November 1, 2022 Newsletter

"Humour" prompt; NaNoWriMo; workshop info (reminder: EMAIL submissions to me); News Flash; and more...

Meeting up with Darlene Foster at Albany Books in Tsawwassen, BC, signing her latest “Amanda” book, Amanda in France: Fire in the Cathedral.

“Writing for children is important to me because I want children to develop the same love of books I had as a child.” - Darlene Foster

Darlene’s care with both writing and sharing her Amanda mystery series just shines! She’s a lesson in what it means to be a working writer. Check out her blog and gift her books to the children in your life. And not just for kids! My Momma has fallen in love with these books, and is ordering one after another from her local.

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NaNoWriMo - what is it?

It starts today! National Novel Writing Month—in which you write a 50000 novel. That works out to 1667 words per day.

I’m pretty quiet about this one, perhaps mostly because I’ve never done it, unlike the 3 Day Novel contest, and because there is a LOT of online info on this. But I shouldn’t ignore it.

I’ve posted a discussion thread for anyone who has questions and is taking part. I’m happy to answer process questions and anything else that arises.

For me, November has never been a good month for this. When I was teaching, it was always a hectic month, and when my kids were young, ditto. (But if November doesn’t work, you can choose your own month.)

At the moment I am working—rather frantically—to complete a second novel (yes, since the adut work I sent off to my agent back in July). So some part of me feels I have a little too much in common with the NaNo folks right now! This current novel is for middle-grade readers, and it is on the short side, about 150 pages. However, it is set 500 years ago on the other side of the Atlantic, so I have a LOT of research to do. And that is taking at least as much time as the writing. It’s research that means actively setting aside all sorts of ideas I’ve held about many things.

Examples: I had a widowed character marrying her brother-in-law. No! That story thread had to be changed up: it was illegal in England at the time. And a seemingly small thing: I had a character reading silently… Big Surprise: it had not yet occured to folks to read silently. It was only 75 years after the advent of the printing press. It took awhile to figure out. And so on. Research must be done with an openness. I digress…

Let’s please hear from you if you are doing NaNoWriMo! I’d love to be in your corner.

Here’s the thread for that conversation.

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Prompt

For this month’s prompt, let’s revisit an exercise from the recent “Humour writing” post—ways to find and explore “funny.”

I suggest you do the first two steps here quickly, not putting a lot of thought into it—just whatever pops into your mind. After you’ve done these two, look at the second list of three—the things you do find funny—and jot notes about why.

Then go on to number three. Time yourself for each, no more than seven minutes. Don’t censor yourself. Perhaps one of the three will stand out as something you want to continue to explore.

— make a list of three things you do NOT find amusing

— make a list three you do

— return to the first three and find something funny about each

Photo by Harry Cunningham on Unsplash

Post in the usual Prompt-thread, or see “workshop update” below, and consider posting in an appropriate workshop. Prompt thread is right here!

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Workshop Update

A reminder to all (paid subscribers) that in order to post a piece of work to any of the workshop groups, please EMAIL me the piece, and I’ll post. I post one piece per week for each workshop and as you submit, they go into the queue. I’m happy to say that we’ve had a flow of work, with no one waiting too long to be posted.

Please do check into the workshop area to keep up-to-date, both with feedback on your work as well as what’s happening with others’ posts. Substack does not have a reliable notification process—I’m sorry!

Also know that people are finding their way here sometimes weeks after a posting, and still actively commenting. (Thank you!) So do check back.

Don’t hesitate to go in and have a look—especially if you’ve never workshopped and the whole process seems a bit challenging; you’ll see the workings and growth and inspiration.

If you want one of your pieces removed, for whatever reason—maybe you’re re-written and are satisfied and no longer feel a need for further feedback—do let me know, and I’ll take it down.

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Archive piece

From the first month we went “paid,” over a year ago, and worth a re-read. Looking at the value of ritual in our writing lives, among other thoughts on our mental well-being as artists. (Do post any thoughts on this.)

Mental and Emotional Health and Writers

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Re-cap of October pieces

Our first-of-the-month newsletter (with a section about assonance and consonance, and how sound creates rhythm; “writer-response in the workshop process”; a photographic prompt—a shadow of a tree on a building in the West End of Vancouver) and prompt thread. There were three pieces posted in the prompt thread. And not so many feedback responses. It would be good to see a few more weigh in with thoughts on others’ works. If you do want more feedback, consider posting the piece to the workshop space! Email it to me. Yes, it’s okay to post in both!

I wrote two posts in direct response to subscriber questions: one on dialogue tags and how and when to use them—or not.

And the second “answer” post was about how to promote your work—such a significant piece of writing life, even when writing for traditional publishers. This is a subject that will warrant another post or two down the line—it is broad and constantly changing. More and more of this work is left up to the writer now. If you have questions after reading the piece, DO let me know what they are… and the work will continue!

My Canadian Thanksgiving post. This has to be such a significant holiday, one to remember through the year. This time, noting what is it to be “content” over “happy.”

And the post I’ve been promising through and since hiking season, on the “loop trail” or the back-and-forth. I enjoyed writing this. A different way to think about structure.

The monthly “markets” piece, focused mostly on poetry—with a few other things sneaked in! Once again, hand-picked possibilities. Please let us know any feedback on this—and if you are published or win, if a competition! (See below News Flash!)

Last, a post on writing humour in work for children—though if you write only for adults, take a look anyway. There is much to ponder with this. (Or to prep for the November prompt!)

We had a total of 11 pieces shared in the workshop space, with lots of thoughtful feedback! So pleased with this. Thank you to all the writers who took part.

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News Flash

Remember our “Holiday Writing” mini-course last year…? Well, Suzanne Johnston wrote a wonderful piece about her grandfather and posted it here for feedback. Recently, she let me know that it’s set to be published in the Globe & Mail paper in December. (She’ll be sharing the link. Watch for it!) Congratulations, Suzanne! This news made my day —

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Response to October poll

The question was: “Do you agree that a change of work is as good as play?”

Response: 2:1 “yes” to “no”

I’m finding that here on Substack—and elsewhere—a lot of writers talk about taking time off, doing just about anything that is not writing, healthy procrastination, all supportive of such... I feel I’m a bit of an outlier on this, and that might be connected with the reality for me that when I’m not writing on at least a semi-consistent basis, I’m a bit of a grouch. Maybe more than a bit.

And, if you’re writing to create a living, the truth is that you don’t have the luxury of time off, or even “block.” I’m not saying “block” doesn’t exist. But it is imperative that you find a way—or ways—to get around, over, under, THROUGH such block. Somehow.

If you’re writing as a pastime (is that the word? what a word), and you have time, and you don’t need to have an income from the work, then that’s a different scenario! (And I’m a little envious, but not enough to stop writing daily.)

If you only write when you feel like it, and when you have an Idea… and you’re happy with that, that too is different.

I work on more than one project at a time, partly because I need to, and partly because it’s how I deal with my version of “block”—and my “block” is about “momentary can’t-do-this, ’cus it’s not flowing right now.”

But something will find some flow. So I work on Something and then get back to the first piece. I tend to pick at things long before there’s a deadline, because I’ve always found that deadlines can shut me down. I do know a number of writers for whom deadlines push some of the best work out of them, though. We are all so different. What’s most important is knowing how you work, paying attention to that knowledge, and working with the grain of it.

I recently went to Maui for a short five days. I’d designated it as “time off” in my mind. Of course, I took my laptop with me and my notes; I’ve learned never to leave it at home.

After the first day of “time off,” my brain began to kick off with Ideas. Actually, ideas started on the airplane, which is something that air travel tends to do for me. So the second full day of Maui time, I wrote almost eight pages of solid material—words that will not be cut, I know in my gut. And after that, I picked away once in awhile. But was satisfied to let it be.

Nothing is either/or. I had a change. I had a rest. Both worked. I paid attention. Be open to work. Be open to play. Be open to life.

Thoughts?

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This month’s question:

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Thank you to those who have decided to go paid. Your $6/month makes all the difference—I can’t do this without.

Peace—

Alison