100 people

[mushu mama]

Bert Newton?

my first thought when I read that Beth, was ... 'yep, Bert Newton would leave me pretty close to zero degrees - zero interest' but then decided you were just questioning the validity of Bert on the list of the the most influential and interesting people of the planet and I agreed all over again.

Having said all that, I am assuming that zero degrees is a reference to the equator which is has a latitude of zero degrees. ( traveling around the world, meeting all those people, yahda yahda.... something like that?)

If not, then its lost on me I'm afraid.

Greg, weren't you writing a book about your rellies in Tassie? did you finish that already?

[calisota]

Bert Newton?

As I said in the intro...they are not necessarily people I like on a personal level but people who are interesting, have achieved a lot or have influenced me in some way.

Bert has been around for an awfully long time and survived in a demanding industry. I saw him in Beauty and the Beast and he seems to be able to switch mediums easily. But mostly, he would have some amazing stories to tell, he's done so much and met so many.

I'm not a basketball fan but still want to meet Michael Jordan. I'm not an Apple fan (which is a long story) but still want to meet Steve Jobs.

Give me some other interesting or outstanding Australians you think I might want to meet, and don't say Jessica Watson.

Greg

[calisota]

Having said all that, I am assuming that zero degrees is a reference to the equator which is has a latitude of zero degrees. ( traveling around the world, meeting all those people, yahda yahda.... something like that?)

If not, then its lost on me I'm afraid.

Greg, weren't you writing a book about your rellies in Tassie? did you finish that already?

The book was supposed to be about Australia in general and small town in particular. My rellies was a hook and way to get into it. The problem at the moment is that I'm having a crisis of self confidence and seriously doubting my ability to write anything anyone would pay to read.

As for zero degrees...you've heard that everyone in the world is only separated by 6 degrees of separation? The idea is that If I meet these people then I will have zero degrees of separation.

Greg

[mushu mama]

The problem at the moment is that I'm having a crisis of self confidence and seriously doubting my ability to write anything anyone would pay to read.

ok, best advice I can give - write the book for yourself (and your family), make it personal. Worrying about marketability is counterproductive to a good book. Apply 'writers bum glue' and don't move till its done. the sense of accomplishment will negate the confidence slump. At least write the Tassie part....

or theres always this very thoughtful gem I was told just recently.... " you want to be a REAL writer? then stop talking about it and just write for GS!!!!"

As for zero degrees...you've heard that everyone in the world is only separated by 6 degrees of separation? The idea is that If I meet these people then I will have zero degrees of separation.

Greg

funny, the first thing that sprang to mind was the 6 degrees thing but I dismissed it thinking it was too simple.

[calisota]

funny, the first thing that sprang to mind was the 6 degrees thing but I dismissed it thinking it was too simple.

Never underestimate how simple I am.

Greg

[mushu mama]

funny, the first thing that sprang to mind was the 6 degrees thing but I dismissed it thinking it was too simple.

Never underestimate how simple I am.

Greg

if you say so...

but write like it means something to you and others will read it. I guarantee it... honestly, every man and his dog is writing a book about nothing these days, so imagine how a book written by someone that actually has a grasp on the English language and has something genuinely interesting to say would bring a little cred back to writers who write because they love it rather than churning out a money spinner. Your tassie rellies did some noteworthy stuff by the sound of it... go for it.

( ok... stopping lecture now )

[calisota]

So you can't think of any Australians worthy of meeting?

I would have liked to have met Fred Hollows. I did meet a friend of his in Laos who said he was a difficult man at times.

Greg

[mushu mama]

Fred Hollows was a lot like Walt D I imagine... driven, resourceful, talented and those things made him have sharp enough edges to push past the road blocks. 'if you can dream it, you can do it'... A photographer friend of mine gave me a print of my birthday sunrise with that printed on it to remind me to stop sitting on my hands and do a few things... Theres a lot of Aussies out there that inadvertantly follow that mantra...
I'm sure I could come up with some... I'll think about it and post some later.

[churros]

I've got a few book ideas for you.

This teenage girl moves to live with her dad in a small American town and she falls in love with a guy who turns out to be a vampire...
or
This french women falls in love with her foppish english gentleman husband her turns out to be the nations hero as he rescues French aristocrats from the guillotine...
or
This English women falls in love with a scottish highlander during the stuart rising and she turns out to be a time traveller from WWII...
or
This governess falls in love with the master of the house who turns out to be already married to a lunatic in the attic...

Notice a theme?

OK name these books!

[mushu mama]

I've got a few book ideas for you.

This teenage girl moves to live with her dad in a small American town and she falls in love with a guy who turns out to be a vampire...
or
This french women falls in love with her foppish english gentleman husband her turns out to be the nations hero as he rescues French aristocrats from the guillotine...
or
This English women falls in love with a scottish highlander during the stuart rising and she turns out to be a time traveller from WWII...
or
This governess falls in love with the master of the house who turns out to be already married to a lunatic in the attic...

Notice a theme?

OK name these books!

Blimey... I need to read more... all of those sound familiar but I only know one for sure...

Twilight

in no particular order my guesstimates: Officer and a gentleman; flowers in the attic?

( and she calls herself a writer.... )

[sandie]

Twilight
???
Cross Stitch
Rebecca????

[calisota]

Twilight
The Scarlet Pimpernel
Dragonfly in Amber
Jane Eyre

Greg

[churros]

Well done Greg! Although not specifically Dragonfly in Amber. I was alluding to the whole outlander / cross stitch series.

I have only just read the series this year and am now working my way through the audio books. (Bella can have those whiny vampires and werewolves give me Jamie Fraser) I also only read the scarlet pimpernel for the first time last week.

[sandie]

I have read a few of the Cross stitch books but find them annoying as none of them seem to have a list in the front that puts the books in the right order so it takes me forever to figure out which one is next! I totally understand the Jamie Fraser over Edward thing - only I wonder who would win out of Jamie and Nathanial Bonner (Into the Wilderness series)

Sandie

[churros]

Ooh I don't know that series - is that my next obsession?