Posts by Lucy Stewart
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He should just be made to do exactly what he does now, except wearing a clown costume at all times.
Works for me. Mind you, so does the mascara workshop; I could use some tips.
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C'mon, if it was Lhaws with $20k in parking tickets, then I think we'd all be calling for scaphism, as a minimum..
Yeah, but what sort of community service could he provide in exchange - verbally abusing people for free?
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Can I give a thumbs-down to this regular Herald headline, for warning in the blurb on the main page that content may disturb? I think that's a bit obvious from the headline, guys. Just a little bit.
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But there are also some wildly successful novels incorporating historical figures - Pat Barker's Regeneration trilogy springs to mind. I thought the way in which she wove in her historical figures - Sassoon, Owens, Robert Graves - was brilliant.
There's a crucial rule for historical figures, though: make their appearances fit the historical record. That doesn't mean you have to take the historical record at face value, but it does mean you have to write them in such a way that the record could plausibly have been recorded as it was, whether or not you assume it is actually correct.
That takes a lot of effort, and if you just want to make things up out of whole cloth - especially stuff like child abuse - it's best to a) choose someone for whom the historical record is very sketchy or b) fictionalise your characters. Otherwise you're going to throw people out of your story, and then what's the point?
(It suddenly occurs that writing historical fiction must be a lot like writing fanfiction; you're taking extant characters and trying to make your writing fit the record, or at least not contradict it blatantly. Add in the odd alternate universe and original character and it's practically the same thing, in fact.)
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"When Wanganui sort out their mayor we'll sort out Hone."
They meant Whanganui, surely?
Place idiots in boat push away from shore, retreat rapidly, duck as required.......
We're marooning Laws and Hone Harawira together? Excellent. Pretty sure there's a reality TV show in there somewhere, too.
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But it was also a point of pride to her that she just got her history right, to the very best of her considerable ability.
I think this is the key skill of all really good historical novelists - they make you feel like you're there, because they've bothered to try and understand the time period they're writing in. Another excellent example of this is Lindsey Davis - her conceit is deliberately anachronous (noir detective stories in Ancient Rome) but it works because the rest of her setting is meticulously accurate.
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I was very fortunate a few years ago to acquire a large book "The First World War- a photographic history" notably published in 1934
Interesting - I was under the impression the term hadn't come into use at all until WWII had started. Though, as you say, the writing was definitely on the wall by 1934.
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Dear God. Apart from the fact it was still happening, presumably until WWII people referred to it as the Great War, yes?
Everyone except the psychics and the cynics, of course.
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By the way, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge Rodney Hide's straightforward and contrite apology for his hypocritical use of perks. It's sadly rare for politicians to say "I was wrong, and I'm sorry." Good on him for that.
(Of course, it was also a good political move, etcetera, but we'd be bagging on him for not apologising if he'd chosen to brazen it out like Douglas, so I still think he deserves credit for doing the right thing.)
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So what are all the Nat boys doing in Japan for a couple of dinner parties and Rugby games? Oh that's right, photo op of John announcing a definite knighthood for Richie Mc whatever his name is. Slick timing or urgent meetings?
I didn't say those sort of trips aren't a bit pathetic; they are, and we should ask more questions about why they're supposedly necessary. But there's a difference between "entire trip's premise is dodgy, but technically official" and "bunking off from official business, then swearing at people when they ask about it".
He got permission
I guess what I'm trying to say that he's an adult and it's not about "getting permission", it's about monitoring your *own* behaviour. And, what, he's Maori so he doesn't have to?
If his party don't like him, no matter, it is his electorate, he can stay as an independent.
Yes, he can. Doesn't mean his party - or the rest of us - can't critique his behaviour.