The Royal Crescent in Bath is an absolutely unique architectural gem, completed in 1774 by John Wood the Younger; it took about 7 years to complete and still today it stands as a perfect semi-elliptical curve about 50 feet high and 500 feet long. It truly is a site to behold; there are 30 attached magnificent houses, among them, one of the most charming, delightful, grandest hotels ever, the Royal Crescent Hotel www.royalcrescent.co.uk
As a heroine would say, it is beautifully situated.
Some suites are named after literary figures, the Sir Percy Blakeney Suite named after The Scarlet Pimparnel, one of my favorite novels, if you haven’t read it-please do, written by Baroness Orczy, it is the ultimate swashbuckling, romantic adventure, set during the French Revolution. As the story goes, after his adventures, Sir Percy moved to Bath and lived at number 16 Royal Crescent.
The street curves along the crescent and below, a green carpet of lush grass separated by a ha-ha. What is a ha-ha you say, well a cleverly designed wall that is invisible from the curved path and the upper part of the grassy knoll. Since the area served as a promenade to see and be seen, the ha-ha separated the ton-the socially elite- from mere mortals, peasants, along with sheep, cows and whatever critters lived below.
Number 1 Royal Crescent is a renowned museum that perfectly depicts the affluent Georgian lifestyle; fully restored it is owned by the Bath Preservation Trust, and truly well worth a visit.
Walking up a slight incline on Brock Street the panoramic view of the Crescent is truly breathtaking, and writing these travelogues has been enormously difficult, because what I want to do is hop on a plane, spend some more time in Bath, instead, I’ll re-read the Scarlet Pimpernel-it has been a while since I’ve read it.
Till next Time,
Margot Justes
A Hotel in Paris ISBN 978-1-59080-534-3
Art brought her to Paris, then a stranger’s death changes her life.
Missing ISBN 978-1-59080-611 1- February 2009
www.mjustes.com
available on amazon.com
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
What Shape's Your Dialogue In? By Robert W. Walker
Voice is everything in fiction and every voice of each character a writer creates is another voice, or role--a part to be played, and every voice must be as distinct as the character's fingerprints.
To that end your characters must not sound so much alike, as if they had all gone to the same finishing school (gramatically spot on, Reginald) or likewise all sound as if they have had the same street jibe crammd into their heads so that only THEY know what is being said to one another. Being a book doctor, I have seen it both ways.
A play wherein only one character speaks my language while all the others speak in such "jive talk" as to make no sense to the general reader. A novel in which each character speaks in exacting gramatical certitude.It does not work.
Every character should have some quirks of a verbal nature. You don't want all your main characters walking alike so why are they all talking alike? They don't all come from the same Stanford or Harvard background, do they?
Some don't give a blankety-blank what comes out of their mouths, while others are guarded, and a man of few words is quite the opposite of a verbose fellow. Sometimes an overweight person talks overly, sometimes just the opposite. Character is built into language patterns. Work hard to both see and hear the language of each character. Let him or her tell you how they talk.
Don't force your patterns onto your creations. A guy working the back of a trash truck is gonna talk some funny way different from the professor or the cemetery administrator, but the grave digger and the trash-man might very well speak the same "language" to one another as the prof might to the administrator.
Key into the sound of the bell being rung by one character as opposed to the sound of the bell rung by the other guy. Take in their psychology, their history, their upbrininging and station in life.
It all comes through in the voice...in the dialogue. "I believe it is coming on a storm," Hector, the professor said to Elaine.
"Comin' up a storm, eh what?" asked Liam, the caretaker to Elaine.
"I quite agree," replied Elaine in both instances, but she might give Hector a look, whereas she keeps her eyes to herself with Liam.
For more on dialogue dig through the archives of ACME and you will be surprised to see that the topic has come up before, and there are many examples in the archives here.
Happy Writing one and all,
Rob Walker
www.robertwalkerbooks.com
To that end your characters must not sound so much alike, as if they had all gone to the same finishing school (gramatically spot on, Reginald) or likewise all sound as if they have had the same street jibe crammd into their heads so that only THEY know what is being said to one another. Being a book doctor, I have seen it both ways.
A play wherein only one character speaks my language while all the others speak in such "jive talk" as to make no sense to the general reader. A novel in which each character speaks in exacting gramatical certitude.It does not work.
Every character should have some quirks of a verbal nature. You don't want all your main characters walking alike so why are they all talking alike? They don't all come from the same Stanford or Harvard background, do they?
Some don't give a blankety-blank what comes out of their mouths, while others are guarded, and a man of few words is quite the opposite of a verbose fellow. Sometimes an overweight person talks overly, sometimes just the opposite. Character is built into language patterns. Work hard to both see and hear the language of each character. Let him or her tell you how they talk.
Don't force your patterns onto your creations. A guy working the back of a trash truck is gonna talk some funny way different from the professor or the cemetery administrator, but the grave digger and the trash-man might very well speak the same "language" to one another as the prof might to the administrator.
Key into the sound of the bell being rung by one character as opposed to the sound of the bell rung by the other guy. Take in their psychology, their history, their upbrininging and station in life.
It all comes through in the voice...in the dialogue. "I believe it is coming on a storm," Hector, the professor said to Elaine.
"Comin' up a storm, eh what?" asked Liam, the caretaker to Elaine.
"I quite agree," replied Elaine in both instances, but she might give Hector a look, whereas she keeps her eyes to herself with Liam.
For more on dialogue dig through the archives of ACME and you will be surprised to see that the topic has come up before, and there are many examples in the archives here.
Happy Writing one and all,
Rob Walker
www.robertwalkerbooks.com
Thursday, January 29, 2009
What A Vision! by DL Larson
On my recent trip to California, my husband and I visited an engineering marvel called the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. If you are afraid of heights, then this excursion might not be for you; the mountain station sits atop the San Jacinto Peak at 8,516 feet. The eight and a half minute trip by fancy cable car is like traveling from Sonora to the Canadian tundra. It's a geological miracle.
The experience is awe inspiring, the view spectacular, but what really captured my heart was the history behind building this architectural titan. Electrical engineer Francis F. Crocker had a vision to build a tram straight up the mountain. The year was 1935. Newspapers quickly nicknamed the idea as Crocker's Folly. World War II shelved the plan, then the Korean War stole his dream once more. Finaly in 1960 Crocker approached the California governor Earl Warren for permission to resume. No government money was used in building the towers, and Crocker hired the best engineers in the world, many from Switzerland who were already familiar with the many obstacles in facing such a task as building into a mountain. The use of helicopters took much of the equipment up the mountain. The winds alone would have had me thinking twice on taking that kind of ride.
In 1963, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway opened. It's been called the Eighth Wonder of the World. In 2001 the orginal cars were replaced by cars with rotating floors. Let me tell you, the panoramic view is so cool, and the dip and sway when passing through the towers is better than a Disney ride!
As I viewed the valley, then the boulders and crevices along the trams path, I marvelled that someone would hang on to a dream for over thirty years. Mr. Crocker never let go of his dream. He faced untold obstacles, yet his focus is to be commended. So the next time I get a little down in the mouth with my writing career, thinking I'll never finish what I started, never make it big, never get the satisfaction I'm seeking ... you know what I'm talking about... Well, I will remember my tramride, I will remember the fortitude it took for Mr. Crocker to see his dream become a reality. So I will hang on. I firmly believe the journey is just as important as the vision!
Til next time ~
DL Larson
The experience is awe inspiring, the view spectacular, but what really captured my heart was the history behind building this architectural titan. Electrical engineer Francis F. Crocker had a vision to build a tram straight up the mountain. The year was 1935. Newspapers quickly nicknamed the idea as Crocker's Folly. World War II shelved the plan, then the Korean War stole his dream once more. Finaly in 1960 Crocker approached the California governor Earl Warren for permission to resume. No government money was used in building the towers, and Crocker hired the best engineers in the world, many from Switzerland who were already familiar with the many obstacles in facing such a task as building into a mountain. The use of helicopters took much of the equipment up the mountain. The winds alone would have had me thinking twice on taking that kind of ride.
In 1963, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway opened. It's been called the Eighth Wonder of the World. In 2001 the orginal cars were replaced by cars with rotating floors. Let me tell you, the panoramic view is so cool, and the dip and sway when passing through the towers is better than a Disney ride!
As I viewed the valley, then the boulders and crevices along the trams path, I marvelled that someone would hang on to a dream for over thirty years. Mr. Crocker never let go of his dream. He faced untold obstacles, yet his focus is to be commended. So the next time I get a little down in the mouth with my writing career, thinking I'll never finish what I started, never make it big, never get the satisfaction I'm seeking ... you know what I'm talking about... Well, I will remember my tramride, I will remember the fortitude it took for Mr. Crocker to see his dream become a reality. So I will hang on. I firmly believe the journey is just as important as the vision!
Til next time ~
DL Larson
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Social Networks
I founded Book Place to provide authors a forum to promote their books. I visit there often, interact with its members and post previews on the front page to advertise coming events, such as special guest appearances on my blogs.
Another place I like to visit is MySpace, where I can make friends with not only book people, but those from all walks of life. I often take advantage of their bulletin boards to tell friends what's happening in my world.
I stop off at Facebook, Bebo and GoodReads, but not as often because of time constraints.
The network I do visit many times each day is Twitter. That's because it's so simple. It's fast and easy and contains no ads. I can get in, post a message about my latest blog, and get out of there knowing anyone who is following me can see my message.
By the way, if you click any of the links above, you can join me on these networks.
What about you? What are your favorite social networks? Is there one you use more than the others? Why? Please share.
Another place I like to visit is MySpace, where I can make friends with not only book people, but those from all walks of life. I often take advantage of their bulletin boards to tell friends what's happening in my world.
I stop off at Facebook, Bebo and GoodReads, but not as often because of time constraints.
The network I do visit many times each day is Twitter. That's because it's so simple. It's fast and easy and contains no ads. I can get in, post a message about my latest blog, and get out of there knowing anyone who is following me can see my message.
By the way, if you click any of the links above, you can join me on these networks.
What about you? What are your favorite social networks? Is there one you use more than the others? Why? Please share.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
When Love is Murder
Catchy title huh! Love is Murder CON, or more familiarly LIM, is a wonderful Con held in Feb each year, and for 2009 it's coming up soon (Feb 6-8). Go to www.loveismurder.net for more information. But before I go on I must let you know that I am on the board for this Con but lots of members of this blog will be at LIM this year so take a gander at the website and please join us if you haven't signed up already. I have to say that LIM is one of the best and most fun Cons I've been to and been involved with and lots of folks seem to agree.
Being a board memeber is rather interesting and exiciting. Long before I became a member of the LIM board, I of course like many others attended lots of writers conferences/conventions (LIM inlcuded) and from that perspective I often thought and questioned why certain Cons ran things the way they did. Regardless of how a Con is run let me tell everyone that these endeavors are a bucket (I really want to say *#@!) load of work. Now it's not that we don't love to have suggestions to improve and enhance on what we do because believe me we do. BUT it's important that everyone undersand just how much thought and effort goes into a Con even if everything doesn't go they way they want it to.
A recent article from the Romance Writers of America National Organization laid this out quite well explaining all the planning effort invovled in one of these events from finding a hotel to accomodate the Con and the attendees at the most reasonable price possible without detracting from the Con itself, to making the cost of the Con such that the right talent is attracted as headliners and agents and publishers so that the attendees get what they want out of the Con. In other words it ain't as easy at it looks.
The questions that each attendee has to ask him/herself of attending any Con are as follows:
- what will attending this particular Con provide for him/her such a face-to-face meetings with agents, editors, publishers, & librarians (LIM has that)
- meeting top notch writers for both readers and writers (LIM has that)
- networking with other readers/writers as well as the agents, editors, publishers and librarians (LIM has that)
- having a bunch of fun socializing with all of the above (LIM has that)
- and so much more.
So, join us at Love is Murder in 2009 and become part of the coolest crime scene that happens every winter in the Chicago area!
For more information go to www.LoveisMurder.net.
See ya there!
Being a board memeber is rather interesting and exiciting. Long before I became a member of the LIM board, I of course like many others attended lots of writers conferences/conventions (LIM inlcuded) and from that perspective I often thought and questioned why certain Cons ran things the way they did. Regardless of how a Con is run let me tell everyone that these endeavors are a bucket (I really want to say *#@!) load of work. Now it's not that we don't love to have suggestions to improve and enhance on what we do because believe me we do. BUT it's important that everyone undersand just how much thought and effort goes into a Con even if everything doesn't go they way they want it to.
A recent article from the Romance Writers of America National Organization laid this out quite well explaining all the planning effort invovled in one of these events from finding a hotel to accomodate the Con and the attendees at the most reasonable price possible without detracting from the Con itself, to making the cost of the Con such that the right talent is attracted as headliners and agents and publishers so that the attendees get what they want out of the Con. In other words it ain't as easy at it looks.
The questions that each attendee has to ask him/herself of attending any Con are as follows:
- what will attending this particular Con provide for him/her such a face-to-face meetings with agents, editors, publishers, & librarians (LIM has that)
- meeting top notch writers for both readers and writers (LIM has that)
- networking with other readers/writers as well as the agents, editors, publishers and librarians (LIM has that)
- having a bunch of fun socializing with all of the above (LIM has that)
- and so much more.
So, join us at Love is Murder in 2009 and become part of the coolest crime scene that happens every winter in the Chicago area!
For more information go to www.LoveisMurder.net.
See ya there!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Introducing ... FangPlace! Woo! Yay!
First, an announcement ... if you like to read more of my craziness, check out my new blogspot, http://fangplace.blogspot.com .
More weird stuff, with an emphasis on the Undead ... er, teens.
Anyway, someone I know and very much respect (really, really respect) touched on something that reminded me of a post I'd done once before. I want to repeat it because, well, I'm getting old and you repeat things when you get old.
Here goes:
Guess what time it is? Time to vent again! Yaaaayyy!!!!! Wheeeee!!!!
And can you guess what it’s going to be about this time?
I thought not.
Even I, myself, am not too sure.
Ha! I lied. But the sentence above should have given you a hint. And I’m sure those of you with bumpy brains not only figured what it meant, but also figured out what I was going to say. Which is pretty darned good, considering I don’t know, myself.
Look! There was another hint! Did you get it this time?
Okay, okay, I’ll get to the point.
Michael Jordan, you know him? Bald guy? Bad knees?
Anyway, Michael Jordan was interviewed once, and he said something along the lines of, “The other guys and myself really beat the pants off of Detroit.”
Now do you get it?
That’s right, the word ‘myself.’ The most abused word in the English language besides ‘excuse me.’
Yeah, I know, ‘excuse me’ are two words. And they’re abused for opposite reasons. “Excuse me” should be said more often, and ‘myself’ should be used less often.
Back to Jordan. And we don’t mean that place out by Syria. What His Airness should have said is, “The other guys and I really beat the pants off of Detroit.” Not myself.
Way too many people are using the word ‘myself’ instead of ‘I.’ And worse, it’s people who should know better. Radio personalities, government officials, even teachers! These people should know better!
Not only that, but because they are getting radio and television time, their mistakes are being broadcast to a large audience, who all think to themselves, “Hmmm, Michael said, ‘the other guys and myself.’ He’s a Floydillionaire (a really big number), and a graduate of the University of North Carolina. He must be using the word correctly.”
Then, at work, they all say, “The rest of the staff and myself are going out for lunch.” And head off to go buy Mc-Whoppers.
I realize that this is way better than saying, “Me and the rest of the staff are going out for lunch.” Of course, these are both wrong, even if you switch the ‘me’ or the ‘myself’ with ‘the rest of the staff.’ Either way you put it, it has to be ‘eye.’ Er, ‘I.’
Aaaarggghhhh. It drives myself crazy!
Norm
check out my books!! no, don't check them out ... buy them! read excerpts on my website
http://normcowie.com
http://fangface.homestead.com
More weird stuff, with an emphasis on the Undead ... er, teens.
Anyway, someone I know and very much respect (really, really respect) touched on something that reminded me of a post I'd done once before. I want to repeat it because, well, I'm getting old and you repeat things when you get old.
Here goes:
Guess what time it is? Time to vent again! Yaaaayyy!!!!! Wheeeee!!!!
And can you guess what it’s going to be about this time?
I thought not.
Even I, myself, am not too sure.
Ha! I lied. But the sentence above should have given you a hint. And I’m sure those of you with bumpy brains not only figured what it meant, but also figured out what I was going to say. Which is pretty darned good, considering I don’t know, myself.
Look! There was another hint! Did you get it this time?
Okay, okay, I’ll get to the point.
Michael Jordan, you know him? Bald guy? Bad knees?
Anyway, Michael Jordan was interviewed once, and he said something along the lines of, “The other guys and myself really beat the pants off of Detroit.”
Now do you get it?
That’s right, the word ‘myself.’ The most abused word in the English language besides ‘excuse me.’
Yeah, I know, ‘excuse me’ are two words. And they’re abused for opposite reasons. “Excuse me” should be said more often, and ‘myself’ should be used less often.
Back to Jordan. And we don’t mean that place out by Syria. What His Airness should have said is, “The other guys and I really beat the pants off of Detroit.” Not myself.
Way too many people are using the word ‘myself’ instead of ‘I.’ And worse, it’s people who should know better. Radio personalities, government officials, even teachers! These people should know better!
Not only that, but because they are getting radio and television time, their mistakes are being broadcast to a large audience, who all think to themselves, “Hmmm, Michael said, ‘the other guys and myself.’ He’s a Floydillionaire (a really big number), and a graduate of the University of North Carolina. He must be using the word correctly.”
Then, at work, they all say, “The rest of the staff and myself are going out for lunch.” And head off to go buy Mc-Whoppers.
I realize that this is way better than saying, “Me and the rest of the staff are going out for lunch.” Of course, these are both wrong, even if you switch the ‘me’ or the ‘myself’ with ‘the rest of the staff.’ Either way you put it, it has to be ‘eye.’ Er, ‘I.’
Aaaarggghhhh. It drives myself crazy!
Norm
check out my books!! no, don't check them out ... buy them! read excerpts on my website
http://normcowie.com
http://fangface.homestead.com
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Time
Ah, time... contrary to popular belief, the more time I have, the less I seem to get done.
I know that sounds backwards and crazy and insane, but for me, it's true.
If I have a lot of time on my hands, I tend to get bored, lazy, and unmotivated. In the back of my mind I'll keeping thinking, "Oh, I don't have to do that now. I have plenty of time." And then of course, it never gets done.
I do better if my schedule is busy. Packed tight even. I guess then I'm forced to take a look at everything I need to accomplish and find a way to get it done.
When I look in my planner and see a week full of meetings, and practices, and appointments, and various other commitments, the first thing I do is groan and say, "Gosh, this is going to be a busy week." But by the end of the week, after I've crossed things off as I go, I have a fabulous sense of accomplishment. Then I can sit back and feel good about myself and what I did.
On a week that looks empty and stretches out with lots of free time on the horizon, inevitably I look back at the end of it and go, "So, what did I do with my time this week?" And I usually have nothing to show for it.
Strange, isn't it?
I'm having this sort of dilemma right now. I am in the process of revising (to the tune of adding 15,000 words) my manuscript for "Wild Wedding Weekend". It's coming along. But slowly. Oh so slowly.
Maybe I've had too much "free" time lately. (Is there such a thing?) But the good news is that looking at the week ahead, I have something going on every night of the week.
How much do you want to bet I get some quality writing done, too?!
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
I know that sounds backwards and crazy and insane, but for me, it's true.
If I have a lot of time on my hands, I tend to get bored, lazy, and unmotivated. In the back of my mind I'll keeping thinking, "Oh, I don't have to do that now. I have plenty of time." And then of course, it never gets done.
I do better if my schedule is busy. Packed tight even. I guess then I'm forced to take a look at everything I need to accomplish and find a way to get it done.
When I look in my planner and see a week full of meetings, and practices, and appointments, and various other commitments, the first thing I do is groan and say, "Gosh, this is going to be a busy week." But by the end of the week, after I've crossed things off as I go, I have a fabulous sense of accomplishment. Then I can sit back and feel good about myself and what I did.
On a week that looks empty and stretches out with lots of free time on the horizon, inevitably I look back at the end of it and go, "So, what did I do with my time this week?" And I usually have nothing to show for it.
Strange, isn't it?
I'm having this sort of dilemma right now. I am in the process of revising (to the tune of adding 15,000 words) my manuscript for "Wild Wedding Weekend". It's coming along. But slowly. Oh so slowly.
Maybe I've had too much "free" time lately. (Is there such a thing?) But the good news is that looking at the week ahead, I have something going on every night of the week.
How much do you want to bet I get some quality writing done, too?!
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
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