I'm working on a cultural fable for Concrete Theatre's Sprouts Festival in June. I'm going to adapt the Monkey King story into a short play for kids. It'll be weird to work on a character that I've been living with for the last three years. I like the Monkey King a lot, and maybe this exercise will give me new perspective on the Forbidden Phoenix.
January 2006 Archives
I just met with the composer of The Forbidden Phoenix about the new songs. I think he has a good handle on what to do. He had a couple of notes on the lyrics, and I'll have to do some thinking to make the adjustments work. For the most part he thought the lyrics would work for the story. He just needs to make them work for the music as well.
The sessions have been going very well. The kids are great. I've learned as much from them as I hope they've learned from me. My only criticism of the experience is that I came down with the flu and my throat has been killing me since Monday. I just hope I don't lose my voice. My illness is also the reason for the drop in blog entries. Apologies to anyone who follows my mindless meanderings.
Oh boy, the book is starting to feel real now. The publisher has just finished a copy edit of the book and submitted the text for the back cover for my feedback. I'm most happy to find out that they hired an illustrator for the front cover and I can't wait to see what she comes up with. Yay, only 3 months before the launch.
I've started my artist-in-residency at Guthrie School. The first day went very well. The students are keen and they were already itching to team up and write their own plays. I'm thrilled that everyone's so enthusiastic.
One of my friends is about to take on a 24 hour playwriting challenge. This marathon writing session puts writers on an insane schedule in which they have to complete a first draft of a play within 24 hours. They aren't allowed to have anything written beforehand other than some notes and maybe an outline. The results of ideas that spring out at 3:00 am are usually pretty entertaining. The plays will be read at various locations throughout the city, and audiences can pick their favourite.
I wish him all the best and hope he brought some extra strong coffee. Go, Gerald, go!
I think I have a climax that works, but I'm a little concerned that the story covers the same ground as the first two novels. I'm debating whether this is going to be the signature of the series or am I just being too lazy to come up with something more clever. I'm going to take a couple of days away from the outline and look at it next week with fresh perspective.
I'm cycling through my outline and ripping apart my initial decisions. The main problem is that I don't want a carbon copy of the last book. Right now, I have the main character caught by the principal for something he didn't do, which is what happened in the previous book. I have to find something else. Also, I still need to raise the stakes at the end of the book. It still feels like it just wimps out. I have to get the main character in more trouble at the end. Back to work.
I finally read Cornelia Funke's book, and I'm kicking myself for not reading it earlier. What a great book. The story is about a group of orphans hiding out in an abandoned movie theatre just trying to survive. With the help of their mysterious leader "The Thief Lord," they pawn stolen goods to buy food. The game gets dangerous when they are commissioned to steal a valuable item, but they discover that first impressions are often wrong.
The language is so descriptive. I can totally picture the streets and canals of Venice. I love the characters Prosper and Scipio. They are very well developed. There are some very unexpected plot twists and character reveals that put this book head and shoulders above others I've read. Just when you think the story is going one way it takes an unexpected twist that sends you down another road, but when you look back at the twist, it makes perfect sense. I wish I could talk about it more, but I'd hate to give away the twists. Just read the book and enjoy the twists and turns.
I'm one book shy of catching up with the series. Like all the other Darren Shan books, this is a thrill-a-minute, plot-twisting story. There's a major turn in the series, but I won't spoil it. Let's just say that this book was worth the wait. I can't wait to see how the series wraps up.
I have a rough sketch of an outline. I've listed the major events which essentially hint at what I want to happen in each chapter. I think the ending is still pretty flat. I have to chase the main character up the tree and get him in maximum jeopardy. Right now, the outline kind of just wimps out. I think the kids will have a new teacher. And I'm still trying to figure out if I can work in Belly Kick Ball into the story.
Last night, I heard that the Treasury Board of the Alberta Government (made up of what appears to be Ralph Klein's inner sanctum) is hesitant to approve a recommendation from one of their own committees to raise the funding levels of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, which provides grants to arts and community groups across the Province. The funding levels haven't budged since 1988, and horse racing receives more money from the Province. I ranted and raved for hours. And is often the case my anger sparked an idea.
I plan to write a political satire. I'm thinking to blend politics and the music industry as I track the rise of a politician to rock star status. He becomes arrogant and no longer relevant to the people who made him a star. And when he outstays his welcome, he tries desperately to create a legacy with a greatest hits of political decisions. Maybe I'll throw in a little King Lear as his underlings try to divvy up his legacy. Anger is sometimes the best source of inspiration for ideas.
At least that's my working title. I'm trying to sort out the major events in the book. So far I have the investigation and a romantic sub-plot. I'm hoping the two stories will connect thematically, so that one says something about the other. Back to work.
Today, I start work on the outline for my third book in the "Mystery of..." series. The outline is basically a plan for what I want to write. I write a sentence for each major event in the story so that I can see if I have a complete story. I'll probably go through several versions of the outline before I think I'm ready to write the first draft. I often start on paper and then move to the computer. I'm pretty excited about the idea. I think the main characters will try to catch a thief, but they think the criminal has a portable hole. Off to work.
When I stumbled across Michael Buckley's scathing blog about my review of his New York Times best selling book, The Sisters Grimm, my first thought was here's a kindred spirit. I'm not the only person who's guilty of vanity Google searches. My next thought was that I've angered an American and I should get into my bomb shelter right away, but the ten-foot snow drifts kept me out.
But seriously, this is a formal apology to Mr. Buckley. You are right that writers should support each other, and I'm sorry for not being more supportive. Your vehement (and hilarious) rant reminded me that anything I say in a blog should be the same thing that I'm willing to say in person. In the future, I'll keep negative reviews off my site.
I do hope some day to meet you in person. A melee between two children's authors probably wouldn't last very long, but what a photo op. Good luck with your new book! I will buy your next title, because your rant made me laugh out loud a few times. You had me at "Maybe I'm thin skinned."
