Over the last few years, Friday nights have become date night for my husband and his favourite writer… That would be me.
We are both book lovers that challenge each other to find books that have been adapted into movies. We read the books, watch the movies, and then we discuss the differences between the literary version versus the cinematic version. We discuss things such as:
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“Transition: (a) a passage or change from one place, state, condition etc. to another; (b) passage in thought, speech, or writing, from one subject to another. ” (From the Canadian Oxford Dictionary.)
If we’re lucky and kind to ourselves, we will live long lives. And in that life time we will be different people, wear different hats, be different ages. Some will change more than others, but we will all change to some degree. When we take that same concept to our writing, we’re talking about the character arc. How does the character change over the course of the novel?
(There are stories where the protagonist doesn’t change, but I don’t particularly like those stories.)
All stories have characters, but I love stories where the main focus is the character development and plot is secondary. I’m interested in people: how they live, how they feel, how they function, how they survive. They say that fiction is the art that comes closest to representing human consciousness. I want to know what goes on inside people’s heads.
Will I ever forget the blizzard of 22? We were stuck home like so many others. But since we knew it was coming, we’d prepared. We’d canceled plans to visit family on Christmas and made sure we were well-stocked with food and necessities. But no more than an hour into the blizzard and we’d lost power. This wasn’t looking good. We hadn’t filled the water buckets yet. Our usual debate about getting a generator ensued.
Without power, we stayed by the fire most of the day. What better time to do some reading! I have the most comfortable reading chair right next to the fire. That, a cat and my blanket and I was all set for a Hygge Christmas. I took the forced digital disconnection to catch-up on some reading on writing. I re-read most of Robert McKee’s, Story. And I skimmed through, Story Genius, by Lisa Cron, which I’d previously read. And also caught up a bit on, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, by Jessica Brody.
Books make the most excellent gifts, don’t they? Receiving a book is always special to me and there is never a shortage of options when finding and sharing the perfect read that you believe someone else will appreciate as well.
This time of year, having several books at the ready that are written with a Christmas theme is a must for me. The choices are endless.
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When our son moved downstairs, I took over his bedroom and renovated it into my writing space. I justified it by calling it an office and a guest room.
This room became my place of bliss. Especially when COVID hit, and I needed somewhere to hide for Zoom meetings, online conferences, and virtual writing gatherings. With a big window, a calming colour palette, pleasant lighting, and an ergonomic desk and chair, my room was always inviting. The small touches helped as well, like having my spare computer plug sitting ready and waiting, making it super easy to plunk myself down. My mood can always be met as I can lounge on the cushioned couch/guest bed or lean back on the perfectly sized recliner.
When a cat in need presented to my veterinary practice, pregnant with nowhere to have her kittens, I volunteered to bring her home. Unfortunately, the only open space for her to take up residence was my writing room. I cleared away my personal belongings, set up a cat litter, removed the soft furniture and covered my luxurious rug with mats and sheets.
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While attending the Thrillerfest conference in June, I couldn’t help but notice the frequent use of the word “wheelhouse” in conversations about reading and writing books. The word became the newest buzzword of the year. It is a term that has slowly made its way into many writers’ vocabulary, including my own.
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If you’re a writer, chances are, you’re a reader. And there’s a high probability, like me, you’re a bookaholic. You can’t get enough. Walk by a bookstore? Only with the greatest inner fortitude. But now you don’t even have to walk by! I’ll be quietly working away at my day job, when—DING—there’s an email, Chapters / Indigo is having a sale. Pop to their website, scan the titles, order, pay, and boom, back to work. Or, I’ll be listening to a podcast while I work, a book suggestion comes up, pop over to Amazon, no min order needed to get free shipping, just a click away and the book is somehow already shipped.
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The dreaded ‘comp’ or comparative title is every querying novelist’s nemesis. You spend years writing and perfecting your novel—a book only you could have written, a story unlike any other—and then you’re asked to list the similar books.
What? Are they crazy? Of course, there is nothing exactly like your novel—that’s why you wrote it.
The trouble is—this is the business of books. If you want an agent to promote your work, if you dream of the day a publisher will commit to printing your pages and you can’t wait to see your glossy hard cover baby mingling on the shelves of your favourite bookstore, then you need to help everyone to position your book. Read more