by | April 7, 2010 · 10:09 pm

Don’t kick that kid out until you’re sure it’s ready

Lori, this one is for you.

Many people say that writing a book is like having a child. You give birth to it, nurture it, and nurse it when it’s sick. You pour yourself into it without robbing it of its individuality. You let it delight you. You let it break your heart. You give it every single thing you have, and then you go find something more to give it. Then comes the hard part. You have to release it, let it go wander the world among strangers. Strangers who might not understand it. Who might not like it. Who might even think it’s ugly.

There it is—your book. A nice, thick stack of pages, filled with the creations of your imagination. A whole world brought out of nothing and made real in the form of a ten-mile sentence. You should be genuinely, deeply, proud of yourself.

Excerpt from Timothy Hallinan on Finishing up your Novel.

Beckie

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by | April 4, 2010 · 10:45 pm

I see the light…

I’m almost done my manuscript. I thought I was done over a year ago, but with a lot of help from my fellow restless writers, I determined that this was not the case and re-wrote the first 100 pages.

This draft is tight. I’m really happy with it. But as much as I long to start cranking out some queries, part of me doesn’t want it to end. I like my characters, especially the saucy one, and I don’t want to leave their world quite yet.

I’m also having pre-query-jitters, similar to those felt by my sister when she plunged into the online dating pool: you’re putting yourself out to the masses and hoping someone likes what you have to offer. At least I don’t have to include a picture…

Lori

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by | March 31, 2010 · 4:27 pm

“Dear Lucky Agent” Contest: Middle Grade & Young Adult Fiction

Today marks the kick-off to the fourth “Dear Lucky Agent” Contest on the Guide to Literary Agents blog. This is a recurring online contest with agent judges and super-cool prizes. The agent judge for this round is Regina Brooks, founder of Serendipity Literary in Brooklyn. She is the author of Writing Great Books for Young Adults.

I’m submitting my novel, BILLIE BOOTS, YOUR ROOTS ARE SHOWING to the contest. If you happen to be writing a book-length kids novel, this contest is for you too—check it out!

Beckie

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by | March 29, 2010 · 8:33 pm

Happenings

I meant to post these as they happened but, as often happens, s**t happened.

Anyway, someone asked what I write (besides the odd post on this blog). Here are some short examples of my writing (and the sites are great resources for writers looking to get published!) that demonstrate my writing voice:

Lori

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by | March 25, 2010 · 10:34 pm

The top 10 reasons writers write

Why do writers write? Why do sculptors chisel stone? Why do fish swim?

I doubt that if you ask any dedicated writer, they’ll tell you they write “for the money!” Most of us realize that writing will most likely not make us rich (unless of course, your name is J.K. Rowling). But it WILL feed the “fire in the belly”—the passion that drives us.

In speaking to other writers and eavesdropping on a number of author posts, I’ve compiled a list of the top 10 reasons writers write, check it out:

Why do writers write?

1. To live. Writing is a source of life—a basic need to express oneself. It is what keeps us up at night.

2. To feel connected. To feel grounded. To feel centred.

3. To inform, educate, and give an audience something to enjoy.

4. To understand and be understood. To learn, and to heal—for the pen is mightier than the sword.

5. To rid the brain of “voices” (we writers do have a certain someone whispering in our ears, a muse perhaps).

6. To leave a legacy and make a mark in the world.

7. To be able to tell everyone they’re a writer (because writer’s are cool)

8. To give birth to a cast of characters and travel to far away places.

9. For the fun of it.

10. To live forever. To achieve immortality through the written words left behind… a bit vampish, yes.

According to Doris Lessing, writing is a delicious compulsion–one that perhaps only fellow writers can truly understand. And so, the sun rises. The grass grows. The stars come out at night. Bats fly. And I write.

Fellow restless writers, why do YOU write?

Beckie

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by | March 23, 2010 · 8:38 pm

Tweet dreams and literary alchemy

I have a Twitter account. There, I said it.

This post is inspired by today’s Tweet from Paulo Coelho. Rumi: “What you seek is seeking you.” (o que você procura também está lhe procurando)

I have quickly learned that Twitter is simply another form of procrastination. A mild, yet amusing distraction to pretty much everything else. But what an enlightened day when I see a Tweet from novelist Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist, The Zahir, Veronika Decides to Die, The Winner Stands Alone).

Coelho is an inspiration. A true advocate of seeing the world through your own eyes and not others. I’m in a 3-year struggle (seeking publication) on my first novel, while Coelho writes a new book every two years, is translated into a ba-zillion languages and publishes short stories for Ode Magazine (with every issue devoting a page to him for his writing pleasure). His dream, shared by many—including myself, always was, and still is, to be a writer.

Change your day. Transform your outlook. Follow Paulo’s Tweets:

http://twitter.com/paulocoelho

Beckie

P.S.  And wish me luck as I continue to seek an agent for Billie Boots, Your Roots are Showing (Middle-Grade Fiction).

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by | March 19, 2010 · 4:54 pm

Does this count?

I finally tracked down the person to whom my favourite writing quote is attributed:

“Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don’t feel I should be doing something else.”

If you agree with Gloria Steinem, chime in!

Maria

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by | March 16, 2010 · 10:57 pm

Truth is stranger than fiction

Sometimes Real life can be more amazing and difficult to believe than made-up stories. Here’s a little nugget from award-winning sci-fi author Nancy Kress.

Fiction is about stuff that’s screwed up.
~Nancy Kress

For more truth-telling insight (and of course, “how to get your stories off to a roaring start, keep them tight and crisp throughout, and end them with a wallop!”), check out: Elements of Writing Fiction – Beginnings, Middles & Ends, by Nancy Kress. Or better yet, find Nancy at her blog.

Beckie

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by | March 14, 2010 · 12:41 pm

Our superhero and scholarly friends

Do you struggle with naming your heroine? Do your dangling participles grasp the closest noun? Or perhaps, like Beyoncé, you have difficulty making sense of a ‘sweet dream vs. a beautiful nightmare’.  We can help! Check out our new and hot resources page. We have compiled a “top-30-and-growing” list of some of our favourite writing resources to help you stay out of the rejection pile. Sources like: Urban Dictionary, the Curious Dreamer, and Grammar Girl are just a few of our superhero, and scholarly friends. We invite you to send us some of your faves. Write on!

Resources for Writers: Check it all out here!

Beckie

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by | March 8, 2010 · 4:14 pm

Changing of the guard at A Different Drummer

According to last weekend’s Burlington Post, one of the things that Richard Bachmann is looking forward to in retirement is having more time to read books.

Hearing about Richard’s retirement, and about Ian Elliot’s new role as owner of A Different Drummer bookstore, led me to reflect on some of the things I learned in the nine months I worked at the best little bookstore in the GTA.

Simplify your life. Live where you work, or work where you live. Don’t lose valuable reading or writing time to long commutes.

Take long lunches whenever you can. This is especially important in the summer. And if you can get a craft beer named after your store, á la “Different Drummer Ale” as brewed by Pepperwood Bistro, enjoy a pint with your midday meal. Just don’t count on getting any work done in the afternoon.

Politeness counts. On my first day working the cash register, Jane taught me to say hello whenever a customer came into the store and to say thank you whenever a customer handed me their payment. It’s amazing to think that such little things can make a difference in a person’s day, but they really do.

A cat makes every space better. I still think fondly of Manda, the bookstore’s recently departed torti, but Abigail, the new(ish) kitten, is quickly stealing my heart.

Canadian authors are larger than life. Literally. Pierre Berton was really tall and intimidating, and I was honoured to have met him at a Different Drummer event.

I’m looking forward to reading Richard’s memoirs if he ever does write them.

Best wishes to both Richard and Ian.

Maria

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