Writing Life

I like meeting people and talking with them and learning from them. One way I do that is by going to events and having a booth to sell my books. This past weekend my writer husband and I displayed at two different book and arts fairs. We met people and we sold books!

When people approach my book table, I wear a friendly smile to welcome them. After a few moments I ask them a question. “Are you a reader?” or “What do you like to read?” This usually opens up the conversation and I learn what interests them. Then we talk about that.

After a few minutes I’ll mention one of my books that I think might suit them. “Do you know who the Loyalists were?” Often the person is descended from Loyalists who settled in Canada about the time of the American Revolutionary War. I mention my four Loyalist books and give the short pitch for the first one.

Or I introduce one of the others on the table. Lately, that has been Canada: Brave New World, an anthology I put together about people who had to flee their home country, came to Canada, and settled here. They have made Canada the amazing open-door country that it is. Yes, I sell books, but I also connect with other people and, to me, that is what being a human is all about.

Before my visitors leave my table I always make sure they know about my twice monthly newsletter which they can access by signing up on my website. I give them a bookmark with the website on it and the list of my books so far. (Pardon the crappy image! The real thing is much clearer.) This hopefully interests them and they sign up for my twice monthly newsletter. About 1500 readers are currently on my list and I treasure every one of them.

So what are the reasons to be on a writer’s list?

1. You might want to know when the next book is coming out.
2. That writer might know things you’d like to know about writing.
3. Just supporting that writer may be important to you.
4. She may be a good friend and you want to help.
5. He may have intrigued you when you first met him.
6. You’re just snoopy. (Just kidding! Ha ha.)

Who should do this?

Everyone should feel free to follow and learn from a writer. Reading all of Sharon Kay Penman’s books and Colleen McCullough’s books has been so helpful to me. First of all I am intrigued by their stories. The main thing, though, is that their writing skills seep into my brain by osmosis. Of course I could name dozens of others whose work has influenced me. Find a writer you like and sop up their work. Don’t be afraid to move on to someone else when the time is right.

What are the benefits of doing this?

You will be entranced by the writer’s work and it will sink into your own in unexpected ways. One day you’ll just use their phraseology in your own writing or in conversation. My husband and I have been married for so long that we find each other’s ways of speaking coming out in our own words. We laugh and carry on. What I like to do when I’m writing is to take a phrase that is popular in the world and give it a twist in my own writing. This helps the reader to know what I mean but it also allows that reader see a fresh interpretation of the phrase. We humans crave new things and words are no exception.

Writers need the company of other writers

Following a writer often leads to friendships and learning fresh new ideas. Going to writer events is so much more fulfilling when you go with those writer friends. The amazing ideas that come of chatting with other writers cannot be underestimated. One of my beta readers is always on hand to give me an opinion on some idea I might have for my writing. Critique groups are full of writers who might have a fresh take on your work. Following other writers’ blogs, newsletters or social media posts keeps a writer in the game. We need this. And we need the camaraderie of those like-minded people.

The world needs good writers.

Finally, I’d like to say that the world needs good writers. Oh, I’m not talking about those people who may steal ideas from others or those who use different forms of artificial intelligence and then try to pass the product off as their work. I’m talking about the writers who study and learn and write and rewrite and care enough to put their original ideas out for the world. We need lovers of language whose work shows their unique brain processes. We are not all math and science whizzes and we don’t need to be. What we need to do is provide places for each of us to excel no matter which way our brain turns.

I guess what I’m saying is to support creative people as much as you can. The creatives provide places for us to find joy. Here are two pieces of art on my office walls. One is by my young granddaughter and the other is by an artist friend of mine. They bring me joy in different ways. As people we need to experience that joy whether we get it from art, music, writing or any other creative endeavour. Follow a writer, please.

Nestled in the heart of Southwestern Ontario, my city is perfectly positioned to provide professional theatre experiences that enhance life for everyone.  Such venues as the Shaw Festival in the historic town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, the Shakespearean Theatre in  Stratford or the Princess of Wales Theatre in downtown Toronto have been well known for many years. These theatres are within a couple of hours’ drive from my home over excellent highways or via other transportation options.

But they are not the only venues! Many smaller places offer local professional theatre throughout the summer season: Grand Bend, Drayton, Cambridge, Goderich, Port Stanley and the Lighthouse Theatre at Port Dover light up their summer stages every year. Even my small city of Woodstock has a thriving amateur theatre. The one that gets most of my theatre money, however, is down the 401 towards Windsor in a little village called Petrolia. VPP or Victoria Playhouse Petrolia as it’s known is well worth the two-hour drive over roads that are well-maintained but not so busy as the truck-infested 401 highway.

When we get to Petrolia, invariably we join the throngs–every seat is filled–in showing our appreciation for yet another production. The two Co-Artistic Directors, David Hogan and David Rogers have been knocking the socks off their audiences for quite a few years now. They consistently hire amazing talent, choose stunning theatre and musical works, and do everything they can to attract half of Ontario down the highway to Petrolia.

A steady core of thrilling performers take part in the varied playbill and there are always a couple of new finds to tread the boards at VPP. One person I must mention is the music director, Mark Payne. He arranges music, he plays piano, he sings and he totally enthralls the audience. This is a theatre where most of the actors also play instruments and sing, a format I’ve come to enjoy wholeheartedly through watching my sister’s company, Garner Theatre Productions, in many different variations and formats. (Donna has played more than one role at VPP, most recent in the Irish show last September.)

So what’s the big deal?

Wonderful as a day out at the theatre is, there exists a larger significance for society as a whole. Theatre outlets provide places for actors and musicians to do what they love most–be on stage celebrating the power of the imagination. Women and men hold their instruments as if they are extensions of their bodies. They sing their hearts out creating imaginary people, and I love them for it.

An expectant vibe fills the theatre as the seats fill up with people waiting to be captivated by yet another production. Audience members ditch their worries and sink into the imaginary world on stage. What a break to join that world, and to think of how others face situations or problems in their lives. Even if the world on stage is imaginary, it takes both actors and watchers away from day-to-day life into fantasy.

This makes me think of the current tendency to do away with the art and music programs in today’s schools and replace them with yet another iteration of STEM subjects. Yes, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are the basics in education if we think of building bridges or developing another new medicine to cure another form of cancer. The arts, however, make that life more wonderful.

And they give many of us an unbelievable opportunity to lose ourselves in painting or singing or writing. I loved teaching. I joined in my students’ sense of accomplishment when they found the words to get their message across in their stories. When the fifteen-year-old boy in my class told me he had finished the book I gave him to read, he was beaming. A low-functioning kid, he said that book was the first book he had ever read. The power of story had just opened up for him. He had the tools to find pleasure in stories for himself.

People need connection with both sides of the brain. Yes, they may be wired to excel in STEM subjects but the Arts subjects make them well-rounded and give them a chance to relax and enjoy by imagining. Many many years ago I learned that reading stories to preschool kids helps them develop their ability to analyze, a skill definitely needed throughout their lives.

Let’s enjoy all that the world has to offer and not limit ourselves. People need beauty, imagination and creativity. Engaging in creative activities can take many forms, such as painting, writing, dancing, playing music, crafting, cooking, gardening, or any other activity that allows people to express themselves and tap into their imagination.

As a final note let me tell you about Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional character. Holmes has an unparalleled analytical ability which makes him invaluable in solving crimes. He does chemical experiments, sits reasoning over the strangest objects and invariably finds the answer. He also spends hours playing his violin and a satisfied smile is always on his face then and when he is at a concert.

Today I am working on my new book and I’ve promised myself to find a little time to sit at the piano and sing, maybe even some of my own songs.

‘They’ used to tell us that the invention of the wheel was pivotal in moving the world ahead and they were probably right. Then the industrial revolution came along. And Darwin with his theory of evolution. And Einstein with his theory of relativity. And we humans bowed down at the feet of the gods of discovery as science became a thing to be revered rather than disbelieved and even feared.

These days we hear more and more about A.I. and Chat GPT and dozens of other similar discoveries. This is where I start to wonder about the intrusion of the world of sciences into the worlds of the creative arts such as writing and music and painting and drawing.

Is there something indefinable that makes creative writers unique? Or are we in danger of being replaced?

I remember a Star Trek Enterprise episode where the ship stopped at a new world that had never heard of stories and plays and music, in other words, of the arts. The inhabitants were amazed by Data’s ability to create different characters as he drew the planet’s inhabitants into the stories he created. They offered Data, basically a robot, the position of staying on their planet and teaching them more about this entertainment. And he almost did.

STEM is the popular acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math of which we hear so much these days. Indeed, my own son, the one with the music degree majoring in trumpet, saw the need for more education in the STEM field and started his own cross Canada camps to address that need.  I am delighted that his company has added an ‘A’ to the acronym to create as well STEAM camps this summer. The ‘A’ is for the Arts. And that is as it should be, in my mind.

Why is that important?

As a former high school teacher and a parent, I realize that human beings are not all shaped the same way. We don’t come with the same interests, the same body types, the same physical attributes or basically the same parts. We are different. And we should be thankful for that. In a perfect world the gods of discovery would pay the same tribute to new discoveries whether they be in STEM fields or in the ARTS. We would know that those who sing, paint, write music or books, and find their highest thrills from those pursuits are every bit as important in a well-rounded world as those who are STEM oriented. I add in sports as well here.

To me all the fields we and our children might be proficient in and excited about are important. When I was teaching we loved cheering on our sports teams and our school orchestra. I was lucky enough to bring musical theatre to that high school and saw first hand what it did to further the students’ education. I directed Mikado there using students who had never heard of Gilbert and Sullivan, let along acted and sung in it. The day of auditions my partner and I sat in the staff room after the auditions and wondered if we would ever be able to do this big thing. The kids were willing but so lacking in skills.

Nevertheless we started rehearsals and we taught acting and singing and working together and creating something as a group. A few weeks into rehearsals, there was a kerfuffle with one scene where those in the scene didn’t show up for rehearsal and I decided to cut the rather unimportant scene. A week or so later that group of actors made an appointment with me and told me they would do the scene on their own if I would allow it. I did. A few days later they showed me a well organized and professional scene and I put it back in the show. The kids had stepped up.

The next Christmas I sat in the auditorium and watched as kids from the show put on skits and musical numbers that were great. Their education had been broadened so much by having the chance to learn about acting and singing and working together. Their numbers were things they had created with no teacher help. I was ecstatic! And it was no small thing that they were on stage without being painfully shy or unable to present anything to the student body. Would they ever have times to use those skills in the future!

What does this have to do with writing and STEM? I want there to be chances for every child to excel in this world, whether that child is math, science, music, sports, technology, acting, engineering, drawing, or painting oriented. Or whatever else there is. This will help everyone’s skills be accepted and give a sense of value and worth to all of us for who we are. People need to be well-rounded. Our schools need to reflect who our students are and who they might become. Come on, folks, let’s use some imagination as we choose how to spend our tax dollars for education.

Brains are different. Vive la difference!

This blog post did not use A.I. 🙂

Often when I look at Canadian history my interest is taken by the Loyalists who came here as a result of the American Revolutionary War; indeed, I have enjoyed writing four books in my Loyalist series. This past weekend, however, a different but related focus elicited the photos here.

I was near Cornwall, Ontario at the UELAC annual conference.

Nearby we found again St. Raphael’s Ruins and the story of the Glengarry Emigration of 1786. This particular influx of settlers to Canada came from Scotland because of the terrible economic conditions in Scotland at the time. Father MacDonell’s story is riveting as well because he was their priest who spent his life providing aid to his followers. St. Raphael was his church until it burned in 1970. Here is the historical marker at the site.

Here I am standing a few feet from the towering walls, all that remain after the terrible fire in 1970. I look pretty tiny there!

In front of the ruins is another sign with more information. My husband and I enjoyed walking all around the site and refreshing our memories of being there a few years before.

Across the road is another interesting building, the former Bishop’s house, connected to St. Raphael’s. It was once only the centre part of this structure but the wings were added. Here is an article detailing its restoration currently going on.

Here is the Bishop’s House photo taken from the church ruins property across the road.

On Saturday night of the UELAC conference we attended the lovely dinner complete with bagpipes, period costumes and amazing food. Here is the piper after piping in those in costume. It was most impressive and reminded me of the Zorra Highland Games in Embro, Ontario close to where I grew up. Lots of bagpipes there!

On Sundays, I receive a very interesting publication from the gentleman in the photo below. Doug was in the initial costume parade and I got him smiling as he passed us. Thanks for all your hard work to put out Loyalist Trails every week, Doug!

Here are more of the costumed parade people.

Very formal this couple with her hand resting on his. Lovely.

One more exciting thing that piqued my interest this past weekend was the tent down at the park along the water. There was a booth set up by the Glengarry Fencibles Trust and Brenda and I had a terrific time sharing our respective thoughts about the Loyalists and the Glengarry settlement, among other things. So terrific to talk to knowledgeable people who like what I like. Thanks, Brenda! I started reading the book you mentioned this morning, Shadow of Tradition. I found it downloadable online and I am loving it! Published in the 1940s!

So that was my weekend away. How wonderful it was. We ended it by heading north to the Bancroft area to visit someone in my husband’s class at Western all those years ago. A different kind of history!

Today Canadian terrific author M.K. Tod is launching her latest book, That Was Then. I was an early reader and put a review on both Goodreads and Amazon. Check out my words and pick up your own copy! Congratulations, Mary!

If you want to know of more stories of amazing people who came to Canada, do give my book from last summer a read. Canada, Brave New World is in print, Kindle, Kobo and audio formats.

First thing almost every day, certainly during the week, I arrive in my home office between 7:30 and 8:00. I sit down joyfully, turn on my computer, check my online calendar and deal with email. Sticky notes I’ve made, emails that have come in, and other odds n sods might be waiting for me. I like to deal with a few of them before I get into writing the current project.

I leave my email open but don’t deal with anything there unless it’s urgent. Best to keep working on the current project. Just now it’s my latest idea for book #9–some kind of a how-to writing book linked to my 17-year journey so far.

I’m almost finished another current project–recording a music collection of my mother, my brother and myself and a couple of other people. Some of the songs with my mother in them are from 30 years ago. She left us about 25 years ago so I am ecstatic to hear her amazing voice in these songs. The notes are on the table above.

At 11:00 I take a break, turn on the TV in the kitchen, figure out what lunch might be and prepare it while I watch a rare TV show in real time–The View. I like to hear the ladies’ take on US politics and sometimes they have great interviews to watch. The shopping stuff they present on some days makes me turn off the TV. This morning I made Peach-a-Berry Cobbler for dinner tonight.

After lunch with my husband, we go our separate ways for a while, working in our separate office. In the afternoon we often take a walk. One of our favourite spots is the ‘rail trail’ where the tracks have been gone for years but the trail is spectacular with trees, wildflowers, birds, and a few other walkers. On this day the lilacs were blooming.

Here is a shot of a display of flowering trees and tulips in our oldest park here in my city. You have to appreciate those people so many years ago who planned for the beauty we see around us.

At night we usually relax and watch a little TV, mostly on Netflix or Britbox or one of those places. We avoid the cable stuff because we hate commercials and the shows these days don’t please us, for the most part. Lately we bought 7 seasons of Madam Secretary to watch on our DVD player. Old school, I know, but we are loving it.

Beside the TV you may be sharp enough to see my bead trays on the left. I love to make necklaces, bracelets, watches and even some earrings while I’m watching television. Have to keep the hands busy, you know. Below I’ve finished a necklace that just fits over my head without having to have a clasp to open and close the piece. My own invention. Sometimes I have a jewelry sale to make room for more. Fun!

Occasionally we go out at night and catch some theatre or go to a concert. Afternoon theatre is our favourite and, here in Southern Ontario, we have lots to choose from. We have a season’s pass to Victoria Playhouse Petrolia this year as their productions are ALWAYS first rate. We can reach about 8 theatres in a two-hour radius from our home. Makes a terrific day out. On Mother’s Day we went to Toronto to a new venue (Hugh’s Room) that we had never heard about but John McDermott was singing. We couldn’t miss that opportunity. Here I am bowled over by having a photo with him. What a lovely time with my family. We bought a case which looked like a CD case but had a flash drive inside. That was large enough to have four of John’s CDs full of songs on it. Wow!

I kind of sneaked that story about John McDermott in as an example of what we might do at night after a day writing. I hope it is obvious that the life of a retired teacher turned author is very satisfying.

For this author, the answer is a resounding YES!

I’m hoping, however, that all of you authors out there, shy or not, can find a way to get in front of audiences who will perhaps buy your books. The personal touch is so helpful for reaching readers.

To that end I have updated my own Speaker Sheet and it is in the process of being updated on this website. (The Media Sheet will be next, just so you know.) For now, here is the new Speaker Sheet.

Take a good look at what is included. I’ve started with introducing myself and my books. Then you see a lovely testimonial. When I only had 1 book I had room for more testimonials! I wanted to suggest where I could speak and what I might speak about. A couple of pictures as I really am, the first my head shot and the second me while recording one of my audio books, mean people recognize me when I arrive to speak. Finally, the contact info, all colourfully introduced with a graphic.

Notice that I’ve used my first and last name instead of a pen name. I’ve chosen to be me on my writing journey and I see no reason to put a different name on books of different genres as some authors do. That’s an author’s choice.

For my first book, The Loyalist’s Wife, my cover designer suggested I might like to have a Speaker Sheet and a Media Sheet. I had no idea what they were but when she explained I was on board. What do I use them for?

Uses for Speaker and/or Media sheets for your books.

1. Attach a copy when you approach groups about speaking for them.
2. Attach a copy when you reach out to media reps to help tweak their interest in doing a story about and/or with you.
3. Run a few copies for your table when you’re out anywhere selling books. People love to have something to peruse.
4. If people call or email you about their book club or other personal selling opportunity, make sure you send them your speaker sheet, your media sheet and your introduction for them to use.
5. Along with these sheets offer to tailor make presentation speeches according to their group’s needs and wishes.
6. Don’t be afraid to add something that will make your sheet and you stand out. I used the story of my mother’s book and the photo of me recording. These make a person seem real.

How to Make Up Your Speaker and/or Media sheets.

For both my Speaker and Media sheets, my husband and I work together. I mostly tell him what I want on the sheet. He has the software to create it and together we discuss every aspect of the product, making changes until we like the result. If you hate the computer, find someone to do this for you. Go to a printer with your thoughts and ask them to set it up for you. Make sure you like the end product and, if you don’t, ask for revisions.

One final note. The term One Sheet seems to be used to do this as well so you might research that.

Once you have your sheet ready, I’m sure you’ll find lots of uses for it. You can use actual copies to pass out in person or make your final file into a pdf and attach it to appropriate emails. If you send out a pdf it’s harder to copy with someone else’s info. Protect yourself.

May I speak for your group?

For Canada: Brave New World, my seventh book, I strayed from my usual format. I wrote a number of the stories myself but put out a call for others’ stories because of the nature of the book. Getting first-hand stories was very important to me and I’m very glad I took the road I did. Getting right into the words and voices of so many of the stories really shows how individual human beings can be. That adds to the overall book.

When I decided to to do an audio book, offering the submitters the chance to read parts of their own stories just seemed natural. I especially liked the story partly read in Rudy Zimmer’s German accent as it so accentuated the whole topic of Rudy’s submission. That decision gave my technician and me a lot more work. It also slowed the process of recording but I’m delighted we did it.

As with all of the tasks in my writing/publishing journey, I choose which things to do myself and which to hire out to professionals. In the small city where I live I found a small recording studio where I could learn from the owner/technician how to do my own recordings. I had the courage to do this as one librarian where I had spoken told me that the group I had read to as part of my presentation decided they would be happy to have me read the whole book. I guess those years as a performing English teacher paid off! With Jack London’s help, I went down the recording road.

Jack is a singer and recording artist so is well-versed in the how-tos of recording. That was and is invaluable to me. He has a sound proof room where I wear a headset, listen to his instructions, and his telling me we have to do a part over again. Together we get a great recording. He prepares all the chapters or separate stories and I then take a flash drive for him to transfer them to for me to take home. I have an account with ACX which is the back end of Audible and I upload the files there. Then ACX approves the files that are satisfactory to them and points out any parts which have a problem. Jack looks after making sure the files are perfect as that is his forte.

Once we get the go-ahead from ACX the files are ready for Audible and in a few days the audio book is listed for sale on Audible. I am given a number of free codes for me to send out to people in order for them to get a free copy. This helps get the book into customers’ hands. My newsletter recipients all have the chance to get one of these codes. (If you forgot to get yours for this book, email me.)

The audio book is also listed as one of the book format choices on Amazon. I love that aspect of using Amazon.

If you are wanting to do an audiobook of your own book there are several ways of doing it. Hire someone through ACX/Audible. You will have to have an agreement of how you pay them, either by a percentage of sales or by paying their bill. I pay Jack London Studios for the tech stuff so when I get my payments for audio book sales it all comes to me.

Another way of doing your audio book is to work with a professional who helps you get the correct recording setup right in your own house. My daughter, Beth Cougler Blom, did that for her book Design to Engage and was very pleased with the process her professional led her through.

Why would an author go through all of this work?

The web is full of articles about the reasons to listen to audio books. My husband and I have used audio books borrowed from our local library for our car trips. We choose something we both want to hear and listen for up to an hour at a time as we travel south to the US or west through Canada’s Rockies or east through Quebec and into the Atlantic provinces. I am told that people who drive long distances for a living love audio books and that makes sense to me.

Here is a site I found that gives loads of reasons to listen to audio books. One friend even told me she listens while she is doing her vacuuming. As you can see there are dozens and dozens of reasons to turn on an audio book.

So for us authors this is just another way of getting our stories and our thoughts and words out to the world. I hope you pick up some of my audio books and have a listen. And I especially encourage you to do an audio book of your own books!