Writers On Reading: Jennifer Scoullar On The Books that Inspire Her

Today I welcome Rural Fiction author Jennifer Scoullar to the blog.

 

 

Jennifer is a fellow horse lover, a subject she has written about in Brumby’s Run.

Jenny is also a keen environmentalist and her latest book Billabong Bend tackles the issue of conservation.

For riverine farmer Nina Moore, the rare marshland flanking the beautiful Bunyip River is the most precious place on Earth. Her dream is to buy Billabong Bend and protect it forever, but she’s not the only one with designs on the land. When her childhood sweetheart Ric Bonelli returns home, old feelings are rekindled and Nina dares to hope of a future for them both on the river. But a tragic death divides loyalties, tears apart their fledgling romance and turns her dream into a nightmare. Will Nina win the battle for Billabong Bend? Or will the man she once loved destroy the wild wetlands she holds so close to her heart?

Billabong Bend is a star-crossed love story which sets Nina, a floodplains grazier, and Ric, a traditional cotton farmer, on a heart-rending collision course amid the beauty of New South Wales’ northern riverlands.

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Thanks to Jennifer for visiting Flying Pony and good luck with Billabong Bend.

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1. Which books do you most vividly remember from your childhood?

I loved Enid Blyton when I was very little, but after that it was horse books all the way. The Follyfoot Farm series by English writer Monica Dickens for example, and the Green Grass Of Wyoming Series by American writer Mary O’Hara. But my all-time favourite was the home-grown Silver Brumby series by Elyne Mitchell. With her evocative descriptions of wildlife and landscapes, she is still a favourite today. I also loved Jack London and the science fiction books of Isaac Asimov and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

 

2. Who are your three most favourite fictional book characters? Tell us what you love about each of them.

Interestingly, they’re all from children’s books:

– Thowra from the Silver Brumby series – A beautiful, almost magical brumby stallion who has the intelligence and courage to protect his herd and make fools of the humans trying to capture him. My horse hero!

– Hermione Granger from Harry Potter –  starts as a bit of a know-it-all, but blossoms into a sharp-witted beauty, and is the glue that holds the brave band of friends together. I love her steadfast loyalty and sheer intelligence. My nerd-girl hero!

– Charlotte from Charlotte’s Web. She teaches that strength, compassion, bravery, love, and courage are the basis of true strength. My spider hero!

 

3. Who is your favourite literary villain? Why?

Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights. Because he was my first ‘bad boy’ crush.

 

4.  If you could invite any five writers to a cosy dinner party who would you ask and why?

Charles Dickens would be my first choice, hands down.  What a master story-teller! Nobody draws characters better or with more humanity. I love his warmth of feeling, his sentimentality and his ability to draw the reader in emotionally. I love the way he sets a scene, painting a vibrant picture by  evoking the sights, sounds and smells of old London. But most of all I love the courage he showed by engaging with social issues, attacking an exposing injustice wherever he saw it. He has inspired me to tackle issues,particularly environmental ones,  in my own writing.

Elyne Mitchell, so I could ask her to tell me stories of the high-country.

Miles Franklin, so I could thank her for the trailblazing lead she took when it came to recognition for Australian women writers.

George Orwell, because he’s one of the greatest modern minds.

Rachel Carson. Because she is mother and founder of the contemporary  environmental movement, an advocate of nature and environmental ethics, a wonderful writer  and a true inspiration!

 

5. What book has made you laugh out loud?

One For The Money by Janet Ivanovich

 

6. What book, or scene from a book, has made you cry?

The death scene of the red cow in the final chapter of Frank Dalby Davison’s Manshy

 

7. Where and when do you do most of your reading?

 Anywhere and everywhere. Bed would have to be my favourite place.

 

8. Is there a genre of book you’d never read? Why?

 Horror, because I’m squeamish and don’t like violence or cruelty.

 

9. Can you give us a mini-review of a book you’ve recently read and enjoyed?

The Swan Book by Alexis Wright

This is a dystopian novel set in a future where Aboriginals still live under the intervention.  It follows the life of a mute young woman named Oblivia, who lives in a displaced swamp community filled with rusting boats and thousands of black swans. It follows her life through to her marriage to the first Aboriginal  president of Australia.

The environment has been terribly altered by climate change. From the animal plagues, unpredictable weather, decaying cities and climate refugees, nothing in the Australian setting seems familiar anymore. It is a disturbing, sometimes difficult but always poetic and deeply memorable novel. A love story between Oblivia, the swans and the land.

 

10. What are the top three books in your TBR pile?

 All the books I’m planning to read next relate somehow to the new novel I’m writing. They are Killers Of Eden by Tom Mead, The Dolphins Of Pern by Anne McCaffrey and Shark by David Owen.

 

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Connect with Jennifer:

Twitter       @JenScoullar

Facebook  Jennifer Scoullar – Author

Google+    Jennifer Scoullar

 

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The Writing Process Blog Hop: Writers Reveal Their Process

It’s great to be taking part in this blog hop on The Writing Process.

Thanks to the lovely Alissa Callen for tagging me. If you missed Alissa’s post last week you can find it here and here’s more about Alissa:

When Alissa Callen isn’t writing she plays traffic controller to four children, three dogs, two horses and one renegade cow who really does believe the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Her books are characteristically heart-warming, emotional and character driven. Beneath Outback Skies, published by Random House Australia, is available now as an eBook and from May 2014 in print. Down Outback Roads, also published by Random House Australia, will be out in May as an eBook. Alissa loves to connect with readers and can be found online at her website or Facebook.

 

And now for my own responses to The Writing Process questions:

1)   What am I working on?

Since finishing my second novel, Essie’s Way (published in December 2013 by Hachette) I’ve been taking a break but it’s time to get back to the desk and start work again. I have a few vague ideas for a new novel but at this stage I’m just playing around and seeing how they develop. I’m also preparing to teach my first workshop at The NSW Writer’s Centre on February 8 (click here for more information). It’s a one day course designed as a kick start for those who want to write but don’t know where to begin.

2)   How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Both the novels I’ve had published (the first was Blackwattle Lake, also by Hachette) fall into the Rural Fiction genre. They’re set in the south east of NSW and like other novels in this broad genre the setting is an integral part of the story. I guess where my novel differ from many of the others in this genre is that they’re not Rural Romance. I concentrate more on the lives of the female protagonists, what they want to achieve in life, their past and their relationships. There are romantic elements in both novels, particularly in Essie’s Way, but romance isn’t the central focus. Essie also has a historical thread, which may be different from others in this genre.

 

3)   Why do I write what I do?

My original style of writing was more in the literary fiction line. I fell into writing Rural Fiction almost by accident, having completed it as Nano novel in November 2009 and then submitting it to the Queensland Writers Centre/Hachette Manuscript Development Program in 2011 via which it was accepted for publication. Yay! When I wrote the original draft I hadn’t heard of Rural Fiction but I decided to “write what I know” and since I have horses and spend a lot of time on the south coast of NSW, Blackwattle Lake was the result. I also wanted to write about a feisty, independent woman dealing with her past, as Eve Nicholls does in this story. I really enjoyed writing in this genre and found I was able to immerse myself in the sights and sounds of the country areas I’ve grown to love. So when it came time to write a new novel I went with the same genre, adding a historical thread and a double narrative, which I really enjoyed. I like the idea of doing something a little different with each novel so it will be interesting to see what emerges with the next one.

 

4)   How does my writing process work?

Good question! It seems to have changed with each book I’ve written. The first novel I wrote (currently unpublished) took five years and I seemed to be constantly revising parts of it. As I mentioned, Blackwattle Lake was a nano, so the first draft was written in a month and it was revised a few times over the next eighteen months or so. Essie’s Way began as a few fragments I’d written years ago and when my publisher asked me for a synopsis for a new book I hurriedly threw a few ideas together and then wrote the first draft in about four months, revising it in the following three months. It was pretty intense but I have to say that writing fast seems to work for me (you can read my guest post for Writing Novels in Australia on this method here). I’m an all or nothing kind of person and it seems to be the same for my writing – it’s either full on or zero!

 

If you’d like to connect with me:

Website: http://www.pamelacook.com.au

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PamelaCookAuthor

Twitter: @PamelaCookAU

Next week three wonderful writers share their thoughts on the writing process:

Jennifer Scoullar

Jennifer is a lapsed lawyer who has always harboured a deep appreciation and respect for the natural world. Her house is on a hill-top, overlooking valleys of messmate and mountain ash. A pair of old eagles live there too. Black-shouldered wallabies graze by the creek. Eastern Spinebills hover among the callistemon. Jennifer lives with her family on a beautiful property in the mountains, that was left to her by her father. Horses have always been her passion. She grew up on the books of Elyne Mitchell, and all her life she’s ridden and bred horses, in particular Australian Stock Horses. She has three published novels. Wasp Season (Sid Harta 2008) Brumby’s Run (Penguin 2012) and Currawong Creek (Penguin 2013) Billabong Bend will be published by Penguin in May 2014.

Website    –      http://jenniferscoullar.com/

Facebook  –     https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenScoullar

Twitter      –     https://twitter.com/JenScoullar

Monique McDonell

Monique is an Australian author who writes contemporary women’s fiction including chick lit and romance. She lives on Sydney’s Nothern Beaches with her husband and daughter, and despite her dog phobia, with a dog called Skip. Monique’s first novel Mr Right and Other Mongrels was  released as an e-book in May 2012 and a paperback in June. Hearts Afire, her second novel was released in October 2012 and Alphabet Dating in May 2013.  Building Attraction was released in late 2013 and Monique is busily working on her next flirty romance.

Website: http://moniquemcdonell.weebly.com/blog.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoniqueMcDonellAuthor

Twitter: @MoniqueMcDonell

 

Jenn McLeod

Jenn J McLeod writes Australian contemporary fiction about friendship, family and small country towns keeping big secrets. Her Seasons Collection of four novels (with Simon & Schuster) will keep her busy until 2016 – at least!

Website: www.jennjmcleod.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/JennJMcLeod.Books

Twitter: @JennJMcLeod

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Riding The Waves – My Wrap Up of RWA’s 2013 Conference

I’ve just returned from a weekend of workshopping, champagne sipping and chatting at the Romance Writers of Australia 2013 Conference in Fremantle, WA. I’d love to tell you that I managed to see even a little bit of Fremantle but the truth is I saw about one block either side of the hotel. But of course that wasn’t what I was there for. I was there to learn and meet fellow writers which is exactly what I did.

Monique McDonell and myself at the Nautical or Nice Cocktail Party

 

 

Destiny Romance Cupcakes.

 

Being a newbie I really wasn’t quite sure what to expect. And being a writer with romantic elements in my fiction rather than full-blooded Romance I wasn’t even sure I should be even attending. But any reservations I had soon vanished. I attended with the lovely Monique McDonell starting with a welcome cocktail party thrown by Destiny Romance and continued on Friday night with the Nautical or Nice themed event sponsored by Harlequin Australia. Pirates, sea witches and sailors (along with many other nautical themes) crowded the room and the champagne flowed.

 

Romance writer Elizabeth Grange and avid reader and poet Mary Marks-Chapman

 

 

Romance Writers Kaz Delaney and Monique McDonell

 

Somehow I managed to drag myself out of bed each morning and attend the wonderful workshops and sessions. Friday’s was a day long workshop with Kim Hudson, author of The Virgin’s Promise, who guided us through the structures and archetypes that can be borrowed from mythology to help structure stories about women’s journeys. I also attended some great sessions by Nina Bruhns, Sarah Wendell, Alison Stuart and Laura Bradford, to name a few. Being a new author I found the published authors round table session extremely helpful – learning the ins and outs of the writing life from more experienced writers who were all so generous in sharing information. I came away with a much greater understanding of the business side of being a writer – and with a lot of things on my “to do” list. Another great session was Survivor Submission Island where anonymous scripts were read out loud to a panel of publishers and agents who would hold up a stop sign at the point at which they would stop reading the manuscript. If they wanted to hear more they could hold up a “more” sign and the writer had the opportunity to later submit the manuscript to that person. After each reading there was a panel discussion on the pro’s and con’s of the pages which was enlightening both in terms of what they’re looking for and how to make your first chapter gripping.

 

 

 

 

 

The social highlight of the weekend was the Awards Gala where we consumed yet more champagne and were treated to scrumptious desserts and a magnificent chocolate fountain. Ribbons and awards were given out and there was a refreshing sense of celebration and camaraderie that embraced newbies and more experienced writers. The force that is e-publishing was celebrated along with traditional publishing and the dance floor certainly got a hammering afterwards!

Personally it was fantastic to be able to meet so many of the rural fiction authors I had previously only connected with via social media and i look forward to catching up with them again in Sydney next year where the conference will be held.

 

L to R: Fellow Hachette author Charlotte Nash (Ryder’s Ridge), Yours Truly, Margareta Osborn (Hope’s Road published by Random House)

L to R. Back: Fiona Palmer, Jennie Jones, Jennifer Scoullar, Margareta Osborn, Loretta Hill, Alissa Callen
Front: Rachael Johns, Charlotte Nash, Cathryn Hein, myself, Helene Young

 

So despite my nervousness about attending the conference it was a fantastic experience which I will definitely be attending again. For now it’s back to the writing!

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Today I’m Being Interviewed By Jennifer Scoullar

I’m making an appearance today on the blog of fellow rural fiction author Jennifer Scoullar.

Click here to find out how I came to be published and more:  http://jenniferscoullar.com/

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Writer Wednesday: Jennifer Scoullar, Author of Currawong Creek, on Creativity and The Writing Process

Today I’d like to welcome to the blog Rural Fiction Author, Jennifer Scoullar.

Jennifer’s second novel, Currawong Creek has just been released. 

Isn’t the cover gorgeous?

 

 

Heartfelt and passionate rural romance from the bestselling author of Brumby’s Run.

‘When Brisbane lawyer Clare Mitchell finds herself the unlikely guardian of a small troubled boy, her ordered life is turned upside down. In desperation, she takes Jack to stay at Currawong Creek, her grandfather’s horse stud in the foothills of the beautiful Bunya Mountains.

Being at Currawong takes some getting used to, but it also feels like coming home. Her grandad adores having them there. Jack falls in love with the animals, his misery banished and Clare finds herself falling hard for the kind, handsome local vet.

But trouble is coming, in the form of the Pyramid Mining Company. Trouble that threatens to destroy not only Clare’s newfound happiness, but also the livelihoods of her new neighbours, and the peace and beauty of the land she loves.’

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 Thanks so much for visiting Flying Pony Jennifer and Congratulations on the release of Currawong Creek.

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1.      What activities (other than writing) get your creative juices flowing?

Reading, definitely. Reading cross-pollinates the imagination.  I always have both a fiction and non-fiction book on the go. Currently I’m reading The Grapes Of Wrath by John Steinbeck, and My Droving Days by Peter and Shirley Moore. Apart from reading, riding my horse, gardening and walking are great inspirations.

2.     What sort of writing routine do you have – disciplined or undisciplined, regular or erratic, focused or easily distracted?

My writing routine is a bit of a hotch-potch. I’m disciplined in that I write every day, pretty much without fail. But when and for how long, depends on what else is going on. And I’d struggle to write more than a thousand words, even on a good day. Other people’s daily word counts amaze me! When I do write I’m quite focused, apart from the normal distractions of  email, Twitter and Facebook of course. Writing is a lonely game though, and social media stops me from feeling isolated.

3.     Do you ever suffer from writer’s block and if so what do you do about it?

I don’t believe in writer’s block. A traveler who doesn’t know what road to take doesn’t announce she has traveler’s block. She just says she’s lost. I think it’s the same for writers. If I run out of words, it’s because the story has a problem. I may have written myself into a corner, for example. Then I’ll read, and allow another imagination to spark off my own. Someone famous once said show me a writer that’s not reading, and I’ll show you a writer that’s not writing. And I think the more you worry that you have writer’s block, the more paralysed you will become. So I’ll rearrange my plot and forge on without being too self-critical. I’ll have to rewrite anyway.  Justice Louis Brandeis said way back in 1896, “There is no great writing, only great rewriting.” And I always try to remember that the worst thing I write, is going to be way better than the best thing, that I don’t.

4. Which aspects of the writing life do you most love?

I love the writing process – the rhythm of the prose, the pleasure of getting a sentence just right and the way that everything happens exactly the way I want it to in my imaginary world. Being a bit of a loner, the solitary nature of writing suits me. Second drafts are my absolute favourites. For me, A first draft is like manufacturing a canvas. The real work can only begin once it’s complete. That said, there’s something very liberating about writing that first draft, when all possibilities are still on the table.

5. Which aspects do you least love (or detest!)?

Structural edits!

6. What books and writers have most influenced your own writing?

My earliest and most defining influence was Elyne Mitchell and her Silver Brumby series. Nancy Cato’s All The River’s Run, Henry Handel Richardson’s The Fortunes Of Richard Mahony and Ruth Park’s The Harp In The South are great favourites. Among contemporary Australian authors I particularly love Helene Young, Nicole Alexander and Andrea Goldsmith. I adore John Steinbeck … and the great nature writers of course. Walden by Paul Theroux for example, and Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey.

7. Can you describe for us your writing process, from getting the original idea to completed manuscript?

A new idea will be brewing while I’m writing my current manuscript. I always give myself a month or so in between finishing one and starting another, to let the story percolate. In a valiant attempt to be a plotter, I write as many plot points as I can down on index cards, and put them into some kind of order. They go up on my cork board, and I try to organise them into a three act structure. After that I launch into the story. I write in a linear fashion, from start to finish, and my organised plot goes out the window.

I’ve tried writing programs, like Scrivener, but always come back to Word. When the first draft is finished, I have a break to get some distance from the story and then begin my favourite bit – the second draft. Publishing deadlines always catch up with me here, but I usually have time for a final third draft polish before I submit to my publisher.

 8. Describe your path to publication.

I submitted a manuscript to a small Melbourne publisher in 2008. They published Wasp Season, and on the strength of that success, I snagged myself an agent – Fran Moore of Curtis Brown. My big break came at the 2011 RWA conference. I pitched Brumby’s Run to Belinda Byrne of Penguin, and within eight weeks I had a contract.

9. What advice would you give to writers who are working towards publication?

– Work on your craft. Read a lot. Be persistent. Don’t compare yourself unfavourably to other writers. Comparisons in any field can act as sabotage, and no more so than with creative writing.

– Research the publishing industry. Join your state writer’s centre. Join a writing group.

– Most importantly, follow your passions. A good writer, writes from the heart. If  you truly believe that your story must be told, that passion will come through the pages and grip us, as readers. We’ll care about your characters, suffer with them, hate them and love them. So my best advice is to honour your convictions, whatever they may be. Let them power your story. Let them challenge your readers, and make your story worth the telling. Care a lot about the subject of your writing, and it will show. Publishers want  to see that emotion on the page.

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Connect with Jennifer:

Website: http://jenniferscoullar.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenScoullar

Twitter: @pilyara

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