Liane Moriarty – why isn’t she a house-hold name?

I (would, if I wasn’t so old) aspire to be Liane Moriarty; have her humility, commitment and focus – not to mention TALENT!

How Sydney author Liane Moriarty sold six million books and inspired an HBO series:

 

Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon swoop on Aussie author Liane Moriarty:

Big Little Lies: Author Liane Moriarty talks about adapting her novel for HBO:

 

 

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‘Hounds of Love’

Local writer/director Ben Young, has hit the heights with his debut feature nurtured by PAC Screen Workshops and our Perth film community.  Can’t wait to wallow in memories of 1980’s Perth and the glorious America’s Cup days again. Well done, Ben Young & Team!

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/32168684/writer-s-debut-film-to-screen-in-venice/#page1

 

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Awesome!

I’ve been nominated for the Awesome blogger award by The Fluff Is Raging.  Thank you Niall McArdle.  Though not sure why…

http://www.westernaustralia-travellersguide.com/perth-australia-beach.html

Perhaps because I live 10 mins North of Hillarys Boat Harbour.

http://www.westernaustralia.com/au/Things_to_See_and_Do/Sun_Surf_and_Sea_Life/Pages/Beaches.aspx

Although I don’t like sand or surfing but spend hours in coffee shops gazing over the ocean at Mullaloo…

I suspect, it’s because (like Niall) film and particularly Australian Films like The Sapphires  The Dressmaker  or  Red Dog are a passion of mine.

The Rules:

#1. Copy and paste the image with the rules.

#2. Share one thing that you thing that makes you truly awesome.

#3. Nominate other bloggers for the award. 

 

 

https://cinemaaustralia.com.au/

 

 

 

 

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Nick Earls – E-Books, Audio & Kindle…

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/may/02/nick-earls-author-rise-of-novella-ebook-revolution

 

http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2013/sep/05/amazon-kindle-singles-short

 

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/aug/17/audiobooks-booming-chart-bookseller-top-20

 

#FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #NickEarls  #E-BOOK-Gotham  #KINDLESingles  #StephenKing  #AUDIOBooks  #Writing  #Writers    #ShortStories  #E-Books

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Shelf Poems: ‘Water over Stone’

‘Water over Stone’ by Laura Jan Shore published by Interactive Press, Brisbane in 2011.

I have so many books, it’s time again to clear space for my new ones.  If I buy new shelves, it won’t solve the problem – I have a very small home. So.

Faced with such a hard job and before I give my copy to someone else to enjoy, just as my poetic friend and colleague Glen Phillips gave me this one, I hope to convince you to buy your own copy.

Opening stanza includes my favourite tree;  a Jacaranda: ‘Leaning up against this gnarled tree,/bark shredded/and dangling like loose skin,/’ .

After 44 life-exposing pieces, I found the last poem didn’t seem to fit with the journey, but seemed to be included to placate someone else…

Personally, the book ended nicely for me just before the last with my favourite car, although not a car in this last stanza of  ‘Jaguar’:  ‘ …and the laws of balance snap/the tender neck/of my desolate/youth.’

But it’s all about the page 44 for me and the stand-out poem by Laura Jan Shore from ‘Water over Stone’.

Embracing The Wind

Whipped to a froth, surf

suds the shore.  

Wings churn as the crown, blown back,

surrenders and shifts course.

 

The echo of your words clatter

with dry leaves against stone.

The gum tree groans.  Parrots cuddle

three pairs in the banksia.

 

Air tangles my hair, clutches at

my clothes and like your strong hands

curved around my waist, shoves me

towards the rocky point.

 

Unresisting, I rush headlong

into swirls of sand

chafing my ankles like the harsh

intimacies of our long marriage,

grit between my teeth. 

 

Eyelids at half-mast, arms akimbo

my tousled thoughts

rinse clear.

 

This spring quickening

all biff and bluster

unfurls my ragged nerves.

 

None of the houses we’ve built

can shelter us from these gusts,

so unlatch the door and join me

in this great whoosh – 

 

see how the crow glides now,

wings outstretched

sustained by the wind?

 

Laura Jan Shore © 2011

(Laura’s latest books are available from Dangerously Poetic Press.)

@FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #POET:GlenPhillips  #POET:LauraJanShore  #BOOK:WaterOverStone  #POEM:EmbracingTheWind   #Poetry  #GuestPoet  #MyBookshelf  #ShelfPoems

 

 

 

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Poetry Reading that wasn’t…

Burns Beach – Frances Macaulay Forde © 2013

Some may know I was the resident poet at a local cafe for 6 months as part of a program with Poetry Australia during 2013.  Going through my notes of meetings, I thought I’d share these.  I presume the married owners were in dispute about who was the boss:

30^th May 2013:  THE POETRY READING.

After rushing around Joondalup frantically trying to source a small amp to use at the reading and $167 later, I was 10 minutes late for set-up with the advertised event due to happen in 20 minutes.  It was pouring and I looked like a drowned rat.  The hubbub in the cafe was loud because every customer was squashed into a small space with the heater turned up high.

As I lugged the amp and my bag of books etc in, I rushed to my usually reserved table to find it occupied.  “Good Morning, are you ladies here for the poetry?”

Frowns; “No.”

“Oh, OK, sorry – it’s just that’s usually my table but I see they’ve reserved this one for me.” and smiled.

I bend to my task of plugging in the amp and about to test the microphones (one for me and one for my guest poet, Rashida Murphy) when a sour faced woman approached (looking quite similar to one of the ladies at the 1^st table).

“I am the owner and I don’t want my customers disturbed.”

“Sorry?”

“You can’t use that – I don’t want my customers disturbed.” pointing to the amp with a nasty smell under her nose.

“So you don’t want me to do the reading?  It’s been advertised for three weeks and this was all arranged…”

“I don’t want my customers disturbed.”

“OK, but a media statement went out and the newspapers mentioned they may attend.  I have no idea what they look like so if anyone asks would you mind apologising?”  I’m not really good at sarcasm.

I think that did it – and she walked away.

The atmosphere had changed and you could have cut it with a knife.  I’d never seen that ‘owner’ before and the wait staff who usually looked after me so well, were obviously feeling bad.  They knew how much time and effort I had put into the event, not to mention the advertising with brochures and posters.

The whole experience was to offer customers a chance to share their words as well – many had expressed real interest and said they secretly wrote poems.  I wanted to hear some, so was very disappointed.

I packed up the amplifier and made some frantic phone calls to say it was cancelled.  Thank goodness the international poet I had invited had been unavailable; I would have been mortified to have her arrive with my friend, the Professor of Language and Literature at Edith Cowan University – and both unable to read!

So, with my face bright red, I took a deep breath, did my usual and placed a poetry postcard on each table inside and out, smiled and chatted when customers expressed interest.

One chap outside greeted me with “Hello, Poetry Lady” and a big grin.   He said he’d been looking at my face for three weeks and seemed quite happy about it – not ‘disturbed’ at all!

I couldn’t get hold of Rashida in time, but she was good about the cancellation and we thoroughly enjoyed catching up and reading poems we’d worked on since our last chat.

7^th June 2013 Update:

Yesterday although I was at Burns Beach Cafe, I was outside, distracted by photographing the waves crashing, so walked in a couple of minutes late. There stood the manager,  Lynda waiting to let me know there were two ladies waiting to see me – locals Maureen and Ginny.

They said they’d just completed a 6 – week poetry course at a near-by writers group and had heard about me from Maureen’s hairdresser who picked up one of my poetry postcards from the cafe. 

20 minutes into our poetic chat Maureen remarked ‘how much (she) had learned from me – already!’ We’d shared our work, critiqued a poem or two and did a short exercise which we promised to write and bring back to critique next week. 

Our session ended just short of two hours because they were off to attend a prose class. They’ve promised to come back next week and every week they can…

And they did, for the rest of my residence!  We even met each month for 6 months afterwards at Ginny’s house to talk about her book and Maureen’s play.

#FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #BurnsBeachCafe

 

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Soap Writer With Substance – reblog

Jimmy McGovern: Soap Writer With Substance

Jimmy McGovern  (think ‘Cracker’) has long been a favourite screenwriter and Karel’s ‘The Story Department’ a favourite writing resource.  The perfect marriage for this blog post, in fact. 

Jimmy McGovern: Soap Writer With Substance

 

@FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #JimmyMcGovern  #CrackerTVSeries  #TheStoryDepartment  #WritingForScreen  #Screenwriting  #FavoriteWriters

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Poetry Challenge No 1.

Has anyone else found scissors inspiring?  Never thought I would but as my favourite Professor said, the scissors chose me – I didn’t choose the scissors.  Very Zen.

To encourage you, here are the first & final versions of a poem written after 10 minutes of  Scissor contemplation & manipulation…

1st Version:

Cutting into my life.
Sharp edges that define.
Cruel severance.
Pointed.
Cold steel ‘ shiny, hard, distant.

Cream/grey plastic
warm, smooth, closer.

Why is?
Unnatural – closer?
Cut/pain ‘ endings,
Death/severance ‘ no going back.
No return ‘ finality.

Blades slicing together
teamwork ‘ severance.
Teamwork – blades;

actually touching.
Wiltshire Staysharp,
a warning of actuality;

‘THIS IS WHAT I AM’

engraved,
scoured into the hard steel,
un-erasable,
undeniable.

Circular pivot – the turning point;
the axis of action.

Inspired by these original words – I linked them to my (then, 2002) romantic dilemma: a man I loved 28 years before, contacted me on the net in 2002 – only I’d  sworn never to be fooled by love again!

Shear Love

You sever my reason,

shape my feelings with your

steely blades of perception.

 

You use the twin edges

of measured analysis

and practical application,

 

to rotate on my axis of impatience,

 

defining our new existence

with that swinging efficiency

of open – closed action. 

 

You manipulate me

with metal precision,

held in a warm moulded grip.

 

My paper reality

waiting for words

that define an Us.

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2002

Here’s My Challenge: 

Get a group of writing friends together & tell them to bring something odd.  

If no friends willing, do it by yourself…  I still use this exercise to kick-start a writing session & have loads of bits and pieces on my study desk.

Pile the odds & ends in the centre of the table (or desk).  

With eyes closed, mix them up & hover a hand over them.  

Still keeping eyes closed, pick one thing & take 10 minutes to write about it.    

Please share your results in my comments – I’d love to read them.

 

@FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #POEM:ShearLove  #Poetry  #PoetryChallengeNo1  #WorkshopWriting  #Writing  #Poems  #PoetryPostcards  #FMF:PoetryPostcards

 

 

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Plough Prize

I was very proud to find my name, next to my poem ‘Left Field’ on the long list for The Plough Prize in 2007, discovered quite by accident years later.

So I can imagine how pleased Afric McGlinchey was, I’m sure just as thrilled, when her poem ‘A River of Familiars’ appeared in this year’s longlist.

I proudly own a copy of the E-book  “The Star of Hidden Things” published by Ireland’s foremost publisher of poetry; Salmon Poetry – a literal feast of magnificent word-obsession.

Like Afric McGlinchey, I was raised in a kinder Africa where, I felt loved and accepted and totally enfolded in the arms of my melting-pot community.

Her poems brought my African childhood back to me so clearly, I’m about to order her latest publication through Salmon Poetry; “Ghost of the Fisher Cat” which includes the Plough Prize longlisted poem, “A River of Familiars”.

@FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #PloughPoetryPrize  #POEM:LeftField   #AfricMcGlinchey  #SalmonPoetry  #ARiverOfFamiliars  #TheStarOfHiddenThings  #GhostOfTheFisherCat  #Africa  #Poems  #No1IrishPoetryPublisher #Begorrathon16 #IrishPoets

 

 

 

 

 

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Successful Romance

Anna Jacobs, a lady I’ve proudly called a friend since the 80’s, has had phenomenal success in the UK. She’s just been voted the 10th most borrowed author in the British Library  of Adult and Children’s Fiction but the 5th most borrowed author of Adult Fiction.

Mind you, Anna’s worked extremely hard for it!

We met weekly as members of the FAWWA (Fellowship of Australian Writers, Western Australia) Romance Writers Group in the 80’s.  Anna had novels all ready in her drawer waiting and while generously sharing her expertise and enthusiasm, signed a contract for three books with a major publisher.  I remember how thrilled we all were – how we celebrated, swelling with pride.

Janet Woods was the next member of our group to achieve mainstream publication and again, we were all so proud.  Unfortunately, I fell by the wayside; divorce soured my feeling for romance and I steered well clear of it for the next few years.  Even in Romance Writing only the strongest and most talented survive…

Romance Writers Conference in Perth, 2000. Photo © Anna Jacobs. (I’m 6th from right.)

Georgette Heyer was a favourite writer growing up in hot, equatorial Africa.  Anna’s richly detailed Historical research and cleverly relatable characters, reminded me of those books I’d read and enjoyed so much, as a teenager.

And yes, I admit, I also used to read Barbara Cartland who was famously accused of plagiarism by Georgette Heyer in the 1950’s.

Of Barbara Cartland‘s 700+ books, I know I read a lot.  The recommendation is; “If you want to write Romance, you need to read at least 400 Romance Novels!”  Although, she was Princess Diana’s  step-grandmother, I believe in quality over quantity writing.

Georgette Heyer as the better writer of the two but my very favourite (and my sister-in-law Mum’s favourite) Romance writer is my friend Anna Jacobs who (so far) has 77 thoroughly researched and carefully plotted books under various names and genres.

When I heard Anna had won the top Australian Romance Writers ‘Ruby Award’ for ‘The Pride of Lancashire’, I had to send her some ruby flowers and lots of congratulations.  Her hubby kindly took a photo for me…

© 2006 Anna Jacobs ‘Ruby Award’

So if you aspire to write Romance, may I recommend you get hold of a copy of Anna Jacobs’  ‘An Introduction to Romance Writing’ and follow all directions.  If you then buy and study ‘Plotting & Editing’,  you’ll have learnt from a Mistress of Storytelling – and have one or two complete, well-edited manuscripts ready to send out.

 

@FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #AnnaJacobs  #No5BritishLibrary  #No10MostBorrowed  #RomanceWriter  #2006RubyAward  #JanetWoods  #IntroRomanceWriting  #PrideOfLancashire  #GeorgetteHeyer  #BarbaraCartland  #WAWriters  #WestAustRomance  #RomanceWritersOfAustralia

 

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