Wow, I did not realise how badly I put things off. I went through my e-mail and found an e-mail where I promised to deliver a 5,000 word essay by the middle of December. Guess what I'm doing this weekend. Yikes! There's nothing like an imposed deadline to inspire me into last-minute inspirations. I used to wait until the last minute before I handed in my university essays. I learned to beat my deadlines when I started to work as a full-time writer. Normally, I'd have something like this done well before the deadline. Now I'm cutting it a little close for comfort. The cool thing about this essay is that it is going to be translated in Chinese and published in an overseas magazine. Since I don't read Chinese, I'll never know if the translator misinterpreted my article. Hope I don't write about anything too humiliating.
November 2006 Archives
I came back from a meeting about the workshop of the play, which is now slated for the last two weeks in February. Lots of good talk about potential casting. My director is going to make the initial contact with all the actors, and I'll have to do the paperwork. I feel like the project is gaining momentum. Maybe it's because I received a grant to pay for the workshop, or maybe I'm completely deluding myself into thinking that I might actually get this thing produced down the line. Or maybe it's just the Christmas season that's making me feel optimistic about the project which has been plaguing my life for over 4 years. Whatever the reason, I'm feeling pretty positive about the show.
The next steps are going to be crucial, because the music needs a bit of focus as does the second act of the script. The movement stuff is all up for grabs, so part of me feels like nothing has been set at all. Now I'm starting to remember why I like publishing so much. At least when the manuscript is revised and ready to go, there aren't a lot of variables like actors, set designers, choreographers, etc. Although, the collaborative nature of theatre means that I at least get to talk to human beings instead of my cats.
Speaking of my cats, I better get cracking on the picture book about them. I think I'm going to have to down play Max as a thief and just focus on Buddy's nervous condition. Maybe my fictional version of Max will be a biter. I'll get cracking on the first draft in a couple of days...
My brain is a big bowl of porridge. It's thick and bland. I had to take some anti-inflammatory pills for pulled chest muscles, and now I'm a half-zombie. This comes at a terrible time, because I've got to start pulling together all the key cast info and contracts for the Banff residency of The Forbidden Phoenix, which takes place in February. I've also started my virtual artist in residency with the Pembina Hills students. By the way, they gave me great story starters (Big foot with celery nunchuks in a Winnipeg blizzard). And on top of all the continuing readings I have to deliver in the next two weeks, I have meetings for various projects and I have to review my manuscript for the third book.
Yes, I'm complaining about being too busy. For the first time, my wife's going to be happy, because normally around this time of the year I complain about not being busy enough. I'm one of those people who wishes that winter would come during summer and summer would come during winter. I'll just shut my mouth and enjoy the rollercoaster ride while it lasts.
Final day in Ontario. I'm sad to finish the tour, but happy that tonight I'll be able to see my cats Buddy and Max again. I'm writing from a computer at John English School in Mimico. The grade 8 students were a great audience. I had fun with the grades 3, 4 & 5 students afterward. Now I have two more sessions in the afternoon with the grades 6 and then the grade 7 students. The school is pretty cool. It was a former high school, so there's a huge auditorium for the presentation. I'm really get used to the microphone now.
My only regret is that I didn't have more books to sell. If anyone wants their own copy of either book, they can track them down at Chapters, or get them online through Chapters or Amazon.
Okay, I'm off to do the last two sessions of the tour. I'm a bit wired right now because Julie Andrews is singing on the intercom and I just feel like having tea with jam and bread.
Is this day 7 or 8 or 99? I'm losing all track of time. Right now, I'm writing a blog on a computer in the library of Cardinal Heights School. Today is Shadow Your Kid day at school, so I'm not only presenting to the grades 6 - 8 students, but I also have parents in the back row. The first two sessions were fun. For the first time on this tour, I'm talking about my grandmother's sacrifice. The only complaint I have with the presentation is that I still have too much trouble getting through that story. It's pretty emotional still and I keep taking shortcuts in the story because I want to get to the end quickly. Maybe one day, I'll be able to tell the full story in a session. Maybe this is a hint that it's time to try to put the thing down on paper. Maybe once I put it down on paper then I'll feel like I can tell the full story. Sometimes when I'm bugged by things in life, I feel better after I write about them. I think I might find some time to jot down more notes on the story and see if I can turn it into my next book project. Okay, I have one more session at Cardinal Heights. Hope the grade eight students enjoy it.
Later,
M
P.S. Okay, I am finally back at my hotel. The afternoon session was really cool. The grade 8 students were hilarious. My apologies to the girl who thought I said "STD" instead of "SBD." That was a hoot. Here's a cool thing that I discovered. Thanks to the audience reaction, I'm changing up the cat story I tell. I introduced a new joke and it went over really well with the students. I'm going to keep it. I bet the Cardinal Heights students can figure it out. The grade 8 students just have to compare notes with the grade six and seven students. I only told the joke to the grade 8 group, because I only figured out the joke in the middle of the session. Yes, it's another example of a writer revising his work.
This morning I had a great time talking to the Sydenham & St. Peter's Separate School students who came to the Kingston Frontenac Public Library. One boy was eager to share his story about his sleeping dog, and we had a girl and a boy act it out for us. This was part of a writing exercise on how to come up with ideas. Remember, if you're stuck, try to use your own real life experiences to kick start your stories, then use your imagination to go someplace else. The best way to do this is to ask the simple question: "What happens next?"
And remember if anything goes wrong, what's the word to scream? Feel free to give the answer in the comments section.
Later in the afternoon, I'm back from an awesome presentation at J.J. O'Neill School in Napanee. I spoke to over 100 students (from grades 4 - 8). The kids were so receptive and willing to listen that I felt more at ease than I had ever been before in a gymnasium. To be honest, I'm always petrified to use a microphone because I think it will make it harder for me to do the presentation. The kids were so great that for the first time I actually enjoyed using the microphone. Thanks to my audience at J.J. O'Neill for making me feel so comfortable.
Now I'm waiting to get on the train to go back to Toronto. I'm travelling with a very cool author named Karen Rivers. She writes for high school students, and she's hilarious. I'm going to have to check out some of her books.
Hey, everyone,
Thanks for all your comments. I've been reading them, but I haven't had the chance to reply because I'm running to other schools for visits. If you don't hear from me for awhile, I'm sorry, but I'll be back home in a week and I'll try to reply to your questions and to your title suggestions. Thanks for commenting!!!!
This morning, I presented to students at Hess Street School and Ryerson Middle School. The kids at Hess Street School were a hoot. Sorry that I was late. I got caught in gridlock traffic coming out of Toronto. My thanks to the young man who introduced me and thanked me at the end. I'm looking to drinking some tea in my brand new mug.
The session at Ryerson Middle School was in the gym. For the first time in Toronto, I did a creative writing workshop with the kids. Thanks to my brilliant actors for performing the cat story. I hope you all continue writing your own stories. My thanks to the two students who welcomed me to the school and thanked me for the presentation. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the two books.
All the best,
Marty
Today, I visited two schools: St. Isaac Jogues and Crestwood. I had a blast at both schools.
At St. Isaac, I talked to the grades 4 & 5 students first, then the grades 6 - 8. I was amazed at how much everyone enjoyed the stories. I wished I could have stayed longer and told more stories. Actually, I hope that the students come up with their own stories and share them with each other. Thanks to everyone for the title suggestions. I was thrilled to get the big thank you card. It will go well with my giant foam hand!
To the Crestwood students, thanks so much for spending time with me in that cold gym. I was glad that I didn't have to use the microphone, but I was thrilled to see so many students ready to run the speaker for me. Thanks for being ready to help. I was glad that my voice held out out. Everyone wanted just one more story. I was almost out of them by the end of the session.
I really hope that the students at both schools enjoyed the presentations, and I hope I get more suggestions for the cat book. Thanks everyone for spending the day with me. This was an awesome start to the week. Off to Hamilton and Burlington tomorrow.
Okay, so sometimes you have to be ready to compromise and go with the flow. I had big plans to do a bunch of things today on my free day. I went all the way to Yorkdale to meet the head of the Indigokids department there. She's a wonderful person, and she's in the middle of getting her section ready for a new test site. Still, she made the time to chat with me about what Indigokids does and she was keen on staying in contact in case I make my way back to Toronto.
Afterward, I was hoping to catch some of the Santa Claus Day parade and then hit a V.I.P. matinee of Casino Royale or a matinee of a stage play called Insomnia. Unfortunately, the subway broke down and I was stranded in Yorkdale for the afternoon. So I went to see the Bond movie at a regular old movie theatre. I guess I'll have to try another time for the V.I.P. experience.
Now I'm heading back to my hotel to grab some dinner. Not sure if I'll head out tonight or not. I have an early start tomorrow, and I'm pretty zonked. It was a fun day. The great thing about being in a big city is that even if plans change, I could find something entertaining to do. Whew! Okay, off to find food.
Well, last night's plans fell apart after I hit a sushi restaurant. Very good food. I was eavesdropping on the cook and waiting staff, and I had trouble figuring out their dialect. I heard smatterings of Cantonese and Mandarin. I didn't think they were speaking Japanese, but I wasn't sure if they were speaking Chinese either. Anyway, the food was great. I'll probably visit the restaurant a few more times while I'm here.
Unfortunately, the day's travel caught up to me after dinner. I picked up a NOW magazine and realised that I'd never make it to any shows in time, so I hit the sack early.
This afternon I had a reading at Brampton Library. The audience was small, but very appreciative. I had one father tell me about his memories of corduroy pants. The one moment of humiliation came when I was about half through the presentation when I noticed that my fly was open. Thankfully, I was able to make a joke about it. Ah well, it doesn't matter how old I get, there will always be something to make me feel like I'm 8 years old again.
Tonight, I get to visit with the Chinese Opera consultant who is working on The Forbidden Phoenix. Then I'm off to meet with some friends. Tomorrow, the Santa Claus parade is happening, so I'm going to check that out and maybe hit the matinee of Wicked. If I have enough energy, I'll try to see the new Bond movie in the V.I.P. theatre. Apparently, you can sit in comfy chairs and have someone take your food orders. Very cool. Let's see if I can pull off half the stuff I want to do tomorrow.
Here I am in a coffee shop in Toronto. I'm set for a reading at Brampton Library tomorrow morning, then I'm meeting some friends.
Tonight, I get to explore the downtown area of Toronto. I have to track down a NOW magazine and find out what shows are running. The great thing about where I'm staying is that I'm right in the heart of downtown, next to the subway line. I think I'll be able to get to pretty much anything, provided the jet lag doesn't hit me soon.
I'm off in search of entertainment options. Hopefully, there's a good show tonight.
Well, it was a tough slog, but I finished the article. I spent most of the day coming up with the central idea, and then for the last two hours, I've been revising and polishing every paragraph and every sentence. I whittled the thing down from 920 words to a lean 809 words. I am of the school of thought that less is more, especially when it comes to humour. I hope that the article comes across as more than a one-note joke. I did something different in this article. I started to play with language. Not sure if the piece will be entirely successful. I'll wait to hear what my editor says. If she likes it, she'll say nothing. If she doesn't like it, I'll probably get a note that says "try again" or "what else do you have?" I hope I don't hear from her.
I can't believe that I'm having trouble about a subject that I know so well. I have to write an article about procrastination for the Edmonton Journal. All day yesterday, I tried to crack the nut and find the hook, the central idea, for the piece, but I kept replying to e-mails instead. I don't know why I can't get into this article. Maybe I should write about how hard it is to write the article. That'd be funny if it was a monologue, but I don't think it would play as well in print. This isn't quite writer's block, but it's close. I think I'm going to walk away from the computer and grab my idea book to brainstorm the article a little more. Something about the pen and paper makes me think in different ways. That might get something going. The only problem in this whole mess is that I promised to deliver the article by the end of today. Deadlines have a way of giving me ulcers!
I think I need to see a psychiatrist. Now that my children's book career is flying along, I feel a strong urge to do more theatre. I'm going to be at the Banff Centre in February to workshop The Forbidden Phoenix; I just submitted a Fringe application; and I just agreed to be the Alberta Playwrights Network's Edmonton playwright in residence. I really do have an MTV attention-span when it comes to projects.
On a serious note, I think it's important to keep myself exposed to all forms of writing, whether it's fiction or playwriting. Each genre pushes me in different ways, just like different exercises push different muscles. I was starting to worry that my writing was become a bit too narrative-based and not dramatic enough. The big difference that I find between fiction and theatre is that fiction occurs in the past tense, while theatre is present tense. I have to remember that when I jump back into the theatre world and work on my Fringe play. What's the story? I don't know yet. I've got a couple of ideas, but I haven't settled on the one that I want to work on. I'll decide by the time the Fringe lottery rolls around.
On the rare occasion, the creative juices flow with ease. I compare it to a hockey player scoring a hat trick on his birthday. Whatever happens in the cosmos, the right combination of energy, creativity and sheer luck add up to a perfect day. In this case, I had a wave of creative energy and was able to not only complete a rough draft of my Christmas article, but I even had the stamina to revise and polish the article. I was thrilled with the end result, and I sent it off last night. I probably should have sat on the article a day, but the whole thing felt right. I can't explain nor can I recreate the circumstances that allowed me to bang out the article. I can only enjoy the experience.
Today, is the exact opposite. I can't even get the energy to read the Edmonton Journal, let alone work on my next article. Ironically, the article is about procrastination. Okay, maybe I'll try working on the piece tomorrow. I have to finish the rough draft before I head to Ontario on Friday. Wish me luck.
I took the weekend off to recharge after six weeks of book touring and school visits. I'm feeling much better today, but on the weekend I thought that I was coming down with a major flu. Definitely not what I want just before I go to Ontario for the TD-CCBC Book Week. However, it'd be ironic if I were really sick when the Edmonton Journal photographer came to shoot me for my hypochondria article (expected to run November 24).
I'm going to take full advantage of this week of no readings by writing another Edmonton Journal article, brainstorming my picture book and rereading the Mad Science Teacher. It'll be nice to actually pound away at the keyboard on something substantial. I know it's weird, but I love the clacking sound when I get on a roll. It sets a rhythm for my work and makes me feel like I can do anything. Music is also a good articial kick starter. I tend to play fast-paced and catchy tunes so that I can get my adrenalin flowing and ideas flying. Got to get on the Edmonton Journal article now. I hope to have a rough draft by the end of the day.
As much as I like the series, I think the producers of Lost have lost their way. The season ender of their short fall season was a bit disappointing. Kate's flashbacks seemed extraneous and only there as bookmarks rather than as real segments that showed us her character's story. Although, I do have to give a shout out to Nathan Fillion, an Edmonton actor, who played her husband. Very cool to see him on the show. I wonder how many of his friends are now trying to call him to get copies of future Lost episodes.
I wonder if the writers know how this story is going to wrap up. Do they have the end in sight? Or are they now making up stuff to stretch out to as many seasons as the ratings will allow. It'd be cool if they just said this story will resolve itself by the end of season three. Sometimes, you can stay too long with a good thing. Case in point; The Matrix trilogy. This was one great movie followed by two "huh" movies. I just hope Lost doesn't turn into the "huh" series that we all remember with the same self-conscious sense of humour reserved for series like the Six Million Dollar Man and the A-Team.
Thanks to the students at Edith Rogers and L.Y. Cairns. We got to talk about The Bone House in both sessions, and it was cool to see that people were interested in seeing the show. The more I think about it, the more I want to remount it. The only thing that is holding me back is the fear that I won't be able to capture the spirit of the original and people will compare the remount to their memory of the show. That's the big problem with remounting successful shows. No matter how could the new production is, it will never live up to the memory. It's not that the productions are bad; it's just that the memory has a way of romanticizing the original production so much that nothing can really top it.
The best analogy I can use is my hunt for the perfect hot dog. I remembered making the best hot dog when I was a vendor. There was the right amount of mustard, ketchup and liquid cheese. The dog was the thing I ate almost every day at work. Years later, I thought I'd find the same hot dog company and order one of the magnificent dogs I remembered. I told everyone how great this dog was and dragged some friends to taste the goodness that assorted ground meat can make. Everyone was disgusted at the taste and I was disappointed at the failure. The dog was the same, but my memory had turned it into a greater thing that it really was. I'm worried that the same thing will happen with The Bone House. But then again, there's a whole bunch of kids who never saw the original, so this might be the right time to bring it back.
A big shout out to Evansdale School for being great hosts. The students rocked. Also, a big shout out to State Farm for sponsoring the event, and for buying 4 books to donate to the school. This was way above and beyond the call of duty. I hope that the students get a chance to take the books out from their library. I had a blast with everyone, and I hope that I can come back again some day.
I'm on the Heroes bandwagon. This series is great. The thing I love about the new wave of television is a return to serial drama. I love continuing story lines, especially when there's a sense of mystery. I want to know how these heroes get together and what they do to save the world. I want to know how the cheerleader fits in. But the thing I want to know more than anything else is if the creators of X-men get any royalties. Has anyone noticed how the Heroes super-powers are very similar to the powers of many X-men. Let's see, there's the Wolverine-like cheerleader who can regenerate; the Rogue-like little brother who seems to absorb other people's powers; the mind-reading cop who could be Jean Grey or Professor X; and the list goes on. I'm not complaining, because I loved the X-men (comics and the first two movies... definitely, not the third movie).
Anyway, I need another Heroes fix now. I wish my super power was the ability to get scripts of series ahead of time. What would my hero name be? The Spoiler. I like names with "the" in it.
The article went off to the Edmonton Journal late last night. I had a second wind and my wife was laughing a lot at my rough draft, which gave me the confidence to finish off the article. I'm amazed at how a little positive reinforcement can give me the energy to finish a revision.
The nutty thing is that I still owe my editor an article on procrastination and I keep putting it off by pitching other story idea. She just went for a Christmas themed column about how kids never seem to get the gifts they really want. So now I have to finish the article in time for early December. Maybe I'll be able to pitch other story ideas so that I can put off my procrastination article even longer.
The furnace broke down today. We can't get the house warmer than 17 degrees, and no one can come out to fix the furnace until tomorrow. I had big plans to see Darren Krill's book launch and then catch a late matinee of Borat. Now, I'm stuck in the house trying to find gloves that can keep me warm enough and still let me type. I decided to use the time waiting to hear back from furnace repair shops to work on my next Edmonton Journal article. This one's all about hypochondria. I have a first draft finished. It's pretty rough, but I think I'm too distracted with the furnace to do a proper polish. I have to wait for the furnace guy tomorrow, so I'll use the first part of the morning to do a polish and then I'll send the article off.
The tour is sadly over. I had a blast at Parkcrest Elementary this morning. I spoke to 180 students in a beautiful library. The students were great and had lots of fun questions. The afternoon session at South Sa-Hali was also fun. A couple of girls were a bit disruptive at the beginning, but once they were separated, the rest of the session went very well. The kids really seemed interested in The Bone House, and I hope the story of my grandmother stays with them. I was impressed that one student had heard the radio version of the story. As a bonus, I went to visit the grade five students and told them all about Buddy and Max. For the record, it looks like everyone wants me to write about both cats. I guess I better start cracking.
Thanks to all the fine folks in Kamloops, Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Agassiz. I'll be back this way soon. If you're a Kamloops teacher or student, I'm going to be at the Young Authors' Conference in May. Get your best writing together. I'm planning to do a cool workshop on making scenes that zing. Can't wait to come back. All the best.
A big time thanks to the students at Seabird Island School and the grade 7 students at the Agassiz Library. The morning session was hilarious. I loved how some of the students were already guessing the punchlines of my stories because they had read The Mystery of the Graffiti Ghoul. In the afternoon, I had a blast with the grade seven kids doing the writing demo. The young man who did the Michael Jackson impersonation was hilarious. Thanks for playing along. I'm now back in Kamloops for my last two readings. This tour has been a blast, and I'm sad it's almost done. Hopefully, I'll be able to swing out this way again next year.
What a day! I spent the morning with the grade five students at Abbotsford Christian Elementary. The kids were a great bunch, especially first thing in the morning after Halloween. Then I headed over to the Abbotsford Library to present to the Godson students. What an amazing bunch. They were laughing at everything. Even the teachers were laughing. I hope everyone enjoyed the session.
The afternoon wrapped up with a visit to the Chilliwack Library. There were two schools and some members of the general public. My favourite moment was when I made the kids scream AIYA and one of the patrons came to shush us. She was hilarious. I pretended that she was my mom.
Okay, now I'm off to Agassiz for two sessions. My thanks to all the wonderful audiences of today. You all rock!
