Feature Guest - Horane Smith Feb. 13, 2004

[mountaingal]

Re: Feature Guest - Horane Smith Feb. 13, 2004

Originally posted by HoraneSmith:
[qb] Where is "Flegist" your member. We were school mates. I remember him as "Lopez," if he doesn't mind. He was a book worm, I might add, and still is, I guess. [/qb]

Fledgist more comes on during the days and around mid-day on weekends.

The good thing is that once you've joined Jamaicans.com you can continue to come back and post when you find some time. So, if perchance Fledgist cannot join us tonight and ends up posting tomorrow or Sunday, you can reply to him then. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[mountaingal]

Re: Feature Guest - Horane Smith Feb. 13, 2004

Horane, do you write your stories on computer or by long-hand? I hear people still write fiction long-hand...

[Horane]

Re: Feature Guest - Horane Smith Feb. 13, 2004

Tuffstuff,

Sorry I missed your earlier question.
Lover's Leap is written in standard English. I was of two minds about that. But becauseb I was aiming for an international market, I thought I'd go English.

I was also researching at the time the stage at which patwa was developed but couldn't get a truly clearly understanding. I have since learned it was quite developed.

[mountaingal]

Re: Feature Guest - Horane Smith Feb. 13, 2004

would you ever consider writing a memoir of your manley years, or any other non-fiction?

[Horane]

Re: Feature Guest - Horane Smith Feb. 13, 2004

I have never attempted non-fiction. In fact, you are now giving me an idea. Hmmnn, it's a lot of research though and may require an assistant. Perhaps as soon as I have written a few more novels i could think about that. Due to overwhelming response I am just finished a sequel to Lover's Leap - Dawn at Lover's Leap.

[SistahD]

Re: Feature Guest - Horane Smith Feb. 13, 2004

Just so you know... Horane says his computer is acting slow right now... so please be patient! Thanks

[Horane]

Re: Feature Guest - Horane Smith Feb. 13, 2004

I Use a computer. My first three unpublished manuscripts were written on an old Smith Corona.
You see, unlike some writers, I don't plot a novel. I write, develop the characters, and allow them tom play out their true selves. Except for Lover's Leap, of course. there was a story to it. But the others were all from the characters. A novel like The Lynching Stream shows how a character is played out through his emtions, especially some of the things he's obsessed with.

[Horane]

Re: Feature Guest - Horane Smith Feb. 13, 2004

Great that i can join the discussion anytime. I will look forward to Fledgist.

[mountaingal]

Re: Feature Guest - Horane Smith Feb. 13, 2004

Originally posted by HoraneSmith:
[qb] unlike some writers, I don't plot a novel. I write, develop the characters, and allow them tom play out their true selves. Except for Lover's Leap, of course. there was a story to it. But the others were all from the characters. A novel like The Lynching Stream shows how a character is played out through his emtions, especially some of the things he's obsessed with. [/qb]

do you have to do a lot of research to get into the "mind" of your character in order to let them play themselves out in the story? or is it intuitive - in which case, the character would carry some aspect of yourself?

[mountaingal]

Re: Feature Guest - Horane Smith Feb. 13, 2004

have you ever taken part in the Calabash literary festival?

[Horane]

Re: Feature Guest - Horane Smith Feb. 13, 2004

I want to add a message for the young writers out there who may be viewing.
The publishing business doesn't come as an overnight success unless your Tom Clancy or the otrher great guns.
The most a writer like me can get from a publisher is 10% of the cover price. Tom Clancy can demand $25$ or more because he has a name.
With your first novel published, don't entertain the thought that you are going to be rich. The average Canadian writer made $15 thousand, yes thousand, last year.
So one has to think first about getting your name out there. If you have a number one bestseller with your first, then you can start to make demand.
The trick is get your name out there first. If the money comes with it, fine. If it doesn't keep trying.

[Horane]

Re: Feature Guest - Horane Smith Feb. 13, 2004

No, but Kwame, the Director, and I have exchanged emails. In his words, "I have little doubt," you will be at this festival some time soon.
He explained that the genre that i write in (historical) has not been featured as yet, and that he would be looking into it at some point. He was quite impressed with Port Royal. I've also exchanged emails with Colin Channer along those lines, too. More power to them in trying to promote the literary landscape.
I was born about 10 miles ffrom Calabash Bay. It's great to know something like that is going on there.

[mountaingal]

Re: Feature Guest - Horane Smith Feb. 13, 2004

do you think there is something special about St. Elizabeth people? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/70365-flirt.gif[/img]

[mountaingal]

Re: Feature Guest - Horane Smith Feb. 13, 2004

Would you ever create a Rastafarian hero for one of your books?

[Horane]

Re: Feature Guest - Horane Smith Feb. 13, 2004

Mind search? Yes.

This is where my imagination runs wild. At night when everyone is asleep, and the room becomes expectedly quite, I begin to act like someone else in thought.
I imagine how they would react to certain situations, how thy would speak, what they look like, their tastes, strength, weaknesses, and the story they have to tell.
That was how Reggae Silver was born. I see some Reggae Silvers out there but I haven't met him personally. I want to make him so real that the reader will love him.
I want him to use patwa so his Jamaican country men and women can relate to him, and his international audience can understand him. Hence his use of both dialect and standard English.
Then I wanted Reggae Silver to sing his heart out to every one to mesmerrise their troubled souls with soothing music. He is a Prisoner of Love, and he composes that song behind bars, and take it to the world.

But how can a man behind bars reach the world with such a hypnotic force?
Find out in THE GREATEST REGGAE STORY EVER TOLD!