Writer's Life

Real Estate Agents: You need an editor.

2012-01-15T10:14:00.000-05:00

Anyone who never turns off his/her inner editor (yes, I'm putting my hand up) will know that reading the listings in the local newspaper's real estate supplement is torture. Please allow me to relieve my anguish by sharing a few anonymous zingers I encountered this morning. Note: The following examples came from the same publication. No, I am not making this up.

The classic its/it's battle - and a hint of overcompensation:

"Best in it's Class!"

"Country Living At Its's Best!"

Please consider proofreading for typos/spelling and other goofs:

"Cut as a button from the great layout to the great yard."

"If your looking for a great place to invest money & your life into, [address] might be for you."

"The wide open spaces of the great room, country kitchen and deck compliment the private nooks of the study, porches and balcony." (This line was part of a description that appeared in two separate listings. Different houses. Same description. Not very complimentary - or complementary, for that matter!)

Comma splices are okay in advertising, right?

"Come and see for yourself, you will be glad you did."

"Don't worry about bringing your decorating ideas, the owner has tastefully updated & decorated with unmistakable quality."

Punctuation? Who cares?

"...on a magnificent 190' foot deep professionally landscaped lot..."

"While most new freehold towns are much more than this to build. These owners have priced this one to sell."

"[Address] is a beautiful tree lined street..."

Let's just invent new usage, shall we?

"Bright 3 bedroom, 1,436squft unit..."

Sigh.

Calling all Realtors: If you want to impress potential clients with your ability to communicate clearly, concisely and correctly, please consider asking someone to look over your listings before publication.

Better yet: hire an editor!

My Annual Writing Contest Adventure: The Elora Writers' Festival Writing Competition 2012

2012-01-08T15:30:00.000-05:00

Volunteerism is something that most of us take seriously. It's hard to find the time and energy in a busy life to commit to an obligation outside of family and job.

This wolf is on a journey in the Yukon...

And if you're a writer, as I am, it's even harder to give up potential creative time in order to contribute to a cause or organization.

But we do it anyway, don't we? Not for glory and not for thanks: we do it because we believe strongly in the causes we support.

Outside of health, happiness and the well-being of those I love, I don't think there's anything that means more to me than writing, so when I have the chance, I do my best to help support writers and spread the word of books, reading and writing.

One of my favourite volunteer commitments, the annual EWF Writing Competition, is about to rev up for another year. The Call for Entry is almost ready to go, and the Frequently Asked Questions page is drafted and waiting. A few more loose ends need to be tied up and then - the official announcement.

Stay tuned here at Writer's Life and also at the Festival blog, Elora Writers' Festival, for all the news on this year's adventure.

Psssst! Want a hint? This year, the competition has a theme: A Journey....

Business Writing: The Three-M Email

2011-12-22T11:49:00.000-05:00

Like many communications professionals, I receive and send a lot of email.

My college students communicate with me daily - and poorly. Clients and colleagues often hit the "Send" button without re-reading. I'm sure (in the heat of a deadline-driven panic) I have done the same. But it's inexcusable. Email messages deserve the same respect that the disappearing art of handwritten messages do: think before you write, read before you send.

For example, here's an email message sent to me by a student who rarely showed up to my college-level writing class:

"Hello, my sources were on the back of the essay, did you not get them? And i will touch up the argumentative essay, and also hand in the 2nd essay. Thanks for understanding. And tomorrow, the 11th, i may not be able to make it to class if so ill be late due to a physio thrapist appointment, its very hard for them to fit me in there schedule, which kind of bothers me. In the the meantime ill be working on the reading responce summary and the 2nd essay. Please let me know what/ if i miss anything important tomorrow."

Tone: All "me"; no "thee"
Correctness: Lacking (I mean, really. "...ill be late"? "its very hard for them to fit me in there schedule"?)
Coherence: None
Purpose: All over the place
Overall effect: "I don't care."

The 3-M Rule should apply to every email message you write:

Manners

Be nice. The reader can't see your eyes or facial expressions. He can't hear the tone of your voice. Your word choice has to provide the cues.

"John - I need the registration numbers" is a clear enough message, but it's also curt and abrupt. Not nice.

"Hi John - Please send the registration numbers. Thanks, Mary." Getting ride of "I need" and using "Please" changes the tone of this message, as does the "thanks" as a sign-off. Clear, correct, concise - and nice.

Why does being "nice" - the art of using good manners - matter in email communication? See "Marketing", below.

Message

Did I mention "clear, correct, concise"? Choosing familiar words, spelled correctly, in a variety of simple, compound, and compound-complex sentences, creates a smooth and effective message.

Say what you mean. Choose precise words: "now" instead of "at the present time"; "concerning" instead of "with respect to". (Need some help? Google "wordiness" or "wordiness exercises" and you can find lots of online practice. Here's one to start with: Polishing Your Writing.)

Proofread for correctness and typos. Use Spellchecker (although you should also be aware of its pitfalls). Better yet, compose your message in Word, with all its useful tools, and Copy/Paste your message into your email. Leave the recipient's address field empty until you're sure your message is ready; that way, you won't accidentally send an error-filled draft.

Marketing

Every time you hit "Send", you are sending an image of you - your strengths, weaknesses, intelligence, abilities, attitude, general savviness - into someone's Inbox. Even the briefest message says more about you than the actual words do.

You have the opportunity to market yourself every time you send an email message, and that's a powerful tool.

So use it! Make every message count. Be aware of Manners, Message and Marketing.

And the student who sent that ineffective, error-filled message?

Yes. He failed the course.

The perils of gender-neutral pronoun use

2011-10-30T13:25:00.000-04:00

Trying to teach correct pronoun use to college students is - well - challenging, to say the least. Students often like to blame their confusion on previous teachers.

"But that doesn't sound very polite," is the common response I get when indicating the correct use of subjective and objective pronouns after a preposition. "My teachers have always corrected me and said to use 'I' instead of 'me'."

The committee gave the prize to Sam and I. Really?

But of course it should be: The committee gave the prize to Sam and me. An object case pronoun is required after the preposition to.

I'm not buying this "My teacher made me do it" explanation. Teachers have also, apparently, told my students never to start a sentence with the word because. Hmmm. Does the term "subordinate clause" ring a bell, anyone?

Pronoun agreement raises even more issues. A student should always bring their textbook to class.

Their? Since the pronoun is referring back to the word student (its antecedent) which is singular, then the pronoun should also be singular: he or she, or even the clunky he or she. But inexperienced writers tend to think they are being gender-neutral, and therefore more politically correct, in selecting a pronoun that is neither "male" nor "female."

The Globe and Mail showed the way to gender-neutral pronoun use in a recent article published online: One Supreme Court nominee confident at hearing, one struggles. The article contains the following paragraph:

Each nominee spoke of his humble roots: Judge Karakatsanis as the daughter of Greek immigrants who opened a restaurant; Judge Moldaver as the son of a scrap-metal dealer and a homemaker-mother.

Each nominee is singular. The pronoun reference his is also singular. Correct usage.

But one of the nominees referred to later in the sentence is a "daughter" and one is a "son." The gender of the nominees isn't clear in the opening clause, and his is gender-neutral - at least as far as the English language goes.

The crux: One problem in English grammar, especially in pronoun use, is that current social sensibilities want to make everything "politically correct" (and oh, how I hate that term!). It's grammar, people! These are structural rules to help regulate the construction of sentences, not a comment on social order or male-female equality.

The antecedent each nominee is singular; gender is unspecified. The referring pronoun his is singular; gender is as neutral as English gets.

One way to avoid this gender-selection issue would have been to revise the clause: Both nominees spoke of their humble roots.

But I love that The Globe took the tricky, singular route, with its built-in gender challenge.

"Each nominee spoke of his humble roots." Perfect!

Won't somebody publish my YA novel, please?

2011-07-11T11:59:00.003-04:00

Yes, this is a rant.

Twenty-two years ago, I had a couple of YA novels published. I then took some time off to focus on my young family, and when I returned to writing and querying, three years later, it was as if that initial success had never happened. I was a beginner again.

Fair enough. I started over.

But I'm beginning to wonder if that was a good idea.

For all the years, and manuscripts, and query letters and rejection letters since, I've slowly been descending into an awareness of what it means to lose confidence in a dream shared by every writer: to see my story published.

Should I feel encouraged that the regular feedback I get from editors and other published authors is "This manuscript deserves to be published"? (That's a quote from Red Deer's Peter Carver). Do Ontario Arts Council grants, invitations to speak at a writers' festival, participate in writing workshops for kids and be a Writer-in-Residence really mean anything? Successes in my business writing career and a few self-publishing projects keep me going. But still...

Won't somebody publish my YA novel, please?

I received another "thanks but no thanks" from a publisher today:

"The title is well chosen; the tone is lively and engaging, and Isabel is a sympathetic and believable protagonist..." followed by a "however" and two suggestions, both good, but neither requiring substantive rewriting.

In other words: "Close, but not quite."

The kind editor took the time not only to offer concrete feedback, but also to urge me to "Please consider pursuing other avenues for the manuscript." She included contact information for the Canadian Children's Book Centre, which is helpful - except that I've been writing and querying so long that I'm already familiar with all the resources the excellent CCBC offers want-to-be-published writers.

The truth is, I'm discouraged. Oh, I know all the stories of authors - Madeleine L'Engle comes to mind - who queried for years before achieving success. I know the "never give up" attitude preached (so often) by those who are already successful.

Coming close so many, many times isn't a great feeling. I'm tired of the disappointment. I'm tired of seeing my stories crash land after months and years of intense creative effort. For most of my writing life, that effort has been a magical experience of transformation and joy. But lately, writing fiction has lost its lustre - and for me, that's the greatest loss of all.

What to take away from this?

1. My writing is obviously good enough to catch the eye of an editor - fact.

2. This most recently rejected story needs some work - maybe. (My first novel might never have been published if I'd heeded the advice of an acquisitions editor who told me it would be better if I completely changed a crucial plot point; I didn't change it, and a second publisher snapped it up because of that plot point. Who to listen to? Acquisition editors, or your heart?)

3. The next step is all up to me: write, rewrite, revise and continue to submit - or not.

Many questions, and no clear answer yet.

Kids writing for pleasure and for purpose: The Learning Partnership's Entrepreneurial Adventure program

2011-06-30T16:52:00.001-04:00

A teacher/parent recently asked me if I'd be willing to talk with her son about writing books. It seems Turner has written his first book and wants to know how to go about getting it published. He's in Grade 1.

So I told her I'd be happy to discuss his options, but it's really quite simple: revise and rework it until it's the best it can be, research suitable publishers, read their submission guidelines, and send it off.

So what if the author hasn't left primary school yet? Go Turner, say I.

All writers want to see their words in print. We all see ourselves at the top of our craft, piles of books flying off the shelves of bookstores, reviews and interviews on the Books pages of newspapers. That's the glam side of writing.

But the less glamourous side is the effort it takes to think, write, revise, and slog your way through a writing project. Kids like Turner make me smile: for them it's the pure pleasure of expressing themselves by putting words on a page. "Pure" is the operative word.

And if that pleasure extends to purposefulness, who can resist? Consider the grade 5/6 students at Springvale Elementary School in Halifax. Under the direction of their teacher, Valerie Dockendorff, the kids have written What If? (for sale here by Nimbus Publishing imprint, Acorn Press), a book of hope that addresses the question: What if the world's problems didn't exist?

This project was entered in the recent BMO Financial Group "Entrepreneurial Adventure" program, along with innovative, charity-based school projects from across the country. Young writers exploring their creativity and putting it towards good works: it doesn't get any better.

*******

Read more about the Entrepreneurial Adventure program at The Learning Partnership. Here's a blurb from The Learning Partnership's press release about the 2011 BMO Financial Group's national student innovation awards:

Word by Word

Springvale Elementary School, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Students: Grades five/six

Teacher: Valerie Dockendorff

Business partner: Troy Yeo, CA, Accountant Staffing

The 18 grade five/six students at Springvale wanted to raise awareness about problems faced by kids all over the world and they wanted to do this by imagining what it would be like if the problem didn’t exist! In Social Studies, the students had been learning about social justice, diversity and global cultures. They’d also been learning about determining the impact kids have – or don’t have – on important local and global issues as well as significant decision making. The student-driven decision to create a book as their venture got its inspiration from an earlier class visit by an author/illustrator. Their book’s title is What if … The students painted beautiful illustrations demonstrating what a perfect world would look like if the problems mentioned didn’t exist. Messages of hope, positive images and concrete ways to take action – all created by the kids – are incorporated in What if … , to hopefully change people’s actions...Word by Word. The book has been published by Acorn Press, selling, for $9.95.

The good, the bad, and the ugly: Reviews that help or hurt

2011-06-22T09:37:00.000-04:00

A few months ago, I went looking for people to review my books.

It was a bit scary, because a long time ago, my first novel, Wild Dog Summer, was trashed by a reviewer in a highly-respected journal of children's literature. It was a terrible review - paralyzed me for weeks! - but I got over it, and my book continued to resonate with young readers and their teachers. In fact, the publisher continued to print and sell Wild Dog Summer across Canada for ten more years. During that time, many envelopes stuffed with enthusiastic reader responses arrived in the mail.

So does a review really matter? Well, yes, I think it does. A review gets readers' attention, for better or for worse, and after a few years of being less than noticed, I figured it was time. I put the word out on this blog and in the Twittersphere: I'm looking for reviewers.

CM: Canadian Review of Materials, a publication from the University of Manitoba, agreed to review my two novels, Wild Dog Summer (now re-issued by my own imprint, Pugwash Publishers) and The Toymaker's Son. The review appears in the current issue, and while the reviewer didn't gush, she certainly picked up on the important themes in the books and pointed out their goods points. And their bad points. Unfortunately for me, the "Recommended with reservations" falls far short of my expectations.

This isn't a completely sad story, however. I was also approached by Sarah Butland, a writer, blogger and reviewer from Moncton, New Brunswick, who wanted to interview me and review The Toymaker's Son for her blog.

Sarah is a writer herself, with a particular interest in promoting literacy, writing, and a love of reading. Her website is full of prompts, suggestions and information for kids, parents, writers - anyone who gets a buzz from the written word.

Here's Sarah's review of The Toymaker's Son, and here's the interview (which includes my strategies for avoiding procrastination, views on how to hook reluctant readers, opinions of school reading lists, my 92-year-old uncle's description of the role of e-books...and more).

Thanks for the opportunity to talk about my writing life, Sarah!

So the good (getting some positive attention), the bad (reviews not meeting expectations) and the ugly (Recommended with Reservations): such is the life of a writer. Imagination, talent, discipline, and a very thick skin required.

My Writer-In-Residence Experience: A few thoughts

2011-05-17T11:44:00.001-04:00

Flowers from my young writers. Nice!

A week ago, eleven young writers from Hillfield Strathallan College in Hamilton, Ontario, walked up to the microphone, one by one, and shared their stories and poems with the assembled audience of parents, friends, teachers and me, their proud Writer In Residence.

Our evening of readings went off without a hitch, a perfect end to an 8-month program which began with my first visit back on October. Since then, we've met three times as a group and shared many email conversations as I guided, motivated and offered feedback throughout the writing process.

A few thoughts:

1. Creative kids love to write

Don't worry about motivating them. Don't fuss over perfection. Don't wrack your brains trying to think up cool writing exercises to get them enthused. Young writers are already enthused. I brought a couple of prompts to each of our sessions, but I hardly needed them. Here's the paper, here's the pencil - write! And they did.

2. Fan Fiction is a learning tool

Yes, there were a lot of stories about girls, horses, and friendship troubles. Also boys with magical god-like powers. Also mysteries and spy thrillers. Walk down the Juvenile Series of any bookstore and you will see the source that fuels this kind of writing. (Thankfully, not a vampire in sight!) I believe that reading leads to copycat writing. And copycat writing - or fan fiction - is how young writers try out their voices. They copy a style or voice, they merge with other styles and voices, and finally, they emerge, with their own style and their own voice. The bottom line? They're reading and they're writing - and they're having fun doing it. Who could ask for more?

3. Writers hate deadlines

Oh yes we do. But they are a necessary and unavoidable part of the writing life. My young writers needed much reminding in order to meet their deadlines for submission. What they didn't seem to understand is that as a writer, you can't wait for inspiration to strike. In fact, as deadlines loom, inspiration shrivels. If I have an opportunity to be involved in a program like this again, I will address the need to respect and understand deadlines - and I'll offer some strategies for meeting them. If they continue in the writing life, they'll thank me one day. And during their school careers, their teachers might thank me too!

4. Teachers are amazing

Sharon N., the teacher who ran the program I was involved in, deserves a degree in Project Management. When I arrived, the room was set up like something from a posh hotel. Tables with tablecloths and floral centrepieces, complete with candles. A podium, lamp and sound system. Printed programs on every table. Coffee burbling in the hot urn, water in the cold one. Treats ordered for the intermission. And there she sat, marking furiously before the evening began. Not only that, but she had been coaching girls' basketball games earlier in the week, and preparing for the school-wide fair happening later in the week. Her own kids needed ferrying to rep soccer, and, to top it off, she was sick with a cold. She encouraged the nervous students, spoke to all the parents, dealt with last-minute glitches and treated me like gold. Teachers are amazing, and I hope parents and kids realize how lucky they are to have someone like Sharon - and there are lots of Sharons out there - teaching their kids. Thanks, Sharon!

5. Writing starts as a passion - and sometimes we forget that

As I made my remarks and introductions at the front of the room, I couldn't help looking at those kids and seeing myself, a long time ago, at the start of my writing life. Notebooks full of ideas, poems, unfinished stories. Dreamy images in my head. Books piled beside my bed. Did I dream of being published and making lots of money? No, I dreamed of writing. I dreamed of my characters and what I could do with them. It was all so pure. And that's exactly what I saw in my young writers too. It was a great reminder to see my own passion for writing - a passion that extends back into the mists of my childhood - mirrored on the faces and in the words of these kids. A wonderful moment.

The experience of being a Writer in Residence was a gift.

Thanks, kids!

The Risk and Reward of Seeking Reviews

2011-04-08T15:24:00.000-04:00

I've taken the leap off what feels like a very high cliff.

When I published my latest YA novel, The Toymaker's Son, in 2009, I had high hopes for marketing it to the world. My imprint, Pugwash Publishers ("Classroom-friendly fiction for kids and teens") was just starting to roll. Two previously published novels, Wild Dog Summer and Abby and the Curling Chicks, were moving well.

The Toymaker's Son came off the press and looked full of promise.

And then Life hit.

As a self-publishing imprint, Pugwash depends on the efforts of - well - me to keep it going. When 2009 turned into my annus horribilus, and 2010 didn't show much improvement, those efforts focused on other matters. Like, survival.

But it's 2011, now, and survive I did. The sound I hear getting closer is the thrum of Pugwash Publishers coming back to life. And the first item on the To Do list is to launch The Toymaker's Son out into the world.

So I've launched it at the venerable Canadian Review of Materials, the go-to site for teachers, librarians and parents in Canada who want to know what children's and YA books to read and, perhaps, what books not to read.

My hope is that a reviewer will say nice things about my book and (happy ending) The Toymaker's Son will find its way into the classroom, where it belongs. But the risk is that a reviewer will not like it. And where does that leave me?

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Risk and reward. Sending out my novel to be loved or loathed is the price I pay for being a writer.

I'm willing to take the leap.

Attention Reviewers: If you're interested in writing a review of The Toymaker's Son for your blog, your school newsletter, your library or wherever, please email me at jrmills (at) rogers.com. I'll take the risk.

Writers and audiences: Who do you write for?

2011-02-14T16:20:00.000-05:00

As a writer, I craft "stories" for all sorts of readers. Curling fans read my musings on my blogs for the Canadian Curling Association and in my features for The Curling News. Book lovers read my reviews in Quill & Quire. My words (and my name) turn up here, there and occasionally elsewhere as I ply my writing trade.

But today I'm reaching a whole new audience. A savvy (I hope) fiction-reading audience. No, it's not a novel, although I have a few of those floating around (there's The Toymaker's Son, left). It's a short story published in the online literary journal, Lies With Occasional Truth. (Is that the best name ever or what?)

My story, Lament, is about - well, it's about death. And bagpipes. And regrets. And love, sometimes fierce, sometimes random.

I am thrilled to see my name in print for the very first time attached to a publication with "literary fiction" in its title. And I'm inspired by today's success to explore this side of my writing more deeply.

Oh yes - and the audience I wrote this story for?

You. And perhaps, more than a little, myself.

Revisiting the Seat-of-Pants, Seat-of-Chair Rule

2011-01-13T22:15:00.000-05:00

"I just don't have time to write." Hmmm. Think again!

January, a new year, a fresh start.

And the same old bad habits? Still there. You're still telling yourself "I'll sit down and write something when I have more time" or "I just need to get a few things off the To Do List" or "I'm just too busy right now." I've heard them all and, probably, voiced them all at some point, too.

But it simply won't do. It's time to make a few promises to yourself. Don't call them "resolutions" or you'll doom yourself to failure; instead, call them "rules" (a perfect word because it suggests a straight line, order, discipline).

To get started, let us revisit my favourite writing rule, which is actually a quotation from American writer Mary Heaton Vorse:

The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.

Translation: sit down and write.

It's as simple as that.

So, writers (and I'm thinking especially of the young writers in my Writer In Residence program this year - you know who you are!), don't put it off. Don't make excuses.

Instead, make time. Find a chair, sit down, and write. I guarantee you will feel so much better for having followed this simple rule.

(Photo by Jean Mills)

Letters to the Editor

2011-01-10T09:19:00.000-05:00

One of Life's pleasures is writing a Letter to the Editor

I encounter a news item or feature in the paper - my morning read is The Globe and Mail - that draws an immediate reaction: yea or nay, sometimes gentle, sometimes fierce. The next thing I know, I'm walking around the house marshalling my ideas into three or four sentences that capture the absolute essence of my response.

It has to be short. It has to be focused. It has to be relevant. No tangents, no wandering, and, if possible, not too much "I". The secret of a good letter to the editor is to send a message that is more about the issue and less about you.

Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. Today it did work, and my response to weekend columns about hockey (a passion of mine) by Roy MacGregor and Christie Blatchford made it into The Globe.

Another one of Life's pleasures is opening up to the Comment page and seeing your name in print. Okay, it's just a Letter to the Editor. But it's still the product of careful reading, contemplation and writing.

A Letter to the Editor is the writing process in a nutshell - with a nation of readers built in for free.

NaNoWriMo: Why I’m sitting on the sidelines

2010-11-02T19:14:00.001-04:00

The plan was to spend the month of November hammering out a novel.

The plan was to have a story and some characters sitting in place, just waiting for me to hit the laptop every day and push out 1600 words.

The plan was to embrace NaNoWriMo – for the first time.

The plan – well, the plan failed. Here it is, November 2 and I am plotless, characterless, novel-less. And you know what? I don’t really mind.

My14-year-old son and I were going to tackle the challenge together this year. He did the Young Writers NaNoWriMo last year and successfully met the 15,000-word target, producing the first draft of a fantasy novel that he’s continued to work on since.

What a great way to share some writing time, we thought.

What an opportunity to shackle ourselves to the writing life for an intensely limited time, we thought.

What fun, we thought.

But the truth is, as October waned and the first of November approached, both of us (without mentioning it to the other) were starting to notice something – something that felt a lot like pressure. Worry. Stress.

One day I finally spoke up.

“You know,” I start, a bit nervous, “I’m just not sure I’ve got what it takes this year.”

He looks up at me.

“I mean, I’m really loaded at work right now, and I have deadlines coming up.”

He’s still looking, but he’s not frowning. He’s looking…hopeful?

“I just can’t help feeling worried every time I think of NaNo,” I blurt out. “I mean, it’s supposed to be something you look forward to, isn’t it? Something fun?”

He’s nodding enthusiastically because, smart boy that he is, he’s read my mind.

“Would you mind if I skipped it this year?” I end.

“I feel the same way!” he exclaims.

We bail, and we bail together. Whew!

NaNoWriMo isn’t for everyone. It’s a great idea, a useful creative prompt, a unique writing adventure. But right now, it’s a burden I don’t need.

This Salon article trashes NaNoWriMo as a colossal waste of time.

No, I don’t agree. NoNoWriMo is not a waste of time. But it’s a project that needs to be embraced wholeheartedly in a spirit of commitment.

I’m cheering you from the sidelines this year, all you NaNoWriMo writers, and I’m perfectly content to be here. Good luck!

Technorati Tags: NaNoWriMo,National Novel Writing Month

Teen Writers Need This Book!

2010-10-15T08:41:00.001-04:00

I have a teen writer in my house. He’s written one novel and is planning another. He’s also won prizes in local writing contests.

When I presented him with Heather Wright’s new book, Writing Fiction: A Hands-On Guide for Teens, he submerged himself in it immediately, surfacing sometime later with this review:

“This. Book. Is. Awesome!!”

And he’s not the only one who thinks so. Canadian Materials published a review in its online magazine. Their response?

“Highly recommended.”

Writing Fiction: A Hands-On Guide for Teens is a must-have book for creative teens or those who work with teen writers – teachers, librarians, parents. With its practical, workbook-style approach, this book provides prompts, inspiration and guidance, all from an author/teacher who knows kids and writing – in short, the whole package.

My teen is using this book to prepare for the upcoming NaNoWriMo challenge – and I think I’ll do the same.

Check out the book’s website, and order it from Amazon.

Dundurn’s Ghost Story contest for young writers

2010-10-05T19:55:00.001-04:00

Publishing house Dundurn and author Deborah Kerbel have joined forces with What If? magazine to encourage young writers to get scary: ghost story style.

Kerbel is the author of Lure, which is – guess what? – a ghost story set in a Toronto library.

Here’s the contest scoop from the Dundurn website:

Try your hand at a truly scary ghost story!

One winner will receive a story critique from author Deborah Kerbel, a ghostly prize pack of books from Dundurn Press (retail value: $150.00), AND will have their story printed in an upcoming issue of What If? Magazine!

Every entry will be posted on our website. Get your friends and family to read the stories and vote for their favourites here at dundurn.com/ghoststory. The stories with the best votes will be considered by our team of professional judges.

First, read the rules.

Then….

Get writing! Now! Go!

Air Lift To L.A.: Canadian authors helping a school library in need

2010-09-18T11:39:00.009-04:00

Libraries are in need everywhere, but here's one initiative - the brainchild of Canadian author Helaine Becker - that actually took flight. Three of my novels, including Abby and the Curling Chicks, Wild Dog Summer, and The Toymaker's Son will be among the books finding a home on the shelves of Ralph Bunche Elementary in Los Angeles.

Five authors are making the trek to deliver the books and show support for a school library in need. Read on for the official press release:

ACCESS BOOKS AND "AIR LIFT TO L.A." DELIVER BOOKS

TO COMPTON SCHOOL ON OCTOBER 2

Los Angeles – As part of their ongoing commitment to strengthen inner-city school libraries throughout Los Angeles and beyond, Access Books has joined forces with a team of Canadian authors to help impoverished families gain access to books. The event will take place at Ralph Bunche Elementary (16223 Haskins Lane, Carson, CA 90746-1092) on October 2, 2010 at 9 a.m. This school is one of 25 elementary schools in the Compton Unified School District (CUSD) that is in desperate need of books for its 450 students.

Access Books, "Air Lift to L.A." and a team of volunteers from Bunche will spend October 2nd revitalizing the library by painting murals and cataloging brand new books. In addition to the books, Access Books will provide a reading rug, rocking chair and sofa to create a warm and inviting environment for students. Five authors from Canada will be on hand for the event and to give fun and exciting presentations to the students.

The participating authors are:

Rob Weston, author of Silver Birch award winner Zorgamazoo

Kari-Lynn Winters, author Jeffrey and the Sloth, On My Walk, and other award-winning books.

Jill Murray, YA author of Rhythm and Blues and Break on Through

Wendy Kitts, Freelance Writer, Book Reviewer, and author of a soon-to-be published picture book from Nimbus Press

Helaine Becker, author of more than 40 books for children including Silver Birch award winners Boredom Blasters and Secret Agent Y.O.U.

Sadly, only 48 percent of Bunche's students are scoring "proficient" or "advanced" in English & Language Arts on the California Standards Test. Research has shown that the best predictor of how well a child will learn to read is the number of books to which he or she has access, but 61 percent of economically disadvantaged children don't have age-appropriate books at home. The students of Bunche Elementary fit this profile: 90 percent live at or below the poverty line. According to a 2009 report from the Jumpstart Foundation, communities ranking high in achievement tests share a common denominator: an abundance of books in their libraries.

California's Department of Education recommends 28 library books per student, according to the February 2010 draft of its School Library Standards. Bunche, however, has a mere three books per student. Therefore, Access Books has set a goal: Collect at least 5,000 books for Bunche's library and classrooms. Many of these will be brand new, popular fiction titles – books that have been carefully selected to get students excited about reading.

Access Books' partner for this endeavor, "Air Lift to L.A.," grew wings after Canadian children's author Helaine Becker visited a Long Beach elementary school and saw the empty shelves. Shocked and saddened, she rallied her Canadian colleagues and started a book drive. "The conditions [in Los Angeles] are on par with the worst of the Third World countries," she writes on the "Air Lift to L.A." Facebook page. "Actually, they are worse, because in much of the Third World, people are doing their best to raise their standards, while in Los Angeles, conditions have deteriorated abysmally in the last ten years."

Bunche has just moved its campus library into a new, larger space to afford room for growth, but unfortunately, many of the shelves are bare. The library assistant nicknamed the library "The Dream Shop," but with so few books, its dreams have yet to be realized.

California ranks last in the nation in funding for school libraries, spending less than one dollar per child. Although the 2011 federal budget proposal includes a $400 billion investment in education, there's no mention of federal funds specifically geared toward school libraries. According to Sandra Barnett, head of the American School Library Association, "the budget is proposing to take away the last access to literacy for these kids in high-poverty areas." The American School Library research data clearly shows that students with access to school libraries and good books score higher in state reading scores and are more interested in reading.

"I think the big issue is that we really need to make reading part of school and make reading fun and interesting," said Rebecca Constantino, P.h.D., the founder and executive director of Access Books. "And that starts with having a good library."

About ACCESS BOOKS: Access Books provides quality, high-interest books to Southern California's most impoverished school libraries. Since 1999, they have donated more than a million books to school and community libraries in the greater Los Angeles area. Access Books has been featured in USA Today, the L.A. Times, the New York Times and School Library Journal among many other media outlets. Access Books' founder, Rebecca Constantino, is a recipient of Oprah's "Use Your Life" award. She has published over 100 articles and a book in the areas of literacy development, equity in education, urban school and cultural perspectives of language acquisition.

Give a Child a Book, She'll be Happy
Give a Child a Library, She'll be Literate

P.O. Box 64951, Los Angeles, CA 90064
310-284-3452
www.accessbooks.net

Terry Fallis: A writer shows how to make self-publishing worth the effort

2010-09-13T09:01:00.001-04:00

If you haven’t read Terry Fallis’ award-winning – and laugh-out-loud funny – novel The Best Laid Plans, you should run to your local bookstore and get busy. Now. Today.

I make this suggestion because Terry’s second book, The High Road, is now available. It’s the second installment in his Parliament Hill series featuring political aide Daniel Addison and his charge, Engineering professor-turned-public servant Angus McLintock.

Madcap antics and mayhem ensue on practically every page – what a great read!

I met Terry when he read at the Elora Writers’ Festival in June, and since then he’s been everywhere promoting his book and talking to people about his fun journey from self-published author to Stephen Leacock Award-winning Author. And if you don’t believe me (about the “everywhere” part), just check out the Appearances link on his website.

The Best Laid Plans was chosen by Waterloo Region for its “One Book, One Community” selection this year. With interest so high, I was asked to review The High Road, and did so with trepidation. The words “sophomore jinx” hovered in my mental background, but no fear: the second book in the Addison-McLintock saga holds its own quite nicely, thank you. You can read the review here, posted on Terry’s website.

For me, the most interesting part of Terry’s rise-to-fame story is that he was just another self-published author – until he sent his 10 free copies of The Best Laid Plans (part of the self-publishing package he subscribed to) to the selection committee for the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour. He was a first-time author without a book-publishing history or a literary agent, one of the masses of self-published authors who frequently draw the disdain of “real” writers (i.e. think agents, editors, publishing houses, review in Quill & Quire, etc.). In fact, as Terry tells it, he did approach several agents with his manuscript, but didn’t get any bites. Self-publishing was the obvious alternative. He also took it a step further and tapped into the social media scene by podcasting his book and offering audio chapters for free.

But guess what? The Best Laid Plans was short-listed for the the award. Did that change anything? Yes – one of those previously-uninterested agents perked up her ears, the book won the Leacock Award and found a publishing home with McClelland & Stewart and – well, the rest is history.

The moral of the story: persevere, writers. If you’re good enough and creative enough to get your work out there, good things can happen. Terry Fallis is the perfect example of self-publishing as a means to a very happily ever after.

**************

Interested in self-publishing? If you live in the Waterloo, Ontario, area, Terry will be part of a panel discussing his journey down this road. Here’s the scoop from the One Book, One Community blog:

Self-Publishing 101

Monday, September 27 at 6:30 p.m. With Terry Fallis, OBOC Author; Dean Froome, President, Volumes Publishing; Ron Stadnik, Print Collection Development Manager, Library Bound; Sharron Smith, Manager of Readers’ Advisory Services, KPL.

When the doors to traditional publishing houses were locked, One Book One Community author Terry Fallis decided to forge his own key. He released his first novel on the internet – free – as a chapter-by-chapter podcast, then turned to social marketing for promotion. Following encouraging feedback, Terry decided to publish his own novel. Later that year, his novel won the prestigious Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. Within a week of his “Leacock shock,” he signed a publishing contract with McClelland & Stewart, a well-established Canadian publishing house.If you are still knocking on closed doors, join our panel for an informative discussion on self-publishing. Find out what services are available and how to keep the process affordable. Gather tips on marketing your product and the criteria used to select new books for library collections.

Kitchener Public Library – Country Hills Community Library
1500 Block Line Rd. To register, please call 519-743-0271 519-743-0271 ext. 255.

Technorati Tags: Terry Fallis,The Best Laid Plans,The High Road,Waterloo,One book one community,self-publishing,literary agents

The Globe and Mail: “But strong principles, they endure”

2010-09-12T10:15:00.001-04:00

This week, the Thomson family announced that they are now hold 85 per cent of the shares in The Globe and Mail, a result of the sale of CTV to Bell. No more Globemedia: the newspaper stands alone.

The Globe’s Saturday edition includes a compelling and entertaining editorial explaining this transaction and celebrating, deservedly, the newspaper’s new situation. We should all celebrate a nationally distributed news source that operates free of political or corporate involvement.

The editorial includes some wonderful tidbits about the late Roy Thomson, the media mogul whose family is once again solely in charge. “The Canadian People Deserve A Free and Fearless Press!” read the ad that Mr. Thomson – then the owner of a series of dailies across Canada – took out in The Globe and Mail in 1951. You have to love this.

In fact, I love The Globe. I’ve been a Globe reader since about 1960 (the year I learned to read). My brothers and I waged fierce battle over the sports section and the comics at the breakfast table. Gradually I learned to appreciate our morning newspaper as a source of not only news, but also opinion and entertainment.

Being published in this newspaper was one of my greatest thrills as a writer.

You know where I’m going with this, don’t you? I’ve already written about my disappointment in The Globe and Mail’s 2008 change of policy concerning payment for writers of essays published on the Facts & Arguments page, “Why I can’t send my essays to The Globe and Mail and why you shouldn’t either”.

I believe that a basic principle of publishing is being abused. The title of Saturday’s editorial reads: “Editorial autonomy, financial acumen, real media values.” How do “financial acumen” and “real media values” equal not paying writers for the privilege of using their work? If the writing deserves to be published, the writer deserves to be paid.

I emailed John Stackhouse, Editor-in-Chief of The Globe and Mail with my concerns, but he didn’t reply. Perhaps now, in light of these positive changes at the newspaper, and as a follow-up to the sentiments expressed (by him?) in Saturday’s editorial, it’s time for Mr. Stackhouse and the Globe powers-that-be to live up to the standards they so publicly celebrate.

“But strong principles, they endure”, Saturday’s editorial proclaims in its final sentence.

I agree completely. Please, writers and readers, ask The Globe and Mail to pay its Facts & Arguments writers. Mr. Stackhouse didn’t listen to my voice, but he and the decision-makers he reports to might listen to ours.

_______________________________________

John Stackhouse, Editor-in-Chief jstackhouse@globeandmail.com

Phillip Crawley, Publisher and Chief Executive Officer

The Globe and Mail

444 Front St. W., Toronto, ON Canada M5V 2S9

___________________________________________

Technorati Tags: Globe and Mail,Roy Thomson,Globemedia,CTV,Bell,John Stackhouse,Facts & Arguments,Phillip Crawley,sale of CTV to Bell,writers,payment for writers

Penguin UK (briefly) accepts electronic submissions: Really?

2010-08-23T09:19:00.001-04:00

The news is all over Twitter and the blogosphere: from August to October 2010, Penguin UK is accepting unsolicited queries – electronically.

No agent, no SASE, no full manuscript – just a covering message and a synopsis in an email.

Really?

Sure enough, there it is on the website:

People frequently ask us how to go about getting published. Our company policy is to not accept unsolicited manuscripts or synopses and we cannot enter into correspondence about unpublished work. However, for a limited three-month period from the beginning of August until the end of October 2010, we will be inviting submissions to be sent in electronically to the following address: submissions@uk.penguingroup.com.

We ask that email submissions comprise a brief covering note and synopsis and not a full manuscripts. Please do not send attachments, please write out your cover note and synopsis in the body of the email. We remain unable to accept hard copy submissions and will not return or be responsible for the safety of any that we do receive, so please do not send any original or hard copy manuscripts to us. We will not contact you with feedback on your submission and will only enter into email correspondence with you if an editor within Penguin is keen to progress your idea.

So here are my three questions for Penguin UK:

1. Will your Inbox overflow and crash?

2. Are you aware of how many unpublished authors will be hitting the Send button in the next few months?

3. How are your poor acquisition editors going to keep from drowning under the deluge?

And here is a thought for writers considering taking Penguin UK up on its offer:

You’ve planned, written, revised, shed blood and tears over your manuscript. You love it/hate it at the same time. It’s part of you and you want to share it with the world.

How can you win if you don’t have a ticket?

Send, Unpublished Authors, send!

I can’t wait to hear whose pitch makes it to the top of the pile – and how Penguin UK deals with the sudden spike in submissions.

How will this story end?

It’s Okay To Take A Break: Went to the Yukon and didn’t write a thing

2010-07-22T17:10:00.001-04:00

I did have a plan: go to the Yukon on a much-anticipated family holiday and spend two weeks drinking it all in and writing about it.

The drinking part? No problem.

The writing? Well, that’s another story, which I will illustrate with an anecdote.

A number of years ago, we went to a family wedding. It was a perfect day, and the reception was in full swing, with dancing, visiting and general good cheer all round. I was enjoying myself, certainly, but I was alone.

Why? Because my dear husband was flitting around like a paparazzo on steroids, capturing every wedding guest’s every move on film. The camera was sizzling as he dashed all over the room snapping hundreds of photos to give to the bride and groom later. A lovely thought, but it meant his only view of the event was through the lens of a camera.

Finally, one of the bridesmaids grabbed him by the arm, pulled him over to the table where I sat watching with amusement, and hollered: “Dance with your wife!”

Sheepishly, he put down the camera and we joined the action.

I thought of this story as we experienced the Yukon’s many spectacular offerings.

“I should be writing about this!” I nagged myself when a fox unexpectedly planted itself in front of our car, like Mother Nature’s toll keeper, on the way to Bonanza Creek.

“Describe it!” I muttered, mesmerized by the never-ending chain of blue-grey mountains and green hills lining both sides of the Dempster Highway in Tombstone Territorial Park.

It had been my intention all along to write about my trip, even send a few pieces off for possible publication. But once I got there, it was a completely different story. If I had spent my time finding stories to write about or considering markets that might publish my musings, I would have seen it all through the screen on my computer, not through my own two eyes.

So the notebook and computer got a rest. Let’s face it: I got a rest too. Instead of self-imposed deadlines, I enjoyed a relaxing family vacation and an unforgettable experience in one of Canada’s less-travelled territories.

The lesson learned? Writers are allowed to take a break from writing. When the time is right, I’ll put those memories into print. I stopped nagging myself and – like my husband at the wedding – got up on the dance floor to be part of the action.

Technorati Tags: Yukon,Tombstone Territorial Park,Bonanza Creek,Dempster Highway,writing,taking a break from writing

Facts & Arguments: Why I can’t send my essays to The Globe and Mail, and why you shouldn’t either

2010-06-14T11:37:00.001-04:00

All last week, The Globe and Mail celebrated 20 years of publishing Facts & Arguments essays.

I have had five of my essays published on the Facts & Arguments page, and each time, it was a thrill and an honour to see my name in print and know that people across Canada were reading my words, learning something about me. One of those essays, “The Roots of Her Story”, won a national writing award from the Professional Writers Association of Canada. And I was paid $100 for each of those pieces, a fairly low fee for 800 words, but a satisfactory arrangement, considering that I could say that my work had appeared in The Globe and Mail.

When The Globe pays a writer for publication, they also pay for the right to sell that piece of writing from their electronic database. My essays have appeared in all sorts of odd places, some of them, I suspect, not paid for. But I didn’t fret too much about that because I had, after all, been paid for my work.

But if I were to submit an essay to Facts & Arguments today, that would not be the case. Since 2008 The Globe and Mail no longer pays writers for essays published in Facts & Arguments.

At a writers’ conference a number of years ago, Moira Dann, at that time the editor of the F & A page, suggested to a room full of writers that The Globe didn’t need to pay its essay contributors, that being published in a national newspaper was payment enough. Apparently her bosses feel the same way.

But the problem is, The Globe and Mail benefits from these essays. It can boast – or celebrate, as it did last week – about the appeals of the Facts & Arguments page. It can sell these pieces from its electronic database. All without paying the writer who supplied the essay.

I sent a Letter to the Editor, but I didn’t really think it would be published – and I was right. I wrote:

The art of writing a personal essay is more difficult than readers may think. A great deal of thought, skill and awareness is required in order to create a compelling essay that transforms a self-indulgent story about, for instance, the death of a relative (or pet, or marriage) into a poignant and meaningful piece of writing. I’ve been proud to see five of my essays published on the Facts & Arguments page – but I stopped submitting my work when The Globe and Mail stopped paying F & A writers for the privilege of using their words. The Facts & Arguments essay was intended by its creator, William Thorsell, to be the “centerpiece of personal writing quite unlike anything else in the newspaper.” If the writing deserves to be published, the writer deserves to be paid.

Sadly – and I mean that word in its truest sense, I am sad - I won’t be submitting any more essays to Facts & Arguments until The Globe and Mail pays for the privilege of using my words. I will continue to send Letters to the Editor, and lobby my fellow writers, and email the Publisher of The Globe and Mail. I don’t really expect anything to change. Why would it, when so many eager essayists submit their work to the F & A editors every week? The Globe wins, and I lose.

But I think what they are doing is wrong.

If the writing deserves to be published, the writer deserves to be paid.

Technorati Tags: globe and mail,facts and arguments,facts & arguments,moira dann,personal essays,william thorsell,writers,payment for writers

Elora Writers’ Festival Young Writers Contest: Celebrating young writers never gets old

2010-06-09T22:52:00.001-04:00

Sunday, June 6 was a big day in Elora. For one thing, it was the day of the Elora Writers’ Festival, a wonderful afternoon of readings from six Canadian authors writing in a variety of styles and voices: Giller Prize winner Linden MacIntyre, Bonnie Burnard, Ray Robertson, poet Barry Dempster, Pasha Malla (“It’s a writer’s festival; will there be rides?”), and Terry Fallis reading from his hilarious political satire. All wonderful.

But the highlight for me happened a few hours before the Festival, when I had the pleasure of announcing the winners of the Young Writers Contest to a room full of young writers and their parents. Who knew so many kids would turn up for this specially-organized celebration of young writers? And who knew so many of the winners would be there to receive their prizes?

Judges Heather Wright and Kira Vermond spoke to the audience about the challenges of choosing one piece of writing over another. I encouraged the kids to think of themselves as writers and be proud of their efforts, win or lose.

Afterwards, kids and parents came up to say thanks – thanks for running the contest, thanks for hosting this event, thanks for the prizes.

No, kids. Thank YOU! Canada’s literary future is in excellent hands – yours!

Technorati Tags: Elora Writers' Festival,Linden MacIntyre,Bonnie Burnard,Ray Robertson,Barry Dempster,Pasha Malla,Terry Fallis,Heather Wright,Kira Vermond,young writers,writing competition,young writers contest

Pretending to be a Librarian: Five Reasons Why Librarians Have the Best Job in The World

2010-05-24T13:53:00.001-04:00

The view from my desk, at left.

Today – in fact, all week – I am pretending to be the librarian at my son’s school. While the professional is away on a week’s vacation, the amateur (moi) is sitting at the desk, checking books in and out, helping with the occasional research request, shelving the returns, reading stories and poems to every class in the lower grades and, basically, providing access.

What a gift! To be able to spend the whole day surrounded by books. To be able to read stories to kids (not a relative among them) and hear their responses. To pretend to be a librarian.

So, in honour of my temporary gig, here’s a list of reasons why I believe librarians have the best job in the world.

1. Books. Surrounded by books. Handling books. The feel, smell, sight, sound of books. You can have your Kindle, people. Give me a real book any day.

2. Readers. Readers love discussing books with other readers. Imagine having a job that requires you to interact daily, and in a concrete way, with readers? Talking about books, authors, stories, illustrations…heaven!

3. Kids. In a school library, kids are the energy that lights the room. They are hungry for books, information and stories. And reading a story out loud to a group of attentive children must be at the top of the Fun Things To Do In A Library hit list.

4. Information. Tons of it. Some of it accessed through computers, some of it found by lifting a book off the shelf and leafing through its pages. The room positively hums with information, all waiting to be discovered. And every source has been searched out, vetted and tested by a librarian. They are the wizards of research.

5. Oasis. Refuge. Peace. Order. Like water to a thirsty traveller, a safe haven in stressful times, a quiet corner to escape the chaos of daily life, a place where numbers and letters tell you exactly where to find what you’re looking for…

That’s the world librarians create. Wish I could do this job every day!

Technorati Tags: library,librarian,Kindle,school library,books

The end of the Writer In Residence adventure: Roots and Wings

2010-05-16T22:24:00.001-04:00

When all was said and read, they gave me roses.

Truthfully, I didn’t need any token of thanks – the experience of working with fifteen gifted young writers was thanks enough. And hearing them present their stories with poise and professionalism in front of an audience of parents, teachers, school administrators and peers was inspiring.

It had been an eight-month journey which began with a getting-to-know-you afternoon (we called it a “writers’ sweatshop”), continued with one-on-one feedback, lots of emails, and a session devoted to fine-tuning (e.g. “show, don’t tell”) – or nudging and tweaking, as I like to call it.

The final step was our evening of readings. The study room was transformed into an elegant theatre, with tablecloths, centerpieces, soft lighting and vases of pink roses on every table. Just like a “real” authors night! In fact it was a real authors night, and as their companion on this journey, I was so very proud of what we accomplished together.

I believe that education gives us roots; education in the arts gives us wings. The world needs people who can fly, and my young writers are well on their way to soaring.

And…they gave me roses!

Jean Mills, Writer

Technorati Tags: writer in residence,show don't tell,young writers,education in the arts

Workplace Writing: As Easy as 1, 2, 3

2010-04-24T22:50:00.001-04:00

If your regular job doesn’t involve working with words, you might think writing is something you studied in high school or college. It’s an academic subject, you say, and only some people are good at it. Right?

Wrong. In fact, you couldn’t be more wrong. Writing skills are just that: skills. If you can learn to create an Excel spreadsheet, run a POS terminal, or accomplish any of the many tasks required to do your job well, then you can learn to write clearly, coherently and effectively in the workplace.

Here are a few strategies to make the writing process easier and to help you avoid some common pitfalls.

Step 1: Beginning, Middle, End

Think of everything you write as having three parts: a beginning, a middle, and an end. Some business writers describe this structure as the what, so what, and now what.

The beginning states the purpose of your message and gives the reader an idea of what you’re writing about. For example, “Here is the agenda for Tuesday’s progress meeting” or “Could you please check into the status of Order Number 12345?” Keep it brief and focused.

The middle is where you give the details, the so what, of your message. For example, “At the meeting, we will address training schedules for the new equipment, as well as discuss some recent problems with customer service.” Or, “The customer called this morning about part number 1234 that was ordered on Monday, May 3 for delivery on May 10. Could you track this order and let me know when the order will be filled?” Include as many details as the reader will need, but don’t overdo it. For instance, if your message is intended to get people out of the building safely in case of fire, a simple “Use the stairs, not the elevator” will be much more effective than a lengthy, technical explanation of the dangers of combining fire, smoke and elevator shafts.

The end is where the reader gets his instructions, the now what. “Call me if you have any problems.” “Please let me know by Friday.” “Thanks for calling, and I will get back to you within three days.” The end is where you close the message, courteously and clearly.

Step 2: Plan, Write, Revise

There’s another threesome you need to be aware of, and this is the one that most time-pressed writers forget. Plan, write, revise: these three steps could make the difference between a clear message that impresses the reader, and a sloppy, disorganized message that reflects badly on you and your business.

Here’s an example of a message that once sat blaring in my inbox:

Thnx for getting in touch i’m looking for help with a website rewrite. We’re in the process of rebranding and have met with all the neccesary people now need u to pull it together. Can we meet Monday, my office. Anytime is ok with me but I am pretty loaded with another big client at the moment so maybe u should call me or i’ll call u to set up a time that works for both us. Thanks for getting in touch and i’ll be in touch.

These are clearly the ramblings of someone who didn’t take the time to think before – or after – writing. There’s nothing wrong with pounding out your thoughts, but once you’ve done that, read your message again. Does she need to know that you’re busy with another big client? Do you need to repeat the first line at the end? If the main point of the message is to set up a meeting, why don’t you just say that? And remember, it’s best to leave the informal MSN-speak for your off-hours, please.

A better message would have been:

Thanks for getting in touch. I’d like to talk with you about the Web site rewrite. Can we meet on Monday at my office at 2:00 p.m.? I will call to confirm the time with you.

Which leads me to my last point:

Step 3: Bigger is NOT Better

Despite what many business writers think, plain English is always best. Use short sentences. Use short, familiar words. Avoid jargon. A tendency towards the utilization of multi-syllabic verbiage will exponentially interfere with the ability of your communication to be interpreted and comprehended by the audience. Translation: Using big words will make it hard for readers to understand your message.

Keeping these strategies in mind when tackling your next writing task will help increase your skill and confidence as writer. Better yet, strong writing skills will increase your value to your organization, and that benefits everyone.

Two Words that Effective Writers Avoid

2010-04-19T08:27:00.001-04:00

There is a scourge afflicting even the best writers among us. There is no excuse for it. There is, however, a cure.

Okay, let me try that again.

A scourge afflicts even the best writers among us. Forget making excuses; find the simple cure instead.

Do you see it yet?

Stated simply, avoid starting your sentences with there is. Don’t bury your message under a layer of vagueness.

Why?

In paragraph one, above, the word there has no substance, no body, no real meaning. And the verb to be in all its many forms is necessary (see?) to the smooth running of the English language, but it shouldn’t be (see, again?) the go-to verb that jumps up every time you’re feeling too lazy to search for a more effective one.

Notice how Version Two displays a directness that Version One lacks. The noun scourge jumpstarts the sentence. The verb afflicts propels it along.

A fiction writer friend once reported to me that an editor told her: any story that starts with “It was…” or “There was…” immediately loses points. You want to grab the reader’s attention, not slide gingerly across the page.

So, if you want to improve your prose, try stretching your writing muscles. Avoid starting your sentences with wimpy there is, and, instead, seek out concrete nouns and active verbs - words that work.

Calling all Young Writers: The SJK School for Young Writers offers online courses

2010-04-14T08:42:00.001-04:00

I was a writing kid. I read my brains out. My desk, bed and floor were strewn with books, and I filled notebook after notebook with my own stories, poems and journals. The only people who knew about my writing ambitions were my English teachers. That was it.

Fast forward to 2010. Kids now read books and fire up their computers to interact with the author’s website. Skype visits are a possibility (I wrote about Art Slade, here, doing just that.) I’ve used this blog to communicate with students reading my books. It’s a new world for young readers and writers.

Get ready, because the next step is the virtual writing workshop, which the new SJK School for Young Writers offers with its slate of 12-week courses, beginning September 2010. Aspiring young writers can focus on writing fiction, poetry, plays, and personal essays with expert instructors, including award-winning authors Marsha Skrypuch and Vern Thiessen, among others. Using email and secure blog, young writers can practice their craft, anywhere, anytime. And their “teacher” is, virtually, right beside them.

The School offers partnerships too, with What If? (Canada’s Fiction Magazine for Teens) and the University of Guelph’s CFRU radio show, The Poem Repair Shop.

The SJK School for Young Writers is the inspiration of educator Adrian Hoad-Reddick, who serves as the School’s creative director (and poetry mentor, btw!) Check out the website. Send young writers to take a look. The SJK School for Young Writers has something to offer young writers – anywhere and anytime.

Technorati Tags: SKJ School for Young Writers,young writers,online courses,writing,Marsha Skrypuch,Vern Thiessen,Adrian Hoad-Reddick

Beginnings and Endings: Where is this story going to end up?

2010-03-21T15:23:00.001-04:00

One of the best parts of starting a new writing project is the thrill of excitement you feel as the story starts to take shape. Even before putting the first words on paper (or screen), the plot reveals itself, and the characters become real with voices of their own. It’s intoxicating!

Also scary. Because that initial euphoria doesn’t last. And how often has your writing stuttered to a halt as the excitement fades and you lose the thread – and perhaps even the meaning – of the story?

Here’s a trick to try: before you start writing your story, determine where you want it to end up. Picture the final scene. Hear your characters’ final words. Imagine it as a film, with the last images flickering into darkness and the credits starting to roll up the screen.

If you know where the story is going, then you’re ready to begin. You don’t have to know all the details of how you got there, just where you want to end up.

If you do find yourself stalled along the way, or if you get side-tracked and lost, all you have to do is look down the road towards the story’s conclusion. You’ll be able to see your way back to the story and get writing again.

Purposeful Writing: More Thee, Less Me

2010-02-12T10:35:00.003-05:00

If there’s one thing that irritates me in non-fiction writing, it’s writers who don’t keep their audience in mind.

This is not the same thing as writing for a specific market (a word of warning to I-want-to-be-published writers who think that churning out another Harry Potter clone or vampire romance is going to catch the eye of an acquisitions editor). Writing for a specific publishing market often leads to a mechanical exercise in “what will sell?” rather than a creative expression of that story inside you that needs to be told.

But when you write with a purpose – such as a blog, or a book or movie review – you need to keep an image of your reader perched right in front of you.

Reviews are notorious for being “all me and no thee.” That is, the writing is more about the writer/reviewer than it is about the material.

I read reviews partly because I want a preview of that book or that film. I also read them because reviewing allows a good writer to focus on a small target and comment on it from all sides. Good reviewers create little nuggets of tight, purposeful, nuanced writing, a pleasure to read. But bad reviewers stand out because their voice, their biases, their agenda, and their love of their own voice dominate.

In writing fiction, we’re allowed to forget the reader for a while, turn off our inner editor, and just write. That’s when the magic happens – when the story takes over and drives us on.

But in purposeful writing, the audience plays a role. So, a reminder to writers of reviews and business correspondence and web copy and, yes, even blogs: It’s not about you! Craft your message with your reader in mind.

When art makes us cry

2009-11-25T20:51:00.001-05:00

I had a professor at university, a dapper academic who taught a Restoration Literature class. We studied Goldsmith and Sterne and Richardson. Plays, novels. Tristram Shandy, She Stoops to Conquer, Robinson Crusoe. Dr. Pullen was a decent lecturer, but he didn’t say anything that really caught my attention…

Until the day he confessed that he hated reading one of those famous Victorians, Charles Dickens.

“I hate Dickens because he’s the only author who can make me cry,” he announced.

I tried to picture this poised little man weeping over the death of Little Nell, and the famous quip of Oscar Wilde’s came to mind: One would have to have a heart of stone to read the death of little Nell without dissolving into tears...of laughter. Dickens had never plucked at my heartstrings either, but Dr. Pullen? What was going on here?

Dr. Pullen didn’t hate Dickens, I finally realized. Quite the contrary: he loved this writer who could move him to tears.

I too love writers – and painters, and playwrights, and composers – who can make me cry. Vaughan-Williams’ The Lark Ascending comes to mind. Alex Colville’s Moon and Cow. Certain passages of Shakespeare and, an all-time favourite, J.D. Salinger’s The Laughing Man.

But the art that moves me may very easily be dismissed by someone else’s inner Oscar Wilde.

I believe it’s an equation: one part art plus one part personal experience equals an individual, visceral, emotional response. Some readers might complain about sentimentality (think Little Women and Dickens and even Anne of Green Gables), but I think every equation is as different as every reader.

So forget Oscar Wilde, you writers out there. If you can make your readers cry, you’ve forged the ultimate connection, and that’s something to celebrate.

Technorati Tags: Charles Dickens,Oscare Wilde,making your readers cry,death of Little Nell

Waiting patiently for inspiration to strike?

2009-11-04T21:01:00.001-05:00

My favourite quotation is this one from Mary Heaton Vorse: “The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.” Nothing could be more true!

I’m currently surrounded by inspired writers – and for some reason, none of their enthusiasm is wearing off on me. What’s up with that?

A month ago I met a group of young writers with whom I’m going to be working this year, and they amazed me with their energy and creativity. I’m eagerly waiting to read some samples of the projects they’re working on in preparation for our first coaching session next month.

My writing group (six women who meet at a downtown coffee shop once a month to hash out the trials and triumphs of the writing life) is following a “Done” campaign. As soon as we finish our writing quota for the day, we fire off a group email with “Done” in the subject line. It’s like a mini-deadline that helps to keep us on track and, we hope, inspired. I haven’t sent one “Done” yet.

One of these writing friends has also signed up for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and is dutifully churning out her daily quota along with blogs and tweets galore.

And to top it off, my own 13-year-old son has signed on for the NaNoWriMo for Young Writers and is right on track for his ultimate word count and a finished novel.

So what’s my problem? I have a job that sucks the energy out of me and fills most of the hours of my day. I’m tired, and I’m burdened with a To Do list that seems to go on forever. Writing? Inspiration? Forget it. When I have a few spare minutes, I’m hitting the couch for a few minutes of mindless TV until inspiration strikes.

Not so fast! Here’s another of my favourite quotations: “Ten percent inspiration, ninety percent perspiration.”

In other words, don’t hide behind that “waiting for the right time” or “waiting for a good idea” excuse. Write! Right now! Inspiration is just a tiny part of the equation. Tickle that vague creative idea till it squeaks. Make the effort. Just apply the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair and get writing.

So in among the “Done’s” and the reports on NaNoWriMo and the writing samples from my young writers, there’s no excuse for me to wait any longer. Inspired or not, I’m a writer, and I’m writing!

(Photo: omoo on a Creative Commons licence)

NaNoWriMo for Young Writers: How cool is that?

2009-10-09T17:11:00.002-04:00

You’ve heard of NaNoWriMo, haven’t you? That’s where you commit to writing a complete novel in one month.

Yes, thirty days of pouring your words into a story that has no time to stagger, stutter or stop. Cranking it out, day after day. It’s a challenge, but thousands of would-be writers sign up every year. (See Inkygirl’s comic, above).

This year, young writers can give their writing muscles a stretch too: check NaNoWriMo for Young Writers. The details are here for anyone who wants to tap into their inner Stephen King (author of the terrific book, On Writing, in which he advises writers to get that story out, in some form, as quickly as possible. Revision and rewriting comes later.) Instead of the 50,000-word expectations of the adult competition, young writers can set their own word count, a feature that makes this daunting challenge more appealing.

The complicating factors are school, extra-curriculars, chores and the daily pull of other recreational activities (“But it’s Leafs and Pens tonight!” or “I can’t miss Ashley’s sleepover!”). But if you’re a writer (or know a young writer) who simply has to write, and you’re looking for a challenge, this one’s for you.

A novel. In one month. Start plotting…

Writer-in-Residence Adventure: Chapter 1

2009-10-02T20:33:00.002-04:00

What a fantastic afternoon today! Fourteen enthusiastic young writers and me, their (so far) fearless leader, in the school library, writing, talking, writing, laughing, and writing some more.

Today was the first chapter in my Writer-In-Residence adventure with Mrs. N’s talented grade seven and grade eight students. We talked about choosing the right words and thinking before writing. We shared stories and laughed (probably louder and longer than we should have) at some of the creative and chaotic ideas that came bubbling out. The room was humming with energy!

When it was time for free-writing, these young artists turned their focus to the task at hand and silence fell over the room – the sign of real writers at work. I was impressed with their commitment and concentration, not to mention the joy they obviously took in the deceptively simple act of writing a good story.

I can’t wait to read some of the projects “my” writers are working on, and I’ll have a chance to do just that several times before our Big Event next May: a Storytelling Cafe in which these young authors will read and share their work with an audience of parents, peers and perhaps other members of their school community: a kind of mini-Festival of Writers.

At the end of this afternoon, I shared my favourite writing quotation with the group: The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair. Something tells me these young writers have that “art” well in hand.

(Photo: Lemanz R, Creative Commons)

Shane Peacock: “Objects in motion….”

2009-09-20T09:02:00.005-04:00

The latest issue of Quill and Quire is a keeper for anyone interested in writing for children. Among the usual industry coverage are a great article on Kathy Lowinger, the soon-to-be-retired publisher of Tundra Books, and the “coming soon” listing of upcoming releases in children’s books from publishers across the country.

But the cover story, on Shane Peacock, is the real gem here. I had the opportunity to hear Shane speak at a CANSCAIP conference a few years ago, and he wowed us with his grasp of the essence of writing for boys.

“Objects in motion” he told us, and proceeded to read the opening passages from two books: one prosey and slow, the other fraught with excitement (I think it was the Hardy boys racing a motorcycle up a narrow mountain road). If anything could capture, quickly and effectively, the message he was trying to share, that demonstration did. I thought he was brilliant – as a teacher and as a writer for kids.

So it’s great to see Shane’s recent success with his Young Sherlock Holmes series. He’s proved himself to be an author who knows his audience and how to reach them.

Interestingly, this issue also includes a “last word” essay by Eric Walters, who examines the perils of writing novels about serious issues and the risk of sounding “preachy.” Since I blogged about this in July, I was particularly interested to read his take on the subject. He says he sits down to write a story, not to preach an issue, and I’m glad to hear it, although I confess – after watching my son struggle through Shattered – I have some doubts about that. The same dilemma faces historical writers who sometimes seem so intent on getting their research into the story, they forget that the young readers just want to know what happens next, not details about the food on the table or the protagonist’s mode of transportation.

It all makes for interesting reading, though, and a prompt for more discussion – never a bad thing.

Wake Me Up When September Comes

2009-08-21T16:49:00.003-04:00

September always feels like the start of a new year to me – far more than January does. And the start of a new year means announcing those well-intentioned resolutions. I will <insert your resolution here>.

Yes, we mean well, but how many of us actually keep our promises to exercise more, eat more vegetables, check in with friends more often or, in the case of writers, write every day?

Here are three tips to keep your September resolutions on track:

1. Introduce a buddy system.

When my writing group felt its daily “joywriting” quotient slipping down, down down, we agreed to report to each other every day with a quick email that simply said “Done.” That meant that my email inbox received five messages with “Done” in the subject line. There wasn’t a message, necessarily, just that indication that my colleagues had reached their goal for the day – and a reminder that it was my turn to reach my “Done” goal.

2. Set realistic expectations

Take a look at your daily life and decide just how your resolution is going to fit. If you have a full-time job, a family, and volunteer or recreational activities, don’t promise yourself that you’re going to write a novel between September and December. Why? Because you’re setting yourself up for failure. But promising to spend ten minutes a day with your manuscript – writing, revising, editing, planning – is a more-than-reasonable goal. Set realistic expectations and you may very well find yourself exceeding them.

3. Be kind to yourself

So you don’t meet your daily or even your weekly goal: should you just give up? No, your energies are obviously being directed elsewhere. Life happens, and that means people get sick, deadlines get shortened, unexpected tasks show up on your To Do list. Don’t beat yourself up. Move on and try to meet your goal today, or tomorrow or the day after.

September is here. Let those resolutions fly and remember to find a buddy, keep it real, and let your resolution be a guide, not a dictator!

(Photo by Tristan J.R.M.)

Summer Vacation: See you in September

2009-07-12T19:19:00.003-04:00

It's summer, time to escape the Southern Ontario heat (well, maybe not this year!), stock up on trashy novels, do some joywriting, and recharge the batteries, all on a very special beach in Nova Scotia. See that lighthouse? I'll be seeing it every day for a couple of weeks, just as I do every summer. I'm off to our little cottage at the Point, overlooking the Northumberland Strait.

Summer vacation: see you in September!

How To Turn Kids Off Reading: Start With School

2009-07-06T07:58:00.007-04:00

When my son’s school sent out the required summer reading list, I took a look and (privately) groaned. So did my 13-year-old son (loudly). Not a good sign.

This summer my reluctant-reader son will be sitting down with a Canadian YA novel that is completely issue-driven. Shattered by Eric Walters is contemporary, meaningful, and relevant. It’s a school book, assigned as required summer reading by a teacher who probably wants to get the jump on the Holocaust unit the students will be studying in Grade Eight.

I read it, because I wanted to, and my son will also read the book, of course. He might even find things in it that resonate. But he won’t enjoy the reading experience, and that’s a shame. (How do I know this? His Grade Seven novel study was The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis, another contemporary, meaningful and relevant novel about real issues. “Mom,” reported my beleaguered son, “it was dreadful.”)

There are so many entertaining and significant books out there (the novels of Arthur Slade and Kenneth Oppel come to mind), but a shadow continues to loom over classrooms. Ouch! That’s the sound of kids being hit over the head with a curriculum full of “meaningful” issue-driven books.

And if you listen closely, you can also hear the sound of reluctant readers running hard in the other direction—away from the pleasures of reading.

Joywriting 101

2009-06-29T09:06:00.005-04:00

Writers are, by the nature of the job, solitary creatures much of the time. No matter what kind of writing we do – fiction, journalism, corporate – the very act of transforming our mental images into words on a page (or screen) is one that we do alone, alone, all all alone (to quote Coleridge).

We like it – that’s why writing is our vocation. But sometimes, just sometimes, it would be nice to have some company.

That’s why so many writers join professional associations (such as PWAC, the Professional Writers Association of Canada, or CANSCAIP, the Canadian Society for Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers). Some writers form groups or collectives, either meeting in person or through technology using regular email check-ins or chat forums to stay in touch and share their work, challenges and feedback.

For the month of July, my writers’ group (we call ourselves the Storytellers and meet once a month in a café downtown) is trying something new: we’re going to write something every day and ping the rest of the group with a one-word email: “Done.” It’s a challenge, a way of setting a goal and attempting to meet it. Call it a deadline, even - something writers have a love/hate relationship with!

The purpose of the exercise is to encourage each one of us to carve out time for fun writing every day. We call it ‘joywriting’, a term coined by my 13-year-old son. It’s when you turn your attention to the project that is calling your name, the fun project, the one that allows you to escape this world and enter the imaginary one that only you inhabit. Joywriting.

We may all be joywriting alone, but that “Done!” email will connect us to each other - and challenge us too.

Writing When You Don’t Really Feel Like It

2009-06-22T08:23:00.008-04:00

A recent blog post on the website of my local chapter of the Professional Writers Association of Canada referred to a handy site that forces you to sit down and write for a selected period of time (10 minutes, 2 hours). If you stop writing, dire consequences result, such as loud, annoying sounds, or, even worse, the word-by-word disappearance of whatever you’ve already written. The point of the site is to get you writing and keep you at it, even when you don’t feel like it.

Welcome to one of the writer’s biggest challenges: self-discipline. Writing when the words aren’t there. Writer’s block. Lack of inspiration. Waiting for the muse. Call it whatever you like.

Consider my sad situation. The sun shines on the dewy green grass outside my window. The birds chirp and sing and hop across the lawn. The gardens bloom. It’s summer, finally. And I’m writing about…

CURLING!

Yes, that winter sport played inside on long stretches of man-made ice. It’s a great sport, but it’s an environment about as far away from the one I’m currently living in as the North Pole. No matter. I have a deadline, a group of people waiting for me to show up with this book project, on time and on budget. Not only that, but they expect the book to express all the joy, excitement and pride they feel in their curling club and the sport they love.

Well, I love curling too, but not on a shiny summer morning that is calling me outside.

The bottom line is that I will stay at my desk and write about curling. I’ll use every trick I can to evoke the sound of rocks sliding down the ice and voices calling the sweep. I’ll turn a blind eye to sunshine and climbing temperatures – and I’ll get the job done. That’s what writers do.

(Photo by Kelly Atkinson)

Reader Feedback: Thick Skin vs Thin Skin

2009-06-15T08:09:00.010-04:00

This weekend, my husband sat down and read The Toymaker’s Son for the first time. The book only recently went into print, and the marketing campaign is still in the works for Fall 2009, but I was eager to get some feedback from my biggest fan.

The verdict? Two thumbs up. (Insert huge sigh of relief here!)

Feedback from readers is something that fiction writers probably shouldn’t think about during the writing process. But if your story gets published, then eventually someone is going to read it. You come face-to-face with The Reader. And let me tell you, The Reader can be scary. The Reader might not like your work - and if not, then it feels as if The Reader doesn’t like you, either.

This is where the thick skin comes in. I don’t have it, unfortunately. Someone once wrote a negative review of Wild Dog Summer that left me paralyzed for weeks afterwards: I doubted myself so completely that I couldn’t write a word.

What helped me was receiving piles of letters from readers – kids in classrooms, mostly – who had read my book as part of their Language Arts program, and who loved it. Not all of them, of course. But no book is going to please everyone, that’s just a given (especially when it’s assigned reading with tests attached to it!) Knowing that readers out there, somewhere, were enjoying my story helped me put aside that one negative review and get writing again.

Thick skin, thin skin. I’ll never enjoy negative feedback, but it’s part of the writing game, and the secret is to keep all that feedback in balance. And even more importantly, write the story that you want to write. Chances are, there's a reader out there just waiting to give you two thumbs up.

Taking a Break - And Getting Back On Track

2009-06-08T07:56:00.007-04:00

One of the reasons I thought blogging was not an option for me was the fact that I know myself: disciplined as I may be in food choices, exercise habits, work deadlines and family commitments, my writing sometimes takes a back seat to (what shall I call it? Oh, I know…) Life.

Life is (thank goodness!) everywhere. If you don't believe me, check out the photo of the baby robin whose nest was right outside my window this Spring. And everyone’s Life is different, of course. Maybe you’re a student with homework and a social life and family issues. Or you’re a parent with two jobs: the one that pays the bills and the one that involves such everyday necessities as feeding children, conversing with your spouse, organizing after-school activities, or even just buying groceries and cleaning the bathroom. No matter who you are, you're living your Life and doing the best you can.

But sometimes Life gets challenging. We’re just plain tired or something distracting happens. The workload becomes overwhelming. People disappoint us, or we disappoint ourselves. It's all just too much trouble! We have to confront and deal with everything that Life throws at us because, after all, that's the point of living, isn't it?

The way to meet Life's challenges is to forgive ourselves for slipping away for a while, pick up our tools, and start again. That's my goal: more writing! What's yours?

Hello to Ms. Wadlegger’s Grade 7 Class!

2009-04-28T15:53:00.005-04:00

I’m delighted to hear that you’re reading Wild Dog Summer, and thanks for getting in touch. As you’ll see from my blog, I had a chat with a class in Alberta earlier this year, and they posted lots of questions about the book and also about my life as a writer. It was a great way to connect!

Feel free to browse my Shout-Out to them (February 24, 2009) and my answers to their questions (February 25, 2009). You might find some of your questions already answered.

In fact, feel free to read any of my blog posts – they’re all about writing and reading. For instance, my most recent post presents a conversation with the photographer who creates the covers of my books.

Above all, feel free to post your questions as comments. I’d love to hear from you, and I’m always happy to answer questions and talk about books and writing.

Let me start by asking you a few questions. First, what do you think of Wild Dog Summer? Are you enjoying it? What do you think is going to happen next? Do you know anyone like BJ? Or Craig?

I’m looking forward to reading your questions and comments – write soon!

Judging a Book by Its Cover

2009-04-12T12:19:00.006-04:00

When I went looking for someone to create the cover art for my books, I approached a young artist who I hoped would be able to translate my words into a visual representation of the story’s essence. It’s not an easy job to take someone else’s verbal images and turn them into something unique, appealing and meaningful at the same time. I gave the job to Kelly Atkinson (winkphotos.ca), a graduate of the Sheridan College photography program. This is what Kelly says about the process of producing the covers for Wild Dog Summer, The Legacy and The Toymaker’s Son:

Was it hard to find a barn to photograph for the cover of Wild Dog Summer? How did you find it?

I took random trips around the country photographing several unique and beautiful barns. However, I was determined to find a red one, because I wanted a bold and classic shot for the cover. I remembered an old abandoned barn near a childhood friend's house. So I drove out past the Guelph auto mall where it's located and discovered that it was red and exactly what I had pictured for the cover of Wild Dog Summer. It was a bright and sunny day with blue skies and very few clouds. I got the images I needed right away.

As a photographer, do you picture something in your imagination first and then try to recreate it, or do you let the photographs speak for themselves?

When I am taking pictures I generally go with the flow and trust my instincts. I play around with different angles, compositions, and focuses. However, if I'm taking a photo for the purpose of a cover, I start by reading the book! Once I'm done I write down everything that comes to mind when I think of the story, the theme, the characters etc. From there I draw thumbnail sketches of different concepts that would work for the book's cover. Then I decide which one is the strongest idea, and go out and photograph it. Once I've done that I may or may not enhance it in Photoshop depending on my chosen concept. Sometimes a new idea might spring from another and get better, by building on the original, but for the most part I know exactly how I want the cover to look and should look.

What about typefaces? How hard is it to find just the right one? What do you look for?

I don't find it's very hard to find the right typeface, there are so many out there to choose from. Since I brainstorm after reading the book, many styles, feelings and images come to mind, so I know what look will go along with the cover I have chosen. If the book brings to mind humour, drama, mystery, romance, etc. I will look for a typeface that also reminds me of that. For Wild Dog Summer, for instance, I wanted a typeface that was simple, bold and narrow, because the book deals with very real and serious issues.

What were you trying to express in some of the other covers (The Legacy, The Toymaker's Son)?

For The Legacy I wanted the cover to be 'less is more' to illustrate the beauty of the fiddle and the music it creates. Therefore, I immediately thought of photographing a part of a fiddle, to add to the feeling of intrigue. With a title like The Legacy, I know I was very curious to find out what "the legacy" was. As for the typeface I thought a traditional look was appropriate. For The Toymaker's Son, I wanted again keep up the intrigue for the reader. I wanted it to look cold because the book is set in winter. A big maple tree plays a role in the novel (a very important one too, I felt) so I had this vision of a person's view of one from the ground, looking up.

*****

Readers, what do you think about book covers – not just mine, but book covers in general? Teachers, your input is welcome too. I wonder what would happen if I asked a classroom full of readers to create their own book covers? Kelly and I would love to know what you come up with.

And by the way, that fiddle on the cover of The Legacy is mine, an inheritance from my father-in-law, and over 100 years old. A legacy, indeed! I think Kelly's image captures it perfectly.

The Art of Writing

2009-03-30T08:07:00.005-04:00

When it comes to writing – to really getting down to the job of putting my ideas on paper – I have been known to dither. I confess. I am a ditherer.

The act of transforming mental images into words is the writer’s favourite activity. We live for those moments when time disappears and we’re completely unaware of our surroundings: we exist in another dimension – our written dimension. It’s intoxicating and exciting and exhausting all at once.

We emerge from one of these sessions unaware that hours have passed and, often, facing a list of things that need doing. The writing is set aside till next time.

But unfortunately, this is what often happens next: knowing that we need a chunk of time to reach that state of complete writing oblivion, we wait to start again. We wait till there is nothing on our desks needing attention (bills, membership renewals, emails to check or respond to), or no chores or family obligations calling our name. The kitchen is tidy, the kids are delivered to school, the dog has been walked, the laundry folded....

The problem is: how often do we find ourselves completely free to write? Almost never.

And so we dither. Or, at least, I dither.

It takes time to write. And the time is there: we just have to take it.

The art of writing, said author Mary Heaton Vorse, is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.

Simple. True. I vow to put my days of dithering behind me.

Looking Into The Future...

2009-03-24T15:31:00.006-04:00

I asked some readers in Alberta to let me know what they think happens to the characters of Wild Dog Summer once the story ends (because, of course, stories don't end; they just keep going, even if we're not reading them any more). With great imagination - and after having paid close attention to the events of the story - they came up with some very creative ideas. (See comments under my March 10th post, What Next?)

What actually happens to BJ? She finds herself in another adventure, this time involving her friend Linden Flanders - the toymaker's son of the title - and some controversial plans to cut down the tree pictured here on the cover of The Toymaker's Son. Strangely, although BJ wouldn't go away, she just didn't take over my imagination and demand to be the central figure this time. Perhaps her story was done, and I knew it was time to let another character speak.

But the life around Rosehill was so real to me, I found myself wondering about other people in the town, other stories. Linden's story crept to the top and wouldn't be ignored.

Perhaps - looking into the future some more - there's yet another Rosehill character just waiting to tell his or her story. I don't know yet, but I'll keep listening... and I'll let you know.

Virtual School Visits: The Next Trend?

2009-03-16T16:12:00.005-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting Resurrection Catholic Secondary School in Kitchener, Ontario, to share some insight into my life as a writer. The group was made up of Grade 12’s, many of them present or past Writers’ Craft students, and they asked some great questions about the writing process, my experiences getting published, finding literary agents and – of course – how much writers make.

It was a short drive to the school, and only took a few hours of my time. Driving home, it occurred to me that students all over the country would benefit from more face time with a writer. But distance and time constraints, not to mention the costs involved, sometimes prohibit teachers from putting those requests out there.

As I pursued my recent blog discussions with a class of Grade 7 students in Alberta, I thought how easy it would be to turn on Skype, dial up the teacher’s computer, which could then be projected on screen through a DVP in the classroom, and talk to these students. They could take turns sitting at the computer asking me questions, face to face. We could have a real-time, virtual visit. This is something that YA writer Art Slade recently tried, and you can read about it here: Virtual Visits I: Carman Collegiate Gets To See My Floating Head (http://arthurslade.livejournal.com/). (And if you keep reading Art’s blog, you can learn about his cool treadmill desk, too!)

The down side – had I decided to go virtual – is that I wouldn’t have received my lovely Resurrection mug full of Werther’s Originals as a thank-you gift or met some very tuned-in, enthusiastic young writers. But the up side is the convenience of using technology to connect with readers and writers without spending money or resources on getting there and home again.

Face-to-face school visits are still a wonderful experience for both sides of the equation. But I wonder: are virtual school visits the next trend?

Another Shout-Out to Mr. Toly’s Class: What Next?

2009-03-10T14:08:00.006-04:00

When I come to the end of a book I’ve enjoyed, I find myself wondering “OK, but what happens next?” I want to know what the characters – who seem like real people to me after all we’ve been through together – are going to do now that the story is over.

So now you’ve come to the end of Wild Dog Summer. You’re leaving BJ and Craig and Mrs. Kelsey and everyone else behind as you turn the final page and close the book. Their story is done – or is it?

When I finished writing this story, I had a hard time letting the characters go. In fact, a number of years later, I called up BJ and wrote another story in which she features as an important (though not the central) character. I guess I just couldn’t say good-bye. (This story is called The Toymaker’s Son and it will be available soon).

Is it all “happily ever after” for these characters? I’d love to hear what you thought of Wild Dog Summer, and I’d especially love to know what you think happens next in BJ's world.

Thanks for reading,

Jean

Practice Makes Perfect

2009-03-02T10:30:00.004-05:00

In a few weeks, I’ll be performing at a concert for the Mill Race Festival of Traditional Music. Every day I sit down with my dulcimer and run through the set, practicing each piece and trying to program my fingers – and my musical mind – to play everything without effort. It takes a lot of effort to make it look as if I'm doing something effortlessly.

It occurs to me that this principle applies to writing as well. Inspiration strikes, and we dash off our exciting ideas in a story or poem, using all the writing tools and skills we’ve collected over time: skills we've practiced over and over, every time we write. We gaze at the finished product in pleasure – but is it really a finished product?

No. When I come to the end of piece of music, I very rarely think that I played it to perfection. And when I come to the end of a writing experience, I just know I’m not done. I need to revisit, rethink, revise, rewrite. I need to rehearse that written piece over and over before I get it right.

It takes time, energy and commitment to be a musician - or a writer. Practice may not make Perfect, but it certainly helps!

Readers in Alberta Want to Know!

2009-02-25T21:50:00.007-05:00

Wow! Thanks for all those questions! Here’s my attempt to answer at least some of them.

Where did I get the idea for the story? Is Wild Dog Summer based on a real event, or an event from my life?

Simple answer: no. I never lost a close relative in a car accident like the one that took the life of Joe Kelsey. But the idea did come from real life, in a way. While I was living in the small town of St. Clements, just outside Waterloo, Ontario, there were too-frequent accidents on country roads involving young drivers (usually) and drinking (sometimes). I would read about these accidents in the local paper and wonder how devastating that must be for the families of these young people. BJ’s family just grew out of that process.

Also, there really were “coydogs” in our neighbourhood. I still have the newspaper clipping that gave me the idea for the wild dogs in the neighbourhood. See?

Why did I change some parts of the book?

Hmmmm. This is an interesting question. The answer is pretty simple. I wrote Wild Dog Summer a long time ago (my daughter wasn’t even born then, and she’s now in university, so that gives you an idea…!) Since then, the way people speak has changed, and popular culture has changed too. In order to bring the story into a more contemporary setting, I did a quick copy edit. But to tell you the truth, I didn’t think I made that many changes!

How long did it take to write Wild Dog Summer?

I wrote it in ten days…BUT….I thought about this story for about six months before I started to write it. That’s how I work. I think about it for ages, letting the ideas swirl around in my head, letting things percolate and settle, letting the characters come alive in my imagination. Then, when I can see what the ending of the story should be, I start writing. So the writing only took ten days, but the creation of the story took months and months.

What are my hobbies?

Curling (I love curling!), music, and photography.

Just for the record: I haven’t thought much about dirt bikes before now, but you know, I’d love to try one!

Is there a sequel to Wild Dog Summer? How many books have I written?

I’ve written ten books. Two of them were originally published by Nelson Canada (Wild Dog Summer and The Legacy). I also published a book called Abby and the Curling Chicks. Under my Pugwash Publishers imprint, I’m republishing the first two books, and will be publishing a number of others, including the sequel to Wild Dog Summer called The Toymaker’s Son. (You can read the first two chapters on my website, http://www.pugwashpublishers.com/ on the Novels page.)

Do I have any pets?

Yes, I have a dog. His name is Tetley and he’s a Shetland Sheepdog. He likes to chase cars (because he thinks he’s herding them). And I can confidently add that Tetley is the best dog in the world. That's Tetley in the picture at the top of this post.

Thanks for all your questions! How are you enjoying Wild Dog Summer?

Wild Dog Summer: A Shout-Out to Mr. Toly's Class

2009-02-24T23:14:00.005-05:00

It’s strange to think that somewhere out there, a grade seven class in Alberta is reading my story! But thanks to technology – and this blog – we can actually connect, you in Alberta and me in Ontario.

So where shall we begin?

Maybe you have some questions about how I came to write this book. For instance, when I do classroom visits, someone always asks “Where do you get the characters’ names from?” Some readers want to know if the story is based on real events, or where I got the idea to write this story in the first place. Readers are often quite interested in the wild dogs, as well.

What do you think? Do you have any questions?

If not, I have a question for you: where are you in the novel, and what do you think is going to happen next?

I hope to hear from you soon!

Freedom To Read Week

2009-02-23T08:34:00.010-05:00

Do you ban books without even knowing it? An article written by a children’s librarian and published in the most recent issue of Children’s Book News (the newsletter of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre) urges us to be aware of our own tendencies towards “banning” books.

Example: I am on the organizing committee of an annual writers' festival. In a recent discussion about which writers to invite, the name of a successful Canadian author was suggested. She writes contemporary fiction aimed at a female market. “Romance” writing? Perhaps, but not exclusively. “Chick-Lit”? No, not that genre, either. But as a few of us tried to describe this author’s work, one of the committee members rebuffed our efforts with the statement: “I don’t read that kind of thing.” The message was clear: “that kind of thing” is inferior. I disagree: I’ve spent some great reading hours with the work of this award-winning author and I would highly recommend her books. (And after our March 4th launch, I'll tell you who she is!)

We all have our tastes and preferences; we all have our favourite authors and genres. What works for me may not appeal to you at all – but suggesting that someone else’s tastes are inferior is the start of a slippery slope towards censorship, especially for those in a position of power: a teacher or parent, perhaps. Sampling the menu of reading experiences means developing a taste for the literature that nurtures us, and that goes for children as well as for adults. There’s nothing wrong with our likes and dislikes, and certainly nothing wrong with discussing and defending them. But let’s be open and tolerant too. Instead of judging, let’s celebrate the fact that everyone has the freedom to read.

Classroom Reading For The Fun Of It

2009-02-16T11:05:00.007-05:00

I once read about a group of graduating students who, on the very last day of their high school careers, stormed the school office, commandeered the PA system, and proceeded to give away the ending of every book on their English reading lists. Lord of the Flies, To Kill A Mockingbird, Hamlet, The Stone Angel – on and on the list went. Death, violence, failure, and not a happy ending in sight.

When I read, I like to feel good about the experience. I like to appreciate the skilled use of language, the creation of characters, the intricacies of plot. If there has to be a bit of darkness in there to deepen the impact, I’m okay with that. But mostly I stay away from books that aim to disturb. I’m a wimp about this and I freely admit it, and it means I’ve missed out on reading some pretty amazing books, but it’s my choice.

The young reader sitting in the classroom does not have a choice. When the teacher says that the next novel study is going to be The Giver, or The Breadwinner, or Night, the young reader has no choice but to engage. There’s a good side to this, of course. The reader’s world is stretched and challenged by such excellent books. Questions are raised, answers are explored.

But the bad side is that those precarious readers, the ones who are already unlikely to pick up a book for the fun of it, resist even more. Reading becomes a task on the homework agenda, supervised and evaluated by the system. Reading is no longer a pleasure.

So when I write, I tend to create stories that I would want to read myself. There isn’t always a completely happy ending in my stories, and I often write about a world that has its share of darkness, but I hope readers find themselves wanting to turn the page and read on, and on. Most importantly, I hope that even those precarious readers will pick up my books - in the classroom or anywhere - and read just for the pleasure of reading.

Writing Chose Me

2009-02-09T15:08:00.006-05:00

Grade Four. Little Jeanie in her school tunic (slightly askew, as always. I have the same style sense today) and scary hair cut. Look at those bangs!

But did I care? I did not. I was a happy, happy child because I was, even then...

A writer.

Some things do not change. The outside world of school and family and friends disappeared when I retreated behind closed doors to my little bedroom with its stack of books and paper. I read a lot, and when I wasn't reading, I wrote. Poems, stories, the first few chapters of novels. Pretend articles for newspapers. Letters to fictional characters. More stories.

So I grew up to be a writer, and I continue to write as much and as often as I can. It's not really something that I chose; rather, I think that writing chose me.

Any writers out there? If so, you know exactly what I mean.

Getting Started

2009-02-06T13:26:00.001-05:00

It's not always easy, taking that wild leap into the cold water of a lake, or pushing off at the top of a challenging ski run - or writing the first words of a story (or a blog!). Where will we end up? Shivering, cold and dripping? Uncomfortably sprawled in a snowbank? Staring at a blank page? Maybe - but you'll never know until you try. And so often the result isn't bad at all. In fact, it's exciting!

Writing the first words of a story requires courage and a certain amount of faith. When I'm about to start writing a new story and feel daunted by the amount of work that lies ahead, this is what I tell myself: it will never be completed if I don't get started. And then I leap.

This blog is a place for us to share our writing and reading challenges and accomplishments. And questions. And feedback. It's for discussion and issues and answers. It's a place for us to meet - in print instead of in person.

I'm looking forward to meeting you. Just make the leap and write soon!