Support the new Queensland Literary Awards

My home state of Queensland is currently in a world of shit. Turns out we aren't great with money, we're so bad actually, that the Government is looking at something around $100 Billion of debt by 2015. Needless to say, cuts have been made. Unfortunately, the Government decided the area that least needed support was the creative industries and library systems. First to get the slash was the Queensland Premier's Prize, which was an award to help new and upcoming authors establish themselves. It's been a wonderful help to some of the best writers this state has ever seen, and I was horrified to see it cut only days after the new Government was formed.

Luckily, the real people behind the award weren't so willing to let it go. They're currently crowd-sourcing the $20 000 prize which will now be called the Queensland Literary Award. They're raised just over a quarter of the desired amount, and have a little over a month still to raise the funds.I've just pledged $30, and my fingers are crossed that they make the full amount so that they can keep this award going. Whether you decide to donate yourself, or simply rage about it on Twitter, be sure to do something! This is about more than awarding a single author to continue in their chosen profession, it's to show the Government that we're not OK with them cutting funding from the arts!

Film Review: Dark Shadows (2012)

Dark Shadows

Directed by: Tim Burton

Starring: Johnny Depp
Eva Green
Michelle Pheiffer
Chloe Mortez

Synopsis: An imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home, where his dysfunctional descendants are in need of his protection. (Via IMDB)

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I'm really excited about some of the movies due to be released within the next two months. Despite the bad reviews, I'm still pretty excited about Prometheus (I freaking LOVE Alien), and I KNOW Batman will blow my mind. It's got me keen to watch movies at the cinema, but since these aren't out yet, I decided (along with the boyfriend and a couple of friends) to go see Dark Shadows.

Yeah, I know, I know. I definitely didn't go in expecting anything fantastic, but I've loved so many Johnny Depp and Tim Burton films that I'm not sure I'd ever be able to completely ignore a collaboration between them (although seriously, someone needs to force these two to spend some time apart). And you know what? I didn't hate it, I didn't even mind it. The ending is a train wreck, and there are some HUGE plot issues, but for the most part it was a fun, kinda silly movie that was visually quite impressive. So, should I start with the good or the bad? Actually, I might just switch between the two for as long as I can.

1. (Good) The 1970s styling was a great accompaniment to Burton's dark visuals. I'm a firm believer that when Burton mixes his dark/gothic stylings with hyper-real colours he produces his best films. Think Edward Scissorhands, Beatle Juice or Pleasantville (not a Burton film I know).

2. (Bad) Ugh, Johnny Depp is doing his vaguely English "I'm really quite odd" character again. What happened to the amazing character actor who played Edward Scissorhands? I feel like every character he plays lately is just a slightly different version of the previous one. It's not quirky or weird or outrageous, it's boring.

3. (Good) There were some real laugh out loud moments. The scene with the hippies in the woods was one of the best scenes of the film, and if the rest had been more like it, then I think we'd all be praising the campy awesomeness of this film rather than sighing and yawning.

4.(Bad) The story, in case you haven't been following this film, begins in the 1700s when Barnabas (Depp) spurns the maid he was banging (Eva Green) to marry a young delicate flower. Turns out Eva Green is a witch, and she kills his parents, his fiance and turns Depp into a vampire who is then buried alive in a coffin. With Depp gone, the Collins family line should be over, however when he finds a way out 200 years later there are 4 Collins' living in Barnabas' family mansion. Where did they come from? When the American line of Collins' died, did some cousins from England move over and claim the house? You need to explain this people!

5. (Good) Alice Cooper has a cameo...as himself. This is hilarious and truly bizarre. They don't even try to make him look 40 years younger, he's old and wrinkly and freaking kick ass. But I love Alice Cooper so maybe I'm just biassed.

6. (Bad) Chloe Mortez, what the hell! She's such a fantastic young actress, but in this movie she's terrible! She's meant to be the moody teenager but she comes across as a caricature of this. She does this stupid lip snarl like she thinks she's Iggy Pop, and she's weirdly sexualised (I honestly thought something was going to happen between her and her uncle) which I found incredibly uncomfortable. She was not on form in this film, hopefully this isn't a sign of what's to come.

7. (Good) Michelle Pheiffer and Eva Green. These two women are both great throughout the film on their own (although Green doesn't seem to know if she's supposed to have a French or American accent), but it is their scenes together which truly shone.

8. (Bad) The plot. It...isn't great. It was written by Seth Grahame-Smith (who wrote Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) and I wonder if part of his talent is adapting, rather than writing original content. I know this was based on a TV show, but from the reviews I've read it isn't particularly close to the show at all, so it seems he was mostly on his own. Without a plot framework to work on, the pacing was off, threads of stories were introduced but never expanded upon or concluded, and the ending was like a 15 year old writing fan fiction - so many weird things are dropped in without warning. Maybe I'm being unfair on Seth, but until I see a book or film that is amazing that was truly an independent work, I stand by this.

Ok, to be honest I can't really think of any more good points, but a fair few bad ones. So I guess I'll leave it here! It isn't terrible by any stretch of the imagination, but I think both Tim Burton and Johnny Depp need to push out of this quirky comfort zone they've created, because while it can be amazing when done right, the last few they've done together have been stale and unpolished and only so-so. If they had spent more time ( a lot more time) on the script and swapped out Chloe Mortez for someone else, I think it could have been a really successful film. Instead it seems rushed, and the plot holes over shadow the good acting, interesting visuals and geniunely funny comedic moments.

Monday Links

*Pixar were kind enough to share their 22 rules of storytelling (via io9)

*Some awesome sauce mock-ups of famous sci-fi films transferred into pulp books (via poster collective)

*Anita Heiss, author extraordinaire, worked on a pretty awesome project with some students in my home town. (Via Anita Heiss' Blog)

Author Interview: John Vorhaus, author of Lucy in the Sky

Gather 'round readers, I have another author interview for you! John Vorhaus is an interesting man and writer who has one of the most enviable jobs I can think of! Also, not only is he happy to share some advice for budding writers, as a writer, but he's also imparting some invaluable knowledge bombs as someone trained to help writers for a living. So take note, I think you'd have to be crazy not to take away some great little gems, whether you're a fiction, non-fiction or blog writer! Enjoy!
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Short and fast:


Ebook or physical book: Lucy in the Sky is available in ebook, paperback and author-narrated audio
Classic or contemporary: The novel takes place in Milwaukee in 1969. That time and place sure ain’t classic, so I guess it’s contemporary by default.
Fantasy or reality: Reality, with just a soupcon of wish-fulfilment thrown in.
Traditionally or self published: I’m not a fan of the terms “traditional” or “self-published,” since neither seems to capture the current realities of book publishing and marketing. I use the phrase “indy publishing” to describe what I do.
Favourite Author: Tom Robbins.
Favourite Book: Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

Let's get a little deeper:

You've had quite an illuminating career working around the world in a myriad of positions relating to television. What have been some of the highlights?
J.V: Well, I’ve taught and trained writers in 28 countries on four continents (at last count). The most challenging gig was running the writing staff of the Russian version of Married… with Children, as my knowledge of Russian is nonexistent, and Moscow is, well let’s just say, not the happiest place on earth. My most gratifying experience was co-creating the social-action TV drama Contracorriente in Nicaragua. With its no-nonsense look at such tough issues as gender identification, sweatshop labor and commercial sexual exploitation of adolescents, it really did some good in a country that needs all the help it can get.

You’ve worked on a number of non-fiction, educational books such as The Comic Toolbox: How to Be Funny Even if You’re Not.” What pushed you to write fictional books, and what challenges did you find yourself up against?
J.V: My growth as a writer has been about trying progressively harder things. I started out writing songs and graduated from there to sitcom. From sitcom I moved to hour-drama and screenwriting. Then I tackled non-fiction – more words, bigger challenge. I’ve always seen long-form fiction as the hardest sort of writing there is, and so I pushed myself to be equal to that task. The biggest challenge was – and is – cutting through the clutter and helping my readers discover my work and my voice.

Would you like to tell us anything about your latest foray into the fictional world with your book Lucy in the Sky?
J.V: Lucy in the Sky is the coming-of-age story of Gene Steen, an earnest young striver who wants to be a hippie in the worst way. He doesn’t know what a hippie is, really, just knows that there are none where he lives, as far as the eye can see. Then one day into his life dances Lucy, his very hip, very wise, witty, spiritual, sensual, hot and sexy 17-year-old… cousin. Good news, she’ll teach him to be a hippie. Bad news, she’s his cousin. Good news, things are not always what they seem. But Lucy has demons of her own, and in helping her fight them, Gene learns that being a hippie is not about love beads and peace signs, but about the choices you make and the stands you take.

What did you learn from writing Lucy in the Sky that you didn't know before?
J.V: Well, I learned that I can use my own writing to exorcise the significant demons of my life. See, I always wanted to be a hippie, but I was born just a tad too late to ride that train, and this has always filled me with regret. After I finished Lucy, I was surprised to discover that the regret had gone away. In the world of my imagination I had finally had the transcendent “hippie experience” I had always wanted to have, and now need to chase that ghost no more. I’m excited to consider what other demons I might slay using this same strategy, and commend it to other writers’ attention: figure out what’s bugging you, then write about it until it bugs you no more.

Have you started or made any plans for your next fiction book? Any hints you’d like to share?
J.V: Right now I’m working on a short mystery called Secord and Smoke: Scream Bloodless Murder. It features a sassy young police detective, Anne Secord, and her curmudgeonly partner, police consultant Dave “Smoke” Sawyer. I hope to make it a series.

What is your writing process?
J.V: I start my writing day before nine a.m., but after the newspaper and coffee. I work until noon or until the dog demands a walk, whichever occurs first. After a break of fresh air and sunshine, I get back to my desk and stay there until the late afternoon. Eventually my brain turns to cheese and I can no longer think productively about the creative problems I’m trying to solve. At that point, I turn my attention to other aspects of my professional life, such as promoting my books, writing press releases, or doing interviews like this. Hope my cheese brain doesn’t leak through…

Since you have experience on both sides of the fence, so to speak, what advice do you have for any writers who may be reading this? Both as an author, and as someone who has advised others who write.
J.V: The secret to successful writing is really very simple. If you want to get better, write more. If you want to get a lot better, write a lot more. Here’s why that system works: because even a bad day of writing is a good day of writing, simply as a function of what we learn and how we advance our craft. It’s also useful to remember that “a writer is a subversive who uses entertainment to instruct.” Keeping that idea in mind will help you to inform your work with ideas that matter, and give you faith that it is exactly your job as a writer to do so. Finally there’s this: “Keep giving them you until you is what they want.” Each of us has a singular voice, a way of expressing ourselves that is easy and fun for us to write. That’s what we want to focus on, the organic path to an ever richer and more satisfying writing experience. Be the best writer you can be, according to your own vision, and then work to help readers discover and cherish this best version of yourself.

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Thanks to John Vorhaus for taking part in this interview! His book Lucy in the Sky can be purchased at Amazon from here, and his full range of non-fiction books can be found here.