Translating a Novel

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 7 Comments

#writetip

A friend of mine with a background in translation asked if she could translate my novel, Fracture Line, into German. I, of course, very quickly said yes.

It’s an interesting process to go through with a surprising benefit.

As she is translating, she it looking at every word. This means some great proofreading is being done. It also means she pushes me on word usage, questioning me on whether I’ve picked the best word or not.

My German isn’t bad, but it’s not great, and I must say it’s fun to read my novel in German. She’s sent me the first 10 chapters for review and I’m stretching my brain, trying to read in another language.

The process is improving my German, and we are having some fun discussions about when to use ‘Du’ and ‘Sie’, and how in the world do you translate bull wheel?

Dogs, Snow and Cruising

~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment
Farley, Panorama BC

#sailing Does your cruising dog miss home?  I have no idea if mine does. I sometimes wonder if Farley remembers snow. It’s been three years since he’s seen it, but he sure seemed to enjoy it. I’ve gone from removing balls of snow from his fur to removing sand burrs. Neither is much fun.

Farley seems happy on the beach or in the snow.

Farley moved on board when he was 9 months old and had no problem adapting to a boat life. I think the younger a dog is when it makes this transition, the easier it is for the dog. Or . . . Farley is just a really happy dog and doesn’t care where he is.

How did your dog do when it first moved on board?

Related articles

Agent Feedback on Blurb

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 7 Comments

#writing

My wonderful agent, Margaret Hart, and her team at the HSW Literary Agency have come up with a new blurb for Burnt. It still amazes me how many people it takes to write a novel, even when it comes to the blurb and the synopsis.

I was very flattered that they came up with a new and improved version of the blurb. They have read all three of my novels, are familiar with my voice, and were able to tweak my original blurb and it still sounds like me. Pretty cool!

Here is the new blurb . . .

Instead of exchanging vows with her fiancé, Ben Timlin, Kalin Thompson spends her wedding day trapped by a forest fire in the mountains of British Columbia—and the pregnant friend trapped with her has just gone into labour. Meanwhile, Ben hangs from the rafters of a burning building, fighting for his life…

When the cause of the fire that ruins Kalin’s wedding and levels half of her beloved ski resort is declared as arson, finding the firebug responsible becomes Kalin’s personal mission.

In the course of her investigation as director of security at Stone Mountain Resort, Kalin gets on the wrong side of small-town corruption and uncovers more than just arson. There are those who will go to extreme measures to keep Kalin from exposing their secrets. But Kalin will go to extreme measures to protect what is hers.

Tides and Cruising

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments
Sand Dollar Beach, Bahamas

#Sailing

This is what happens when we don’t pay attention to the tides.

The tides affect our lives every day on a cruising boat. Our Lagoon 380 draws 4’. It’s a shallow draft that’s great for tucking into anchorages in the Bahamas, but we still need to know what the tides are doing when we anchor.

Anchoring at low tide is great because we always know there will be enough water below our keels. At any other point in the tide cycle we need to make sure the water will be deep enough at low tide. This includes knowing the water within our swing range. A middle of the night squall can swing the boat 180 degrees and there better be enough water. I don’t know why, but squalls always seem to hit in the middle of the night.

Sailing through cuts is another time the tides are important. Wind against current is a bad thing in a narrow cut.

Back to the dingy . . . does my husband actually think he is going somewhere in the beached dingy?

Naming A Novel

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 14 Comments

#writing

Do you struggle with naming your novel? I do.

My novels are Fracture Line, The Final Gate, and Burnt.

After submitting The Final Gate to my agent, Margaret Hart, I received feedback from her editor that I should change the title.

I think I’m on title 200, and I’m still working on it.

  • Should the title be a line from the novel?
  • Should it be a metaphor?

After picking a title, then comes the research.

  • It the title already used?
  • Does is have a meaning I’m are unaware of?

Then comes the test market. Sending the title out to the people who have read my novel should give me some feedback. But what is they all like different one.

There are so many things to consider.  I think I’m finding the harder than writing the novel, the blurb and the synopsis. Yikes!

How do decide what your title should be? And if you happen to read the blurb for The Final Gate, can you send me a title?

Dogs and Sharks

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 10 Comments
Nurse Sharks

#dogs #sailing

Dogs can be curious creatures, but sometimes it’s not in their best interest to engage with sea life.

The nurse sharks are keeping a close eye on the fish cleaning that we are doing near by. Jasper, the springer spaniel, is keeping a close eye on the nurse sharks.

If your dog likes to jump off docks, this might be a good time to have him on a leash. Ours are just curious and stay out of the water.

Nurse sharks are gentle creatures, and some of our group actually swam with them. I guarded the dogs, you know . . . just in case they needed guarding.

Surprised by Synopsis

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 7 Comments

#writetip The dreaded synopsis surprised me. We all know how hard it is to write but . . .

I discovered a hole in my plot during the process of writing the synopsis. I was having a difficult time getting the story described in under two pages of double spaced text.

Then I realized the novel wasn’t coming full circle and I couldn’t relate the ending to the beginning. Why? I didn’t close off one of the story lines. I don’t think I would have discovered this if I hadn’t written the synopsis.

My point? Maybe the synopsis is not just for your agent or publisher. Maybe it’s good for you too.

Thoughts?

Cruising and Exercising

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 1 Comment
Stocking Island, Bahamas

#sailing

Keeping fit while cruising is sometimes a challenge. If you’re a runner, you can find beach in the Bahamas that will fill your need to run.

The photo is of my favourite beach on Stocking Island. It’s 2.5 K each way, meaning I can get in a 5K run. (10K if I’m feeling ambitious and the tides are right.)

The tides are a factor when choosing what time to run. Low tide is the best. High tide is a slog. But everyday the beach has a different surface so it’s like getting new workout equipment at the gym.

Ankles and knees can be a concern on the angled slope, but the calves really get a workout.

Typical of this beach, there is no one on it. It is one of my favourite spots in the Bahamas.

The little dot beside us is my wheaten terrier, Farley. He loves an off-leash beach run.

Related articles and other ways to keep fit . . .

Need Help Writing a Blurb?

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

#writetip Are you struggling with writing your blurb? Your novel is finished and you are getting ready to submit it, but the blurb just doesn’t sound right?

Why not ask a couple of your readers to write a blurb for you? A person that is not as close to the novel as you are might have an interesting take on what should be in your blurb.

You may get a whole blurb out of the exercise, you may only use one line, but it is sure to spark your imagination.

Related articles

LIfe’s Challenges

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

#dogs Sometimes life presents a challenge. Cali decided she should attack a dog bone that is clearly too large for her. Our lovely wheaten terrier let her take the bone. He sat patiently beside her waiting for his turn.

This little Jack Russell, with her straight ears and long fur, meets all of life’s challenges with a big attitude.

Related articles