Comments on: 15 tips for authors writing Australian characters

By: Kat

Kat — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:50:58 +0000

Thanks, Michelle! You’re right—there’s a lot of regional variety that isn’t captured by my original list. I can’t believe I forgot about driving on the left side. :-D

By: Michelle

Michelle — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 08:08:09 +0000

I agree mostly, but it doesn’t highlight the fact that someone from Sydney is different from a person from Melbourne, and different again from a person from Darwin. In fact, after five years in Darwin, one of my friends has developed an accent that I’ve only heard in films.
I’m a Melbourne girl, so this probably will only make sense to other people from Melbourne, but we take trams in the city instead of buses, and we carry around an umbrella and/or jacket just in case.
And you forgot that we drive on LEFT side of the road so the driver sits on the right. The number of American tourists who get into accidents here and in NZ for driving on the wrong side of the road always scares me.
Speaking of NZ, we practically adopt everyone from there too.

By: Happy links for readers and writers: Oz edition « Wendy Palmer

Happy links for readers and writers: Oz edition « Wendy Palmer — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 02:38:47 +0000

[...] great set of tips for writing Australian characters — add your own tips in the comments. And they also have an Aussie Authors challenge for the [...]

By: Kat

Kat — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 23:34:33 +0000

Jen, that's interesting about Starbucks in Melbourne. I think you're right---in the CBD every cafe is pretty much guaranteed to have clientele. Or maybe the ones in Sydney just had crap barristas. I did know people who drank Starbucks just because they had such huge cups.

I love Summer Heights High!

Have you read any of Melanie La'Brooy's books? She's not technically romance, romance, more like a chick-lit crossover (first person, there's a love story but it's not the focus). She *gets* the personality Melbourne and Sydney very well, and the differences between the two cities. I know one of her heroines worked in an art gallery---is that close enough to graphic design? :-D

There's also Disco Boy, although the people I've recommended it to have so far told me they didn't like it (the protagonist is a bit of a lazy arse, but I can sooo identify with that! lol).

By: Jen

Jen — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:39:04 +0000

So true about #1. There is nothing (overtly) sexually appealling about the guy, though I have a small bias for him since he comes from my end of Melbourne town (yay Tullamarine!)
I beg to differ on the Starbucks thing. I was in one franchise in the CBD last Saturday—it was so packed. In fact, ALL our cafes in the CBD are packed. But that’s just the CBD I guess. The outer suburbs (or well, any suburb that’s not inner Melb) have more homey feels with business driven by locals’ loyalty mainly. If I had to choose a big coffee giant though, it’d be Gloria Jeans instead.
Who the hell uses Strine these days anymore? I think it died with Barry Mackenzie… And urgh, have you seen The Thorn Birds mini-series? What a horror it is—no wonder Colleen McCullough loathes it so much. Very authentic Australian production, to be sure.
Chris Lilley’s Summer Heights High and We Can Be Heroes are great (satirical) ‘reflections’ of what we are, or at least play up the stereotypes—and considering how some people thought these were actually true documentaries pretty much says it all! Ja’mie is spot-on, and Phil is so cringeworthy—s’brilliant.
Y’know, I long for the day when there’s a romance written involving an Australian graphic designer with—I dunno, an IT consultant or a programmer or sommat. Lots of in-jokes there.
Oh and there is no elementary school or middle school… Nor are there freshmen or sophomores. And we go by year 1-12s (although I remember being labelled grade 1-6, and then year 7-12?) not first grader to twelfth grader.

By: Kat

Kat — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 06:49:54 +0000

Graham, thanks! The list keeps growing, and I’m glad we’re getting some non-city, non-Sydney perspectives. I admit, I know almost nothing of living in rural Australia. I’m going to have to watch each of the films recommended on this thread. For research purposes, of course…

By: Graham

Graham — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 06:36:37 +0000

Loved the list Kat. I’m a naturalised Australian (been here about 15 years) and even now I still worry about getting it right when I use Aussie characters in my writing. It occurred to me I should create a check-list from your post and the many, great comments and, each time I use an Aussie character, run them through the list to see how many ticks they get (NB ‘ticks’ not checks – also ‘cheques’ not checks for that matter.)
I’m glad Ann spoke up for Brisbane’s differences. I worked there to about ten years – drove every day (to the CBD, not ‘downtown’ or to ‘the city’ mind you) and held countless meetings in Starbucks (as well as other coffee shops). My daughter – who’s been her most of her life – left home the first day I accidentally left the front door ajar and she definitely texts her friends on her mobile. No-one I know well – and no-one in my daughter’s crowd – likes sport or even talks about it. Maybe there’s a generational change coming.
I left Brissy a couple of years ago to live out in the country (the difference between the town, the country and the bush was one it took me a long time to master – also hard for an ex-pom was working out what a ‘homestead’ was, or a ‘township’ or a ‘city’ – and why were were there no villages?) Now I really do have kangaroos, echidnas, quolls, etc. in my garden (but my garden is now a ‘property’ – 46 acres of bushland – note the persistent non-metric unit there.) The diversity has also gone. Just about everyone here is Italian! You hear it spoken in the streets and in the shops all the time.
My recommendation for a show to watch to catch great Aussie dialogue is ‘East of Everywhere’. I really hope the ABC is selling that overseas (but not ‘abroad’).

By: Kat

Kat — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 08:21:12 +0000

I watched Muriel’s Wedding for Daniel Lapaine (the South African swimmer). I was a bit infatuated after seeing him in King Lear (theatre). I think The Castle is more ultimate bogan, but Muriel’s Wedding has one of the funniest sex scenes I’ve ever seen, and it’s about women and love and marriage, so it’d be more fun for author research!

By: wandergurl

wandergurl — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 04:32:03 +0000

OMG. Anyone that wants to write about Aussies has got to see “Muriel’s Wedding” for the entire bogan (tho she wasn’t entirely bogan…) experience and just to see the chick from brothers and sisters when she was young. Also maybe some of the newer Aussie movies like Cedar Boys (is that the title of the new leb movie?)
I wouldn’t find an aussie book right if it didn’t have any jargon. Like I would suggest anyone attempting to write read aussie young adult books or something, because they provide a lot of good background, etc. that can be used when you try to develop the character and see where they came from.

I also forgot to add on the really long list I tweeted you that most city aussies go to the gym and have some form of physical fitness thing going whether its walking or just going outdoors or going to a gym or at least being a member of one, even if you never go!

By: Edie

Edie — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:46:47 +0000

Oh the “doona” scottish brogue thing cracks me up..