Off the page with Amra Pajalic

I’ve always been interested in learning how other writers work and what they do when they aren’t focusing on what’s happening on the page of their latest novel. Today it’s my pleasure to introduce AMRA PAJALIC, an award-winning author whose latest book is a short story collection, The Cuckoo’s Song.

I am constantly tweaking and updating my writing routine to fit in with my changing life. The first few years as a full-time high school teacher I squeezed my writing into the edge of my life, on weekends and school holidays, fighting to keep a foothold in my writing world as the demands of teaching pressed in on me. I used my writing group and sought mentorships to give me much-needed deadlines and accountability.

As I adapted to my teaching load I realised I needed my writing life to have a larger portion of my life. I needed to write every day to remain tethered to my work in progress and to have it flow quicker, so I began waking up at 5.30 am to write for an hour and a half before I had to get ready for work.

I write listening to music soundtracks that act like white noise, shutting of my editorial brain, as I immerse myself in a stream of consciousness state. Some days I woke up with no inspiration and would write song lyrics or diary entries, until my muse was nudged awake and the words flowed. Each day became easier with the novel unfurling before me. The only issue was that as a pantser I kept overwriting, my drafts extending longer and longer, to 140K that I then had to fight to trim down.

I discovered that I had to focus on getting a first draft complete before embarking on any edits. That when I hit the 20K mark the novel began writing itself, and that no matter how long I took to write a book, I would always return to the ending that I had first imagined.

Now I had to work on refining my structure and realised that when I hit the 20K mark I had to develop the rest of the novel so that I didn’t get caught up in overwriting. I experimented with various books on structure, Save the Cat, The Breakout Novel, and each one added to my toolbox. I now know to write a synopsis when I hit the 20K marks and to keep referring to that as I go.

I use Scrivener to write my work in progress and find it helps me with refining the structure as it is easy to move chapters around and have a synopsis of each. I love the feature to insert my research notes and websites I am using so that I can always go back and re-check facts. I use the  Character sheets to insert images of my characters and develop their profiles, and Setting sheets to find photos of my settings and record notes about description. I also like colour coding sections that might be in different points of view or timelines to help me visualise the structure.

One of my character sheets in Scrivener.

I am now working part time and have one day off to prioritise my writing and no longer need to have a rigid writing routine. When I am developing my first draft I write every day, at least 1000 words, and this can be in the morning or afternoon. When the draft is complete I seek feedback from my critique partner and refine it.

At my standing desk.

I am now also using a standing desk and move around the house to write around my household routine. With much needed time I don’t have to fight so hard to prioritise writing and find myself fitting in writing sessions multiple times a day. Each draft is getting quicker and my hope is that I can keep prioritising my writing life as I reduce my teaching life.

You can find Amra online at the following links:

http://www.amrapajalic.com/

https://www.instagram.com/amrapajalicauthor/

https://www.tiktok.com/@amrapajalic

https://www.facebook.com/AmraPajalicAuthor/https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amra-pajalic

Amra’s short story collection The Cuckoo’s Song features previously published and prize-winning stories. It features stories she has written over the past two decades and are the map that reveal her growth and evolution as an author. Delving into familiar themes of family dissolution, deprivation of war, tenderness of family and the heart-rending experiences of mental illness, Amra also moves into new territory with previously unpublished thriller stories.
Many stories are extracts of her previously published novels such as Suicide Watch which features her protagonist Sabiha in a scene cut from her award-winning debut novel The Good Daughter. Also included are previously published
stand-alone pieces that became her memoir Things Nobody Knows But Me, that was shortlisted for the 2020 National Biography Award.

You can buy the book here.

Gwynneth Jones – Off the Page

I’ve always been interested in learning how illustrators work and what they do when they aren’t focusing on what’s happening on the page of their latest creative project. Today it’s my pleasure to introduce Gwynneth Jones, who recently celebrated the release of the picture book Together Things, written by Michelle Vasiliu. This beautifully crafted story looks at how a little girl finds different ways to keep the bonds of love alive when her formerly fun-loving father experiences depression. The text is powerful in its simplicity and Gwynneth’s colourful illustrations are fresh and vibrant.

Join me on my virtual visit to her studio in a collective space called The Creator Incubator where she drew Together Things.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After I receive the manuscript from the publisher, I draw up some roughs to the actual size of the finished book. I have tried to make miniature dummy books, but it just doesn’t work for me. I then send them off electronically to the editor and book designer who places them into a pdf layout for adjustments and then we’re ready to go on with the finished works if they’re happy with the roughs.

I work on the finished drawings in a random order rather than front to back of the book because styles can change. I hang the drawings up as I work on them as I’m trying to get consistency for the characters and colour palette, and to see what works for order of illustrations. This is the first book that I’ve finished my hand done drawings digitally, and I’m really happy with the extra touches.

When I’m not creating books I have a few different jobs to support myself. I work as an Uber driver, as an admin temp worker and I also run an Airbnb.

When I’m not doing any of those (and sometimes it’s all in one day) I can be found out and about or doing nothing!

BOOK BYTE

Together Things by Michelle Vasiliu and Gwynneth Jones

Her dad used to be fun, but now he’s sad. As her father tries to get better, a young girl finds new ways to connect with him. He might not be able to play with her as he used to, but they can still show their love for each other. They just need to find different ‘together things’ to do.

The book is available here and from leading booksellers.

Off the Page: Claire Boston

I’ve always been interested in learning how other writers work and what they do when they aren’t focusing on what’s happening on the page of their latest novel. Today it’s my pleasure to introduce Claire Boston, who is celebrating the release of All That Sparkles, the second contemporary romance in her Texan Quartet series.

 

Thank you, Teena for having me on your blog. I must admit I’m always curious to see how other writers set up their work space and what process they go through to get a finished product, so I’m happy to share as well!

I have my own writing room. I commandeered a spare room a few years ago and set it up as my own space. Let me take you through it.

My desk wraps around in an ‘L’ shape so I can type or write as necessary. I have a lovely view out of the window of the garden and when I’m stuck for words I can look at all of the birds flitting about in the bird bath.

You’ll notice I have two screens: I use the big screen for my writing, and the little screen usually has my writer’s bible on it so I can quickly cross-check facts like eye-colour when needed.

On the wall I have lots of paper, including; my calendar with inspirational writing quotes (you can download a copy from my website under the Freebies section), my business goals for the year and also for the quarter, as well as my business plan and my writing schedule. The red notebook in front of the monitor is for my weekly goals.

So you may be able to tell that I’m an organised person. I find writing down all the things I need to do and then breaking them into bite-sized chunks, makes it so much easier to achieve them. It also stops me from stressing about all of the things I have to do – trust me you do not want to see me stressed!

The funny thing about this is, when it comes to my writing I’m a pantser not a plotter. I can’t imagine sitting down and working out each scene before I write it. I do try a little; I’ll usually have a rough idea of the first few chapters which I’ll jot down before I forget, but then I’ll start writing and see where the story takes me.

I have a writer’s bible where I write all the relevant bits about the story down, so I don’t forget. I use Microsoft’s OneNote to do this. If you haven’t used it before, I recommend checking it out. It comes as part of the standard Microsoft Office suite but most people don’t know what it is. Basically it’s like one of those spiral bound notebooks with dividers in it – but it’s digital. In my writer’s bible I have a tab/divider for character, plot, setting, research, blurb and anything else the story requires. Then each tab is divided by pages, for example each main character has their own page and then a secondary character may have a page. I also keep a page for minor characters who have only a small role or may be names that are mentioned but never appear in the book (like a brother or sister). This allows me to keep all the information in a single file so I don’t have to open multiple documents when I’m in the middle of writing.

So that’s a little glimpse into my writing world. When I’m not writing you can find me in the garden trying to tame the weeds and grow vegetables or else I’ll be swinging on a sidecar.

That’s me on the right hand side, hanging on for dear life! My husband is the one with the throttle. A lot of people ask me how I came to be a sidecar passenger (or swinger as they’re known). Well it was a large part of ignorance on my part! My husband has been riding vintage motocross for many years and then at the end of the season one year, his regular passenger couldn’t make it for the last three events. As it turns out, passengers are hard to come by, because most people have more sense than to try it! Not knowing any of this I said I’d fill in for him so he didn’t miss out. Let me tell you it’s a lot harder than it looks! The passenger is the person who makes the sidecar turn and has to lean out to the left if there’s a left turn or lean out to the right if it’s a right turn. That makes a lot of moving about and it’s exhausting. But it’s also a lot of fun when it’s not downright terrifying! One day all my experiences are going to go into a novel!

You can find Claire online at:

www.claireboston.com

www.facebook.com/clairebostonauthor

www.twitter.com/clairebauthor

Pre-order All That Sparkles here http://momentumbooks.com.au/books/all-that-sparkles-the-texan-quartet/

Off the Page: Paula Boer

Ever wondered about what sort of lives authors lead when they aren’t writing? Me too! This week, Paula Boer, author of the best-selling Brumbies books for young readers, let me take a peek at her life off the page. You can find out more about Paula and her books by visiting her website at http://www.paulaboer.com and blog at http://brumbiesnovels.com

 Now, over to Paula…

Paula at work.

I’ve heard some people can write in a crowded café, caffeine on constant supply. Not me. I need total solitude and quiet. Luckily I have a library in the corner of our house where I can shut myself away undisturbed. My husband knows that if I shut the door I don’t even want to be offered a coffee. The only distractions are the horses parading by the window, but they can be an inspiration too.

Cal

My day always starts with a walk with my dog, Cal. My brain needs the physical exercise as well as me enjoying being immersed in nature. Living on 500 acres of natural bush there is always something to experience, whether it be a fascinating insect or a lumbering wombat, the varied mimicry of a lyrebird, or tongues of mist weaving through the tea-tree. I especially love winter with dew-cloaked spider webs and ice-bows arching the paddocks.

I use a laptop at my desk for my writing, though initial plotting and editing are done by pen while sprawling on my favourite leather couch in the library. Making cups of tea is a useful way for my subconscious to kick into gear if I find the words stalling. Research is another way for me to prompt sentences into appearing, most times using the internet to surf for information. I also have two shelves of dictionaries, thesauri and other references at hand above my desk, as well as my publications to lift my spirits when the current manuscript proves challenging.

Like most writers I am great at procrastination, often getting the most mundane of tasks done like cleaning the windows while I delay sitting down to work. But once I am in that zone, that wonderful otherworld of my story, hours disappear in a flash. When I have completed my target word count for the day I celebrate by permitting myself to read a book, work on a jigsaw puzzle, or play piano to unwind.

Paula and her husband kayaking in Vanuatu.

Horses remain a passion.

That might sound like a dull life, but I had to give up my one big passion, horse riding, due to ill health. I still have two retired horses at home and love to spend time around my friends’ horses. My other love is travel. Although my physical condition these days has restricted how far I can go and what I can do, I still enjoy visiting remote places of the world. I have travelled in more than 60 countries on six continents, from the Pantanal in South America to the steppes of Mongolia. I would love to go to Antarctica but that is now beyond my capabilities, though the Yukon Territory is still on my wish list. I am not one for culture or civilisation, my preference being for camping under an open sky in the wilderness, gazing at a vast star-scape.