Braving the Waves

The ferry ride over to the mainland yesterday was hurl-inducing as waves buffeted the ship this way and that. Rain pelting the windows. First officers announcing warnings of "lumpy water ahead." We were advised not to leave our seats before the ferry was docked as we risked being thrown off our feet. But I did not listen to this warning as I had to rush to the gift shop to get some sea-sickness pills.

It's funny, I never used to get seasick before. I used to go out fishing with my dad all the time and it was my sister who would wind up green and lying down below deck. But my wife gets motion-sick all the time and we are so connected to each other that I now have sympathy seasickness, even when she's not on the boat with me. My wife jokes that it's a lucky thing she had her kids before we met because I would not have done well in the delivery room.

The reason I was braving the winds and waves was because I'd been invited over to visit the students at New Westminster Secondary School. The visit was arranged by their amazing teacher-librarian Sarah Wethered in celebration of the New Westminster librarians nominating my book for their first annual Hyack Teen Reader Award.

The two sessions went really well, the students asking some great questions about the books and the writing process and how much money I make.

Thankfully, the ferry ride home was much calmer and I was able to get some writing done. Which is a good thing since I've promised my editor I'd have a first draft of my book to her in five days.

I'm really looking forward to getting this first draft off my plate as I've got some serious hockey watching to catch up on. I've really been neglecting my teams and I'm sure they have been missing my viewership. But fear not, the playoffs are just around and the corner and, if I'm lucky, my editor will take her sweet time in getting her comments back to me.