Book Expo America

I just returned home from a trip to New York and Chicago. While in New York, I attended the Book Expo America. The expo was held at the Javits Center on the Hudson River, which is a huge venue! The event was crawling with publishers, agents, authors, fans and others in the book business.

The names of the big publishers hung from the ceiling to indicate where they were located in the room. There were book signings (with long line-ups for the well-known authors) and book give-aways galore. I left the event with more books than I wanted to carry.

It was exciting to be among so many people in the book industry. Writing is such a solitary endeavour. It was refreshing — and inspiring — to be around others who care about stories and books as much as I do.

 

Remembering Fiction

I am a big fan of the “Game of Thrones” series, and I recently read an interview with Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin in Rolling Stone magazine. He said something both interesting and disturbing. He talks about the fact that some of the things he read as a child — “parties on Gatsby’s lawn” or “the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock” are more real to him than things he actually lived.

He goes on to say: “If we are the sum of our experiences, as I believe we are, then books are a more important part of my life than my actual life. That’s what I try to do with my own fiction: Fill the stories with imaginary people who will become more real to my readers than the people in their lives.”

I completely understand an author’s motivation for creating vivid and memorable characters. Of course, an author would love to have this sort of lasting impression on readers. However, as a reader, I wonder, “Do I want my fictional escapes to be more vivid and real to me than my actual experiences and the people in my life? And if my fictional escapes are more vivid and lasting, what kind of real-life experiences and relationships am I lacking?

Of course, the influence of fiction on our lives doesn’t end with books. We are a culture immersed in numerous forms of entertainment and escape — television, movies, commercials, Youtube videos, etc. Many children spend more time in front of a screen than they do playing outside. So, what will be their childhood memories?

I’m reminded of the lyrics in a Goo Goo Dolls song: “Reruns all become our history.”

Big Steps, Little Steps

I just started jogging again after a six-month hiatus. It is hard — I’m starting from scratch all over again, with only the vague memory that I was once able to do this. As with everything, though, the more I do it, the easier it gets.

It’s like writing. I need to make some changes to my latest novel. I know if I commit to doing a little bit each day, it will get done pretty easily. However, sometimes just getting started is the biggest battle.

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” — Mark Twain

I read an interesting article on Oprah.com about the fastest way to make real change. One of the secrets is “to think smaller than small.” Don’t plan to jog around the block — just put your running shoes on every morning for five days straight. Don’t floss your teeth — just floss one tooth. The idea is that the one small step is not daunting, making it easier to take the next step.

I already floss my teeth, and I’ve already started jogging, so maybe I’ll try this approach with my novel. I’ll open a new Word document and just stare at the blank page….

I’ll let you know what happens.

Nostalgia

I love nostalgic things. Music can be particularly nostalgic for me. Whenever I hear AC/DC’s You Shook Me All Night Long, for instance, I instantly think of my high school dances. They always played that song.

Certain smells — a perfume someone wore, mud and worms after a good rain, lilacs in Spring — these things always take me back to the past.

I love writing about things that are nostalgic to me, too. My latest book is set in the 1980’s (for part of the story), and I had fun describing hairspray-encrusted bangs, acid washed jeans with just the right amount of fraying, and safety-pinning jean pant legs to give them a tapered look. Remember that? (If you’re under 25 or 30, you probably won’t have a clue what I’m talking about.)

We all have things that are nostalgic to us. For me, the 1980’s are the most nostalgic. Every time I hear a 1980’s song, I wistfully remember being a kid. Though, as a kid, I was often thinking about what it would be like to be a grown-up!

 

Competitors or Comrades?

I visited Maeve Binchy’s website the other day. I was looking to contact authors for an endorsement for my new book. I knew it was a shot in the dark with big-name authors like Binchy, but I thought, what the heck. I was surprised and dismayed to see this note on her Contact page:

Do remember, those of you who are writers too, that I’m in competition with you; so please don’t send me your manuscripts – send them to publishers instead.

While I completely understand that many authors may not have the time or interest to help other writers, I was surprised to see her note about being in competition with other writers. Am I the only one who thinks this is the wrong approach?

I have always viewed fellow writers as comrades – not competitors. When I meet a successful author, I don’t think, “You took my spot!” Or, when I meet children who love writing, I don’t think, “Hey kid, you might take my job one day!” 🙂

Writing is a lonely enough occupation – why view all those doing the same thing as competitors? Sure, there are a limited number of spots for authors in the renowned publishing houses, but there is room in this world for all writers.

 

 

 

For the Love of Writing

I was honoured to present at the Calgary Young Writers Conference this weekend. More than 1,500 elementary and junior high students from around the city congregated at the conference to meet authors and illustrators, and to learn new skills in writing/illustrating. In my workshops, the students participated in writing exercises. Afterwards, a number of them read their short stories out loud. I was blown away by their imagination and writing talent. One thing was apparent: these kids loved to write.

Writing simply for the love of it. Or, for that matter, doing anything just for the love of it. Do you remember those days?

I met a fellow presenter at the conference – a professor in his sixties who had been writing stories for years. He had received one Governor General’s nod during that time, and after that, he said he didn’t feel the need to publish anything else. He said the need to get published and the self-promotion took something away from the writing itself.

I had to agree. Promoting your writing, vying for recognition and trying to please others – it strips some of the purity out of the writing process. As writers, it’s likely that many of us started writing as children. And, I would venture a guess, most of us did it simply because we enjoyed it, because we felt compelled to create stories or poems or plays, and because we lost ourselves in it.

One of the keynote speakers at the conference was a young published author in Grade 6. At the very end of his speech, he told us not to write because we want to get published – to write because it’s what we love.

That’s when the magic happens.

 

Books Where Nothing Really Happens

I’m reading a book right now by Carla Neggers. It’s called Secrets of the Lost Summer. I’m almost half-way through the novel, and, well, nothing has really happened. And yet, I’m hooked! This is a book that falls squarely in the “romance” genre, and yet the two main characters have shared only one quick kiss so far. 

I find the same thing with Nicholas Sparks books – the stories build ever so slowly… and yet I’m a huge Nicholas Sparks fan.

I think as long as the characters are believable and interesting, the writing is easy to read, and there is a continual building toward something significant, we as readers can be quite patient.

 

How to Write a Novel

People have asked me, “Where do you get the ideas for a novel?”

I don’t know where the ideas come from, but they usually start with a bolt of inspiration. An idea will pop into my head, and I’m suddenly compelled to write – even if it happens to be 3:00 in the morning.

I know things are going well when I’m in “the zone.” This is the place where I lose track of time. I could sit down to write, with the intention of writing for half an hour, but the words just flow, and the next time I glance at the clock, several hours may have passed.

Being in the zone can happen to anyone who is doing what he or she loves – like my father who has a hobby refinishing antiques and renovating houses. He’ll work for hours on end, forgetting to eat. You know he’s working on one of his projects when he gets very thin.

The other question I often get is, “How do you find the discipline to finish a novel?”

Some people like starting things. I like finishing things. Maybe it’s as simple as that.

I’m not one of those disciplined writers who sits down every day at the same time for one hour, or whatever the specified timeframe, to work on my novel. Some authors recommend this approach, but it has never worked for me. I write when the inspiration strikes.

It helps that I love creative writing. I have been writing fiction since I could hold a pencil. By age nine, inspired by Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden, I had written a whole series of mystery novels about a young female detective named Mary Birks.

As a kid, I’d spend my summers typing up my Mary Birks stories on my old manual typewriter. (You remember those typewriters where your fingers got stuck between the keys?) Then my mother bought an electric typewriter. Typing on that electric typewriter was a dream – my favourite feature the back-space white-out button.

While other kids were playing sports, attending camp, or doing whatever kids do during summer vacation, I was writing stories. No one told me to do it, and I never felt compelled to finish my books. In fact, there were a few stories that I never completed. The end result – finishing the novel – was never forefront in my mind.

I loved the process. I still do.

Maybe there is no greater secret to finishing a novel than that.