Writing--the best job in the world

Wednesday I took some of my favourite people to see Disney on Ice--these were complimentary passes from my employer Rogers--I'm the features editor for Today's Parent Toronto. Also we needed to squeeze in a restaurant review, called Whine and Dine in the magazine. Last minute I discovered Arriba which overlooks the interior of the SkyDome or the Rogers Centre. Here's my two grandsons enjoying each other's company as well as the view.I will admit going on an event you have to write about is a bit stressful. Not because of the writing, I can think it out on paper pretty quickly when I have to--but because I worry things will go wrong especially when there's only one go through. For example, Arriba staff said they were open at five where the website said 6:30. If it had of only opened that late we couldn't have made the 7:00 show. Also Hunter had a stomach ache in the morning. You never know if

that would have turned into something more serious later.

As it was it went away and he ate well.

Mostly, I worry that the kids will have a meltdown. Magazine experiences tend to be manic.

You have to squeeze everything in quickly so you can write about it ...quickly.

But we all had a great time. Okay I'll post one photo of the show since blogging is considered personal use.

The End...Death on YouTube

You think that it would be a relief to type "The End" when you're done a book. First of all many writers don't even do that--they type "-30-" some old-fashioned printer's code to signal not to look further for more text to print.

Instead, I , and many other writers I've spoken to about this, get depressed. My process is to write as quickly as I can, much the way I read. I gobble up stories when I read, I spit out first drafts when I write. Then I have to decide whether I've shaped it correctly. Off it goes to fellow writers whose job it is not to applaud--although we can all use a lot of that--but to pick it apart before an acquisitions editor can. I think it's the next leg of the journey that depresses me. The knowledge that there will be a whole bunch of flaws in my baby that I have to "correct".

Really, though, it's more like adding a second and third coat of paint. I splash down a first draft and the reader can't see the colour that well until I add a second and third coat.

Anyhow, for this book, I feel pretty good. Thanks to the five classes I visited this year:

(two at) Canadian Martyr, Alexander Public, Brant Hills. The students were so hooked from the first reading, I felt inspired to continue. It also helps that my Norwegian publisher liked the first three chapters and outline.

Memorable Event--Sixth Annual CANSCAIP OLA Booklaunch

I can't remember having a better time than at this years CANSCAIP Launch. So many different approaches. Some read--authors read beautifully. Some sang--yes authors sing beautifully. Ted Staunton played a mean banjo and had the audience clucking and wiggling in their chairs like chickens laying eggs. Spring showed up in full costume and promises to return later. Some of the authors dressed up in crazy hats to help demonstrate Kari-Lynn Winter's book--all the while I was timing. So much fun watching them try to beat the clock. Next year it might be nice if we didn't launch on a blizzard day and if more librarians showed up to enjoy the wonderful performance.

New Writers on the job

Here they are hard at work, creating stories about some strange stuffed animals, most of whom want to go for the gold at the Olympics. I love the Artist in Education Week,( it gives me much more of a closer and longer contact with my readers than an author visit) and it was especially fun at BrierPark School because the teachers and principal understood how much creative writing can contribute to their curriculum. It's often difficult to convince educators, despite the literacy push, that giving up half a day to writing stories with a professional author can enrich, empower as well as educate the students. If they can reason through the peaks and valleys of a story, thinking about how stuffed crocodiles can practise shotput let's just say, they will increase their powers of critical thinking for all subjects and for the real problems in their life. And along the way, they'll also learn some writing technique, practise their computer skills and sure, improve their spelling.

Brier Park Public School

Forgot to charge and bring my camera or there would be a photo here of some outstanding actors delivering the great lines they wrote today. Two grade five and one grade six class write with me in the morning and in the afternoon. It's already day three of this Ontario Artist in Education sponsored week. Day three is always dialogue one of my favourite activities. I pair the young writers and they collaborate on one of three scenarios involving (usually) a young person trying to talk an adult into something.

It's interesting how the parents respond. In these skits they always seem to cave in and the young person wins. Is this wishful thinking or do all adults allow their kids to have dragons and aliens as pets?

SkyRide in Death on YouTube

Jade only has a week to live or really a week to relive of her previous life. Except she changes everything by committing to a list, essentially a bucket list. On it is skydiving which you can't do unless you're 18 and she's 14. So she goes indoor skydiving at Niagara Falls instead. Yes you have to be 18 to try it without a parent present but even a 7 year old can do it with her parents there. I figure it's easier to get by the rules with someone else's ID than it would be actually jumping from an airplane. After the "skydive", Aiden, the boy who will ultimately kill her, suggests the SkyRide.

Well you can research blogs and study advertisement on the ride all you want, you're never going to feel the experience unless you do it. I would ordinarily never go on the SkyRide because I would expect to feel nauseous. But because of Jade's list, I went on and it was lovely. Not scary, just a very slow turn up in the sky which gives you yet another view of The Falls.

After the SkyRide, I think I will try the ferris wheel on Centre Island too.

Next Jade's dad will give her a surprise ride on a hotair balloon. It's winter, there's no way I can try it. I'm waiting for a friend to tell me all about her experience this year trying it.

More Describing Words in Caught in a Lie

Ahhh! I can't stand it. I'm working on Death on Youtube and keep gettings emails and comments on my website about how I don't describe my characters in Caught in a Lie enough. I wrote the book ten years ago.

But of course I still don't describe characters enough. So now I'm trying to picture every character in my new book and figure out what to say about them. I'm going insane.

Somebody must like my lack of character describing.

Alexander Public Grade 6 does character sketches

Here are the characters. You can tell a lot about the students by the stuffies they bring to school to do a character sketch. I'm not sure if you can make out Darth Vadar bear but he's sitting there on the left, the stuffie in black. Tomorrow is our last day together so I can read the stories about these guys in second draft.We also worked on scripts and here a couple of the students perform a very popular one on a "didi"that a boy tried to convince his mom was a good pet.

They always look so industrious when they work on the computers but really they're probably deciding on a font here. Tomorrow we say good bye and it's always a little sad. I'm assuming it may be my last time in a Sudbury classroom and Alexander Public is pretty special to me. Slam Dunk Robot was written there with the students' input.

But you never know. Maybe I'll be back for a launch of Death on Youtube

Rosie and Science North

One of my favourite things about Sudbury is Science North and this picture is hardly representative of the imposing round glass building perched on the edge of Lake Ramsey. It uses part of the rock structure that it sits on as a wall. And as you climb up the five levels, the floor winds around a whale skeleton. So cool. I enjoyed the 3d Wild Oceans Imax last night but also visited with the animals, who feed when I'm done with school. Hence the photo of Rosie. But I also learned about stem cell research in the Genome Club object theatre. And today I skated on the frozen lake behind the centre. I remembered my Ipod and listened to Hawaiian music as I toured the lake path twice, then the battery died. Too bad I forgot my camera. The sunlight was brilliant against the white snow and ice. You'll just have to imagine it.

The Penthouse Classroom

These are my grade 5 students at Alexander Public School along with their plucky teacher Mme Auger. In the morning I taught Mme Dimarco's grade 6s but they don't have such a beautiful view from their classroom. We were discussing description in a story as mood creator. Mrs. Auger said when it snowed last week it felt like they were in one of those glass globes that you shake. With all that light, sitting on top of the world I wonder if I can inspire them even more.

Sudbury--Imax Festival

It's a five hour drive to Sudbury but you don't notice it when you're listening to a nine hour unabridged book. It was called The Secret Between Us. How annoying when at about the sixth disc, the voice gets garbled and the player goes silent.

Happily, I was close to Sudbury by then and heard that bit over again on my computer in the hotel. Then off I went to my first Imax Festival film called Beavers. And that's what it was about. Who knew they made little whiny grunt sounds. And boy can the chop trees! I wonder how they film the critters and get them to just go about their business or maybe that accounts for the whiny grunts.

It was only about 40 minutes long so I topped the evening off with a long swim and soak in the hot tub, a little reading and then bed. Tomorrow Alexander Public School, and The Bears.

Free fall and I don't even mean writing

As you approach the Niagara Falls Freefall Indoor Activity Centre, you hear the roar of a jetplane engine. The blue and red figure floating on the tower looks vaguely like Superman, a hero from my youth. The other part of the building is a triangle made of glass triangles.

Now I don't feel like a superhero. In fact some of my joints ache and the warning poster inside says people with injuries, sprains, fractures and SORE JOINTS shouldn't participate.

I ignore it for my craft.

I hand over my Visa and get talked into adding the video, it's only $15 perhaps I can extract bits for a powerpoint presentation on writing the book. Then I head into the brightly lit classroom with the television at the front. Imagine, the tv is a teacher. The video demonstrates hand symbols and body positioning. As quickly as they're mentioned, I forget them and feel nervous that I should quit. Each student must demonstrate the correct posture lying across an ottoman. How much more stupid can I feel.

Then we sign the waiver. Those forms are the scariest part of this adventure as they keep mentioning death. How can anyone die bouncing of cushiony walls?

I could probably find a way.

Next we suit up in huge parachutey jump suits, helmets and goggles. We're given earplugs to mold and insert. All set?

Into the wind tunnel we go and position ourselves along the bumper of the round room.

The jet engine roars louder and louder.

We have a coach in the centre and he guides us, one by one, into the air. Me last, thankfully. You can't tell how high you're floating or whether the coach is holding on to your jumpsuit but watching the others, he never seemed to let go.

So you kind of jump up and stretch your arms out, bending your knees and lets up. You float bellydown. The wind from the engine inflates the parachute like suit and you look like a marshmallow person. (I only saw this in the photo after) The sensation is much like the one you get blowdrying your hands in those highpower dryers in the Go Station and in the washrooms on the 401 leading to Montreal. You know the ones that kind of look like they're blowing your skin off?

This sensation is mainly directed at your face and as I was grinning (from the sheer stupidity and embarassment) my lips were being blown back and I felt my spit leaving my mouth.

How did I feel doing it? I felt like the master of my universe, conquering all fears. Everyone should tackle something that scares them, it makes you stronger.

Indoor Skydiving--Part of the writing process

Because my main character Jade in Death on Youtube makes a list of ten things she has to do or achieve before she dies (a second time, she's on a two week replay) I felt I had to try something she would do in order to write the scene authentically.

In the late part of 2009 I visited classrooms for three weeks at both Canadian Martyrs School and Brant Hills School and as part of writing workshops asked them to tell me what they'd most want to do if they only had two weeks to live and couldn't really tell anyone, exactly as my character's circumstances dictated. Of course some of their suggestions will appear in the story. However, one thing that repeatedly came up which kids under 18 are not allowed to do is skydiving. Not even with parental consent.

Happenchance, while catching up one clips of one of my favourite shows: Rick Mercer, I noticed he went indoor skydiving at Niagara Falls. I quickly googled and found that even 7 year olds can skydive, provided they have a parent on site who signs insurance waivers and consent forms.

So I debated: this is expensive, I've already broken my wrist once rollerblading, the orthepedic surgeon will really freak if I come back after indoor skydiving. I posted my query on facebook and found the response leaned towards yes. So today off I went.

Best Christmas Card of all--from Beauty

I liked all the Christmas cards I received. Friends are another of the treasures of life. But feeling that you've made a difference is probably the most exciting aspect of being a writer. It's not always reflected in royalties, reviews or awards. This Christmas card made me feel as though I have contributed significantly to Canadian children's literature. So I want to post it here, in case I lose the actual physical photo. Samantha read Bringing Up Beauty in grade 4. Now she's at U of Guelph and works part time at Canine Vision Canada. She fosters many dogs but a couple of months ago she told me she was finally raising a chocolate Lab that she named Beauty after the two dogs in Bringing Up Beauty, A Different Kind of Beauty and Beauty Returns. I feel honoured.

The Best of Christmas

The presents weren't the highlight of Christmas. I guess they never are. Enjoying the Spencer Smith Park lights are a tradition. Going to Hunter's Teddy Bear Concert is another. We took William and Jadzia to the free train in Gore Park, downtown Hamilton. Previous years it was Hunter. We liked taking him to the movie A Christmas Carol, in 3d. A new event was celebrating Jadzia's birthday, her first, a delayed event that took place on Boxing Day instead of her actual birthday on Christmas. The best part of Christmas was family for sure.

Harry Potter at the Science Centre--writing and its perks

Hunter appreciates the perks of the writing career. He told me how lucky we were when we attended the press release for the new Harry Potter exhibit coming to the Ontario Science Centre in April. You can see the television cameras lined up in the back for the sneak preview.

An owl delivered the message, smoke rose and the flying car appeared in the background.

Best was that we saw the Body show after which I had missed the press date for as I was teaching in Brant Hills School at the time. I fell asleep during my favourite star show in the planetarium, Hunter nudging me when I snored. He slept all through the drive home. Happily it was easy for me to stay awake. I have to agree with Hunter, being a writer is the best job in the world.

Leading up to Christmas

The holiday season began with a field trip to the Royal Botanical Garden in Burlington/Hamilton to get photos for the magazine. Jadzia and William enjoyed the outing among palm trees, koi fish and other exotic flora and fauna. Later in the month, we took a horse drawn wagon ride in the rain through Burlington and bought most of our gifts in the small, uncrowded, downtown shops that wrapped for us. Snow would have been nicer but it was still fun and free except for the shopping.

Death on Youtube

Lately, I've been feeling quite mellow and it has to do with the novel I'm working on.

Death on Youtube is about a girl who dies and has the clock turned back so that she can re experience her last 14 days, only with a difference.

Through her eyes, I see, hear, smell and feel things with a new intensity. Everything she experiences could be her last time. So she notices the pigeons nesting in the corner of the underpass for example. She watches the sunset and looks for shooting stars. (It's late August)

In honour of my character, 14 year old Jade, I'm posting my list of things I like to do:

Chat on the phone with a friend.

Walk my dog early in the morning.

Watch Youtubes of other people's pets doing crazy things or just being cute.

Look at the water (Lake Ontario from my deck) in the distance.

Drive along Lakeshore and see expanses of the water close up.

See boats and lighthouses.

Drink coffee and read the newspaper in the morning.

Read a book, anytime, anyplace.

Boil up something with brown sugar in it. I like to smell it and watch the bubbles break.

These are some of the more solitary experiences. I'll add to this list as the more social things come up, like visiting with my grandchildren.

Daringly Disheveled Office

Somewhere in this mess, my car keys might be buried. However, this is the way the office looked after I straightened for awhile and no key turned up. And I cleaned a hall closet and a laundry room and checked all my pockets. Emptied my purse. Checked in the washer and dryer. Dreamt they were stuck in a binder, but no.

So I paid $375 to have a new set "programmed". They don't even come with a remote box, sigh. Then there were the new winter tires, replacing the brakes, the tail lightbulb, the windshield wiper that smeared. The total bill was $1,600. Nobody better complain books are expensive to me. Or even author visits. After all, I need keys, a tail light, brakes and a clean windshield to get to them.

I'm now afraid to clean the rest of the office in case they turn up. They would need to be re-programmed you see.

Sunrise

A new morning that looks way better in real life than in photos. The sky looked a bit darker and the pinks and oranges more fiery.