Wordsmith Lane

Call Out on musical masterpieces and Australian media

A second call-out in a week. Realised this could be a good point of call for journalists-in-the-making who need case studies for their articles. What do you guys think?

Today’s call-out is on behalf of Alex from the US of A (hi Alex!) who works on an American student newspaper. If anyone can answer the below questions, please copy and paste them in an email (together with your responses of course) and send to alexveeneman[at]comcast.net ASAP

Here are the questions:

1. As someone who has observed the Australian media closely, what do you think is the real representation of a musical masterpiece?
2. Do you think the Australian media has represented this fairly?
3. What do you think represents a true musical masterpiece?
4. Do you think the cultural representation of music currently has helped the industry in Australia?
5. Do you think this debate is helping expose the best of Australian culture?

Thanks guys!

BookShelf: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Lauren Oliver, the author behind this amazing novel, is only 25 years old, which could explain why she has amazing insight into the life of the American teenager. Perhaps she too was one of the popular girls in high school, the ones who grew up before they even knew what it meant,  only to lament the loss of childhood (or the lack of ever having had a proper one) once they reached adulthood.

Or perhaps she was on the other side of the spectrum, or even the inbetween, watching as the populars relegated everyone else they deemed unworthy of the spotlight to the background of those difficult stages of life, in an attempt to hide their own insecurities and limitations.

Either way, in her book, Before I Fall (Hodder & Stoughton, $29.99), Oliver has the ability to almost pluck the reader from their here and now and implant them into the life, musings and story of 17 year old Samantha Kingston, who dies in a horrific car crash on the way home from a party on a rainy February night.

But in what makes Oliver’s story unique (and still somewhat believable, despite the odds) is that Samantha’s story doesn’t end with her death. In fact, her death is how her story starts. And rather than having some other character discover the realities of her life, it is Samantha herself who learns the lessons. Why? In a clever plot, Samantha doesn’t relive her life, or learn her lessons from the comforts of the after-life. Instead, she wakes up on the morning of the day she dies every day for a week.

Forced to relive the events of that fateful day/night, everything from the drive to school with her priviliged friends to the party that would ultimately change her classmates’ lives forever, Sam desperately tries to alter the outcome of the evening, with her own death at the top of her agenda, in order to change what inevitable has to happen.

In the process, the reader’s heart is almost warmed to the core as we are funnelled into the mind of a girl who comes of age in a matter of days, and who discovers, with heart breaking insight, the consequences of her every action. It is a story of a girl who dies young, but learns how to live because of it. And the story of someone who comes to udnerstand the true meaning of love, at a time when it’s just too little, too late.

An honest, heartwarming and impeccable read with believable characters and a very special storyline, Before I fall is a fantastic debut novel, and one I could not put down. Even in the meeting with my bridesmaid dress maker. Yep, it was that good.

The Verdict: Read it. Or better yet, buy it and give it to your daughter when she’s of age. My rating? Four and a half mint patties. And I am not being generous.

Bloggers Desk: A shout-out!

Last week, I got to thinking about people who inspire my writing. Real people, not super stars or media moguls. Some beginners, others just starting to make headway in the wordsmith world. But all incredibly smart, amazingly amazing (and I started a writer’s blog why?) and unbelievably talented. And more so, they have made an indelible mark on my career goals. So I have decided to write a small post in their honour, so we can all ooooh and ahhh in awe at their general fabulousness (I feel this word is cliched and yet I love it), and just because I feel like saying, ‘you rock, don’t ever change’, but I don’t know how. So without further ado, here’s my wordsmith shout-out:

1. Rachel Hills: Words cannot explain how amazing this woman is. She has been an unbelievable guide to me as I navigated uncertainly down wordsmith lane. Her resume, skills and smarts are so expansive, and yet, she remains down-to-earth, accessible and still, ever-so-helpful. Truth be said, she loves a bit of praise, but you know what? She gives a lot more than she gets, and she deserves to get a hell of a lot. Rachel, I can’t say thank you enough for being the person that you are. You are one of my biggest writing inspirations, and I am so greatful for your encouragement these past few years.
2. Bessie Recep: I first met Bessie when I was an awkward 19 year old intern at Madison. Despite my inferiority complex at being surrounded by beautiful women, and the fact that my self-esteem plummeted drastically as soon I stepped into the ACP building, Bessie made me feel welcome. We’ve remained email buddies almost five years later, and I am so thankful to be able to chat about magazine and media land with her almost everyday. She’s so knowledgeable about the industry and has made incredible headway as a writer despite her young age (she’s now an Associate Editor at Women’s Health – a magazine I don’t just love for Bessie, but for the general well-being that is resonates, and of course, for their lovely down-to-earth editor, Felicity Harley). Bess, thanks for not being a typical mag chick and for giving a girl like me a chance to prove I had what it takes. Even if we’ve never worked together.
3. Olivia Hambrett: We met at a shoot for Famous Magazine and quickly figured out we didn’t belong there. I gravitated towards her for her wit and warmth. She has done an amazing job of Trespass magazine, and though I might have failed her by bailing out of the project in the midst of a very tough year, she must have had some karma points because she continues to make an amazing success of it. Olive (as I fondly call her) has been there to metaphorically hold my hand through all the frustrations of waltzing down Wordsmith Lane. She’s so down-to-earth, and unbelievably real, that I find that only she can understand my anger when I see another air-head (pardon my resentment) release another book on the merits of her looks in the social pages or the balance of her bank account, while people who have worked hard and tirelessly, and who have no time for gallavanting socialites, still claw their way up the writing ladder. And you know what? She’s multitalented. I mean, she feels the products she writes about in her role as a beauty editor for Trespass and Onya Magazine. She photographs in a manner that makes you want to laugh, cry and run away to somewhere really exciting all at the same time. And she has amazing blue eyes and lovely blonde locks (kudos to Mr & Mrs Hambrett) but is just as comfortable wishwashing through dirt and mess. She lives in an amazing house on an amazing block of land (this is a merit only I understand), and has a degree in psych and a Masters in Creative Writing, which serves her well because her stories are great. Agents and Book Publishers take note: if you know what’s good for your finances (a cheaper contract now as opposed to a pricey bidding war on one of her titles in a couple of years), you will give her a book deal. Pronto.
4. Suheil Damouny: This guy knows politics like no other human being I have ever met. We did our Masters together at Sydney University, and where I passed time reading Shop Til You Drop, he quickly became our tutor’s favourite pupil (speculation, but still, I have no doubt in this). We disagree on a lot of things, and agree on others, but still get along amazingly well. Suheil has a Palestinian heritage, so I feel a particular affiliation with him considering we’re both from Middle-Eastern backgrounds. I sincerely hope this merits him in the hard news world, as I’d hate for him to experience the struggles I faced in my early days in the realms of social analysis/women’s media. Good luck in your career Suheil.
5. Paul Hemsley: I always forget Paul’s real name (don’t worry, it actually is Paul). But that’s because he has this amazing talent of fitting into a niche he has cultivated so well that his pen name ends up being his identity. Paul and I have a fun time of chatting about all things movies – especially when it comes to Lois Lane. In fact, Paul often cheers me up by talking to me as if I am indeed my comic book heroine. What I admire about Paul is that he won’t sink his loves for media money. While he could easily fall into the trap of doing something he doesn’t love, he is sticking to his guns and continuing to host his simple radio show (it’s actually pretty good) about music in the movies until the perfect job comes around. I envy your devotion Paul, and I hope the perfect job is right arounfd the corner.
6. Erica Bartle: Finding the good in gloss is Erica Bartle’s mission in work on her very successful blog Girl with a Satchel. And you know what, she does a pretty good job of it. But the thing about Erica is she doesn’t have to act as the all around nice girl because she really is. I mean, she hadn’t even met me but would still send me links of available jobs in magazine land, and I’ve hearted her ever since. But most of all, I really admire her commitment to her faith. She knows her blog is seen by at least two thousand a day, and has never seemed weary of highlighting her devotion to her Christian faith. As a fellow follower of Christ and his teaching, I can look to Erica and hope that my career won’t be too severley affected by my outwardly Christian views. I don’t know her very well, but her nice girl manner means she seemingly has those Christian lessons down pat. Erica, thank you for showing me that it is ok to share your faith in magazine land. You are a beautiful woman and I love that I am always entertained by posts and snippets of your beautiful home/office/life/mindset. But from your blog I can see that you’re beautiful on the inside too. And after being a workie and seeing what the industry is often like, I am glad that you give me hope that there always is some good to be found in the glossy things.
7. Sandi Tighello: I don’t know Sandi very well. In fact, we made our acquintance via email and hardly ever communicate. But her commitment to Australian talent (and the beautiful Australian way of life) is evident based on her establishment of Onya magazine. As a fellow ‘wog’ (if you will), I am impressed that this girl with Italian heritage decided to show the merits of our country and the achievements of its people in such a public sphere (Onya is all about all things Aussie and amazing). I often wonder if migrantas (or their children) really understand the value of this country and it saddens me immensely when members of my own Lebanese community do not appreciate the wonderful down under. Gotta love that nationalism Sandi. You have done an amazing job with ONYA and I am really looking forward to seeing it, and your great career, continue to grow.
8. Sarah-Jane Adams: Again, someone I have never met. But can I just say: This woman is a machine! She is a columnist, web-designer, entrepreneur in the making and she does it all with flair. Can’t wait till I get to London for a second time so that I can see the source of my career-awe in the flesh. She is a master of media careers, and is so young, and I secretly suspect she has a time machine. No one can possibly do so much and still have a life.

Call Out…on mental illness

Never had to resort to a call out on my blog for a story, but I guess there’s a first for everything. I am on deadline for a story on depression and other forms of mental illness among teenagers. The story is mainly a guide for parents though – so I am looking for young people who have suffered from mental illness, or their parents, to particpate in a short interview on how they dealt with it etc

They dont have to be in their teens now, so long as they were in some point of their life. I am getting pretty desperate for case studies now, so pretty please do this wordsmith a favour and ask around for me.

Anonymity will be guaranteed. Please email me at sarah[at]sarahayoub.com as soon as you can. This is much appreciated!

PS – Mentioning this on Facebook and Twitter would also go down a treat. Ta!

Wordsmith Weekly: The Easter Edition

No, I did not buy the whole confectionary section of K-Mart. But yes, I came pretty close (and fyi, this is not even the whole stash). And it’s because, come this Sunday, this Wordsmith would have given up chocolate for 40 days of Lenten sacrifice, in recognition of Christ’s suffering/fast in the desert. So how am I planning to spend the sad and sorrowful Passion Week in between the two joyous Sundays of Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday?

As a Catholic, Passion Week is very important to me. It is the week that my Lord & Saviour was welcomed joyfully back into Jerusalem only to be betrayed by disciple/good mate Judas on Holy Thursday (after the Last Supper banquet), and tortured and crucified on what we term Good Friday. But it didn’t end badly for Jesus, who Christians believe rose from the dead three days later and opened up the gates of heaven for our salvation. We call Christ the new Adam, because he gave us another chance at Paradise and a good relationship with God, after Adam’s disobedience had humanity shunned from Eden (the garden of Paradise) for ever. So why did the Son of God (and God himself for that matter, but that’s another story) have to die such a horrible death for people he didn’t even know? Apart from fulfilling prophecies dating back thousands of years, it was because the one who had to repair our relationship with God had to be worthy enough in God’s eyes, and who more worthy than His own son?

The Christian faith is essentially all about sacrifice. Well, if you practise it right anyway. You’re supposed to forgive even when you don’t want to (because a world without grudges is a nicer place); turn the other cheek when you are judged/criticised (because judgement of one another doesn’t fulfill this happy, nicer world plan); and bend over backwards for your neighbour. It’s all faith, hope and charity really, and, at the risk of sounding nerdy or uncool, the most beautiful thing in my life.

Not that this is a religious lesson, so pardon me in that regard, because I am just as fascinated by the traditions and protocols of other belief systems as I am my own. Which means that this week, I will be spending a lot of time in quiet prayer and meditation, contemplating how I can be a better human being to better fulfill the plan that God has for his happy, shiny world. This of course will be aided with some readings from a book (see above) on Christ’s death – why he did it and what it meant – as well as a couple of church visits, a breaking of the Lenten fast with my family at midday on Good Friday (anyone want to come enjoy a vegetarian Lebanese feast at mine?), a rosary said (with Catholics all over the world) for peace in the world at 3pm on Good Friday, and finally, on Easter Sunday, a big lunch with my family and the joyful, slow and thankful devourment of all the goodies I abstained from this Lent. Including the giant bucketload of lollies and chocolate eggs (eggs are critical to Easter time because they represent a new life, and the new life we have thanks to Christ’s sacrifice).

I’ll also use the break to better peruse the 10th anniversary edition of Instyle magazine (check out the home of Wheels & Dollbaby designer Melanie Greensmith, it’s to die for), and, because Lenten sacrifice is just not enough, to see what lessons are to be learned on matrimony from bestselling author Polly Williams in her book How to Be Married (Headline, $29.99). Then again, compromise is sacrifice, is it not? And compromise does a good marriage make.

As for you guys, make sure you stay tuned to Wordsmith Lane as I will be a decent blogger this week – with a post coming on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Would also love to hear feedback on how you’ll be spending your breaks, so make sure you comment and let me know.

It’s a busy week ahead with all of the above, but should there be some spare time, I am really keen to see what all the fuss is about with regards to Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love. Come to think of it, that book pretty much sums up my whole week. Food, faith and fulfillment. All the ingredients for a perfect week…and put it simply, a perfect life.

Happy Easter everyone xx

PS – Speaking of new life, I am attempting to breathe new life into this blog by merging it (slowly, and cautiously) with my professional portfolio. While a domain under my name remains the ideal, I feel my ethnic surname is often a struggle when people look me up or try to say my name (though this could just be identity paranoia). Besides, as you all know, I am rather fond of the title ‘Wordsmith Lane’ and can’t bear to part from it. Fiance tells me I can still use the domain of my professional name to direct to this website, so it could still work in my favour and I could have both sarahayoub.com and wordsmithlane.com come to this very blog. A pretty good compromise, no? I feel like I am jumping the gun, but when I do get my book published (positive thinking) I feel that my publisher would say it’s good to have a web presence under your name, so I think it’s essential to work with wordsmithlane which I love so much, and Sarah Ayoub, who I happen to be. But instead of having to update two websites, I’ll only have to work with one. Especially because I’m quite happy with the format of this site, and it’s just so easy to work with, so I might stick it out. I am in the early stages of testing, so as you can see I have added a new category (writing portfolio) where I will update my articles (although they are listed, by alphabetical order of publication) on the Writing tab. I have also added a tab on my speaking gigs (a modest but growing number of engagements to my name thus far), a tab on my research project (which I ought to be working on a little more) and a tab on my resume so far. I am also toying with the idea of keeping the gallery page as is. This has an even more modest number of attributes to it, but they’re still special and notable to myself. So anyway, let me know what you think. These things are small and shouldn’t stress me out in the bigger scheme of wedding/mortgage/thesis/book/full-time job, but, as I hope you have learnt, when you are an aspiring up-and-comer in the competitive writing world, your online presence is sometimes all you have, and you should really make it work in your favour. Anyway, give me some feedback to aid in my decision-making process, will you?

The (often forgotten) fruits of wordsmith labour

Sometimes, we’re too focused on what it feels like when we’re selling articles as opposed to writing them for free, and often, that’s fair enough, considering we work hard in a competitive environment and there’s only so much free print that we can do before we start hankering for some bread and butter on our tables.

I’ve been one of those writer’s who feels like she’s had enough of writing for free, and has spent the past couple of months determinedly focused on establishing herself as a career-making freelancer. Sometimes, times are tough, because you only see the fruits of your labour in the money, or in the comments (negative too) that you see in your work. It feels good to know that you’re making people think, or igniting debate, or inspiring them to do something positive in their lives or even just re-connect with their loved ones.

And at other times, you walk through Broadway Shopping Centre, off to get season 5 of SATC from K-Mart because it’s on sale for ten bucks, and then you’re mesmerised because an article that you wrote for Notebook: magazine about women making successes of their businesses has been used as the basis for their marketing/advertising material. And that is a fruit of your labour that just sweeps you away.

Case in Point: Pretty in Pink using my article in Notebook: magazine as their advertisement/marketing signage outside their Broadway stall. Wondering if it’s in the Pretty in Pink Shoppe in Newtown, but even if it’s not, this still feels pretty good. Try not to laugh at my photography skills (or lack thereof) – I was using my Nokia and trying to look inconspicuous, though I know I failed miserably. How is that for Wordsmith Inspiration?

This week’s dose of style, smarts & savoir-faire

I am a very happy wordsmith girl today, and you can see why with a glimpse at my dresser. We all know that I (or, rather my finances) are doomed the minute I step into a T2 store, and this was evident today when I hit the shops in between work meetings and walked out with this gorgeous tea cup and saucer (which are huge and perfect for my Mad-Hatters Kitchen Tea/Bridal Shower this October) as well as a pack of their Creme Brulee tea (CREME BRULEE!). That said, I could be a little happier if I also walked out with the Choc-Chip Chai Tea as well, but I think we’ll take this addiction a little at a time, no?

And as you can see I’m also indulging my savoir-faire by being as clued up as possible on things I’m finding quite relevant in the pop culture world right now, namely all things Alice in Wonderland (today it’s Harper’s Bazaar that’s indulging this love with an interview with its lead Mia Wasikowska). On the smarts front, I am getting excited at the prospect of reading Natasha Waller’s Living Dolls (Virago, $35) which is out on March 25th and bound to cause a little bit of a stir on the sexualisation of young girls (its author also wrote The New Feminism).

And of course, I am still writing my novel with steely determination, and thus continuing to immerse myself in as much Young Adult fiction as possible for the purposes of keeping me in teenager-land until my first draft of work is up. Last week it was Candace Bushnell’s The Carrie Diaries, which is media embargoed until May and therefore keeping me tight-lipped; and this week it’s Melina Marchetta’s The Piper’s Son, which I’m already quite enjoying, but then you wouldn’t expect less from Marchetta.

Much to my excitement, I’m also working on a couple of stories and waiting to hear on a few more commissions, so things are good on Wordsmith Lane, even if it means my post have been very few and far between. But I have not forgotten you fellow wordsmiths, and I will not fail you once I have time on my side again for even just a minute. I promise I will make it worth your while once I have some concrete evidence about the world of book writing that I will be able to divulge. In the mean time, I hope you’re treating your lovely selves with as much style, smarts and savoir-faire that you can muster – trust me, it goes down a treat!

Manuscript Madness

A few of you have been emailing or commenting here that you’d like an update on how the book is going, and I am pleased to report that I am well into a third of it. For the first time in a long time, I have a tight grip on the storyline and the characters, and I am slowly but surely learning to show rather than tell.

I know there’s still heaps of room for improvement, so, even in my financially-strained situation, I have forked out $200 to attend a one-on-one manuscript assessment session at the NSW Writer’s Centre, where a certified editor will go through the first 15 pages of my manuscript and advise me on its merits or demerits so far. I will make sure to post about how this assessment goes, in case any of you aspiring wordsmiths care to part take in the upcoming one which occurs in May.

If that assessment session goes well, I will be shipping what I have so far off to the publisher who wanted to sample it, and hopefully emerge from said shipping with some prospect of a book deal. If not, it’s back to burying my nose into the story, because I am pressed for time?

Why? Without revealing too much, I can say that my story corresponds with the anniversary of a certain Australian event on the cusp of 2010/2011, and so I want to ensure that it is released at a time when this event will be revisited in the news. The importance of marketing my novel here are paramount, but I will be able to divulge more a little later. Until then, thank you for your patience, and I hope that in another month or so, I can post here saying my first draft is practically complete. Slowly but surely I am getting there, and if all goes well, I will be able to give you more of an insight into the novel publishing process (and from an amateur at that!). Happy writing xx

CLEO: Self-help or Self-harm?

Published in CLEO, February 2010. Copyright Sarah Ayoub 2010

Could enrolling in any old self-help course be undermining your health? Sarah Ayoub investigates.

On any other day, the woman standing by the window might have known that Christmas was a time for indulging her inner child. But on this particular day, she indulged hers to the extreme, waltzing into the office of her boss naked and in a ‘psychotic’ dream-like state, speaking to her in a sing-song voice, and then jumping to her death from the window of her Sydney office building.

The woman in question was Rebekah Lawrence, a demure personal assistant from Sydney, who, disillusioned with her husband’s decision not to have a child, enrolled in a Turning Point self-help course which promised a ‘journey to the core of the human spirit’, but instead delivered a tragic outcome that is still simmering four years later – throwing caution to the thousands of women seeking various forms of self-help for their diverse emotional ailments.

According to Anthony Grant, Head of the Coaching Psychology Unit at Sydney University, women are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, and as a result make up the majority of the market for the self-help industry – buying books and audio products and part-taking in courses to aid their emotional wellbeing.

But the fact that this industry is self-regulated means that it might actually be doing them more harm than help, because the lack of policy or explicit guidelines governing practice means that anyone can set themselves up as a life coach or establish a life coaching school. This is an aspect of the industry that Grant feels to be “very disturbing”, particularly because his research has shown that up to 52% of people that seek coaching or development methods already have “significant high levels of psychological distress”.

As this article goes to print, the inquest of Rebekah Lawrence’s death continues, driven by the fact that an autopsy after her death found no drugs or alcohol in her system, and her husband David Booth blaming the course for inducing her psychosis, something which Grant says is attributed to the manner of the therapies employed.

“Courses like Turning Point use a very powerful technique”, he warns. “The whole process is hypnotic [and acts] to shake people up. You don’t need to be distressed, depressed or have a history of mental illness in your family to become quite profoundly disturbed by the processes”.

Undoubtedly one of the most popular self development programs around is the Landmark Forum, which, part of Landmark Education, operates in a number of countries around the globe. Although Landmark was mentioned as a similar program in news reports at the time of the inquest, Grant says they are “most definitely not the same”, because while Turning Point is hypnotic and emotional, Landmark encourages a way of thinking through a cognitive process. Roslyn*, 25, agrees.

“In all honesty, I can’t say anything bad about the Landmark course”, she says. “I feel that it could help with communication skills, problem solving, and strengthening our ability to move beyond things that stand in our way. But, I think it is suited more to people who have a void in their life, or those who have suffered from a bad experience. It’s more about trying to separate the positives in life from the negatives in order to move on”.

While he admits that there are plenty of self-help options that do merit the lives of their participants, Grant advises that it’s always best to discuss your intentions to utilise these methods with a professional – a counsellor, psychologist or social worker – or, if it is a course, a participant who genuinely recommends it.

But, like we’d all react differently to an allergy or the pain of a laser zap on our leg, our experiences will always vary, whether they’re with professionals, books or audio tapes, or life development programs. For 35 year old Jonnie, going around in circles with a counsellor for two years did not compare to the enhanced state of life brought upon by Landmark Education programs, while Human Resources worker Lisa Coulton, who spoke at Rebekah Lawrence’s inquest, described feeling “fantastic” and “energised” after her own experience of Turning Point.

Despite this, Anthony Grant calls for all courses to utilise screening processes for depression, anxiety or stress in their participants, so that practitioners have some sort of understanding as to who is in the room, and what they are experiencing.

“Mental health professionals have explicit training in a number of therapeutic frameworks that will enable them to understand what is happening to people”, he explains. “But the trainers in self-help programs have typically only ever done those courses, and so they are usually benign to their shortcomings”.

Furthermore, a self-help course is usually administered over a short period of time, and there’s only so much one person can explore in a course where there are many others are involved. Grant recommends that participants ensure their trainers are available to assist them when the course ends.

If regulation, screening or post-therapeutic support were available for Rebekah, the outcome might have been different, especially as reports showed she made several unanswered calls to Turning Point on the day of her death.

For Rebekah’s family, regulation and screening are too little, too late. But for everyone else out there, her death has served as a warning to really evaluate the programs you’re involved in, and the products you are buying in to. While some courses have certainly enriched lives, others have ruined them – warranting a thorough examination into the harms of self-diagnosis and self-help.

“Obviously, not every self help course is bad”, says Grant. “But if it sounds too evangelistic or intense, it probably is. There are no hidden secrets in the universe. There is no magic trick that is going to turn a life that is languishing into one that is flourishing. Yes, people can really improve their lives but it takes time and it takes effort…you can’t go into a two day workshop and then suddenly step into a different reality”.