When creating characters in my stories, I use several techniques. One of them is to create a kind of outline from several descriptive elements. I try to imagine their physique, their character traits, but I also invent a personal story for them, which may be family or other. If I want to flesh out the descriptive part, I don’t hesitate to practice by going to a public place where I can observe several people. I try to imagine that one of them is the character I want to describe. However, it is important not to stop only at what we see. We must also use the other senses. Then knowing how to appeal to emotions and our ability to see that the person in front of us probably has not had the experiences that the fictional character should live in the story.
News around accessibility of digital books
As you know, I like to inform you from time to time about digital accessibility. On the site, some notions have already been mentioned about the possibilities it could offer.
Although there are still some efforts to be made, the consortium working for accessible books has published an article demonstrating that progress has been made in the digital field.
You can read the article by clicking on this link.
Catalan days 2024
During Catalan days, both Catalan identity and its history are celebrated. Far from the clichés too often conveyed, it covers different cultural aspects. As an author, I never felt trapped in the past in these places, quite the contrary. In each of my writings, I seek to connect to a city or another country and almost like magic it succeeds each time.
For Fantastic L.A, I started by reading an article related to a historical fact in local history. A point I developp in my masterclass. Then, perhaps because I write fiction and fantasy, I said to myself…what is the most improbable thing you could do? to this question my inner voice answered me: look for a distant town that might seem the opposite of Thuir. So I chose Los Angeles. That’s when I discovered that there are always more things that bring us together than we initially believe. Palm trees, Hollywood cinema and all other artists around the world.
I will be present on July 19, 2024 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Catalan days which will take place in Thuir at the Villa Palauda.
You will be able to discover my books and ask questions.
Free admission.
Here are the GPS coordinates to get there:
Latitude: 42.636787
Longitude: 2.7583
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Here are some photos before my installation:
Thank you to the organizers, the circle of authors of 66 and the public.
It was a beautiful sunny day where we were surrounded by a natural area.
Towards more tolerance
I signed the call for mobilization of actresses and actors in the world of books. The link to the petition is here.
Exchange around books
On June 28, I attended a conference on thematic bibliographies around sport and comics.
Students had made particularly successful presentations, the videos are available on their channel.
The summary of this session can be found on this page of the Occitanie Livre website. I found the discussions very enriching.
Some ideas for improvement
As an author, I often ask myself questions about my job. How will it evolve? Am I taking a qualitative approach?
Of course, environmental issues arise in any field of activity. Although digital printing uses the least paper, it still consumes energy.
Authors have a far greater influence than they think on the solutions implemented in the book trade. For example, as was the case in the UK, they can put pressure on publishers to be more transparent about the origin of printed paper and the conditions of reforestation.
That said, it’s by reflecting too on the consequences of mass production in the artistic field that certain ideas for improvement are born. To limit an impact, some solutions are better suited than others. In my opinion, print-on-demand, which has been around for several years now, is a process that should be given greater consideration.
Some links :
Certification 2024
For several years, I have regularly participated in updating my knowledge. because I consider writing a profession. The specialization that I have just completed allows me to acquire new knowledge while offering me the possibility of supporting other authors in their projects. This is characterized, for example, by feedback and constructive criticism on their writings.
The team that awards this specialization is made up mostly of authors who have published more than a dozen award-winning novels and written articles in publications such as the New York Times, the Washington Post and O : The Oprah Magazine. A very enriching approach.
Today I received my certification and thank the entire team.
Cultural openness
On June 10, the opening ceremony of the third edition of the Nostre Mar festival took place. A festival wishing to bring people together so as not to spread anti-LGBT hatred, racism and anti-semitism.
I listened to the first part devoted to a conference by the historian Marie-Anne Matard-Bonucci on the theme “fascism and anti-semitism” as well as the second part which was called “entre-là” and which was devoted to music.
It was an intense moment of reflection and exchange.
The memorial also has very interesting books.
Here are some photos from the evening:
Link to the memorial to inform you.
Festival of book and imaginary 2024
I will be present this Saturday, June 15, 2024 for the Book and Imaginary Festival all morning.
You can meet me at Latour Bas Elne avenue du Tech, place de la Fontaine.
You can discover my books through several extracts or ask me questions. An event for which I can’t wait to meet my audience.
Several artistic disciplines will be brought together (Literature, Drawing, Music). On this occasion you will also be able to discover games as well as role-playing games.
The Book and Imagination Festival is organized in partnership with the city public library and the Catalan authors’ circle. Free admission.
Here are the GPS coordinates to get there:
Latitude 42.6021
Longitude 3.0029
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Photos of the 15th of june 2024
E-reader and accessibility
As part of the accessibility of digital books, the reading tool is very important. It must be adapted. Currently, very few e-reader models can both read text in audio and allow correct navigation. When I talk about navigation, I mean keys allowing you to move through the text and select actions indicated in the menu.
For my part, I tried a first model that was lent to me some time ago. He read the text of my book, which is quite astonishing and which, for people whose need arises, proves very useful function text to speech. Enlarging sans serif fonts is also an essential feature for reading digital books.