Saturday, May 24, 2014

Spoonerisms

These Spoonerisms, so called because of William Spooner's habit of mixing words up, are from an old record of which I retain  some memory.

They  are recorded errors from radio announcers of the pst...Long before Television:

'When the Queen alighted from the plane the Royal Fusileers fired a twenty-one sun galoot'.

Advertising bread: Get Tip Top Bread for the Breast in Bed.

Ending a kiddies program:  "Is that it, are we off the air...Good, that'll do the little %#@&^   for today." Heard across the British ABC afternoon radio.



Saturday, May 17, 2014

Late breaking news.

This first story is about a man that lived at a place called Long Flat,near Wachope. NSW.

The man was a timber worker in a large timber supply yard that held its daily dangers, one of which was log stacks rolling unexpectedly, and trapping the worker.

The night news story went like this:

A tragic accident occurred in a saw mill today, at Wachope.   A log pile became dislodged allowing one large log to roll onto a worker causing crush injury to his lower limbs.

Later, paramedics admitted a Long  Flat man to Port Macquarie Hospital. 


Another such story, by the same News Reader went like this:

A man fell through a plate glass window at the front of a store in Kempsy, today.

After on the scene treatment the man was taken to Port Macquarie Hospital, by paramedics with sever cuts to the arms and legs.

Brave men and women these paramedics.

The above is copy of actual News Presentation from the area mentioned.

Fair Dinkum!

Yesterday's News, NSW Australia.

Police have been asked to investigate a dead body found in a cemetery.......

 

 






Thursday, May 15, 2014

Gets easier every day

I love writing, allowing my characters to come alive on the page, and allowing them, with some restraint, to lead the story.

In the new and 3rd story, which leads us  up to the beginning of the Baker Dynasty, I called a woman a dowager, I didn’t really know what a dowager was, and when I looked it up, it is a perfect word for this cantankerous female, as the character is a widow.  She feels that the world should know "Who I am" as she now holds some property left from her departed husband, and is travelling with a daughter whom she embarrasses many times.

It is an easy road, the settlement of the colonies, as there is massive amounts of information that can be used from  historical events and recorded on the internet.

I have the added research material in the arrival of my ancients to South Australia from Dorset, and although they would turn in their grave at the liberties I take, they give me many pages to add to "From Whence They Came."  Material like personal letters, and descriptions of life in the early eighties in South Australia.  There is even a price list of goods, in a letter, showing the people in England the high cost of being a colonist that must buy rather than sell.

I know that you will like this book,  after you read the sequel, which is in the hands of my editor/publisher.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Posting comments

There are two ways that I will know if you like this blog, one is to see the  usage go up, the other is to have comments posted.

I invite you to post comments on the content, even if it is constructive criticism or maybe, a request for a particular concept on the Outback.

My time in the west of Queensland was not a long time, but I was keen, tried almost everything, and retain a good memory of events that have been of benefit to my writing; however, I  do not know if  you appreciate my stories and comments in this blog...So, please feel free to join in.




Sunday, May 11, 2014

Calling All Writers

Calling all writers and potential writers:

I have been associated with my publisher for a couple of years now and we have both had some problems with a third party.  That third party is no longer coming to "our party' which is only all good.

Fiona Gatt, whose name you will see on my books from now on as Editor, is the most capable person I  have seen in regards to knowing what people like to read.

If you have some work that you would like an appraisal on, and I might add, a constructive criticism, you may send it along to Fiona.

Anyone who has tried their hand at writing has come up with the dilemma of finding a publisher that doesn't want an arm and a leg to put your work out into the reading public arena.

I can assure you, and I have looked, there is no greater opportunity for the novice, or even known authors to have a great boost or start to your writing career.

Poetry, children's books, Australian genre stories, drama, comedy ... or surprise Fiona, who is quite used to surprises, having known me! Here's her site.

A Beatuful sight

A beautiful sight can often turn to disaster.  This Square Rigged Brigantine is similar to the Emma, the ship that our main character in the up and coming book, "From Whence They came." sailed to the State of South Australia in 1836.

This book will be the third in the Tiger Williams series,  with the sequel (book 2) in the hands of my publisher and Co-writer, Fiona Gatt.

Up to 103 days was spent on these vessels as they sailed for the colonies in Australia.  Many did not make it, as they were dashed against the southern ragged coast line on the continent, lost in raging storms at the Cape of Good hope or death by typhoid on board.

Sailing down to the cape of Good Hope and riding the roaring forties up to Australia was the most travelled route for these little ships.

When you consider that the average age of Ships Captains was around 26 years, and their only experience was around the shipping channels of England, these young men, and oft times younger crew, did a tremendous job and showed great courage to take on the adventure.









Monday, May 5, 2014

More Wisdom from the Old Bloke

Old Pete sez: Not all precious gems have value, and leverite is the least precious of all.  Work that one out!!!

Old Pete Sez, the bloke wot said early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise, was the swaggie that went Waltzing with Matilda.


Sunday, May 4, 2014

Imagination and Writing

I recall me' dear old' Mammy saying, "Peter you are just imagining it." Whatever it was I was imagining, it was real to me at the time,  and that, folks is the beauty of childhood.  You can have an invisible friend, many do, even adults, they call that friend God, but that is another story, and, in my opinion, it is not an imagination.

I like to meet people and turn them, or their characteristics into players in stories.  Once I 'Meet' my made up player, they become my personal entourage for a journey that, sometimes, does not work; however, I do not destroy these players, as there is always a place for someone somwhere.

The advantage of my imaginative players,  is that they are made up of a composite of people I meet, and although you may say, "I met him, I bet he  is talking about me,"  there will be that many other aspects in the character that you will never be sure....Sneeky ain't it?

I am rather fond of pretentious people as characters, not because of their pretentiousness, but because they are very insecure, are prone to suffering from the syndrome of removing the left foot from their mouths to put the right foot back in, ifn' ya' know what I  mean?   The stuffy ones usually come down many pegs in my stories (Read The Pup) but I am not always terribly unkind to them as it is never humorous to regale a person without having a bit of an Aussie 'leg pull'.

So there you go folks, a bit of my style of writing, adn onetht new writers might like to think about.


Friday, May 2, 2014

Not only but Also #2

I am very fortunate that I have ancestors, or ancients, as I like to call them, Why?  I'll tell ya', it is a well known fact that if your parents do not have children, there is a good chance you won't either.

My family history goes back to the 1600s where the first recorded (name) was given permission to bear arms, and I thought we were an 'armless lot. I did have some suspicion that being legless ran in the family from time to time.

My#1 fan, Rainee, is a researcher in ancestry, and with this lovely lady's great assistance I was able to find many of my past kin, and some of my present kin, which give me the right to be kin to kinfolk, ifn' ya' know what I mean.

My family history in South Australia, at the time of early settlement, and the information that was recorded, and detected by Rainee, is a very strong  part of the 3rd book, "From Whence They Came" in the story of 'Tiger Williams.'

I look foward to the publication of the sequel, now in the hands of Fiona Gatt, my publisher, and the third book has been started.

It is with the greatest of joy, for both of us, that Fiona has sorted out a problem with the parent publisher, and Fiona and I have gone partnership together to get these stories out to you; no middle man.

Fiona has the expertise that I lack in editing, a task equal to writing the stories of length in the first place.  So, folks, I have nothing but good vibes about my writing now, instead of the overhanging doom that existed previously.