Following on from my last blog, I found this neat link that gives you a virtual tour of Pere Lachaise Cemetery:
http://www.pere-lachaise.com/perelachaise.php?lang=en
Enjoy the tour!
Shannon Meadows
www.roadwench.com
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Blog Bits - Travel
Top five places to revisit in Paris: Point Zero, Pierre Lechaise Cemetery, Sewer Tour, Buddha Bar, Sacre Couer steps...
1. Find the brass plaque for Point Zero out front of Notre Dame cathedral. Legend has it that if you step on it, you're destined to return to Paris. The ultimate travel insurance!
2. Pierre Lechaise Cemetery - Jim Morrison, Chopin, Oscar Wilde, all the cool cats are here. Just make sure you buy a map, it's money well spent.
3. Sewer Tour - for a different view of the city.
4. Buddha Bar - just to feel tres chic. Why the name? The enormous Buddha inside is the clue.
5. And for lovers...go sit and canoodle on the steps of Sacre Couer, thinking of the movie Amelie. Romance is in the air! (Be warned - at the base of the hill is the red light district...a different type of attraction is in the air there).
1. Find the brass plaque for Point Zero out front of Notre Dame cathedral. Legend has it that if you step on it, you're destined to return to Paris. The ultimate travel insurance!
2. Pierre Lechaise Cemetery - Jim Morrison, Chopin, Oscar Wilde, all the cool cats are here. Just make sure you buy a map, it's money well spent.
3. Sewer Tour - for a different view of the city.
4. Buddha Bar - just to feel tres chic. Why the name? The enormous Buddha inside is the clue.
5. And for lovers...go sit and canoodle on the steps of Sacre Couer, thinking of the movie Amelie. Romance is in the air! (Be warned - at the base of the hill is the red light district...a different type of attraction is in the air there).
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Blog Bits - Writing 2
All my life I've kept a diary. Until I'd been overseas three months and stopped. The great irony - when I finally had great material to write about, I was having too much fun to jot it down! If only blogging had been around in 1999...
One good thing that I did, however, was to write about 50 pages of detailed notes when I returned to Australia at the end of my first season touring Europe. These notes were written while the events were fresh in mind, and I added to them every time I told a new story to my friends and family about what I'd been up to. It took another 9 years until publication, but these precious notes cocooned my memories until I was ready to develop them -and they developed into my book Road Wench.
Writing tip: jot down notes at the time. A few words, a sentence, will do.
It's amazing what it'll help you recall - but beware, it is so easy to forget details and even entire stories over time that these jottings are essential.
Shannon Meadows
www.roadwench.com
One good thing that I did, however, was to write about 50 pages of detailed notes when I returned to Australia at the end of my first season touring Europe. These notes were written while the events were fresh in mind, and I added to them every time I told a new story to my friends and family about what I'd been up to. It took another 9 years until publication, but these precious notes cocooned my memories until I was ready to develop them -and they developed into my book Road Wench.
Writing tip: jot down notes at the time. A few words, a sentence, will do.
It's amazing what it'll help you recall - but beware, it is so easy to forget details and even entire stories over time that these jottings are essential.
Shannon Meadows
www.roadwench.com
Friday, August 5, 2011
Blog Bits - Publishing
Thanks to Chris at Avid Reader Books, 193 Boundary Street, West End in Brisbane for stocking Road Wench. Chris tells me that he has put it on the bookshelf already.
Shannon Meadows
www.roadwench.com
Shannon Meadows
www.roadwench.com
Friday, July 29, 2011
Blog Bits - Publishing
One of the best books on self publishing is by Euan Mitchell. If you can't find it to buy, you should be able to get it at the local library. Euan has his own website and has taught in the area.
Recently I was asked for my advice about getting published. I did most of my learning by trial and error, and ended up self-publishing, but I learnt a lot along the way. Here's my top three tips:
1. Hire an editor (but not just anyone - they must match your needs) - and edit, edit, edit
2. Don't submit to publishers until your work is ready - you only get one chance
3. Beware vanity publishers (read up on this)
Shannon Meadows
www.roadwench.com
Recently I was asked for my advice about getting published. I did most of my learning by trial and error, and ended up self-publishing, but I learnt a lot along the way. Here's my top three tips:
1. Hire an editor (but not just anyone - they must match your needs) - and edit, edit, edit
2. Don't submit to publishers until your work is ready - you only get one chance
3. Beware vanity publishers (read up on this)
Shannon Meadows
www.roadwench.com
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Blogging Bits
After receiving some helpful advice, I plan to take action -with more frequent blog posts. These will be in three categories - Travel, Writing, and Publishing. The latter will include my experiences with printers, distribution and marketing, including new bookstores.
My first brief blog bit is below (try saying that 3 times quickly).
WRITING
Many people have asked me how I wrote Road Wench. I will answer that in this blog, but as a starting tip, I'd highly recommend the following books:
The Writer's Guide by Irina Dun
The Australian Writer's Marketplace by the Queensland Writer's Centre.
I read the first while grappling with a two thirds completed first draft, and found it had useful advice for the stage I was at as well as the stage I was heading for.
The QWC book has lists of publishers, editors, magazines and competitions, which helped me plan ahead for the next stage. You may notice this as a form of procrastination - why worry about publishing before finishing writing? However I found it gave me some mental space so when I returned to writing I had the end game in mind, and was more focused and motivated to write.
Shannon Meadows
www.roadwench.com
My first brief blog bit is below (try saying that 3 times quickly).
WRITING
Many people have asked me how I wrote Road Wench. I will answer that in this blog, but as a starting tip, I'd highly recommend the following books:
The Writer's Guide by Irina Dun
The Australian Writer's Marketplace by the Queensland Writer's Centre.
I read the first while grappling with a two thirds completed first draft, and found it had useful advice for the stage I was at as well as the stage I was heading for.
The QWC book has lists of publishers, editors, magazines and competitions, which helped me plan ahead for the next stage. You may notice this as a form of procrastination - why worry about publishing before finishing writing? However I found it gave me some mental space so when I returned to writing I had the end game in mind, and was more focused and motivated to write.
Shannon Meadows
www.roadwench.com
Friday, July 22, 2011
Brisbane Bookstores
I am enjoying the sunshine and the nightlife in Brisbane this week - and can announce that Road Wench is now in stock in two bookstores here. Visit Mary Ryan in Milton, or Mary Ryan in Merthwyr Village in New Farm to get your copy.
Shannon Meadows
www.roadwench
Shannon Meadows
www.roadwench
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