// BLOG

Collecting Book Donations

July 12, 2011

Books collected for the Red Door Family Shelter

One of my summer projects this year was collecting donations of books for the Red Door Family Shelter in Toronto, where I volunteer once a week with school-aged kids. I was happy to collect books from Rachel Seigel of S&B Books, author and reading program coordinator Sheilah Currie, and Barb Pepin of Chapters Indigo. These books are being used in the shelter’s summer reading program, which I help with once a week. I received novels, picture books, learning-to-read books, graphic novels, and non-fiction books by fabulous Canadian and international writers and illustrators – a total of five boxes of books. The kids and the shelter staff were thrilled when I brought them in! Thanks to Rachel, Sheilah, and Barb for making it happen.

Persistence Pays Off

June 14, 2011

I just got an Ontario Arts Council Works-in-Progress grant for my current project! I’m happily screaming “yahoo” and seriously disturbing the neighbours. This particular novel has given me angst for a few years now, so it’s wonderful that the jurors liked it. Maybe I CAN finish this project.

I’ve tried for grants before with this novel but haven’t been successful. Rewriting and persistence are so important.

I remember once, when I was an unpublished writer, I sent an impulsive email to an author I admire – Karleen Bradford. I was looking at her website because she had useful information for emerging writers. I was feeling discouraged at the time, and I asked her for advice on how to get motivated to continue writing after a rejection letter from a publisher. I never really expected an answer, but I got one quickly. Karleen wrote something like, “A writer’s greatest talent is sheer pig-headed stubbornness.” Her words helped me pick up the pencil and return to my story once again. Thanks, Karleen. I’ve found those words to be true over and over again.

A Week in Review – Good Design, Teen Writing, and Compelling Memoirs

May 29, 2011

This past week, I received an advance reading copy of The Yo-Yo Prophet, my new novel from Orca Books. The interior design is on-theme, with a silhoutette of a yo-yo starting each chapter. It looks like the designer had a lot of fun with this one!

This week, I also completed the judging of submissions for the Toronto Public Library’s Young Voices Magazine of art, poetry, and prose. I met with a team of enthusiastic teen judges on Thursday night to argue passionately for our favourites in the category of prose written by teens aged 17 to 19. The winners will be announced soon, and the launch for the 2011 magazine will be held in October. I can’t wait to see the finished product.

I also ran a memoir-writing workshop this week for fellow writer and instructor Karen Rankin, who was unable to attend her class. I was so impressed with the fascinating stories I heard and the quality of the writing. These dedicated writers are faithfully developing their craft and sharing their sometimes hilarious and sometimes harrowing real-life tales. It made me remember two things: First, everyone has interesting stories to share, if only we take the time to listen. Second, real life is often stranger than fiction, but perhaps fiction can be equally strange, if it’s told well enough to make unusual events believable.

Preview of The Yo-Yo Prophet

May 18, 2011

I’m thrilled with the cover for my new teen novel – The Yo-Yo Prophet, to be published by Orca Books in September 2011. I love the colours, the somewhat geeky yo-yo guy, and the silhouettes of the people in the windows. Here’s a sneak peek into what the book is about:

Calvin is the smallest guy in his high school, and a perfect target for Rozelle and her girl gang. His mother is dead, his father is long gone and his only remaining relative, his grandmother, is getting too sick to run her dry cleaning business. The only time Calvin feels in control is when he’s working his yo-yo. When he takes up street performing, Rozelle demands a cut and insists on being his manager. To get media attention, she markets him as a yo-yo genius who can predict
the future, dubbing him the “Yo-Yo Prophet.” Calvin begins to believe his own hype, but as Gran’s condition deteriorates, he realizes that it will take more than fame and adulation to keep his family intact.

Packaging Your Imagination 2011

April 16, 2011

As Vice-President of CANSCAIP, one of my duties is to coordinate the annual Packaging Your Imagination conference. If you like to write, illustrate, or perform for children and teens, please join me at Victoria College in Toronto on Saturday, November 5th. You can:

start the day with a Welcome Address by Governor-General’s Award winner Sarah Ellis.
choose three Workshops in your special area of interest. Workshops include master-level sessions intended for established writers and illustrators — as well as a session for beginners. All others sessions are at the intermediate level. Topics range from how to craft a picture book to creating graphic novels to how to pitch your work.
join with the whole group for a Keynote Address from renowned author/illustrator Loris Lesynski.
end the day with a Pitch Perfect manuscript/portfolio critiquing session. Get a one-paragraph pitch plus 1000 words critiqued by agent Ali McDonald or editor Gail Winskill in a ten-minute private session. Or get five portfolio pieces critiqued by art director Andrea Casault. Space is limited, and spaces will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Need another reason to register early? This year, the first 75 registrants will be automatically entered in a draw to win a Blue Pencil mentorship in any genre with keynote speaker Loris Lesynski.

For more information, go to Packaging Your Imagination 2011 .

Screenwriters Summit Follow-up

April 13, 2011

After my last post, a few people asked for more insights from the Screenwriters Summit Toronto. Here are some of the ideas I found most useful:

Theme
I really liked how Linda Seger approached theme. Theme is basically the expression of the big idea of the story, and Linda suggests writers use action or movement verbs to define the theme, such as “exposing” or “discovering.” This practice implies that theme has movement from one state to another. In fact, Linda sees theme as two states in contrast to one another. For example, my new novel, The Yo-Yo Prophet, has a theme of chaos versus control, as my protagonist seeks control over the chaos of his life.

Image Systems
Linda Seger suggests that one way to express theme is through images and image systems. Of course, images can work to visually express a theme. To use my new novel as an example again, when my protagonist seeks to master his yo-yo tricks in front of an audience, he’s actually seeking control over others. (So the yo-yo becomes an image for the theme, and the failure of a yo-yo trick takes on greater significance.) If the image travels through the story in various ways and forms (becoming an image system), it can take on additional meaning.

Story Structure
I’ve examined story structure from the point of view of Syd Field, Robert McKee, John Truby, and Michael Hauge, among others, and the conclusion I’ve come to is that one needs to take the best from each method and find one’s own way. Maybe that’s not much help, but let me try to explain.

Although these story structure experts share many beliefs in common, they also disagree with and contradict one another. For example, Truby states that there is no such thing as a three-act structure, while the others base their methods on it. Absorbing the methods of these story structure experts has led me to the conclusion that there are many ways to approach story structure, and I need to consider my particular story and writing style to determine my way through the maze.

These days, I ask myself a series of questions about a story idea. These questions are based on a conglomeration of their ideas and my own, and they’re continually evolving. I find that once I answer these questions, I have a strong grasp of what I’m about to write and why. I find that it’s an invaluable process.

Character Web
I’m becoming fond of Truby’s technique of creating a character web to develop my characters. Truby suggests writers consider how characters in a story are interconnected – how they define each other – by comparing the weaknesses, need, desire, value, status, and moral argument of each character. It’s particularly useful to consider each character in relation to the protagonist’s main moral dilemma.

I attended the workshop with fellow kidlit writers Erin Thomas, Lena Coakley, Cheryl Rainfield, Jennifer Gordon, and Urve Tamberg. To read more about the conference, check out these writers’ blog posts:

Screenwriters Summit Toronto

April 11, 2011

This weekend, I continued my exploration of how the elements of screenwriting apply to writing a novel by attending the Screenwriters Summit Toronto.

I began this journey a few years ago by reading:

Syd Field’s Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting (A Step-by-Step Guide from Concept to Finished Script).
Robert McKee’s Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting. (I also attended his gruelling and insightful three-day Story seminar.)
John Truby’s The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller.

One thing these three writers share – besides a fondness for long book titles – is a keen insight into how structure applies to writing a successful story. I applied many of their insights when writing and revising my latest young-adult novel, The Yo-Yo Prophet, to be published by Orca Books this Fall, and I believe it’s a better book as a result.

And yet the Screenwriters Summit Toronto took this learning even further. Here’s a very quick overview of the speakers and topics:

Screenwriting consultant Linda Seger talked about deepening a story through theme and creating a more cinematic story through image systems.
Screenwriting instructor John Truby detailed his seven steps to a great premise and the variations of deep structure.
Screenwriting guru Syd Field discussed the setup of character and story.
Screenwriting coach Michael Hauge explained how to turn plot structure from a complicated concept into a simple, powerful tool to apply to story.

Today, my brain seems to be firing all synapses in order to process the varied and sometimes conflicting techniques and opinions presented at the Summit. I’m sure it will take me a while to sort through which insights best speak to my personal writing technique and determine how to apply these insights to my next novel, but I’m certain the process will nudge me further down the path of becoming a master storyteller. A lofty goal, I know, and not one that can be easily measured or even achieved. But at least I’m enjoying the journey.

Note: You can read my follow-up post about the Summit here.

Playing with Words

April 7, 2011

I believe writers need to “play” with words – to have fun with them. I use writing exercises to:

access my intuitive side.
explore new writing styles and techniques.
discover new directions for a work-in-progress.

There are so many ways to play with words. You can:

write from an object (for example, a cannonball in a museum or a colourful box of pastels).
begin with a sentence (for example, “The noise grew louder when he opened the door”).
write from an illustration or photo (for example, Steve McCurry’s portraits).

For more ideas about how to play with words, go to my WordPlay page.

Workshop at Covenant House

March 11, 2011

On March 10, I ran a writing workshop for teens at Covenant House Toronto. It was a great opportunity to interact with the teens there, and listen to their fabulous insights through writing. My only complaint is that I wish I could have had more time with them. Luckily, at least one of the teens agreed with me.

I was delighted to receive workshop reviews from some of the teens who attended. With their permission, I’ve included excerpts here:

“The workshop in my opinion was freaking awesome. I enjoyed it a lot. I love to write. It is one of my favourite pastimes. It helps you figure yourself out as well as clear your head. The only thing about the workshop that I did not like was the fact that it was rather short, and in my opinion, it would have been more effective and entertaining if we were able to have you come back for a full day! The one aspect of the workshop that I really enjoyed is that the creativity level of each participant was phenomenal. Everyone was really creative, motivated, and descriptive in their short stories.”
Thomas

“I loved it so much. It made me so interested in writing. The reason was how she made us be interested in what we wrote. In my opinion, I found the workshop very valuable because it got me focussed with the writing that I’m trying to accomplish. I also loved the games that she made us do; it made me find another strategy to keep me writing.”
Anonymous

“The presenter was very encouraging and put a few twists into the workshop with the photographs and the word box, which gave it a feel of originality. It’s interesting to see that the writing runs in the family, and I would hope to perhaps explore the book titles left behind. The speaker was extremely pleasant and I believe she put everyone at ease.”
Anonymous

“I really enjoyed Karen’s workshop. She gave everyone the opportunity to express themselves creatively in a non-judgmental environment. The activities we took part in were interactive and interesting. I would encourage any high school student to take part in these workshops, as writing creatively can be used in so many different ways, and be a lot of fun too.”
Anonymous

This outreach workshop was facilitated by the Toronto Public Library as part of their Young Voices Magazine of teen writing and art. Teens between the ages of 12 and 19 years who live or go to school in the City of Toronto are invited to submit poetry, prose, rants, art, and photography for the 2011 Young Voices Magazine by April 2. You can submit online or drop your work off at any library branch. Submissions will be evaluated in the spring and the finished product launches in October. Good luck to all who submit!

Writers Speak Out on Copyright

February 15, 2011

The Writers’ Union of Canada, under the leadership of Chair Alan Cumyn, has produced its first video. Written by Alan and featuring five writers, the video will be distributed widely to express TWUC’s concerns about Bill C-32, an Act to Amend the Copyright Act. Please help spread the word about this important issue.

Teen Writers’ Group

February 4, 2011

Last night, I attended the second official meeting of a new teen writers’ group at the Barbara Frum Library in Toronto. Organized by Youth Services Specialist Claire Argyropoulos, this group offers teens a place to share their works-in-progress and get valuable feedback. I was invited to talk to the group about the writing process and how to set up a nurturing and dynamic writing group. We also wrote together and critiqued each others’ work. Here’s what Claire Argyropoulos had to say about the evening: “Your workshop was very enjoyable, and the girls thought you were inspiring. They really enjoyed the exercises, and you gave them a lot of good tips. I hope you can come back soon to give us more of your wisdom and insight.”

Writing by Asking “What-if” Questions

January 17, 2011

In my recent blog posts, I wrote about how to begin writing from personal experience and by observing people. Here’s how you can write by asking “what-if” questions.

When we ask ourselves “what-if” questions, we can imagine whole new worlds, new ways of living, and unique characters who are dealing with unusual circumstances.

When I wrote Pure, I began by asking:

What if parents could genetically choose a child — ensure she grew up unusually smart, healthy, or attractive?
How would a teenager react to the news that her parents had genetically enhanced her?
What if that genetic enhancement came with unexpected physical and social consequences?

This technique is particularly useful for imagining fantasy and science fiction stories.

What if men could have babies too? How would it change our society?

What if we could alter our skin colour just by thinking about it?

What if Native Americans had not signed treaties with the settlers, and the settlers had adopted Native ways instead?

The possibilities are endless.

Children’s fantasy writer Jane Yolen writes, “Surely one of the great things about fantasy literature is that we can be transported to worlds we do not know. We can wear skins that are not ours. We can look at the landscape through someone else’s eyes.”

Writing by Observing People

January 4, 2011

In a previous blog post, I wrote about how to begin a story by writing from personal experience. Another way to begin writing is by observing people. Here’s how you can use this technique.

Wherever you go and whatever you do, you are a writer. You can gather material from every aspect of your life. Every moment is an opportunity to fill your creative well.

I have been in trying circumstances and said to myself, “Maybe I can write about this later.” It consoles me when things are tough, and inspires me to try out new experiences.

So I suggest you eavesdrop on people sitting at the next table in a restaurant, or at a bus stop, or at work or school. Observe how your body reacts when you feel angry, sad, happy, and so on. Make note of sensory experiences (sight, sound, taste, touch, smell) so you can use them in your writing.

Write down your observations. Borrow shamelessly from life around you. Let life inspire your writing.

In a later post, I’ll explore how to write by asking “what-if” questions.

Brainpicking Interview

December 22, 2010

Check out this quirky and insightful interview of me at author Sarah Raymond‘s blog. Sarah’s first young-adult novel Signs of Martha will be published with Great Plains Publications in Spring 2011. What is Sarah’s novel about, you ask? Here’s a teaser: When Martha apprentices under an off-beat signpainter, she paints herself into an uncomfortable corner. Good luck with the novel, Sarah!

Writing from Personal Experience

December 18, 2010

There are many ways to begin a story: one is writing from personal experience. Here’s how you can use this technique.

Ask yourself what moments from your childhood stand out for you? Which ones can you recall in vivid detail, which stories did your parents repeat to you over and over, which ones were the most terrifying or the most exhilarating? When you find a moment with energy, write it down. It may not become a story right away. It may begin as an anecdote. But collect these anecdotes until you begin to find the links and connections that will pull them into a story.

You may want to fictionalize personal experience, combining real events with imagination to make a story. I used this technique in Take the Stairs, which is based on personal experiences I had as a teen as well as those of people around me. Or, you may want to retain the flavour of actual events, using real names and places, like in a memoir. Either way, you’re looking to arrange reality into a story.

Here’s a quote from Alice Munro that I like: “Anecdotes don’t make good stories. Generally I dig down underneath them so far that the story that finally comes out is not what people thought their anecdotes were about.”

In later posts, I’ll explore how to write by observing people and by asking “what-if” questions.

« Previous Page — Next Page »

Karen Krossing