The Ten Most Common Questions I Am Asked at Readings.

The most common questions I encounter at readings vary from one to another, of course. But there are certain common themes. Working in the field, one forgets that the central knowledge of one's metier is a mystery to most people. Even avid readers. Even other writers who are starting out on the journey that may lead them to published articles and books also. Even one's friends.

So people come to readings for a variety of reasons. Many of them reflected in the questions that are asked.

• When did you start writing? This questions links well with why I started writing? So unless that has already been asked, I tell the story of having a poem accepted when I was 7. In other words, an early success, but followed by a long history of rejection. Although I don't recall much other writing before my late teens, etc., and then before my mid thirties.
•  How long did it take to write the book? This is of endless fascination and I imagine there are as many answers as there are books. Or writers. Sometimes it is hard to answer as a first draft may have been written long ago and been picked up over the years and set aside again. It would be lovely if every book took a year or two to write and then was published shortly thereafter. That is rarely the story of any book. I often say my novel, Ile d'Or took 40 years from the first glimmer on paper to publication. Of course, I did many other things and wrote many other stories during those years. But it is nonetheless an honest answer.

• Where do you get your ideas? What I often want to say to this one is, I wish I knew. But there are many sources for ideas so I look at the specific work we are discussing and tell the audience about some incident that led to this novel. Or this character. Something for them to think about and perhaps apply to their own experience.
• Do you start with a character or an idea? Or do you have a plot in mind? Do you work from an outline? These questions usually come separartely, but in the writing of a book I think of them as similar and often it makes the process more clear by talking about them together.
• Who is your favourite writer? Who are you influenced by? I confess this varies depending on the day, although there are many Canadian writers whose work I love and one of my earliest passions was for Russian writers like Dostoyevsky,
• How did you find a publisher? Trying every avenue I could think of, I was finally accepted by Inanna after many years of having short stories published and continuous rejection of longer work. Tellling about this could take an evening, but that is essentially what happened.
• Do you do a lot of research? Not a lot of official research. Often my life experience has been my research. If I need information, I ask people who have knowledge a lot of questions and these days do research on the internet. Sometimes also in libraries.
• How many copies of the book have been sold? Often I don't yet know because of the vagaries of the publishing business, but I tell them I think all of us would know if it were a best seller.
• How much money do you make? I don't know the answer to that either at any given moment, but an awful lot less than most people assume. I've always had to have another source of income to write, which has made for a lifetime of adventure, to put the most positive slant on it.
• Where/how do you start to become a writer? This is probably the prototype kind of question for people who are trying to figure out what to do to get the story they have out there in the world. And the reply is just as stereotypical really, you just sit down and start. Beyond that there are many answers to specific questions, but I think people think writing is easy and the reality is that it's 90% hard work. Slogging. After the idea comes the writing, the revising, etc. over and over.
• Which character most closely resembles you? I sometimes say which one I think does, but often find an interesting anecdote to tell that increases the mystery for the questioner. So often it is assumed that everything in a book is true and based somehow on my life when I know there is a mixture of truth there, but used imaginatively to create a new reality. So answering this question can be fun!

These are the general questions that seem to arise over and over, whether with friends, at a reading, wherever. There are always very specific ones based on the actual book, questions about why a character does something, about the setting, anything that has intrigued a particular reader. I find the q&a's a lot of fun as I enjoy the feedback now that my work is out there. And often there is something I haven't thought about that gives me pause and delight when I see my work reflected through a reader.

Fall Sky Over the St, Lawrence. 2011

 

Photo by Nicole Gombay

This sky reminds me of skies in northern Quebec where I grew up. It is solace for my soul when life in an urban metropolis feels overwhelming.  At the moment, what does that to me is not the city but the lengthy period I must spend on crutches. I think, I read, I write, but after a few weeks, having one's freedom of movement curtailed becomes almost unbearable. Today the ennui was relieved when my niece arrived in her car and she took me to vote at an advance poll (Ontario election). We also went to the grocery store, something I haven't been able to do since July. I find the firsts very exciting, even something so mundane as going to my local NO Frills store. I haven't ever shopped on crutches before, so that was an eye opener. I suppose there is a story in all of this, but at this point I look forward to putting it all behind me. I get sick of following my friends only on Facebook, wish I could join them at Word on the Street tomorrow. I hope the weather holds up and that it is a great day for books in Toronto. And everywhere else WOTS is being held on this last Sunday in September.

BOOK CLUBS. Planning for a Book Club Appearance.

Recently I received a request from the Toronto alumni of my alma mater, McGill University, to attend discussion of my most recent book, the novel Ile d'Or, at their book club's November meeting. The invitation included a request to speak at the beginning of the evening. 

The email reads as follows: I think it would be a real treat if you would speak for about 10 minutes or so at the start of the meeting. In addition to people having the opportunity to hear from an author (so rare and exciting!), it might also lead to more questions for the group.

I agreed to do this (with pleasure!) and have some possible ideas for a talk, suggested by the questions of the representative of the club, as follows:

• A short introduction about yourself (where you are from, where you went to school, how you got interested in writing, etc.). 
• How long did it take you to write this novel?
• What is your writing process like? For example, do you plan out the plot and characters first in great detail, or do you just start and see where it goes?
• Anything else you might want to include...

  Please let me know your thoughts about such an introductory talk, she writes... I think it would generate incredible interest.

  

The questions are similar to those I am asked when I make other public presentations, although the format and audience are different each time. The key difference in the situation of being invited to a book club is the assumption that many, if not most, of the participants will have read the book. This leads to more interesting discussion for both writer and readers. So while the questions suggested are general, more in-depth ones will more than likely emerge in the course of discussion.  So while initially I am guided by a format, I scarcely have to do more than think about it for this part of the talk. Since I haven't reread the book for a few months, I will likely at least skim it before the meeting though.

 I don't think this will be a piece of cake, but every appearance is exciting and gives more visibility to the book. I do expect to enjoy it as much as I did a large slice of the cake below at a recent party.

Crutches. Another Countdown.

The countdown is over after six weeks. Or I thought it would be. Now there is another, unexpected one. I am not able to throw away the crutches, but must use them for another 35 days. Unimaginable. Or at least, I would rather not imagine it. Or is it to be more valuable writing time? Time to read through the novel again. To continue revising short stories. Since I am able to go out more, I will do that, too, when I can find transportation. Even if I had a car I couldn't drive it as it is the right foot that is not weight bearing for now.

I hope friends will continue to drop by. The porch will get cooler, but fall weather is generally pleasant. I tell myself it won't be so bad, but I haven't managed to convince myself yet! Instead I am still sad and disappointed at this continued restriction on my mobility.

Maybe there is a poem I will write about crutches. Or a story. In the meantime,there will be photos! Oh, and I think I can do the cha cha on one foot and one heel, but it wouldn't help with the healing. So for now  I will resist the temptation to go dancing.

Banana Loaf.

Sometimes I've done all the writing I am going to do that day, but still want to make or create something. So most recently it was a banana loaf from the Comfort Food Cookbook by Johanna Burkhard (1997). I seldom make anything without some slight change. And although it isn't a very original change, I often add semi-sweet chocolate chips to this recipe. Some people also like shredded coconut in it.

 Banana Nut Loaf/Bread

325 degrees  9”x5” loaf pan, greased. Or parchment paper on bottom.

Baking time: 1 1/4 hours.

1 3/4 c   all-purpose flour        

1 tsp.   baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2                 large eggs

1 c.      mashed bananas (about 3 ripe)

1/3 c    vegetable oil

1/2 c     honey

1/3 c     packed brown sugar

1/2 c     chopped walnuts

1/2 c     semi-sweet chocolate chipits (optional)

Sift flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

Beat eggs in a separate bowl. Stir in bananas, oil, honey and brown sugar. Stir until smooth.

Stir dry ingredients into banana mixture until combined. Fold in walnuts (and chocolate chipits).

Pour batter in prepared loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven for 1 1/4 hours (325) (I start checking at around an hour) or until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Let pan cool on rack for 15 minutes. Run knife around edge; turn out loaf and let cool on rack.

Note: Lining bottom of pan with waxed or parchment paper means you’ll never have trouble removing the loaf from the pan.

Countdown Continues. Reflections.

36 days on crutches, viewing the world from my front porch. 6 days now till the  'skewer' in my toe is removed. This existence has been surreal, but a time for friendship, reflection and a lot of reading and writing. I thought the time would drag, but this last part has gone quickly. I don't expect miracles, but I will be glad to be able to have a shower without saran wrap and a big plastic bag over my foot. I will be glad to be able to manoeuvre the stairs to the basement and do my own laundry. It will take time to walk distances and to start dancing again, but I will at least be able to put weight on the front of my right foot soon. And give the heel a rest from taking all the weight on that foot. And that day when the 'skewer' is removed will be a huge milestone even if I can't walk and dance and take the TTC for a while.

I don't suppose I'll really understand fully the value of this time until it is over. But I do know I am far more aware of the generosity of family and friends and that I have a caring community that surrounds me. This is so even though many of them live at a distance. I am grateful. And also for the time to reflect and do some serious writing and revision. And to understand my life as a writer better. If I hadn't had that work to do, I suspect the time might have dragged more.

Would I Lie To You? Synopsis of Latest Version of a Novel.

This is todaý's synopsis of my novel, Would I Lie To You. For the moment, I am pleased with it. As any writer knows, everything is open to revision at some later point. The process goes on and on. In any case, I have almost finished revising this novel once again and felt it needed an updated synopsis also.

 

Synopsis:

As her husband lies dying, Sue goes to see a psychic who tells her there is someone like a son in her life. She dismisses this, but at Jerry’s funeral his son turns up, a son Sue didn’t know existed. She goes to tell the psychic, Hans, and later has lunch with him. As she goes about her life, grieving, getting to know Thomas, she regrets never telling Jerry, or anyone else, about the baby girl she gave up for adoption when she herself was only sixteen. At the same time as she starts to look for her daughter, she begins to fall in love with Hans who is struggling with difficulties in his own marriage. When she finds her now grown up daughter, Gwen, they move toward an understanding of what they mean to each other in a tapestry of existing family that includes what they have built thus far. The novel is about Sue finding her long lost daughter and about reclaiming her past. It is about love, loss, betrayal, courage and, ultimately, redemption.