Sylvia McNicoll's Blog, page 18
March 5, 2012
Coffee Beans and Writing Process
Getting ready for author visits to discuss` the writing process involved in the creation of my new book, crush.candy.corpse What really happened in the forty-first hour? I decided I had to make a coffee bean necklace. My character, Sunny Ehret, suffers from a hypersensitive sense of smell and when she visits Paradise Manor, she's troubled by the "methane gas" odour. Certainly, I have been troubled by this smell when visiting my mom's residence back when she was alive. Sunny's best friend suggests dabbing Vicks VapoRub under her nose. When Sunny visits the perfume counter instead, the clerk waves a coffee bean under her nose to clear the palate in order to better be able to smell the nuances of the next perfume sample. Bingo, Sunny decides a coffee bean necklace might be a better solution that medicine up her nostrils. The medicine idea was something caregivers in Mom's residence had suggested to me.
How does this tie in with writing process? Well the primary answer every author needs to try to address is where to you get your ideas? The easy answer is always from a) my brain (and I carry a rubber brain around with me) b) from my real life--enter the coffee bean necklace and my anecdotes.
Another tie in--a practical prop to encourage using your sense of smell in writing.
And here's another way to tie in the coffee. Laura Peetrom, one of my favourite editors, when reading the book in its infancy, suggested a plausibility issue. Coffee bean necklaces, is that possible to make on your own? Had I tried this? Eek. No. I had just imagined possible. So I googled and found out you needed to stick the beans in putty (see my lovely homemade purple playdough) and then drill holes on a slow speed.
Okay, I didn't try it at the time but I trusted the Internet and wrote that solution in. Her brother Wolfie suggests the drill when she finds it hard to poke a needle through. Now, when I actually have time to make the necklace, not really but I felt I needed to, I found that nine out of ten coffee beans cracked.My designer daughter Robin Forsyth from Rubicon Publishing suggested soakiing the beans. I tried that. Eight out ten beans cracked.
Progress was very slow.
Then out of desperation, as I was threading what few beans had made it into bead form, I poked a needle through. It didn't split. I tried it again. And again. Some still split and I needed to kind of push the needle through with something hard that wasn't my finger. Eventually I strung two great necklaces.So you can see the second application of my coffee beans to writing process--the plausibility editorial comment. To my readers who make their own necklace without seeing these blog corrections, I apologize. "Course they'll never read this apology either. To my fab editor, Laura Peetrom, thank you.
How does this tie in with writing process? Well the primary answer every author needs to try to address is where to you get your ideas? The easy answer is always from a) my brain (and I carry a rubber brain around with me) b) from my real life--enter the coffee bean necklace and my anecdotes.
Another tie in--a practical prop to encourage using your sense of smell in writing.
And here's another way to tie in the coffee. Laura Peetrom, one of my favourite editors, when reading the book in its infancy, suggested a plausibility issue. Coffee bean necklaces, is that possible to make on your own? Had I tried this? Eek. No. I had just imagined possible. So I googled and found out you needed to stick the beans in putty (see my lovely homemade purple playdough) and then drill holes on a slow speed.Okay, I didn't try it at the time but I trusted the Internet and wrote that solution in. Her brother Wolfie suggests the drill when she finds it hard to poke a needle through. Now, when I actually have time to make the necklace, not really but I felt I needed to, I found that nine out of ten coffee beans cracked.My designer daughter Robin Forsyth from Rubicon Publishing suggested soakiing the beans. I tried that. Eight out ten beans cracked.
Progress was very slow.
Then out of desperation, as I was threading what few beans had made it into bead form, I poked a needle through. It didn't split. I tried it again. And again. Some still split and I needed to kind of push the needle through with something hard that wasn't my finger. Eventually I strung two great necklaces.So you can see the second application of my coffee beans to writing process--the plausibility editorial comment. To my readers who make their own necklace without seeing these blog corrections, I apologize. "Course they'll never read this apology either. To my fab editor, Laura Peetrom, thank you.
February 29, 2012
Judging for the CCBC Writing Contest - Grade 10
Eighty-two stories came by Purolator from the Canadian Children's Book Centre. That's not an overwhelming amount, in other years I've received boxes, well over a couple hundred. The difference, however, is that these are from grade 10 students. These stories are not just a packet of writing exercises assigned by a Toronto private school teacher and turned in.These are poems, essays, and stories about holocaust, suicide, werewolves, dragons, bullying, Canada geese, lobster fishing and more. They come from students from Nova Scotia, B.C., the Northwest Territories, and all the provinces in between. Some are from homeschooled writers, others from urban collegiate students.
What's more all of them are good. Or let me correct that and say all have kernels of greatness in them, lyrical moments, an emotional turn of a phrase, a funny line, an profound insight, a window into a different kind of life or thinking.
When you receive that many entries, the temptation is to read until the first grammatical error or lapse in view point etc. The first moment you're taken out of the storie by a miswrite, you flip it down on to the pile.
Not this time. These entries deserved better. So I'm only reading them ten at a time, right through. Sticking on little yellow post it notes to remind myself about the topic. The best ones of the days go to the top of the pile. Sometimes all ten go to the top.
Then I'll reread the top ones again. While they all deserve applause and certainly this top pile, even more, I will have to be subjective in the end and just choose the story or poem that captures my heart the most. Almost there.
February 22, 2012
Three Secret Writing Tools
Everyone needs to embrace a ritual to get into right brain. Mine is the morning walk. I have a coach--see my middle photo where Mortie gives me a scornful eye for taking too long in gathering up my jacket, shoes, leash etc. If I run back to answer a phone or worse, check email, the look becomes vociferous. Not just barking, but shaped moans and groans.
The final photo shows a random hole in the sky. The monotony of walking helps you think but to be creative in any of the arts you need to be open to serendipitous input. You want to observe details closer. My digital camera is helping me with that. So my three secret writing tools: a morning walk, a talking dog and my digital camera.
The final photo shows a random hole in the sky. The monotony of walking helps you think but to be creative in any of the arts you need to be open to serendipitous input. You want to observe details closer. My digital camera is helping me with that. So my three secret writing tools: a morning walk, a talking dog and my digital camera.
February 18, 2012
CANSCAIP Packaging Your Imagination Meeting Nov 10/2012
Packaging Your Imagination (PYI) is the pickhit conference extravaganza that sells out early and leaves everyone breathless with inspiration. Editors, writers and illustrators share their tips and just in time for Christmas, you can buy autographed copies of their work. February 11, 2012 we met to hammer out details of the November 10, 2012 PYI. Everything from how much food to order to whom we should invite to give the keynote address got decided in a very cordial way. Remember you heard it first here. Shh, shh! This is top secret but some of the confirmed speakers so far include: Paul Yee, Christopher Moore, Norma Charles, Carolyn Beck, Lena Coakley, Tim Wynne Jones, Clayton Hamner, Patricia Ocampo, Sheila Barry, Richard Scrimger, Vladyann Krykorka
Rebecca Upjohn, and Helaine Becker. More to come yet. Some of the people in the photos, wonderful creators in their own right, are Patricia Storms, of course sitting under theart, Sharon Jennings, Lena Coakley, Gisela Sherman, Karen Krossing and Mahtab Narsihman. We're looking forward to November.
Rebecca Upjohn, and Helaine Becker. More to come yet. Some of the people in the photos, wonderful creators in their own right, are Patricia Storms, of course sitting under theart, Sharon Jennings, Lena Coakley, Gisela Sherman, Karen Krossing and Mahtab Narsihman. We're looking forward to November.
February 6, 2012
First Signing of candy. crush. corpse OLA Superconference
Not only is this the first signing of my latest novel due to actually be released in March, but it's the first time in my 24 years of writing that I'm autographing ARCs or advanced reading copies. Here's a talented young writer Cheryl Rainfield (author of Hunted) waiting for me to inscribe her ARC with some pithy wit. "Best wishes".
Authors often have difficulty concentrating enough to personalize a book and spell correctly. Plus there's a feeling that you should be able to look into someone's soul and give them the exact three or four word message that will change their life and yet also endorse the overall mood and message of the story.The lineup was decent and I enjoyed meeting many librarians from my past. Arcs are of course complimentary so I'm not sure how they will work to boost my sales. But it all felt very nice.A couple of hours later, I emceed as 35 authors presented their new books in three minute infomercials. The Annual CANSCAIP OLA Book launch, it's a fun kind of "Gong Show", who remembers that television game show? Authors dress up, sing, read from their books or reviews--it's a very celebratory event and librarians crush each other to get to it. Just kidding. About the crushing, I mean. 
Authors often have difficulty concentrating enough to personalize a book and spell correctly. Plus there's a feeling that you should be able to look into someone's soul and give them the exact three or four word message that will change their life and yet also endorse the overall mood and message of the story.The lineup was decent and I enjoyed meeting many librarians from my past. Arcs are of course complimentary so I'm not sure how they will work to boost my sales. But it all felt very nice.A couple of hours later, I emceed as 35 authors presented their new books in three minute infomercials. The Annual CANSCAIP OLA Book launch, it's a fun kind of "Gong Show", who remembers that television game show? Authors dress up, sing, read from their books or reviews--it's a very celebratory event and librarians crush each other to get to it. Just kidding. About the crushing, I mean.
January 20, 2012
crush.candy.corpse free signed arcs OLA Friday #535 10:20
Alright everybody. Spot the difference between the last posted cover and this one. This is the final. If you're attending the Ontario Library Associate Super Conference, please come to the Lorimer booth number 535 February 3, Friday,from 10:20 to 10:50 to meet me and get your free signed arc. Copies will also be available at Reading for the Love of it.
I love it!
I love it!
December 21, 2011
And the Winning Title is...
crush. candy. corpse.
This is my first book with James Lorimer Company Ltd. Publishing and it's been a wonderful experience. It should have happened back in 1987 when the acquisitions editor turned down my first novel ever: Blueberries and Whipped Cream. Such a lucky book that turned out to be, film options were sold, Australian rights, a couple of years ago German, Swedish and Norwegian rights.
But this is going to be an even luckier book because the spirit of my mother will bless it.
It's dedicated to her and she died as I was completing the last edit. Much of my experience visiting
with Mom in the Alzheimer's unit is fictionalized in this book. Things that nearly happened, that I imagined happening as I sat hoping for some response from my mother.
Anyway, we've been agonizing for a couple months. Or maybe it was just me. But a reader (stay tuned for her name) came up with the title and everyone, including the booksellers who previewed the mock cover, loved it.
Coming from my magazine world, initially I thought, with the lower case letters, that the first three words were the "dek" and the all-caps WHAT HAPPENED IN THE FORTY-FIRST HOUR? was the title. But that's just cool graphics. I do like alliteration but this is a bit of a tongue twister. Say it quickly and you'll see.
But nobody really has to say anything out loud. They just need to buy the book and read it.
This is my first book with James Lorimer Company Ltd. Publishing and it's been a wonderful experience. It should have happened back in 1987 when the acquisitions editor turned down my first novel ever: Blueberries and Whipped Cream. Such a lucky book that turned out to be, film options were sold, Australian rights, a couple of years ago German, Swedish and Norwegian rights.But this is going to be an even luckier book because the spirit of my mother will bless it.
It's dedicated to her and she died as I was completing the last edit. Much of my experience visiting
with Mom in the Alzheimer's unit is fictionalized in this book. Things that nearly happened, that I imagined happening as I sat hoping for some response from my mother.
Anyway, we've been agonizing for a couple months. Or maybe it was just me. But a reader (stay tuned for her name) came up with the title and everyone, including the booksellers who previewed the mock cover, loved it.
Coming from my magazine world, initially I thought, with the lower case letters, that the first three words were the "dek" and the all-caps WHAT HAPPENED IN THE FORTY-FIRST HOUR? was the title. But that's just cool graphics. I do like alliteration but this is a bit of a tongue twister. Say it quickly and you'll see.
But nobody really has to say anything out loud. They just need to buy the book and read it.
December 13, 2011
Skyping Freedom Middle School in Stone Mountain Georgia
Not my fans, at least not yet, these are a class of kids from Georgia who listened to Thunder Over Kandahar as a read a loud. Sharon McKay came over so I could help her skype in to answer their extremely thoughtful questions. I thought Sharon was joking when she said she was bringing me a burqa to wear for the interview. I chuckled out loud. That Sharon. Such a kidder. Me dressing up for that tiny skype window.She wasn't joking. It felt a bit claustrophobic even though it was a pretty aqua coloured fabric with some nice embroidery. I found it hard to breathe and stumbled to the computer. Sharon spoke about the detailed research she does, usually onsite, and how she relies on a team of supporters from the culture to fact check.She likes to write about what she wants to know rather than following the old adage of writing what you know. So the question she left the kids with was, should a white middle class woman write about the life of a young Muslim girl? Should she ever write outside her culture? I think, since we're privileged to live in a free speaking country, we not only should write about other cultures, but it's our duty. They can't always write about their own lives with impunity. Also a western woman can write in a mainstream way for western kids to find the story readable. One young woman who had read the book before listening to it and speaking to Sharon, told us how it had changed her life and how grateful she was that Sharon had written the story. Brought a lump to my throat. It's what every author hopes for. Netoba Watson said the skype visit was one of the highlights of her teaching career. All I can say is, it's teachers like her and Itaski Arnette that help kids achieve their full potential and Sharon and I, as moms, and grandmoms as well as authors,value them. You're lucky Freedom Middle School.
December 5, 2011
Cobourg Library Writing Contest-St. Joseph and Dale Road School
After this photo, my camera disappeared underneath the carpet in the back of my passenger seat. I only found it on Friday after a hunt through the house that turned up all kinds of other interesting things. So we travel back in time to November 18 when I enjoyed (re) meeting Rhonda Perry, Cobourg librarian extraordinaire. Each year her library engages several authors to visit schools to celebrate and encourage their writing contest.
St. Joseph School was kind enough to allow a gifted class to join their audience on this particular visit. I walked them through my writing process on a book called Last Chance for Paris. In trying new ways to explore metaphor and similes, I often use paint chips and ask the students for the best shade of white to describe snow and then tombstones. I also explain what difficulty I had in coming up with new ways to describe blue eyes for the character Tyler. His eyes can be glacier blue since Zanna the main character now lives near the icefields in Alberta. Sometimes when he's friendlier, they're described as lake blue. Last question of the day was how would I describe the blue of my top which you can barely make out in this photo. It was a challenge rather than a genuine desire for information. The young man wore a crooked grin as he asked it. I explained that writers sometimes have to think long and hard about these things, they don't come instantly. That the cliche answer was royal blue but that if pressed, I would probably choose an emotion to describe the colour: sincere blue. I'd read somewhere that blue was a good colour to wear to job interviews because it's is considered a "true" colour, true-blue. Visiting schools is like a job interview, if you "pass" the students believe some of your writing tips and often read your books.
St. Joseph School was kind enough to allow a gifted class to join their audience on this particular visit. I walked them through my writing process on a book called Last Chance for Paris. In trying new ways to explore metaphor and similes, I often use paint chips and ask the students for the best shade of white to describe snow and then tombstones. I also explain what difficulty I had in coming up with new ways to describe blue eyes for the character Tyler. His eyes can be glacier blue since Zanna the main character now lives near the icefields in Alberta. Sometimes when he's friendlier, they're described as lake blue. Last question of the day was how would I describe the blue of my top which you can barely make out in this photo. It was a challenge rather than a genuine desire for information. The young man wore a crooked grin as he asked it. I explained that writers sometimes have to think long and hard about these things, they don't come instantly. That the cliche answer was royal blue but that if pressed, I would probably choose an emotion to describe the colour: sincere blue. I'd read somewhere that blue was a good colour to wear to job interviews because it's is considered a "true" colour, true-blue. Visiting schools is like a job interview, if you "pass" the students believe some of your writing tips and often read your books.
Cobourg Library Writing Contest-St. Joseph and Dale Wood School
After this photo, my camera disappeared underneath the carpet in the back of my passenger seat. I only found it on Friday after a hunt through the house that turned up all kinds of other interesting things. So we travel back in time to November 18 when I enjoyed (re) meeting Rhonda Perry, Cobourg librarian extraordinaire. Each year her library engages several authors to visit schools to celebrate and encourage their writing contest.
St. Joseph School was kind enough to allow a gifted class to join their audience on this particular visit. I walked them through my writing process on a book called Last Chance for Paris. In trying new ways to explore metaphor and similes, I often use paint chips and ask the students for the best shade of white to describe snow and then tombstones. I also explain what difficulty I had in coming up with new ways to describe blue eyes for the character Tyler. His eyes can be glacier blue since Zanna the main character now lives near the icefields in Alberta. Sometimes when he's friendlier, they're described as lake blue. Last question of the day was how would I describe the blue of my top which you can barely make out in this photo. It was a challenge rather than a genuine desire for information. The young man wore a crooked grin as he asked it. I explained that writers sometimes have to think long and hard about these things, they don't come instantly. That the cliche answer was royal blue but that if pressed, I would probably choose an emotion to describe the colour: sincere blue. I'd read somewhere that blue was a good colour to wear to job interviews because it's is considered a "true" colour, true-blue. Visiting schools is like a job interview, if you "pass" the students believe some of your writing tips and often read your books.
St. Joseph School was kind enough to allow a gifted class to join their audience on this particular visit. I walked them through my writing process on a book called Last Chance for Paris. In trying new ways to explore metaphor and similes, I often use paint chips and ask the students for the best shade of white to describe snow and then tombstones. I also explain what difficulty I had in coming up with new ways to describe blue eyes for the character Tyler. His eyes can be glacier blue since Zanna the main character now lives near the icefields in Alberta. Sometimes when he's friendlier, they're described as lake blue. Last question of the day was how would I describe the blue of my top which you can barely make out in this photo. It was a challenge rather than a genuine desire for information. The young man wore a crooked grin as he asked it. I explained that writers sometimes have to think long and hard about these things, they don't come instantly. That the cliche answer was royal blue but that if pressed, I would probably choose an emotion to describe the colour: sincere blue. I'd read somewhere that blue was a good colour to wear to job interviews because it's is considered a "true" colour, true-blue. Visiting schools is like a job interview, if you "pass" the students believe some of your writing tips and often read your books.
