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As the Christmas season looms, lots of us will be hoping to find time to work on our manuscripts. Or perhaps you won NaNoWriMo this year – congratulations! – and are now beginning the editing process. So what can you do to stop your novel stalling on two of the most common problem areas, plot and character? We asked our Writing a Novel tutors for a couple of simple exercises to help.
If you're feeling like you've lost your plot, Sarah May has got you covered:
'Does it feel like your story's going nowhere? Losing direction? Has no future? Writing is like being in a long-term relationship. You're up so close that after a while you lose perspective. Back in the beginning, when you first had that brilliant idea, writing felt amazing. But now you're like… tell me again, why did I decide to write this book? If this is you, then now is the time to pull back and take a look at the bigger picture.
To quote Margaret Atwood, story centres on a dramatic question that must be answered. At the heart of most stories there is a protagonist who has to overcome obstacles in order to resolve a problem. So, the dramatic question is nearly always, "Will the protagonist achieve their story goal?"
This is the question you want readers to ask. The question that is going to keep them turning those pages. It's the question that needs to drive all your plotting. In fact, every scene you write needs to ask this question.
Here are some examples of dramatic questions:
The Old Man and The Sea: Will Santiago catch the fish?
The Hunger Games: Will Katniss win the Hunger Games?
The Silence of the Lambs: Will Clarice Starling catch Buffalo Bill?
Pride and Prejudice: Will Elizabeth Bennet marry Mr Darcy?
Now you need to work out your dramatic question. A single sentence will do. Once you have it, write it down and stick it to your desk. A partner's forehead. The cat. Or get a tattoo. This is your narrative compass.'
If your plot's all nailed down but it's the people within it you're struggling to develop, try this exercise from Shelley Weiner:
'Where and how do we find the characters that populate our fiction? In the days of free roaming and carefree congregation (i.e. pre-Covid – remember those?), we'd observe people in the streets, on public transport, in cafes, in theatres; we'd watch and listen and speculate. Now, like most things, we're forced to do it online.
So here's my character-seeking exercise, adapted to our times:
Your central character eludes you. You know she's lonely and troubled, you have a vague idea of her place in your story, but you don't quite believe in her. Solution? Open Google (or any other search engine) and search for, say, 'lonely, troubled young woman'. Select images and see what comes up.
You'll be confronted by page upon page of potential characters in various stages of gloom. Without thinking too hard about it but making sure it's not someone you recognise or a renowned/infamous personality, pick an image, enlarge, and focus on her face.
Invent and write down your answers to the following, as fully as you can:
Background?
Dark secret (we all have one …)?
Aspiration – what does she want?
As you write away, your character will come into being – vivid, powerful, effective.'
Sarah and Shelley are both tutors on the January iteration of Writing a Novel. Applications close 31 December.
This entry was posted in Features on December 4, 2020 by Nicci Cloke.
Spending this weekend working on your novel? If you're doing NaNoWriMo this year, the finish line is almost in sight (keep going, you're doing great!). Or perhaps you're using this year's lockdowns to get started on an idea that's been nagging at you, or to edit a full draft of a novel you've been writing for a while.
We've asked our Writing a Novel tutors to set some exercises to help. And Joanna Briscoe and Sabrina Broadbent have some tips for you on getting right to the heart of your story.
'Without thinking, absolutely spontaneously, write down a single word that sums up your novel and what it's about. Anything. The first word that occurs to you. Then write one sentence. Summarise what you're trying to do. What is at the heart of this novel? It may feel impossible, but you can do it.'
Sabrina often suggests her students look at other novels to help with that one sentence. 'Take a novel off the shelf and look at the blurb on the back. You're likely to find a one liner that is the key question, dilemma or heart of the novel. Now write your own that answers the question: what's your novel about?'
Once you think you have that perfect sentence, Joanna suggests looking at it a second time from an entirely different angle: 'If you've described your novel thematically, look at it in terms of plot instead. And if you've written about the story, write a sentence about the novel's themes instead. At all times, you will come back to that same essential question: What's my book really about?'
Wherever you are in the writing process, keep that answer front and centre in your mind as you continue. And when you have a finished draft, Sabrina explains how you can use it to start building the pitch for your novel: 'Develop that one-liner to include some characters, setting, crisis, tone, motivation – think in terms of one paragraph; the way you'd describe your novel to an interested agent who asked what it was about. Eventually this can become the beginning of your synopsis.'
Joanna and Sabrina are both tutors on the January iteration of Writing a Novel. Applications close on 31 December.
This entry was posted in Features on November 20, 2020 by Nicci Cloke.
by Nicci Cloke
Confession time: I am not writing. Perhaps that's not surprising, given I've been relentlessly refreshing news sites on a loop since March. But handy an excuse as 2020 is, I've been struggling to get my head down on a new novel for over a year now. I've started and abandoned more than I care to count (this is in fact a lie… I counted last weekend and it's twelve. Twelve!) and seem to be paying for my relatively easy second book by encountering the lesser-known Difficult Eighth Novel.
Along the way, I think I've lost faith in my own instincts, something that's really essential in getting past the first draft doubts and writing blindly on. So I decided to take some time out. I'm always interested in the writing guides people recommend to our students so it seemed like a good moment to recharge my own creative brain by checking out some tips from the top. Here's how I got on with six of them.
This is a classic that's been on my shelves for a long time, bought when I was about fifteen, I think, having run out of King's novels to read. I loved it then for the behind-the-scenes look it gives at his process and how some of his most famous novels came to be. And it's still the writing guide I see most frequently mentioned now – whether by fellow novelists at events or in interviews, or by tutors here at the Academy. So picking it up again felt like a good place to start. There's still so much of it that struck a chord with me – his famous advice to write with the door closed, rewrite with it open is so well put, and I've always loved the image of the 'Boys in the basement', his unconscious mind working away at a story idea or problem. There are some other things which feel a little out of date now – at one point, King says that 180,000 words is 'a goodish length for a book' (I had to double-check whether that first '1' was a typo). The toolbox section is focused on line-level stuff – vocabulary and grammar and forming a paragraph – in a way that also feels a little dated and which might not be that useful if you're looking for guidance on the bigger-picture things like plot, character and pace, though we do come to that stuff in later chapters. And the advice regarding publication also feels less relevant now – there's a lot about selling short stories to magazines, a much more difficult task than it was twenty years ago. But it's impossible not to feel inspired by someone with such a fertile imagination (and a mindboggling work rate) who is so clearly passionate about their craft. And the memoir sections alone make this well worth a read.
Buy it here.
Story Genius by Lisa Cron
I liked the bold claim of the subtitle here and found Cron's practical approach to plotting really helpful. And I ended up feeling really energised by the process, which encourages you to think – right from the off – about your protagonist's internal, emotional journey and how to always tie the story back to that (what she calls the 'third rail' of your novel). It won't be for everyone – writing and rearranging so many detailed scene cards was too laborious for me – and I would've preferred to see examples from famous novels used in support (instead we follow an author work on a new, unpublished idea, which is really interesting but doesn't always lend itself well to the points being illustrated). But it genuinely felt revolutionary for me when I was reading it, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is feeling blocked or uninspired. Having said that, the novel I plotted using this process currently languishes on my laptop with the rest, largely unwritten…
Writing and Plotting Suspense Fiction by Patricia Highsmith
I was excited to read this, having felt so inspired by my On Writing reread, but I ended up a little disappointed. It's elegantly written (of course) and fascinating on Highsmith's own attitudes to and feelings about writing, so worth reading in that respect, but it doesn't offer much in the way of practical advice. I like the faith Highsmith has in creativity – inspiring in itself – and her reluctance to make sweeping statements or generalisations about how to write, and if you're a fan, you'll enjoy it (almost all of the examples come from her own work, so if you're not a fan, this is not one for you). But this was probably the book I found least helpful to my current predicament, and, like the King, it's a little outdated when it comes to talking about the market and publication.
Seven Creative Gremlins by Nicola Jackson and Teresa Wilson
I felt a bit like the authors of this one could see directly inside my head (which is why I invited them to write a guest post for us). This is a funny, sympathetic look at the various fears that stop us from writing, with some practical tips for overcoming each. What I really liked about it is that it encouraged me to show some of that same sympathy to myself; to stop beating myself up about procrastinating or having doubts. I'm a big fan of the butt-in-chair approach to writing but this book made me realise it's also important to understand why I might be stalling instead of just trying to write through the block. This is not so much a guide to the craft itself but to understanding yourself as a writer, and I found that really refreshing.
The Idea by Erik Bork
This was recommended to me by someone on a screenwriting course I'm on, and it's largely aimed at writers of TV and film although novels are mentioned too. It takes a no-nonsense approach to analysing what makes a 'good' idea and very clearly sets out the components Bork sees as essential for any successful story. It had me scribbling notes as I was reading and if you see your novel as even vaguely commercial, you'll probably find something of use here (and if you're writing for screen, you definitely will). Unlike the Highsmith, it's maybe a little too prescriptive, and I think I'll be taking elements of it away with me rather than applying the theory wholesale to every idea from now on, but I thought the section on the emotional reaction of your audience particularly helpful.
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
By now I was beginning to feel as though it was time to stop reading about writing and actually get on with it before I confused myself further. I'm so glad I decided to pick this one up first. It's the most generous, warm, intelligent look at the craft I think I've ever come across and has honestly changed the way I feel about writing. Again, it won't work for everyone – one thing this reading list has taught me is that different theories will always connect with different writers, and it's important to find the approach that really speaks to you. For me, that was this one. The whiteboard above my desk now instructs me to 'Listen to your broccoli' (it'll make sense when you read it, I promise) and there are all sorts of other little tips and reminders in there that feel like a gentle steer back to what is most important of all about writing: your love for it. And it really made me laugh too. I know I'll be returning to it soon.
It would be remiss of me to finish without mentioning one further book: Writing a Novel by our own Richard Skinner, a brilliant distillation of his decade of designing and teaching the course. And if you've got any other favourites or recommendations, let me know! I'll need a new list soon, no doubt – but in the meantime, I'm going to write. I swear.
This entry was posted in Features on November 6, 2020 by Nicci Cloke.
YA author and Academy alumna Holly Race gives us her top tips on creating a believable world for your fantasy novel
Writing is hard enough at the best of times, isn't it? You have to forge characters, hammer out a plot, painstakingly etch out tens of thousands of words. And when you've done that, you've got to edit them all, often many times over.
Every genre has its specific challenges, but my preferred poison is fantasy. Creating an entirely new world, subject to its own rules, laws and history, can be incredibly intimidating. It's one of the reasons why it took me nearly a decade to finish Midnight's Twins, a YA fantasy set between our world and the dream world.
From the start, I knew that I wanted the dream world to be a magical alternate universe; one where unicorns grazed in Richmond Park, where subconscious fears would take tangible form; and where being killed in our nightmares would mean dying in the real world too.
But I knew I'd have to do a lot more world-building if my dream world, Annwn, was going to feel believable. I spent long nights poring over my favourite fantasy books, trying to work out how the authors made their worlds feel rich, relatable and unique. It took me ages to figure out that I shouldn't be trying to create my world independently of the rest of my book. The best fantasy stories – just like non-fantasy – have plots and characters that are interwoven with their worlds. You couldn't have one without the other two; they work together like a Rubik's cube – sometimes you need to shift a line of red to make all the blue come together.
Here's a few tips that I picked up in those ten years. If you're stuck on your fantasy, I hope you'll find them helpful!
Make your world recognisable
We all want our stories to be original, but it's easy to forget that relatability is just as important. Without that, a reader won't be able to sink into the story. Look at almost any fantasy novel and you will see that there's always at least one recognisable element. Philip Pullman hangs the world of His Dark Materials off ideas of faith, souls and redemption. Jordan Ifueko's Raybearer is inspired by West African mythology, while Natasha Ngan's Girls of Paper and Fire series is based on Malaysian folklore. Perhaps there's a particular story you're passionate about – one that could give you the bones of a plot or a world to flesh out with your voice. A Throne of Swans by Katharine and Elizabeth Corr is based on Swan Lake, for example, while Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn is a retelling of Les Miserables. Maybe you're more interested in a particular historical period, as in A Song of Ice and Fire.
With Midnight's Twins, I turned to my childhood love of Arthurian and Celtic folklore and my teenage interest in The Faerie Queene. Suddenly my world had a millennia-old history, a hook that readers would instantly recognise, and a vocabulary borrowed from Old Welsh.
Don't be afraid to mine your own interests for material for your world building. It won't make your work feel derivative. Instead, it will give readers something satisfying and recognisable to cling onto.
Approach story problems from a different angle
Plot, character and world are – or should be – intertwined with each other. When you've got the balance between them right, you shouldn't be able to pull on one thread without unravelling the other two (yes, this does make editing very tricky indeed – a game of constantly moving parts!)
My favourite example of this is a very short book called Clockwork by Philip Pullman. It's set in a dark, steampunk world, following three storylines: a king who will do anything to keep his ailing son alive; a clockmaker's apprentice who is out of time to create his masterpiece; and a warm-hearted barmaid who will give anything to keep a dying boy alive. As the title suggests, each of these storylines is a cog in a beautifully engineered story machine, although it isn't until the final scenes that we start to understand just how cleverly interconnected those mechanisms are. I would highly recommend reading it, if you haven't.
How does knowing this make world-building easier? Well, it means that if you get stuck on one element of your story, it can often help to look at another element instead. If you feel more confident with your characters, then use them as the way into your world. For example, in Bex Hogan's Viper, the heroine Marianne has been brought up believing that she is heir to a great pirating legacy. Most of the main cast of the novel are pirates as well. It stands to reason, then, that the world of Viper is largely maritime. Thus, Marianne's father is the leader of a pirating force that terrorises the seas surrounding an archipelago. There would be no point in Marianne being heir to a force that oversees a tiny, insignificant ocean. In creating a watery world where control of the seas means control of an empire, Bex has effectively raised the stakes for Marianne to their highest point.
Similarly, when I realised that my 'villain' wasn't quite working, I stopped thinking about the character and turned to the dream world. What was the worst thing that could happen to that world? Bingo – I had my villain's master plan.
Write the story first, not the world
Sometimes it's tempting to dive head-first into your new world and try to work out every detail before you start to write. Some writers might find that exciting. Some might find it overwhelming. I vary between the two, depending on my mood. But I've always done my best world-building when I've been focused on writing the book.
Like any theoretical structure, unless you're a master engineer it's difficult to know for sure that something's going to work until you actually make it. You might think that you've got a brilliant, fantasy solution for something in your world, but you may find that when you actually come to write it, it doesn't really work. My dream world is powered by imagination, and at first I designed three different kinds of 'inspyre', as it is known. When I was writing it, though, it became clear that having three distinct types was far too confusing! It was a bitter pill to swallow because I had spent quite some time working out the purposes of the different inspyres, and even longer picking out names from an Old Welsh lexicon. But in streamlining the world, the story became a lot easier to follow.
Try to resist the temptation to figure out every detail of your world before you start writing. As much as anything, it's easy to use world-building as a form of procrastination – it may feel as though you're 'writing', but you're not really! Go in with some ideas, of course, but be willing to troubleshoot on the fly.
Resist the urge to show us everything
This is less of a problem in adult or high fantasy, where longer word counts are the norm and a slower pace is expected, but in YA fantasy where a quicker pace is demanded, it's impossible to show all the facets of a richly conceived world in a maximum of 100,000 words. That may seem like a lot of words when you've only got 10,000 in the bag, but it's nothing when it comes to fantasy! At one point Midnight's Twins ballooned to 140,000 words because I wanted to show as much of Annwn as possible – it was very painful cutting nearly a third of the novel!
Try to restrict yourself to only showing the parts of the world that your characters need to encounter for the plot. Don't be tempted to take them on a superficial journey just to show off your world, either. That doesn't mean that you can't hint at a wider world in passing conversations or comments – those moments are always a delight to read because they reassure the reader that you know your world inside-out. You can always explore it more in a sequel – or leave it to your readers' imaginations. It's the literary equivalent of showing a little ankle.
Check your cogs are working
Once you have your first draft, do what all the books and blogs and writing coaches tell you to and put it away for a few weeks. When you re-read it, make sure to pay attention to the world when you make your notes and start to edit. It can be really easy to forget about this element because most of the time it's in the background – it's part of the scenery by its very nature.
Pay attention to whether the elements you were proud of are really working or whether they're extraneous to the action. Ask yourself whether you needed to take us to that new setting or whether you only took us there because it's really cool – if you realise it's the latter, don't necessarily cut it! Think instead about whether there's a way of integrating that setting more into the scene – can you make whatever's happening integral to that particular place? In the sequel to Midnight's Twins, I wanted to show more of the dream world, so I made my character uncover something that had wider implications, necessitating a 'tour' of the country. In The Hunger Games, we only ever hear about the other districts. In Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins is able to show us the districts through the victory tour – and gives it a deeper purpose by showing the start of the unrest in Panem.
That's it! Those are my top five tips if you're stuck on your fantasy novel. Fantasy can be a really tough genre to write, but when you get the world, character and plot working in unison, it's also one of the most satisfying. Good luck in your quests, and may all your plot dragons be friendly!
This entry was posted in Features on October 23, 2020 by Nicci Cloke.
Author Nicola Jackson and life coach Teresa Wilson, co-writers of Seven Creative Gremlins, reveal how to get past that nagging feeling that you're not good enough
So, you're ready to begin your novel. You've got an idea that you're really excited about and you're starting to think about getting your thoughts down on paper. There's no harm in having a go, right? And you don't actually have to tell anyone you're doing it. What could possibly go wrong?
Right on cue, up stomps your Imposter Syndrome Gremlin, bellowing, 'Write something? You? HA! Are you kidding me? You're not a writer!'
We all have Creative Gremlins – pesky internal critics that seek to derail our writing journey. In our book, Seven Creative Gremlins, we've identified the main offenders that can prevent writers from starting, sticking with or finishing a creative project.
Imposter Syndrome Gremlin is usually the first to crop up and often targets new writers; those who have been eyeing up a creative pursuit for many years but haven't yet had the courage to do anything about it. Such writers, being inexperienced, are very vulnerable to this Gremlin's harshly negative schtick.
The Imposter Syndrome Gremlin can be so hurtful and so convincing that, after hearing its merciless judgement, many aspiring writers immediately put their creative projects away for good, mortified that they ever had the audacity to think they could be a writer in the first place.
But, then again, Imposter is an equal opportunities beast. It'll target experienced writers, too, pointing out, 'Sure, you managed to fool them before, but this time everyone's going to realise that you don't belong. Yeah, start that writing project but, just so you know, you're wasting your time. In fact, you know what? Stop embarrassing yourself by trying to be a writer because everyone knows you're a fake.'
Brutal.
WHY THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME GREMLIN IS SO PERSUASIVE
Okay, now we're aware that, just as we embark on a piece of writing, this Gremlin is likely to turn up and declare that we're simply not up to the challenge. But why are we so eager to believe it?
The short answer is, not believing you could be a writer may be connected to some limiting beliefs, stories from the past you've been carrying around unchallenged for years. There are two parts to this. The first is what you believe a writer to be. The second is what you believe yourself to be.
WHAT IS A WRITER, ANYWAY?
What do you picture when you think of a writer? Someone accomplished and at the top of their game, recognised and respected by the literary press? Someone making huge amounts of money from their work? Or perhaps you picture the starving artist, passionately and single-mindedly toiling over their art, but with a terrible personal life and a deepening alcohol problem? Whatever you imagine a writer to be, if you don't fit the description it will be difficult for you to call yourself a writer.
We prefer the OED's definition of a writer: 'A person who has written something or who writes in a particular way.' Now, listen, we get it. Calling yourself a writer can feel very exposing so we're not telling you to have it embossed on a T-shirt, get it put on your passport or announce it to strangers as your calling in life (unless you want to, in which case go for it). But what we are saying is that you could experiment with thinking of yourself as a writer – i.e. someone who writes. Because the truth is, you cannot wait to 'feel like a writer' before you begin. It is the beginning to write that turns you into a writer.
WHO AM I, ANYWAY?
If, when you think about writing, you start to feel anxious or uncomfortable, it might be that the action conflicts with the story you've been telling yourself about who you are. In your past, you may have developed a belief about yourself, others, or the world that clashes with the notion, 'I am a writer.' This means that, when you start to think it, you activate an earlier, contradictory thought and it makes you feel bad. The earlier thought could be something like 'I'm not an imaginative person.' Or 'If I express myself, people will laugh.' Or 'I shouldn't show off.' Or 'People from backgrounds like mine don't do things like that.'
As our brains like to use the least amount of energy possible – and discomfort means expending energy – they prefer running old 'maps of the world' rather than investing the effort in creating new ones, meaning many of us are already primed not to believe we are writers or artists.
GETTING PAST THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME GREMLIN
The important thing to realise is that everyone suffers from the Imposter Syndrome Gremlin at one stage or another, no matter how experienced they are. The trick isn't to be such a 'great' writer that you never feel like an imposter (impossible). The trick is to expect the Imposter Syndrome Gremlin to turn up and to know how to tackle it when it does.
Here are some things to try next time Imposter comes knocking.
Notice what is coming up for you when you think about starting your writing project. Tune in more closely to what you feel in your body. Physiological reactions are clues to what's going on in your mind. If you feel tense or anxious, that's fine. You've identified the Gremlin. You're on the right track. Changing your limiting beliefs is a process that doesn't happen overnight, but starting to become more aware of them can be a powerful first step.
Act as if
Does it serve you to hold the belief, 'I am not a writer'? Does it help you create? If not, then switch the thought and act 'as if', even if you don't believe the new thought yet. Every time you do something even slightly creative and then catch yourself feeling a sense of defeatism or disapproval, just switch your mindset and tell yourself, 'I am a writer!' You don't have to believe it immediately, but just get used to countering your Gremlin as this will help you to understand that its voice is not your voice.
Pouring out a stream of consciousness onto the page, without censoring or judgement, is an incredible resource for anyone who wants to clear some space in their brains for the good stuff to appear. By developing the habit of regular journalling we strengthen our connection to our creativity and begin to reclaim the artist inside us.
Eventually, once you notice this Gremlin popping up like clockwork every time to start to write, you can learn not to listen to its pointless negativity. You'll understand that being a creative person does not require anyone's permission. All it requires is action. After all, the only way to be a writer is to write.
This is an abridged excerpt from the book Seven Creative Gremlins: Write your way through doubt and fear to claim your creative life by Nicola Jackson and Teresa Wilson.
There are many more Gremlins to look out for, from persuasive Procrastinator to haranguing Hyper-Critical, from terrorising Tyrant to snooty Too-Cool-For-School. Want to find out which Gremlin is derailing your writing journey and how to get past it? Take this one minute quiz
Find Nicola and Teresa at www.theunstoppableauthor.com.
This entry was posted in Features on October 9, 2020 by Nicci Cloke.
Book Haunting
by Rachel Morris
Has there ever been a book that has taken so long to be written?
For years the idea of it haunted me like the flicker of a shadow, a repeated, bittersweet realisation that there was something inside me I needed to say – if only I knew what it was. So vague was this sensation – although also piercingly painful – that I didn't even know what I was trying to write. Was it fiction or non-fiction, a novel, a short story, even a poem? I had had two novels published (a long time previously) but they were relatively straightforward. With them I knew from the start what I was writing. Nothing had prepared me for being haunted by such a shadow of a feeling.
And so I decided to forget about that slippery, indefinable something and to write instead a book about museums. Museums are my day job so why shouldn't I write about them?
But although museums are full of solid things, they are also remarkably slippery to pin down, and the more I tried to do so the more they resisted me. Until one day the book began to write itself and then I knew what it was that I wanted to say. It was this, that just as museums are about making meaningful patterns out of the chaos of the universe, so – when it comes to our pasts, to our memories and the things that we inherit – we are all museum-makers, all seeking to make sense of our histories. This was the slippery scent of something that had haunted me for years. It was the mystery of my childhood, saying, Please write me.
From this I learnt the first rule (for me) of storytelling. Never tell a book what to do. The more you boss it around and tell it that it is this and this and this, the more it will resist you and the more formulaic it will become. The book knows what it wants to be. Write from the heart and let the book take over.
That first realisation drove the first draft of the book. Now at least I knew what I was writing – part memoir, part history, a quest, a detective story, an elegy to a lost past. There followed the most painful part of this process – the twenty-three agents to whom I sent that first draft, every one of whom sent it back with a 'no' – although about a third of them were helpful 'no's' – enlarging on why it didn't work, even regretting that they couldn't publish it.
I made myself read it again and found myself agreeing with them. It was indeed muddled, overblown, incoherent. Where to go from here? With hindsight I did the best thing possible. I signed up for a creative writing class – in fact to be exact a one-week writing course at the Faber Academy, led by Julia Blackburn.
Julia used to give us a writing task and about seven minutes in which to do it. Inevitably you spent the first two minutes in a panic before an idea came to you. From this process I learnt to trust my subconscious. More particularly I learnt my second rule of storytelling: to keep it simple, keep it truthful and be prepared to edit. It's amazing how much better writing can be when you take things out, not put them in. That was the best money I ever spent.
After that I took a year and rewrote the book again. But now I had a problem. It is hard to enough to get an agent to read a book once; it was all but impossible to find anyone who would read a second version. I had sent the book out too soon and had scuppered my chances.
Somehow I came up with the solution which was to send it out to one of the new independent publishers that are springing up across the UK. They, unlike the big publishers, will (at least sometimes) look at your work even if you don't have an agent. The first one I sent my book to was September Publishing. Hannah Macdonald is the publisher there. She snapped up my book within three days.
And so I thought – of course I did – that the book was more or less finished. I soon learnt how wrong I was. Working with Hannah and Charlotte Cole, September's editor, the book was edited from top to bottom; from the big questions, such as the narrative arc, down to the specific details of paragraphs and sentences. This was the third thing I learnt, that there is a lifetime's worth of skill and craft in the simple act of using words to tell a story.
The book is called The Museum Makers and it was published on 27 August with endorsements from Julia Blackburn and Dina Nayeri. (Thank you, Julia and Dina.)
Every book has its own journey to publication and some are long and some are short. Sometimes I wake in the night and think, If I'd known how long it would take would I ever have written this book? And then I think, Well yes, of course I would, without a moment's hesitation, just as – no doubt – I will write the next one that comes along to haunt me.
A director of the museum-making company Metaphor, Rachel Morris has been part of the creation, design and delivery of some of the most exciting displays, renovations and museums of the last few decades. Rachel is also the author of two novels. She was a student on our Five Days to Write a Life course.
The Museum Makers is published by September Publishing and out now.
This entry was posted in Features on September 25, 2020 by Nicci Cloke.
Q&A with S J Watson
In the latest in our series of Q&As over on Twitter, we were joined by bestselling superstar and Academy alumnus S J Watson. We celebrated the publication of his third novel, Final Cut, and had a good old natter about writing and the inspiration behind the book.
FA: Alright, let's get started! Hi @SJ_Watson and huge congratulations on the publication of #FinalCut! Are you having a good publication day so far?
SJW: I'm having a great day, yes! Such a weird day – it's a bit like having your birthday, Christmas day and your driving test all on the same day. But good!
FA: This is such a perfect description… Let's start by talking about #FinalCut – can you tell us a bit about the story?
SJW: Yep! Final Cut sees a documentary film maker go to a remote seaside town to make her new film, which she intends to be an investigation of ordinary life, using footage shot by the people who live there. But, she learns of a girl, Daisy, who took her own life some years previously, and another who disappeared around the same time. Some of the villagers seem to think something went on, and might still be going on now. Alex gets sucked into the story and starts to notice some disturbing elements in the films people are sending in…
FA: Such a *brilliant* pitch. I know this is often a bit of a tricky one to pinpoint but do you know where the idea for it started?
SJW: A number of things came together for this one, rather than it being a 'lightbulb' moment. I was thinking about documentaries, and in particular true-crime docs, and how they're often more unbelievable than fiction….That tied in with my thoughts about the modern-day urge to document and record everything, on Instagram, Twitter etc which led me to the film Life in a Day which came out a few years ago and consisted of footage sent in by people from all over the world. I then started thinking about other documentaries, and watched an amazing one called 'Three Salons at the Seaside'. Then there were some photographers that did some work on voyeurism and surveillance. I made a short video about all these different things.
FA: It's always so interesting hearing about those elements start layering themselves in… we've had a couple of questions about the writing process for the book. What's your writing routine like, and has it changed between first, second and third novels?
SJW: Great question! It has changed, yes. I've become more of a planner with each book. #beforeigotosleep was pretty much unplanned, and I did a lot of work in the edit. #secondlife was kind of half and half and now with #finalcut I planned it in quite a lot of detail. As for my day-to-day routine, I work better in the mornings, so I try to get my creative work done then, and the afternoon is for admin etc. I aim for 1000 words a day when I'm writing; when I'm editing, things are much more fluid and it can really vary. I used to work every day, but that was EXTREMELY UNHELPFUL and I now allow myself a weekend. And the new thing with #finalcut was that I started doing street photography. I would write for a few hours, then take photos for a while. Each thing seemed to feed the other (if you're interested, you can see my photographs on my Instagram page).
FA: That's so interesting. Also, I love your photos on Instagram – I didn't realise that was part of the process (you're REALLY good at it!). Okay, we've just had another #FinalCut question pop in from @Jamesfan2: is the novel set in a fictional town?
SJW: Thank you! It's really great having a creative outlet that isn't my day job. And thank you @jamesfan2 for the question! Yes, it's set in Blackwood Bay, which is entirely fictional… BUT heavily influenced/based on Robin Hood's Bay, which is a beautiful village near Whitby. I decided to change the name and fictionalise it because some pretty terrible things happen in Blackwood Bay, and some pretty bad people live there.
FA: Haha I'm sure the people of Robin Hood's Bay will be grateful! Okay, a qu now from our own lovely @JoannaBriscoe, who says: 'I'd like to ask about the mental strength it must have taken to follow up a global bestseller'. How did you go about starting #SecondLife?
SJW: Actually, to be serious for a moment – it was kind of difficult. You have to write the first draft as if no one is going to read it, which suddenly became very hard to do. So I had to learn how to shut those voices out. It was tough, but, as I reminded myself, as problems go, 'following up a global bestseller' is quite a nice one to have!
FA: That is such a nice way of looking at it as yes, it must have been incredibly tough to shut that all out. Let's skip back to before Before I Go to Sleep for a second: is there anything about the writing process you know now that you wish you'd known then?
SJW: Yes…
1. It's OK to take a break
2. The answer isn't going to reveal itself by staring at the screen
3. You're not a morning person, but set that alarm because being half-asleep sometimes helps
4. Done is better than perfect
5. Head down, driving as fast as you can is one way to get there. But occasionally taking a look at the signposts will probably get you there quicker
6. @ScrivenerApp is amazing
7. There's more to life than books you know (but not much more)
8. Poetry is your friend
FA: These are GREAT. #3 is so true (and #2 is something I really need to hear right now). Ah, here's an interesting one from @shauneley: 'As photography played an integral part to this book, would you give another creative medium a go to influence and help future ones?'
SJW: GO FOR A WALK (it helps…). Thanks @shauneley – I think I'm going to stick with the photography. I really love it, and I think it helps with writing. My theory is that with writing I'm using a story to try to create an image in the reader's head whereas with photography I'm trying to use an image to create a story in the viewer's head. So they sort of complement each other. Also, I can't draw or paint, I can't play the guitar due to an injury, no one wants to hear me sing…
FA: I'll remember that… And I love that idea of how those two mediums complement each other. That's all we've got time for! Thank you so much @SJ_Watson for such brilliant, generous answers. And now is the perfect time for me to remind everyone that #FinalCut is out now…
SJW: Thank YOU for having me! And thanks everyone who sent in their questions.
S J Watson's first novel, Before I Go To Sleep, became a phenomenal international success and has now sold over 6,000,000 copies worldwide. It won the Crime Writers' Association Award for Best Debut Novel and the Galaxy National Book Award for Crime Thriller of the Year and has been translated into more than 40 languages. His second novel, Second Life, a psychological thriller, was published to acclaim in 2015, and his third, Final Cut, was published earlier this month.
Final Cut is published by Transworld and is available now in hardbook, audio or ebook. You can find S J Watson on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
This entry was posted in Features on August 21, 2020 by Nicci Cloke.
Keep going: how to power through a draft
You've got your novel idea. You've named the characters, you've figured out some or all of what's going to happen to them, you've nailed your first line. You've put in the hours and, slowly but surely, your book is starting to emerge. It's all plain sailing from here, right?
Probably not, friends. Hardly ever, in fact (although we live in hope). It's incredibly common for writers to stall in the middle of their first draft, whether it's their first book or their fifteenth. If that's you – if you're having a crisis of confidence in the story or finding the words just aren't coming and you don't know why – don't panic. Here are some tips which might help:
Revisit your plan
You might have meticulously plotted your novel out or perhaps set off with at least the main story beats clearly mapped in your head. You felt confident that the story arc was set, that everything was in place. But now you come to write it, you're stuck. It's hard work. Getting from point C to point D on the plan is not the easy task you'd expected. Don't worry – this is really normal. You've spent some time with your characters by now, and so your understanding of them has probably changed. Suddenly the thing you need them to do feels… wrong. It doesn't work with the picture of them that's still developing in your head. Instead of trying to force your way through, go back to the drawing board. Are there little changes you need to make to the plot to make everything fit together in a different way?
And if you didn't set out with a plan, now could be the time to think about making one. Getting started with an exciting new idea with no real plot in mind is thrilling and a great way to immerse yourself in the world of the story, but it's also easy to lose your way. Giving yourself permission to plan ahead for the next bit might help you find that enthusiasm again and get you back on track.
Revisit your characters
On the flip side, it could be that the plot's all technically working fine but you're struggling to get the words down because you don't know your characters well enough yet. This could be on a practical level – you need to uncover their backstory to understand why they're going to do or say the things you want them to – or something deeper; you're still figuring out what it's like to be inside that character's head, how they see the world around them (and, if you're writing in the first person, what they sound like). This is all part of the process and something that will happen naturally as you continue on writing and editing. But if you feel like it's really holding you back, maybe now's the time to pause and do some exercises to build up those character profiles in your head. Richard Skinner often gets his Writing a Novel students to write a letter from their main character to themselves, or you can use character questionnaires as an easy of deepening your understanding of each person in your story (we've got one of those here, in fact).
There's no one-size-fits-all way to go about this. Think about your daily routine and the other demands on your time and be realistic: is a set amount of writing time the best thing to aim for, or a number of words? Would a weekly or monthly target be better than a daily one so that you can be more flexible with how you reach it? Or would a stricter set of goals be more helpful for you?
If you started the process with a target in mind, think about how that might be affecting things now – are you disheartened because you keep missing it? Under-motivated because you feel like you could be doing more? Change things up and keep a record for extra accountability (we're not saying you have to use a star chart, but, you know, consider giving yourself a star chart).
Look at your routine
On a related note, now might also be time to reevaluate your routine. Do you have one? Is it helping? For some people, having a particular time of day (or day of the week) set aside as writing time is really helpful. It can make it easy for your brain to switch into story mode, particularly if you're sitting down to write in the same place every day. If that's not something you're currently doing, think about the ways in which you could find a bit more structure, signalling to yourself that this is book time and that you'll be closing the door on the rest of the world during it.
But not everyone's brain works best like that, and it could be that trying to stick to a regimented writing schedule is the thing that's slowing you down. If that's the case, think about how you could switch things up to re-energise yourself. Maybe stick with the time of day you like writing best, but take yourself to a different space. The pressure of the blank screen can feel overwhelming; would it help to switch to notebook and pen in the park for a bit?
Find the mood
Once you've started getting into the nitty-gritty of your story – the point where that perfect Shiny New Idea has started to grow plot complications and character hold-ups and sentences that just won't do what you want them to do – you can lose sight of the things that made you fall in love with the idea in the first place. Pinterest is your friend! (Other moodboarding apps are available). Spend a day curating images, songs and objects which make you think about your characters and capture the mood you want in the novel. You can either stick them around your desk or just make a file on your laptop or phone; the goal is to have something you can dip into whenever you're feeling frustrated with how it's going or as if you've lost your way. You're looking for an emotional connection; the things which trigger the feelings you had about the story when you first sat down to write it.
It's very easy to feel daunted by the sheer size of a novel – which is why people often have a wobble around the 15,000–30,000 word mark. You've been working hard, the pages are filling up… and then you look at the wordcount on your screen and realise just how far there is to go. Like anything in life, it's much easier to break that down into several, smaller tasks. Mark each milestone as you go, whether it's every 10,000 words or every chapter or reaching the end of each of the three or five acts you've mapped out; whatever works for you. And celebrate when you reach them! There are authors who actually buy and wrap themselves little gifts for each milestone in their draft, but it could be anything: a day off, your favourite dinner, a film you've been dying to rent. Enjoy each of these stages instead of it becoming a race to the final line. It's great to keep your eyes on the prize but the process becomes a lot more fun if you get actual prizes on the way there.
Reread old favourites
There are plenty of writers who won't read fiction by anyone else when they're in a middle of a draft. That's okay but for others, there's nothing like reading a really great book to spur you on to write yours. If you're feeling really stuck in the middle of a draft, consider going back to books you've loved in the past. The kind of books that made you want to write in the first place. And remember: those books all started as difficult first drafts too, once upon a time. We promise.
This entry was posted in Features, Writing tips on July 31, 2020 by Nicci Cloke.
Q&A with Joanna Briscoe
This week we were delighted to host brilliant Joanna Briscoe for the latest in our series of Twitter Q&As. Joanna popped by to celebrate the publication of her sixth novel and to answer questions about the writing process from some of our followers. Here's how the conversation went:
FA: Alright, we've had some brilliant questions coming in, so let's get started! Hi, Joanna! Thanks for joining us and congratulations on last week's publication of The Seduction. Our first question from one of our Twitter followers: 'What is your writing process and do you have a particular favourite place and time to write?'
JB: Good question. I wish I had one, very disciplined process. I do hypothetically, but the reality can be messier…. I do try to get up, and get dressed and ready by half eight in the morning, and then – pre-lockdown – I'd go to the British Library to write. I try to put in a normal day there, but friends are usually there as well, and they're vital to the process. A carrot to dangle in front of me after a proper session of work…. lunch, anyone? I just try to get on with it, counting hours or words.
FA: Lunch is a very important carrot! Okay, our second question via DM: 'Where do your ideas come from?'
JB: Lunch, coffee, a sudden desire to visit the bookshop… plenty of carrots in my life! Well, for me, ideas are the one thing I don't struggle over. Believe me, I struggle terribly with the execution of course, which is entirely normal #WritingIsHard. But so far, ideas just seem to land in my head. I have the next two or three novels' worth of ideas. They can be very different in origin – a person, place, scene, situation. And from there, the process begins.
FA: Our third question is one I'm sure lots of us (…me) would also like to know the answer to… 'Do you experience writers block and if so, how do you deal with it?'
JB: I do experience bad days, certainly, where the process is like trying to wade through mud. But I refuse to believe in writers' block. If you sit there for long enough, you will write something. I definitely think it's more about perspiration than inspiration. Don't wait for the muse. The muse will eventually find you. You have to push through the pain barrier and just keep going. No doubt about it. Treat writing as a job. As if there's no choice and you have a boss standing over you.
FA: Great answer, thank you! Definitely going to be imagining my boss next to my desk from now on… Here's another, not unrelated question: 'Has lockdown influenced your writing? Has it made you think more about certain themes?'
JB: Lockdown is a funny mixed bag for writers, isn't it? It's so vast, tragic, extraordinary, what's going on out there that lots of writers say it renders their work trivial. But we can't all write about pandemics. It's made me think about slower lives, nature, and the past… I've found I've both written more in lockdown, and found it hard to concentrate. But I do have pretty ideal conditions, i.e. no young children to school, and so I'm determined to get on with it.
FA: Yes, absolutely to all of that! Okay, a really great question just in from Instagram: 'What is your advice when a writer discovers a fantastic opening scene and character but isn't quite sure how to write the rest of the book…'
JB: Interesting. I'm a bit of a strict 'Get on with it' person, as my students will attest… So, I'd say, capture that fantastic scene and character as quickly as you can. And then be really disciplined about thinking about the rest. Don't give up too soon. If it's TERRIBLE, you might want to give up and start something else, but odds are that all you need to do is really start thinking about the plot. I'd say that you should get down what you have – it sounds as though you're inspired at that moment – and then start the brainstorming, making notes as you go. The other characters, the essential situation, the arc, plot, twists and turns, will come with time, but you have to open your mind. I write and I keep a Notes file simultaneously. So I get on with the prose, but I keep the plotting etc notes too.
FA: Great advice, thank you! Let's have one last craft question before we move on to publication and The Seduction: 'Do you have any advice for making sure your dialogue is natural?'
JB: Dialogue's a big one, and of course we all want natural sounding dialogue – in most genres. My best advice is to write dialogue very very quickly first of all, no inverted commas, just a real go-with-the-flow session, then go back and edit. You will achieve more of a flow. I also think that reading your dialogue out loud is vital. There is more of a chance of picking up the stiff, unnatural sections then. DBC Pierre said 'Dialogue is pace', and I agree that we need it to speed our eye down the page. You can give people a verbal tic, I also often have people interrupting each other, not quite finishing the sentence, as long as the sense is there, because this happens so much in real life. Also, keep each person's section of dialogue relatively short. Listen to strangers. Keep your ear in.
FA: 'Dialogue is pace' – I love that! Okay, this is an important one for a lot of writers: 'Have you had many rejections during your writing career and how do you cope with these?'
JB: Rejections. Argh. The most common experience in a writer's life – almost universal – and yet it feels so personal and terrible. Yes, I was lucky enough to get my first novel published, which was a huge moment of excitement, but after a lot of years of work. It was my THIRD novel that was rejected. It felt really terrible. I was in a real state about it, before I picked myself up and wrote Sleep With Me. And that one was a bestseller etc, so it just goes to show. I think sometimes, as long as you can find a way to stay strong, that writing in adversity can actually be inspiring. There's an urgency and desperation that can fuel the work. I thought, I'll show you. And I did! I also had an early version of another novel turned down, but that was quite right. I re-wrote and that helped and it was published.
FA: That is really, really inspiring – thank you for sharing. You sure did show them! Okay, let's talk about the new book! We've been asked via DM: 'Which character did you most enjoy writing in The Seduction and why?'
JB: I liked writing about the charismatic, dangerous Dr Tamara Bywater, the shrink in the novel, as she was the most fascinating to invent and then flesh out. She's so not what she appears; she pulls people to her. She's so unlike me, I liked inventing someone very different.
FA: Yes, I can imagine that being great fun as a writer… On a related note, 'The Seduction is such an addictive read – how do you keep a reader turning the pages?'
JB: I REALLY think a lot about keeping the reader turning the pages. I absolutely think it's my duty not to bore them. One of my main rules is – if I'm slightly boring myself, i.e. there's a section that causes faint heart sink, or which I skim over – then it goes. If I bore myself, then certainly readers will be bored. I also try to come up with the unexpected. I twist the obvious, and like to think about characters doing something different from the thing I've first invented. Shorter chapters help. And I set up lots of questions that need answers.
FA: Brilliant advice – I think that sense of faint heart sink is familiar to most of us… We all need to be ruthless with it! Okay, let's have one more question before we let you go: 'The press response to The Seduction has been amazing – how does it feel?'
JB: It's been amazing. I've had so many reviews, a couple of stinkers among the good ones, but the main thing is to get coverage! It's been exciting, and a bit nerve wracking. It's thanks to
Philippa Cotton who did the whole campaign, and now Ella Harold has taken over. I'm grateful.
FA: It's been really wonderful to see it making its way out in the world so brilliantly. All of us at the Academy are very proud!
Joanna Briscoe is the author of the novels Mothers and Other Lovers, which won the Betty Trask Award; Skin; Sleep With Me, which was published in eleven countries and adapted for ITV by Andrew Davies; You, which was published by Bloomsbury in the UK, USA and through Europe, and Touched, which was published by Arrow. She works as a literary critic for the Guardian and has written for all the major national newspapers. She broadcasts on Radio 4, and has taught for the Arvon Foundation, and for the Birkbeck and City MA degrees in Creative Writing. Joanna is one of the tutors on our flagship six-month Writing a Novel course.
The Seduction is published by Bloomsbury and is available in hardback and ebook now.
This entry was posted in Features on June 18, 2020 by Nicci Cloke.


• Missing or incorrect information. If one of the forms you need to file your return has an error on it, it is often better to receive a corrected form before filing.
• Recharacterizing Roth IRA rollover amounts. If you've rolled funds from a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA, you may want to reverse it later if the investments lose value. This so-called recharacterization process can be done up to the extended tax-filing date of Oct. 15, and in many cases it makes sense to wait until then. Note that 2017 is the last tax year you can use the recharacterization process, which was eliminated for future years by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
• For self-employed retirement donations. The self-employed can use an extension to buy time to fund an SEP IRA. This extended time frame does not apply to traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs.
• Avoid late filing penalty. If you fail to file a tax return, two tax penalties come into play: a late filing penalty and a late payment penalty. By filing an extension, you can push out the potential late-filing penalty for another six months even if you cannot yet pay the tax.


Home > Articles > The reason why many millionaires, top celebrities and musicians ends up poor.
Many celebrities soared so high to the sky and limelight yesterday only to tumbled into obscurity, lost everything they had and fell from riches to rags. Some spent more than their income and became indebted and were forced out of their beautiful homes to the prison while some ended up living in car parks because they squandered all their money on alcohols, drugs, night club's, gambling, divorce settlements, bad investment, multiple cars, unpaid taxes charges and lawsuits settlements. There is nothing wrong in owning private jets, fancy cars and mansions, but if you spend one billion on yourself and can't spend at least one million on the poor around you then you are likely to become poor. Psalms 41: 1 – 2, says "Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth." The best protection you can give to yourself and finance is paying your tithes to God and giving to the poor. Have you realise that every billionaire gives to the poor? Many wise celebrities set up their own charity wings, schools or contribute to charities, NGOs for the relief of the poor, medical relief, aid to children etc which also makes them eligible for tax deductions.
So when you get to the palace, don't forget how faithful you were to God when you were in the mould house. The devil deceptively proclaimed that man would be wise after eating the forbidden fruit, but man became a fool, full of troubles. Do not please your friends, mentors, pastors or even your parents only to displease or disobey the almighty God.
Solomon started well but declined along the line, 1 Kings 3:3b tells us that "Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David." And God made King Solomon to surpass all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom, but after God had so much blessed Solomon, the same passion with which he loved God and built a house for God; he now loved many strange women and also built a shrine for each of them. He built just one for God and many for strange women. It is not possible for any man to love strange women and love God at the same time. Solomon had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; 1 Kings 11:3-4, 9says "For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David."So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice". May God not regret blessing you and me in Jesus name.


text:
Joseph Durand est un homme politique français né le  à Pradelles (Haute-Loire) et décédé le  à Langogne (Lozère).

Docteur en droit, il est avocat au barreau de Paris, il est nommé juge en Algérie de 1884 à 1888. En 1892, il est conseiller général du canton de Pradelles et maire de Saint-Étienne-du-Vigan. Il est député de la Haute-Loire de 1902 à 1914, siégeant au centre, comme républicain progressiste.

Bibliographie

Liens externes

Député de la Haute-Loire (Troisième République)
Député de la huitième législature de la Troisième République
Député de la neuvième législature de la Troisième République
Député de la dixième législature de la Troisième République
Conseiller général de la Haute-Loire
Maire de la Haute-Loire
Naissance en mai 1849
Naissance dans la Haute-Loire
Décès en octobre 1925
Décès à 76 ans
Avocat au barreau de Paris
Décès à Langogne

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Reverend Sereima Lomaloma is an advocate for gender equality and the elimination of violence against women and children in Fiji and the Pacific, advocating through the Anglican church, House of Sarah and and other faith-based organisations since the early 2000s.
For this portrait, she told the SPC that "It's time for the church to also speak out against the injustices in society, violence in all its forms and especially gender-based violence." Indeed, in 2015, Reverend Lomaloma initiated a change in the membership of the highest decision-making body in the Anglican Diocese of Polynesia that resulted in equal representation between women and men in synod (parliament of the church). Two years prior in 2013, she had made another significant contribution by influencing the church to adopt a policy on zero tolerance on violence against women and children.
Since then the Anglican Diocese of Polynesia has been at the forefront of speaking out against abuse, gender-based violence and discrimination. Every year since 2014 the church has set aside a Sunday as Break the Silence Sunday to talk and create more awareness on gender-based violence in American Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga. The initiative picked up momentum last year when the Fiji Council of Churches also joined in speaking against gender-based violence.
Sixty-four-year-old Reverend Lomaloma is a founding member of the House of Sarah, a grant recipient of UN Women's Pacific Regional Ending Violence against Women Facility Fund (Pacific Fund) on a project titled 'Implementation Strategy of the "Zero Tolerance" Motion in Church Communities'. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the Australian government's Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development program and was recently appointed to the Anglican Communion's Anglican Safe Church Commission.
This portrait of Reverend Sereima Lomaloma was first published by the Pacific Community for the 70 Inspiring Women campaign, it is reproduced here (with some modifications of our own) with their permission.


text:
Moreno Season Performance Overcomes Regional Stumble
Alan Chang
sacsports
Sophomore Octavio Moreno racing in the CCCAA SoCal Trails. Oliver Rivero/ el Don
Despite a tough race at the SoCAL regionals at Riverside City College on Saturday, sophomore Octavio Moreno qualified for the state championships in the 400 meter hurdles.
Moreno's 7th place finish in regionals did not affect his opportunity to compete in the state championship.
"Not every race is gonna be your best, sometimes you have to take a couple Ls and learn from them, rethink your strategy, and hope you do better next time. It's all about the comeback." Moreno said.
All other Dons competing in regionals failed to qualify. Freshman Maria Marroquin finished last in the Women's 1500, and freshman Giovanni Barajas placed 18th in the Men 5000.
Moreno was disappointed with his performance, but looks to finish the season strong.
"I'm out here representing Santa Ana." Moreno said.
The California Community College Athletic Association State Meet for Track and Field will be at San Mateo College on May 17 and 18.
Additional Reporting by Oliver Rivero

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
package org.apache.hadoop.mapred;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.Collection;

import org.apache.hadoop.mapred.FairScheduler.JobInfo;
import org.apache.hadoop.mapreduce.TaskType;

public class JobSchedulable extends Schedulable {
  private FairScheduler scheduler;
  private JobInProgress job;
  private TaskType taskType;
  private int demand = 0;

  public JobSchedulable(FairScheduler scheduler, JobInProgress job,
      TaskType taskType) {
    this.scheduler = scheduler;
    this.job = job;
    this.taskType = taskType;

    initMetrics();
  }

  @Override
  public TaskType getTaskType() {
    return taskType;
  }

  @Override
  public String getName() {
    return job.getJobID().toString();
  }

  public JobInProgress getJob() {
    return job;
  }

  @Override
  public void updateDemand() {
    demand = 0;
    if (isRunnable()) {
      // For reduces, make sure enough maps are done that reduces can launch
      if (taskType == TaskType.REDUCE && !job.scheduleReduces())
        return;
      // Add up demand from each TaskInProgress; each TIP can either
      // - have no attempts running, in which case it demands 1 slot
      // - have N attempts running, in which case it demands N slots, and may
      //   potentially demand one more slot if it needs to be speculated
      TaskInProgress[] tips = (taskType == TaskType.MAP ?
          job.getTasks(TaskType.MAP) : job.getTasks(TaskType.REDUCE));
      boolean speculationEnabled = (taskType == TaskType.MAP ?
          job.hasSpeculativeMaps() : job.hasSpeculativeReduces());
      long time = scheduler.getClock().getTime();
      for (TaskInProgress tip: tips) {
        if (!tip.isComplete()) {
          if (tip.isRunning()) {
            // Count active tasks and any speculative task we want to launch
            demand += tip.getActiveTasks().size();
            if (speculationEnabled
                && tip.hasSpeculativeTask(time, job.getStatus().mapProgress()))
              demand += 1;
          } else {
            // Need to launch 1 task
            demand += 1;
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }

  private boolean isRunnable() {
    JobInfo info = scheduler.getJobInfo(job);
    int runState = job.getStatus().getRunState();
    return (info != null && info.runnable && runState == JobStatus.RUNNING);
  }

  @Override
  public int getDemand() {
    return demand;
  }

  @Override
  public void redistributeShare() {}

  @Override
  public JobPriority getPriority() {
    return job.getPriority();
  }

  @Override
  public int getRunningTasks() {
    return taskType == TaskType.MAP ? job.runningMaps() : job.runningReduces();
  }

  @Override
  public long getStartTime() {
    return job.startTime;
  }

  @Override
  public double getWeight() {
    return scheduler.getJobWeight(job, taskType);
  }

  @Override
  public int getMinShare() {
    return 0;
  }

  @Override
  public Task assignTask(TaskTrackerStatus tts, long currentTime,
      Collection<JobInProgress> visited) throws IOException {
    if (isRunnable()) {
      visited.add(job);
      TaskTrackerManager ttm = scheduler.taskTrackerManager;
      ClusterStatus clusterStatus = ttm.getClusterStatus();
      int numTaskTrackers = clusterStatus.getTaskTrackers();
      if (taskType == TaskType.MAP) {
        LocalityLevel localityLevel = scheduler.getAllowedLocalityLevel(
            job, currentTime);
        scheduler.getEventLog().log(
            "ALLOWED_LOC_LEVEL", job.getJobID(), localityLevel);
        // obtainNewMapTask needs to be passed 1 + the desired locality level
        return job.obtainNewMapTask(tts, numTaskTrackers,
            ttm.getNumberOfUniqueHosts(), localityLevel.toCacheLevelCap());
      } else {
        return job.obtainNewReduceTask(tts, numTaskTrackers,
            ttm.getNumberOfUniqueHosts());
      }
    } else {
      return null;
    }
  }

  @Override
  protected String getMetricsContextName() {
    return "jobs";
  }

  @Override
  void updateMetrics() {
    assert metrics != null;

    super.setMetricValues(metrics);
    metrics.update();
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
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How to Get into Medical School with a Low GPA
What Undergrad Work Do I Need to Be a Pediatrician?
If your undergraduate GPA is less than 3.5, you might think that your chances of attending medical school are slim. A low GPA does not, however, completely destroy your chances; it just makes the application process more difficult. According to a 2012 article in "U.S. News & World Reports," pre-med students at Johns Hopkins University are advised that a GPA lower than 3.3 considerably reduces the likelihood of getting into a top school, but other factors may mitigate the GPA.
Work hard to improve your GPA. If you're still in college, you have the chance to drastically raise your GPA by the time you graduate. Most medical schools want to see an upward trend in a student's GPA, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Focus particularly on the science courses you are taking to demonstrate you can handle rigorous subjects and have an aptitude for medicine.
Enroll in a post-baccalaureate program or take graduate-level courses in the sciences. A post-baccalaureate program for aspiring medical students will allow you to take more advanced science courses, which can improve your overall GPA if you perform well, giving you an edge over other students. "U.S. News & World Reports" also suggests enrolling in a master's program that focuses on science if a post-baccalaureate program is not available.
Use the personal statement on the application to highlight your strengths and impress admissions officers. An engaging statement that paints a picture of who you are and who you could become as a doctor might mean admissions officers overlook a less competitive GPA. You can also explain the reason behind a low GPA in the statement, which might be worthwhile if you have a good reason for the dip in grades, such as an illness that affected your attendance.
What Are the Steps to Go to Medical School After Graduating From High ...
What Should You Major in When You Enter College to Be a Doctor?
Which Medical Schools Require Calculus?
Can I Get Into Med School if I Attend a Community College?
What Do You Need to Get into Harvard Med School?
What Classes in High School Can Help Me Prepare to Be an OB/GYN?
Grades Needed to Get Into Medical School
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Citrus College: Pre-Med Advising Sheet
An Insider's Guide to Getting Into Medical School: Tips They Don't Teach You in College; Mario Jascalevich, Dr. X.
Based in Pennsylvania, Emily Weller has been writing professionally since 2007, when she began writing theater reviews Off-Off Broadway productions. Since then, she has written for TheNest, ModernMom and Rhode Island Home and Design magazine, among others. Weller attended CUNY/Brooklyn college and Temple University.


Download French sheet music for Les Pleurs Des Opprimés by Hillsong Worship, from the album Worship Songs In French. Arranged by Dan Galbraith/Jared Haschek in the key of A, Bb. Products for this song include chord charts.


The historical Galliera hospital in Genoa, Italy, is going through a significant refurbishment. Elisa Spallarossa, BIM manager for the project until June 2018, shares her experiences on how BIM can make a difference especially in information sharing among all project stakeholders.
The Galliera hospital renewal is not only a reconstruction project, but very importantly, it also provides an opportunity for a cultural change within the hospital operations in terms of adopting new tools and ways of working, with easy and efficient information sharing becoming the essential factor. This extends beyond the AEC or new design and construction contexts, for which Spallarossa uses two examples: MEP data sharing in the INDICATE project, and information sharing among the hospital staff for workspace optimization.
In the European Smart Cities INDICATE project, the aim was to support decision-making for urban planning and design by developing interaction between urban objects and spaces and optimizing infrastructure and technology to provide cost effective utility services. One of the pilot sites was the Galliera hospital, where Spallarossa took on the task to create an architectural model of the historic buildings. The task required a complex reconstruction of the available data, and data such as technical air handling, wall specific heating capacity, transmittance, conductivity, and exhaust flow rate were inserted into the BIM models themselves. The models were then exported from the authoring tool to Solibri Model Checker. With Solibri, 3D models and information takeoffs were used, instead of traditional spreadsheet methods, to easily share the data both with IES, the company to perform energy analysis scenario comparison, and with all the indicated consortium members using the free Solibri Model Viewer. This resulted in great advantages. First, collecting the information was faster and more controlled, and second, sharing it was intuitive, as it could immediately be visualized, understood and verified also by those who were not accustomed to using BIM tools. As a result, using the BIM models allowed a 30% reduction in time spent collecting and sharing the MEP data.
For workspace optimization, using BIM models was introduced to share information for the medical workspace disposition both from space and scheduling viewpoints among the hospital staff, including engineers, doctors and nurses. The hospital procurement office, managing e.g. the cleaning services of the hospital, started using BIM models as a central data repository of room areas, occupancy and risk level, making the management of more than 3000 rooms not only easier but also much more cost efficient. Solibri Model Checker was used to develop information takeoffs for showing data in the same way that the procurement staff is used to seeing it with the spreadsheet, but now with the great further help of the 3D model intelligence. Thanks to this, for example, it was possible to locate orthopedics' rooms close to lifts, and oculists' rooms close to the waiting area. Using BIM models brought the hospital great advantages in optimizing the workspace disposition and they made it considerable easier for all stakeholders to immediately understand the data and design different scenarios. Evidently, it provided the hospital with an effective asset management system based on the as built data collected during the construction phase.
MEP zoning of the hospital buildings with the information takeoff providing immediate area and volume data, and information takeoffs showing the ambulatory disposal both for the morning and afternoon occupancies.
In the same way as the AEC chain benefits enormously from design and construction model sharing, asset owners and managers should also further develop the models and operational processes with the purpose of reaching the optimum of asset maintenance, that is, BOOM (BIM operation optimization model). However, it does not limit to that. Spallarossa brings out the ideology of beginning with the end in mind, a thought that should be found behind all BIM applications no matter which industry or how old or new the assets. BOOM should be seen as the single data repository for assets through which designers, builders, facility managers, and all different professionals such as doctors and nurses in case of a hospital, are able to share information and, most importantly, to collaborate. As ambitious goal as it may be, it is the key to reaching the great benefits of the digitalization evolution.
Our main challenge is to make people understand what BIM is and what it's for, that it's not a bad contractual obligation! Practically, this means changing habits and getting people out of their comfort zone.
"Solibri was an unambiguous choice when deciding on which program to use."


When death occurs, Struve and Laporte Funeral Chapel personnel are available to assist you at any hour, seven days a week. Please call 831-424-0311 for assistance.
If a loved one dies out of state, can Struve and Laporte Funeral Chapel still help?
When death occurs away from home, Struve and Laporte Funeral Chapel can assist you with out-of-state arrangements and transfer the deceased to a preferred location. Please call 831-424-0311 for assistance.


Bienert, K.; Schumacher, B.; Rojas Arboleda, M.; Billig, E.; Shakya, S.; Rogstrand, G.; Zieliński, M.; Dębowski, M. Multi-Indicator Assessment of Innovative Small-Scale Biomethane Technologies in Europe. Energies 2019, 12, 1321.
Bienert K, Schumacher B, Rojas Arboleda M, Billig E, Shakya S, Rogstrand G, Zieliński M, Dębowski M. Multi-Indicator Assessment of Innovative Small-Scale Biomethane Technologies in Europe. Energies. 2019; 12(7):1321.
Bienert, Kathrin; Schumacher, Britt; Rojas Arboleda, Martín; Billig, Eric; Shakya, Samiksha; Rogstrand, Gustav; Zieliński, Marcin; Dębowski, Marcin. 2019. "Multi-Indicator Assessment of Innovative Small-Scale Biomethane Technologies in Europe." Energies 12, no. 7: 1321.


+ What is Physical Therapy?
Physical Therapy is a treatment option for people who are looking to maintain, restore, and improve function, movement, activity, and decrease pain levels. Physical Therapy is the dynamic interaction between the Therapist and the patient. It begins with a comprehensive examination to determine the source of the problem. Physical Therapists are experts in dealing with conditions of the musculoskeletal system. Once the examination is complete a treatment plan is devised and discussed with the patient. This may involve the use of modalities (electrical stimulation, ultrasound, traction, etc.), manual therapy (joint mobilization, stretching, tissue release, etc.), and exercise. The goals of the treatment are agreed upon and the focus is to improve the patient's functional level, pain, or activity tolerance.
+ What conditions can be treated with Physical Therapy?
Outpatient physical therapy is appropriate for a wide range of conditions involving the bones, muscles, nerves, ligaments and tendons. It is difficult to list all of the diagnoses in which PT would be appropriate but some of the most common conditions treated non-operatively are lower back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, foot & ankle conditions, sports injuries, etc. In addition, outpatient physical therapy is utilized in most post operative cases to assist with getting the patient back to the quality of life they had prior to the surgery. Some of the other services we offer are aquatic physical therapy, orthotic fitting/fabrication, ergonomic evaluations, gait analysis, balance training, etc. We see a variety of conditions, if you do not see your diagnosis listed, please feel free to call us at 513.701.6100.
+ Do I need a physician's referral for Physical Therapy?
No, you can receive physical therapy without a doctor's prescription and we can still bill through your insurance. This will save you time and money! Please note, if you have Medicare or Medicaid you do need a physician's referral.
+ Do I have a choice where I attend Physical Therapy?
Yes, you are allowed to choose where you go for physical therapy. It is the same as when you get a prescription for medicine, you can have it filled at the pharmacy of your choice. The same is true for physical therapy, you can choose where you go.
+ Will my insurance cover Physical Therapy services?
Oxford Physical Therapy Centers accepts most all major insurance providers. Click here to view our participating provider list. During your initial phone call we will take your insurance information. It is our policy to call each new patient's insurance company before they arrive for their first visit. We will find out your physical therapy benefits and/or pre-authorization requirements. We also encourage patients to call their insurance company for policy information. If physical therapy is not covered by your medical plan we will contact you to discuss your options.
+ Is there a way I can fill out the new patient paperwork ahead of time?
Yes, you have the option to electronically submit your patient paperwork ahead of time or print and fill out your patient paperwork. Please click here to access the patient paperwork. If you do not electronically submit or print and fill out your paperwork ahead of time, you'll be required to fill them out at your first appointment. Please note, if you choose to fill out your paperwork at our center, you must arrive 20 minutes early as we do not allow for this within the scheduled appointment time.
+ How do I schedule my appointment?
You may call the center that is conveniently located to you. For a full list of our locations, please click here. You may also call 513.701.6100 to reach any of our 21 locations. Our receptionists will take your contact and insurance information and then work with you to find a day and time that will work for your schedule. Once you arrive for your first appointment we can schedule you for additional visits.
+ What if I need to cancel or reschedule my appointment?
Please call your center as soon as possible to cancel your therapy appointment. Company policy states, unless you cancel the appointment at least 24 hours in advance we can charge a $40 fee for that missed appointment. We are happy to reschedule you for another day in the week to keep your treatment effective and consistent.
+ What should I bring to my first visit?
Paperwork - you can submit your forms electronically, download and print and fill out your forms prior to your first visit, or if you prefer to fill it out in our center, you can do this 20 minutes before your first appointment is scheduled. Please note, if you choose to fill out your paperwork at our center, you must arrive early as we do not allow for this within the scheduled appointment time. Click here to submit your forms electronically or to download and print out your paperwork.
+ What should I wear to Physical Therapy?
Wear loose fitting, comfortable clothing, i.e. if you are being treated for the shoulder try to wear a t-shirt as opposed to a fitted blouse or dress shirt, wear shorts or loose workout pants if being treated for the hip, ankle, or knee and wear good supportive shoes (tennis shoes instead of sandals or dress shoes please).
The first visit will consist of a thorough review of the patient's medical and injury history, followed by an in depth evaluation of the involved body part. Data gathered during this process is then used to begin developing a plan of care specific to the individual's needs. Most likely, each client will receive the beginning of his or her home exercise program, as well as education on diagnosis, prognosis, and management of the current condition. Please remember that each patient is different and reacts differently to physical therapy including the evaluation process. It is important to develop a treatment baseline and that starts with the first visit.
+ How long will my visit last?
Your initial visit will last about one hour, with the follow up visits ranging between one hour and 1.5 hours. We are aware of each individuals time restraints so if you need to leave in a certain amount of time your physical therapist will gladly accommodate your needs to make it convenient for you.
+ How many visits do I have to come to?
That will depend on your diagnosis as some injuries take longer then others to rehab. The average length of visits usually is between 6-12 visits.
+ How is my progress measured?
At your initial visit, your Physical Therapist will perform a thorough examination, using standardized tests and measures, to quantify and qualify your impairments to determine a starting point. This allows your progress to be measured using the same standardized tests upon re-examination. The frequency of your re-examinations will be performed based on your diagnosis and the severity of your impairments. Also, it is important to inform your physical therapist when your follow-up visits are scheduled so progress notes can be sent to your physician to keep them up to date on your treatment.
+ Why do I have different charges for each of my physical therapy visits?
Charges for each visit are determined by which modality is used and the amount of time spent on each modality. This can vary from visit to visit as each visit is structured in a way that the patient gets the greatest benefits from the chosen modalities. The codes being billed can relate to the hands on treatment given, the exercises that the patient is trained and monitored in doing, and the education that the patient is given regarding his or her injury and treatment plan. Because your therapy may vary from one visit to the next, so may your charges for those visits.
+ What is my responsibility in Physical Therapy?
The patient is responsible to be compliant with the therapy program and the home exercises. This will allow for a speedier and safe rehab for the patient. In addition, the patient should provide all pertinent information to the therapist so they can best devise an appropriate rehab program. Communication is key between the therapist and patient so they can work together to reach all of the patient's goals.
+ Will the Physical Therapy be painful?
Physical Therapy should not hurt for the majority of diagnoses but there may be a small amount of muscle soreness 1-2 days following an initial evaluation and the start of an exercise program. We encourage consistent performance of the individual home exercise program and the use of ice for 10-15 minutes post exercise. The patient should stop any activity that creates significant pain immediately and contact their clinician immediately to figure out the best next steps.


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