Ok- You sold me!
I'm watching.
Your novel TINK just sounds so great.
I am looking forward to reading it-
And glad you gave us a little "teaser." The part about the travelers sounds fascinating.
I *still* take issue with those "Baton Rouge" hills and all that yellow vegetation ;-0 But Philip has banned me from complaining about The Riches geographic license while watching.
'Tinks' a perogative name in itself, 'vagabond's' wheres the respect in that, feary changlings. is this a comtemporary novel, spouting new age rubbish. Buffer short for Buffoon, rubbish, it just means non Traveller.
Minnie lives near the store. She's been in a couple of times and is just a delight. xx
Hello,
This novel is about Tinker Bell from PETER PAN. (Scroll down on the main blog page for more information.)
"Tink" is just the name that was given to the character by the original author, JM Barrie. I couldn't change her name to something less derogatory, or no one would know who I was writing about. It wouldn't make sense. Her name may be insulting, but that is her name. I address the issue of discrimination against Travellers in many places in the novel.
Though I, personally, do not use the term "Tink" or "Tinker" in reference to Travellers, I still couldn't change my character's name to something less provocative. She does have a real, secret name that is revealed in the book. But for the most part, she is "Tink." It's simple clarity. She is the faery from PETER PAN whom we all know and love.
It is just like Tom Stoppard's play, ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD, based on two minor characters from HAMLET. He could not change their names to Smith and Jones or the audience would be completely confused. So I hope you will see why I had no choice but to call the character "Tink."
I do not think TINK is a "New Age" novel,. I am not sure what a "New Age" novel is, actually. It's an interesting thought though.
However, if you dislike fantasy "metafiction" along the lines of WICKED or GRENDEL, then you may want to skip this one because that is what it has been compared to. The character endures much abuse in my novel due to her background, but she is portrayed sympathetically. It is fiction, but if depictions of violence and discrimination bother you, then I do not recommend that you read it.
Sorry for any offense or misunderstanding.... all my best, Martha
Sabra, thank you for recommending the series to me. 
Mark-
What did Minnie buy at the store? xx
Thank you, Pat,
Everyone who reads this blog needs to pick up Pat's book LOTTERY when it comes out from Putnam this summer.
It's amazing! xx
Don't worry, Martha.
We understood what you meant.
Slainte,
Ciara
There was no offence taken, because if I wanted to take offence I only have to visit as you rightly say anyone of the sites filled with hate speech towards Travellers which pollute the web, My interest was sparked by a search for reviews on ‘the Riches’,
I though your review was interesting but what you added about your novel and research on Travellers was even more interesting.
Now I don’t for one minute compare your comments or your site to any of the hate filled invective which is placed on many of the above mentioned sites, sheer bigotry which debases the very humanity of the people who write it more then it affects the status of the Traveller community.
I have however to question the form of research you have done when you describe the characters of your book as Travelling vagabonds, My exception is based on a ‘notion’ that Travellers are in someway vagabond or vagrants, terms which have foundation in English law and which been used as tools to in effect outlaw and criminalise the way of life of the Travellers/Tinkers. The legal ‘outcasting’ of vagabonds/vagrants, fines its root in the Vagabonds Act 1572 and subsequent restatement in various laws which define vagrants as homeless idle wanderers, who are outside the law and must be punished for their idleness,
Travellers/Tinkers are not and never have been ‘homeless’ or ‘idle’. Placeless yes, but homeless no, Traveller/Tinkers have always travelled or moved about with their family for work and other reason’s, work which involved tinsmithing and other crafts which, meant they were far from idle.
Furthermore your description of the Travellers language as a thieves cant only reinforces a negative perception which helped to outcaste Travellers, if their language is nothing more then a thieves cant then the users of such a language must be nothing more then thieves, I don’t think any other minority language would be written off in such derogatory terms or simply dismissed as a worthless argot,
Re: your novel I had not seen the link with details of it (and still cannot find it) So I did not know it was reworking of characters from a classical story, of course if this is what your work is about then it would be ridiculous to not use the original names, I only made the point re Tinks for one reason, While the term Tinker to describe Travellers has become pejorative (I personally don’t find it insulting) the shortening of it to ‘Tinks’ as a collective term to describe the community becomes completely derogatory. [Equate with “Paki’s” to describe people of Pakistan] I take your point however that it is used to describe a character not the community.
I can’t say I am or am not a fan of ‘metafiction’ as simply I have not read very much of it, I will say I have to admire your imagination to create a novel from character from previous work of fiction (indeed one who lived in Neverland) and somehow intertwine that with a community who live in the real world. I am not sure if there is a definition or name for this type of literary device, but tongue firmly in cheek I would suggest ‘buffering’ the filling in of the gap in the life of a character from one literary era and their re-emergence in a new space.
Finally I have only responded to this post because you state you have a respect for the Traveller community. Which, I believe you have, unlike the reams of other of bile which is place on the web and which doe’s not deserve a response because it as I have already said debases the very humanity of its authors,
[Definition newage novel, a story full of hippy dippy rubbish full of beads and crystals and the ‘Travellers’ communing with the earth, As a marginalised community Travellers do not need this sort of romanticised mythism]
Kindest regards
Reely
Confession, Tinkerbelle is my 8 year old’s favourite Disney character. So best of luck with your novel.
Thank you so much for that reasoned reply, Reely.
I do not use the term "vagabond" in my novel. (I even went and did a search to be sure!) I actually do think that was a term come up with by someone in the publishing loop-critique partner, marketing team, I do not even know anymore-to describe my novel. That is how it has come to find its way into the novel description. I do apologize for having repeated it though. I agree with you that it is not an accurate term. Having read your thoughtful response to that term, I will say that I shall make sure that the term does not appear in the promotional materials when the book is published sometime in 2008 or 2009.
As for "Thieves' Cant" I did put in quotation marks. As it so happens I did a search and find in my novel after reading your reply: twice I refer to it as "Travellers' Cant" and twice as "the Cant." At one point the main character, who is a Traveller, refers to it as "an old thieves' cant" because she is trying to throw someone else off the track of what she is really saying, in a dismissive way because she hopes he will do the same, and get off her back.
But I have now altered that to "Travellers' Cant" since her intention is not to insult Travellers, since she is one herself -although I suppose it could be argued she has internalized the prejudice against her community. Better safe than sorry though. I'll be sure not to use that term again even in quotation marks (unless it is some nasty person in the book saying something nasty to her, which unfortunately happens in this book...) The majority of the time in the book, I say "Shelta".
Thank you for your input; I appreciate your candor and your tenacity in putting it forward.
As for the whole "buffer" thing, that term didn't come into use during the time the book takes place, so I don't use it in the novel at all.
You've actually given me some great food for thought which will help me on the rewrite. (The novel's in revisions now.) Thanks for the encouragement on the book and your kind comments as well.
Here is a link to the posting on my blog which describes the book.
http://marthaoconnor.blogspot.co...s-tis-
true.html
I didn't write the description of the sale. I of course do realize that Travellers are not gypsies.
It's such a recent sale that my website ( http://www.marthaoconnor.com ) has not been updated with any of it--so all the more fortuitous that you emailed in time to get the wording changed for accuracy.
All the best
Thanks for the explanation on buffers. Someone asked this in a forum and I linked this page:
http://www.therichesshow.com/for...m/
about113.html
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