0:36, December 9th, 2006 under Toilets |
I've just discovered a magical thing that makes my writing go good.
Here's how my writing days used to go: Read email. Read blogs. Be racked with guilt and read the first paragraph of what I'd written the day before. Reel back in horror. Decide that I need to research exploding magnets. Research exploding magnets. Read two paragraphs of what I'd written the day before. Take out the recycling. Realise that I need to go and buy more toilet paper. Read a wee bit more of yesterday's horror. Bite my fingernails. Realise that the latest issue of Runaways or Nana or Scott Pilgrim or whatever else has caught my fancy is out. Go buy it. Possibly read it.
Eventually be so racked ...
Posted by Justine at 2:51, December 8th, 2006 under Writing process |
It's just come to my attention that something screwy has been happening with my mail for the last six weeks or so. If any of you have written to me in that time and I have not responded odds are I never got it or you never received my reply. If it's important or interesting or cool please resend.
At our new abode we do not have wireless intramanet access. This is a very good thing as I'm already getting more writing done than I do when I have the inertnetsy at my beck and call. (Or am I at its beck and call? Hmmm.)
However, it also means that I'm not getting through my mail (that which I've actually received) as ...
Posted by Justine at 15:00, December 7th, 2006 under Excuses |
Posted by Justine at 0:07, December 7th, 2006 under Magic or Madness trilogy, Reading |
See, that's the problem (("Problem" here is a synonym for "glory".)) with test matches. They don't always go the way you think they're going. First innings points can mean nothing. There are five days, fifteen sessions. Oodle of time for oodles to happen. Any one of those sessions can go badly, one or two or three or four or five or more players can have an awful match, and yet that team can still win.
Like Australia did today. On the back of fabulous second innings efforts from Lee & Warne. Especially Warne. He may well be a dickhead off the paddock, but on he's a genius. And both of them were being written off after their first innings. Drop Warne? ...
Posted by Justine at 19:14, December 5th, 2006 under Cricket, Sport |
168 runs off 36 overs. Can we do it? Oh, yes, we can!
Posted by Justine at 16:17, December 5th, 2006 under Cricket, Sport |
To date not one person has said anything about any of the chapter titles of my books. Not my non-fiction tomes, not my novels. There's me sweating bullets to pick decent ones and not a soul notices. So I decided I'd just skip it from now on. Thus my current novel, the great Australian cricket mangosteen Elvis monkey-knife fighting feminist fairy novel is sans titled chapters.
This was an easy decision to make on account of I'm not very good at titles. Some writers have the title gift. ((Samuel R. Delany, for example. Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand has to be one of my favourite titles of all time.)) I do not. Coming up with a decent ...
Posted by Justine at 18:38, December 4th, 2006 under Titles & names, Writing process |
Posted by Justine at 9:47, December 2nd, 2006 under Bloggery, Magic or Madness trilogy, Vainglory |
