Muse

 

I don't usually post twice in one day (or week), but I just love this shot of my dog Zodar. Maybe he's not quite my muse, but he makes me laugh daily.

Have a great weekend.

Lessons from Rambo

...well, more accurately, lessons from the guy that invented Rambo. David Morrell wrote the novel First Blood, which was made into the movie Rambo. I recently picked up a craft book called, Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing that was written by Morrell.

Now, I didn't pick it up because I really wanted to find out the inner workings of the guy who created a crazed Vietnam vet that spawned a whole new form of anti-hero, vigilante, blow the shit out of everything trend. Don't get me wrong, I like when things blow up in movies - not so much in books. But the book had a blurb from Joe Lansdale and that intrigued me. Lansdale has not written a book on the craft but if likes this one, well, I'll give it a shot.

Turns out the book is wonderful. It is honest, clear, concise thoughts on technique and the whole business of writing. It actually reminded me a lot of Stephen King's On Writing. It's full of great anecdotes too – from a guy who makes his living writing and has experienced his book being turned into Hollywood screenplays.  When he gets into excerpts from his own work, I know that I wouldn't enjoy reading him, but you can tell the guy knows what he is talking about. It turns out, he is also an English Prof. - which explains his examples of Henry James and Dickens. (Not what you expect from the Rambo guy.)

The book has been helping me consider the shape of my new novel. I often find myself in between wanting to write strong literary work and wanting to tell a great story - I believe it is possible to do both. I wouldn't take Morrell's book as the only source here. It is good to read it alongside something like John Gardner's Art of Fiction. This is so when you come to a part in your book when something needs to blown up, you can do it in an artful fashion.

Ka-boom, the car transcended into the heavens spilling its parts like gossamer threads....

Uh, right. 

A Moveable Feast

Another obsession I have (among the many) is for good used bookstores.
I may have written about this before, but their is one in my neighbourhood, called, "The Neighbourhood" that I frequent. When they opened up I was equally excited and nervous about how much time I would spend there and how many books I would carry home to add to my bulging bookshelves. On top of the books, they make the best coffee in the neighbourhood (love that name). So yeah, coffee, books, close-by, a recipe for wanton relaxation.

I digress.

The latest book I carted home was Hemingway's A Moveable Feast. I have always loved Hemingway, some of my first attempts at writing were deeply influenced by his work. I did, as some writer (I forget who) suggested: read all the Hemingway you can get, and then read all the Faulkner you can get - in order to get the Hemingway out of your head. I really know what this means, I so fell in love with Hemingway's style that is became very hard to break way and find my own voice.

But I still love Hemingway - I had my kids read The Sun Also Rises before they had to take it in school (though, I think it is rarely taught anymore). They both loved it. And it wasn't because they were used to reading this sort of "classic" books. They were both reading Harry Potter and other teen fiction. But the stories of Paris so resonated with both of them as did the lead character's observations of that city. Neither of them have been to Paris. But there was something that was so compelling.

Last night, I opened Moveable Feast and immediately experienced that compulsion.  Now, I have been to Paris - but not this one. Not hanging out with Ford Madox Ford, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein on the left bank. the book starts with the quote about Paris being a Moveable Feast - to me this is the same as saying a place gets in your blood, becomes a part of you, no matter where you live. I have those places too, I write about them all the time. So maybe that is what resonates for me. Paris is not one of those places that I carry with me, but you sense Hemingway's incredible love for this city.

Enjoy your weekend. Open a bottle of Bordeaux, or better yet, some Grappa, and disappear into your favorite place.

That's what I intend on doing. 

A Tawdry Queen

 

I confess that I am a word geek - not a bad thing when you are a writer. I belong to the Webster word of the day (major geek alarm!). What most interests me is the etymology of the word - today's was fascinating.

 Tawdry

Did you know?

     In the 7th century, Etheldreda, the queen of Northumbria, renounced her husband and her royal position for the veil of a nun. She was renowned for her saintliness and is traditionally said to have died of a swelling in her throat, which she took as a judgment upon her fondness for wearing necklaces in her youth. Her shrine became a principal site of pilgrimage in England. An annual fair was held in her honor on October 17th, and her name became simplified to St. Audrey. At these fairs various kinds of cheap knickknacks were sold, along with a type of necklace called "St. Audrey's lace," which by the 17th century had become altered to "tawdry lace." Eventually, "tawdry" came to be used to describe anything cheap and gaudy that might be found at these fairs or anywhere else.

P.W.A.C. (pwack?)

If you are around the Winnipeg area this weekend, our city is hosting the Professional Writers Association of Canada National Conference (P.W.A.C.) I am speaking at the conference, though I am not speaking as a writer but as my alter-ego: illustrator-man. I'll be part of a panel discussion on collaboration with editors, designers and illustrators. It's an interesting position for me, especially since beginning my writing career a few years ago – I find myself on both sides of the street, asking myself paradoxical questions like, "Could I collaborate with me?"

I doubt that I'll be that profound, or weird, but it's a good excuse to hang out with some writers. And I've heard there is lunch! That's about all I need to show up somewhere. 

Here's some further details about the conference.

Have a good weekend.