My family has about 120 acres a couple of hours out of the city, and I managed to get up there for 5 days once school was out, and I got a ton of writing done. Yes, my daughter was there, but she had her friends and so there were almost no interruptions. While eating, I critiqued submissions for the summer workshop, and the rest of the time I wrote, taking a couple of hours to stretch my legs by trimming the hedge and mowing the lawn. Got all the revisions for one novel done, and began reviewing one I finished six months ago. The six month break was good: found some places to cut, so the other novel is tighter now.
No Pithy Words Today
I’m saving them all for my novel. But really, that is pithy enough, isn’t it? Bum in chair, fingers on keys. That’s the joy and the work and the centre of it.
Edge’s Classy Reading
I went to the Edge launch of its new imprint, X-Press, at the Venturian Art Gallery. What a first-class event! The venue, which was awesome (gorgeous art work) was packed and it was semi-formal, with nibblies and wine. I had the opportunity to read (I love to read) as well as Randy McCharles and Marie (last name?) who runs Edge’s podcasts. Marie also told some very funny stories. After the break, Rob Sawyer read, who is always awesome, and Christian Bok, a poet whom I hadn’t heard before, but whose performance was breathtaking.
Also, it was great to touch base with some people I rarely see, such as Quartet Publisher, Rose Scollard. Barb Galler-Smith (whose first novel, Druids, will be coming out from Edge in the fall) and Ann Marsden came down from Edmonton. And — here was my surprise for the evening — Brian and Anita’s son was there: he works with my husband. What a small world!
In Touch With the Muse
Several years ago, I took a workshop session about brain development and there was a ton of good stuff in it, but one of the concepts had to do with stress: we all know that stress causes a bodily response (eg: increased levels of certain hormones) and excess stress can cause you not to think as clearly as you might otherwise because you are vigilantly scanning your environment. The joke goes, “If you thought you had a good idea at work you didn’t.” Because, of course, you are stressed just by being at work. Your best thinking is in the shower, on your bicycle, etc.
Last year, for my birthday, my husband got me a tiny voice recorder that I take with me wherever I go; and wherever and whenever the muse strikes me (well, maybe not in the shower), I can capture not only my ideas / words, but the passion in my voice. It has been invaluable in moving my plot forward. Also, when my crit group said, “what happened to Meg at the end of the book,” then when I got an idea about it (which actually solved 2 other problems as well), I was able to capture it.
Last weekend was awesome for completing revisions on the book; next weekend will be even better: all the ideas are there!
Susan