Russia For Writers

I Haz Book!

2012-01-28T12:57:00.000-08:00

Alert Alert!

The second edition of The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Russia is out at A Conspiracy of Authors and is currently available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords!

Below is the book on Kindle:

Kindle also includes a generous sample of the book so you can take a look and tell me if you think it's useful or not.

Happy reading!

(And I'm back, butt in chair, to my SF murder mystery...)

New Russian Writer: Rina Grant

2012-01-13T13:30:00.000-08:00

Rina Grant is a Russian writer who, in the best traditions of Nabokov and Brodsky, writes in both English and Russian. She works in the genre of magic realism, and her English-language short story The City of Eternal Hope tells the tale of Tim, a young boy who dares to challenge the demonic customs of the said city. The story was published in 2007 in Sorcerous Signals, and is currently available on Amazon. Below is the beautiful cover created by Spanish photographer Carlos de Paz Villasenin. Happy reading!

Merry Russian Christmas!

2012-01-06T13:24:00.000-08:00

God bless you all!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T10:48:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve is sacred in Russia - it unites the whole nation, regardless of its borders or political agendas. This is a chance to open your heart to the future and embrace whatever it's going to bring into your life... a time of magic and surprise beginnings.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, WHEREVER YOU ARE!

Mission to Moscow: 50 facts about Russians

2011-12-20T14:22:00.000-08:00

50 Facts about Russians? Aww, you absolutely have to read it!

Not only is this list hilariously funny, but it is also very true. It's lovingly compiled by Mr. Ate The Paint, a Canadian English teacher currently on his mission to Moscow.

Keep these things in mind if ever you set your story in today's ~~Russia~~ Moscow (because quite a few of the facts on his list apply mainly to the Muscovites who are a different human breed altogether).

50 Facts About Russians

Enjoy!

So, who really won the Russian elections, then?

2011-12-11T06:23:00.000-08:00

Yes, this blog is mainly about history, but then again, one day this will be history, too. Ironically, a friend of mine (no names, naturally - you never know who might be reading this) is a local political activist in the North West region of Russia and as such, has numerous contacts among local electoral officials. According to her, the reaction of vote counters in their area boiled down to the following:

"I just don't understand it! According to what we've counted, the Communist Party came first, followed by A Just Russia, followed by United Russia (that's Putin's party). It's not just us, but at other polling stations in the area the results were the same, that's what their vote counters told me! It's a total mystery! Whatever happened to the results later, it was none of our doing! We're just as clueless as you are!"

Well, being a bit more streetwise than my friend, I'll just say I have some idea of what happened, but - also being streetwise - I'll keep it to myself. But here's a highly enjoyable article dealing with another side of this mystery. At least my friend and her colleagues were above ballot-box stuffing!

The Best English Translation of Mikhail Bulgakov's Master and Margarita

2011-12-05T12:27:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Sorry I've been out of touch lately, due to the fact that I've just come back home from the hospital and am now lying here in the lounge (the room closest to the bathroom) with a nice set of stitches across poor old me, which actually heal very nicely. In Russian, we have an appropriate expression, "he/she heals like a dog". The problem is, my nice comfy ~~sick bed~~ couch with its cushions, pillows and duvets now attracts everyone else in the house so in the evenings all four of us, including the actual ~~dog~~ Jack Russel Terrier, end up on it watching TV which leaves very little space for me... and I tell you, I've never watched so much TV in my entire life.

But I do heal like a dog which is a good thing because I miss my bedroom with its water bed. :-)

Now if I could only have one book by my bedside (and not this terrible box with Christmas commercials), it would undoubtedly be the weirdest of all Russian classics, Mikhail Bulgakov's Master and Margarita. It exists in at least half a dozen English translations, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, but I personally prefer the one done by translators Diana Burgin and Katherine Tiernan O'Connor. Although I have to admit that every M&M translation I've come across contains some factual errors and sadly, this one is no exception, it definitely succeeds in conveying the wild imagery of the original supernatural story.

Oh, and just in case you thought this was a lighthearted fantasy tale Bulgakov churned out off the top of his head -- it is not. A profound researcher and clever plotter, Mikhail Bulgakov made sure that literally every sentence - and I mean every sentence - of Master and Margarita carried bucketfuls of relevant historical and philosophical context, with hidden allusions to dozens of historical works and anecdotes. Not a single word in the entire novel just for the sake of it, if you know what I mean :-) Enjoy!

Update! The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Russia goes into second edition

2011-09-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

... which means it's temporarily unavailable in Holly Lisle's online shop. I'll post the link to the new, updated edition of my book very soon.But there're lots of other good books there!See you there!

Rare pics of 1920s-1950s Moscow and Leningrad

2011-07-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

If one picture is worth a thousand words, then this little collection is at least a novella! With kind permission from a Russian history expert and city guide Sergei, here're some happier summery images of Russia's two capital cities and their people.

Teenagers in Leningrad, 19 July 1925

Leningrad, CPKiO park, May 18 1930, by N. Yanov:

Leningrad, Neva Embankment, May 1932:

Leningrad, boat rental at CPKiO park:

Leningrad, CPKiO park, June 24 1934, greeting the Cheluskin hero crew, by V. Fedoseev:

Leningrad, CPKiO park, Elagin Ostrov, August 1936, by V. Fedoseev:

Leningrad, CPKiO park promenade, August 1937:

Leningrad, CPKiO park, May 22 1939, by B. Utkin:

Moscow, cafe terrace, 1930s, by E. Evzerikhin:

Moscow, Gorky park, 1930s, by E. Evzerikhin:

Moscow, Gorky park, boy on bike, 1930s, by E. Evzerikhin:

Moscow, park, 1930s, boat, by E. Evzerikhin:

Moscow, park, 1930s, by E. Evzerikhin:

Moscow, park, 1930s, hammocks, by E. Evzerikhin:

Moscow, Gorky Park, 1935, by B. Ignatov:

Moscow, Gorky park, 1937, by E. Evzerikhin:

Moscow, Poonchi the Elephant and her trainer Carel Stvora, late 1940s-early 1950s, by E. Evzerikhin:

Moscow, Poonchi the Elephant and kids, late 1940s-early 1950s, by E. Evzerikhin:

Moscow, Gorky Park, Ferris wheel, mid 1950s, by I. Shagin:

About Ignat Avsey, the best translator of Dostoevsky

2011-02-27T05:57:00.000-08:00

I continue sharing the Russian links I've unearthed while rummaging through Amazon pages. My favorite Dostoevsky's novel is undoubtedly The Village of Stepanchikovo And its Inhabitants(especially considering the fact that I personally know someone who is an exact copy of the novel's main character, Foma Opiskin -- just in case you wondered if surreal creatures like him did exist in real life: I swear to you they do (hi there, Pierre!)).

And my favorite translator of Dostoevsky -- in fact, the only true translator of Dostoevsky -- is British scholar Ignat Avsey. It is incredible how he grasped the supposedly "untranslatable" vulnerability of Dostoevsky's voice. I just hope Mr Avsey perseveres with his brilliant work and translates the whole body of Dostoevsky's writings (and yes, that does include A Writer's Diary-- a decades-long collection of literary-journal entries which actually qualifies Dostoevsky to be called the first blogger on planet Earth, an almost hundred and fifty years before the invention of the Internet).

So below is the link to The Village of Stepanchikovo and its Inhabitants, a short-and-sweet tragicomic reading, so unlike Dostoevsky's other novels. Highly recommended!

I'm back!

2011-02-26T05:15:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the hiatus everyone, I was actually seriously ill (heh!) and had to spend some time in hospital -- both experiences truly new and exciting for me :-) Now I'm back albeit facing a major surgery some time in the future (heh again) but in the meantime, I'll try to be as busy as possible.

Browsed Amazon yesterday in search for some title inspiration for my baby book -- no luck, but I did brainstorm it myself in the end, and I love it (the title and the book). But in doing so, I got constantly sidetracked reading reviews for some great Russian books and movies, so I think I'll post a few links here, starting today.

Here's one recent Russian film that very few Western viewers know about, which is a shame because it's a true flippin' masterpiece. Although the subject matter is religion, I was happy to discover that even atheist reviewers loved it -- in fact, not a single negative review overall. Rightly so, because Ostrov (The Island), directed by Pavel Lungin and starring some of Russia's finest actors, including the tragic Pyotr Mamonov (a rock star-turned-practicing Orthodox Christian), is a perfect artistic and philosophical experience. I'm not telling you what it's about, go and watch it yourselves! Here's the link to its Amazon page, five-star reviews and all:

Paul Bradbury: Always Look on the Bright Side of... Russia

2011-01-05T09:35:00.000-08:00

Writing about Russia is not easy. Being funny about Russia is plain hard. What's there to be funny about, after all?

Writer, traveler and humanitarian aid worker Paul Bradbury describes his adventures in the 1990s Russia with endless humor and wit, while offering some precious insights into the period's mentality and values. The 1990s remain a very special and different time in Russia's history, with its own cultural and social code that's almost completely forgotten by now. In his blog, Paul Bradbury manages to grasp and preserve the very aura of that daring and desperate time, and he peppers the hilariously funny stories of his Russian travels with plenty of detail that is by now almost impossible to come by.

Here're just a few entries to get you going:

Homeless In The Soviet Union - A Long Way From Manchester

The Scary World of the Aeroflot Internal Flight in the Nineties

How To Get Arrested In a Bathrobe At St. Petersburg Train Station

Enjoy!

St Nicholas Churches in Moscow: Addresses and Other Information

2010-12-17T11:39:00.000-08:00

As Russia celebrates Nicholmas on December 19, here's the list of five Moscow churches of St Nicholas, complete with their addresses,history and other info.

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How to Decorate the Christmas / New Year Tree the Russian Style

2010-12-16T12:31:00.000-08:00

When to decorate the tree and give Christmas gifts to Russians? The answer is: New Year, not Christmas. As usual, Russians have to have it their own way.

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Collecting Antique and Vintage Christmas Tree Decorations: Interview with Expert Kim Balaschak

2010-12-13T10:57:00.000-08:00

Kim Balaschak has every right to be assigned Father Christmas' ambassador on Earth. She knows him personally, in every shape, size and material he's ever been crafted by human hands. In her collection, there are Father Christmases made of cotton and glass, papier maché and plastic. Together with hundreds of other characters one can put on a Christmas tree -- like Puss 'n Boots, bunny rabbits fat with age, frontier guards complete with their dogs -- her entire collection counts over 2,500 antique and vintage tree ornaments.

And not just any old ornaments, either. Kim Balaschak is the world's biggest expert on Russia's vintage tree decorations. From the early 1900s well into the 1960s, her precious collection is like Russia's short history in baubles, where every exhibit speaks of a particular era with its fashions and political agendas.

Her collection is currently on show in New York as part of SKAZKI -- Russian Fairy tales, Ornaments and Postcards exhibition organized by Hermitage Museum Foundation. Today, Kim Balaschak speaks about her unique collection, the history of Russia and how her life was affected by both.

Q. When you first arrived in Russia in 1995, did you miss the American Christmas season?

K.B.: When my husband, Jim, and I moved to Russia in 1995, we were so consumed with settling into our new lives that we didn’t have a chance to miss anything (except for broccoli, which was rather hard to find back then!). Back in 1995, in mid-December, there were no decorations, or lights anywhere, so it didn’t even seem like the holiday season as we had known it. So when we traveled back to the States for Christmas and New Year, we were struck by the decorations on the streets and in the shops.

Naturally, I was unaware that Christmas was not celebrated in Russia and that New Year was the holiday for which the tree was decorated. I’d just not thought about it, but after we started living in Russia, I understood that the modern day New Year celebration, along with the absence of Christmas, was really the product of historical decisions made by the Soviet leaders.

Q. What particular piece started your collection?

K.B.: A photograph of a cotton Puss ‘n Boots in the magazine Colonial Homes piqued my interest in Russian ornaments. The article was about the ornament collection of Fred Cannon, an American collector primarily of German Dresden ornaments; however, in his collection, he just happened to have a few other treasures, including the Russian Puss.

After that, I went to Izmailovo flea market with an eye towards adding a few of these ornaments to our own holiday celebration. Well, I just couldn’t stop adding this and that one. You see, I didn’t grow up with these type of ornaments (we had single-color trees for a very long time….). So when I would see an ornament that I had never seen before, I bought it.

The following year, I laid out the ornaments I had acquired the year before and that was when I had an ‘aha’ moment. I had roughly 30 cotton ornaments laying on a chair and when I looked at them all together, I understood that I had something really special. I managed to find my own Puss ‘n Boots roughly 3 years later. One of my vendors had been on the lookout for him and asked the seller to set it aside for me!

And why tree decorations, and not something else? Let’s call them tree toys – I love that description. Tree toys are brought out once a year – every home has a ‘collection’. What people put on their trees speaks volumes of their values, resources, traditions. Tree toys, to me, are all about that which was positive in the Soviet Union. A turbulent history is softened when interpreted through the symbology of tree toys. Childhood was a happy time and New Year was one of the happiest times of the year.

Q. What advice could you give to Western readers based on your Russian winter season experience?

K.B.: I do think that New Year is more about spending time with friends and families, rather than giving of gifts. Certainly there are gifts involved, but it just doesn’t seem so overdone as Christmas gift-giving here in the States. Actually, the contrast, particularly at the retail level, made me acutely aware of how very commercial Christmas had become in the states and how it had morphed into an obligatory gift-giving day, rather than celebration of the birth of a man, who was to become the spiritual leader for so many. I doubt Jesus would appreciate the frenzied shopping in his name.

Speaking of winter and winter traditions, as you know, Russians love winter. So many people in the states seem to complain about cold weather, whereas Russians relish in it. We learned to love the cold (and dress properly for it as well!). Cross country skiing is now one of our pleasures.

I fondly recall Russian parks, teeming with activity and energy in winter.- people skiing, skating, strolling, drinking vodka and playing chess, dancing to folk songs from the accordion, even dipping in the cold water through a hold cut in the ice. There was a park at the end of the tramvai line on Ul. 8-ovo Marta. We spent our winter weekends there.

On the professional side, I did some consulting work for a Russian manufacturer of swim and fitness wear. One day, I was in Novosibirsk dining with a couple of clients and they proposed we walk back to my hotel, rather than hailing a taxi. Why? Because it was -28d C and the next day, it would already be warmer (-12d C)! So we walked and enjoyed the deep freeze before it warmed up.

Q. Do you think there's something Russians could teach the rest of us, or do they still have a lot to learn themselves?

K.B.: Every culture is on a path of permanent evolution, each learning from others, or from its own trial and error. I personally am a changed person as a result of assimilating myself into Russian culture for nearly 14 years. I am more patient and resourceful, enjoy philosophizing over multiple pots of tea around the kitchen table and singing with friends.

One comment to add here – even though I have an extraordinary collection of New Year tree toys, I am really not into the New Year celebration. But I do send out New Year cards! For me, New Year is about my ornaments, which are about the history of the country that I called home for so many years. They completely dispelled the notion that our two countries are enemies.

While we have our differences, we also have many common goals in life , one of which is the desire to raise and support our families to lead productive, happy lives. New Year is a happy holiday and my tree toys exude happiness.

The New York exhibition of Kim Balaschak's collection will last until February 4, 2011.

The photos illustrating this interview were taken at Mrs.Balaschak's exhibition in Khimki, Moscow during the festive season of 2005/2006. The author expresses her sincere gratitude to Mrs. Balaschak and the photographer, HitMan.

The Babushka Poem by Edith M. Thomas -- I've found it!

2010-12-09T09:06:00.000-08:00

I believe that it's fine to publish here the original poem Babushka: The Russian Legend by Edith Mathilda Thomas (the one that started the non-existing "legend" of the "Russian Babushka") as it was published in 1907 so it should well be within public domain by now. Let me remind you that the legend about Babushka doesn't exist in Russia (and I'd love to know where she got this notion from), but the poem itself is amazing. I absolutely love it! Enjoy!

BABUSHKA

(pinched from The Sensual World of Kate Bush -- thanks a bunch, guys!)

Babushka sits before the fire
Upon a winter's night;
The driving winds heap up the snow,
Her hut is snug and tight;
The howling winds--they only make
Babushka's fire more bright!

She hears a knocking at the door:
So late--who can it be?
She hastes to lift the wooden latch,
No thought of fear has she;
The wind-blow candle in her hand
Shines out on strangers three.

Their beards are white with age, and snow
That in the darkness flies;
Their floating locks are long and white,
But kindly are their eyes
That sparkle underneath their brows,
Like stars in frosty skies.

"Babushka, we have come from far,
We tarry but to say,
A little Prince is born this night,
Who all the world shall sway.
Come join the search; come, go with us,
Who go our gifts to pay."

Babushka shivers at the door;
"I would I might behold
The little Prince who shall be Kings
But ah! the night is cold,
The wind so fierce, the snow so deep,
And I, good sirs, am old."

The strangers three, no word they speak,
But fade in snowy space!
Babushka sits before her fire,
And dreams, with wistful face:
"I would that I had requested them,
So I the way might trace!"

When morning comes with blessed light,
I'll early be awake;
My staff in hand I'll go--perchance,
Those strangers I'll o'ertake;
And, for the Child some little toys
I'll carry, for His sake."

The morning came, and, staff in hand,
She wandered in the snow,
She asked the way of all she met,
But none the way could show.
"It must be farther yet," she sighed;
"Then farther will I go."

And still, 'tis said, on Christmas Eve,
When high the drifts are piled,
With staff, with basket on her arm,
Babushka seeks the Child:
At every door her face is seen--
Her wistful face and mild!

Her gifts at every door she leaves;
She bends and murmurs low,
Above each little face half-hid
By pillows white as snow:"
And is He here?" Then softly sighs,
"Nay, farther must I go."

Edith M. Thomas, 1907

Traditional Orthodox Christmas Meal: Russian Food Recipes Online

2010-12-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

The main dish on the Russian Christmas table is a roast. In the old days when households were large, often counting a couple dozen people, the main course was usually a pig or a piglet, or alternatively, a stuffed goose or duck. The most popular choice of stuffing was apple-based: you can see some traditional Russian Christmas roast recipes here.

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Babushka and The Three Kings - a Christmas Tale, but not Russian

2010-12-06T13:59:00.000-08:00

Sorry if it disappoints anyone, but the story of Babushka is a literary creation by an American author, not a Russian folk tale. There is no Russian-language original of it ever recorded in Russia. The story itself doesn't exist in Russian oral culture. Here's why

Traditional Russian Christmas / New Year Gifts for All the Family

2010-12-02T12:47:00.000-08:00

The Christmas and New Year season in Russia is mainly about entertaining and gift-giving. Russians love shopping for gifts as well as making their own little homemade mementos to give to friends and family.

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Lonely Planet Russia -- country guide

2010-12-02T09:09:00.000-08:00

In This Guide:

Nine authors, more than seven months of research, countless shots of vodka
All new Activities chapter and tips on how to cut through red tape to secure your visa
Content updated daily - visit lonelyplanet.com for up-to-the-minute reviews, updates and traveler insights

Russian Orthodox Christmas Eve Meal: Traditions and Recipes

2010-11-29T13:26:00.000-08:00

Need food and meal ideas for a traditional Russian Orthodox Christmas Eve? Here are a few tips and recipes to celebrate Christmas the Russian style.

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Russian Christmas Traditions: Myths, Mistakes and Misconceptions

2010-11-25T12:39:00.000-08:00

Plan to organize a traditional Russian Christmas? From Na Zdorovie to Babushka, here's a list of most common mistakes and things Russians NEVER do or say.

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Babushka and the Three Wise Men? Story, yes. Russian, no.

2010-11-21T11:30:00.000-08:00

As Christmas gradually creeps up upon us, I feel I need to put this "Russian" Babushka legend straight.

There is NO Russian Christmas figure called Babushka. There is NO legend about her in Russia, period. She does NOT bring gifts to Russian kids, it's Father Frost who does. Babushka and the Three Wise Men is just an adorable literary tale by an English-language author, and it has nothing to do with Russian folklore whatsoever.

I came across this supposedly "Russian" legend about a gift-bringing Babushka a couple of years ago on some English-language Christmas site. I raised my eyebrows, chuckled -- yeah yeah, how stupid can one be! -- and forgot about it. It rang a few bells though: didn't I remember something similar from Italian folklore?

Imagine my amusement as I stumbled upon the following the other day:

My Russian teacher gave us the tale of 'Babushka and the Three Wise Men' last December. It is called a Russian legend about a traditional Christmas figure - 'Babushka' (means grandmother).

Oh. My. God.

There is NO such Christmas figure in Russia, period. Never has been.

What could be, though, is a case of cross-cultural confusion. This "Babushka" story sounds suspiciously similar to the Italian tale of La Befana: an elderly lady who indeed ignored the Three Kings' invitation to bring gifts to Baby Jesus and now travels around the world giving gifts to kids hoping to find the Christ child...

It's entirely possible that some long-forgotten 19th-century Russian children's book retold the Italian legend calling the old Befana "babushka" ("Grandma", or "old lady"). It's also possible that some 19th or early 20th century Russian immigrants brought some copies of the book into the USA and later, having forgotten their own culture and folklore, sincerely mistook the Italian legend for a Russian one. They could indeed start telling it to their second-generation immigrant kids as a "Russian" bedside story, just as Christmas Internet sites claim today.

That's how Americans ended up with a "Russian Christmas legend" that only exists in America. What breaks my heart is that a whole generation of English-speaking kids (and their teachers) will grow up thinking that this "traditional Russian Christmas figure" really exists. Well, it doesn't.

The story's lovely, tho'. Shame it's not Russian. We can always use a good Christmas tale.

How to Organize and Celebrate a Traditional Russian Christmas

2010-11-20T15:29:00.000-08:00

Forget festive Christmas trees and the gift-bringing Father Christmas in his sleigh: the Russian Christmas is a no-frills pious religious holiday.

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Traditional Russian Christmas and New Year Gifts for Men

2010-11-17T13:43:00.000-08:00

How do we choose and buy original Christmas and New Year gifts for men, the ones they will actually like and appreciate? This season, try to go Russian and enjoy the choice of inexpensive but classy gift ideas worthy of the Czar's Christmas celebration.

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Russian Antique Christmas Tree Ornaments and Vintage Decorations

2010-11-13T14:01:00.000-08:00

Until the mid-1840, the Russians didn't have Christmas decorations. Christmas trees were considered a German tradition and could only be seen in foreign quarters as well as in Czars' palaces because, since the 1700s, many Russian monarchs had German roots.

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Russian Christmas for Kids: Party Ideas and Gift Tips

2010-11-11T12:48:00.000-08:00

Christmas traditions are quite young in Russia, especially where children's parties are concerned. Until mid-1840, Christmas remained a strictly religious holiday and children received no special treatment: no gifts, no Santa Claus or a Christmas tree, just a many hours-long church service and a hearty meal to mark the end of the forty-days Christmas fast, followed by games like tobogganing and snowballs fights.

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Russian Christmas Party for Kids: Father Frost vs. Santa Claus

2010-11-09T14:03:00.000-08:00

Learn how to organize a Russian Christmas for kids: the difference in appearance between Santa Claus and Russian Father Christmas, or Ded Moroz.

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St Nicholas in Russia: He is no Santa Claus

2010-11-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

Saint Nicholas, bishop of Myra, is the most revered saint in the Russian Orthodox Christian tradition. Together with St George, he is the patron saint of Russia.

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Fine Art Russian Christmas Cards: Season's Greetings from Russia

2010-11-04T14:12:00.000-07:00

The first Russian Christmas cards were printed in 1898: ten miniature copies of famous Russian watercolors published by the community of St Eugenia in order to raise funds for the Russian Red Cross.

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Christmas Holiday Travel Season: Karelia, Russia

2010-11-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

Karelia is an area in the North of Europe in the neighborhood of Europe's two largest lakes: Lake Ladoga and Lake Onego (Onega). It was originally inhabited by fishing and hunting Finno-Ugric tribes who settled in Karelia circa 7000 BC as the planet emerged from the last ice age. By 1000 BC, Karelian people knew ferrous metallurgy, as well as agriculture and livestock rearing.

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Celebrating Russian Christmas and New Year: Snegurochka

2010-10-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

In the Russian Christmas tradition, Snegurka, or Snegurochka (Snow Maiden, or Snow Girl), is Father Christmas' granddaughter: a fair maiden that travels with him in the sledge (drawn by horses or an invisible force, not reindeer) and helps him hand out gifts to children.

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How to Write and Finish the First Draft of Your NaNoWriMo Novel

2010-10-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

In the course of this NaNoWriMo primer, you've learned the basics of plotting a novel. Now all you need to do is distribute your creative potential wisely and evenly to make sure you don't burn out in the first few days ending up with yet another false start: a strong novel's beginning followed by a confusing middle and an unconvincing ending.

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How to Plan, Plot, Write and Finish Your NaNoWriMo Novel

2010-10-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

Learn how to use novel structure and plotting techniques to plan and write a publishable NaNoWriMo novel this year.

In this series, we've discussed the structure of a novel and what should go into a publishable book: the protagonist's journey,where to place the story peaks or plot points, how to use POV characters, how to create a well-plotted scene and develop subplots and secondary plot lines. Now we can finally approach the novel as a whole.

Plot and Write a NaNoWriMo Novel:Creating Plot Lines and Subplots

2010-10-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

To plot and write a publishable NaNoWriMo novel, learn how to come up with believable and convincing subplots and secondary plot lines.

Although novels come in all shapes and sizes, it's extremely rare that they tell only one story, or plot line. Usually, a novel consists of a main story -- the one you're actually writing in the first place -- plus a few secondary plot lines: things that happen to the book's other POV characters in addition to the main story.

How to Plot a NaNoWriMo Book: The Difference Between a Subplot and a Secondary Plot Line Read more

Plot and Write a Publishable NaNoWriMo Novel: Scene Structure

2010-10-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

To write and publish a novel, a first-time NaNoWriMo writer needs to create convincing, original scenes with unpredictable outcomes.

Now that you've decided on your novel's major events -- plot points -- and have chosen the POV characters your readers will identify themselves with, we can finally attack the cool stuff: inventing the protagonist's challenges and adventures.

How to Write a NaNoWriMo Novel: POV and Viewpoint Characters

2010-10-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

How to Write a NaNoWriMo Novel: POV and Viewpoint Characters

To plot and write a publishable NaNoWriMo novel, learn and master viewpoint writing techniques (POV).

Last time, we spoke about the novel's biggest events -- plot points -- and how to position them.

Use Your Personal Experience to Write Your NaNoWriMo Novel

2010-10-24T16:19:00.000-07:00

Use Your Personal Experience to Write Your NaNoWriMo Novel

To write a book that publishers and readers would want to buy, use your personal experiences to bring your characters, settings and stories to life.

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How to Plan and Plot a NaNoWriMo Book: the Structure of a Novel

2010-10-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

How to Plan and Plot a NaNoWriMo Book: the Structure of a Novel

To write and publish a NaNoWriMo novel, learn how to structure your book's beginning, middle and ending to improve the novel's pacing and tension.

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NaNoWriMo novel advice

2010-10-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

As NaNoWriMo is about to start, I'll be writing a series of novel writing how-to articles for Suite 101 while posting links to them here (Suite owns the rights for the first year so I can't just republish the articles here, and writing two different sets of posts while working on my own NaNo project might prove too much, I think). If you have any questions about your Russian sets and characters, feel free to post your questions here or at Suite 101, whatever you prefer.

Oh, and -- good luck to us all! Still a week to go :-) I'm busy planning. In fact, my recent articles are about planning and plotting a NaNoWriMo novel... You can see the links to them below.

But from my NaNoWriMo experience, this is the most important information Russia-wise:

NaNoWriMo Novel: How to Choose a Russian Name for a Character

Is Ivan a popular Russian name? (It's not.) Writing tips for WriMos on how to choose an authentic and period-correct Russian name for a story character.

How to Plan a Novel: NaNoWriMo Advice for a First-Time Writer

2010-10-23T17:14:00.000-07:00

To write a novel quickly and efficiently, a beginning NaNoWriMo writer needs to apply the techniques of successful fiction plotting.

New Anti Aging Drug: Russian Science Promises a Longer Life Span

2010-10-06T15:57:00.000-07:00

New Anti Aging Drug: Russian Science Promises a Longer Life Span

The new anti-aging antioxidant drug is believed to extend human life span and cure many aging diseases like cancer, heart, brain and kidney conditions.
Read more

Skulachev's Ions: Russian Anti-Aging Drug Raises Moral Issues

2010-09-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

Skulachev's Ions: Russian Anti-Aging Drug Raises Moral Issues

Professor Skulachev's new anti aging antioxidant drug may extend human life span and cure age-related diseases including cancer, cataract and osteoporosis.
Read more

New Anti Aging Drug May Double Human Life Span, Scientists Say

2010-09-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

A powerful antioxidant drug, dubbed "Skulachev's Ions" after its creator Professor Vladimir Skulachev, is currently being tested in Russia. The new substance is able to heal age-related diseases from cataract to cancer and may considerably prolong human life span.
Read more

Tupolev 154 Plane Lands Safely after Power Failure at 30,000 ft

2010-09-08T13:18:00.000-07:00

Tupolev 154 Plane Lands Safely after Power Failure at 30,000 ft

September 7, 2010. The pilots and crew of a Tupolev 154 jet airplane performed a successful emergency landing in the North of Russia after a massive power failure had disabled its flight control, navigation, and radio communication systems at the height of 30,000 ft (10,000 metres).

Terra vs AST: Record $250 Million Fine for Copyright Infringement

2010-07-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

Terra vs AST: Record $250 Million Fine for Copyright Infringement

The Translation Gap: Why More Foreign Writers Aren't Published in America

2010-07-11T13:38:00.000-07:00

'The Translation Gap: Why More Foreign Writers Aren't Published in America

By Emily Williams

NEW YORK: Parts one, two and three of my series on scouting looked at American efforts to sell American books overseas. Today, this fourth and final installment of the series looks at the other side of the equation and brings us to a question most scouts run into sooner or later, often posed by one of their foreign publishing clients: Why is it so hard for foreign authors to get published in the US? It’s clear to anyone working in international rights that the sophisticated marketplace involving scouts, rights sellers and foreign publishers that exists to get American books out into the world does not exist to the same degree in the other direction. Read More...

Russian Marines Capture Somali Pirates, Free Tanker

2010-05-07T05:57:00.000-07:00

Great Site for Imperial Russia Research

2010-04-08T15:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to one of the articles, a 1894 travel memoir:

http://www.alexanderpalace.org/imperialcity/I.html

And here's a link to the home page:

http://www.alexanderpalace.org/

Here's a most delightful article about visiting St Petersburg in 2010, I was reduced to tears:

http://petersburgcity.com/for-tourists/notes/impression/

Highly recommended!

2010-04-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!

First traffic lights in Russia

2010-03-07T07:59:00.000-08:00

The first traffic lights in Russia started functioning on January 15, 1930 in Leningrad, on the corner of Nevski and Liteyny Prospects (a "prospect" is just a borrowed Russian word for an avenue). It was followed by two installations in Moscow, one on December 30 1930, on the corner of Petrovka Street and Kuznetski Most ("Blacksmiths Bridge"), the other in 1932 on the corner of Kuznetski Most and Neglinnaya Street (named after the Neglinka River, literally, "swampy").

Guess what the first Russian traffic lights looked like?

Now isn't it just cute?

It worked just like a clock, with the hand moving around the dial which had the added plus of being able to see how much time you had left to cross the street.

Prior to that, in 1926 in Moscow, six hand-operated semaphores had been installed. Normally, traffic policemen regulated all the busy crossroads.

Already in 1934 in Moscow, traffic lights look more familiar:

By 1935, there were over a hundred traffic lights in Moscow alone. Still, until the early 1960s, the figure of a traffic policeman ordering cars around with his baton was very common at most Russian crossroads... when they had something to order around, of course, because until the end of the Soviet era, most Russian roads were the opposite of busy.

Some medieval Cyrillic fonts!

2010-02-13T11:32:00.000-08:00

As the Orthodox Lent starts tomorrow, I have to share these delightful Old Russian / Church Slavonic fonts. You can download them here:

http://www.irmologion.ru/fonts.html

The page is in Russian but if you don't read it, just click on every download link ("Скачать") against every "True Type (TTF)" line you see -- which is exactly what I did. They're beautiful!

Another tongue-tied president!

2010-02-09T13:24:00.000-08:00

... and he's Ukrainian this time!

Victor Yanukovich has barely been elected, but this admittedly ~~ignorant~~ overworked leader is already being widely quoted by his fellow Ukrainians. I don't mind the fact that, according to Yanukovich, Chekhov is a "great Ukrainian poet" (a less friendly reviewer might have used it to comment on the fact that, according to a certain circle of state-supported Ukrainian historians, the entire history of Europe owes its origins to the Ukraine-- and yes, they ARE being serious! -- but being as nice and friendly as I am, I realise he simply confused Chekhov -- somehow -- with Nikolai Gogol, another Russian classic who is indeed also a great Ukrainian poet).

But my favourite is Victor Yanukovich's (I keep repeating it so you can remember the name better) pre-election speech addressed to the citizens of Lviv, Ukraine. In it, the then would-be president intended to greet the Lvivians as "the gene pool of the nation". His education failed the future president again, though, as Yanukovich in his speech welcomed "the genocide of the nation".

Being as nice and friendly as I am, I can only sympathise with this unfortunate slip of the tongue. But don't you feel sort of uncomfortable knowing there's a brand new president out there who doesn't know the difference between a nation's gene pool and its genocide?

Spooky.

Russians and Handshakes

2010-01-25T12:54:00.000-08:00

If you've been to Russia, you must have noticed: Russians are definitely not into handshakes. This is something worth making a mental note of: even today, with all the Western influence, handshakes are only really appropriate between male friends who thus demonstrate some kind of masculine camaraderie. But handshakes are definitely not part of introduction routines, so two Russians (male or otherwise), being introduced to each other, are just supposed to nod and smile to each other. Same at a workplace: only high-flying business partners at a mega-corporation committee assembly might greet each other with a handshake, but not normal business partners at a normal meeting. In Russia's business world, the role of a handshake is limited to sealing commercial deals.

I actually had problems with that as, after having lived in Europe for a few years, I automatically offered my hand to a new Russian acquaintance or business partner, only to meet their puzzled stares and tactfully remove it (yes, Russians, being actually very knowleadgeable about all things etiquette, know very well that to refuse a handshake is an insult to the person who's offered it, but a handshake takes them unawares, they're just not used to expecting one!)

Okay, so maybe you would like to know why Russians don't shake hands? This funny etiquette quirk has quite a bit of history behind it.

Until the early 1920s, Russians followed the exact same etiquette as the rest of the Western world. Even the Revolution of 1917 which attempted to glamorize working-class vulgarity, didn't mean to cancel handshakes. The best place to learn about the cultural changes the Revolution brought onto us all would be Mikhail Bulgakov's 1925 short SF novel, Heart Of A Dog. Scary and humorous at the same time, this is an entertaining story with a sinister message giving you a peek into the hearts of those revolutionary "new society" low-lifes. And the film made after the novel in 1988 by a cult Russian director Vladimir Bortko, Mikhail A. Bulgakov Heart Of a Dog (Sobachie Serdtse) is arguably one of Russia's best TV movies of all times.

So -- back to our handshakes. Watch the movie (which is shot by a native Russian and researched to near death, so it's as authentic as a historical movie can get, and then some) and tell me: do you see many handshakes in it? What happened, then?

The quick and sad answer is: the Spanish flu. Two million Russians died from it by 1920, and the word itself, ispanka, became a Russian synonym for a Biblical-scale plague -- aggravated even further by the fact that the Spanish flu epidemics in Russia coincided with the malnourished, immune-deficient and terribly unhygienic years of the Civil war. So beginning in the early 1920s, Soviet medical authorities embarked on a Hygiene Crusade. They wallpapered the whole country with posters depicting the dangers of unwashed hands, unwiped noses, kisses, and... handshakes. Handshakes were forbidden in offices and at workplaces. Big poets like Vladimir Mayakovsky, who never shied away from a snappy little rhyme with a message, versified medical leaflets for dummies telling their barely-literate small town readers what ills could befall them if they shook hands with other people.

And while we're on the subject of Mayakovski and hygiene poems, some of you must have read The Twelve Chairs (European Classics), the Russian comic novel of all times. One of its characters is a struggling young poet, Lapis Trubetskoi, who's busy all day concocting and selling half-baked verse for various trade publications... one of his hygiene-targeted creations went,

Gavrila took to bed with gangrene,
The gangrene made Gavrila sick...

Well, the little secret is, Lapis Trubetskoi is actually the authors' spoof of Mayakovsky and his hygiene rhymes. Not many people even in Russia know it, so you're very welcome to this bit of arcane information!

So the moral of the story is, Russians have lost their once-inbred ability to shake hands to a wide and aggressive 1920s hygiene campaign aimed at stopping them from doing it. So now they don't. Simples!

Russian Streets in the 1890s and some Khodynka facts and pictures

2010-01-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

Here's a lovely collection of photos taken in spring 1896 by Czech photographer František Krátký during the ill-fated coronation of Nicholas II. Authentic street scenes from a professional reporter!

Please note that most people in the streets are commoners: tradesmen, peasants, merchants, students and low-rank government workers. Only very occasionally you can see a well-dressed man; as for women, I've only spotted one picture with two hat-wearing ladies, and the rest are all low-class women. There's also a decent amount of uniforms (military, police, and governmental clerks who too were obliged to wear special uniforms) but the majority of people in the Russian streets in those days were commoners -- women wearing headscarves, men wearing high boots -- both are signs of belonging to lower classes (noblemen only wore high boots when hunting in their country estates, and noblewomen NEVER wore headscarves). Well-off people either rode in carriages or walked in parks, but only walked in the street if absolutely necessary. If they needed something, they sent servants to fetch it. On one of the pictures, you can see a peasant nanny with her charge, a little girl from a well-off family.

You can click on the pictures to make them bigger. Enjoy!

Finally, a few tragic pictures from the Khodynskoe Pole -- The Khodynka Field, where mass celebrations of the coronation took place, ending in 1389 people trampled to death and over 1500 maimed and injured as the five-hundred-thousand-strong crowd charged to receive "tsar's gifts": free snacks and cheap coronation mugs. The uneven ground with lots of holes and ditches and the overall lack of preparation led to this tragedy which, as superstitious Russian people later believed, had become a bad omen that foreshadowed the tragic end of the last Russian Emperor's entire family who faced the Bolsheviks' firing squad in 1918.

Remarkably, the newly-baked Emperor witnessed the accident first-hand as the coronation cortege passed the carts piled up with dead bodies on its way to the coronation banquet. Nicholas was also promptly informed of the tragedy by the police but didn't acknowledge the fact formally not wishing to spoil the festivities for those who were in the mood to celebrate, and the coronation banquet followed by a ball took place mere miles from the place of mourning.

Although later the new Emperor's family attempted to rectify the first impression by visiting some of the injured survivors in hospitals as well as donating money to the victims' families, Russian people promptly nicknamed Nicholas II "The Bloody" --the name under which he was most commonly known in Russia until his own tragic death in 1918.

Here're some Khodynka pictures made by the Czech photographer:

С Новым годом! Happy New year!

2009-12-31T11:06:00.000-08:00

Wishing you lots of exciting discoveries in 2010!

Old Soviet calendar

2009-12-30T15:33:00.000-08:00

Remember that chapter in my book about Russian calendars? Well, here're a couple of pics to illustrate what I meant, namely about the infamous 5-day and 6-day weeks. Enjoy!

NaNoWriMo Russian Research: Inside a Russian Orthodox Church

2009-12-30T14:05:00.000-08:00

Seeing as I've spent some quality time answering people's questions about Russia in NaNoWriMo forums, I decided to copy a few of them here, especially because current forum topics will be deleted before next NaNo starts in November 2010. Here's a post on a subject that seems to interest many writers, and here's the link to the original post:

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3398616

Inside a Russian Orthodox Church

I'll start with the gate, because normally, there's a fence surrounding the church grounds and possibly the cemetery if it's there. Unless it's in the centre of a big city where there's no space for a fence. There're two gates serving as the main entrance in the fence: a large drive-through one used by cars and (possibly) hearses, and a narrow walk-through one. So people are supposed to go through the narrow gate and not take the wide one. First, because of that saying that we should take the narrow path into the Kingdom of Heaven. Also, because of hearses using the wide gate, there's a superstition that the person who walks through the wide gate will die soon. :-)

There's always an icon or at least a large crucifix over each of the gates. You approach the gate, make three signs of cross bowing low to the icon or to the crucifix and walk through.

There's another icon (usually of Christ) or at least a crucifix over the church entrance. You do the same thing again, making three signs of cross and bowing low each time. You may touch the ground with the fingers of your right hand, but that's optional :-)

The door: normally, it's heavy double doors of oak or other hard wood, or in our days sometimes of steel to keep thieves out. There're all sorts of church-life related announcements pinned to the doors: scheduled services, christenings, choir and Sunday school meetings and such.

Once you're in, yes, there is a lobby (size varies), carpeted or not, where you'll see more announcements, as well as doors and stairs leading to offices, the choir loft and such. If the church is really small, the lobby is small, too, and its main purpose is to serve as an extra bit of insulation from winter frosts.

The double door leading from the lobby into the actual church (its purpose, too, is to keep the cold out) usually has glass panes in it. You walk through it. The first thing you do is make three more signs of cross bowing low each time. Then you start looking around :-)

To your left or right, just by the entrance, you'll see what they call a candle box: a stall or kiosk that sells candles (which are always thin and long), icons, books on religion and such. They also accept people's "notes": written requests to pray or hold a special service for a particular person or people, whether alive or dead. You always have to pay for those requests (unlike some Russian Orthodox churches here in the West that do it for free). You can also make all sorts of donations, buy candles to place them in front of the icons of particular saints of your choice, etc. I tell you, going to a Sunday service in Russia is not cheap!

But before you head for the candle box, you'll see a large icon placed on a lectern in the very middle of the church. The thing is, every single day in the Russian Orthodox calendar is dedicated to a specific saint or a Biblical / historical event, and the icon depicts this particular saint or event. So these icons are changed every day (or week, if the event lasts all week, like Easter) during the evening service. You approach it and do the same thing with three signs of cross and bows, and this time you kiss the icon.

(I wonder if you know but there's some scientific research that shows that even the most popular and therefore most kissed icons in Russian Orthodox churches are normally virtually bacteria-free; also, the ladies who supervise the church during the service clean them several times during each service.)

I do hope you know that nobody sits during a Russian Orthodox service? There're no pews, period. In the West, I've seen Russian Orthodox churches with pews but that's simply the cultural influence of other Christian churches and I personally think it's not a good idea. In Russia, no one would dream of sitting down during the service, but there's always a spare bench or two kept in the back for very old ladies or heavily pregnant women (an Orthodox service may last anything from 2 to 4 and more hours!). It's all right for them to sit down during some very strictly specified parts of the service.

Basically, each church is divided into three major areas: the centre, the right and the left half and often the architecture makes this division very clear by using columns and such. Theoretically, men are supposed to keep to the right and women, to the left, but in reality, nobody does it. People just mix together. But the left side (if you face the altar) is dedicated to the dead so there you'll find a large statue of Christ on the cross and a very special square candle stand with a cricifix over it, the only stand in the whole church to place candles for dead people. In front, there's the altar area that a female can't enter but male churchgoers can on certain occasions.

In the far right corner (if you face the altar) there's a booth where a special person stands who reads Psalms and certain prayers during the service. He or (usually) she has a lectern and usually a book case where she keeps all the books she needs and sometimes also sheet music.The choir loft is usually placed over the entrance, i.e. behind the worshippers' backs. If it's a small service, a group of two or three singers will place themselves in that booth and will sing from there using the sheet music in the book case. All singing is always live -- tapes are never used -- and usually very professional. Microphones are never used even in the biggest (read: gynormous) churches because the acoustics is so good you don't need amplifiers.

There're no special confession booths in the Russian Orthodox church. They did exist before the Second World War, but during the war, churches were so crowded with worshippers wishing to confess that booths were discontinued and instead, a confessor listens to people's confessions in full view: usually, they queue in the far left corner of the church by the altar and the person who confesses just steps a few steps away from the rest so they can't hear him. Confessions only take place just before the lithurgy (which in most bigger churches can be held on most weekdays, not just on Sundays) or the night just before. No one confesses at other times -- but they probably can if they arrange it personally with a priest.

BTW, nobody can turn their backs to the altar in the church! If you have to turn, you still need to remain sort of sideways to it :-)) Some of the more avid church goers and especially those order-keeping baboushkas will comment on it negatively :-((

As for the rest, the architecture varies greatly. There're churches with and without windows, with and without domes, some so tiny only a dozen people can fit in, others good enough for a thousand.

Recovering from NaNoWriMo....

2009-12-27T23:13:00.000-08:00

Yes, another dose of literary abandon plus extensive networking with the writers who needed help with their Russian settings and characters. I'm amazed how many people choose Russia and the Soviet Union as their novel settings! 277 posts in total, mainly (but not all) Russia-related, which doesn't sound like much but if you think that most of them demanded a certain amount of extra research, that's nothing to sniff at!

And I've managed to finish the book, as well.

I'm back!

2009-11-04T12:49:00.000-08:00

Yes, I stayed in Russia much longer than expected due to my mum's suspected cancer (thank God it wasn't) so now I'm busy catching up with all sorts of things.

Today's tip:

There was no such thing as comic books in the Soviet Union.

Kids' mags did publish comic strips, but comic books themselves were viewed as something good only for the illiterate, a printed equivalent of graffiti. With the country's literate population counting 98.5% in 1959, comic books were not considered literature or artwork, period. They were never published. In the 1920s and 1930s there were a few attempts to create "a Soviet comic hero" but they failed. The first Soviet comic books per se appeared in the late 1980s, created and printed by the first private entrepreneurs.

Recently, there was information on the Net about the discovery of "first Soviet comic books" from the early 1920s in some remote village library. Sorry to disappoint anyone, but it was an April Fool joke. Some covers were even dated April 1st!

Of course, nobody explicitly banned Western comic books in the USSR so theoretically a kid whose parents had brought some back from an overseas business trip could read ("read"??? :-))))))) them or take them to school for others to marvel at, but those were extremely rare occasions. Before the early 1960s, such a kid could be ostracized by school officials for "spreading Western influence", but later, the official position towards "Western influence" relaxed a lot. As long as you did it cleverly and didn't make any waves, you could get away with almost anything.

Actually, the first time I held a comic book was in France (the French are mad about them) when I was 32. I still find them very weird. Can't you just read a flippin' book???? :-)

Back to Russia!

2009-09-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's where I'm heading so I'm afraid I won't be able to update this blog for two or three weeks.

Lots of changes in Russia now including new pronunciation standards which reflect natural erosion processes that happen to every language... whatever was considered "low style" yesterday is norm today! "Звонить" is official! Where oh where is the world going...

See you soon folks! :-)))

I've got a banner!

2009-09-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About
Russia

Everything writers need to know about their Russian settings and characters!

Click on the cover to find out more about the book:

Research, grrrrr!

2009-09-09T11:48:00.000-07:00

A friend said to me today, "Well, knowing how meticulous you are with your research I have little doubt all the information in The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Russia is very accurate."

Girl you can say that again. Meticulous? When working on the book, I lost count of times when I'd write a chapter off the top of my head because I knew all this stuff, didn't I? It was part of me, I'd grown up with it, I'd read countless books about it, and it was all such trivia anyway, so what was there to get wrong?

Then I'd decide to do a bit of research, just in case, only to discover that oh my, I'd gotten quite a few details totally wrong. Was it nostalgia replacing memory? Luckily, being a freelance journalist, I'm so used to fact sheets and source lists that it's become my second nature to research even the most obvious things. So I went over the book with a fine-tooth comb, double- and triple-checking every fact, date and source, so now I can finally breathe a sigh of relief and say,

Yes, luckily, I am meticulous. So The 33Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Russia is an accurate book. Зуб даю! :-)

The book is out!

2009-09-07T12:32:00.000-07:00

Yessss!

The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Russia

is now available for download here:

http://shop.hollylisle.com/index.php?crn=206&rn=421&action=show_detail

I'll add a clickable picture as soon as I work out how to do it :-)))

Here, I'll be happy to answer your questions about the book and Russia in general. What is the book about?It's all about telling you what life in Russia really is, and was, like.

"Don't Be The Writer Who
Betrays Your Protagonist and
Leaves Him Helpless
In A Strange Country!"

Sending their fictional secret agents to Russia, espionage writers like Graham Greene and Ian Fleming have committed errors which in real life could cost their undercover heroes’ lives. In his masterpiece The Human Factor, Graham Greene made 16 mistakes on 9 pages when describing Russian characters and settings.

In those days of the Cold War, writers didn’t have Russian experts to advise them. YOU DO!

Irene is a native Russian speaker, born and raised in the USSR. Neil has spent the last twenty years studying Russian history and culture. Between the two of us, we know most of what there is to know about the Russians’ everyday life, their background and values.

More than that, we are writers ourselves. We know what a difference the right details make to a story… and how hard they often are to come by.

We Have The Information You Need
To Bring Your Russian Characters To Life!

Let us show you what Russians really feel, think and say. From drinking habits to Stalinist mentality, from travel tips to accent advice, WE’VE GOT IT COVERED.

If you’ve seen too many Hollywood movies, your idea of Russia is a set of dated, hilarious cliches. Read this book to find out why:

A Russian wouldn’t frog-dance unless he was a Red Army Choir member – read Mistakes Twenty-Two and Twenty-Three to discover the biggest myths about Russian popular culture.
Do you think Soviet Russians called each other Comrade? Read Mistake One to find out why they wouldn’t… and learn the protocol of using the Comrade word.
How about Russian names? Read Mistake Three to find out why your Soviet-era character is highly unlikely to be called Ivan… and see lists of period-related Russian names.

In The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Russia, you’ll discover:

Which calendars Russians used during different periods, and how to calculate them
What kind of houses Russian and Soviet people used to live in and how those houses were heated, furnished and equipped
Why using Russian swear words in your book is not always a good idea
How those NKVD officers really felt about their jobs

The book contains many useful extras. Area phone codes, lists of public holidays by period, top 10 Soviet household must-haves, a period-related list of most popular Russian movies, even a top 10 list of dogs’ and cats’ names...

Lots of details to make your story ring true!

The Internet is packed with information about Russia. SOME OF IT IS WRONG. How can you be sure which facts are correct and which are a lot of old cobblers?

We include links to RELIABLE sources
to help you with your own research.

This book is your guide to Russia and its people throughout history. Pick up your copy today– and get your Russian settings and characters just right!

Be the writer who says,
"I know what I'm talking about!"

The book is available for download here:

http://shop.hollylisle.com/index.php?crn=222&rn=421&action=show_detail

Great Russian Links!

2009-09-03T09:12:00.001-07:00

For all of us writers, here're some fabulous links for our USSR-related research. Galleries and galleries of photos of Russian streets, people, equipment, foods, etc. See for yourself what life in Russia and the USSR was about. How people dressed, what Soviet-era rooms and streets looked like, storefronts, tree decorations, all sorts of little details to add authenticity to your story.

Englishrussia.com is the English-speaking community for Russia-related visual research, that's for sure!

Moscow in the 1960s:

http://englishrussia.com/?p=1960

1937-1970s New Year tree decorations:

http://englishrussia.com/?p=528

Miscellaneous photos from various periods:

http://englishrussia.com/?p=308

1970s- 1980s storefronts (soooo realistic!):

http://englishrussia.com/?p=1678

1970s Russian students:

http://englishrussia.com/?p=2255

Late 1950s- early 1960s food posters (all that packaging, milk bottles and serving suggestions to add believable touches to your Russia-set story!):

http://englishrussia.com/?p=1534

Moscow in 1927:

http://englishrussia.com/?p=511

USSR in the 1960s:

http://englishrussia.com/?p=1250

And many, many more. Each page contains links to a dozen others with similar content. These people are just awesome. They may be eaten by nostalgia, but from a writer's point of view, a resource like this is priceless.

There're other similar resources on the Net (some Russian-speaking LJ communities do a great job collecting period-related pics from the Soviet era), so I'll be adding them, as well.

Russia For Writers

I Haz Book!

New Russian Writer: Rina Grant

Merry Russian Christmas!

Happy New Year!

Mission to Moscow: 50 facts about Russians

So, who really won the Russian elections, then?

The Best English Translation of Mikhail Bulgakov's Master and Margarita

Update! The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Russia goes into second edition

Rare pics of 1920s-1950s Moscow and Leningrad

About Ignat Avsey, the best translator of Dostoevsky

I'm back!

Paul Bradbury: Always Look on the Bright Side of... Russia

St Nicholas Churches in Moscow: Addresses and Other Information

How to Decorate the Christmas / New Year Tree the Russian Style

Collecting Antique and Vintage Christmas Tree Decorations: Interview with Expert Kim Balaschak

The Babushka Poem by Edith M. Thomas -- I've found it!

Traditional Orthodox Christmas Meal: Russian Food Recipes Online

Babushka and The Three Kings - a Christmas Tale, but not Russian

Traditional Russian Christmas / New Year Gifts for All the Family

Lonely Planet Russia -- country guide

Russian Orthodox Christmas Eve Meal: Traditions and Recipes

Russian Christmas Traditions: Myths, Mistakes and Misconceptions

Babushka and the Three Wise Men? Story, yes. Russian, no.

How to Organize and Celebrate a Traditional Russian Christmas

Traditional Russian Christmas and New Year Gifts for Men

Russian Antique Christmas Tree Ornaments and Vintage Decorations

Russian Christmas for Kids: Party Ideas and Gift Tips

Russian Christmas Party for Kids: Father Frost vs. Santa Claus

St Nicholas in Russia: He is no Santa Claus

Fine Art Russian Christmas Cards: Season's Greetings from Russia

Christmas Holiday Travel Season: Karelia, Russia

Celebrating Russian Christmas and New Year: Snegurochka

How to Write and Finish the First Draft of Your NaNoWriMo Novel

How to Plan, Plot, Write and Finish Your NaNoWriMo Novel

Plot and Write a NaNoWriMo Novel:Creating Plot Lines and Subplots

How to Plot a NaNoWriMo Book: The Difference Between a Subplot and a Secondary Plot Line Read more

Plot and Write a Publishable NaNoWriMo Novel: Scene Structure

How to Write a NaNoWriMo Novel: POV and Viewpoint Characters

Use Your Personal Experience to Write Your NaNoWriMo Novel

How to Plan and Plot a NaNoWriMo Book: the Structure of a Novel

NaNoWriMo novel advice

How to Plan a Novel: NaNoWriMo Advice for a First-Time Writer

New Anti Aging Drug: Russian Science Promises a Longer Life Span

Skulachev's Ions: Russian Anti-Aging Drug Raises Moral Issues

New Anti Aging Drug May Double Human Life Span, Scientists Say

Tupolev 154 Plane Lands Safely after Power Failure at 30,000 ft

Terra vs AST: Record $250 Million Fine for Copyright Infringement

The Translation Gap: Why More Foreign Writers Aren't Published in America

Russian Marines Capture Somali Pirates, Free Tanker

Great Site for Imperial Russia Research

First traffic lights in Russia

Some medieval Cyrillic fonts!

Another tongue-tied president!

Russians and Handshakes

Russian Streets in the 1890s and some Khodynka facts and pictures

С Новым годом! Happy New year!

Old Soviet calendar

NaNoWriMo Russian Research: Inside a Russian Orthodox Church

Recovering from NaNoWriMo....

I'm back!

Back to Russia!

I've got a banner!

Research, grrrrr!

The book is out!

"Don't Be The Writer WhoBetrays Your Protagonist andLeaves Him HelplessIn A Strange Country!"

In those days of the Cold War, writers didn’t have Russian experts to advise them. YOU DO!

We Have The Information You NeedTo Bring Your Russian Characters To Life!

In The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Russia, you’ll discover:

Lots of details to make your story ring true!

We include links to RELIABLE sourcesto help you with your own research.

Be the writer who says, "I know what I'm talking about!"

http://shop.hollylisle.com/index.php?crn=222&rn=421&action=show_detail

Great Russian Links!

"Don't Be The Writer Who
Betrays Your Protagonist and
Leaves Him Helpless
In A Strange Country!"

We Have The Information You Need
To Bring Your Russian Characters To Life!

We include links to RELIABLE sources
to help you with your own research.

Be the writer who says,
"I know what I'm talking about!"