In which Lainie comes to the end of her story, with perhaps a tiny moment of triumph she has been until now denied…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More soon…. [but not of Lainie!] ~kc

… being the Scribetacular Summer Scramble, the July word-race-to-the-death [or…to the pain???] that I am engaged in with the weirdly energetic Corporal Tyner Gillies. I’m not sure what’s in his coffee, but he got off to an astounding start, and I have been playing catch-up ever since. [My venerable old tortoise to his hopping hare seems a darned good analogy right about now.]

At the moment, I believe I continue to float somewhere around 10,000 words behind him for the month. I haven’t started writing yet today, but my total is just shy of 29,000 words. So I’m basically a third of the way behind him.

That’s a lot of work for my tortoise….

But I’m having fun with the Very Silly Story I am writing, and still trying to get a few other outstanding projects underway [more about them, soon], so all in all it’s been a good month for the words. I’m definitely aiming to double my existing word count by the end of July, ’cause I hear Gillies has a clown suit with my name on it , and I would SO MUCH RATHER have him fitted for a tutu…!

Here’s his most recent take on the competition: Facing the Grind

 

So, who are YOU rooting for?

[Come on…you know you’d rather have this reciting a poem at SiWC 2012! —->>>>]

 

More soon…

 

~kc

In which Lainie remembers a blinding light from her youth, and it manifests before her eyes…

 

[This is the penultimate episode of Elaine’s story. We’ll finish it next week, I hope.

 

 

 

 

More soon…

 

 

~kc

As a writer, I get asked to critique other people’s work all the time. I used to do a lot more of it than I have time for these days. And, I have to admit, a whole lot of people ask me once and then so dislike the result they never ask me again.

I can live with this.

Having been in the writing biz for a while now, I’ve learned a few things.

The first is — never ask for honest criticism from your friends and family.

Why?

They love you. They love anything you do, including your writing.

Is this good for the soul?

Yes.

Is this good for your writing?

What do you think?

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that finding someone who IS helpful is no easy task. It really helps if they are a writer themselves, or at least an avid and widely-read reader.

When I find myself critiquing other writers’ work, I always go for kindness first, but I also give it to ’em straight. This, my friends, is often not easy to take. It’s like having someone tell you that your baby is ugly.

But if it is a voice you trust — an industry professional, a published author, an agent, an editor; and they take the time to read your work and make a few suggestions, even if they are hard to hear — give it a few days, read it over again and listen. If their thoughts still don’t resonate, fine. Ignore ’em. This is as subjective a business as any element of the arts. But you know what? Think twice about what they have to say.

The hardest rejection I ever received for one of my books was from an editor who I was convinced was going to accept my manuscript. She’d arranged a face-to-face meeting with me, and then opened with the line: ‘Here are three reasons I’m not going to accept your work.’

Argh! It was brutal.

But you know what? She took the time to think about what didn’t work for her in my story, and shared it with me. And after a few days, I went back and looked at my ms….and she was right. All three comments she made had significance. I really tried to listen and learn from what she told me. And not too long after that…?

I sold the book.

I always remember that experience when I am dropping what feels like a criticism bomb on someone’s work. Kindness is so important — but I’m also honest.

And if you want to see a tough critique? How ’bout this one from Scott Fitzgerald, to a novice writer?

Here’s an excerpt:

Dear Frances:

I’ve read the story carefully and, Frances, I’m afraid the price for doing professional work is a good deal higher than you are prepared to pay at present. You’ve got to sell your heart, your strongest reactions, not the little minor things that only touch you lightly, the little experiences that you might tell at dinner.

…

You can read the full text HERE at the wonderful Letters of Note blog.

He makes me look like a sweetheart!

 

More soon….

 

~kc

 

In which a cosmologist describes what happens when a solar flare meets a geomagnetically-teetering planet. Spoiler: nothing good.

Hope you enjoy this little foray into the post-apocalyptic for your Bedtime Story this week.

 

 

 

Sweet dreams!

 

 

 

 

 

More soon… ~kc

Lots going on in the writing community this summer. I’ve got a quick article up with the Winnipeg Review to give you some great ideas for summertime Y/A reading, featuring stories by Jacqueline Pearce, Eileen Cook and Tanya Lloyd Kai — all amazing storytellers.

Speaking of storytelling, as I type this, I’m sitting in The Network Hub in New Westminster, waiting for the start of the Vancouver Digital Storytelling Unconference. Hoping to take in a few pointers for improving the Bedtime Story podcast.

Next week I’ll be teaching a workshop for Simon Fraser University’s Southbank writing program all about wending one’s way thorugh writing and publishing for young and teen readers. Details are HERE if you’d like to join the group! And later this summer, I’ll be giving a keynote to young writers at the Vancouver Public Library Book Camp. I’m a little nervous about this, because in looking at the descriptions, it appears I will be the only speaker who plans to dredge the disgusting depths of the writing life.

Wish me luck….or better still, come out and heckle!

 

More soon….

 

~kc

 

 

 

 

In which our heroine deals morosely with the life passing before her eyes, sickened at the shadows of others’ happiness. Until she spies an interesting new face…

 

 

 

 

 

 

[So, I actually took this picture about four years ago, in the land of Elaine. Can you guess what IRL building stands in here for the City Gate in Elaine’s story?]

 

 

 

 

We’re just about exactly half way through Elaine’s story now. And half way through the year’s podcasts. Pretty cool! Hope you enjoy.

 

More soon…

 

~kc

…to all my wonderful American friends. And in the spirit of the day, please enjoy the following happy, geeky celebration [via the wonderful Geek & Sundry]

 

 

 

More soon…

 

~kc

This is Tyner Gillies.

 

 

 

He’s a friend of mine, and a writer.

When he’s not writing, he spends his time taking down bad guys, as a Corporal in the RCMP.

 

 

When he _is_ writing, he’s busy doing stuff like this: 

[That’s him with bestselling authors Jack Whyte and Diana Gabaldon picking up just one of the many prizes he’s won at the Surrey International Writers’ Conference].

Or this:

[That’s the cover of his brand new book, published by Dark Dragon Press and just launching this summer.]

As a writer, Tyner is on a trajectory for greatness. But he is still capable of making mistakes.

He made one today.

[No, not the bad guy he disarmed and arrested. He did that completely right. By the book, you might say.]

The mistake he made was issuing me a challenge. Most words in July, head to head.

This guy’s name might be on everybody’s lips in the next few years, but let me tell you — for this endeavour, he’s gonna have to go through me first.

The challenge: Write the most words, as legitimately logged, in the month of July. Words may only include original works of fiction — no reports, blog posts or other projects allowed.

The stakes: Loser must recite an ORIGINAL poem with the subject being the general splendor and spectacularity of the winner in a public location at the Surrey International Writers’ Conference this fall, in full view of a large collection of other [likely heckling] writers.

In an outfit of the winner’s choosing.

Tyner’s going to be tweeting shortly [once he gets with the century and fires up his twitter account] and we’ll be documenting this month-long drama on twitter with the hashtags #SSS2012 and #thisdaywewrite. I’ll post Tyner’s twitter handle here when he sets it up, and as usual, you can find me sweetly tweeting at @kcdyer.

We’ll also post regular blog updates  — mine will be here, and Tyner’s at his site HERE. As I haven’t written a word yet this month and I think he’s up to 2000 or so already, I may well have my work cut out for me.

We’d love for you to join in if you’d like — race us to the finish and see if you can get more words than the winner. You’ll be spared the public humiliation of an embarrassingly-clad recitation, but here’s what we’ll do. If you manage to beat the word total of the winner, we’ll put your name in for a draw of a copy of my most recent book FACING FIRE, plus Tyner’s new book THE WATCH. Just post a message here or at my Facebook page at the end of July. We’ll give the prize away sometime before summer’s end.

Join us! It’ll be tons of fun, and a great way to get your current work-in-progress moving along. With prizes to sweeten the deal.

And you know what, Ty? I have a tutu with your name on it. 

Game ON!

 

 

More soon….

 

~kc

In which Lainie watches the Knights fly by, two by two, and realizes that she herself has never received a token, even as small as a single flower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More soon….

 

~kc