I went to the second weekend of the Melbourne Writer’s
Festival. I am still not sure about its relatively new venue of Federation
Square. It seems so sparse and sterile when compared to the crush of buzzing
crowds at the Malthouse complex. I had a
good time though. I was entertained as I was informed about writing, publishing
and the future of the planet.
Festival. I am still not sure about its relatively new venue of Federation
Square. It seems so sparse and sterile when compared to the crush of buzzing
crowds at the Malthouse complex. I had a
good time though. I was entertained as I was informed about writing, publishing
and the future of the planet.
Once again, the free sessions proved just as good or better
than the paid sessions. So if you’re a broke writer in Melbourne I suggest you
have a look at the guide for the free sessions when next year’s festival comes
around. As there didn’t appear to be any science-fiction authors at
this year’s festival, I choose sessions on subject matter, not on the authors. But
I was in for a surprise when I attended a session titled License to Thrill.
than the paid sessions. So if you’re a broke writer in Melbourne I suggest you
have a look at the guide for the free sessions when next year’s festival comes
around. As there didn’t appear to be any science-fiction authors at
this year’s festival, I choose sessions on subject matter, not on the authors. But
I was in for a surprise when I attended a session titled License to Thrill.
License to Thrill.
The blurb in The Age for this session said:
Best selling writers Lauren Beukes (The Shining Girls) and Terry Hayes (I am a Pilgrim) reveal the
trade secrets of what makes the perfect thriller and how they master intrigue
and suspense on the page.
trade secrets of what makes the perfect thriller and how they master intrigue
and suspense on the page.
Nothing about science-fiction there, but when I attended I discovered
that South African Lauren Beukes won the 2011 Arthur C. Clarke award for her
novel Zoo City. And her new novel The Shining Girls has a time-travel
element. While Australian Terry Hayes
wrote a novelisation of the movie Mad Max,
co-wrote the script for Mad Max 2 and
wrote the script for Mad Max 3. He
was also nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for best screenplay for From Hell. But most of the elderly female audience were probably there because he wrote the two iconic mini-series: The Dismissal
and Bradman.
that South African Lauren Beukes won the 2011 Arthur C. Clarke award for her
novel Zoo City. And her new novel The Shining Girls has a time-travel
element. While Australian Terry Hayes
wrote a novelisation of the movie Mad Max,
co-wrote the script for Mad Max 2 and
wrote the script for Mad Max 3. He
was also nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for best screenplay for From Hell. But most of the elderly female audience were probably there because he wrote the two iconic mini-series: The Dismissal
and Bradman.
Australian crime author Angela
Savage was the chair for the session.
Savage was the chair for the session.
Both of the featured authors have grizzly deaths in the
first few pages of their new novels, and the reader knows who the killer is
very early on. They both had problems with writing whodunits because readers
are at different levels in their deductive abilities, so some work out whodunit
too early. A whodunit has to have a great ending, a great reveal. Hayes says he
was not confident of writing the great reveal.
first few pages of their new novels, and the reader knows who the killer is
very early on. They both had problems with writing whodunits because readers
are at different levels in their deductive abilities, so some work out whodunit
too early. A whodunit has to have a great ending, a great reveal. Hayes says he
was not confident of writing the great reveal.
Hayes said novels should show what is going to drive the
narrative in the first ten pages. If a novel he is reading doesn’t he will stop
reading.
narrative in the first ten pages. If a novel he is reading doesn’t he will stop
reading.
Hayes mentioned a comment by Alfred Hitchcock who said
suspense is where you expect something to happen and it does, whereas surprise
is when you expect something to happen and something else happens. Hayes aimed
to have the suspense and surprises increasing in intensity, with no let-up in
tension, as his novel went on.
suspense is where you expect something to happen and it does, whereas surprise
is when you expect something to happen and something else happens. Hayes aimed
to have the suspense and surprises increasing in intensity, with no let-up in
tension, as his novel went on.
To help increase the tension and suspense they both used
short-sharp chapters and roving POVs, often having an incident told from
multiple viewpoints.
short-sharp chapters and roving POVs, often having an incident told from
multiple viewpoints.
Beukes said working in children’s animation has lead her to enter
a scene as late as possible and exit it as soon as possible. Hayes said each
scene has to have its own clarity and do what it is meant to do.
a scene as late as possible and exit it as soon as possible. Hayes said each
scene has to have its own clarity and do what it is meant to do.
Novels need strong characters with motivations other than
just being evil. Beukes said a plot without character development results in a
Michael Bay movie.
just being evil. Beukes said a plot without character development results in a
Michael Bay movie.
They both thought it hard to make readers feel empathy for male
victims. It is much easier to create reader empathy if the victim is a child or
woman. (This is probably why there are so many female victims in novels.)
victims. It is much easier to create reader empathy if the victim is a child or
woman. (This is probably why there are so many female victims in novels.)
Beukes set her novel in Detroit because she wanted to use
its decay as friction for the narrative to rub against. She interviewed a
number of Detroit police officers. She told one police officer the evidence
from her novel and he cracked the case. She also worked for a day in a homeless
shelter in Detroit. She thought she could get away with the supernatural
elements in her novel because her research had made the scaffolding of the
story real.
its decay as friction for the narrative to rub against. She interviewed a
number of Detroit police officers. She told one police officer the evidence
from her novel and he cracked the case. She also worked for a day in a homeless
shelter in Detroit. She thought she could get away with the supernatural
elements in her novel because her research had made the scaffolding of the
story real.
Beukes said she used Scrivener and a clogged pin-board to
plot her novels.
plot her novels.
And if you were wondering how long a movie script should be if you want Jerry Bruckheimer to make it: Bruckheimer didn’t bother reading a Hayes script when he saw it was over 120 pages. (This formulaic approach is
probably the reason most of his movies are formulaic).
probably the reason most of his movies are formulaic).
Both of
the authors were good performers who spoke with clarity and humour. As a result of the session I bought Zoo City.
the authors were good performers who spoke with clarity and humour. As a result of the session I bought Zoo City.
My next
post will be about a session on the future of publishing involving the CEOs of publishing
companies Text, Scribe and Black Inc.
post will be about a session on the future of publishing involving the CEOs of publishing
companies Text, Scribe and Black Inc.
0 Responses
Sounds like a interesting session. I remember Terry Hayes's name from those MM films. (A page per minute of screen time is the old edict for screenplays. Not short enough for Brucky, clearly).
Each to their own I suppose, in terms of methodology of writing. Whatever works I guess. They both give good advice, though depressing that if you're a man, you clearly dont matter as much. Pretty much true in terms of media coverage of war zones, crimes etc. Something women's libbers have probably never considered.
ps. I'm still not a robot, but at times, wish I was.
Hi Anthony,
I got some reassurrance from them about short chapters. The last epic manuscript I wrote had chapters ranging from 1200 to 3700 words with a mode average of 1800 words.
You know that robot thingy comes up on your blog when I comment too.
Short chapters are definitely a good idea. I use them too. I find when Im reading ill look through the next few pages and if its short, ill keep reading. SHort chapters make me read faster.
ps, im going to kill my robot. Where's my laser gun…