A Time to Write

So I'm back after my session with Alan on my story. The good news is that I actually have a story people want to know about. I can also write really tightly. And I have a good ability to set the mood of a piece . . . the bad news is that nobody had any idea what was going on . . . I'm too obscure . . . I'm too artsy . . . Maybe I should start writing poetry. Although nobody suggested that, I'm just thinking it seems logical. Anyway, I got some feedback and now I have a kind of plan on how to proceed. Alan thinks I should tell the story chronologically . . . I hear that a lot lately it seems . . . but chronological is just so boring isn't it? . . . Maybe not, maybe it's the logical way. I guess I'll just continue writing my tight little mini-scenes as I've been doing then go back and fill in the details I tend to leave out because they are of no interest to me but will be of interest to readers, then order the pieces chronologically and see what I've got . . . Can I do this in time to enter for the Richards Prize? . . . an excellent question and I'm looking at some really intense hard work if I want to pull it off.

Anyway enough about that I'm sure you all want to know what else I've been up to. Yesterday was Day 2 of the workshop. I apologise because I have for all intents and purposes forgotten that I even own a camera let alone that it is with me at all times in my bag. So, no pics from yesterday at all. Robyn Sarah gave the morning lecture at Memorial Hall on the topic "Poetry's Bottom Line." It was interesting. She talked about oral tradition and the academic elitism of poetry. She thinks it would be a wonderful thing if they brought recitation back into the classroom. That poetry isn't just for poets, academics, and intellectuals. She read some poems written by children in grades 3-5 that was utterly amazing, absolutely unbelievable. She said all children are natural poets, and now I believe her. It was a good session and then we went into our workshop groups for an hour and half. Alan talked a lot about his mentor, Alistair Macleod, and his repetitious way of sharing the fundamentals of good writing. It was an interesting story. Alan said that Alistair always told the story of the cheese sandwich. That your story is competing with a cheese sandwich. Any little thing that pulls the reader out of the story or allows them to get lost and they will put the story down, go into the kitchen, make a cheese sandwich and never pick the story up again. In a sense you're not competing with great books or the leopards that Sue Goyette talked about on Monday, but you're competing with a cheese sandwich -- which is a terrible opponent to be beaten by! I imagine processed cheese food slices, dry, on white bread . . . so difficult to swallow, gummy . . . blech!

The afternoon yesterday was open and I spent most of it here in the computer room, blogging, answering email, etc. I also laid down for awhile and wrote a half page on another new story idea that I have floating around. I showered again while everyone had supper and then headed up to Memorial Hall for Janet McNaughton's reading. She writes for young adults . . . and what great interesting books she does! Frightening stuff, huge messages, fantasy, gender role reversals . . . just jam-packed with things. And very passionate about her genre. She was delightful to listen to and inspiring in her Q&A. After the reading we went to Windsor Castle, the Grad House bar, and again I ended up closing the place down long after all the other workshop participants had left and then ended up talking outside the dorm for another half hour or so before finally heading inside to bed. I've lost weight from this schedule. My clothes fit differently than just last week, which is shocking and kinda wonderful all at the same time, though I'm not so naive as to think it won't all come back as soon as I get home again and back on my normal schedule. They had great red wine at Alden Nowlan's house and it's just so surreal to be there with pictures of him everywhere. I ventured upstairs to the washroom when the one on the ground floor was occupied. I had never been upstairs before. I wanted to look around more but there was a student up there working on a computer and I didn't want to disturb him. In the upstairs co-ed washroom there is a cartoonish pencil drawing of Alden, naked, sitting on the toilet. You can't see anything of consequence though because of the HUGE typewriter on his lap. I got a good laugh out of that. If I end up back there again some night I must remember to take a picture.

Tonight we are heading downtown for a public reading at the Lighthouse Deck by Harry Thurston. Many of the other participants are going on a Riverboat Cruise after the reading. I'm not going though. I don't enjoy boats so much. Not sure where I'll end up or whether I'll just come back early and get some much needed sleep. There is so much to absorb this week already and much more on the way. I'm getting so many good ideas and learning a lot about the art of novel writing. I like my group a lot. I'm enjoying reading their work, a lot of which is fantasy type stuff that I don't normally read, so it's really nice to have that opportunity. There's some sort of QWERTY party happening some night this week . . . not sure when, and Mark Jarman's party still to come. Plus Molly's on Sunday to consider. Still lots happening.

Anyway, I've got to get back. I'll try to write again tomorrow.