Sculptures by the Sea

Seeing as variety is the key to happiness, I thought it would be nice to share a few photos from one of our many beaches - specifically the one with art on it. The annual Sculptures by the Sea exhibition is currently located down at Cottesloe Beach and if you love free outdoor sculpture events, the beach, AND you're in the Perth area, then you should definitely pay a visit before the event's last day (24th March). 

I headed on down to the beach on Monday and I have to admit, I was surprised at the amount of people that had travelled there on a weekday to see the exhibit. There were of course the usual beachgoers swimming, tanning, and exercising -  including local primary school kids having swimming lessons. But there were people from all ages strolling around to each sculpture with their cameras out and ready. PLUS there were plenty of school groups either participating in some observational sketching or following a tour guide around each artwork. There was something for everyone y'know?

(On a related note: Do my ears deceive me or can I hear people from the northern hemisphere crying for warmer weather? HAHAHA SORRY NOT SORRY)

TV Review: Mayday

Last weekend I blissfully ignored completing any uni homework and devoured all five episodes of BBC’s Mayday instead. This mini-series follows the storylines of various characters within a small community reacting to the mysterious disappearance of 14-year-old Hattie (aka the May Day Queen). This program is definitely full of intrigue, mystery, secrets, and good old crime. However, I don’t think I’ve encountered a show where almost every single interesting character is also a potential suspect in the crime. It certainly kept me guessing until the last episode as I narrowed my suspicions down to one person.

Mayday - Where did the idea come from?

I personally thought that the first two episodes were a bit slow but Mayday pulled through and held my interest because there was this air of mystique that gradually drew me in and had me wanting more (plus it was written by the people who brought us Whitechapel!). However, I think this technique was used to not only build up tension but also to develop strong characterisation. This appears to be typical of many Brit crime dramas to the point where it’s like sIGH not another super long episode/series revolving around one crime – but I think Mayday was pretty close to getting it right.

I also have to point out that the motivation for the crime is, well, pretty bizarre to be honest as in a “woah some people need to sort out their issues” kinda way but I guess that's pretty normal in tv shows. I thought the conclusion was brilliant and there are lot of questions left unanswered which added to the whole mystique. However, this might have been done to leave the program open to a second series.

My favourite character was definitely Linus, not just because he was attractive (!!!), but also because I found him to be a very complex and real character. Linus portrayed himself to his school peers as a bit sassy and rude to distract people from suspecting how he really felt inside. He would display this nonchalant attitude to the wider community and then as soon as he would get home this demeanour would just shatter, as he had to deal with his home life and being afraid and suspicious of the people around him. He was just this really gritty and fascinating teenage character that I would love to see more of in YA fiction. I can’t say too much more without dropping a few spoilers, but Linus was definitely my favourite.

Essentially, Mayday is an excellent series that I would definitely recommend to people interested in crime and drama. It was a smart move by the BBC to air this show over five consecutive days, rather than the traditional one episode per week scenario; otherwise I fear that a few viewers would have been lost due to the slow beginning. Anyway, I loved it and it would be great to hear your thoughts on Mayday either in the comments below or by tweeting me @faultystairs

Perth Writers Festival - Part 2

If I Should Lose You - Natasha Lester

I think that there is one thing that is often forgotten about when we read books or watch tv and films, and that is, how long does it take to research this? How long does it take to make the characters’ experiences appear believable? A few weekends ago I wrote about the Not Just for Kids seminar at the Perth Writer’s Festival and it’s now time to explore The Devil in the Details.

To be honest, I am always surprised when I find out that authors have spent so long researching their novel, and at times, go to extreme lengths to make their work as accurate as possible. For example, Tara Moss has been choked to unconsciousness, been set on fire and visited morgues – all for the sake of her crime novels. At the seminar I listened to authors Andrew Croome and Natasha Lester as they discussed the journeys they undertook to shape and create their novels.

Midnight Empire - Andrew Croome

It was interesting how different their approaches were to writing and developing ideas. Lester said that she comes up with the idea for a story and just goes with it on her first draft, not worrying about whether things are incorrect until the second draft. That’s when the serious research begins. Natasha Lester’s second book If I Should Lose You follows the story of a heart transplant surgeon which ultimately resulted in Lester scoring a meeting one of the only six female heart transplant surgeons in Australia, as well as spending countless time reading and interviewing people. However, the story for Andrew Croome’s second book Midnight Empire occurred on a trip to Las Vegas when he developed an interest in the drones used by the military. Again, this resulted in seeking interviews and researching for ages. Apparently, it’s said that 80% of the research completed by authors ends up being unnecessary by the time they reach the final product!

In regards to detail, when I read a book I don’t even think about the time that went into moulding and crafting a novel, I just consume, obsess, and move onto the next one. I think this is why, from the outside, writing a book or creating stories seems easy (which it definitely isn’t). However, Croome and Lester said that that is the point, that reading a book shouldn’t make you think about how much research (or lack of research) went into the work. Rather, we should be thinking about the storyline and the characters and what’s actually happening. Reading shouldn’t feel like hard work.