tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.comments2017-05-16T02:33:05.396-04:00Rachna Gilmore's Writerly Plarks*Rachna Gilmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09162422330036730471noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-24149702537886830242013-09-13T02:30:41.922-04:002013-09-13T02:30:41.922-04:00Great!Great!Irvinhttp://thesteammop.info/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-38270408681571417772012-04-02T10:12:08.505-04:002012-04-02T10:12:08.505-04:00Thanks so much for this, Ishta. Yes, I do give wor...Thanks so much for this, Ishta. Yes, I do give workshops. Check out my website and contact me. And thanks for the blog award. I'm delighted you deem my blog worthy.Rachna Gilmorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09162422330036730471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-82826119207090909342012-04-02T08:43:02.403-04:002012-04-02T08:43:02.403-04:00This is excellent - do you give workshops?
I gave...This is excellent - do you give workshops?<br /><br />I gave you a blog award today. You don't have to accept it or pass it on, but I wanted more people to see your blog, since it's so wonderfully rich and informative. :-)Ishta Mercuriohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17776946702988283453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-57212212970990264342011-08-13T23:09:37.561-04:002011-08-13T23:09:37.561-04:00Aw, thanks so much, Susan! Couldn't ask for an...Aw, thanks so much, Susan! Couldn't ask for anything more than that the book moves readers. Thank you! (And yes, I'd love to see it made into a film...I too think the potential is there.)Rachna Gilmorehttp://www.rachnagilmore.canoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-73409284928385649552011-08-13T11:42:14.185-04:002011-08-13T11:42:14.185-04:00I read "That Boy Red" on the train from ...I read "That Boy Red" on the train from Ottawa Toronto and drove my neighbour crazy by constantly cracking up, then wiping away a tear, then bursting into giggles again. She finally asked my what in the world I was reading and then copied down the title.<br />It is a great book, lovingly told and I want more.<br />(It would also make a fabulous film!)Susan Rennick Jolliffenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-47106814624260376042011-07-26T12:52:07.628-04:002011-07-26T12:52:07.628-04:00Thanks, LA. The need to slow down is something I n...Thanks, LA. The need to slow down is something I need to be reminded of far too often. A sign of speed-disease...Rachna Gilmorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09162422330036730471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-14075738709677827352011-07-26T11:34:33.673-04:002011-07-26T11:34:33.673-04:00This post was so nice to read slowly and savour th...This post was so nice to read slowly and savour the thoughts...<br />Cheers, Lesley AnneAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02179705384529301312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-63006875983546593852011-07-01T13:50:17.740-04:002011-07-01T13:50:17.740-04:00Thanks, Karleen. So true and so funny about writin...Thanks, Karleen. So true and so funny about writing more books to use up the research! Oddly though, I have more glimpses and snippets of what Red might get up to that nudge me to write more of his stories. I tend to do the research I need at the time and then promptly forget it!Rachna Gilmorehttp://www.rachnagilmore.canoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-20398858774677095112011-07-01T13:46:46.302-04:002011-07-01T13:46:46.302-04:00Thanks for your comment, Christi -- I'm deligh...Thanks for your comment, Christi -- I'm delighted that you find these posts helpful and that Kathy recommended my blog to you. Family stories are so precious. I hope you manage to tell yours -- good luck with it.Rachna Gilmorehttp://www.rachnagilmore.canoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-44365685695793691782011-06-29T08:12:26.787-04:002011-06-29T08:12:26.787-04:00I Love these posts on writing historical novels. I...I Love these posts on writing historical novels. I am currently involved in writing and researching the story of my grandmother and her siblings who were homechildren in the early 1920's. So my research is hampered in a number of ways -I am a Canadian descendent living in the States and the story originates in England and ends in Canada - where I no longer live. And ALL of the major characters that are my inspiration have passed on. Typical of most home children little was spoken of their "dark" past and only in the past decade or so have we become so aware of their pain and heroism. My grandmother's story has an unusual twist in that her mother was able to track them all down and gathered them back into a family unit and they remained in Canada after she found them all. <br />Thank you for the great posts. My daughters God Mother Kathy Clark suggested your site to me. <br />Blessings<br />Christiourbakersdozenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10359336168805686891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-67296264815515865602011-06-19T11:34:35.592-04:002011-06-19T11:34:35.592-04:00Your comments about not having to put everything i...Your comments about not having to put everything in that you've researched are so true! It's such a temptation to stuff it all in when you've worked so hard to find it all out, isn't it? I've found a good solution is to write more books on the subject. Any more about Red in mind?Karleen Bradfordhttp://www.karleenbradford.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-39974774995857983582011-06-09T17:56:23.510-04:002011-06-09T17:56:23.510-04:00Thanks so much,Peggy. This was my first attempt at...Thanks so much,Peggy. This was my first attempt at Historical fiction so I'm delighted to have you approve these tips, as I know you're well versed in Historical fiction.Rachna Gilmorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09162422330036730471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-20828403719566900202011-06-09T07:41:01.169-04:002011-06-09T07:41:01.169-04:00Great advice, Rachna. I agree with everything you ...Great advice, Rachna. I agree with everything you say, and you say it so well.Peggy Dymond Leaveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10966279444181737840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-32011177307644569762011-05-26T11:13:46.051-04:002011-05-26T11:13:46.051-04:00Aloha, e Rachna, Those rules are pretty humorous.....Aloha, e Rachna, Those rules are pretty humorous...dry and wry. But I don't agree with them much....except if one is writing an essay. That's when you have to be precise: no nonqualified superlatives, no negatives on negatives, no clichés, etc. But for telling stories, each one of these rules, when broken, can come in handy. They can help give voice to a character. Many of Safire's rules are all prescriptive. They are what he would like English to be, not what it is with its negatives and fronted conjunctions and verbs and prepositions at the end. His rules seem to say that one should leave all of the big words in the dictionary. Oh my! Reduced to using everyday words, we'll have no bangles to dress up our prose with (oops: with which to dress up our prose). Of those rules, just one is at the top of my list: avoid repetition. Attentive readers can always spot it. The inattentive: do we need to worry about them? Aloha from James Rumford, who hasn't written anything longer than 32 pages and who has to draw pictures to make his words clear!James Rumfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491384889423732489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-16183505726090248022011-05-10T10:25:31.061-04:002011-05-10T10:25:31.061-04:00SO funny, Karleen. Thanks for your post. I laughed...SO funny, Karleen. Thanks for your post. I laughed out loud. I share your mild aversion to euphemisms -- as you so delicately expressed it. Makes me wonder what a euphemism would look like...Rachna Gilmorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09162422330036730471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-701574326797912222011-05-10T09:43:59.251-04:002011-05-10T09:43:59.251-04:00I don’t think you can go wrong with these rules. A...I don’t think you can go wrong with these rules. And I try to follow them myself. When I try to follow them I find that I rarely go wrong, so it really is a good idea to follow them. I find it absolutely horrific that anyone would use a euphemism—haven’t the vaguest idea what it even is. Might ring a bell, though, if I ran it up the pole to see if it would wave.Karleenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12089527579956517254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-12546775013865236242011-04-17T15:34:18.842-04:002011-04-17T15:34:18.842-04:00Thanks so much, Andrew. It's funny how you som...Thanks so much, Andrew. It's funny how you sometimes don't recognize the stories within your own life until the dots you need to connect become clear.Rachna Gilmorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09162422330036730471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-64668137390444914002011-04-17T10:17:26.244-04:002011-04-17T10:17:26.244-04:00Great nonfiction story Rachna! Thank you for shar...Great nonfiction story Rachna! Thank you for sharing it.<br />(O:Andrew Gillerthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11493059474468669186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-30747059102531569882011-04-05T14:57:57.480-04:002011-04-05T14:57:57.480-04:00Thanks,Lena and Moushumi. Moushumi, I too read Eni...Thanks,Lena and Moushumi. Moushumi, I too read Enid Blyton copiously. Her characters were terribly one-dimensional but she knew how to plot.Rachna Gilmorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09162422330036730471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-33420512992932876102011-04-05T14:06:41.779-04:002011-04-05T14:06:41.779-04:00Lovely story, Rachna, one that I can identify with...Lovely story, Rachna, one that I can identify with utterly. I grew up in Poona, and Enid Blyton books were my escape!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02165218690226919817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-7134086192351988552011-04-05T13:12:25.238-04:002011-04-05T13:12:25.238-04:00Full circle, indeed. What a great story, Rachna! ...Full circle, indeed. What a great story, Rachna! I look forward to reading That Boy Read!Lena Coakleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04815233842889765781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-37033940991261380332011-04-02T08:06:47.713-04:002011-04-02T08:06:47.713-04:00Sounds very familiar, Rachna!
Glad I'm not al...Sounds very familiar, Rachna!<br /><br />Glad I'm not alone in this...Mahtabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09742361884217202046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-80745486993068422992011-03-18T23:29:51.728-04:002011-03-18T23:29:51.728-04:00It speaks very well of the modern author (yes, I m...It speaks very well of the modern author (yes, I mean you, Rachna!) that she or he is willing and able to "do the research." Wasn't the original comment from Rabindranath Tagore in "My Village" (that's likely not the title, but is the title of the book produced by the female protagonist...)? And at that time, it was better to write of what you had knowledge of. But we are now blessed with the technological ability to glean knowledge from so many sources! And the world is far richer for the fiction that is produced when an intelligent, empathetic author combines personal experience with well-researched knowledge to produce a unique perspective on our world.Karyn Huenemannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17875963597787793441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-52233308293534991982011-03-18T22:59:13.036-04:002011-03-18T22:59:13.036-04:00Hey, Lena, to be Feng-shui harmonious you almost h...Hey, Lena, to be Feng-shui harmonious you almost have to erase your footprints as you leave the room, don't you? It ain't easy but the trick is to make it look so. Still working at it. Or rather, plarking, although at times it is a slog!Rachna Gilmorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09162422330036730471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1030837230844513604.post-483987091563691472011-03-18T22:35:04.526-04:002011-03-18T22:35:04.526-04:00I love that Hawthorne quote. Oh, I'm afraid I...I love that Hawthorne quote. Oh, I'm afraid I have a long way to go before my writing Feng-shui is harmonious. But I'm trying. Looking forward to The Flute!Lena Coakleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04815233842889765781noreply@blogger.com