In Toronto, about fifty book-lovers met at Union Station at 4 pm to silently read our books and then “pay it forward” by sharing that inspiring book with a friend or a complete stranger. Why? Just to remind them that the world is an amazing place. My book was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak – a fabulous book.

Thanks to Toronto organizers Nancy Runstedler, Linda Granfield and Christie Harkin!

PIF Toronto organizer Nancy Runstedler

Below are some of the participants of the Pay It Forward Toronto Flash Mob. Our hands are empty because we’ve just given away our books! Other participants included author Marthe Jocelyn, publisher Paul Kropp, author Rebecca Upjohn and many more.

Some PIF Toronto participants, including me, author Mahtab Narsimhan, illustrator Debbie Ohi, and author Cheryl Rainfield.

Zombies and other horror stories were popular with this group, as we wrote stories and poems based on the eerie photography of Gregory Crewdson. We also wrote from objects – my collection of old keys – and using my word box, as well as writing from a given sentence.

My word box

There is nothing better than an afternoon of writing games, unless it’s reading what these fine writers can produce in the Toronto Public Library’s annual magazine of teen writing and art – the Young Voices magazine.

Teens between the ages of 12 and 19 who live in Toronto are invited to submit poems, stories, rants, reviews, illustrations, and photography to this quality magazine. The submission deadline is March 31, 2012. For guidelines and how to submit, click here. To read the Young Voices 2011 Magazine, click here.

I attended to sign copies of The Yo-Yo Prophet at the Orca Publishers booth. I also I joined 34 other authors to present the book at CANSCAIP’s annual OLA book launch for Canadian children’s books.

It was great fun to meet so many enthusiastic librarians. I can chat all day with people who share my love of quality books for kids and teens.

I also learned some exciting news at the conference. Each year, the OLA Best Bets Committee selects the top Canadian picture books, fiction and non-fiction for children, and fiction for teens. I’m pleased to announce that The Yo-Yo Prophet is a 2011 OLA Best Bets Honourable Mention. For the full list of titles, click here.

To register, contact Ken Sparling at 416-397-5970, or ksparling@torontopubliclibrary.ca.

After the workshop, don’t forget to submit your writing to Young Voices – the Toronto Public Library’s annual magazine of teen writing and art. Poems, stories, rants, reviews, illustrations, and photography are all accepted. The submission deadline is March 31, 2012.

For guidelines and how to submit, click here. To read the Young Voices 2011 Magazine, click here.

Interested in more workshops? Check out the upcoming Young Voices Art Workshop with illustrator and teacher Michael Brown and the Young Voices Poetry Workshop with Matthew Tierney.

Volunteer work like this can be draining at times, and I must admit to getting volunteer fatigue as the conference approached. But the joy at connecting with so many people who share a love of creating for children quickly reminds me why I volunteer.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this day. It was a pleasure to share it with you.

As an author, I have a love-hate relationship with performing. Once I get to a book reading or writing workshop, I’m eager to interact with my audience. But there’s often a moment beforehand where I’m dreading it – mostly because I’m worried about how an audience will react to what I have to offer.

Managing an audience is not unlike taming wild lions. Not that I’ve ever tamed lions, but the two are linked in my mind. A performer tries to work with the audience, to control its reactions – get people to laugh at the right part and fall respectfully silent when needed. In The Yoyo Prophet, 15-year-old Calvin faces his audiences head on. He feels the joy of successful performances as well as the horror and shame of public humiliation.

Today, the effect of public humiliation and success can be multiplied a thousand-fold through online exposure. With instant fame possible through viral videos, instant defeat can be just as swift and harsh. Calvin experiences both in the novel, and finally has to find his judgments about himself from within.

Street performers, like Calvin, are a different breed, since they need to capture the attention of a mobile and possibly indifferent audience and compel them to watch as well as pay for an unsolicited performance. The inspiration for writing about a street performer grew from my love of BuskerFest, held every August on the streets of Toronto. With a spectacular stunt, a joke or original music, buskers can transform an open street into a dynamic performance space.

To check out my video book trailer for The Yo-Yo Prophet, click here. To enter a draw for a signed copy of the book, simply comment on this post, or send me an email through my website before September 20th.

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.

• 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.

Register early to get your first choice in workshops and one of the limited number of Pitch Perfect critiquing sessions.

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.

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!

This Saturday, I conducted a series of writing games for nine-year-old Saskia and 19 of her friends. As the guests entered Saskia’s home, they were greeted by the words “Creativity World” written in 12 different languages. Together, we played games with words – creating evil villains, writing using masks, and using “story dice” to tell stories as a group. I enjoyed getting a glimpse into the creative worlds of these girls. Saskia and her friends are fine writers.

It was an intriguing idea for a birthday party – one that I would have enjoyed when I was a kid. Heck, I’d even enjoy it now!