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I name this book… tips for choosing a good title
Posted by Roz Morris @Roz_Morris in How to write a book on November 16, 2014
For every manuscript I see with a head-turning title, there's another with a title that's limp, unassertive and would never tempt a reader to look closer. Or a title that's too tricky to remember.
I had a great discussion about this recently with Peter Snell (you know, from Barton's Bookshop) in our show for Surrey Hills Radio (find it here, on show number 10) and I thought it might be fun to elaborate on it further.
Numbers are powerful
For non-fiction, you might add a sense of value by putting a number in your title. 50 Tips To Help You Build A House sounds like it offers far more than just Tips To Help You Build A House. Numbers also create a sense of insider knowledge, that an expert has chosen just the tips you need and discarded the others. When Peter and I recorded the show in the bookshop, we'd set up the microphone in the countryside section, where there were plenty of titles like 100 Finest Country Houses. One book might have country houses, but the 100 Finest sounds more persuasive. Suppose another book of country houses misses out the best ones?
Tip: a non-fiction title should sound authoritative, assertive.
For fiction, numbers can add a sense of frisson, a specific tipping point – Catch-22, Station Eleven, Fahrenheit 451. They seem to say 'at this moment or place, or with this concept, something significant happens'. (And look at the startling oddness of Fahrenheit 451. The unconventional word order stirs up a sense of disturbance. Ray Bradbury's titles all have this quality.) 1984 is a clever shuffling of the date of the novel's publication. We can imagine how sinister it must have seemed in 1948. This will be us, it seems to say. Come and see. (Is anybody currently writing 2041?) Anthony Burgess wrote a tribute to Orwell's novel and, naturally, called it 1985.
Tip: numbers are good for attracting attention.
'One' is special
In our discussion, Peter mentioned One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and took us in a new direction. This title suggests a person on their own, the one who dared to go against the crowd. It conjures up a character. It also seems to speak for all of us while also being about one individual.
Continuing the power of One, David Nicholls's One Day sounds momentous; simple yet significant. It's also a common phrase, with overtones of hope and dreams.
And how about The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo? (Bafflingly, its original Swedish title translates as Men Who Hate Women. Perhaps a Swedish-speaker could explain if the original has a special quality that makes up for the apparent blandness.)
Tip: consider the bold and emblematic individual, time or event.
What's in a name?
We like a sense of a character in a title. Names can conjure this up, but they might be hard to remember, especially if the name is used in isolation. If you read a post or a feature about a novel called Mary would it stick in your mind so you could find it later? Memorable titles will set up a little more. A Prayer for Owen Meany: why does Owen need to be prayed for? Or they might set a tone of irony – The Book of Dave. Or grab attention with a clever phrase – Memento Nora. The Rosie Project. Each Harry Potter book had a promise of adventure – The Philosopher's Stone, The Deathly Hallows. (Also she was writing a series. Harry 2, Pottered About Some More, might not have done the trick.)
Tip: if using a name, add something to create a sense of curiosity.
Made-up words, or words that are difficult to pronounce
Years ago, I made this mistake with my first novel. I set my heart on calling it Xeching, after the meditative treatment performed by characters in the future part of the book. It seemed to carry resonance, but only if you knew what it was, of course. Agents pointed out that it was too hard to remember, not to mention incomprehensible. It's perhaps the absolute showcase of a disastrous title – it means very little and is hard to spell. (I was thinking with my designer head, imagining it in a big, intriguing font on the cover.)
Your unwise title may seem to have many points in its favour. But will this meaning be apparent to somebody happening on your book for the first time?
You might create a striking effect, though, by mis-spelling a word, if the mis-spelling is easy to remember. A novel about murders in the cyber-age might be called Killr.
Tip: tricky spellings and made-up words are hard to ask for in bookshops and difficult to find in online searches. And that's assuming they're remembered at all.
Personality of the book
Some titles snare us with a sense of personality. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In a Ship of Her Own Making. Kill The Poor by Lemony Snicket (itself an eye-catching nom de plume). Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer.
Instability is good
Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall carries a promise – something must be done before time runs out. Look at the tension in Philip Pullman's The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ. John Steinbeck's East of Eden is potent with downfall. New twists on famous quotes or concepts are easy for readers to remember.
Words that suit the genre
In our radio discussion, Peter remarked that certain words seem to embody the appeal of a genre – and mentioned angels, demons. (Though I threw a spanner in the works by mentioning Marian Keyes's Angels, which is chick-lit. Or did I throw A Spaniard In The Works like John Lennon?)
The treatment of the title also tells the reader a lot. My friend David Penny is preparing to publish his historical crime novel, Breaker of Bones. I saw a conversation about it on Facebook where another friend (who didn't know Penny's work) asked why it wasn't Bone Breaker. That would be an entirely different kind of novel.
Tip: look up genres on Amazon and on Goodreads lists to see if there are words and title styles you should consider.
Sum up a feeling – how memorable is it?
The least successful titles I see are when the author is trying to sum up a feeling in the book. These often become generalised and vague. Finding The Answer. The Past Returns. All My Tomorrows. Husband Dave came up with clever suggestion here. If you think of a possible title, tell it to your friends. Then, a week later, ask them if they can remember it. (Try to pick the friends who don't have superhuman powers of recall.)
The Mountains Novel (now Ever Rest) might have been christened Comeback. This certainly fitted in some ways with the story. It was pithy. However, when I googled, I found reams of novels called Comeback, many of them in the crime genre – a rather misleading flavour.
Not only that, I couldn't remember Comeback. I simply couldn't. In my mind, it became Countdown, though lord knows why. If it couldn't stick for me, it certainly wouldn't for a reader. Anyway, Ever Rest suits its mood far better.
On the show, Peter Snell added the bookseller's perspective on commonly used titles. It's a right royal pain to find the book the customer actually wants.
Tip: Once you've identified a feeling or theme you might highlight in a title, you can brainstorm strong, striking and emotive words for it.
Again, how memorable?
If your name is well known, you don't have to try that hard with the title. Readers know to look for the next book by you. They're more likely to find you by searching for your name, not your book title. On the show we discussed how the fantasy author Jack Vance (whose work I love) has many titles that are little more than labels (The Planet of Adventure, Trullion).
Daphne Du Maurier, Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte all got away with name-titles (Rebecca, Emma, Jane Eyre). But they were writing in less competitive times. Would Lewis Carroll have got very far if he'd published Alice's Adventures In Wonderland today?
Oh, and speaking of titles with a number…
Have you any tips to share on coming up with titles? Do you find it difficult? If you have decided on a title, what others did you consider? How did you make the choice and why?
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'Each morning, there was a chapter to listen to' – guest post at Jane Davis's blog on making audiobooks with ACX
Posted by Roz Morris @Roz_Morris in How to write a book, Interviews on November 13, 2014
Today I'm at Jane Davis's blog, reflecting on the experience of making Lifeform Three and My Memories of a Future Life into Audible books. If you've been following my audiobook journey for a while you may find the 'how-to' section is familiar material, but there are plenty of more reflective moments – so I hope they'll encourage and inspire you if you're considering an audiobook too.
I also want to introduce Jane Davis. I first spotted her when The Guardian newspaper featured our novels in an article about quality indie authors. I tried to drag her onto The Undercover Soundtrack, but alas she was too honest and told me that music hasn't really featured in her creative process. So I'll tell you a little more about her here. She secured a publishing contract when her debut manuscript won the Daily Mail First Novel Award, but has since gone proudly indie, following up with four other titles that deal with tricky subjects in thoughtfully honed prose. Her titles are delicious and hopefully will give you an appetite for more – I Stopped Time, A Funeral For An Owl, An Unchoreographed Life. There's more about Jane and her books here.
So do join us at her blog for audiobooks, the inside experience.
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A good editor helps you to be yourself
Posted by Roz Morris @Roz_Morris in self-publishing, The writing business on November 9, 2014
What publishing does very well is editorial. I'm not a great writer, but with a lot of polish and structuring, we've made a good product. My editor has been fantastic.
I found this interesting note in a piece on Futurebook. Porter Anderson was quoting a speech made by author George Berkowski in advance of the Futurebook conference. It got me thinking about the shaping role of editing, and some crucial differences between indie publishing and traditional.
A quick disclaimer before we proceed. This was not the point of Berkowski's speech or Porter Anderson's article. It is merely a sentence that simmered for me after I read it. Also, Berkowski is not talking about fiction, as this blog usually is. His book is How To Build A Billion-Dollar App. But a fiction manuscript is scourged and rebuilt just as thoroughly as non-fiction when it enters a publisher's editorial department.
This is what I want to explore; how a submission can be greatly changed by editorial input. Improved, usually, but undeniably changed.
My point is the nature of that change.
When a publisher edits, they are focused on their market. That makes perfect sense, of course. Like any business, they aim to please their clientele. If your artistic vision is perfectly aligned with that, that's terrific (though you still may have drastic rewrites ahead).
But if you're not? Many a first-time author has been uncomfortable about editors who are dumbing them down, or imposing directions that strip away their originality. Generalising is risky, of course, as one person's depth is another's dense mess. But what is good for the publisher may not be good for your creative identity, your long-term brand or your book.
Dare to be different
When you self-publish, you choose the editor who most closely suits your style and vision. There's a lot more room for you to be daring and different, if that's what you want. An indie editor will discuss what you want the book to be. Or they can help you find it. They won't try to force you in a direction. They will help you come into your own.
I have, in reporting on a client's novel, suggested they are more naturally literary than, say, the thriller market they thought they were writing for; that they were forcing when they should follow their instincts. It goes the other way too. I've advised writers who thought they should write literary that their strengths are the gripping page-turner of world-burning mayhem. I've steered would-be historical novelists to write non-fiction, as their every fibre screamed against inventing people, scenes and dialogue.
Because I don't have to please an imprint, I can consider what's best for the writer. I can truly be the book's advocate.
Don't imagine, though, that this is an issue with every indie author. Many know exactly what they aim to write. But if they're feeling their way, an indie editor will help them be more truly themselves. When such an author is accepted by a publishing house, the process will shape the book to fit the house's requirements. An indie editor will help you work out what your own requirements are.
Second novels … and beyond
And what about subsequent novels? If you write a second novel that hits different notes from the first, a traditional publisher usually tries to make you change it. You might not have realised how that first novel sealed your doom.
Such feedback might be helpful, of course. On the other hand, many authors resent it. They're only just discovering their potential. The indie world is full of first novelists who were dropped because they developed, matured or wanted to flex their art a different way. Certainly if I'd had a traditional publisher for My Memories of a Future Life, I would never have been allowed Lifeform Three as novel 2. I would have been told to write another contemporary odd literary book.
If you're an indie author, your editor can help you embrace new directions. Or you are free to find a different editor.
My bias
I freely admit this post exposes my priorities. I am not the person to ask if you want to know about marketing or writing a commercial success. But I'll certainly tell you the fundamentals of gripping readers and giving them a good ride, whatever you write. I'll also say that success, both commercial and the deeper reward of satisfaction, comes from good craft and a thorough understanding of where you fit. If your heart truly beats for genre fiction, the devoted reader of that genre will sense it. They'll also know if you're painting by numbers. Your best chance of success is to find your groove, be true to yourself, whatever it is.
But this is another reason why indie publishing, at its most careful and respectful, is more likely to produce genuinely original books. Traditional publishing will edit a book for the good of a defined clientele. Sometimes everyone is happy, of course. But in a traditional publisher the priority is the company interest, not the author or the book. I've seen enough occasions when this created a ghastly compromise.
Indeed, readers are far more adventurous than publishers can accommodate. The reader couldn't define for you what they want; they know it when a skilled author invents it. (And thus I refute the oft-repeated claim that indie authors are expert only in marketing, not in the art. But that's a different brawlgame.)
It's often said that successful marriage is one that makes you feel more yourself. A successful editor partnership will make your book more itself, not more like someone else.
Let's re-visit the quote that began all this: 'publishing is very good at editorial'. It may be, within limits. But I contend that indie authors whose values are originality and craft are doing it better.
Thanks for the pic Nick Holland
I have news! Lifeform Three is now on audiobook! It caused us many new challenges and I'll be blogging about them soon. In the meantime, find it here….
And let's discuss – what's your experience of working with editors, whether independent or within a publishing house? Have you ever been made to fit a mould that you suspected wasn't truly suitable for your book?
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Something wicked this way comes: plot book ready soon
Posted by Roz Morris @Roz_Morris in Plots, Writer basics 101 on November 2, 2014
This week I've been pouring my grey cells into edits for Nail Your Novel 3 so I hope you'll forgive this brief hiatus in my blogging schedule. The third Nail Your Novel book finally has a title (Writing Plots With Drama, Depth & Heart), a cover and most of its insides. I've been adapting and greatly enlarging the posts I've published here into an in-depth exploration of what plot is, how it works and how to write a good one. In asking these questions I've taught myself a thing or three as well.
If you're eager for a taster right now, one of my recent shows at Surrey Hills Radio discussed plot – you can find it on this page as show no 6 (we're working on getting proper titles but we don't have control of the website!).
The plot book should be out within the next month … hopefully. I'm waiting for comments from my critique partners so I reserve the right to be coy about the actual release date in case they find a howling omission or other embarrassing disaster. If you want to know the very moment it's out, you can get my newsletter here.
I'll be back with a proper post next week. I hate to miss a week but sometimes we need to. How about you? Do you have a strict blogging schedule? What makes you bend it? Til next time… R xx
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Novels aren't movies – how to handle passage of time in prose
Posted by Roz Morris @Roz_Morris in How to write a book on October 26, 2014
Do you learn your storytelling from movies as much as from prose? Many of us do. While certain principles translate well between the two story media, others don't.
I've already discussed a few general points in a previous post – scenes with a lot of characters and shifting point of view , dialogue and description. Today I'm going to look at passage of time (modelled here by Dave).
When is it?
One of the key questions when we come into any scene is this: when is it happening?
Movies and prose handle this in different ways.
Suppose your story features a man who's refurbishing a derelict bar. In a movie, it's shown with a sequence of scenes. In one, he is getting to work, pulling old cupboards off the walls and uprooting obsolete appliances. In the next scene, it's clean, the floorboards are sanded and he's opening for business.
Because film is an external storytelling medium (we watch it from the outside) we accept that this cut is telling us several days or weeks have passed. We know we don't stay with the characters for every second of their experience.
But in prose, a cut like this might feel too abrupt. Because prose is internal, and we walk in the characters' shoes, a sudden jump in time can feel like too much of a lurch. We need a linking sentence or two to ease the way, drawing attention to what's changed. Many writers who are weaned on movies leave these details out.
A sense of time
As well as evidence that time has passed, we also need a sense of it passing. If you have other characters or storylines, you can cut away to them, then return to your bar, which is now finished. This might create the gap you need.
But if your story follows just one character, you need to create the passage of time in your narration.
If we watch a movie we'll do this ourselves. We'll assume the character spent a week or a month working on the bar non stop. In prose, we need you to add this element, even if it's only two lines, saying 'I had no time to worry about anything. I was sanding, sawing, painting, ordering crockery. I flopped into bed at night and rose with the dawn.' Indeed this is the prose version of the movie technique of condensing a sequence of events into a montage. (See, there are some techniques that translate well!)
Filling gaps
Prose fiction has to fill more gaps than a movie does. In prose, we need to keep the connection with the reader's mind, rather than chopping the experience into pieces.
What examples of passage of time have you liked – both in movies and in prose? Let's discuss!
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Science fiction – have we forgotten what it should be?
Posted by Roz Morris @Roz_Morris in How to write a book on October 19, 2014
What makes a story science fiction? Is it an otherworldly location, the science, the time in which it is set?
I'm thinking about this because of a review I saw this week of a novel billed in The Times as science fiction, which sounded rather disappointing – and it's put me on a bit of a mission.
I haven't read the book so it would be wrong of me to name it, but it concerned a new planet populated by humanlike aliens. The main threads are the bringing of God to the indigenous people, and the exploitation of its resources by mining companies.
It seemed this story could have been set anywhere. The human challenges were no different from those in a historical novel. The other-world setting didn't add anything fresh, except maybe to save the writer some research. (I see a lot of science fiction – and fantasy – novels that are written for this reason. If you invent the world, you can't be accused of getting it wrong.)
But shouldn't we be doing something better with science fiction (and fantasy)?
Bob Shaw says, in How To Write Science Fiction, that science fiction's defining quality is that it deals with 'otherness'. Whether it's in the future, the present or the past, it's about realities we don't have at the moment.
He also says that the central idea in a science-fiction story is so important it should have the status of a major character. It needs to be developed and explored. It changes what people can do, creates new situations that illuminate the human condition. It adds a new quality of strangeness. And Shaw also says if that concept is taken away, the story should fall apart.
One of Shaw's own short stories illustrates this. Light of Other Days sprang from an idea about an invention called 'slow glass', which allows you to see an event or a setting that happened years earlier. And so a man whose wife and child died in an accident can still see them, every day, in the windows of his house.
Take, by contrast, Andy Weir's The Martian. An astronaut is trapped on Mars and has to make enough air, food and water to survive. It's genuinely an addictive read and I loved it, but it could just as easily be happening in Antarctica or on a deserted island. The science provides the particular challenges and the possibilities, but it does not change the human essence of the story.
We're used to thinking that any story outside the Earth's atmosphere is science fiction, but they're not. They're survival stories. But take the slow glass out of Light of Other Days and you'd have no story at all. That's science fiction.
The Martian is a great read. The other novel may be too. But it's a pity if the critical press and the literary community are presenting them as examples of good science fiction.
Science fiction should be a literature of the imagination. I think it's a shame if we forget this. The same goes for fantasy – Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book is a deeply invented world, and very different from The Jungle Book, which inspired it.
We only have to look at our own, real past to see how science fiction and fantasy should grapple with the idea of transformation. Every invention in the history of humanity shows us this. Think of electric light – we can change society and the very fabric of life with an idea like that. With phones – and particularly mobiles – we are reinventing the way society works, saving lives and creating new types of crime. With scientific narrative non-fiction like Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks we also have a model for writing great science fiction. We can examine the impact of a scientific discovery and the quantum changes it brought, in individual lives and for global corporations.
Science fiction works on this same continuum, the scale of human change. A great science fiction idea should allow us to send humanity to startling new places with new advantages, cruelties and injustices. And those are places in our souls, not just other planets.
So – rant over. I'm hoping this isn't too abstruse or marginalising for some of the regulars here, but you do know how I love the strange … Do you write science fiction or fantasy? What are the ideas you're grappling with? How do you refine them or test if they will be bold enough? Would they pass the Bob Shaw test?
POSTSCRIPT How could I have forgotten one of my favourite things about science fiction? It took Dan Holloway to remind me of it in a comment – the reason these ideas prove so beguiling is that they are metaphorically resonant. They enable us to see aspects of humanity that aren't yet visible. Do read Dan's full comment below.
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Novels aren't movies – how to write great description in prose
Posted by Roz Morris @Roz_Morris in Creating a character, How to write a book, Writer basics 101 on October 12, 2014
Do you learn your storytelling from movies as much as from prose? Many of us do. While certain principles can be learned well from both media, others can't.
I've already discussed a few points in previous posts – scenes with a lot of characters, short, choppy scenes and point of view and dialogue. Today I'm going to look at description.
Description in prose aims to give the reader an experience. It fills in the specifics. Description in scripts or screenplays – and novels by writers who don't read a lot of prose – is often labels or generics. Let me show you what I mean.
The writer who is more tuned to movies might describe '1970s furniture', or 'a battered car'. But a great description in prose will talk about the chair shaped like a giant egg, the Toyota with a mismatched door and an unlevel fender.
The movie-fan's description of a person might be 'a man in his 60s', or 'a well-preserved lady'.
But what does that look like? In prose, it's the writer's job to show us – and not just the physical basics of blue eyes, age or a dapper dress sense.
A great piece of prose description will put the person in the room with you, with expressions and impressions that give them life.
Here's John le Carre from A Small Town in Germany:
Bradfield was a hard-built, self-denying man, thin-boned and well preserved, of that age and generation which can do with very little sleep. *
A writer who doesn't get a steady diet of prose tends to describe a street as 'rough' or 'average-looking' or 'smart'. They might use place names, such as 'Fenchurch Street' or 'Friedrichstrasse'. These names do add a certain atmosphere, but they are little more than labels. They don't create the experience for the reader.
You need to identify what you want the reader to conclude about the street – and supply the specific details that will let them conclude it. The rough street might have overturned dustbins or litter on a balding patch of grass. The smart one might have front doors painted in expensive shades of sludge. If you want an 'average' street, decide what makes the street average and describe that.
That doesn't mean you can't also observe that it is 'average' – indeed, it might suit the personality of the narrative to add a judgement. But you have to qualify what 'average' is. My idea of average won't be the same as yours – and might not suit your narrative at all.
Versatility of prose
And indeed, prose description can do more than just tell us what's there. If you're showing the weather, you can use it to add atmosphere – it can be like music to underline a mood. If you're writing a description of a person from a character's point of view, show what jumps out at them, and use it to illuminate their personality or situation. Perhaps he is meeting his girlfriend again after spending time away. Is it like seeing a tunnel back to their old life? Is she less glamorous than he imagined because he's now moved on? Is she a poignant blast of comfort, showing how lost he now feels?
What's in your head? Put that on the page
Many writers who make this mistake usually have an impression in their mind's eye. So you have to make sure to put it into the reader's imagination. Examine what you want them to see, and write it.
*There's a longer discussion of this point in Writing Characters Who'll Keep Readers Captivated: Nail Your Novel 2
Thanks for the pic Daniela Vladimirova
Let's discuss! do you find it tricky to write good description? Do you have any tips that helped you?
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Voices and accents for your audiobook – how to choose the right narrator
Posted by Roz Morris @Roz_Morris in How to write a book on October 6, 2014
Right now, my voice actor Sandy is in her recording booth, speaking like a bod. Lifeform Three, my second novel, is currently in production as an audiobook, so this week I went to an event in London hosted by ACX and the Alliance of Independent Authors. Audible president Jason Ojalvo and author-entrepreneur Joanna Penn were speaking, and they had some interesting points on the business of choosing and working with a voice actor. (For an introduction to how to work with ACX, including auditioning actors, look at this post.)
Male or female
So a female author or a male main character must need a certain gender of voice actor, right? (And if you're crossing the gender divide, how do you choose?)
Actually, it's less of a cut-and-dried rule than you'd think. Jason said he'd often had authors who'd specified they wanted a female voice, then when a male actor had auditioned it had been the perfect match – even in genres like romance, whose readership are very definite in their expectations.
Jason made the point that the book – or the author's work in audio – might have a voice that's independent of the voice of the author or the character; it is its own identity. We'll come back to this.
When I originally looked for a voice actor, I specified a British accent, but as many of you probably know, the narrator I chose is from the US. Initially I got a lot of US actors auditioning because I was one of the guinea-pig authors when ACX launched in the UK – they hadn't yet got a bank of UK actors to choose from. So I heard a smorgasbord of attempts to 'do British', some convincing and some not. But I soon realised it didn't matter after a few minutes anyway. The accent was irrelevant. The interpretation of the book went deeper than a voice's characteristic twang, or lack of it. What was actually important was the voice actor's understanding of the work.
And Sandy, regardless of the flavour of her English, was the most in tune with the novel. She also liked a lot of books that I liked. I picked her.
Same voice for all your books?
Jason said if you have a series, listeners expect the same voice throughout or it breaks the story world. Authors of standalone books, obviously, might search for new narrators each time. I'm happy with Sandy for both my novels even though they are different in tone – because she works well with my style and outlook.
Joanna has two series, so she cast a narrator for each. Funnily enough, we might have ended up with the same one, as the narrator for her dark crime series was one of the auditioners for My Memories of a Future Life! Small world.
Hunting for narrators
You're not limited to only the voice actors who approach you – and indeed, many authors don't find an ideal match that way. Jason encouraged authors to hunt around the ACX narrator profiles, listen to their samples and invite them to audition for yours. Or some authors do what I did – if you know a voice actor who'd be perfect, introduce them to the system.
Working with unfamiliar accents
Joanna, like me, is British, and ended up working with an American narrator. Once into the recording process she found there were pronunciations that were alien to her Brit-tuned ears but natural to the US narrator. What to do about them? Tomayto or tomahhto?
Before recordings start, you need to discuss this, and also tricky pronunciations such as character or place names. Sandy and I talked about it. I suspected there would be many more variations than I'd have be able to think of. If I'd decided 'leisure' couldn't be 'leesure', I'd have then, for the sake of consistency, had to pull her up on words I never dreamed had a US difference until I heard them.
And the difference goes further than isolated words – sentence emphasis is also radically different. US English stresses the adjective in a phrase like 'lying on a sticky mat'. UK English stresses the noun (UK: 'on a sticky mat', US: 'on a sticky mat').
I didn't want to stilt my narrator with unnecessary strictures so I asked her to pronounce her usual way. I'm glad, because there were hundreds of differences. Hundreds. It would have been madness. In any case, that didn't matter. So long as the interpretation of the line was true, the emotion understood, the accent was irrelevant.
Joanna had also come to this conclusion, saying there's a lot we need to leave to the narrator's judgement and style. She intervened in place name pronunciations, but allowed everything else to go with the actor's natural style and emphasis.
Having said that, an audiobook is a creative relationship. The voice actor is expecting you to guide them on interpretation. Sandy and I spent several emails discussing how the bod characters in Lifeform Three should sound and what their individual characteristics were. I sent her short recordings of how they seemed in my own head as I wrote them, which she turned into polished performances. It was quite a feat for her – sometimes she had four or five characters in one scene and had to inhabit all those minds, as well as switching to thoughtful narration. For me it was easy because I wrote them. For her, it was mind-and-tongue gymnastics.
You can probably see why questions of 'leesure' versus 'lezzure' cease to be important. Forget them.
Don't expect a drama performance
Jason pointed out that the audiobook isn't a stage or film performance. It's a reading – a quieter, more subtle business. Characters' accents don't need to be full-on impersonations, they are a hint. Passages of emotion don't have to be performed, merely rendered so they bring to life what is already in the prose.
In prose, the writer has already done the job on the page. The voice actor is converting that into sound. It's intimate; it's not slaughtering the back row. It's murmuring in your ears.
The voice that is the best conduit for your work
Ultimately, the best narrator is the right person to inhabit the book and bring it alive, from its lightest moments to its darkest corners. If you're weighing up possible narrators, be prepared to revise what you imagined. If you thought the narrator should be British or male, but the more true interpretation, the one that gives you goosebumps, is US and female, that actor is the one to choose. The differences will vanish as soon as the listener gets into the story. After a minute or two, they won't notice.
Since I released My Memories of a Future Life, some people have asked me why I chose an American, and indeed have mentioned it in reviews. Then they report that they got immersed. Your best narrator is the person who can inhabit the book, who can become its voice in the reader's head and make them forget everything else.
You can find the finished audiobook here (US) and here (UK). And you can find out more about My Memories of a Future Life here.
Thanks for the pic Michael Mol
Any tips or questions to add? Have you made an audiobook? If you listen to a lot of audiobooks, do you have any feedback on what makes a good narrator? Let's discuss!
ACX, Amazon, Audible books, audiobooks, authors, drama, entertainment, equipment for recording an audiobook, fiction, finding a narrator for your book, Fix and Finish With Confidence, how to judge possible narrators for your book, how to make an audio book, how to produce an audiobook, how to write a book, Jason Ojalvo, Joanna Penn, literary fiction, literature, making an audio book with ACX, mic, My Memories of a Future Life, Nail Your Novel: Why Writers Abandon Books and How You Can Draft, narrate your novel, narrating a book, narrator, novels, publishing, Roz, Roz Morris, Sandy Spangler, self-publishing, Shure mic, Shure voice mic, The Creative Penn, voice acting, voice actor, voice actors, writing, writing a novel - Nail Your Novel, Writing Characters Who'll Keep Readers Captivated: Nail Your Novel, writing lif
So You Want To Be A Writer? New radio show to get you started
Posted by Roz Morris @Roz_Morris in How to write a book, Interviews, podcasts, The writing business on September 29, 2014
Every week, my bookseller friend Peter Snell gets customers who ask him nervously: 'how do I write' and 'how do I get published'? Sometimes they give him manuscripts or book proposals. I get emails with the same questions.
So we decided to team up for a series of shows for Surrey Hills Radio. If you're a regular on this blog, you're probably beyond starter-level advice, but if you're feeling your way, or your friends or family have always hankered to do what you do, this might be just the ticket.
If you follow me on Facebook you'll have seen the various pictures of us goofing with a fuzzy microphone, recording in the bookshop while customers slink past with bemused expressions. (Yes, that tiny gizmo is the complete mobile recording kit. It's adorable.) So far the shows have been available only at the time of broadcast on Surrey Hills Radio (Wed afternoons at 2pm BST), but the studio guys have now made podcasts so you can listen whenever you want. Shows in the back catalogue have covered
- giving yourself permission to write
- establishing a writing habit
- thinking like a writer
- getting published 101
- how to self-publish.
This week's show will be on planning a non-fiction book and the show after that will be outlining a novel – and will also include sneak peeks of the advice I've been cooking up for my third Nail Your Novel, on plot. So you want to be a writer? We have the inside knowledge. Do drop by.
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Novels aren't movie scripts: how to write great dialogue in prose
Posted by Roz Morris @Roz_Morris in How to write a book on September 28, 2014
Do you learn your storytelling from movies as much as from prose? Have you cut your writing teeth on the wisdom of the hallowed screenwriting gurus (McKee, Field and Goldman)? Are you a screenwriter who's making the switch to novels?
If so, you'll certainly know some great storytelling tricks, but the two disciplines are different. Some movie techniques simply don't translate to the page.
Indeed, if you're writing your novel as though it's a movie in your head, your ideas might not work as powerfully as they should.
I've already discussed a few general points in a previous post – scenes with a lot of characters, short, choppy scenes and point of view. There are other crucial differences between screen and page, so over the next few posts I'm going to look at them in detail.
Today: dialogue
Film is a visual medium. If we're watching a scene in a movie where two characters were talking, the words they say are not as noticeable as the characters' expressions, their actions and the way they do things – whether it's picking a lock, walking home late at night, sharpening a sword or getting progressively and endearingly sozzled. And so the actors' moves, the camera angles and the emphasis of the lighting are telling the story just as much as any words the characters are uttering. Indeed, you could probably watch a well-made dialogue scene with the sound off and still understand the thrust of it. An argument, a reconciliation, etc.
On the page, however, the prose does everything. But what I often find with writers who are tuned to the screen is that they don't realise how much more work a dialogue scene in prose has to do. They haven't got actors, or a lighting crew, or a set designer, or a composer who will add the other pieces to take the story forward.
They're good at getting their characters talking, and sounding natural, but their dialogue scenes lack half the information they need to move the story on. They're imagining it on a screen, and they're writing what the characters would say and do, but they miss out the impact of the scene's actions, realisations, changes in mood and plot revelations. All this is part of the story – and it has to come through the characters' lines and your narration.
If you've learned your writing from movies, add these tips to your arsenal for good prose dialogue scenes:
Banter and quips In a movie, atmospheric natter and irrelevant quips are a great way to create a sense of a mood or character. On the page, this quickly looks aimless. Also in a movie, you can have them breaking into a bank vault while bantering – the story is happening at the same time as the visuals. On the page, we can only see one thing at a time. When using inconsequential chat, social niceties and companionable remarks, keep it concise, or find a way to make it purposeful.
Internal reactions The screenplay-tuned writer often doesn't use internal dialogue, because an actor would add the expressions. Also, most films show a story from a third-person point of view. But in prose you can show what a character thinks and feels. Either you can do this with a close third-person point of view, or a first-person point of view, or by showing reactions through a physical act like clenching a fist. If a character is keeping their reactions hidden from the other characters in the scene, make sure we see they are seething – or celebrating – under the surface.
Silence, pauses and non-verbals Remember we see dialogue as well as hear it – don't forget to include the characters' reactions and non-verbal responses in your scene. Use your narration to create pauses. Make them sigh, look out of the window. Let them change their expression.
Prose is your background music Take charge of the scene's environment. Create atmosphere through your description of the setting. A dripping tap in a moment of silence might increase a sense of tension. Rain might echo a character's sadness or make a happy moment seem deliriously unreal.
There's a lot more about writing good dialogue scenes in Writing Characters Who'll Keep Readers Captivated: Nail Your Novel 2. And Nail Your Novel 3 will concentrate on plot – so if that sounds like your cup of tea, sign up for my newsletter to get word as soon as it's available.
Let's discuss! do you find it tricky to write good dialogue scenes? Do you have any tips that helped you?
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Josh D. Harris rush for 6 yards, fumbled, recovered by FlaSt Jalen Ramsey in the endzone for a TOUCHDOWN.
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This is a delicious no bake recipe for layered cheesecake. The base is made from animal crackers, then there is a layer of cherry cheesecake, followed by a layer of pistachio cheesecake. Today we celebrate National Cheesecake Day. The event is being hosted by the lovely Roxana of Roxana's Home Baking. Make sure you head over to her site to say hello! I could not decide what kind of cheesecake to make for this event. Then my Pink Lemonade Cheesecakes were featured on Buzzfeed. After I … [Read more...]
Baileys Ice Cream with Baileys Caramel Sauce: Guest Post by Cookistry #BoozyDessertsWeek
This recipe is simple to make but completely complex in flavour. Perfect for a weekend treat, Today I have a very special treat for you. My friend Donna of Cookistry is joining us. I adore Donna, she is such a genuine individual. I dig that about her. You're going to dig that about her too. Please welcome Donna to the blog. … [Read more...]
Grilled Peach Cobbler in Mini Cast Iron Pans
Fresh peaches combined with a cream-based cobbler topping, with fresh whipped cream piled on top for a rustic grilled dessert! Come on now. How flipping cute are these Grilled Peach Cobblers in Mini Cast Iron Pans? I love small food and I cannot lie, You other brothers can't deny, When a dessert shows up in a little bitty pan, With a mound of whipped cream for you fans! Okay, okay, I'll stop. Before I embarrass myself. More than usual. … [Read more...]
Strawberry Cobbler: Guest Post for The Cooking Actress
Super easy to make and absolutely delicious. Perfect for strawberry season, or use frozen berries all year round. Enjoy! Hello from Miami. I'm just getting ready to leave this hot inferno today. Been a blast. Nothing is more fun than hanging out with fellow foodies all weekend. Speaking of fellow foodies, today you can find me guest posting over at my friend Kayle's. She is the genius behind The Cooking Actress. I adore this gal so very much. Kayle is just the sweetest lady in the world. … [Read more...]
Baked Fudge with Peanut Butter Cups
Easy to make and seriously scrumptious. Peanut butter and chocolate, it's such a classic combination, For good reason! You may remember I made Baked Fudge earlier this year. I made a second batch the same day but added some peanut butter cups for fun. It was one of those simple things we all do. Toss a few extras in a recipe and see what happens. This was pure magic. Peanut butter and chocolate just go so well together. It's a match made in heaven. I had seen The Pioneer Woman's Baked … [Read more...]
Momzie's Banana Bread | Remembering Mom
Simple and easy recipe for banana bread. My Mom used to make this for us all the time! So many great memories of this banana bread. I love Banana Bread. Any time I make it I feel nostalgic. It was something my Mom made often. We loved her Banana Bread so much. So any time I want to remember my mom, or I'm having a bad day I make it and instantly feel better. Today marks 30 years since my Mom passed away. Every year I write about her on this day. It helps me feel better. It reminds me that … [Read more...]
Baked Fudge and a #Giveaway for my 3 Year Bloggy Birthday
Simple, classic, and chock full of chocolatey goodness. Your family is going to love this! Bake them in tiny mason jars so everyone gets their own jar of happiness! Some recipes need to be shared. They need to be savoured, and enjoyed by everyone. Then there are recipes, like this one, where you hide in the closet with the entire batch so you don't have to share. Not that anyone here did that. I would never. Okay, so I totally did it. I don't even care. It was totally worth it. … [Read more...]
Pink Lemonade No Bake Cheesecakes | Burning Down The Kitchen with The Messy Baker
Super easy to make and absolutely scrumptious to devour. These will have you stealing them from your family members! Okay I have pink lemonade on the brain right now. I am completely addicted to everything pink lemonade. It's a serious problem. Luckily it's a problem that tastes good. So I'm not feeling overly bad about the whole thing one little bit. I made Pink Lemonade Hand Pies yesterday. They were the bomb. Next up is a Pink Lemonade frozen treat that's going to make you scream, "I … [Read more...]
Pink Lemonade Hand Pies | Review and #Giveaway of Easy as Pie Pops Cookbook
These Pink Lemonade Hand Pies are completely adorable. They are Pink Lemon Curd filled Hand Pies that will delight your taste buds! So today I am obsessed with all things pink lemonade. It's a serious addiction. One that cannot be stopped. I apologize now for the onslaught of pink lemonade posts coming your way. I want to feel bad but seriously, why should I? It's delightful and zesty, you should be thanking me really. Okay, now that I think about it why aren't you thanking me? Pink lemonade … [Read more...]
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Brownies: Guest Post for Love and Confections
Fudgey, ooey, gooey chocolate brownies topped with peanut butter and tons of chocolate! I swear I'm such a chocolate fanatic. I can never get enough of it. The only thing better than chocolate is chocolate combined with peanut butter. It's a match made in heaven. … [Read more...]
Cake Batter Fudge
Perfect microwave fudge that will be a hit with all your friends and family this holiday season! Welcome to Day #5 of Christmas Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen from Juanita's Cocina! Each day we will be celebrating the holidays with a different set of Christmas-themed treats, as well as a fabulous Christmas giveaway. We hope you enjoy this fabulous event. Tune in each day starting today, Monday, December 9th and ending Saturday, December 14th. I … [Read more...]
Red Velvet Parfaits #HolidayFoodParty
Super easy to make, and looks lovely on any holiday table. Okay peeps, y'all know I am always honest with you. This was NOT supposed to be a parfait. Not even kidding. It was supposed to be a cake roll. Unfortunately I had trouble rolling the cake roll so this recipe was altered to hide my oops. It's what I do. When in doubt "parfait it". I'm not sure what that says about the fact that I have a zillion parfaits on my site. *giggles* … [Read more...]
Apple Hand Pies | Thanksgiving Potluck | #Giveaway
Cute little Apple Hand Pies that are easy to make and wicked adorable! When Erin of Dinners, Dishes and Desserts contacted me to be part of her Thanksgiving Potluck I said yes immediately. Erin is an amazing blogger friend and I love any chance to work with her on a project. When I found out it was to tie in to Feeding America it just made the cause even more special. Feeding America is a great organization, highly regarded and supported by the foodie community at large. In fact it's … [Read more...]
Peach Cobbler
Comfort food at it's finest. Homemade Peach Cobbler with Roasted Saigon Cinnamon, and Nutmeg in each layer. Seriously delicious and addictive. You're going to want to try this one as soon as possible! Peach cobbler is one of my favourite desserts in the world. I cannot get enough of it during peach season. It's just such comfort food to me. It's something I've been making since I was a teenager. I make lots of versions of peach cobbler but this one is my favourite. It's the one I make most … [Read more...]
S'mores Hand Pies
Ooey gooey marshmallows and melty chocolate combine inside of these adorable little hand pies. Then the pies are brushed with butter and graham crumbs before getting more chocolate drizzled over top of them. It's heaven in a little hand held pie! Aren't these adorbs? I can't take my eyes off of them. Mostly because when I do people keep scarfing them and there's less for me. So I keep one eye on them....at all times. Mine, all mine! … [Read more...]
100 S'Mores Recipes
At the start of July I put the word out I was doing a huge S'mores Round Up in preparation for National S'mores Day on August 10. So many of my lovely blogging friends have allowed me the great pleasure of sharing their work with you today. I encourage you all to pin from the original source! I'll be having some fun in August and will be celebrating National S'mores Day by having S'mores Week on my site from August 5 to August 10. Hope to see you there! … [Read more...]
Roasted Strawberry Parfaits with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
Simple to make yet bursting with flavour. Tender sponge cake layered with roasted strawberries and vanilla bean whipped cream. The roasted strawberries take this dessert over the top! Then the vanilla bean whipped cream takes it to the next level. It's light, fluffy and speckled with vanilla seeds. Seriously addictive and makes such a beautiful presentation! It's sure to impress your guests! I just love strawberry season. It's one of my favourite times of the year. My daughter, who I refer to … [Read more...]


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Pembilier Nursing Center is a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility located just a few miles from the Canadian border in Walhalla, ND. We were voted one of America's Top Nursing Homes 2010. Our friendly staff has been providing a combination of specialized therapy services and skilled nursing care in a calming and quiet environment since 1963.
Pembilier Nursing Center is a 30 bed skilled care, 8 bed basic care and 16 unit Assisted Living (North Border Estates), which emphasizes the team approach to comprehensive treatment, enabling our staff to give our residents the best quality care available. When you get here, you'll quickly notice that our compassionate staff makes all the difference. Our goal is to create a home-like environment, and to help each resident realize their own individual preferences. We are committed to provide you peace of mind through responsive, courteous and gentle care. When looking for a nursing home, ask yourself, how far would you go for quality care?


text: Very nice day spent on the sea!! Not only a touristic trip, really a party boat! Nice people, good food and a lot of beverages! The crew: outstanding! Idea: really impressive! Not a boring day doing snorkeling as usual.. Keep going guys! Well done See you in a few months!!


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Good resturants very near the science museum?
- h
- Hallie_ray Nov 18, 2006 12:30 PM
Ok so heres the story, the day after thanksgiving my whole family (11 people) are going to the science museum. Afterwards we want to go to dinner, are there any good, casual,fairly priced resturants in very close walking distance of the museum?
thanks in advance!
There's a fairly new place in the Sonesta Hotel (across from the Galleria and near the MOS). Chef used to be at Blu.
The last poster is talking about 'Dante' http://www.restaurantdante.com this restaurant is not casual or inexpensive.
The Hotel Marlow also has a restaurant: Bambara
Right inside the mall there is Pappa Razzi, & The Cheescake Factory.
Not too far away is Kendall square with a few different restaurants: The Blue Room and a brew-pub with the standard fair...
The Museum is in kind of an isolated spot. You may have to walk for a bit. Are you trying to eat lunch or dinner? Either way, you might want to make a reservation for a crowd that size.
Bambara a nice-looking New American place in the Hotel Marlowe. They serve lunch and dinner. It's not cheap: entrees are in the low $20s. I haven't been here in years. I suspect the chef whose food didn't wow me back then is long gone.
The Galleria mall has some chain outlets. California Pizza Kitchen, Papa Razzi, Cheesecake Factory. CPK is the only one I would visit if I really had to. Big food court there, too.
Dante in the Sonesta is a fairly fancy, fairly expensive place: most entrees are up near $30.
The Similans is a decent Thai restaurant (same owners as Brown Sugar). The Helmand is a fine-dining Afghani place that I really like (no lunch). The Second Street Cafe is a wonderful little neighborhood lunch place for sandwiches, salads, soups, but it's counter service, and might be a bit cramped for a big party. If you walk in the other direction, you're not too far from Pierrot Bistrot, an excellent, mid-priced, authentic French place.
re: MC Slim JB
re: CPK being the best option of the Galleria offerings, I disagree. I think you can get decent or better food at Paparazzi, and they would easily handle a group that size with a reservation. CPK was filthy the one time I tried to eat there and although I work across the street I wont go back. Paparazzi is no more than a 10 minute walk from the MOS and I think it fits this requirement. If it was *my* group, I'd probably take them to Desfina and order lots of cheap and cheerful Greek food and wine, but it is a really casual atmosphere so if they need something nicer it's not the place. Probably a 15 min walk, too. The Galleria options are much closer.
With any of these places, the OP absolutely needs to call first. I wouldn't be surprised if half your options were closed on TG day. Similans good, if a bit to sweet and gloopy, Thai.
I'd agree with the crowd here and suggest that in that area, you could find casual OR good OR cheap, but none that are all three.
Dante's a hotel restaurant, so they are tolerant of casual clothing but it may be above your price range for 11. Also the food is not particularly kid-friendly (although it sure is tasty!)
Desfina isn't TOO far. I haven't been but some hounds have enjoyed it. http://www.desfina.com/ Hounds?
I think that Helmands would fit the bill. Different, interesting food, close by (facing the Gallereia)casual, and affordable.
Desfina has more of a diner atmosphere -- if that's okay with you, the food is pretty good and it's not expensive.
Helmand would be difficult with a party that big, I think -- it tends to be crowded. But you could try it.
I think the Similans would be your best bet if everybody likes Thai food. But each of these places is about a 15 minute walk from the MOS.
re: Hallie_ray
It's a mile, according to Google Maps.
By the way, Helmand is right next door, the chain restaurants in the Galleria are across the street, and Desfina is about a 5-minute walk closer to the MoS. I don't think there's anything in the immediate neighborhood of the MoS.
re: Hallie_ray
On foot, The Similans is only 0.55 miles, a tad more than a ten-minute walk.
You might walk over by North Station, it's a little further than the Galleria and there are a number of bar/restaurants (I like Boston Beer Works). You could take the T there, or continue on to the Quincy Market area.
the day after thanksgiving will be a mob scene at any of those restaurants in the galleria -- busiest shopping day of the year. and i think dante is terribly over-rated. wherever you decide, i strongly recommend a reservation for a party of that size.
the green line is extremely accesible (the museum has its own stop!) which really expands your options. go 1 stop to north station to places like the boston beer works or mcgann's ( a real irish pub, not a faux one) and azure ( a bit more upscale). or go 2 stops to haymarket and the north end is stone's throw away. although a party of 11 would need a reservation any place over there.
happy birthday!
re: hotoynoodle
Was just at the MOS this evening. The Green Line stop has a lot of stairs to climb--don't know your party's limitations. (Didn't check for an elevator but it's the T, I wouldn't count on a working one.) You've considered just springing for a taxi for those who need it? If so I'd order it well in advance.
re: hotoynoodle
I think you mean Anthem instead of Azure by North Station. Or you could just go to Copley and hit Azure itself for a quiet upscale dinner. Isn't there a restaurant actually in the Museum that's supposed to be okay or is that just a lunch thing?
re: Joanie
oops, yes, i did mean anthem. robert fathman both places, and it was lazy sunday brain, lol. thanks.
the museum really is in an isolated spot to get anything decent within a short walk.
re: hotoynoodle
Best Indian pudding in the world, and the Fred Flintstone sized prime rib is great.


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Rafael has over 7 years of technical experience in several areas including the creation of high volume email marketing systems, email deliverability, performance improvements to enhance conversion, and applying best practices to optimize the subscriber experience.
Before joining the Return Path as an Email Marketing Consultant, Rafael most recently spent three years shaping and growing the first and largest group buying site in Latin America, Peixe Urbano. Rafael designed and created Peixe Urbano's in-house high volume email marketing platform, resulting in reduced operating costs and outsourcing services by approximately 200%. He also participated in Peixe Urbano's email committee in a leadership role, focusing on strategies, best practices, segmentation and campaign analysis. By applying his insights and email marketing expertise, the Peixe Urbano email program realized an increase in campaign conversions of up to 80%.
Rafael is based in Return Path's São Paulo, Brazil office.
Responsible for improving email deliverability and providing technical guidance to product team with best practices when sending daily deals e-mails.
Worked as tech lead and developer on the first version of Peixe Urbano's Email Marketing tool, where we are able to send out many custom e-mails using a very simple Web GUI. This application was made with C# .NET, jQuery and CSS3.
Also, was part of the team that created Peixe Urbano's Email Sending System, called Oceanmail. This system was entirely written in Java, where we used JBoss application server to get the the e-mail message template, parse it for each recipient individually and send it to our MTA server.
Configures and takes care of the MTA infrastructure, that uses Message Systems Momentum for Sending software. Wrote all the policy in lua script, that selectes what IPs segment should be used to send the message.
Attended Message Systems conference called Interact 2012: Engage!, it was held in August in the city of San Diego, California.
Also attended as a guest at MAAWG. This meeting happened in Baltimore, mid October of 2012.
At Peixe Urbano he was able to learn many new languages, working with PHP, C#.NET, Java, Python, Perl, LUA, CSS3 and Javascript. Also became familiar with Scrum and Kanban, which we kinda transitioned from one to the other over time. Also learned how to build software with quality using TDD and Automated Testing.
Fui responsável por toda área técnica, desde o funcionamento dos servidores, a criação dos sistemas. Responsável também pela qualidade do atendimento do suporte técnico.
O brasileiro Rafael Viana faz parte de uma equipe composta por doze pessoas, algumas da França e da Inglaterra, que têm um chefe baseado nos Estados Unidos
EmailMarketing software used to create customized email campaigns, manage mailing lists and analize results.
Peixe Urbano's Email Sending System, entirely written in Java, where we used JBoss application server to get the the e-mail message template, parse it for each recipient individually and send it to our MTA server.
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Across the World: A Girl's Right to Learn Without Fear
Girls are especially vulnerable to rape, exploitation, coercion and discrimination perpetrated by students and teachers. 'A girl's right to learn without fear' looks at the issues and presents solutions which are drawn from existing policy examples, as well as global civil society campaigns, international instruments and the voices of girls themselves. This reports surveys regions as diverse as Sub-Saharan African, Asia and the Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Latin American and the Caribbean, Europe and Central Asia as well as North America.
Since 2000 there has been a focus on achieving universal access to primary education and gender parity as part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Yet as we approach 2015, which was the target for achieving the MDGs, many girls are failing to undertake and complete a quality lower secondary education. Even though, in the words of former UN Secretary-General Ko Annan, "there is no tool for development more effective than the education of girls", 66 million girls are missing out on the education that could transform their own lives and the world around them.
Between 500 million and 1.5 billion children experience violence every year, many within school walls. Plan calls on governments to prioritize actions tied to 8 key principles to ensure that all children can learn free from violence, and that girls benefit from their equal right to education.
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- Women's Rights and Transitions to Democracy: An Annotated Bibliography
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- Gender-Sensitive Indicators for Media: Indicators to Gauge Gender Sensitivity in Media Operations and Content


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Cheap conference hall along the Newquay Coast. For cheap breaks, stay in cheap conference venue, meeting facility or function room hire along the Newquay Coast UK.
Find good cheap Newquay Coast small meeting rooms, cheap hotels and cheap meeting places. Newquay Coast cheap function rooms hire for a fun weekend away


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Ask anyone who's involved in the Dallas food scene what our signature dish is, and they'll pretty unanimously come up with one answer: steak. Even though Dallas restaurants have been throttling toward lighter, more produce-focused offerings, beef is still king. Or maybe, in the case of Dee Lincoln's ... More >>
Crystal Johnson noticed business was a little slower than usual this morning, but she didn't think much of it until a customer came in and told her about the Starbucks trailer that was parked on the same block as the downtown coffee shop. The trailer was giving away free coffee on the corner of San ... More >>
ReplicaBuildings/InFocusTechA Friend of Unfair Park directs our attention to Boing Boing, which yesterday pointed out that you can buy a replica of the Texas School Book Depository made of pewter courtesy something called InFocusTech. (Which prompted this comment: "It's a riddle, wrapped in an en ... More >>
Photos by Andrea GrimesPackers fans carved out some temporary Super Bowl graffiti on a Dallas Police car outside the City Tavern.Crawled back out of downtown a few minutes ago just as a "Let's! Go! Packers!" chant got started on Main Street. We started with a couple beers at City Tavern -- where ... More >>
Justin TerveenDowntown Dallas as it looked during last year's Earth HourSpeaking of our pal Justin ...Last year we enlisted him to shoot the city as it went dark for World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour. Only problem: Despite the lengthy list of buildings scheduled to join the 60-minute blackout, it ... More >>
KTRK-TVSpeaking of courthouse filings, our sister paper in Houston and KTRK-TV, the ABC affiliate down thataways, bring news of a lawsuit filed here by a 25-year-old Chevron petroleum engineer who claims he was assaulted on New Year's Eve at the Magnolia Hotel downtown.According to the suit ... More >>
Fresh Choice Express
Buzz hacks through the past in search of the cool cats and fools of the year that was
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The Pegasus Room flies at low altitude


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November 25, 2014
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - People over the age of 50 are seeking concealed handgun licenses at a rate higher than any other age group in Texas.
An analysis of state records by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram found that 57-year-olds last year sought the most concealed handgun licenses in Texas. In recent years, Texans aged 63, 52, 61 and 60 have also led the way in gun permits.
Texas has more than 580,000 concealed-carry permit holders statewide. The Star-Telegram reported Monday that about 26 percent of those were issued last year.
The oldest Texans are also looking to arm themselves. Texas Department of Public Safety data shows that at least 16 people in their 90s applied for licenses last year.
Texans must be at least 21 years old to obtain a concealed handgun license.
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A nice change from the "standard" green bean casserole recipe. My brother, Stephen, gave this recipe to me several years ago. I wish I lived closer to him so he could make these for me often!!!
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_Are you ready for an exciting career move? We're a fast moving $15 billion, Fortune 200 publicly-traded company with more than 10,000 stores and 11 distribution centers in 40 states, growing by hundreds of stores each year. We work in an energetic team atmosphere that leverages each person''s strengths and maximizes potential. We are committed to attracting upbeat, talented, and motivated people who can advance our mission of ''Serving Others.''_ GENERAL SUMMARY: The Sales Associate position is a key part-time position and will act as the point of contact for customers. Assist in setting and maintaining plan-o-grams and programs. Stock merchandise adequately. Perform other duties as necessary to maximize profitability, customer satisfaction, and teamwork, while protecting company assets. DUTIES and ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: Unload trucks. Follow company work processes to receive, open and unpack cartons and totes; store merchandise in stock room or move directly to sales floor. Build merchandise displays. Stock merchandise; rotate and face merchandise on shelves. Restock recovered merchandise. Assist customers by locating merchandise. Bail cardboard and take out trash; dust and mop store floors; clean restroom and stockroom. Comply with company policies and procedures. Greet customers. Operate cash register and flatbed scanner to itemize and total customer''s purchase; bag merchandise. Collect payment from customer and make change. Assist with ordering merchandise using hand-held scanners, as needed. Clean front end of store and help set up sidewalk displays when necessary. KNOWLEDGE and SKILLS: Effective interpersonal and oral communication skills. Understanding of safety policies and practices. Ability to read and follow plan-o-gram and merchandise presentation guidance. Knowledge of basic cash handling procedures. Basic mathematical skills. Ability to perform IBM cash register functions. WORK EXPERIENCE and/or EDUCATION: High school diploma or equivalent preferred. Relocation assistance is not available for this position. Dollar General Corporation is an equal opportunity employer.13967 Auto req ID: 38011BR Title: SALES ASSOCIATE, 1418 E MCIVER ROAD, FLORENCE SC Zip Code: 29501 Category: Store Careers Job Category: Store Positions - Other


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October 2014 Feature
Vintage Copper Horse Weathervane
A full bodied vintage copper horse weathervane made by Fisk and Company circa 1880.
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November 28, 2014
The campground at Emerson Bay State Recreation Area on the southwest shore of West Okoboji Lake is open again after completion of a renovation project that took nearly a year.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says word spread Sunday night that the campground would open on Monday and people were camping out in line to secure a campsite.
Demand for the campground has traditionally been high because it is adjacent to a popular boat ramp.
Construction crews removed trees and brush, installed new electrical lines, camping pads and living spaces, and remodeled the older restroom/shower building.
The DNR says the campground has fewer campsites but more sites with electricity. Now, 82 sites have power and 23 of those also offer water and sewer connections.
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10 Tacky Christmas Sweaters
Christmas sweaters are a hallowed tradition, and the bad ones are even more sacred. In anticipation of the inevitable tacky sweater party you'll be invited to this year, we happily provide our selection of the absolute worst holiday sweaters the web has to offer.
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Holiday Fashion Horror
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Here at Daily RFT, the Riverfront Times' news blog, we're constantly scanning the Interwebz for St. Louis news you need to know now. We're on Facebook and Twitter. We're reading Google Alerts and Google Trends. We're watching far more St. Louis-based YouTube videos than we'd like to admit. Sometim ... More >>
When it comes to CrossFit, the new fitness craze that combines gymnastics, springs, jump training and Olympic weightlifting into short-but-brutal workouts, Missouri's reaction can be summed up in three letters: Meh. Real estate site Estately analyzed each state's love for the get-fit-quick trend an ... More >>
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Hozelock 20 Metre Auto Hose Reel with 20 Metre Hose Pipe 12.5mm (1/2") & ConnectorsThe new 20m AutoReel is an automatic rewind wall mounted hose reel.The AutoReel smoothly and easily unwinds the hose. You can stop at any point and water. The reel's mechanism automatically locks so that you don't have to hold the hose taught. To unwind more hose simply pull out more , and the mechanism will unlock. When its time to rewind the hose - a simple tug - unlatches the drum, and AutoReel's patented automatic rewind system takes over.A powerfull spring winds the hose back onto the drum . The layering mechanism neatly coils the hose back into the protective case without any kinks, tangles , knots or effort from you.It has a 180 degree pivot allowing you to reach every area of your garden and a child lock to prevent misuse . There is even a space for a padlock to stop other gardeners from stealing it.This wall mounted hose reel automatically rewinds the hose without any kinks, tangles or effort. Features:- 20m(65') of premium, three layer, braided, silver and yellow hose - anti-kink , tough and durable- Tough Polypropylene UV stabilised case - protects the hose, and extends its life- 2m feeder hose to connect to the tap - this can be extended using any 12.5mm hose- On / off spray nozzle with variable spray options- All necessary fittings - 3/4" and 1/2" BSP outdoot tap connector, hose end connector for tap and water stop connector to attach the nozzle to the hose- Wall bracket and screws and wall plugs - supplied ones are suitable for brick, stone and concrete- Full instructions on installation and use
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By Mark scott on 13/05/2013
I can't believe i struggled for years with a cheap, lightweight manual hose reel which would slip, snag, kink, and leak all over the place. This superbly designed automatic reel sits unobtrusively screwed to the wall and you simply pull out as much hose as you need (it locks automatically in place), then when you're finished, a short tug makes it all roll back inside the housing. Couldn't be simpler to use. If you place any value at all on your time, don't think twice, get one now!
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By Carol on 02/10/2012
Excellent piece of kit no more kinks and it rewinds easily
By Bob holroyde on 27/06/2012
Good product, reasonable cost effective from tooled-up.
straight forward to install and seems to be fairly robust. Ideal for pull out, lock and recover.
excellent service and speedy delivery from tooled-up.
By Mike wallace on 26/04/2012
Don,t understand the above rating method
cannot use it.
product is good,good service,competitive price
By Graeme on 23/04/2012
Great piece of kit; feels really robust; very easy to fit to wall, and seems to do what it says on the box! great re-winding mechanism...
By Terry & eileen dunn on 18/04/2012
Definately paid to shop around on line, much cheaper from "tooled up".
delivery to our friends in the uk for onward transmittal to spain was on time as promised, the packing was ideal for the journey to spain,so pleased we now claim "bragging rights" amongst our neighbours.
we have since looked at the wide range of karcher pressure washers which we have also comented on in a separate reveview.
By Glen sturman on 18/04/2012
Very robust, easy to assemble a couple of holes to drill to attach to the wall. Easy to roll up and away.
By Chris bone on 13/04/2012
Excellent delivery service, really pleased with no more tangling of hose . The whole piece of equipment is neat and performs well.
By Bob astill on 31/03/2012
This has to be the easiest way to keep a hose for car washing etc. I have mine permanently attached to a tap.
By Michael collins on 28/03/2012
Does what it says on the box ,excellent bit of equipment
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Role: Stiles Stilinksi
Synopsis: Still healing from tragic losses, Scott, Stiles, Lydia and Kira return to a new semester of school with more human worries than supernatural, while also trying to help their new friend, Malia, integrate back into society. But Kate Argent's surprising resurrection brings a new threat to Beacon Hills along with the emergence of another mysterious enemy known simply as The Benefactor.
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