Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Morning on Toronto Island. Looking for inspiration!









Up early, quick trip to the ferry, across to Centre Island. Then a lovely walk toward Ward's Island along paths and the boardwalk. A muffin with these huge sunflowers beside the table, reading the morning paper. Not sure I found inspiration, but I did find the morning breeze blowing off the water, scads of kids in groups with leaders enjoying a beautiful day, tennis players cavorting on the courts, all this island just across the water from downtown has to offer harried and hot visitors who arrive all day by ferry and make their way back to the city when they are ready. For me, that didn't take long today. I came home and faced again the manuscript I am working on, one that was critiqued the other night at my writing group (Moosemeat). Dealing with the feedback always raises questions that when I deal with them improve on whatever work I am doing. The big challenge sometimes is to accept what is useful and reject what is not. In the end, each piece of work is the author's. Each ultimate decision belongs to that one person. Ah, the road of life, these analogies true of that as well.

Monday, July 16, 2012

#7. Life of a Writer. Galloping Along.

Time to start writing again and with the speed of a horse galloping along, I have picked up the reins of that horse and am trying to go with the energy released. Having a new and peaceful place to write (above) helps. Peace also because of going through all of what a move entails and being on the other side of it, especially challenging after living so long in one spot. But a great feeling of freedom comes from having downsized.


I have finished the mystery I'd been revising and submitted it to my agent at HSW Literary Agency.  Am now working on a sequence of short stories and a memoir. It has taken a long time to find the narrative arc of the memoir, but I think I have it and the disparate chapters are starting to hang together. Seems so obvious that it would be my own journey as a writer. When I started to write this, I was at a different stage of that journey and saw others things as the predominant theme. Ancestors. Travel. The North. As it turns out, they are all very important to my journey and their presence is not diminished. Just that they are linked by a spiritual and artistic journey that is mine, undoubtedly shared in many ways with other artists/writers.


Keep posted! The writer's work continues. And I will be pleased if you decide to share some part of your own story in a comment!

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Downtown Toronto. Outdoor Art and A Demonstation

I didn't get the artist's name
Work of Mei Zi
 


Save the children of Syria




Save the children of Syria





Walking downtown on Saturday, July 7, 2012 between plays at The Fringe. Art at Nathan Phillips Square, an annual outdoor show. Perhaps I will find something for my new condo, I thought, but came away only with a couple of ideas. It's a start. And I always enjoy seeing the range of work of the artists who show there.

Then walking back along Queen Street, passed the demonstration to Save the Children of Syria. Yes. So much happening in the world to protest, but what is happening in Syria defies all sense of social justice, human rights and democratic process. Would that the Assad regime will fall soon.

Monday, July 2, 2012

The Best of Summer in Ontario.

View from the Shack
The Swamp
The Shack



 A splendid retreat from the city. Memories of childhood on a remote lake in northern Quebec. Fodder for writing? Time will tell.



Sunday, July 1, 2012

Flowers for my Birthday!

Not talking about the age, but it was a pleasant, low key birthday even so! All the mail, email, FB greetings and telephone calls certainly something to appreciate and celebrate. Flowers from my sister and brother-in-law. As well as a trip to a so-called shack near Parry Sound with daughter and family to add to the celebration. And a shared birthday with my grandson. As well as Canada's 145th birthday and that's a lot older than either I am or my grandson is. Oh yes, and a utube video from the top of a mountain in Croatia from my son and his significant other. All in all, a very pleasant birthday! Many thanks to everyone who made it all happen.