'Mary Read' - Library Talks

I had a great time doing the library talks on 'Mary Read'.
It was lucky I had the practice of such a small, cosy group at Caboolture, because almost 30 people came to the Redcliffe talk! I was nervous, but there were a few familiar faces in the crowd, and it all went very well.
I sold most of my books, enough to order another 20 through Amazon. I have been encouraged to approach the alternative Avid Reader bookshop in Brisbane, to see if they will sell 'Mary Read', and I am now awaiting their answer.
Thanks to everyone who came, and to Tina Cavanough from the Moreton Bay Libraries for doing such a great job of organising this event.

Library Talks - The True Story of the Pirates of the Caribbean

I am in the middle of giving a series of lectures in local libraries, on the Caribbean pirates. This is to promote my novel 'Mary Read - Sailor, Soldier, Pirate'.
The first talk was at Caboolture Library, and though only six people turned up, three bought books, and all were very encouraging and interested. David Adams also bought Russell and I coffee, and entertained us for over an hour with an interesting discussion on history - did you know 3,000 women fought in the trenches of Flanders in World War 1? Me neither. A really great morning.
My next talk is at Redcliffe library tomorrow at 10.30am, with 20 people booked in, so I'm glad I've already had the practice with a smaller group.
Then: Monday 10th February at Burpengary Library at 10.30am,
         Saturday 22nd February at Albany Creek Library at 10am.

David Jowsey is reading 'Heat'!

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I made it to the Maleny Festival of Australian Film last friday, partly because I really wanted to see Aaron Pederson in 'Mystery Road', and also because the producer, David Jowsey was guest speaker.
Hoping that he would be an approachable kind of guy, I printed off the screenplay of 'Heat', and emailed him the sysnopsis in advance.
David started it off with an amusing talk on the making of this low budget movie. As Holden wouldn't sponsor them by giving them a police car, they hired one from Avis, replaced the new panels, mirrors and windscreen with second hand ones, shot the hell out of the car, put the original bits back, and returned it to Avis.
'Mystery Road' was a stunning movie: beautiful, powerful, riveting and menacing.
Aaron Pederson's performance was utterly convincing. The director, Ivan Sen, has conjured outstanding realism, not just from the stellar cast, but also from aboriginal children in the Queensland towns they were filming in.
As soon as the movie finished, I spotted David on the pavement outside, congratulated him on the film, and asked him to read my script.
He couldn't have been nicer, and promised to read it within the next few weeks.
I now have my figers firmly crossed and am checking my emails three times a day, in hope.

Re-Write of 'Heat'

I finished reading 'Screenplay: Writing the Picture' by Russin and Downs, and found it brilliant, particularly on the structure of screenplays, and how to build up the suspense (Part 2).

I learnt so much I had to rip my screenplay 'Heat' apart, again, and re-structure. Just by deleting the scenes that had nothing to do with my central theme, and by moving half of a particularly dramatic scene to just before the climax,  the whole thing became much more intense.
 
Not sure what to do with it now I've finished it. A deep breath, a few days painting, and then I'll think of a strategy.
Someone once told me that the writing was only half the work, selling it was just as much work. I would say its more like 20:80. Getting through the door of Screen Queensland has proved impossible so far. Maybe I should just track down Jane Campion and thrust it at her!

After reading Schapelle Corby's heart-rending autobiography "My Story", I felt compelled to do whatever I could to help her.   

Schapelle has been abandoned by the Australian Government, which was unwilling to admit that Australian domestic terminals were freely used for smuggling drugs by baggage handlers.
She has been maligned by the Australian media, as she is helpless to defend herself.
She has been imprisoned by Indonesia's ludicrous justice system, that did not make even basic checks to see whether or not she was innocent, so keen were they to make a stand against drug smuggling.
Her fate was random, and could have happened to anyone travelling to a third world country with unlocked baggage.
Her website is www.schapelle.net, and includes a lot of information about her arrest and imprisonment.

You can sign a petition calling for her release on:
www.thepetitionsite.com/2/People-For-Schapelle-Corby

Thanks,
Cherie
 

 I just found a great review for 'Mary Read - Sailor, Soldier, Pirate' on Amazon UK:

  ROSE MARIE wrote:

  I couldn't believe she was not a fictonal character., 4 Aug 2013

This was a page turner from page 1. I had to verify that Mary Read was an actual person. Understandable this is a fictional story but the backdrop of actual events is amazing. This will be one of the books that I have recommended to my friends. 

Thanks Rose Marie!

Plays for the Queensland Premier's Drama Award

I have just spent a month re-writing 3 more scripts for the Queensland Premier's Drama Award. This is a competition to provide plays for the Queensland Theatre Company, and is a great opportunity for anyone  wanting to break into professional writing in Australia.
I had already re-written 'The Queenslander', and I followed this up with a major re-write of 'Heat', focussing on the two women. One is the 17 year old, pretty, working-class house-keeper in the kitchen; the other is 19 year-old sophisticated, beautiful boss's wife in the station house. The men come and go from these rooms, and from the influence of these women. I think this made the play much more focussed, and much more dramatic.

I also re-wrote two smaller scripts into plays. 'The Beach' is set in a small coastal town in Queensland.

Cathy is tied to her boring town by her mother. She has just dumped her faithless long-term boyfriend for sleeping with her best friend. Upset, she drives down to her family's beach shack to re-assess her life.

Cathy sees Max on the side of the road in a storm and offers him a lift. An alcoholic ex-rock star on the run from rehab, Max is burnt out and cynical. But the beach gives him the space he needs to rediscover his will to live. But Cathy's ex, her best friend and her mother have their own plans for Cathy.

'Edges' focuses on Ida, an elderly artist, living alone and in poverty. She has befriended Harry, an aboriginal man who has struggled with isolation and alcohol. Then a street kid, Sean, breaks into her house, and falls for her art. Ida feeds Sean; Sean helps Ida keep the social services at bay; and Harry helps Sean sort out his problem at home. But it is Sean's explosive solution to Ida's lack of artistic recognition that nearly brings the house down. 

I can only hope it makes the short-list. I find out at the end of December.