Become a key partner of Maisons du Monde!
Why become a shareholder of Maisons du Monde?
Do you want to support a high-growth company? Do you want to share in the growth of a successful brand? Become a shareholder of Maisons du Monde, a leading European furniture and home decor company with original and affordable collections.
Our company has, since 2001, experienced uninterrupted double-digit sales growth and a high level of growth on a like-for-like basis, regardless of the market context.
Our model is well balanced between product categories (furniture and decor), distribution channels (stores and web) and our geographical areas (France and other European countries).
As designer and retailer, our company is committed to responsible trade, by looking after all our stakeholders and implementing initiatives in each of our business areas, throughout the value chain.
Our stores, our merchant sites and our original, multi-style decor and furniture range inspire our customers every day, and we want to continue this wonderful growth story with them...and with you, if you want to.
How can you become a Maisons du Monde shareholder?
To become a shareholder of Maisons du Monde and own a portion of its capital, you only need to hold one share!
If holding "bearer" shares, the purchase and day-to-day management of your shares is entrusted to the financial intermediary of your choosing. This shareholding mode enables you to consolidate all of the shares in your portfolio with the same intermediary and your identity is not registered on our records.
Your shares are held by your financial intermediary, who manages them and remains your main point of contact. Your shares are, however, registered on our records, and we then therefore identify you and establish direct personal contact with you!
The directly registered share is a shareholding mode where the shares of a company are held on behalf of a shareholder by a financial institution chosen by the company itself. Your shares are registered on the records of Maisons du Monde, which allows us to identify and establish direct personal contact with you. This management mode is recommended for long-term shareholders because it offers several financial advantages. Maisons du Monde has instructed Société Générale Securities Services (SGSS) to manage directly registered shares. SGSS thus becomes your single point of contact.
Dedicated website to view the status of your portfolio and place your stock orders.
How to transfer directly your registered shares?
If you already own shares, you must send your financial intermediary the transfer of shares application form, duly completed and signed.
Your intermediary will then make the necessary arrangements with SGSS. Once your shares have been received, SGSS will send you the corresponding certificate of registration on account. SGSS will then become your single point of contact! After each purchase or sale of shares, you will receive a "transaction notice" indicating the details of the transaction performed and the balance of your shares account.
How to register your administered registered shares?
Good news! This does not require any transfer of shares or change of bank. It is your chosen financial intermediary who will manage your administered shares account. Your financial intermediary must simply send a request for registration to our manager, SGSS. On receipt of the request sent by your financial intermediary, SGSS will register your administered registered shares at no charge. Shares held in a PEP (personal equity plan) may be registered as administered shares.
What are the costs and timescales for the transfer of shares?
Your financial intermediary will determine the costs arising from the transfer of shares. You should therefore refer to the fee schedule applied by the latter.
The timescale for registering your directly registered shares essentially depends on the speed with which your financial intermediary processes the transfer request you have sent them.


The Fur Cape from Sacha Drake is a touch of elegance. This divine faux fur treat will be your go to for events in the cooler months. This gorgeous cape offers warmth, arm coverage and is a great alternative for covering a sleeveless ball gown.


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Alfred Clive Lawrence, CBE (October 1876 – 13 March 1926), commonly known by his middle name, was a British barrister, who was HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor from 1923 until his death in 1926.

Career
Lawrence was born in October 1876, the eldest son of Sir Alfred Tristram Lawrence and his wife Jessie Elizabeth, daughter of George Lawrence; when Alfred Lawrence became Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales in 1921 he was created Baron Trevethin, and Clive Lawrence was thereafter styled the Honourable; he was also heir to the peerage. Educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College, Lawrence went up to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and captained the university's golf club. Called to the bar in 1902, he practised on the South Wales Circuit. During the First World War, he directed the Intelligence Branch of the Procurator-General's Department (now the Government Legal Department), and became a Junior Counsel to the Ministry of Labour in 1919, and then its solicitor that August. Then, in 1923, he was appointed HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor, succeeding Sir John Mellor. He served in that post until his death. In recognition of his wartime service, he had been appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1918.

Lawrence was taken ill after a meeting of the National Hunt in Cheltenham, where his aunt lived; his condition quickly worsened and he died, on 13 March 1926, aged 49 He left behind a widow, Mildred Margaret, daughter of Rev. Edward Parker Dew of Breamore, and their daughter, Domini Margaret (b. 1925).

Likenesses

 Three photographic portraits in the National Portrait Gallery, London, taken in 1924 by Bassano (reference numbers NPG x122875, NPG x122876, NPG x122877).

References

1876 births
1926 deaths
British barristers
Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Gekko is a genus of lizards native to Southeast Asia.

Gekko may also refer to:
 Gekko (optimization software)
 Gekko Records
 Gordon Gekko, a fictitious character from the movie Wall Street
 Gekko, a superhero from PJ Masks

Gekkō (月光) also means "moonlight" in Japanese:
 Gekko (microprocessor), the CPU of the GameCube
 A variant of the Japanese Nakajima J1N fighter of World War II
 Gekkō, a type of mechanized weapon in the Metal Gear game universe.
 The Gekko Observatory in Japan
 Gekko Moriah, an antagonist in the manga and anime One Piece
 Gekkou, video album by Gackt

See also
 Gecko (disambiguation)


FOR MORE PICTURES SELECT THE VIRTUAL TOUR LINK. Beautiful family home located in the Stoneybrook/Uplands area, within the Jack Chambers school catchment. Spacious 2 story entrance, beautiful and bright kitchen and family room overlooking the well manicured backyard with lovely inground pool and cabana. Large 35 ft recreation room for the kids and a den or games room. Main floor laundry, 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, and a separate entrance from the garage to the basement. Spacious master bedroom with walk-in closet and 4 piece ensuite. Lots of custom built-in's on the main floor. All 5 appliances included.


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package com.treasure_data.model;

public class CreateTableResult extends TableSpecifyResult<Table> {

    public CreateTableResult(Table table) {
        super(table);
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Included: Visit to Celanova, Vilanova dos lnfantes, Allariz, Baños de Molgas and Los Milagros; Lunch; Coffee in Maceda.
During our Ourense South tour we will visit the south area of Ourense city, mainly the municipalities of Celanova, Allariz and Maceda. In the region of Terras de Celanova we will find remains from the Iron age, the Roman Empire and the Medieval age. All this combined with the region of Allariz - Maceda, where you will find lovely small towns surrounded by raw nature, it makes the Ourense South tour one of the best ones to enjoy the perfect balance between urban and rural lifestyles.
This region has on one side a main landmark in Celanova, with a vast cultural and historical background, and on the other side Allariz, considered by many one of the most beautiful small towns of Spain. In this tour you will see all kinds of monuments (monasteries, towers, churches, castles), along with nice spots to chill & relax, like the hotsprings of Baños de Molgas.
Municipalities that belong to the region of Terras de Celanova: A Bola, Cartelle, Celanova, Gomesende, A Merca, Padrenda, Pontedeva, Quintela de Leirado, Ramirás Verea.
Municipalities that belong to the region of Allariz - Maceda: Allariz, Baños de Molgas, Maceda, Paderne de Allariz, Xunqueira de Ambía & Xunqueira de Espadañedo.


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Category: Revision and Editing
Revision and editing are key components writing fiction and writing children's books. The craft of revision is something every writer should practice if they want to know how to write and sell a novel. These articles focus on revision and editing children's books, picture books, early readers, chapter books, middle grade novels, and young adult novels.
Posted on March 16, 2020 March 16, 2020 9
Novel Outline Template
By very, very, very popular demand, here's a PDF download of a novel outline template. You have been asking for one for years, but the closest I've ever written is this short article on a novel synopsis. Well, I've rectified that today!
You can also grab it directly via this Google Drive link. (To use the document in your own Google Drive, simply make a copy of it by going to the File menu, then to "Make a copy". You won't be able to edit the original because I want everyone to have this template.)
Fill in this template to start charting your own novel outline. It's good stuff!
To download the PDF version of this file, please click here: Novel Outline Template
Writers want to see examples of a novel outline template because there are so many ways to achieve this. What goes into a novel outline? How do you format it? This is certainly one way to organize an outline, but there are many other writers and writing teachers who have put together comprehensive advice and their own novel outline templates. (Two of my favorites are Fool Proof Outline and Outlining Your Novel).
Start here and see where it takes you. Most of my readers know that I've been teaching the concept of interiority for years, and so this outline goes into character arc a lot, not just plot arc. I think it's the best of both worlds, but would love to hear your reactions in the comments when you use it!
As a freelance editor, I do the novel outline edit all the time. Do all the hard thinking ahead of time. Kick the tires of your idea. Pressure test your plot and character arcs. I can do one or multiple rounds to make sure you have a road map for your future draft nailed down before you sit down to write. This is honestly one of my favorite services to do because we can anticipate a lot of issues ahead of time and save you so much revision heartache.
Posted on July 29, 2019 July 29, 2019 3
Novel Scene Description
Scene description tends to flummox many a novel writer. The devil is in the details, you've heard. Well, it's possible to have too many details, and also too few. Then there are static details. Ack! How to walk this fine line when crafting your own scene description? Read on.
What do you want readers to see? How to write novel scene description that's just right.
The Ideal Balance of Scene Description
Scene setting exists to not only bring your reader into your story, but give mood to each scene, and do world-building. A 1950s kitchen will be very different from an alien world. The issue is, many writers don't know how much scene setting is too much, or how much is too little. They don't know where to put it in their prose. They struggle with its overall arc as the novel progresses. Here are some thoughts for achieving that ideal balance.
Considerations About Reader Attention
When you write scene setting, you are directing reader attention. You are either highlighting a place, or downplaying, according to the amount of description you choose to include.
Yes, it's possible to get bogged down with description, and, as a result, scene setting. We'll talk about that in a moment. It's also possible to skip scene setting altogether and end up with a strangely ungrounded project.
Remember this when you write: How much you describe something directly ties into how important a reader thinks that something is. As you decide how to describe a scene, how much, and when, keep this in the back of your mind.
You can describe a scene more liberally the first time a character visits. This is their introduction to a place, after all, and you want readers to create it in their minds. But don't do a few big paragraphs of description at the beginning of every scene. This will be a pattern readers grow tired of. Instead, think of places to pause and insert description throughout the scene that takes place in a certain setting.
Once that groundwork is done, future visits to that place can do with less scene setting. But you don't want to abandon it completely.
Too Few Scene Description Details
If you suffer from too little scene description, pick some evocative details of each scene. A big problem in novels without setting is that scenes often turn into talking heads. Just dialogue and human motion. These tend to read very quickly and readers won't feel grounded. Can you pick evocative details, maybe that match the emotion of the scene? Pepper them on pages where you see a ton of dialogue and little action.
Maybe three or four details will be all you need. Maybe you'll sit and start thinking about the room and be inspired to describe it more. As a good rule of thumb for you, try a few sentences of scene setting at the beginning of each scene that your characters enter. Then, when they go back to a location, note any changes or comment on how the setting might feel different because of all that has happened since the characters' last visit there.
Too Much Scene Setting
Indulgent scene setting is an opposite problem. Usually, writers lavish the first page set in a specific scene on description. This can stop action cold. Redundancy also becomes an issue, especially if description is ongoing, even though a character has visited a place many times.
Think of a new scene or a new chapter as an invitation to the reader. You are asking them to join you for the next installment of story. If you immediately bombard them with colors, smells, the various textiles and appointments of a room, the vibe in the air, the music drifting in, and all of these other small details—that's a lot to keep in mind. It makes the beginning of a scene, which is ideally a light and inviting thing, seem heavy and too complicated.
If you struggle with this issue, limit yourself to three significant details and three more specific details. And don't introduce all of them when a character first enters the scene. Pepper them throughout.
How Scene Description Changes Throughout
Think of the scene setting in your novel as having its own arc. You will be doing more scene setting at the beginning of a novel, simply because you are introducing readers to a world and its environments. They have never been to each place before, they will want to see the big picture and a few evocative details.
But as the story moves forward and the settings become familiar, don't drop your scene setting. Simply shift your focus. Is the diner dreary on this foggy day, as the character goes to sulk over a milkshake? Does the brilliant sunshine over the field cheer the whole place up? As characters go through a story, they will develop relationships to the places they have been. These relationships can change the character's viewpoint of a place. They can add emotion to the place.
Pick three locations that your character visits a lot. Can you give them an emotional "tone" every time the character goes there? Add some specific scene setting description that teases out a sense of arc? Even more neutral settings can contribute to story with a few well-chosen descriptions.
Work with me as your developmental editor and we can address your questions about scenes, arcs, and writing description in a focused encouraging one-on-one setting.
Posted on July 1, 2019 June 30, 2019 3
Avoid Long Sentences in Colloquial Writing
I work a lot with voice, especially colloquial writing, with my editorial clients. Aside from dry voice, which is a topic in and of itself, I have been battling long sentences quite a bit recently. I write this post as a reminder to all writers: Bigger isn't necessarily better. (Cue my thirteen-year-old self giggling.)
Today's voice favors colloquial writing and eschews long sentences. Especially for young readers still finding their reading confidence.
Long Sentences Are Hard Work
There are two common ways in which writers elongate sentences unnecessarily. One is via the semicolon, one is by stacking action. Unless you are British or from another Commonwealth country, the semicolon is largely leaving modern trade fiction. (An interesting anecdotal study done for The Bestseller Code by Jodie Archer found that semicolon use is inversely proportional to commercial success. Plus, not a lot of people use semicolons correctly.)
I personally encourage clients to avoid them because they create awkward long sentences that drag on. They are especially undesirable in picture books, early readers, and chapter books, and some early middle grade because those readers are not yet comfortable with complex sentence structures.
Another tendency I see is the stacking of action, especially by using "as." I encourage writers to limit a sentence to three actions, for example:
She shut her laptop, sipped her coffee, and stared absently at the wall.
(This happens to be my favorite activity…)
Here's what happens to the sentence, which is long enough already, if "as" comes to the party:
She shut her laptop, sipped her coffee, and stared absent at the wall as the cat prowled for puzzle pieces along the hallway and the mail carrier knocked at the door.
It's too much for one sentence to do comfortably. (Also, my cat can't be the only puzzle enthusiast out there, right?) Your work shouldn't be, well, work to read. When you're tempted to use a semicolon or "as" to keep something going, consider either zooming out and conveying less action (because you might not need such detail) or breaking up the sentence.
Reading Long Sentences Aloud
Another trick I love to use, especially for picture books, is to read the work aloud. Not only will this help you get a visceral feel for colloquial writing and voice, but it will absolutely indicate which sentences are too long. Why?
People need to breathe. And if you need to breathe in the middle of one of your sentences, it's too long. Especially in dialogue. We tend to speak in shorter sentences than we'd use for narrative and description. If you have characters speaking in 50-word sentences which are exactly the same as your narrative writing style, that's an issue. Speech should have its own cadence.
Read your work aloud to focus on long sentences and either eliminate them or break them up. Colloquial writing is here to stay, and shorter, more energetic sentences are going to help you a lot on the voice front. A win for you, and a win for your readers!
If you struggle with voice, I can step in as your manuscript editor and guide you in the right direction with personalized, encouraging feedback.
Posted on June 17, 2019 8
Character Development Questions to Ask and Answer
Perhaps this is a contrarian approach to character development, but I don't care what your character's favorite flavor of ice cream is. I don't necessarily want to know what sport they played, or what their spirit animal is (unless these factor into the plot, of course). A lot of character development that writers are coached to do doesn't really translate into great story. So what should you focus on? Keep reading to find out.
"If you were an island, what color would your sand be?" Huh? Ask significant character development questions instead.
Why Ask Character Development Questions?
A lot of writing books suggest getting to know your characters. Act like you're interviewing them. Ask them questions. This, the logic goes, will lead to deeper and more nuanced character.
But you have to ask the right questions! I have seen spreadsheets that writers have created of a character's hometown, favorite TV show, etc. None of these things move the needle. A key part of writing character, in my opinion, is creating vulnerability. Inner struggle is crucial to character and story. Those are the deeply human elements that are going to reel your readers into the heart of your characters and stories. If you're not asking these types of questions, it's never too late to start.
Things to Consider When Doing Character Development
Here is a list of character development questions I wish more writers would ask their characters or about their characters:
What is your deepest conscious desire?
What is your deepest unconscious desire?
What, if anything, is preventing you from achieving either of the above?
What do you want from yourself?
What do you want from other people?
What's your most positive and supportive relationship?
Is there any conflict to it?
What's your most negative relationship?
Is there any positivity to it?
If there were no obstacles, what is one thing you would do in a heartbeat?
What obstacles (internal and external) are preventing you from doing that?
How do you feel about yourself on a good day?
How do you feel about yourself on a bad day?
What does an ideal life (referring to the character's own life and situation) look like, to you?
What does an ideal world (referring to society at large for the character, his or her loved ones, and people in general) look like, to you?
What three experiences from the past defined you in the present?
Where do you see yourself in three months? One year? Three years? Ten years?
What is the inner wound or inner struggle that keeps you up at night?
What is your ugliest side? How do you manage it? Does it ever overtake you?
What is your most noble, best side? How do you encourage it? What's keeping it from shining more often?
What does it feel like to you when you're stressed? Bored? Angry? Proud? Happy? Excited?
Is there any friction between how you see yourself, and how others see you? If so, what is preventing you from closing that gap?
These questions aim to address a few crucial (I believe) components of character development: What are the inner struggles? How does the character deal with adversity? How do they see themselves in their mind's eye and in relation to others? How do conflicts and tensions affect them?
The rest of the decisions you make about their favorite subject in school and what kind of cake they like … those are fun but fluffy. Here, I aim to drill down to the very real. Why? Because these are the relatable things that your readers will connect to on a deeper level.
What to Actually Use
One big mistake I see is that writers do all of this character development, and then shoehorn all of it into their manuscripts. They can't bear to leave any behind. But some of those spreadsheet ideas need to stay in the spreadsheet. The purpose of doing any kind of "getting to know you" work with your character is that you sit down and do the work. You get to know them. You plan them out.
Invariably, some of that work will end up on the "cutting room floor." It's for you, it's not for the reader. Though you've developed it, you don't necessarily have to use it on the page. And you don't want to be terribly overt with the answers to the above questions, either. Avoid putting these things on the page. Real people don't walk around saying, in dialogue with others, "My childhood wound is that I wasn't loved enough." But if this is true, it drives a lot of their behavior anyway.
Think of it as homework, not necessarily something for the final product. Focus on what's really important when it comes to character. Leave the rest for your spreadsheet.
If you struggle with character development, you might want custom, actionable advice from a novel editor. I can help take your protagonist, and therefor your story, to the next level.
Posted on June 3, 2019 June 3, 2019 4
Choosing Your Main Character
Some writers don't have to decide on their main character, the protagonist has been in their imagination forever! Others, though, struggle with the choice or protagonist. These writers having big casts of characters, multiple POVs, or small, tightly knit ensembles. If you find yourself struggling to define the main character in your story, read on.
If you have trouble selecting the best potential main character for your manuscript, you've come to the right place.
One question I'm asked a lot is: Does a character have to change from beginning to end? This is otherwise known as a character arc. My answer has always been a resounding yes. Unless you're writing an antihero (a tough proposition, especially for younger readers), a character's change arc is going to be one of the more interesting parts of your story. Whether your character learns something by solving a problem (common in picture book) or undergoes a fundamental identity shift (as seen in MG and YA), their potential for change is a big determining factor in who you should select for a main character.
Remember what readers want. They read to care and feel. That's it. Change is messy, it's emotional, it's usually very gratifying. The character who changes the most is also the character who has the potential to connect most with your reader. If this isn't currently your main character, you might have a decision to make.
Main Character and Emotion
One of the cornerstones of my teaching philosophy about writing is interiority, or access to a character's thoughts, emotions, reactions, and inner struggle. The character with the biggest change arc usually also has the most potential for emotional scenes. The character is going through a lot, they feel deeply, they aim to learn or grow … readers will want to see this on the page. By choosing this dynamic character, with deep, nuanced feelings, for your main character, you will be putting more emotion into your story. The scenes of your plot will have more feeling to them. What you write about will seem to matter more to readers. If your character floats along, not changing, not really feeling that much, do they have enough potential to be a true protagonist?
The other thought here is about novel theme. Every book has something that it's about, in a big picture sense. Character will often be tied into your theme, meaning that if you want to write about loss, then maybe a good protagonist in that type of book is grieving. So when you choose your protagonist, and you think about their journey, and their potential for emotion, you'll also want to think about how all of these things align with your bigger picture. If your book is about self-acceptance and your main character spends most of the story in denial, while their friend plays a supportive and emotionally vulnerable role, maybe you've chosen the wrong point of view. Let the lens of the character match the thing you want to do or say with your project.
Special Consideration for Picture Book Main Characters
I was speaking to a client this weekend who has this problem with a picture book. He has three potential candidates for the protagonist. In addition to all of the thoughts, above, I gave him the following advice:
Since it's generally a bad idea to use adult or teacher characters to dispense picture book lessons, the main character in a picture book should be the character who realizes the moral of the story themselves. Which character here can realize the strongest solution to the problem, and present it to readers in a kid-friendly and realistic way? That should be your main character.
This client had one character who would've been a good mouthpiece of the message, which was about dealing with change (a perennial picture book theme). But there was another character who was actively going through a change. I counseled this client to pick the character who was experiencing change, because readers would be much more receptive to hear from that particular character about how to deal with it. That character would be speaking firsthand about the topic, rather than giving a more passive lecture.
In summary, follow the change, follow the development, follow the emotion. Connect these back to your theme. The person who hits as many of those points as possible is your book's main character, and if they're not, they should be.
Struggling with creating a relatable protagonist? I can be your developmental editor to help you create the necessary depth and nuance.
Posted on May 6, 2019 May 5, 2019 5
How to Avoid One Dimensional Character
Too often, one dimensional character translates to predictable fiction. Flat character descriptions have the potential to sink your novel before it really gets off the ground, especially in children's fiction. Picture books suffer from caricature as well. Here's why one dimensional character is harmful, and how to avoid it.
If I've read your character many times before, you have a one dimensional character. But how to fix your sheeple, er, people?
The Danger of Flat Character
One dimensional character is, basically, quite boring to read. A lot of manuscripts I've seen over the years pick an attribute for a character ("the brave one" or "the shy one") and then … that's it. The Brave One can always be found doing something brave, the Shy One is always hanging in the shadows without speaking, and the whole manuscript proceeds along these lines.
It's as if the writer has boxes they feel they need to check, and various attributes they want to include, and that's it. But these caricatures aren't true characters, and they're no fun to read. They've also been done thousands of times before … the definition of flat character. This goes for protagonists, secondary characters, antagonists, even the helpful librarian (I'm talking to all of you middle grade mystery writers!). The kid who loves adventure (shout out to my picture book people).
Every type of characters deserves nuance. Something to make them surprising, something to make them relatable, something to make them complicated. So take your thumbnail sketch of the character you're writing and thrown in a few wildcards. The thing is, nobody makes sense all the time, or plays to "type" consistently. And if they do, there's something wrong.
How to Fix One Dimensional Character
Throw a surprise into the works. Does the Shy One come up with a bold idea? Add struggle. Maybe the Bold One hates being the daredevil, but they're overlooked in their large family if they don't stick out–sometimes with disastrous results. What's something the reader can't tell about your character at first blush? What's a secret your character is keeping? An unexpected desire? A rebellion against their identity, or what others think of them?
Imagine a scene in your manuscript that will make readers change their opinions of your character. Maybe it's after your character says or does something controversial, dangerous, tame, or "out of character." Write this scene. Aim to change not only the reader's mind, but the minds of other characters who think they know the person in question. You'll have a flat character no more!
You may find that you like playing with impressions and expectations. You may uncover a character attribute that you will then incorporate into your manuscript. How does what you learn change your character's arc? Objectives? Motivations? You may be inspired to do this "second impression" scene with your other important characters.
Surprise yourself. Surprise your characters. Make sure you never suffer from the one dimensional character pitfall again.
Character is the window to story for your readers. If you're struggling creating a compelling, multi-layered protagonist, I can offer customized advice and feedback as your developmental editor.
Posted on February 18, 2019 January 21, 2019 4
Character Objective and Writing a Strong Protagonist
Writing objectives for your characters creates strong protagonists with nuance and drive. Remember, you want to focus on writing a proactive protagonist into your novel. Character objective is a top notch way of doing that. Here's what I mean by that, and how you can use this powerful idea to move your story forward.
Strong goals and reasons for them form the foundation of compelling character objective.
What is Character Objective?
Character objective is easy to understand: It's what a character wants. Objective also goes hand-in-hand with character motivation. The reason why a character wants something. If you don't know this about your protagonist, you are in deep, deep trouble. Writing objectives should be top of mind. Why?
All characters should want something. Wanting is universally compelling, we can all relate to it. When I know what a character wants, I am that much more excited to root for them. When I understand why they want it, that feeling only grows. (Making a reader care is one of the cornerstones of how to hook a reader, after all.)
Writing Objectives That Compel Readers
The act of writing a character objective is a bit more tricky. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Establish the objective ASAP. Don't leave readers hanging. Within the first chapter, make sure the character has at least an initial objective that they're pursuing. This can tie into their bigger picture want and need as a person, or it can be something short-term. But let's show them wanting something.
Make the objective specific. "To feel happy" is a very vague objective. It is too broad, and doesn't have a clear way to know whether it has been achieved or not (since "happiness" is so nebulous). "To help Mom get her job back by impressing her boss" is much more specific.
Let your character imagine the possibilities. Add nuance to the objective by letting your character think about the ramifications. What happens if she does get Mom's job back? How does she plan to impress the boss? What happens if the gambit fails?
Add stakes. Create a sense of ramifications for success and failure, and don't forget to add nuance here, too. Maybe if Mom gets her job back, that will solve a lot of problems, but then she'll be away from home. If Mom doesn't get the job, maybe the family will fall into dire straits, financially. What might all that mean for your character and plot?
Weaving Character Objective Into Story
Finally, let objective translate into a larger sense of story. This is where the rubber of writing objectives meets the road. Let the character come back to the objective often, mentally. Dream about it. Worry about it. Take action toward it. The latter should then translate into plot.
Start with a strong sense of objective and let the character work toward it. Make it important. Give it layers. Not only will this help your character be more compelling, but your entire narrative as well.
Still struggling with character, objective, motivation, or creating a truly three-dimensional protagonist? Hire me as your novel editor and get in-depth, personal advice from an experienced publishing professional.
Posted on February 4, 2019 January 12, 2019 5
Authorial Voice and Third Person Voice
I got a great question the other day about authorial voice and third person voice from an editorial client. He was writing in alternating close third POV chapters with a cast of several characters. Basically, he was telling his story in third person from several character perspectives. Even though everything was in close third person, he was still dipping into different character heads per chapter. Would that influence the voice? Basically, he was wondering what the difference was between authorial voice (his natural voice as a writer), the third person voice of his overall narrative, and how (and if?) close third is influenced by character voice. A lot to unpack here!
What's the difference between authorial voice, third person voice, and character voice?
Basically, it's a balance. There is the author's own voice, and then the narrative voice, which is informed by POV character, at least slightly. Or at least it should be. Because if your third person narrative voice is the same from Character A Chapter to Character B Chapter, then why bother segmenting the narrative into separate characters?
This writer made the choice to use different close third POV characters. The modern trend is to "flavor" your POV chapters with narration that reflects the POV character at least somewhat, even in third person. This obviously happens more conspicuously in first person because then the entire voice is assumed to be the characters'.
But in third person, you wouldn't write a third person grandfather POV with the exact same language as you would their grandchild's POV chapter. Overwhelmingly, I've heard agents and publishers comment about adding voice and style to close third person POV that at least takes the character whose chapter it is into account. The consensus seems to be that they should be able to open your book to a random page and know which character's POV we're in based on voice, even if they can't see the chapter heading, and even in third person.
So let's break it down further.
Character Voice
This is the voice of your character. In first person POV ("I said"), that is also the voice you're writing in. In third person, it is widely preferred in contemporary fiction to let your character's voice inflect the narrative, especially if you are writing in close third person on that one character. This basically means that you are writing in third person ("He said") but only go into the experience of one character, usually your protagonist.
Other opportunities to express your character's voice come in dialogue, where they are literally speaking, and interiority and direct thought, when you render their exact thoughts on the page. This is when you will want to think about voice, which words they'd choose, how they'd say them (syntax), and the content of their self-expression. It's good to consider these elements for each character you put on the page.
Sometimes, the narrator him or herself is very intrusive and becomes a character in the story. The classic example is the narrator of the Series of Unfortunate Events, written under the pen name of Lemony Snicket, but really by Daniel Handler. There are people acting out the plot but the story is told by a first person raconteur character as well. This is yet another type of voice to consider.
Third Person Voice
If you are writing third person, you are either in close third (your POV is limited to one character), alternating (you hop from character's head to character's head but in a more structured way, like my client who asked this question) or omniscient (where you float around and "head hop" at will into the experiences of a wide cast of characters, like The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon, but note that omniscient third is widely considered the most difficult to pull off and not a good fit for every market).
This means you are also now thinking about narrative voice, your baseline voice for telling the story. Unless you have a Lemony Snicket-type narrator, but in third person, to account for, your third person narrative voice is going to be more neutral. I would still recommend tinting this voice to share elements with your character(s) if you are writing in close third, alternating, or omniscient. Per my example above, a chapter in third person voice that focuses on a young child should not read like a chapter in third person that explores an older man's more wistful or reflective (or bitter!) experience.
If the voice sounds the same on every page, even in third person, despite going into the experiences of different characters, this is an issue. You may not be exploring or inhabiting your characters deeply enough. They should affect your voice. Not as much as they would in first person, but enough to have some bearing on the writing.
Another thing to note is that narrative voice can change from book to book. Your snappy YA romance is not going to be written in the same voice as your coming of age MG. It just shouldn't be. Those are completely different categories, character ages, plots, and reader expectations. So it's important to realize that narrative voice, whether first or third person, changes according to the characters used and the story being told.
Authorial Voice
Finally, there's authorial voice. This is the element that doesn't change, your signature. Are you known for clever dialogue, like John Green? Froth and fun, like Meg Cabot? Heartfelt honesty, like Judy Blume? These are classic examples but when we read these authors, we know what we're in for, no matter what the book. That's because of authorial voice.
If you're just developing yourself, don't worry. Authorial voice is something you discover, not force into existence. It falls into place much later in the writing journey, and sometimes people can't predict what their signature is until it emerges.
My client, though, was wondering if authorial voice should dominate the third person writing, or if he had to make allowances for character to creep into the narrative. Especially since he was writing in alternating chapter close third person, I told him that character had to lead the day. Authorial voice will emerge, but it should not be your primary storytelling concern. Especially if you are choosing to render multiple POVs.
The overall voice with be yours (authorial voice), and that sense of voice will get stronger, the longer you write. But I would encourage my client, and anyone reading, to add lenses of more stylized voice/narration that are going to be unique to each POV character.
If you are curious about POV and want more exploration and examples, I highly, highly recommend Writing the Intimate Character by Jordan Rosenfeld.
Struggling to develop voice? It's usually the last writing and storytelling element to fall into place. With me as your novel editor, we can work toward your own narrative style together, in a focused, supportive, and actionable way.
Posted on November 26, 2018 November 25, 2018 14
Picture Book Format and How to Format Your Manuscript
Picture book manuscript format flummoxes a lot of aspiring children's book writers because there is so much potential variety. In my career, I have seen hundreds of examples of picture book format. To help you stand out in the slush as polished and professional, I've developed a picture book manuscript template handout that I've used over the years to really streamline and clarify the process for writers.
Click here to download my picture book format handout as a PDF. Feel free to share!
Picture Book Format
Picture book manuscript format tends to vary WIDELY. Some writers have it down. Others think they're paginating correctly if they allocate a separate manuscript page to each line, resulting in a 32-page Word document that contains 300 words. What if a picture book manuscript template existed? It would certainly streamline things. As is, some writers include illustration notes, others stay far away. How do you paginate a children's book? How do you format illustration notes correctly? This resources answers those questions (and here are more thoughts on illustration notes in your children's book manuscript).
I've put together a handout that answers all these questions and more. No conference or webinar attendance required! Click this link to download the PDF.
How to Publish a Picture Book
Remember that picture book format is just one small component of a successful children's book submission. You also have your picture book query letter, and, well, the most important thing: an awesome manuscript! Don't focus so much on picture book manuscript format that you lose sight of character, plot, and writing style. Those are going to take you a lot further than a nice-looking, polished file … but the latter certainly doesn't hurt.
That's why I'm offering this picture book manuscript template tool to help you cross this concern off your list.
As a picture book editor, I work with writers on all aspects of the picture book craft, from creating a compelling children's book manuscript (in proper picture book format, of course!) to nailing the query letter. Contact me for personal, actionable advice on your project.
Posted on October 15, 2018 September 3, 2020 3
Picture Book Structure
There are quite a few ways to think about picture book structure. Here, I'm going to present a looser "Problem and Solution" structure, and a more specific page-by-page breakdown that you might find interesting.
Look at that masterful plot twist in Act II! Didn't see it coming at all…
The Basics of Picture Book Structure
Keep in mind that you are working with 24, 32, or 40 pages for most picture books, with 32 being the hands-down favorite. Take three or four pages away because you need to accommodate front matter (like the copyright and title pages), and I'd say you have about 28 usable pages to work with.
When you are planning your picture book, imagine telling the story in individual pages (either the right or left side of the book, "profile" view) or spreads (both pages, "landscape view").
How do you fill those pages? Spend five of them describing the character's favorite ice cream flavor and how nice they are? NOPE. You need to dive right into story without wasting too much time. Preferably, you will jump straight into action. Here are two examples of common picture book structure that you can work with.
Picture Book Structure: Problem and Solution
When I was doing some speaking on picture books in 2012, I wrote a talk that incorporated simple Problem and Solution picture book structure. Basically, your character is introduced in terms of a problem they're having. Then they make several attempts to solve the problem, before some kind of resolution. It looks like this, assuming that your book starts on page 4 because of front matter:
Page 4: Character introduction
Page 5 to 6: Conflict introduction
Page 7 to 8: Raise the stakes (establish why the conflict fights the character, what happens if they don't get what they want, etc.)
Page 9 to 18: First two attempts to solve the conflict, story stakes rising
Page 19 to 26: Third and biggest attempt
Pages 27 to 29: Climax and success hanging in the balance
Pages 30 to 31 or 32: Resolution, reversal, final image (whether you go to page 32 depends on if you end the story on the right side of the page or after one more page turn)
Note: These page number prescriptions are a starting point for helping you map out your thinking, they are not a hard-and-fast rule.
Character Development in Picture Book Structure
Nobody cares what your character's name is or what their favorite ice cream flavor is. Sorry. You do, but nobody else does. That's not what makes them a character. Fancy Nancy was a character not because she liked poodles but because her whole driving passion in life was making ordinary things fancy. This is a characteristic that will fire up reader imaginations.
So once you've established a character with an objective (something they want) and motivation (why they want it), you can give them a conflict that grates against who they are. This makes the conflict more powerful, and gives them extra reason to want to solve it. Is also establishes stakes–what happens if they aren't successful, why it matters.
Otherwise, if readers don't understand why your specific conflict is a big deal for your specific character, your whole story won't matter. But if you create a strong foundation that ties character to plot, their attempts to solve the conflict will be noble, and the classic Problem and Solution picture book structure will work well for you.
A Reminder About Preaching in Picture Books
But keep in mind something I mentioned above. Their attempts to solve the conflict. That means you're writing a proactive protagonist who is going to drive the story.
Preaching in picture books is very tempting but a huge no-no. You need to empower your main character, rather than having wise old Grandma swoop in and solve everything.
Examples of Problem and Solution Picture Books
You can check out the following simple narrative books that may not hew to the page counts mentioned above, but which follow a relatively straightforward attempt/resolution structure:
CLICK, CLACK, MOO, COWS THAT TYPE by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin
A GARDEN FOR PIG by Kathryn Thurman and Lindsey Ward
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK by Alice Schertle and Jill McElmurry
TOAD ON THE ROAD: MAMA AND ME by Stephen Shaskan
Picture Book Structure: Symmetrical Paradigm
This idea for picture book structure comes entirely from Eve Heidi Bine-Stock's HOW TO WRITE A CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK: VOLUME I: STRUCTURE. Her writing on the topic of picture books is definitely worth investigating. I'll summarize the structure here but won't reveal several fine-point components, in fairness to their creator.
The Components of Symmetrical Paradigm Picture Book Structure
This is a looser wrapper and more applicable to different types of story. It has a lot in common with the Problem and Solution structure, but there are some nuances. Here's how it goes:
Act I: the Beginning or the set-up, about 20% of the story or 5-7 pages
Plot Twist I: a plot twist that separates the Beginning from the Middle
Act II: the Middle, or the primary action, about 60% of the story
Midpoint: a moment in the middle where the story splits into a "before" and an "after"
Plot Twist II: a plot twist that separates the Middle from the Ending
Act III: this contains the resolution or the Ending, about 20% of the story, or 5-7 pages
What I really like about this Symmetrical Paradigm is that it inspires writers to carefully consider what separates the different sections of their book, the plot twists and midpoint, which provide emotional layers to the character and story.
Examples of Symmetrical Paradigm Picture Books
Bine-Stock cites many classic examples in her book, and her explanations are worth looking into. They include:
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE by Maurice Sendak
CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM by Bill Martin, Jr., John Archambault, and Lois Ehlert
IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond
GOODNIGHT MOON by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd
Other Types of Picture Books
There are exceptions to every rule. While the above are good options for narrative-style picture books, those aren't the only ones around. Non-fiction picture books are their own animal, and need to be organized according to the narrative structure of their subject matter (for example, in a picture book biography, the subject's life is going to provide its own flow).
Concept picture books or picture books for very young readers often have their own structure, and it tends to be very repetitive. Alphabet books are obviously organized according to … the alphabet. And concept books like DUCK RABBIT by Amy Krause Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld follow a Problem and Solution framework but only insofar as there's a question asked, and then variations on an answer (or question) are given over and over. If you examine that example, there isn't really a resolution at all.
Let's dig into your own picture book project. Hire me as your picture book editor and get advice customized to your manuscript.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Are you still able to get Megan exhausts this cheap? want one for my e90 M.
2008, 6 speed. I spent $1,600 on the Magnaflow and it was too loud with an awful drone. Did the DIY (it's all over youtube) for $100 and love it.
Last edited by fatboyharley; Wed, Dec-28-2016 at 08:19:34 PM.
Billy Boat (awesome sound and definite power increase). I just added that and an AFE intake. Car is noticeably quicker, more responsive and sounds awesome.
OEM headers, ESS HFC Xpipe, Evolve Valvetronic catback. Everyone that rides that car is impressed with how loud it can be when stepping on it yet it has zero drone over 2k rpm. Zero.
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Compulsory Celibacy a "Festering Wound", Says Slovakian Priest
September 24, 2018 by Cameron Doody
Compulsory Celibacy a "Festering Wound", Says Slovakian Priest September 24, 2018 Cameron Doody
In the wake of the sex abuse scandals in the Catholic Church all over the world, more and more people are beginning to suspect that much of the abuse committed by priests and religious can be explained by the demands of mandatory clerical celibacy. Father Michal Lajcha – the parish priest of Klak, Slovakia – doesn't just suspect the link, however. "It's a paradox", he mused in an interview with AP. "The Church demonizes sexuality and keeps it under cover, and at the same there are children abused. I'm not saying that it would stop completely if we have voluntary celibacy, but we can agree that the situation would be a bit different".
Compulsory celibacy for priests is a "festering wound" in the Church, said Lajcha, presenting the new book he has written in two versions – one for laypeople and one for theologians – entitled The Tragedy of Celibacy: The Death of the Wife. The second part of the title, he said, is a reference to the fact that married men can only become priests in the Roman Church once they are widowed.
But why can't men become priests when their spouses are alive? That only single men can accompany their communities as presbyters is something Lajcha can't understand, especially since it reeks of hypocrisy. The faithful hardly believe "we really live the life of celibacy", the priest lamented, noting that the dissimulation contributes to there being "a huge abyss between the clergy and the laypeople".
"It's like the difference between being on top of Mount Everest, and hearing a story about it"
"The mission of the Church is to be close to people", explained Lajcha. "But how can I be close to people when I live such a radically different life?" Lamenting that the priest "has no worries and also no joys as those people he should take care of spiritually", he likened the inability of ordained men to understand the highs and lows of married and family life to "being on top of Mount Everest, and hearing a story about it".
But it's not just the hypocrisy that's the problem, said Lajcha: it's also that the Church is missing out on the unique contributions non-celibate priests can make. Priests such as a local hero of Klak, Father Rudolf Klucha, who saved 300 Slovakians from a Nazi massacre but who to this day hasn't received the appreciation he deserves from Church authorities, simply because he fathered three children.
Compulsory clerical celibacy is on the agenda of the Synod of Bishops of the Amazonian region slated for October 2019, and Lajcha has plans to translate his books in time for that major event. In the meantime, though, it is possible he might face reprisals from the conservative Slovakian hierarchy for his outspoken stance. Not that Lajcha is worried, though. "I want to have a family. This is unsustainable for me", he said. And as long as continues to say Mass in Klak, he knows he has the support of his parishioners.
"God forbid they remove him!", said one of his parishioners, Olga Zubekova. "His Masses are nice, his preaching is nice, he gets along with everyone, he's helpful to everyone. That would be a real shame".
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While there is the real possibility that married men may be permitted ordination in the Latin church, there is none that ordained priests will be allowed to marry and continue their ministry. There is really no legitimate precedent for that in all of Church history.
This idea keeps getting circulated as if it would solve the clerical abuse scandal… yet the Church is not the only institution with this problem, they are just the institution where it has been dragged out into the open. Protestant ministers, school teachers, youth sports coaches and many other professions and activities that offer access to our youth have this same problem. The only key difference is that Catholic Priests who are abusers don't have their own children to abuse.
I don't have a problem with ordaining married men, but our discussion should be built on what married men can offer and not a suggestion that it is somehow going to resolve the abuse crises.


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Benjamin Millepied Gets His Groove (DanceTabs)
The upshot of my trip to Peak Performances at Montclair: LA Dance Projects is a worthy enterprise, despite Millepied's own limitations as a choreographer, at least so far. The performance of William Forsythe's "Quintett," especially, is enough reason to give the new ensemble the benefit of the doubt.
Here is my review for DanceTabs:
And here is a short excerpt:
"If one is able to forget about the celebrity hype and the Dior perfume ads, one begins to see Benjamin Millepied for what he is: an ambitious young choreographer and impresario, trying to find his place in the cacophonous, quarrelsome dance world. He has chosen to set up shop in L.A., far from his old stomping grounds. Of course, the celebrity and the perfume ads are inevitably part of the story, since to a certain extent they make the enterprise possible. The exposure provided by one facilitates the other. But the question remains: what does Millepied mean to accomplish with this small ensemble of six dancers which he has called the L.A. Dance Project?"
The Danes get their Bayadère (DanceTabs)
A group of dancers from the Royal Ballet came to Works and Process to discuss and show excerpts from their new production of La Bayadère. I wrote about it for DanceTabs.
"Petipa's Bayadère was set in a typical nineteenth-century Orientalist fantasy, a mythical India of the distant past in which temple dancers performed fire rites and submitted to (or rejected) the advances of high priests. Hübbe has scrapped that idea and moved the action to the late nineteenth, early twentieth, century, the height of the Raj. Nikiya is still a Hindu temple dancer – or devadasi – but her lover is no longer an Indian warrior, but rather a British officer, Sir William. William's betrothed (Emma) is now the daughter of a British Vice Consul, not an Indian princess. In effect, William must choose between a white woman of his class, and an Indian woman far below his station. Hübbe has injected both race and colonial politics into the story – it remains to be seen whether the flimsy, fairy-tale plot can sustain such a dose of historical realism."
American Ballet Theatre is Leaving City Center
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that "American Ballet Theatre will announce Wednesday that it has signed a three-year deal to perform at the David H. Koch Theater, starting in October 2013 with a two-week season."
That means the end of City Center seasons, though the decision won't affect the Met season or the Nutcracker run at BAM. Still, it's a big change. More fallout from City Opera's desertion of Lincoln Center.
Veronika Part and Roberto Bolle in "Symphony #9"
A moment from the mysterious slow second movement of Alexei Ratmansky's "Symphony #9," in a photo by Rosalie O'Connor.
Akram Khan's "Vertical Road"
Last February, Akram Khan's company performed "Vertical Road" at Montclair State University. (I reviewed it at the time, for The Faster Times.) This week, it returns as part of Lincoln Center's White Light Festival.
Here's an excerpt from that review:
"As the piece begins, a shadow appears behind the membrane, suddenly pushing against it, producing a loud noise that makes the audience gasp. He does it again. The shadow, now clearly a male form, draws circles on the membrane, then writes on it with his finger, creating beautiful, shimmering ripples. Then, at the end of the piece, the membrane falls to the ground with a dramatic flutter; transcendence has been achieved, the barriers to enlightenment cut away. It's a little obvious, but still, esthetically pleasing.
The dancers are beautiful and strong, powerfully present without being showy or over-dramatic. They interact with great intimacy; it's not "here, I'm touching you in order to lift you," but "I put my hand on your hip and you trust me." After a long erotic pas de deux—I read it as an illustration of transcendence through sexual ecstasy—a man (I believe it was Andrej Petrovic) removed his partner's outermost layer of clothing (I believe she was Eulalia Ayguade Farro) and one could feel the sexual tenderness of his touch. If these two dancers are not lovers, they damn well look like they are and the truthfulness of their performance elicits echoes of recognition in our own minds. We too have known moments like this.
Khan's dancers move with weight and a strong sense of thrust. The choreography here combines the sinuousness and focus of martial arts with the quick, powerful changes of direction and whip-like arm movements of Indian dance—the dancers look like warriors and spiritual seekers, drawing circles with their arms and torsos, dragging their bodies along the ground, squatting in preparation for animal-like leaps, spinning like dervishes. There is a powerful section in which two men enter into combat, without ever touching each other. The force fields of their hands ripple through the space that separates them, sending them flying or crashing down to the ground. But there is not quite enough variety of tone to keep things interesting throughout the seventy-or-so minutes of the performance. There is too much unison dancing, and the rhythms stay too close to the thumping beat of the music, like an insistent pulse. It's over-literal. Enlightenment is one thing, but as they say, half the fun is getting there."
* Please feel free to leave a comment. If you would like to receive an alert when new pieces are posted on the Dance page, please drop me a line at dancinginthefastertimes@gmail.com. You can also check my updates on Twitter: @MarinaHarss
The Bausch Conundrum: Como el musguito en la piedra, at BAM.
Tanztheater Wuppertal in Pina Bausch's "…Como el musguito en la piedra, ay si, si, si…" Photo by Laurent Philippe.
Art is one of the most subjective experiences around. I'm reminded of that often when I'm at the theatre, feeling elated by something I've just seen, and hearing someone complain about the self-same thing, or vice versa. I'm always shocked, for example, when someone says they're bored by Twyla Tharp's In the Upper Room—how can one not like In the Upper Room?! Or the films of Wes Anderson? Or Schubert's songs? They seem so immutably fine, so well-constructed and intelligent and essential. All of which brings me Pina Bausch, and her final opus Como el musguito en la piedra, ay si, si, si, completed just weeks before her death. It is playing at the Brooklyn Academy of Music through Oct. 27.
Bausch's works are adored by fans the world over. Almodóvar has included passages in his movies, Wim Wenders has rendered them in 3D in Pina; great dancers dream of performing them. But I'll just come out and say it: for the most part, they leave me cold. There are moments, I'll admit, when an image or an idea will ignite something in my brain. I'll think to myself: here it is, finally, I am about to enter Bausch's enchanted garden. But it never lasts; the image passes, the idea is replaced by another, usually less compelling, and then another, and the door closes again. The colorful ball gowns, the high-heeled shoes, the feigned smiles and anguished moues, the little vignettes that lead nowhere, the Dadaist humor which almost never strikes me as funny, not to mention the endless repetition…it all wears me down. As soon as you see something clever, you can be sure you'll see it again, six or seven times. Most of all, I find the solos—where most of the real dancing happens—unimaginative, essentially variations on the same small repertory of movements. Once in a while a particular dancer will accentuate a specific ingredient, and things snap into focus: I'm quite moved by Dominique Mercy's deconstruction of balletic poses and awkward musical contrasts, for example, or Ditta Miranda Jasjfi's shimmering fingers, or Fernando Suels Mendoza's beautiful, precise footwork. But for the most part, the solos blend into each other; the dancers fold at the waist, swish their hair, roll, squat, whirl their arms, touch various parts of their body, twist, spiral one way and another. The men's solos cover more ground, but for the most part the elements are very similar. They look improvised, and probably spring from some form of directed improvisation. It's clear they are not meant to be experienced as dances, exactly, but rather as impressions, portraits of mental states and emotions.
The nightmare image from "Musguito." Photo by Paula Lobo.
Musguito is filled with these private dances, even more so than other Bausch works; they are strung together, separated by the usual Bauschian vignettes. This is how the second half of the three-hour evening begins: A man (Mendoza) sits on a chair and flirts with one woman after another—"Pero qué chica tan linda, qué linda eres, wow"—and then Jasjfi is carried onstage by another man, and Mendoza and Jasjfi do a tender little dance (he raises her in rocking lifts, caresses her hair, gently pulls up one of her legs, etc.). That done, a woman appears with a plastic bag full of sparkly costume jewelry; smilingly, she puts on a necklace, a ring, a bracelet and then, finally, the plastic bag itself. (Laughter.) Then the dancers place tiny lamps on the floor and someone says "it's the constellation of Pisces," and the dancers lie down on the stage and stare at the sky. This is followed by Mendoza's solo, peppered with delicate coupé turns and accompanied by the raspy voice of the Argentine singer Daniel Melingo in the wonderful song "Cha Digo." And then a another statuesque beauty—Bausch's dancers are all ravishing and ravishingly different—comes onstage and begins to scream something that sounds like "Haider!" and a man appears and kisses her hand, and she slaps him, hard. Then, another solo, more swishing hair, more squats, more languorous foldings at the waist.
This is not to say the evening does not have its compelling moments. A scene in which a man and a woman are violently pulled apart again and again by a group of men is a stark reminder of fact that Musguito was developed during a residency in Chile—it is one of Bausch's World Cities projects—and that Chile has a dark, not-too-distant past in which families and young couples were ripped apart, innocents tortured and killed by the military dictatorship of Pinochet. Also: a nightmare image in which a man crawls across a rope strung from one corner of the stage to the other, while a woman pulls desperately at her own rope, to which she is attached at the waist, like prisoner or a dog. And then there are two of Bausch's wonderful "chains" in which the dancers line up to perform synchronized movements, together, like a bunch of kids. In one, they caress each other's hair—hair figures prominently, as you can see—and their smiles remind us of how intensely pleasing it is to have one's hair played with; in another, they lie on the floor and sway, cross their arms, cover an eye, clap out a rhythm, and whisper 1-2-3, 1-2-3. The music in this section is "Deja la Vida Volar," a melancholy ballad by the Chilean folk-singer Victor Jara, who was tortured and killed by the militares. (In prison, his torturers broke his fingers and then told him to play for them.)
The best, most moving part of Musguito is the music, songs like "Deja la Vida" and Violeta Parra's "Volver a los 17," from whose lyrics the show's title was derived. The words are haunting, poetic, and bleak, and the arrangements spare, faintly Andean, lilting and chant-like. They express a profound sadness. Their sadness infuses the dances, but because the dances are completely self-referential, the emotion they produce is non-specific, the expression of a vague malaise. Musguito has almost nothing to do with Chile. In fact, when the image of the two separated lovers returns as part of a general recapitulation at the end of the long evening, it no longer has the same effect at all. Perhaps Bausch never meant it as a reference to the violence of the junta. Perhaps it's simply another example of Bausch's ongoing fascination with the relations between men and women. For this is the dominant theme in Musguito and much of Bausch's oeuvre: the dynamics of love, power, and attraction. A man complements a woman and she answers "bla bla bla"; another man pours a bottle of water on a woman's head as she applies makeup with great dignity; a couple walks arm in arm while a sneaky seducer steals a kiss. It's always about men and women in the end (interestingly, homosexual love does not enter the equation, at least in Musguito). This is the real heart of the matter. Of course, it's the stuff our lives our made of. But not only this.
The Perils of War—Ratmansky's New Shostakovich Ballet at ABT
Marcelo Gomes and Polina Semionova in Alexei Ratmansky's "Symphony #9." Photo by Andrea Mohin for the New York Times.
The opening of Alexei Ratmansky's new "Symphony #9" American Ballet Theatre (Oct. 18) was a moment of real excitement—ballet is alive and well, and has a lot to say. Like much of Ratmansky's work, the new ballet is witty, grand in design, and full of detail. It seems to spring organically from the music, Shostakovich's Ninth Symphony. One keeps discovering sounds one might never have noticed because Ratmansky has brought them to the surface and revealed them in the choreography. Sometimes his methods are clearly illustrative—as when the woman in the first movement "plays" the drums—but usually, the dialogue between music and movement lies at a deeper level. Shostakovich and Ratmansky understand each other, they get along. The ballet is also an impressive vehicle for the dancers—they look absolutely radiant in it. Especially Herman Cornejo; I'm not sure I've ever seen him pushed so far. What more can a dancer ask for?
Here's my review for DanceTabs.
On second viewing, with a different cast, the ballet offered up even more layers. Different details emerged, and the performances of Roberto Bolle and Veronika Part—particularly Veronika Part—revealed a thematic thread I had not noticed before. The symphony was commissioned as a celebration of Russia's victory over the Nazis. It is essentially upbeat, snappy, even frenetic in its good spirits (at least at first). But it protests its cheerfulness too much, thus introducing a darker undertone. In the first slow movement, there is a sinuous clarinet melody that Ratmansky clearly hears as an intimation of danger. The tango-like pas de deux that dominates this section is furtive; the man and woman constantly turn their heads to make sure they are not surrounded by spies or enemies. A creeping crescendo in the strings seems to evoke great forces encircling the couple.
Here and in the movement that followed, the alternate-cast Veronika Part—a great dramatic ballerina—revealed powerful undercurrents of sadness. Where Polina Semionova's twisting, supple body had given the duet the feel of an illicit tryst, Part's powerful back and shoulders made it clear that the peril came from without. She communicated fear, desperation, and the desire to protect her lover from harm. Thus, it made even more sense to see the lone male figure—Jared Matthews, in this cast, Herman Cornejo in the first—as a guardian angel protecting the couple.
The feeling of conflict was echoed in the second slow movement (the largo), in which Part's partner, Bolle, appeared to do battle with a group of men. He fended them off powerfully at first, but gradually lost steam and finally collapsed. Part gently touched his chest, his face, his mouth, with great intimacy. She tended to him. Across the stage, a row of women, reclining in horizontal poses, held fingers to their eyes, the mimed gesture for crying. The moment passed and then all was well again. Of course, none of this was as blatant or as heavy as it sounds from my description. But it was there—the story, deconstructed, braided into the glorious patterns and exhilarating dances. Ratmansky's ballet, and, perhaps, Shostakovich's music, is a deconstruction of war: the empty euphoria at the beginning, the danger in the middle, the shadow of death, and, finally, the jubilation of victory. As the ballet ends, the "angel" spins eternally, in an endless spiral; life goes on. Who knows what will happen in the other two Shostakovich ballets that will make up this trilogy? I can't wait to find out.
On the evening of Oct. 19th, the company also gave an extraordinary performance of Mark Morris's "Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes." The dancers have settled into the ballet's casual, limpid, touchingly awkward choreography. They looked relaxed. The warmth flowed from the dancers onstage to the audience—one of those quiet, almost charmed moments at the theatre when all is well with the world. The whole company, but especially James Whiteside (who recently joined from Boston Ballet), Herman Cornejo, and Isabella Boylston, danced with total lack of reserve, their steps blending with the notes from the piano as if the music were pouring out from their bodies. It was a joy to behold.
* Comments are welcome! If you would like to receive an alert when new pieces are posted on the Dance page, please drop me a line at dancinginthefastertimes@gmail.com. You can also check my updates on Twitter @MarinaHarss or peruse my personal page at https://marinaharss.wordpress.com/
Ratmansky's smashing new ballet for ABT (DanceTabs)
The première of Ratmansky's new "Symphony #9," set to Shostakovich, was one of those moments when, within seconds, you know you are in for a wild ride. Like much of his work, it's witty, grand in design, and full of detail. It's also an impressive vehicle for the dancers—they look absolutely radiant and extraordinary in it. Especially Herman Cornejo; I'm not sure I've ever seen him pushed so far. What more can a dancer ask for?
Here a link to my review for DanceTabs:
And here's an excerpt:
"Wisely, Ratmansky hasn't given Cornejo a partner, the better to show off the musicality of his dancing, the stretch of his legs in the air, the way his body reveals the shifts in dynamics and the melodic line. In the final movement Ratmansky pushes him even further: Cornejo seems to be moving faster than is humanly possible. If it doesn't kill him, it will place him on the Mount Olympus of male bravura."
An Interview with Shantala Shivalingappa (DanceTabs)
Last week, I happened to share a flight to Sarasota with the Kuchipudi dancer and choreographer Shantala Shivalingappa. She was on the way to the Ringling International Arts Festival, where she performed Shiva Ganga. Taking it as a sign, I asked her for an interview, to which she graciously agreed. I think you'll find her answers as graceful as her dancing.
"What I love about [kuchipudi] is the combination of contrasts: something very strong in the legs—it's very intricate and quick in the footwork and also very anchored into the earth—but the upper body is full of grace and swaying and undulating. I love the contrast between something very strong and rooted and powerful and at the same time extremely graceful and fluid and lyrical.And musical. Dance in India is inseparable from the music. They are just one [places the palms of her hands together to illustrate]. Actually it's one discipline in the beginning: dancing, music and theatre."
All in all, we're just bricks in the wall (or so Hofesh Shechter would like us to believe)
Just a few disconnected thoughts on Schechter's "Political Mother," currently completing its run at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The show comes wrapped up in a radical package: it's loud, it's angry, it's a commentary on power and conformism! Suck it up! In reality, it's vacuous: sound and fury, signifying nothing. The politics are vague and outdated: even the style of our dictators has changed. The authoritarian despot who screams and intimidates from atop a balcony (like the faceless man in Schechter's nightmare vision) has, for the most part, been replaced by cajolers and folksy types who know where the real power lies—in the media and the services of the secret police. Today dictators know that lies and fast-talk are far more insidious than browbeating. What's so enraging about Schechter's critique is that it's so un-specific. Who is the enemy? Third-world despots? Israel? The West? Ourselves? Your guess is as good as mine. The only clue comes at the end, when the words "where there is pressure there is folk dance" appear, spelled out in lights. Much of the dancing has a vaguely Middle-Eastern folk feel: circle-formations, arms upheld or intertwined, bouncy steps, and bent knees. Aha! perhaps the "system" Schechter is rebelling against lies somewhere in that part of the world. (After all, he was born in Israel; though his company is based in the UK.) If so, the figure screaming atop a raised platform, grunting gutturally into a microphone, seems even more misplaced, more Hitler or Perón than Netanyahu or Ahmadinejad.
The production values are impressive; really beautiful, sculptural lighting creates cones and beams and triangles of light which, with the help of a thick, omnipresent fog, appear solid enough to bite into. (The lighting design is by Lee Curran.) Tireless, liquid-moving dancers, seemingly able to morph into any shape, sink soundlessly into the ground only to spring up again with mad bursts. In the final section, they take it up another notch, dancing at a velocity meant to evoke sped-up film, without losing clarity. They are impressive, and impressively diverse to boot, and they make the most of Schechter's very limited vocabulary, which combines the communal feel of folk dance with the boneless liquidity of street-dance forms like Jookin. But Jookin displays a far greater variety of moves than this choreography (and a sense of humor) and folk dance is capable of a far wider range of emotion and rhythmic complexity. (Not to mention that Schechter's vocabulary in this work is very similar to that of a recent work he set on Cedar Lake, "Violet Kid.") The first image, of a Samurai preforming hara-kiri to Bach choreal music, seemed to hover in a dreamlike, cinematic space that lingered in one's mind more tenaciously than the dancing that followed.
Not to mention that most of the movement is done in unison—some counterpoint creeps in at the end—and to a relentless, ear-splitting 4/4 beat. The score is by Schechter, who used to play in a rock band, and consists of heavy percussion and wailing rock guitars, with further assistance from the aforementioned screamer and electronic backup. Four percussionists beat their drums onstage, cloaked in half-darkness, wearing military gear. The guitarists rock out from their perch above the stage, under beams of creamy light. Except for a few brief moments of Bach and Verdi—also broadcast at top volume—and some welcome passages of silence, the audience is treated to an hour-long barrage of un-varying rhythm, a relentless march toward oblivion. Little scenelets emerge, divided by blackouts, obviating the need for development of any single idea. The dancers kneel, tremble, run, grapple, and fold into themselves or, conversely, stand in submissive poses with their hands above their heads. They are the victimized, or, as Pink Floyd called them, the bricks in the wall. But then, Pink Floyd's "Wall" was a more convincing, more anxiety-producing indictment of conformity and the abuse of power than "Political Mother."


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50 Hour Slam: A Time Based Filmmaking Competition & Festival in Spokane, Washington
Goal: Write, Shoot and Edit a short film in 50 hours. Teamwork and focus will help to create cohesive and entertaining movies in an incredibly short period of time.
Official Rules:
Times: 50 Hour Slam will occur between Friday, March 20 2020 at 7:15 p.m. and end Sunday, March 22 2020 at 9:30 p.m. or as stated verbally at the kick off. Films received after that said time on Sunday will not be accepted as part of the Judging. If a film is delivered after the above time, but before the organizers leave the assigned drop off location, it will be considered for viral voting competition.
Participants: Participants: 50 Hour Slam is open to any and all filmmakers. We reserve the right to limit the total number of filmmaking teams based on arrival time at the "Kick Off".
Official Competition Period: Official Competition Period: All creativity must take place during the designated 50 hour period which includes but is not limited to: Writing the script, Rehearsing, Costume/Set Design, Shooting, Editing, Graphics & Visual Effects, Sound Design & Music. The only work allowed before the competition period is organizing the crew, securing equipment, organizing the cast and scouting locations.
Each film must include the three elements assigned to the teams at the "KICK OFF" on March 20 2020. The finished film must be between three and six minutes in length including credits. The end credits should be no longer than one minute. Credits must include the following: "This film was made as a participant in: (50 Hour Slam logo). The 50 Hour Slam logo and credit are provided for download here (1080P version, 720P version, Standard Definition Version), under the "Filmmaker's Toolkit" Section. Each film must also include credits for any material used in their film which release or approval of usage was obtained. And a final requirement, each film must include a Special Thank you to the City of Spokane and the Spokane Park and Recreation Department.
The finished film should be submitted on the 50 Hour Slam USB thumb drive given to each participating team at the Kick-Off event. File format should be a full resolution .mov (Quicktime file) or .mp4 file. There should only be one video file on your drive, which will be labeled as follows: "FilmTitle_TeamName". So, for example, if your film was titled Citizen Kane and your team name was Orson Welles Productions your video file name would look like this: CitizenKane_OrsonWellesProductions.mov
Releases/Copyright clearance: Each team must secure talent releases, location releases and music releases. This information should be turned in Sunday March 22 2020 with the thumb drive. Films that don't have releases or clearance for music will not be accepted. Filmmaking teams are encouraged to work with a local composer and/or musician to write and record music specifically for the film. It is acceptable for teams to use pre-recorded music (royalty-free music or a local band) but the team must have a signed release. Blank release forms will be available on our web site.
Content: The content of the film is at the discretion of the filmmaking teams however organizers of 50 Hour Slam reserve the right to disqualify films due to:
Depictions of graphic sex.
Comments aimed at disparaging one group of people in a way that might encourage hate or violence.
A lottery, or any advertisement or information concerning any lottery.
Any material that constitutes libel, slander, invasion of privacy or publicity rights, unfair competition, violation of trademark rights or copyright, or which may violate local, state or federal law.
On air FCC guidelines for airing on KSPS. Language will be blipped. Nudity will be masked out.
To be considered for judging each participating team's film/video production must follow all of the rules herein. 50 Hour Slam organizers reserve the right to judge only those films that meet all of the requirements.
Participants cannot use the name of the 50 Hour Slam or the competition to financially benefit themselves.
Participants will comply and refrain from any other act that might be considered unlawful under city, county, state and federal laws and regulations.
As per the 50 Hour Slam's agreement with the City of Spokane, participants are prohibited from using ANY prop weapon for filming in public view or on public property and are also prohibited from using ANY aerial drones to capture footage. Non-compliance will result in the disqualification from the competition.
All certified films are eligible for judging. A panel of professional filmmakers, critics, and independent judges will select 15 finalists. Those 15 films will be screened at the Bing Crosby Theater in one screening on May 2 ,2020 (Time TBD). The screenings will be publicized prior to the event and qualifying teams will be notified one week prior to the event. The judges will select the top film and the audience will vote and award their top choice, which will be announced at the closing party that same evening on Saturday, May 2 2020. The 50 Hour Slam organizers reserve the right to change the date or time of the screening prior to the event.
Teams must submit the following documents with their complete film/video: The 50 Hour Slam signed entry form/participant's agreement (with all team participant signatures), any/all talent, location, logo/ art, music releases and a printed copy of the city filming notification form.
50 Hour Slam reserves the right to amend these rules up until the beginning of the competition.
Copyright © 2018 50 Hour Slam - A Time Based Filmmaking Competition & Festival in Spokane, WA.