The above photo was taken in Timaru. Louise in conversation with Captain Henry Cain:1816-1886.
His clothes are real, and all soaked in resin.
Link here for more on Captain Cain:
Where does writing come from. For me a key component is how to connect one thought or idea or inspiration with another.
Visual art and music are important to me, and this morning I've been doing a bit of research into the connection between music and creative writing. I sing and I write my own music. I've studied music theory. Words are tonal and the way they are combined in a narrative - can be likened to a musical score. I hum parts of the story into being, a sad slow dirge in a minor key, the words are dark, inky, unlit, they dwell in caves, are hidden and reluctant to be revealed, gloomy shadowy and have to be coaxed into being, to form a sequence and give the narrative the necessary tension or atmosphere at that point in the story. Then the narrative lightens up, but its not that conscious, not so contrived, its a feeling that nows a good time to surface into an effulgent, more radiant place.
Some great writing tips here:
Words: Choosing the right word can take time, a paragraph is distilled down to one or two sentences the remainder of the words are pruned back and discarded, they lie below the surface and this is important, they support the upper structure, form the foundation the basement, and give a sense of underlying depth, you can feel those words are still there because the story's been "worked" not unlike an oil painting, all those layers beneath the surface, rubbed back, partly scraped, chipped at, sometimes physically bashed into shape until you know you got it right...maybe.
Frank Erceg Project: I'm at a point in writing the Frank Erceg story where I'm not with a clear direction. I'm still researching but I'm allowing myself some time off to create a distance from it and work on some other projects. I know in time the right format to tell Frank's story will show itself. Its actually a huge weight off my shoulders to let it go for a bit. It wasn't an easy decision to make. I feel a commitment to seeing this book done and was pressuring myself to do it before any more of Frank's mates pop off. But forcing the story into being is the wrong way to go about it. Its just not there yet. Don't force the river it flows on its own. One of my favourite sayings.
So I'm working on a novel and I'm writing freelance articles for NZ Outdoor Hunting and Glory Days magazine:
I'm also working on my writing style and studying other writers particularly the American southern gothic and noir writers. I've requested some books from the library including one of my favourites William Gay. A Southern gothic writer who wrote an entire book without using any speech parenthesis. At first it was a bit weird I wasn't sure if I was reading the narrative or a character's dialogue, but then I found the rhythm and didn't notice their absence. He's a master of chipping back the superfluous, his short story The Ice Man is written like this. I don't agree to get rid of all grammar, for example comas are handy, they let you breathe, pause and consider.
Anyway... gotta go put the billy on and have a cuppa. Then there's writing to do.
Louise.
