Justine Larbalestier

reading, writing, eating, drinking, sport

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JWAM reader request no. 1: Choosing povs

Malcolm Tredinnick Says: Picking a point of view and how you learnt to work with the different types would be something I’d be interested to hear about. As a reader, I kind of know when the point of view works for the story and when it doesn’t, but I don’t really know how consciously writers make the choice or how you do it. Hmmm, a tricky one first up. Curses! I think I may have mentioned that for most of my writing life i.e since I was five and first started, I wrote short stories, not novels. I'd start many but not finish them. But I finished hundreds of short stories. None of them were much good as stories, but ...

Posted by Justine at 4:03, January 2nd, 2009 under Liar Book, Magic or Madness trilogy, Next novel, Writing process | 4 Comments »

Outlining v winging it

Posted by Justine at 2:52, December 17th, 2008 under How To Ditch Your Fairy, Liar Book, Words & Language, Writing process, Young Adult literature | 9 Comments »

Title of liar book

So I may have mentioned that my title for the liar book, Why Do I Lie?, was rejected by my publisher and by most of the people who've read the book. ((Curse you all!)) We've been on the hunt for a new title and may, at long last, have settled on one. Yay!

Posted by Justine at 17:35, November 23rd, 2008 under Liar Book, Titles & names | 4 Comments »

BookPeople questions we ran out of time to answer

Posted by Justine at 13:20, November 21st, 2008 under Book tour, Cons & Other Gatherings, Fans & readers, How To Ditch Your Fairy, Liar Book, New York City/USA, Next novel, Scott's books, Writing process, Young Adult literature | 12 Comments »

Deadline: Next Friday

Posted by Justine at 15:46, November 9th, 2008 under Bloggery, Excuses, Fans & readers, Liar Book, Next novel, Whingeing, Writing goals & milestones, Writing life | 4 Comments »

Who am I kidding?

Posted by Justine at 1:00, November 4th, 2008 under Excuses, Liar Book, New York City/USA, State of the World, Writing life | 2 Comments »

Too interesting

Posted by Justine at 7:50, October 31st, 2008 under Liar Book, New York City/USA, State of the World, Writing life | 15 Comments »

It’s just wrong

Posted by Justine at 0:00, October 28th, 2008 under Liar Book, Whingeing, Writing life, Zombies | 6 Comments »

Dream Sequences

Riddle me this: Why do I so often think that a dream sequence will solve my plot problems when as a reader I hate dream sequences? Gah! Yeah, I just deleted the dream sequence.

Posted by Justine at 12:23, October 26th, 2008 under Liar Book, Whingeing, Writing life | 9 Comments »

A most excellent day

Posted by Justine at 12:40, September 23rd, 2008 under Basketball, Cons & Other Gatherings, How To Ditch Your Fairy, Liar Book, New York City/USA, Praising, Sport, Writing goals & milestones, Young Adult literature | 7 Comments »

Popular versus critical acclaim

Posted by Justine at 19:23, August 12th, 2008 under Liar Book, Words & Language, Writing goals & milestones, Writing life, Young Adult literature | 21 Comments »

Jesus played cricket

Posted by Justine at 19:25, August 10th, 2008 under Cricket, Liar Book, Sport, Travelling | 13 Comments »

I got nothing

Posted by Justine at 18:52, August 8th, 2008 under Liar Book, Travelling, Whingeing | 5 Comments »

Writing goals

Posted by Justine at 0:00, August 5th, 2008 under Liar Book, Sport, Writing goals & milestones | 9 Comments »

The next next novel (updated)

Posted by Justine at 3:25, August 4th, 2008 under Liar Book, Next novel, Research | 22 Comments »

News from the writing bunker

Posted by Justine at 1:21, August 3rd, 2008 under Fans & readers, Liar Book, Reading, Writing life, Young Adult literature | 22 Comments »

From an undisclosed location

Scott and me has run away to finish our novels at an undisclosed location. Posting from behind the walls of our hidden bunker may be intermittent and on the shortish side. Book must be finished on the soonish. In the meantime, it is conclusive, "monster" and "white-ant" are verbs only in Australia. For confused non-Australians a white ant is a termite. Thus to white-ant someone is to undermine them: to bore away at their foundations, you know, like termites do. Is most useful verb. Thanks for the Cadel Evans commiserations. Second two years running. Surely next year. Yes, I is stoked that the Liberty are in the second place in the Eastern conference. Here's hoping we come out after the Olympics break ...

Posted by Justine at 0:00, July 29th, 2008 under Basketball, Bloggery, Liar Book, Sport, Tour de France, Travelling | 5 Comments »

Quick stuff

Posted by Justine at 11:55, July 23rd, 2008 under Basketball, Liar Book, Sport | 3 Comments »

Live long and marry auction

The Live Long and Marry auction has topped $30,000 46,000. Wow. That's just astonishing. Thirty thousand dollars! Forty-six thousand dollars! For those who are curious: the winning bid to have me name a character after you (or something) went for $225. (Gulp.) So the biology teacher in my next novel, who already had a Japanese name, is now named Yayeko Shoji after the bidder's mother. Great name, huh? I'm very pleased it worked out. I was worried I'd wind up with an unusable name, you know, like BrushWithDeath Mergatroid. But it worked out perfectly. Happiness for everyone. Here's hoping that this nasty anti-love initiative to strip people of the right to marry is defeated.

Posted by Justine at 0:17, July 21st, 2008 under Bloggery, Liar Book, New York City/USA, State of the World | 9 Comments »

Another reason books are teh devil

Just when you're approaching the end of one book and you really must give that book all your time and all your brain, another one comes along and starts insisting you write it instead. This is WRONG and must stop. IMMEDIATELY. Bugger off, stupid new book. GO AWAY!

Posted by Justine at 12:08, July 17th, 2008 under Liar Book, Ranting, Whingeing | 9 Comments »

Book = Teh Devil

Posted by Justine at 12:57, July 16th, 2008 under Bloggery, Liar Book, Ranting, Whingeing, Writing life | 7 Comments »

Time is running out

Posted by Justine at 16:14, July 13th, 2008 under Liar Book, New York City/USA, State of the World | 2 Comments »

The next novel

Posted by Justine at 0:03, July 10th, 2008 under How To Ditch Your Fairy, Liar Book, Ranting, Whingeing, Writing goals & milestones | 22 Comments »

I is sorry

Posted by Justine at 0:06, July 9th, 2008 under Book tour, Liar Book, Whingeing, Writing goals & milestones | 12 Comments »

The writing-not-easy thing, part the millionth

Posted by Justine at 0:04, July 8th, 2008 under Liar Book, Whingeing, Writing life | 9 Comments »

How to Write a Novel Redux

Posted by Justine at 18:25, July 6th, 2008 under Liar Book, Writing process | 6 Comments »

The hard bits

Posted by Justine at 15:24, July 3rd, 2008 under Liar Book, Whingeing, Writing life | 17 Comments »

Live long and marry (updated)

There's an auction going on over in the wonderful world of LJ to raise money for the fight against the California initiative which will legally destroy existing same-sex marriages and ban any further ones. If the initiative passes, it will write discrimination into the state constitution, annull existing marriages, and make Mr. Sulu cry. You can find more information about the auction here. There are some amazing items being offered for auction, not just jewellery and other objects but services. Writers offering to write a story for you, or to critique your own writing. Trust me that is a very big offer. Sadly, I don't have time to offer anything like that. Or I could offer but it ...

Posted by Justine at 11:29, July 1st, 2008 under Liar Book, State of the World | 10 Comments »

Lost in your book

Posted by Justine at 10:56, June 29th, 2008 under Liar Book, Writing life | 11 Comments »

Brief note to the lurkers and newbies as well as general excuses

Posted by Justine at 14:00, June 19th, 2008 under Admin, Bloggery, Excuses, Liar Book, Writing goals & milestones | 10 Comments »

Pretty!

Posted by Justine at 8:27, June 19th, 2008 under Bloggery, Frippery, Liar Book | 15 Comments »

Not thinking structurally

Posted by Justine at 0:31, June 17th, 2008 under Liar Book, Writing process | 18 Comments »

And so does wombat excrement!

Posted by Justine at 12:04, June 14th, 2008 under Bloggery, Food, Liar Book, New York City/USA | 14 Comments »

Stupid recalcitrant novel beasties

Posted by Justine at 13:29, June 11th, 2008 under Liar Book, Whingeing, Writing life | 15 Comments »

Riding high (Updated)

Posted by Justine at 12:18, June 2nd, 2008 under Liar Book, New York City/USA, Praising, Publishing business, Young Adult literature | 12 Comments »

A Tender Morsel

I have been noticing much skiting on the internets of late. "Oh look," says a blogger, "look what amazing Advanced Readers Copy I has been sent! Is mine, not yours. Hahahahahah!" Well, now it's my turn. I has an ARC of Margo Lanagan's first novel in years and years, Tender Morsels. I hugs it to my chest and will share with no one! Well, okay, I'll share what I thinks of it with you but not the actual ARC cause that's mine! But before I get to actually, you know, read the delicious bookie which is calling to me---seriously, everything about it screams, READ ME!, from the gorgeous cover to the jacket copy to the fact that Margo Lanagan wrote it---I ...

Posted by Justine at 12:10, May 30th, 2008 under Liar Book, Praising, Ranting, Reading, Young Adult literature | 8 Comments »

I is back in the City

Posted by Justine at 22:35, May 29th, 2008 under Liar Book, New York City/USA, Travelling | 13 Comments »

Thank you

Posted by Justine at 9:27, May 24th, 2008 under Liar Book, Praising, Travelling | 7 Comments »

Made my day

Cricket Buzz just named its top 51 cricket blogs and I'm on the list! Yay! And also---how embarrassing! I have been very remiss of late when it comes to cricket blogging. I mean I haven't mentioned the blessed sport since March and not written anything proper since January. Largely because (for reasons beyond my control) I have not been home since May of last year. ((Waaaaahhhh!!!!!)) Thus I have not been immersed in cricket culture and have not been keeping up with things such as the new Twenty20 Indian Premier League. ((The link is to a NYT article explaining the League which will amuse those of us who know about cricket and hopefully be a clear-ish explanation for ...

Posted by Justine at 0:00, May 12th, 2008 under Bloggery, Cricket, Liar Book, New York City/USA, Sport, Sydney/Australia | 5 Comments »

My next book (Updated)

Posted by Justine at 0:15, May 9th, 2008 under Liar Book | 10 Comments »

Email backlog etc

I am still very behind with all my email. As I have a book due soonish and much much much more work to do on it, I suspect that I will not be getting through that backlog any time soon. For which my apologies! But, you know, my publisher pays me, which helps keep roof over head and rent paid and food in mouth---so they're my priority. I will continue to keep blogging daily and as much as possible responding to comments here. Cause if all I do is write all day I'll go insane. Anyway what I'm attempting to say is if I haven't gotten back to you it's not because I don't love you but because I'm working my arse ...

Posted by Justine at 15:40, May 7th, 2008 under Admin, Liar Book | Comments Off

Roman Restaurants

Posted by Justine at 16:12, March 26th, 2008 under Liar Book, New York City/USA, Praising, Sydney/Australia, Travelling | 12 Comments »

Novel hints

Posted by Justine at 14:15, March 25th, 2008 under Liar Book | 26 Comments »

Anyone know any NYPD officers? (Updated)

Posted by Justine at 0:16, March 2nd, 2008 under Liar Book, New York City/USA, Research | 5 Comments »

Why all the research?

Posted by Justine at 0:00, February 21st, 2008 under Liar Book, Research | 18 Comments »

More research: DNA testing and race

Than you so much for all the excellent liar info yesterday. I'm now halfway through Paul Ekman's Emotions Revealed: Recognising Faces and Feelings to Improve Communication and Emotional Life and finding it extraordinarily useful. Thanks to Gwenda Bond, Jenny Davidson and Malcolm Tredinnick for suggesting him. I'll be chasing down all the other leads as well. You are all the best research assistants ever! Since you were all so amazingly helpful on yesterday's research question I have another: Last year (I think) I read at least two articles about DNA testing being used in a classroom (or possibly classrooms) in California (but I may have the state wrong) to demonstrate that no one is racially "pure" and, indeed, to promote discussion ...

Posted by Justine at 10:55, February 20th, 2008 under Liar Book, Research | 19 Comments »

Questions about lying

Have any of you ever taken a lie detection test of any kind? (Polygraph or written q & a or some other kind of test I have not read about yet.) If so would you care to tell me about it? Feel free to be anonymous in the comments if you'd prefer. And more generally: for those of you who have told lies and gotten away with it---what's your method? Do any of you believe you have the ability to tell when someone else is lying? Is it a general ability or just with people you know well? Can any of you recommend any good non-fiction articles and books about lying? Most of what I've found so far has been deeply underwhelming. Thanks! And thanks ...

Posted by Justine at 11:33, February 19th, 2008 under How To Ditch Your Fairy, Liar Book, Research | 46 Comments »

Posh?

Thanks so much for all the responses to the grandmother question. Fascinating! Plus I might use some of your responses in my next book, which has surprised me by being set entirely in the US of A with no Australian characters. Gulp. I just read the first few chapters to Scott and he reckons my only misstep was the word "posh", which I had my teenage protag use to describe a super-expensive private school. Which left me wondering what word you'd use instead. What's the USian equivalent of "posh"? I've had "classy" suggested but it doesn't work for me because "posh" also has connotations of being a bit stuck up, and hard to get into, not merely expensive. Something can be ...

Posted by Justine at 0:01, January 10th, 2008 under Liar Book, New York City/USA, Words & Language | 64 Comments »

My Future Writings

Posted by Justine at 12:58, March 29th, 2007 under Fans & readers, How To Ditch Your Fairy, Liar Book, Magic or Madness trilogy | 10 Comments »

What should I write next?

Remember way back when I asked you to help me to decide what to write next? You all told me the fairy book, which I dutifully wrote, but now I'm feeling all indecisive again. Can you help me out? Here are the options: The great Australian feminist monkey knife-fighting cricket Elvis mangosteen fairy novel . This one is written. The compulsive liar book narrated by a---you guessed it---compulsive liar. Downside: will involve lots of outlining. I hates outlining. Plus it's going to be so hard! Upside: whenever I mention this one folks get very excited. The beginnings of cricket historical romance. Downside: lots of research and all my cricket history books are in storage in Sydney. Upside: yumminess. I am besotted ...

Posted by Justine at 8:07, March 16th, 2007 under Liar Book, Manga, Research, Writing goals & milestones | 36 Comments »

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