Archive for May, 2013
Adobe Updates Edge Animate HTML Animation Tool With Motion Paths, Lets You Host Your Files On Adobe’s CDN
Posted: May 6, 2013 in Uncategorized
The launch of ROPES 2013 received quite a bit of media attention!
A review at The Ranting Beast: http://therantingbeast.com/book-review-ropes-2013-coming-of-age/
An article in The Galway Independent: http://galwayindependent.com/20130424/educationtraining/literary-launch-S16767.html
And coverage in The Longford Leader: http://www.longfordleader.ie/lifestyle/entertainment/longford-students-at-the-helm-of-prestigious-third-level-publication-1-5032768
Mariah Carey get’s a little help from her American Idol friends on new album
Posted: May 6, 2013 in UncategorizedCorporate America Sucks—Seriously; A Writer’s Tale At Self-Discovery
Posted: May 6, 2013 in UncategorizedA Writer’s Tale At Self-Discovery form confessionsofaliterarygoddess
Okay so ranting about corporate America is not new, and certainly not literary minded. It is however a story—and for a while it was my story, so I suppose I should go into the details about that. Rarely do I divulge biographical data (privacy and trust are two fundamentals for me), but this played such a big role in my life. My journey into pursuing my writing career rests largely on this incident, so I feel compelled to share this tale.
Several months ago I quit my office job. It wasn’t a plushy job, and certainly not one that left me sleeping in a bed of money. But it was a job—a job; a treasured commodity in these tough economic times. I of course had other resources, and no issues with food and shelter (which if you do, think HARD before you consider making such a jump). My…
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View from Carousel Creates Crime Writing Workshop
originally from http://www.writing.ie/guest-blogs/50-shades-of-crime/
Last Saturday on a beautiful sunny morning in the Dublin Mountains, I met an amazing bunch of crime writers at Carousel Creates workshop. Having a secret ambition to be a teacher from when I was a child, I apologise if I slipped from being a facilitator to a bossy teacher at times!!
We had a jam-packed day, starting out with the essential elements of crime writing, followed by crime scene/forensic evaluation, and the ‘why and how’ of research. After that we all had a well earned lunch at the beautiful Carousel Writing Retreat, and were able to step outside and enjoy a mountain view filled with bird song and crime writers chatting.
After lunch there was no room for any slackers (there were none!), as we embarked on getting to grips with dialogue, and an exercise which evolved changing gender, age, temperament and point of view, all with a view to creating effective dialogue/characters. We had a ghost called Sarah who infiltrated the writing exercise earlier in the morning, being replaced by the influence of 50 shades of crime in the writing material!! You know who you are 
Much earned coffee/tea followed, after which we looked at pitching your novel, learning about the current market, and finally for those fun loving creative souls within the group, how to make your own novel trailer!
All in all it was a fab day, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially meeting such a talented and enthusiastic bunch of people.
We will run the workshop again later in the year, so keep an eye out for that!
I’ll be doing a shorter workshop as part of World Book Night at Tallaght library this week. It is booked up already, but again I’ll keep you posted of upcoming events.
Finally, thanks to Carolann Copeland of Carousel Creates for all her amazing work on the day.
about the author Louise Phillips
Born in Dublin, Louise Phillips is the crime writing mastermind behind writing.ie’s Crime Scene blog. She began writing in 2006 when her youngest son turned thirteen. Since then, Louise has won the Jonathan Swift Award with her story Last Kiss. She was a winner in the Irish Writers’ Centre Lonely Voice Platform, short-listed for the Molly Keane Memorial Award, Bridport UK, and long-listed twice for RTE Guide/Penguin short story competition. Louise has been published as part of many anthologies, including County Lines from New Island, and various literary journals. In May this year she was awarded an Arts Bursary for Literature from South Dublin Arts Council.
Hachette Books Ireland bought Irish and UK Commonwealth rights for Louise’s debut psychological crime novel Red Ribbons, which was shortlisted in this year’s Irish Book Awards for Best Crime Novel of the Year 2012. Louise’s second novel The Doll’s House will be published in 2013. Red Ribbons centres on the abduction and murder of a 12-year-old school girl and the main character Kate Pearson, a criminal psychologist who is drafted in by the police to help them find the killer. Ciara Doorley of Hachette likened Phillips to Sophie Hannah and Tana French, and said: “Louise is a supremely talented writer. She subconsciously creates parallels between her characters, and this really challenges the reader. Her writing is tense, atmospheric and we’re really delighted to have launched this a new voice in Irish crime.”
The Galway Review – in Print! was launched at Cuirt 2013
Posted: May 5, 2013 in CuirtTags: Galway, Galway City, Galway City Council, National University of Ireland Galway
Article by Uinseann Mac Thómais here
Two former MA in Writing students from the National University of Ireland, Galway, Ndrek Gjini and Máire Holmes spent hours and hours talking about literature and the vibrant literary scene in Galway, and they came out with the idea of creating a literary magazine akin to many big cities. They shared this idea with the director of their MA course programme, Prof. Adrian Frazier, he loved the idea and since then things have started to move.
Paris has one. London has one. Dublin has its own, so why not Galway? These were the thoughts that filtered through their heads as they contemplated setting up http://www.thegalwayreview.com. While on a work period as Arts Office Assistant in the Galway City Council, Ndrek Gjini, got more encouragement on this project by The Galway City’s Arts Officer James Harrold.
The nine month incubation period in the Arts Office certainly caught the mood in Galway’s literary circles and indeed further afield. “We have had quite a staggering response with in excess of 24000 hits in 8 weeks, over 250 subscribers who sent us poetry, prose, short stories and reflections that echo the writing talent in the city and county” said the Galway Review’s managing editor, Ndrek Gjini, originally from Albania and now a full Irish citizen.
Such is the success of the web edition that Gjini has formed a partnership with retired civil servant Uinseann Mac Thómais, with a view to getting a printed edition on the streets to raise money for the Galway Hospice and to invest in future Galway Review projects.
“Collaborations are the spirit of a digital age and encouraged by the contributions of Galway’s writers who provided content for the first edition gratis, we feel the idea of a printed review might be sustainable. We won’t know until we try! “ said Mac Thómais, who is acting General Administrator to the project.
Starting a printed soft-back book-form magazine in a recession and when technology is challenging printed media is a major undertaking. The first print run will be on the streets of Galway around the 20th March distributed through various outlets in the city. Advance orders of a digital version and the printed version can be obtained through the website http://www.thegalwayreview.com and orders, in anticipation of another literary milestone for Galway are trickling in.
Galway’s Education Centre has seen the potential for the review and has offered start-up assistance to the project itself. Galway’s top writers from poetry, prose, and journalism feature in the Review and there are contributors in Irish and English. Guest editor Máire Holmes, herself a poet, acknowledges the contributions on fellow notable Galway writers that include Fred Johnston, Ronnie O’ Gorman, Des Kenny, Adrian Frazier and many others. “I am happy to say that our notable Galway contributors are too numerous to mention, you will need to get a copy to see for yourself” says Holmes.
In keeping with the digital era the The Galway Review will be sold in digital form as well as the limited printed edition. “Galway Hospice, who very kindly are lending their name also to the project will benefit proportionally if the sales are good. We will be selling the 165 page review for a concessionary price of €12 on March 20th, a standard price of €15, and a digital pdf format price of €3 for the first edition” says Mac Thómais.
There is an international element to the production also. The website acts as a magnet for Galway’s diaspora and readers and contributors from far-flung places in the world have been making an impact also. Contributions have come from the United States and Canada in particular. “I suppose it’s one way for people to keep in touch with what is going on at home and the flexibility of the internet allows people to interact and contribute too. If we can maintain the dynamic, it augurs well for Galway and its writers.” added Mac Thómais.
At present the Galway Review is a collective of interested writers and is currently being run on an informal and voluntary basis. An inaugural meeting will be held in an Taibhdhearc Theatre, Galway on March 20th next to examine issues of structure and finance that would allow the Galway Review to continue on a more sustainable footing. The agenda of the meeting will discuss issues of sustainability for the Galway Review and include the topics of an editorial board, finance, and general governance issues. “ A good meeting will give us a solid base from which to work and we are looking for good inputs from our invited audience of writers and other volunteers” explained Mac Thómais.
A Westport based printing company http://www.printforu.net has offered its services too at a very competitive rate to help get the fledgling Galway Review get up on its feet. Owner Darren Killeen has put faith in the Galway initiative. “Printforu is delighted to be able to support this start-up and to provide our service for the printed edition. I would like to wish the originators every good fortune with the venture and I sincerely hope that this will be the first of many editions.” he said.
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The Thames is a filthy beast: it winds through London like a snake, or a sea serpent. All the rivers flow into it, the Fleet and the Tyburn and the Neckinger, carrying all the filth and scum and waste, the bodies of cats and dogs and the bones of sheep and pigs down into the brown water of the Thames, which carries them east into the estuary and from there into the North Sea and oblivion.
It is raining in London. The rain washes the dirt into the gutters, and it swells streams into rivers, rivers into powerful things. The rain is a noisy thing, splashing and pattering and rattling the rooftops. If it is clean water as it falls from the skies it only needs to touch London to become dirt, to stir dust and make it mud.
Nobody drinks it, neither the rain water nor the river water…
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The following post is reblogged in full from GalleyCat here.
The Avengers director Joss Whedon adapted William Shakespeare‘s comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, as a modern-day retelling. The trailer is embedded above–what do you think?
A limited release date has been set for June 07, 2013. The film has already screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Glasgow Film Festival. As previously reported, Whedon shot the entire movie at his own home in 12 days. Here’s more about the film from NPR:
As I watched Much Ado About Nothing, I had the distinct thought, “I wonder whether this is the future.” Not the future, of course — I don’t believe we’re anywhere close to the end of the blockbuster, nor do I believe we’re necessarily entering a new age of Shakespeare — but a big piece of the future. Big films have gotten…
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What’s the best book promotion strategy you’ve ever seen?
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian took to Reddit to seek promotion advice for his new book, Without Their Permission: How the 21st Century Will Be Made, Not Managed.
He asked the network of loyal readers: “What are some of the smartest things you’ve seen people do to promote a book? … I’d like to make the most out of all this time I have to do some awesome stuff for the fine folks who’d pre-order/buy a copy.”
We’ve collected ten reader responses below to help you plan your own book promotion.
Book Promotion Strategies That Actually Worked
1. oguerrieri wrote: “Definitely offer free e-book with purchase of hard copy! Something I wish every book did.”
2. JoanofLorraine wrote: “My favorite example is the writer who opened a storefront in Brooklyn that sold only copies of his own book.”
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The View from The DJ booth 