Sylvia McNicoll's Blog, page 23

Do they laugh? Ontario Arts Council Part Deux

When I wrap a package, I feel like Ms Bean (Mr. Bean's feminine counterpart).  I often have to re-open it to see if I've lost my watch in it or a chicken part.  Or if that extra draft lying around was meant to go in.  I understand my last Artist in Education application did not include a book list. (Even though the jury took note that you were an accomplished writer) Oh come on.  Really? Or enough creative process in how I teach kids.  Or enough detail in how I go about getting schools.  "We regret to inform you..."

Sigh.  This is after making piles of papers on my bed and checking off a list (and mailing said list)
and wrappings the dread parcel.

What adds to the fun part of the process is that the gatekeeper sounds a bit like Inspector Clouseau.
He must be sick of answering my same question every granting season.  "When do you open?"
I imagine him sighing in a Parisian accent. (Quelle idiote)
I just can't believe they only fling the doors open at 9:00 a.m., 8:30 a.m. would be so much more convenient.

I also imagine him shaking his head when he opens my oversized package.  And then while removing the watch and chicken part.
Still maybe this time I'll be lucky. Maybe everything will be there as it should.  All the checky boxes checked.   My "peers" will find me worthy.  Or worthier than the other
peers that applied.

Still hoping for a postal strike to help the odds.

Do Not Photocopy this page--Grant Me Less Confusion

Today I'm writing from the conference of the Courtyart Mariott during the Writers' Union AGM lunch break.  On the way here, as it was close, I delivered a grant application to Ontario Arts Council.

It's a sweaty process.  From finding the correct box in which to mail five copies of 40 pages, to deciding whether your manuscript is (tick the box off) Literature or Young Adult.  Also I'm confused by the instructions to "Not Photocopy" certain pages  What if I do?  I'm supposed to keep a complete copy of the application afterall.  How would "they" know.  It's like removing the White Material tag from a stuffed animal.

We're supposed to use a 12 pt font, put name and address on one title page and use a header with the title of the work exactly as it appears on the application form (the one you can't photocopy)  AND  use  both sides of the page.  That was a new one on me.  Too late.  I think it's an environmental move so redoing the 200 pages to comply would be counter productive.

No matter.  At least I delivered it by hand.  I almost hope for a postal strike so mine will be one of only a few applications.  Then they won't throw me away over the photocopying issue or the one side of the page usage.

A lunch date with writers--the best kind of social media of all.

It takes a lot to pry writers from their offices but once a year I make the trek to Marilyn Helmer's in Bellwood for a potluck lunch. The drive involves a winding country road with lots of horses gamboling on the side in the fields. The food is delicious as this gang (Marilyn, myself, Deb Loughead, Liane Goodall, and Gisela Sherman are all great cooks.  We enjoyed cranberry meatballs, grilled vegetable orzo salad, smoked salmon carrot souflee, wild leek and potato casserole and a coleslaw with brocolli and walnuts that defies the very label.  Plus we had great conversation, discussing the dilemma of how much of our time should be spent blogging, twittering, face booking and creating book trailers when we'd rather be writing...or eating for that matter.  We decided that some minimal public effort needed to be made for the publisher's viewing but after that it was whatever we enjoyed because who knows if anything really works.  Writing the best book we know how is what we're really in it for.  Problems solved for another year we drove home.

A dream day at R.H. Lagerquist Senior Public School

A brilliant writer herself, Amy Corbin, a teacherfrom R.H. Lagerquist Senior Public School, arranged a day of writing workshops for the students who wrote to tell her why they wanted to work with a published author.
I lead four short workshops to groups of about 20 students in the library. Look how attentive and hardworking they were. The last group liked computer writing and as we had a little extra time, we wrote scripts, one of the choices being, a student tells his parent (father in this case) that he's in trouble. In turn the ending has to be a resolution of some sorts where his dad metes out punishment or deals with the situation. I don't know how it got to that point, but striped shirt boy plays the part of the gun wielding dad who helps red hoodie son wipe out some other dudes. This is the last scene in which father and son get handcuffed and taken to jail.
Strange developments and hilarious creations. The future writers of Canada.

Beauty Guide Dog Novel Series Trailer

The Beauty Series: Bringing Up Beauty, A Different Kind of Beauty and Beauty Returns, represents the books for which I'm best known. Essentially they follow Elizabeth as she fosters first a black Lab, Beauty I, then a Chocolate Lab, Beauty II, and finally a golden retriever, Magic.
In the second book, the view point splits to hers and that of sixteen year old Kyle's who gets a white cane instead of a driver's license. In the third, they go out. No dogs every die.
Over the course of creating Kyle, I met and chatted with many people with visual impairments.I also wrote the lyrics for a song because I wanted him to sing a lullabye but darned if I wanted to track down rights. Angela McKay, one of the women I interviewed, is a singer songwriter and she and her husband Brian helped me set the words to music.
This trailer gives snippits of all three novels with Angela singing Kyle's Lullabye.My son, Craig McNicoll, did the filming and editing. There are voiceovers for Elizabeth (Jennifer Filopowicz, my daughter) Alicia (Eireann McNicoll, my daughter-n-law) and a scene with Kyle acted by Ian Garden, Eireann's brother. Many dogs acted in this video including Buster, Beauty's brother. Yes there is now a real Beauty named for the book. Also the golden retriever belongs to Amy, another young woman who fosters guide dogs because she readBringing Up Beauty.
The covers of my novels were painted by Shariff Taribay.
For me the video reminds me of a huge voyage in my life and all the wonderful docks (as well as dogs) along the way. Listen carefully to the end and you'll hear my granddaughter Violet give a cry.
If you know a dog lover, you should buy these three books. Available from the usual online sources but also at Burlington's A Different Drummer Book Store.

Baby Show for Today's Parent Toronto

To keep up with trends for babies my editing job with Today's Parent Toronto, I like to go to the various baby shows.
I dragged my son Craig (and film maker for my excellent new trailer, and his baby girl Violet. Not in the photo is beautiful Mom Eirean and Bob, my photo sidekick and partner in life.
We had a really good time testing out all kinds of equipment. Here you see me trying a Fisher Price infant chair for editors.

Sudbury Catchup Post-Coppercliff School

A writer wears many hats. Here I am wearing antlers. Visiting Sudbury to present in schools, this time Coppercliff and then the next day Walden Public School, allows me a chance to browse Science North and report on the new Wild Life Rescue exhibit. I loved the Born to be Wild 3d Imax as well. After seeing it, kids will be happy to pledge to help save the environment. In the exhibit there are several posters suggesting different commitments the children can make to help save endangered species and all animals in general. The antlers are part of the exhibit.
In the schools, I talked about different novels depending on the age group. The response was phenomenal. Kids stopped me in the hall to thank me or tell me how wonderful an author I am.In the photo, the whipped cream on the face is a demonstration on rewriting for plausibility.Believe it or not.

Panoramic Paul A Fisher

All of these students' parents gave permission for photos so witness protection programs weren't ruined or anything. You have to love panoramic shots because once the students noticed what I was doing they would try to sneak across to be in all of the shots. Didn't work. To my disappointment as well
Last week I had a great time with grade 5, 5/6 and 4/5 at Paul A Fisher School. Look at all my young writers hard at work, nose to the pencil. I love the sound of students writing.
The challenge this week was we divided the day in three to match the wonderful nutritional breaks. Stopping to eat twice a day, sheer brilliance I think. This made switching classes easier than what I normally do which is teach only two classes and leave mid third period to divide the time equally.
But there wasn't a lot of time for my fun little exercises such as team menu writing for the apples I hand out. Or a lesson on putting the quotation marks in and changing paragraphs (not so much fun). Or even finishing a draft of a story.
Hmm, I guess I'll have to rework my AIE lesson plans to allow for less time.I only hope if I offer this three class day, the teachers don't insist I fit two classes in each time segment.

Arizona Libraries

Not sure if you can enjoy the great panorama of White Tank Branch Library.You can play spot the Sylvia in the photo. Outside there's a park full of my favourite cacti, the Saguaro.
I also visited Tombstone Public Library as it was right next door to the Wild West show and we had 15 minutes to spare.I find librarians the best source for local tourist hotspots, they can tell the truth about restaurants etc, where as government tourist people have to remain unbiased. They know the history of towns better and plus they like books and are often thrilled to meet a writer.

The librarian at Tombstone was exceptionally friendly and asked for a business card, promising to buy my book as well as my traveling buddy Gisella Sherman's.
I also visited Phoenix Pubic Library to thank the "Ask the Librarian" for all their previous e-suggestions on what books are set in Arizona. When you respond to same, there's no inbox to accept your thanks. That librarian wanted to know if I was hoping to "break into the U.S".
"No," I answered. "I've written for 25 years and lots of my books are in the U.S. Just not in this library." She took my bookmark to order Last Chance for Paris but I'm sure, as an urban librarian, she was a bit jaded, perhaps even besieged by budding (or ageing)writers.
But the library was gorgeous with a pond in the middle and wide open spaces throughout.
All three libraries were worth the mini detours.

Bringing Up Piggy

While I'm known for writing about Beauty the dog, in Arizona we went horseback riding 'cause I love horses. Mac, my steed, apparently has been on TV as bounty hunter Dog's ride.
Well, Mac, I'm a bit of a celebrity myself as I've been on Sonja Dunn's television show reading from Bringing Up Beauty.
For the trail ride I brought my shockproof, waterproof, dustproof camera (love it!) but sadly it is not idiot proof. I left the camera on after downloading so there was no battery left and hence no riding shots of me and my fellow cowboys.
My husband only took photos with his high-potential-for disaster camera before the ride when all the farmyard animals befriended me. As I was patting an Australian shepherd puppy, this pig came up and nuzzled me for attention. I felt like a barnyard Cinderella when the chicken came up from behind to check me out.