Shocked!

Yes, this is a picture of me.  I am totally shocked to the point of being unable to contain myself and look calmly at the camera.

Do you know why I find myself in such an extreme state?

Check back in a few days, and I'll tell you.

2013

We begin the year in the depths of winter, only a few steps past the solstice .  The lengthening days are reason enough for optimism, anticipation, and even a little confabulation.

May you have a Happy (with a capital H) 2013.

May the year bring unanticipated pleasant surprises.

This Plus That

Are you curious about the title of this blog post?  You should be.  This Plus That is the title of a great picture book by Amy Rosenthal in which she combines the joys of mathematical equations with language.  For example, here's one I made up:

baby + felt pen + library book = Disaster!

How about another or two?  (Okay, if you insist . . .)

Thanksgiving dinner – Brussels sprouts = Heaven

McMahen + singing – earplugs = painful!

Get the idea?  If you get the urge, how about making some up of your own.  If you have an aversion to math, this is the perfect way to overcome it.

Has your curiosity been quenched?  I hope so.

An Interview With . . .

I'm in the Canadian Teacher Magazine! You can read my interview right here:

http://www.canadianteachermagazine.com/pdf/CTM-JanFeb2012-can-write.pdf.

Thanks to Margriet Ruurs for doing the interview!

Box of Shocks Unleashed!

My latest novel with Orca Books, Box of Shocks, has now been officially unleashed upon an unsuspecting world. It's available online from Orca Books, Amazon, Chapters-Indigo, other fine brick and mortar bookstores, and pretty much everywhere that sells new books. Stay tuned for details of the book's official launch, as well as the Box of Shocks Book Treasure Hunt, coming to a forest near you.

North Okanagan Shuswap Young Writers

Congratulations to all of the young writers who participated in the School District #83 North Okanagan Shuswap Young Writers Project.

At the outset of the project, I had one primary goal:

Have students write a short story and go through the experience of revising it a number of times (three) with the help of an editor (me).

In terms of personal growth as a writer, working closely with an editor has had the most profound impact upon my own writing. I've read dozens of books on writing and taken countless workshops, but nothing can replace the experience of working with an editor on one's own writing.

I wanted these talented students I was working with to take their writing to the next level. The way to do that was to go through a series of intensive revisions, re-examining their work from the broader aspects of plot, characterization, and setting, to the specifics of word selection.

I was wondering how open to such intensive criticism of their work they would be. Many young writers (and old ones, as well) aren't open to the criticisms of an editor.

These 40+ students that began the project ALL came through the revision process with determination and dedication. Every single one responded extremely well to the editorial critiques I presented and raised the level to their writing to stratospheric heights. Hats off to them all (and, of course, their very supportive parents!)

Thanks also to Shera Niewenhuizen for her organizational wizardry in pulling the project together and in the production of the anthology.

We're already looking forward to the 2011-2012 version of the project!

Returning Home

Have you ever gone back to a house you used to live in? It’s a strange experience. The furniture’s all different. Maybe the walls have been painted. The pictures on the walls aren’t the same. Maybe some renovations have been done to significantly change the insides. No matter what, the house just doesn’t look right.

It doesn’t look right because you’re comparing the house now to the house then, when you lived in it.

Pictured above is a house I lived in when I was between the ages of about four to eight. When I was writing my upcoming novel Box of Shocks, it was this house I re-imagined for the setting. Of course, the beauty of creative writing is that you have free license to twist, reshape, chop, glue on, and generally refabricate reality. It's like cosmetic surgery for your memory.

But even if I wanted to accurately represent this old house in my novel, I couldn’t– my memories of this house are like a patchwork quilt with a bunch of missing panels. I have vivid memories of parts of the house and events that took place. But I’m quite willing to admit, there are huge gaps in my memory for many details. To fill the gaps, that’s where the imagination comes in very handy.

It’s been said that History is part fiction, and Fiction is part history. In the case of this house and my new novel Box of Shocks, never was this statement more true.

Endings and Hamstrings

There’s no doubt in my mind that one of the most challenging aspects of writing a novel is the ending. In the revision process for Klutzhood, I had to redo the ending three times.

One thing I have discovered, however, is that it’s impossible for me to write towards a pre-planned ending. The best approach for me is to delve into the story, beginning with a situation from which the characters grow. Events unfold, and I have to have confidence that the ending, unknown as I write, will emerge.

Maybe my approach to life should be more like that.

One of my non-writing obsessions is cross-country ski racing. This week, I’m taking part in the Masters World Cup being held at Sovereign Lake, near Vernon, B.C. In my first race– a 30 kilometre skate ski race– everything went as well as I could have hoped. I had a respectable finish with a personal best time.

But in my next race– a 10 kilometre classic race– the proverbial wheels fell off. I fell near the start and pulled my hamstring. I tried to ski on, but by four kilometres, my body started shutting down– a condition I later learned is called vasovagal response. My race, with all its expectations, was done.

Certainly I was greatly disappointed, but then, this episode got me thinking.

Maybe I should approach life more like my writing. Maybe I should drop into the situation and see what outcome emerges, rather than getting all stressed about achieving imagined expectations. Thank you hamstring!

(Photo by Peter Jobbins)

Happy Holidays!

On behalf of Buddy, Deedee, Arlo, Pinball, Rocko, Cedric, Mr. Butterworth, Trixi, Martin, and the newest members of our team, Max and Diggory, I'd like to wish everyone an enjoyable holiday season full of all the good things in life.

And, maybe it's just me, but I have a feeling 2011 could be a good one.