Canadian fiction

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Visit Me at the Vancouver Public Library October 8th

The Vancouver Public Library is hosting the first Indie Author Day on October 8. I’ll be one of the authors. My first public outing as a published author!

VPL Indie Author Day Participant banner

The planned event  gives member of the public an opportunity to meet and connect with the writing community. I’ll be there along with fellow Mountain Maven author Donna Barker, author of the quirky breakout women’s fiction novel Mother Teresa’s Advice for Jilted Lovers and creator of Write Woman, Write! I’ll be sitting at our table, participating in readings, and spending time in a ‘talk to an author’ corner, among other things.

I’ll also be bringing trade paperback copies of Reconcilable Differences, so you can buy one AND get it signed!

If you live in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver, share this post to spread the word. Support your public library, and local indie authors. Thanks!

 

 

Yann Martel’s Beatrice & Virgil: Book Review
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Yann Martel’s Beatrice & Virgil: Book Review

Yann Martel’s Beatrice & Virgil

Yann Martel's Beatrice & Virgil cover artI recently finished reading Yann Martel’s Beatrice & Virgil, and afterwards I was kind of speechlesslessly moved… and disturbed.  But after the prickles in my skin smoothed and my fur unruffled, a couple of sleeps later… these thoughts came to me.

 

One could say that it is ‘like’ Life of Pi in that it’s deep and philosophical… and… it has animals in it… but there the resemblance ends. Beatrice and Virgil is a darker book, and upon reflection, the key difference is that instead of being about me, it’s about you. And by that I mean that it’s ultimately about empathy. It’s a subtle and a quiet book.

 

One could say that it is ‘like’ Life of Pi in that it’s deep and philosophical… and… it has animals in it… but there the resemblance ends

 

Martel begins by introducing us to his narrator Henry, a writer not unlike Martel, we are led to believe, and through this sleight of hand, helps us to believe and empathize and get inside of Henry’s head and heart. Then takes us on a journey with Henry, getting to know first the characters in a play, Beatrice and Virgil, absorbing their remembrances and thoughts and feelings, until they too are like our own, eventually and literally ‘getting under our skin.’ Martel succeeds in a fresh, innovative and sneaky way, through a fiction inside a fiction, in helping every reader to empathize with Holocaust survivors in a way they likely haven’t done before, in a lasting way, and then he even manages to ‘help’ us empathize with the perpetrator of the Horrors, the old taxidermist, a Nazi war criminal, through his obsession, his consuming guilt and self-loathing, even through his cold detachment… and thank you, that’s not creepy.

 

Martel succeeds in a fresh, innovative and sneaky way, in helping every reader to empathize with Holocaust survivors in a way they likely haven’t done before, in a lasting way

 

You’ll say I’ve missed the point, that Martel meant this book and its subject matter to represent an allegory for the blind ignorant, cruel destruction and extermination by humankind of animalkind, and yes it manages to do that too, like an oroboros eating its own tail, it goes round and round, one meaning the other. It’s about the heartless destruction by man of all life, his own kind, other kinds… the planet… individual lives… relationships… families… pasts and futures… dreams and hopes… entire habitats and cultures… ultimately himself. Martel helps us feel these things, from the armature that underpins us to the markings on the surface of our fur, in such a way that we can never forget.

 

Martel helps us feel these things, from the armature that underpins us to the markings on the surface of our fur, in such a way that we can never forget

 

If that is not enough for a slim volume to accomplish, Martel’s book does one more thing. The author slyly and wittily announces his intentions at the outset through his puppet Henry by laying out his thesis- that while history can tell us what is real, only fiction can teach us what is true. And just like his panel of judges, we are not completely convinced. He then proceeds to prove it.

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Finding Inspiration and Motivation with Other Writers

DENMAN ISLAND READERS AND WRITERS FESTIVAL

It’s been a year since I’ve attended a writers festival, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to go to this one either. I thought perhaps I’d been to too many, and they’d lost their sparkle.

But once I decided to, I quickly caught the fever, and have enjoyed once again plunging in amongst other afficionados of the written word. There really is nothing quite as stimulating as being around a bunch of people who share the crazy love one has for something – in my case books and the written word.

Sometimes, to tell the truth, I find other writers’ success stories a bit discouraging, and that’s true whether they found instant fame and fortune (depressing because this is not me) or whether they slogged away for over a decade before finally publishing their first book (depressing because this is perhaps me, at best).

But in the end I’m drawn into the readings and questions and answers, the writing craft workshops, which I never tire of, and those wonderful, electric, galvanizing moments when I meet another writer and get to indulge in intricate, detailed discussions about anything from research to dialect to story structure to editors to publishing.

FINDING MY TRIBE

photoThere’s a kind of passionate connection that ultimately reinforces my belief that when amongst writers, I truly have found my tribe. And that’s validating no matter where you are along the road to publication. Those that have achieved a little or a lot of success usually display a charming deer-in-the-headlights kind of astonishment, and I recognize the sense of disbelief that anyone might want to read what I have created, never mind thousands of people. And this brings them all back down to the level of the simple, human writer, struggling to find the words, to keep sitting down at the keyboard and squeezing out that vision, trying to express ideas and feelings and satisfy that vague, mysterious, powerful urge to share and connect and create and weave stories that will engage and move readers.

Have you found your tribe? Amongst what kind of people do you feel most at home? What topics get you so excited you’re vibrating, and make time with others fly by unmeasured. Is it sharing recipes? Raising or teaching children? Gardening? Is it vintage cars or Scalentrix race tracks? Is it boats? Trains? Star Wars? Vampires or fairies? What’s your passion? Tell me about it.

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Canadian Fiction Writers in Banff

At the moment I’m still learning to use WordPress and create a website, but haven’t had much time to add to it lately, what with all my other commitments. What you see here is an ongoing WIP. I want to share some of the terrific tidbits of information I’ve learned as part of the research for my first two manuscripts, especially fascinating things about civilian life in London during the latter part of WWII, the V-2 and other bombs, and encryption and radiography, all of which weave together beautifully to enrich the backstory in this novel about a young Canadian woman who gets caught up in the mystery of her new employers past. Click on Books for more.

My other, and closer-to-the-heart WIP is a novel that’s about 34,000 words into 100,000 about an independent-minded dot-com millionaire whose summer plans are spoiled when he’s expected to share childcare duties with his nemesis, a shrewish career-driven architect. Both of them have a lot to learn about themselves before they are ready for each other. I’m still committed to writing no less than 50,000 words before June 28th, 2011, despite all the delicious distractions.

Last weekend, I returned from a hard-working, fun and fascinating week at The Banff Centre for the Arts in Alberta for their week-long Writing With Style program. I met and worked with a terrific bunch of writers from all genres and walks of life. There were poetry, short fiction and creative non-fiction groups, but I spent my week in the Novel-First Chapter workshop, led by advisor, fellow British Columbian, Audrey Thomas, author of  more than 15 novels and short story collections, and more than 20 radio plays, and multi-award winning author. She has been recognized provincially, winning the Ethel Wilson Prize three times, been nominated for the Govenor General’s Award twice, been a recipient of the Order of Canada, the Marian Engel Award and many others. Needless to say it was a great honour and thrill to work closely with Audrey over the week long course, and to benefit from her wisdom, insight and sharply honed writer’s skills. I’d like to extend thanks also to my fellow stylistas in the class, a group of wonderfully smart and talented writers who worked so hard and helped me hone my craft as well. Thanks so much to: Al, Alec, Alicia, Andres, Elaine, Kris, Sonja and Tim, and best of luck with your writing projects.

Doggy in the Window by Elaine Arsenault

Bad Latitudes by Al Pope

I seem to be addicted to taking courses lately. Starting this week, I’ll be taking an online course called Deep Edits with Margie Lawson through WriterU. I’m also looking forward to a workshop with Bob Mayer May 28th, offered by my local RWAChapter, the RWAGVC. As well, they are hosting the Write On, Vancouver Conference May 13-15, 2011, featuring 8.5 hours of workshops with Hollywood story and script consultant Michael Hauge. Exciting!