What Do You Like To Read?

One of the hazards of full time writing is the lack of time for reading!

In the old days it was nothing for me to read several books per week. By the time I was old enough to ride my bike to the library, I remember coming home every week with stacks of books tucked into the basket on my bike. Nothing was more satisfying than lying on my bed or out in the sun on the chaise lounge devouring story after story.

Dumpy Grace in real life - almost 50 years ago!

When I was a child I read anything and everything about animals. Two of my favourites were Vulpes, the Red Fox - the story of a red fox and Vixen, his mate which has probably the saddest ending in the history of children's literature, notwithstanding Old Yeller. Despite the thousands of books I've given away over the years, Vulpes still graces my grown up bookshelf. The other was Big Red, about an Irish Setter that lived on a farm. Another tear jerker for the ages.

When I was a preteen I loved Nancy Drew. The image of her speeding around town in her roadster, her titian hair blowing in the wind, her friend George by her side...ah...heaven.

In addition to library books, I would pour over everything my parents had in their library including a scientific Time/Life series with titles like: Mammals, Fish, The Earth, The Stars, etc. Fabulous! My mother also kept some 'steamy' books that I read, although didn't quite understand at the time. The Tropic of Cancer and The Valley of the Dolls spring to mind. Later I went searching for more, including Lady Chatterly's Lover and Fanny Hill, and anything by Anais Nin. Tsk! Tsk!  

In my mid-teens I went through a Russian period. I read Alexander Solzhenitsyn's The Cancer Ward, and Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich, which for some reason, touched me deeply. After that I read every Russian author I could get my hands on including Dostoyevsky, Chekhov and  Pushkin.

In my late teens I admit to a fling with Ayn Rand. I read every book of hers, not really understanding her objectivism philosopy but clinging to the notion that as individuals we are responsible for our own happiness and success. It was a life lesson that has stuck with me.

I was a science major in university and never had a formal literature education. Wanting to educate myself I would visit the library or the Bookshelf Cafe in Guelph and would work through the Penguin Books. Remember the distinctive orange covers? At the time, I believed that anything published by Penguin was high art and therefore, necessary reading. I wasn't wrong.

Along the same vein my father purchased a set of Classic books from the Franklin library series and it was here that I was introduced to the ancients such as Homer, Ulysses, Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus, as well as amazing American writers such as John Steinbeck, William Styron and William Faulkner, among many others.

I fell in love with the short story genre, as well. Among my favourites, Margaret Laurence, Alice Monroe, science fiction writers such as Arthur C. Clarke. One of my all time favourites was Bronwen Wallace, who, sadly, died at a young age and never got the chance to write a second book.

And always - the popular fiction/science fiction and mystery/thriller/suspense series dominated. From John Le Carre and Len Deighton to Lawrence Block and James lee Burke. PD James and Thomas Perry, Stephen King, Patricia Cornwell, Umberto Eco, Sue Grafton, Graham Greene and Peter Hoag, to name just a very few.

The latest non-fiction I read was The Swerve - a brilliant exposition of how a 1400's era monk, by the name of Poggio Bracciolini discovered a copy of Lucretius's long lost, On the Nature of Things, and how this epic poem changed the world.  I can't wait to read more by Stephen Greenblat.

Currently, I am enjoying the Giles Blunt series, set in North Bay, Ontario. I love the nuanced protagonist, John Cardinal. The latest James Lee Burke is always a must read, mostly for his wonderful characters (Dave Robichaux and Clete Purcell) and his heart breaking descriptions. And I wait with bated breath for the latest in the Keller series by Laurence Block. Best psychopath ever.

But, I digress. The point I was trying to make is that I miss reading for pleasure. After a long day hunched over the computer, the first thing I want to do is get up and move. The thought of sitting down, or lying in bed, or out in the sun on my chaise lounge for that matter, just doesn't appeal. I want to read, but don't want to SIT!

I need to find a solution. I like audio books but the closest library that stocks audio books is an hour away. I do have a treadmill but I can't read while walking unlike my friend Kathy, who reads while jogging! How the heck does she do that without going blind?

Anyway - this week I am setting aside all writing obligations and giving myself permission to simply read. I scored a couple of free books while visiting Simon and Schuster. I've already been through The Demonologist, a good read by Andrew Pyper, and am now ensconced in The Firebird, by Susanna Kearsley, which I'm loving! It seems to have been inspired by the Diana Gabaldon Outlander series, and I am not ashamed to say that I am an avid Jamie and Claire fan.

Ahhhh....heaven!






 

The New Outfit

I am meeting with Simon and Schuster this week. First ever meeting with a publisher. I felt giggly with excitement until I heard these dreaded words from my agent: "Don't get too nervous! All they really want to know is whether you are marketable. In other words, will you feel comfortable in a TV studio or reading in front of a crowd at Harbourfront?"

GACK!! 

No more fooling around! Off to the Ladies Shoppe I trudged, with glamorous daughter in tow. 



 Hmmmmm....???











After that it was time for a makeover with the beauty ladies at Sephora.





I don't know about all this...


I'm afraid I'm either going to trip over the high-heeled boots or keel over from the weight of the paint on my face. 

This all just seems more nerve-wracking than it ought to be....

 

Success!!

The unthinkable has happened! I got an email from my agent today who informed me that there are currently two publishing houses expressing keen interest in my book. One is from the US and the other is from Canada.

I will be meeting with the Canadian house next week, although Anne said that we are just going to attend in order to 'hear what they have to say' and that we will not be making any commitments right away.

The manuscript only went out a couple of weeks ago, and I think that if there is this much interest so quickly, it will probably be worth waiting a bit to see if any further interest materializes before making a final decision. That is the impression I am getting from Anne.

Still, no matter what happens from this point on, I am overjoyed that a real live, honest to goodness, print publisher wants to meet with me!! I didn't really think it would happen.

I'm freakin' out!!!

If you think you sound great in the shower you probably suck at writing!

You know the way you sound like an angel when you sing in the shower? Every note, every nuance comes out perfectly in a brilliant wall of sound?

You know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if anyone was home to hear you they'd fall to their knees in awe at your talent?

 If you had access to sound equipment you'd probably have it rigged up in the bathroom, poised to record every amazing performance. Maybe you'd even send it off to studio or a radio station. In fact, with pipes like yours you're pretty sure it is only a matter of time until you are discovered. The only question is will you be the next Elvis, John Lennon, or Pavarotti?

Unfortunately, it doesn't take long before you come to know the sad reality. Unless you really are Adele or Michael Buble or Measha Brueggergosman , you probably sound like a dying cat when you really let loose. Most of us learn that lesson early...and hard. 

Unfortunately, for the pathetic few, the dream lingers on.  Despite all the evidence to the contrary we live with a tiny fragment of hope that the beautiful noise we hear inside our heads is exactly what everyone else is listening to.

It's the same thing with writing. I just finished a short story that I thought was interesting and insightful. It was supposed to be an homage to Arthur C. Clarke. I started with a great idea, but the more I wrote, the more off-track I got and the farther the story strayed from my original premise. No worries, I thought to myself - it still sounds great. A little spit here and a little polish there and it will fit right in with 'Time's Arrow' or 'The Star'.

It was as though I was trying to pull off the impossibly high note in the aria, Queen of the Night, from Mozart's The Magic Flute, and for one fantastical moment, I thought I sounded like a nightingale.

Sadly, I was wrong. My story stunk. No matter how much soap I took to it, no matter how hard I tried to scrub it into some semblance of Arthur C. Clark-ian brilliance, my story still sucked. Like a bad imitation of 'Rolling in the Deep', the only suitable ending for my disastrous attempt was a quick and unmemorable trip down the drain.

Dream on, baby. Short story writing is way harder than it looks.

Fifty Shades Dimmer - A Dumpy Grace Rant

I read the other day that every single employee of Random House will receive a $5000 bonus this year due to the enormous success of the Fifty Shades trilogy. Apparently, this triple installment of drek has sold almost 65 million copies worldwide. Really?

Don't get me wrong. I am happy for the author, E.L. James. In this era of vanishing publishing houses and 99 cent online e-books, authors are often the last ones at the trough, despite the fact they write the damn words. More power to any artist who can earn enough to pay the rent and keep the lights on.

Nor am I against Erotica. Or fan fiction, for that matter. In fact, I have come across more than a few fan fiction authors that blow my socks off. Once or twice, even my old lady panties.

So when Ms. James decided to take her dreary Twilight fan fiction piece, change a few names and substitute Edward's thirst for blood with Grey's world weary taste for mild bondage, I had no problem. I'm not sure why Stephanie Meyer, the author of the Twilight series, has been quite so laisse faire, but as there have been no lawsuits to the best of my knowledge, I assume enough words were changed to pass the plagiarism litmus test.

What I'm not fine with, is the over the top, slathering public reaction (and let's face it, when I say public, I mean women) to this lifeless, puerile rip-off that took what might have been a spicy concept and watered it down to a lumpy, brown pile of humdrum slop.

 So tedious as to be almost painful (and not in a good way!), still women purchased the series in the tens of millions. What were you thinking, sisters?

I believe each and every one of you needs a good (verbal) spanking.
 
For the under thirty crowd, please don't forget that you cut your literary teeth on the forever magical Harry Potter series. The first book of The Hunger Games trilogy was pretty good and even the monosyllabic Twilight series was okay if you are a fan of girls getting off on guys watching them while they sleep.

Even better, if you were lucky enough to have experienced The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings you know that savouring fine writing is like having rich chocolate melt on your tongue. Compared to that flipping through the pages of Fifty Shades is like sucking on a stale Cheeto. 

And for all you ladies over thirty?  If you checked out the book because you were eager to try something new in the bedroom, I'm sorry to say that you were duped. Erotica has been around since humans first started scratching pictures on cave walls, and as we became more adept with language, our ability to inflame each other with words improved exponentially. These days there is plethora of brilliant Erotica out there for you to sample. I'm just saying...if you need a little jump start, why settle for a minivan when you could drive a Ferrari?

When it comes right down to it, I don't think the popularity of Fifty Shades has anything to do with women wanting to spice up their sex lives. I believe the real reason Random House staff are $5000 richer this year is a direct result of our culture's slavish devotion to the gravitas of celebrity.

A few years ago, it was the thrill of watching desperate people eat wriggling worms on TV. After that, it was the glee we felt at some poor chump being voted off the island. Then came Teen Moms, Toddlers in Tiaras and one of 2012's most memorable people (according to Barbara Walters) the truly bizarre Honey Boo Boo.

Going viral is not necessarily a good thing. Remember the1918  Flu epidemic? As your mother used to say, "Just because your friends jumped off a bridge doesn't mean you have to jump, as well."

I LOVE that you are buying books. Keep it up! But, please...choose books that stretch your limits, read stories that touch you in places that hurt if that is what you enjoy, but most importantly, support those skilled writers who grab you by the throat and set your imagination on fire.

You just might find yourself shining fifty shades brighter.

Down to the Wire

I received an email from my agent last week. She declared Blown Red the most exciting project she's worked on in some time and says she is energized to be kicking off 2013 by devoting her full attention to it.

I've been reflecting on what it all means. For me, the fun part is over and the stressful part is about to begin. Let's just say (and I still think it is a bit of a long shot) that it actually sells. Then what? I'm anticipating nerve-wracking meetings with literary editors and more long hours of re-writing and polishing. Then comes the horror of promoting the book. Anne M. casually asked me how much I'd be able to reveal about my own experience with the underground railroad in magazine articles and on the radio. Good God!

And from what I've read, it seems that most successful authors must devote themselves to establishing and maintaining a witty and erudite online presence. Oh man...I'm doomed.

But I may be getting ahead of myself. I'm expecting that I should know by the end of January whether the book is going to sell quickly to one of the big publishers or whether it is going to take a lot longer.. Anne said she would be 'furious' if one of the Big Three didn't jump at it, but then again, drivel like Fifty Shades of Grey is far more popular these days than another kick-ass girl.

Meanwhile, I thought it would be interesting to chronicle just how many hoops I have jumped through to get this far, and how long it has taken:

• January, 2010 to December, 2010. While taking "A Novel Approach' with James Dewar and Sue Reynolds I completed a first draft of over 700 pages. I took a 4 month sabbatical from work during this period which helped a lot, both in terms of creativity and in the sheer number of hours I could devote to writing.
• Another 6 months to pare that behemoth down to a more reasonable 500 page, second draft. Still, way too long, but getting there. At this point, I gave the manuscript to several cold readers and using their excellent feedback I crafted a third draft..
•  My sister, Lesslie, asked her business acquaintance, Don Oravec, the Executive Director of the Writer's Trust if he would mind reading the manuscript. Nice man that he is, he agreed immediately. Don read it during his Florida vacation in September of 2011 and within a week sent an email in which he heaped unbelievable praise on the manuscript. He suggested we get together, and it was during that meeting that he called me a 'real writer' and  recommended me to Anne McDermid. He was kind enough to tell me that it was the first time in 8 years of reading manuscripts of friends and families that he had ever recommended an author to an agent. Wow! I was bowled over.
• Throughout the Fall of 2011 I heard nothing from Anne and eventually sent out query letters to several literary agents in Canada and USA. In the end I had five agents ask to see the entire manuscript and an offer of representation from one of them.
• Just before Christmas of 2011 an apologetic Anne McDermid told me she'd forgotten to follow up with me and asked me to re-send the manuscript. Within days I got her enthusiastic response. She asked to meet in the new year.
• In January of 2012, I met with Anne McDermid and during our two hour interview she made me an offer to join 'Team McDermid'. After a weekend of pretending to think about it - I jumped at this amazing opportunity.
• Anne wasn't sure if she would offer the book as is, or whether it would need further editing. Sure enough, after some initial inquiries, she determined that we would have more success if the book received a professional edit.
• Enter Becky Toyne, a well known editor and literary expert. She took several weeks to read the manuscript then got back to me with her suggestions in June, 2013. Nothing much...haha...all I had to do was tighten the plot by about 25,000 words and make the main character a heck of a lot stronger. Sure...no problem!
• For the next 4 months I toiled every single day, re-arranging the plot sequence, adding nuance, turning the main character into a determined young woman that readers would care about, and pared the word count down to an acceptable 104,000, or about 350 pages. 
• Deep breath and back it went to Anne McDermid by the end of September, 2012 for her verdict. Of course my timing stunk. It was now the Fall book launch season and she couldn't give it much attention until November. I put it out of my head but was thrilled when, by the end of November she wrote to tell me that she LOVED the changes I had made. Woohoo!! Success! She mused at that point whether it would be better to wait until the new year to put it out for offer, noting that publishers were sick to death of reading manuscripts, the holidays were coming up and it would stand a better chance when people came back after Christmas. 
• While I waited (again) she asked that I get her a synopsis of the second book, as she intends to sell it as a series and not a stand alone novel. She also asked for a little biographical blurb as well as a one page story on how I got the idea and my own personal experience of the Underground Railroad. I'd already done some work on the second book but took the time to really flesh out the plot over the ensuing weeks and I'm glad I did. It is going to be much easier to write once I get going in earnest.
• Finally, the email that arrived last week from Anne, saying that she is back to work on January 7 and can't wait to get cracking on this exciting new project.  

For this first time writer, this is what it has taken to get my novel to this stage. Amazing, isn't it? I never would have predicted that what began as a whim would evolve into a real live, honest to goodness thriller. Or, that it would take so much work, or that I would encounter so many helpful people along the way.  Most of all, I had no idea it would take so much TIME!

And now (drum roll, please)  it has all come down to this....

GOOD LUCK,

DUMPY GRACE!!