Nicole Winters's Blog, page 9

Donated TT: Full Throttle to SickKids Hospital Library

Just donated a copy of TT: Full Throttle to The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) library. They added it to their lending carts which are wheeled throughout the wards, so that interested teens can read it during their hospital stay.

TT: Full Throttle – Toronto book launch!

You are invited!

Come celebrate my debut YA novel

TT: FULL THROTTLE

TT Full Throttle Bookmark – Nicole Winters

Thursday, October 24, 2013

11:30am – 2:00pm
at Chapters/Indigo
600 University Avenue, Toronto
Just inside Mt. Sinai Hospital
(where all my SickKIds work friends will attend and heckle me – haha!)



For the folks who don’t work in the general vicinity,
I’m having another one that evening:



7:00pm - 9:00pm
Studio Cycle Group
2923 Dundas Street West, Toronto

https://www.studiocyclegroup.com/contact-information
Yes, there will be cake at the evening launch! Whee!

There will be all sorts of TT motorcycle racing research memorabilia on hand and during the evening, two special guests: Pat Barnes and Michelle (Michael) Duff, who both qualified and raced in the TT.

Marshalling at the IOMTT Races: Research for TT: Full Throttle

I was recently asked by the IOMTT Marshals Association to donate copies of TT: Full Throttle, for a draw my answer was a resounding, “yes!”

If there were no folks offering up their weekends and vacation days to marshal around the 37 ¾ mile course, there would be no TT practices or races. Roughly 520 participants are needed for any race/practice and, over the course of the two weeks, an average of 1750 men and women will have volunteered to help make this annual event happen.

Marshals perform a variety of tasks from picking up road debris (branches, stones, etc.) before every practice/race, and ensuring public safety (ie. clearing folks in prohibited areas) to handling course incidents (eg. a rider’s bike breaks down), and dealing with additional unexpected extras like the weather (it seems to change every twenty minutes) and general tourist shenanigans. I know this because as part of my research for writing my book, I marshaled during 2010 and 2011 IOMTT Races.

Twelve short hours after my plane set down, I was at the grandstand in a room watching marshal safety videos which discussed helicopter and fire procedures, along with various course flags and what to expect when marshalling during a practice/race. Four hours after that, I was wearing a marshal’s armband and standing by the side of the road in front of The Crosby pub and hotel, one of the fastest sections on the track, in preparation for the controlled newcomers lap. The more experienced marshals with me were great. I explained that I’d watched the videos, but had no experience and had not taken their hands-on safety training course (a little hard when I live across the pond), but I knew and understood the course flags and that I was prepared to do what was instructed. The lead marshal walked me through various pieces of equipment and who would do what in any what-if situations. He even said, “Look, Nicole, if after the first couple of bikes go by and you think, oh-no-no, this is not for me, you can hop the fence, remove your armband, and spend the rest of the night inside the pub and no one’s going to judge you for it.” I completely understood and appreciated what he was saying. They wanted a person with a cool head under pressure, not someone who would freeze or worse, flip out should something go wrong. I have a day job running large events, so I’m used to high stress situations, bossing people around and having eyes in the back of my head, but still, I nodded and tucked that free pass in the back of my pocket.

As I waited with the marshals by the side of the road (which compared to North American roads feels much, much smaller, like it’s a lane and a half wide), I could feel the impending excitement build. I listened to fans, sitting at picnic tables, discussing the favorite riders, and trading TT stories like they were bubblegum cards. Roughly an hour later, we received word on the tetra radio that things were a go and that first practice was about to begin. Over the outdoor radio speakers, the commentator announced that the Travelling Marshal was now on his way followed by the twelve Newcomers. It was 4.7 miles from the startline to The Crosby pub and the rider was expected to be coming by at around 3 minutes. I didn’t have long to chew on that incredible fact when I heard a distant drone, a buzzing that grew increasingly louder. “Here he comes,” one of the marshals said and from around the bend a Traveling Marshal appeared, wearing an identifiable neon green vest, followed by newcomers all dawning neon orange vests.

The Travelling Marshal zipped by and it was loud, fast and it felt like I could have reached out and touched him – even though he was more like short metres away. I was close enough that the force blew back my hair. Okay, I thought. I’m cool. The Newcomers zipped by: zip-zip-zip-zip-zip. So loud, my eardrums crackled, my heart pounded and yes, a teensy-weensy big part of me wanted to hop the fence and go order a tall pint. But I didn’t. It was absolutely exhilarating. I’d been to sporting events before like Toronto’s Honda Indy and Mosport,  but I was never this close to the track. It was phenomenal. There’s nowhere in the world you can get closer to the action than being at the IOMTT Races.

Once the newcomers had their taste of the course on a guided lap, the experienced riders were let out onto the road. Now, part of my marshalling duties was to watch the bikes for any danger signs, like smoke, but the superbikes were flying past at around 190mph and my eyes had problems adjusting, let alone picking out the rider’s number and its background colour. What I began to notice were the differences in bike engines – once someone could identify the bike that I was hearing, I could quickly pick out the difference between a Ducati, Honda and Kawasaki engine (not bad for a newbie, eh? Or, maybe they were just humouring me – haha).

So during first practice, one of the riders, Jim Hodson, slows his bike to a stop, (engine trouble), which meant we marshals had to warn other riders. As instructed, I waved the yellow flag in a figure 8 formation as another called it in and a third directed the rider off the TT course.

When the solo practice had finished and we waited for the sidecar practice to begin, I asked to be relieved from my duties (other marshals had arrived). I sat with Jim by the side of the road, watching the sidecar riders and talked about racing and my fiction project. We had a great conversation about bikes and writing, and how, strangely enough, there were a lot of similarities between the two – particularly in its obsession and the intense pursuit of passion.

I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to marshal. In a way, it’s too bad that my story was written in first person, rather than in third, because there was so much wonderful stuff, particularly about marshals, that would have made for a great read. Even so, TT: Full Throttle includes scenes and characters that are compilations of people and first-hand experiences. If you think you spot one of those Easter Eggs in my novel, why not comment here or email me to let me know?

This is TT rider, Jim Hodson, pointing to a (fake) speeding ticket he got during TT practice week.

Book trailer for TT: Full Throttle

The book trailer for TT: Full Throttle, the first book about the Isle of Man TT Races is here!

Book trailer for TT Full Throttle

The book trailer for TT Full Throttle, the first book about the Isle of Man TT Races is here!

Book Recommendations for Reluctant Readers: Thinking Outside the Box

In response to seeing so many misguided YA book list recommendations for teens who don’t read, I decided to guest blog at teach.com. (Original article here)

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SEPTEMBER 20, 2013 | POSTED BY SMALDONADO

Book Recommendations for Reluctant Readers: Thinking Outside the Box [by Nicole Winters]

The typical recommended young adult (YA) reading list on the internet will usually consist of classic titles, along with recent big successes in various genres with proven popularity or staying power. While there’s nothing wrong with mentioning these books (they are a safe bet) I would argue that they’re missing an untapped gold mine of exciting books, including adult and nonfiction, when they’re branded as “recommended books for reluctant readers”.

The people who create YA book lists are readers themselves, which makes sense as they have a rich background of reading and enthusiastically want to share what they themselves have enjoyed. Naturally, on some level there is a bias towards the literature that they either grew up reading or currently like. The problem is that this leads to recommended reads that cater to the enthusiastic reader, which is not necessarily the intended audience. If you were to take the 496-page novel Before I Fall and hand it to a reluctant reader, it would likely remain untouched, or worse, have the opposite effect of building a one-on-one relationship between the reader and the written word.

To clarify, I’m not talking about creating a list of short high-low books for ESL students or teens with low reading levels. I’m talking about books for the A to C-average student who does not like to read.

How do I know this? As a teenager, I was one of those C-average reluctant readers. I can recall my classmates excitedly discussing the characters in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, so I checked out a copy at school’s library, and it quickly turned into a Did Not Finish (DNF). I just couldn’t get into the anthropomorphic animals. The same held true with The Hobbit, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and The Lord of the Rings. I couldn’t understand why kids liked these books so much, and I wondered if something was wrong with me because I didn’t.

All that changed when I was assigned to read S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. I consider it a turning point for me because I finished the book in one day. This is an enormous feat for someone reading a book because they have to—not because they want to. It left me wondering: why this book? Where did the time go? Why did these characters resonate with me for days after? I didn’t comprehend it then, but now I know that the right kind of book can engage anyone, even the most reluctant reader.

After getting hooked on The Outsiders, I begged to be taken to the library where I devoured the other books by S.E. Hinton, then moved onto Judy Blume and Beatrice Sparks. After finishing those works, I ventured into the adult stacks where I discovered Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Peter Benchley, Anne Rice and John Saul. Along with horror, I also read nonfiction and devoured books on crafts, baking, camping, photography, sign language and autobiographies. I owe a lot to nonfiction: it kept me interested in reading and helped me understand more about the world around me.

When I look at a typical recommended reading list for teens, I can’t help but think it’s for the young person who already enjoys reading – I almost never see nonfiction titles (like sports or hobbies), horror, or graphic novels. This leads me to wonder why it’s assumed that teens only want to read fiction. Why target classic novels and popular books? If the goal is to promote the love of reading, then recommended YA reading lists should be broader in scope, reaching beyond the usual boundaries of YA literature to bring books to readers that will reflect their interests and engage them in a relationship that sets the stage for a lifelong love of reading.

I suppose the question is: how do you turn a reluctant reader into a voluntary one? If you’re a teacher, the ideal would be to have a massive school library brimming with a vast selection of books covering all sorts of interests. But many school libraries are subject to budget cuts and the classroom reading curriculum is school board assigned literature. Could there be some room for additional self-selected reading? Reading is an unspoken contract between author and reader, and it happens in a private, intimate, internal space. By welcoming diverse material into the classroom – from biographies, fact-based books, well-illustrated non-fiction, graphic novels, novelizations of the movies or shows – it would at least provide an opportunity for further self-driven reading to take place.

If you’re the parent of a teen who’s a reluctant reader, why not visit a bookstore together? Give your child some time and space to look through the shelves on their own to discover a book that interests them. If they find something they want to read, exercise a brief and reasonable review for content (if that’s your preference), but avoid commenting on their taste or the topic. They don’t want to hear your judgment or dissection of their choice. Remember, it’s about fostering that intimate relationship with the written word, one that you hope will trigger a further interest in reading and develop into a life-long love of books.

-re-posted with permission.

TT: Full Throttle – the first book for teens about the IOMTT Races is here!

I came home today to find a package from Lorimer Publishers and inside of it was my book, TT Full Throttle, the first book about the IOMTT Races for teens! Even now, holding it in my hands, it still feels unreal. I’m incredibly thrilled that years of research, rewrites and hard work have finally paid off. I can’t thank everyone enough – from the organizers to the riders, mechanics, press, marshals and fans - for sharing your IOMTT stories and answering all my questions to help me make my dream come true.

-Nicole

Annual 3-Day Novel Writing Contest

Getting ready for the 3-Day Novel Writing Contest which begins tonight at midnight and ends Monday at midnight. Three days, the honour system and nothing but me vs. the page. The goal: 28,000-30,000 words. Wildacres folks might know that the 3DNC is where I wrote the dawg’s breakfast draft of The Jock and the Fat Chick and Beauty and the Freak. Sure, it’s extreme, but like the Isle of Man TT Races, the motivation isn’t about the prize money, it’s about testing one’s mental and physical limits. The high I feel after accomplishing my goal is like no other and it lasts for weeks. If you’re interested in seeing what I’m up to, or how I’m getting on, I’ll be posting tweets and updates here.

Writing podcasts I adore

When I’m not writing or editing, I like to listen to podcasts. I’m not one for listening to writers discuss their craft - I’d rather do it face-to-face with another writer over coffee. However, these are my favourites that either discuss books or narrates stories (both fiction and nonfiction):

BBC Radio Drama of the Week

Books on the Nightstand

Inside The New York Times Book Review

New Yorker Fiction

pseudopod

This American Life

Let me know if you have any suggestions!

meetup.com Walking & Talking About YA Books in High Park

I’ve been on meetup.com for a while now and have participated in quite a few fun activities such as kayaking to Ontario Place to watch Blue Rodeo play and travelling to Collingwood to attend the Elvis Festival (ah-huh-huh). When I perused the Toronto book clubs on the meetup site, I didn’t see anything that suited my reading interests, so instead of moping, I created a brand new meetup group called: Walking & Talking About YA Books in High Park. Here’s the pitch I wrote:

Do you love contemporary young adult fiction? Do you love walking and talking? Then this group is for you! Fans of the latest YA book releases will meet at the corner of High Park by the fountains (across from Keele subway station). We’ll split into smaller groups of two or three as we leisurely stroll for 1.5 – 2 hrs around the park, making a pit stop at the Grenadier Cafe, and then looping back to the subway station. Every twenty minutes or so, we’ll switch up the groups to keep the conversation fresh.

- Small group discussion means no round-robin pressure to contribute

- No need to fight extroverts or English majors to have your say

- Can’t bake? No problem, no pressure to bring food to our meetings, just your thoughts and your walking shoes

- Finally, a great excuse to clear the books shelves of those high-brow literary fiction words you secretly never liked!

In all seriousness, Walking & Talking About YA Books in High Park strips the book club down to its core then adds a healthy dash of fresh air and exercise. I hope you’ll join me as we experience they joys of contemporary YA fiction.

Well, we had our first meeting in August. A half dozen people showed on a very humid day and it turned out to be a terrific success! We chatted endlessly about our August book (The Hunger Games), discussing male and female archetypes, the dystopian world and how the book differed from the film.

My goal for this meetup is to discuss two similar YA books in the same genre back-to-back, but one book containing a female protagonist and the other with a male protagonist. For example, September’s novel is, The Maze Runner, our second dystopian read. This way members can discuss the book and also have the option of comparing and contrasting the work to The Hunger Games.

I have no idea what October and November’s books will be, but I’m open to suggestions on other genres like mystery, fantasy, contemporary, horror, etc. as I love discovering new stories.

Since the first meeting, word is gradually catching on. I’ve gone from one member (me), to now over a dozen. One day, I would love to have a 100 members – is that crazy? I think it’d be a blast.

If this sounds like an interesting group that you’d like to join, new members are happily welcomed: http://www.meetup.com/Walking-Talking-About-YA-books-in-High-Park/

Cheers, Nicole