leftwriter

Are You A Writer...

2010-06-04T23:10:00.003-07:00

...looking for a place to hone your craft?

Check this out: http://kc-dyer.squarespace.com/blog/2010/6/4/signed-up-yet.html

[and hey -- sign up for the RSS feed over there, will ya?]

~kc

She's Ba-a-a-a-ack!

2010-06-03T21:36:00.002-07:00

Find out more HERE.

~kc

New post on kcdyer.com!

2010-05-21T00:10:00.000-07:00

Have you re-set your reader to my new blog address yet? It's easy -- www.kcdyer.com/blog
And here's a link right to the new post: http://kc-dyer.squarespace.com/blog/2010/5/20/kc-comes-up-for-air.html

See you over there!

~kc

New Website -- new blog!

2010-05-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

Hooray!

The new site is close enough to ready that I'm jumping headlong in and launching it today.

You'll find it at www.kcdyer.com ... same site as my old website, but a brand new [spooky] look.

It's taken WAY longer than I thought it would to get the thing up and going, mostly because we changed servers along with content and style, but I'm pretty happy with the result.

Now -- I'll also be blogging through that location. Yep, we're retiring the old blogspot, after all these years. I started blogging here in 2005, and it's been a fantastic location for me. But if I move my blog over, I own the content if push comes to shove, rather than it being in the more nebulous possession of blogger.com, and that makes me feel a little safer in this age of who-knows-what's-coming-next-in-digital-rights-management.

For the next month or so, I'll put up a wee notice here when I have a blog post to share, directing you to the right place. But if you have a reader, feel free to to change my blog address right now to www.kcdyer.com/blog .

If you go straight to the site, just knock on the door of the spooky house to find the blog. [There's a teaser on the front page at the bottom...and a teaser of my twitter feed on the right-hand side, too]

And today on the blog? I can promise you DOLPHINS! [Okay, so it's not unicorns, but I think this post is even better...!]

Next week, once I have the latest opus in the can, I'll be having a new website celebration contest. Details soon!

Now, how about a peek at those dolphins? HERE!

~kc

Website Woes...

2010-05-03T23:22:00.000-07:00

...will not last for long. We've got the template complete and ready to go, but have switched servers and the conversion is taking longer than I thought. I have high hopes for this week!

In the meantime, a couple of things that made me go hmmmmmmm.....

First, [from Americablog via boingboing] several astonishing photographs of the deepwater oil rig Horizon, as it crashes and burns, creating what is now being called the worst oil spill disaster ever off the coast of Louisiana.

And one of the many black humour-based responses, this one apparently from Twitter via HuffingtonPost:

BREAKING: Large Air Spill at Wind Farm. No threats reported. Some claim to enjoy the breeze.

[hat tip to Interesting Finds for the pic] .

And, to finish, in more literary news...a happy ending to the Dr. Peter Watts story. Via Tor.com.
Fist in the air for Peter!

More soon...

~kc

She's got a million things to do, but all she wants to do is blog, blog...

2010-04-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

Hello fair friends, and welcome to the deluge. It is pouring precipitation outside and work inside, so this post will be brief. The pic is in honour of sunny days remembered...so long ago.

This particular shot is of the Philidelphia skyline from my visit there last November. I have to decide in the next week whether to make the trek to New York for Book Expo America at the end of May. [Accepting votes either for or against in the comment section!] Looking at a jam-packed schedule over the next 6 months or so, so a few days in the beautiful city of New York holds a LOT of appeal right now.

But on to other business...let's begin with things of interest on the literary scene, shall we?

I'm writing mysteries with my CWC creative writing class, and I stumbled on this good advice from Ursula K. LeGuin today on the subject of plausibility in fantasy. Has this woman been given goddess status, yet? Because if she and PD James ruled the world, you KNOW it would be a better place.

Once again, Ev Bishop knocks one out of the park with HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL? , her latest blog post. If you don't have this writer on your reader -- well, you're really missing out.

And in geek news, it seems Stephen Hawking has taken a page out of the BSG handbook and declared that any alien life in the universe might best be avoided by humans.

It's been a mere five years since the first YouTube video was uploaded. How things have changed, eh? Life before YouTube seems almost as long ago as life before cell phones.

That last link was via the amazing Gizmodo, a site I have been following since around about the time Joel Johnson left boingboing and moved over, and it's a happening place these days. I'd definitely recommend it for the interesting links, though the content occasionally arrives like the rain on my roof is right now. But I just surf through it happily, picking out the good stuff. The past week has been chock full of good stuff, with the so-weird-it-seemed-fake lightning strike of an Apple employee losing the latest prototype iPhone at a bar, and its subsequent arrival into Gizmodo hands. Last night the editor of the site's home was raided and all his computers confiscated, on suspicion of his participating in a felony, which appears to be related to the exposure of the guts of said iPhone. A summary of events prior to the computer raid is HERE. It's fascinating stuff.

I've loved Macs for years, and would never give mine up, but watching this thing unfold is certainly giving some insight into the company cult and culture.

And finally, for my dear friend A Novel Woman, [and her beautiful, knitting-enabling daughter] I leave you with someone whose hair looks startlingly like my own RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT, but whose knitting skills ...well, you'll just have to see what happens, won't you?

More soon...

~kc

PS... Clearly less brief than I thought when I set out. Hope you enjoy, though!

Earth Day in Lions Bay via iPhone

2010-04-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

I didn't have my good camera with me, but wanted to document the beautiful Earth Day in Lions Bay yesterday. So to and fro to yoga class, here is some visual evidence of the beauty of this planet that we all share.... Above, cherry blossoms still fresh.

One of the many streams that run down the mountain.

Japanese maples unfurling.

Dogwood just going into flower...[blooms are still bright green].

Periwinkle in the shade.

I'm so glad I got these shots -- today the rain is back!

More soon.

~kc

Volcanos and Pythons and Eagles oh MY!

2010-04-21T22:39:00.000-07:00

Still no new site, but my open tabs are threatening to take over my computer, so here's a catch up on all that's interesting in kc's world at the moment.

And the new website? Soon my pretties, soon....

Let's begin with a few bookish things, shall we?

I loved this article on what success means to Canadian author Joseph Boyden. Note:[for those who may not be aware of the financial realities of Canuck authors] big money is not involved.

Nonetheless, if you are among the clinically insane enough to pursue this line of work, here's a word of advice for you. I tweeted this earlier this week, and it's been picked up by the clever and sparkly Kathy Chung [that's her on the left up there, with the equally gorgeous writer Pamela Patchet at a SiWC past...]on the SiWC blog...but here is a link to an old [but valuable] article by Jenny Cruisie that has resurfaced recently; some salient advice to writers about valuing your time.

My buddy, author James McCann is offering a kids & parent writing class -- SUCH a great idea! You can find more on his blog HERE.

Speaking of James, he and his partner in crime, Lee Edward Fodi have a new episode of their Authors Like Us podcast up. This is part two of a dinner interview with amazing authors Don Calame and Meg Tilly. I have to admit to crashing the party, so you'll hear me in the background, too. The food was great, the company stellar and the insanity ratcheted high.

In volcanic news, while the planes are now returning to European airspace, here's one Python who got out of town in the world's most expensive taxi ride.

And now, a few interesting things floating about the internet...

HERE , via boingboing, you will find Adam Savage's noble address to Harvard heathen, a brief but very enjoyable read.

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this show before, but in celebration of the new third series episodes that are now up, I suggest you check out Lisa Kudrow's Web Therapy, if you haven't already. Mostly improvised, wholly high-larious.

Let's finish with Australia's Axis of Awesome, shall we? Three less photogenic rockers you will have to search to find, but...are they funny? Judge for yourself:

More soon...

~kc

Stalling...and Facing Fire

2010-04-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

I've been stalling, hoping that my next blog post will be in the newly migrated section at my freshly upgraded and spookified website...

but it's not to be. Too much going on, and we've reached a little glitch. AND, speaking of migration, my web-guy has had to make a little side trip to Hawaii, so it may well be a bit before all systems are go.

In the meantime, a few things that interested me this week:

Iceland making itself heard on the international aviation stage: AMAZING photos of the eruptions HERE. And HERE is a flickr collection of more.

Breathtaking. But the ash in the air is also having an influence on the book world. The London Book Fair scheduled for this week has been disrupted by cancelled flights. I have hugely fond memories of attending this event a few years ago, and I'm sorry to see it so disrupted.

And, finally, if the volcano pix are not enough Facing Fire for you -- check out this incredible sun surge, called an eruptive prominence, as recorded by NASA over 19 hours on April 12 and 13th. This one is estimated at 500,000 miles long.

Astonishing.

~kc

Another teaser...

2010-04-12T22:18:00.001-07:00

So much going on these days...

Tomorrow I have the usual Tuesday CWC creative writing class, with a bonus visit to Van Tech Secondary in the morning. This is becoming an annual event -- I think it's the third year in a row I've visited -- and I'm looking forward to a ton of fun.

In the meantime, we are working very hard behind the scenes to get the new website design up and going. This blog will migrate over there as soon as it is ready to go...here's another sneak peak of the front page...

Make sure you check out the Surrey International Writers' Conference site blog, too, as this year's presenters are slowly making their way into the public eye. You'll love them all!

More soon...

~kc

Copyedits Done In...and almost printed

2010-04-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

Have spent far too long tonight trying to get my 'just-in-case' hard copy manuscript to print back to back. All it takes is for the printer to pick up two pages in the middle to ...

...well, to make for a long evening.

So, for your viewing pleasure, I bring you a little advice on novel-writing:

Apparently designed by a genius by the name of Anna Hurley, the original is HERE.

~kc

Copyedits Finished, Cha-cha-cha...

2010-04-09T23:32:00.000-07:00

...tho' I do have a glossary to write. But who cares, tra-la! Tomorrow is another day! Ooo-da-lolly, and fa-la-la!

[Previous giddiness brought to you by Post-Copyedit-Euphoria, a condition in which writer sees light at the end of the publication tunnel, and harbours secret hopes that new book might one day be enjoyed by others...]

What else?

Well, there hasn't been much else in my life, lately. I am once again appallingly behind in email, all other projects and obligations have come to a grinding halt and so on, so I must pick up the pieces again next week. But in the meantime, something that made me laugh today:

McSweeney's take on MacBeth and MacDuff knicker-twisting over Semantics

Oh, and not funny, but interesting -- a response to the Wikileaks video travesty I referenced last week: Soldiers as Psychopaths.

More soon.

~kc

Copyedits...

2010-04-07T23:50:00.002-07:00

...rule my life at the moment. FACING FIRE approaches. That is all.

~kc

Insanity...

2010-04-05T23:03:00.001-07:00

...is a word I often use to describe my life. I am a chronic-over-committer, and when one doesn't leave time for things to go wrong -- well, of course they usually do. I am facing a particularly insane few months right now -- a time when work and real life have to connect in concert or all will be lost.

Will report back with the results here, of course.

But for tonight, a bit of catch-up on things that have caught my attention lately.

To begin with writerly news, the Hugo Award Nominees were announced yesterday. You can find them listed HERE on the AussieCon site. Last year the big SF convention was in Montreal, right at the height of swine flu season. Here's hoping all the Aussies stay healthy!

Moving on to the geological, I found it fascinating yesterday to watch the spread of information about the Baja earthquake on Twitter long before there was mention of it on any of the conventional news channels. Not much effect in California, but my thoughts are going out to those in Mexico who were shaken out of their normal lives by the event. I found THIS SITE to be most informative about the latest, particularly when the severity was re-calibrated from 6.9 to 7.2 -- a substantial jump in size.

And in a final reference to the title of this post, I was saddened and further disheartened by the leaked military video released today on the WikiLeaks site. Again, this story broke on-line long before it emerged anywhere in conventional media. A horrifying incident. I marched [fruitlessly] with millions of others around the globe against this war before it started, and footage like this stands as evidence of well-founded fears. [I first read about the info on Darren Barefoot's blog -- click HERE for his thoughts.] Further analysis is all over the web now, and I'm hoping that by the time I type this, it might actually have usurped all the Tiger drivel on CNN's front page. [Or not...I just checked, and there is a single line link to it, but apparently a big basketball game trumps all]. Priorities? Insane.

Back to writing about books tomorrow...

~kc

Happy Cotton-tails....

2010-04-02T16:41:00.000-07:00

Tryng again here, as blogger wouldn't let me on earlier. It might have something to do with the monsoon blowing outside, but I doubt it. The rest of the country basks in unseasonable sunshine and warm temperatures, and we are undersea and wind-whipped.

And so, to lighten my own day, and hopefully put a smile in yours, here's a little bloodthirsty take on the Easter Monster. [tip o' the Easter bonnet to @dbarefoot for the link].

~kc

McCann on Writing!

2010-03-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

Hey -- check this out!

If you live in the Vancouver area,

and you're interested in writing for kids & teens,

author James McCann is offering a course for adults on Sunday, April 18th. Details HERE on his blog. This is a don't-miss opportunity -- James doesn't get a chance to share his secrets very often, and when it does, it's worth it!

There's a limited enrollment, so sign up fast!

I'm off to an SiWC 2010 meeting now, and then a ballistics class at the Vancouver Police Museum after that. Busy day...will report on both when I can!

~kc

This and That...Punkin' with Steam and SiWC

2010-03-29T22:03:00.000-07:00

Spent some time this weekend working through details of the new website -- it's looking grim [ha! on purpose, of course] and I'm hoping to have it up very shortly. Really excited about it on a number of fronts -- I am going to be moving to an new ISP that supports relatively easy updates, AND we should be able to snag the blog ...[snog???] so that everything appears in one spot. Beauty!

More on that soon. [Here's a sneak peek of part of the home page--->]

What else....?

SiWC 2010 Board meeting tomorrow...loads of fun things in the works for this year. New conference coordinator Kathy Chung is doing an incredible job with the line-up of presenters -- lots of fangirl moments in my future, I can tell you!

If you haven't yet done so, hie on over to www.siwc.ca and pick up the RSS feed for the blog posts. Make sure to sign up for the newsletter, too.

My new steampunk-timeslip novel is hurtling towards being finished -- I'll be thrilled to get this one in the can, as it's been five years in the making. AND, with luck, it'll be the first of a new series.

Lots going on! For daily updates, you can follow me on twitter @kcdyer.

More soon...

~kc

Earth Hour Today!

2010-03-27T14:05:00.001-07:00

For the fourth year running, nations all around the world are celebrating Earth Hour by turning off the lights at 8:30 pm local time. What started in Sydney, Australia in 2007 has now reached around the globe.

For me, this is an incredible symbol of what happens when people each take a moment of personal responsibility, acting in concert with others around the earth.

What will YOU be doing at 8:30 this evening? [I've got a night ghost stories with friends lined up.]

Join in.

And tomorrow, when it's over, give a thought to what else you can do to take a stand. Let's work together to fix this mess our species has made, shall we?

~kc

Updates...

2010-03-24T22:40:00.000-07:00

...of a few sundry items.

I've attended the Vancouver Police Museum's forensics for adults series twice now, and really enjoyed myself both times. The last event of this series is ballistics -- next Tuesday. Hoping to make it through unscathed. Weird little museums have always held a thrall for me, and this place is something special for Vancouver. Heartily recommend you check it out. [Pictured, a heady collection of autopsy dismembering tools. Unbloodied, of course, because blood spatter was not covered until the following week....].

In other news, I spotted this post on the Author's Booking Service blog yesterday -- some great ideas here for teachers and parents who want to raise money for an author visit in these financially trying times. Have a peek!

It was a week ago today that I set up my treadmill desk. For those who follow me on twitter, [@kcdyer], you'll note that it's been a busy week. It interests me intensely that I have, this week, racked up 19 hours of walking on the thing while typing, which has translated into 55 kms walked, without really noticing. I can't do everything that I can do at my writing desk [handwriting is out], but I can work on my computer and do phone work. This has left me with slightly sorer feet than usual, and a daily reminder to get myself into some new runners, but...holy crow. I'm really pleased.

And finally, today is Ada Lovelace Day, where computer geeks such as myself pay homage to women in the sciences and technology. Ada herself was one of the first computer programmers -- you can read more about her AND donate to her cause HERE. One of my women-in-computing inspirations is blogger and writer Xeni Jardin, who is most often seen on the pixellated pages of boingboing. Do you have a woman in your life who inspired you in the sciences or in technology? Add her name to the comments in honour of Ada!

~kc

Another Saturday Night...

2010-03-20T20:11:00.002-07:00

...and with it, a couple of Items Of Interest.

Canadian SF writer Peter Watts, [whom I tweeted about when it first went down] in a bizarre take on actual justice, has just been convicted of assault when crossing the Canada/US border last year, even though everyone -- judge, jury and legal teams -- agrees that no actual assault took place. Like just about everyone I know, I've had my share of bad border-crossings, but this one takes the cake. Freakish and frightening. Sending out the power of the collective Canadian writer vibe to Peter. And a strong hope he appeals the verdict.

Author Cory Doctorow's view HERE. Tor Editor Teresa Nielson-Hayden's thoughts HERE [under the title Empathy Failed]. And words from the man himself HERE. [photo by Dan Brooks]

In more cheerful artsy news, my friend writer Jacqueline Pearce has a show on right now combining her Haiku with her friend Jean-Pierre Antonio's photography. It's at the Sawa Tea Lounge & Gallery in Vancouver. Find out more HERE on Jacquie's blog.

~kc

This is my knee...

2010-03-18T21:49:00.001-07:00

[Warning: The post contains a bare naked knee.]

This is it:

Pretty great knee, eh? I have another one that is much less fetching, having had 27 stitches sunk into it once when I took an unfortunate plunge through a broken dock. With a rusty nail.

[Ewww!]

Back to the good knee. Here it is at some point last year, dressed up for a day on the town in Toronto:

Sorry about the blurry foot. [Pic was actually taken to demo Very Cool New Skull Scarf].

Regardless, this knee has a secret. It just LOOKS like a good knee. In truth, inside this perfectly functional-looking joint is a torn meniscus. The medial meniscus, if you want to get technical. I tore it last summer, August 20th, to be exact, taking a gazelle-like sideways leap across an embarrassingly low pylon in my boot-camp exercise class.

[I am going somewhere with this story....]

So, after the requisite time to allow the thing to heal, followed by the requisite denial phase, and the requisite 'I don't actually have a doctor, because the one I had moved to Vernon' phase, plus a number of pain-induced sleepless nights, I actually broke down and showed up at my friend Linda's office and asked her to have a look at it. [She is a doctor, needless to say, though not my doctor, as that would not be fair.] She told me she thought I had a torn meniscus, and sent me off to a series of experts, who all agreed with her. So did the MRI.

My friend Linda the doctor is very smart. She's also lived through a number of body-rending events with me so has learned to Expect The Worst.

As a result, there hasn't been much running done lately, by the knee you see pictured above. I'm scheduled for surgery sometime fairly soon to have the torn stuff scraped out.

But I digress.

Because this is my meniscus and not an ACL or other more important ligament, I can still do the elliptical trainer at the gym and swim and so on.

And yet, I fear. I fear the encroaching portliness. The avoirdupois. I fear becoming my other friend Norma's new favourite word, which happens to be zaftig. Also, you may not have noticed, but my particular profession requires a certain amount of sitting and typing, which when combined with the lack of running in my life, may lead to same.

No more.

[At last -- she gets to the point!]

All this to say, I have just set up a treadmill desk in my office. Not only that, but I've put a file on my desktop titled LIVE WRITER WALKING so I can record my progress [if any]. I tried it today for the first time with pretty decent success. Walked for an hour and a half at 2 km an hour [which is slightly over the recommended speed, but I couldn't get my rhythm at 1.6 km/hr...so 2 it was.] I actually forgot to record the distance, but according to the machine I managed to burn [and my guess is this is very approximate] 254 calories, which is likely a few more than I would have burned with my posterior in my desk chair.

Will keep you appraised of progress. Am thinking of walking across Canada for fun. Why not?

In other [more writerly] news, my friend Marsha Skrypuch has just opened registration for her summer Brantford Writing Workshop. You can find the details on her blog HERE. I can't recommend this camp enough -- if you are in the Brantford/Toronto region and have some time this summer -- THIS is the place to be.

And to finish, make sure you check THIS out - some amazing pictures of the paralympic Games, just about to wrap up here in Vancouver. The inspiration I get from watching these athletes is hard to measure. They are incredible!

Enjoy. I've got some walking to do...

~kc

And a Steampunk St. Paddy's to ye...

2010-03-17T09:23:00.000-07:00

Last night I spent the evening in the old Vancouver morgue, now the Vancouver Police Museum, listening to a talk about forensics and crime. Bliss. Next week is blood spatter. But tonight, I celebrate the wearin' of the green with a trip to see The Commitments, the film from the book by Roddy Doyle.

Éirinn go brách!

And in the spirit of the day, I offer this wee clip, which I came upon with great pleasure earlier this week via my beloved boingboing, of course. Pots o' gold, evil leprechauns and steampunk weaponry. Even a little blood spatter...of the green variety. Enjoy the League of Steam!

~kc

Speedy Sunday

2010-03-14T22:22:00.000-07:00

Especially when an hour of sleep is gone, due to daylight savings! Ah, well...we can always drown our sorrows through eating pie...*

Just a couple of quick notes for tonight. HERE is where you'll find a link to Belva's List...a collection of things to do in and around Seattle. It's compiled by my friend Wally Lane's wife Belva, and is a must-read for those visiting the Emerald City.

This week I ventured out to eat German pancakes and visit the Museum of Vancouver with friends Annett Stuze and Britta Vorbach. [This is Annett, looking fetching in period gear from the 'Old Vancouver' part of the exhibit.]

We really went to see the Art of Craft exhibit at the MoV which has been curated by Kirsti Wakelin and her partner Darren Carcary of Resolve Design. It was a beautiful and amazing exhibit, and is on until mid-April. I can heartily recommend it. You can read more about the experience of curating such a diverse collection on Kirsti's blog HERE.

Also loved the nightmare-dreamscape peopled by these evil fairies.

More soon...!

~kc

*geek pun based on the fact that today is Pi Celebration Day. Now go out and find 3.14 [etc] ways to celebrate it!

BC Book Prizes List Announced

2010-03-13T12:32:00.000-08:00

Always a fun time of year -- the shortlists for the BC Book Prizes have emerged.

The full list of nominations can be found HERE.

Congratulations to all nominees, many of them CWILL BC members, and special congrats to my friends Kari Lynn Winters and Christina Leist for their picture book ON MY WALK.

READ as many of these nominated books as you can. They are wonderful taste of left-coast Canada!

~kc

Just finished watching...

2010-03-12T21:18:00.000-08:00

...coverage of the 2010 Paralympic Opening Ceremonies. I think I enjoyed them even more than the last set. Not sure why CTV only broadcasted in BC, but they are rebroadcasting tomorrow, and I would highly recommend. The segments on Rick Hanson and Terry Fox had me in tears. The whole ceremony was really fun -- very light-hearted, lots of kids performing [including some kids from Lions Bay in the choir!] and, apart from the once-again horrific French of John Furlong [poor man -- he's worked so hard, but obviously NOT at the public speaking element....], a real joy to watch.

Rebroadcast is set for tomorrow [Saturday, March 13th], 2 pm local time.

~kc

Flag Waving...

2010-03-12T08:15:00.001-08:00

Lot of flag waving around these parts lately -- more than is characteristic - more than I've ever seen, actually. But while the Olympics were on, a bunch of musicians crept into town to wave Canada's flag for a different country: Haiti. The video premiered today -- K'naan's Waving Flag.

I knew it would be good, but I'm still gobsmacked by it. Lovely song. Lovely treatment.

Give generously -- the aftershocks are still rumbling through that devastated country.

I can't find a code to embed this video yet, so click through to the Much Music version. I'll embed as soon as I can.

~kc

International Women's Day...

2010-03-08T23:06:00.000-08:00

There's still almost an hour left of International Women's Day here in the pacific time zone, and I have seen a number of earnest reminders today for women to go out and get a mammogram.

This one isn't really earnest, but it's hysterical. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger...right?

~kc

Mondays...

2010-03-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

You know...I work at home. And yet, I still hate Mondays. I think it's the enforced 7 am wake up time. It's just not civilized.

So -- to brighten our collective day, lets gaze at the cherry blossoms and plan some fun ways to spend our summer holidays, shall we?

SFU is running its summer publishing workshop again this year. Find out more HERE on Sean Cranbury's blog. I know quite a few of the presenters this year, [Sean, Monique Trottier and others] and can vouch highly for the program. If you've got the time, why not give it a shot?

If you are a BC teen and interested in writing, be sure to check out the YouthWrite camp in Penticton. Was there last year, going back this year -- FUN on all fronts. Not sure if the info for this year is up yet, but you can read all about last year's shenanigans HERE.

To finish... more of an all-year-round thing than a summer one, but how about offering your support to the CNIB 'Right to Read' campaign? Details HERE on how to ensure the CNIB's programs continue to receive adequate funding.

And just like that -- we've survived another Monday. Yay!

~kc

Suffering...

2010-03-06T17:05:00.001-08:00

...from post-Olympic hangover? Or perhaps you need a Canadian refresher before the Paralympics begin?

Let's hear Dwight's take on it:

~kc

Pee Ess

For the only Novel Woman in my life, a few pictures to bring back the memories of one of our favourite cities in the world HERE.

Dropped Balls... [A bit of a biggish post]

2010-03-05T22:59:00.001-08:00

...and files and ideas and things I should've blogged by now.

But first... [as I have been rabidly tweeting all day],

The new boots.

As seen, moments ago, attached to the old legs, and propped up on my kitchen counter.

Pink? Why, yes they are.

I spotted them on Queen Street in Toronto, while I was trolling goth shops for suitable legwear. [Suitable for me, you understand, as one who might be a trifle fond of unlikely legwear. A personal quirk, nothing more.]

Anyway, I spotted these boots through a window, leapt in, and had my heart's desire fulfilled.

They are, indeed Doc Martens. Veggie Docs, in the not-so-common parlance of those who care about such things. I have been trying to find a pair of veggie Docs [non-leather Doc Martens] for something like ten years. They stopped making them years ago, and I don't buy leather. I do have a pair of imitation Doc's in shiny black patent -- until now, my favourite footwear.

But I think the black ones may have been usurped. Or coup-ed. Or something.

Okay, back to what's what. Had an amazing dinner tonight with writers Meg Tilly, Don Calame, James McCann and Lee Edward Fodi.

[This pic taken by James, in an effort to show footwear solidarity, but he somehow managed to cut off the boots!]

I suspect you may be able to hear the result in an upcoming Authors Like Us podcast. HUGE fun to see my friends Meg and Don again, since our paths cross less frequently these days and I really miss them. It was supposed to be an 'Authors Like Us' podcast taping of Meg and Don, but I crashed, and all were terribly sweet about it. We've all got new projects just complete or just about ready to go. Great fun.

And now, to some important items recently overlooked...

My last day in Toronto on the weekend, I had a ton of fun trolling bookshops like Mabel's Fables and the Flying Dragon with authors Kari Lynn Winters and Gwen Smid. Gwen is a Winnipeg girl, who has published a couple of very sweet picture books in the Mary's Atlas series with Peanut Butter press.They are lovely books -- you must check them out!

After I left Toronto, I flew home to the massive celebrations of Canada winning hockey gold. Crosby scored the final goal just before my plane touched down, and as I drove home down Granville Street, this was the view:

Taken on the Granville Street bridge, looking into downtown. The sound was unbelievable.

A bit hard to see in this pic, but...

My blog may not post this whole thing. Fingers crossed! This is just a tiny taste of the tens of thousands who poured into the city on that Sunday afternoon, just to share the joy of a story-book ending to the Olympic Games proper.

As mentioned, my plane was on its final approach into YVR when the winning goal happened, but for those on the ground in my city -- this is the sound of raw jubilation, across False Creek from the stadium.

A joyful noise.

~kc

On Writing Links...and Facing Fire.

2010-03-03T21:21:00.000-08:00

Behind as usual, I'd still like to leave you with a few tid-bits for today.

John Scalzi helps to build a little author confidence, by talking about how a manuscript hires people. Read this a few days ago, but has more resonance for me today...since I've just sent in my edits for my fall novel. [Yippee!]

In some cases, however, a manuscript can get you yarded off a plane and hauled down the to the police station. Sending good thoughts and a fist in the air to fellow author Liao Yiwu.

And finally, CanWrite 2010 is in Victoria this year, and I'll be one of the speakers. I think their registration is just about ready to open... Check it out HERE.

~kc

Pee Ess...

The sequel to A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW will be here this October, and at last it has a fer shure title. Can you guess?

FACING FIRE.

Hope you like it.

VPL Publishing Panel

2010-03-01T21:24:00.001-08:00

A Week From Tonight...

...check out this great panel of CWILL BC authors, discussing the ins and outs of getting published. I've done this panel a couple of times, and I know it'll be full of information for those looking to get published in the field of kids and teens writing and illustration.

~kc

W2 Real Vancouver Writers' and Culture Finale

2010-02-27T21:33:00.001-08:00

What a night it was!

Sean Cranbury wrapped up his month-long hat-tip to Vancouver writers on Wednesday night, and from the opening remarks of artist and writer Michael Nichol Yahgulanaas to the last lyrical words of Vancouver Poet Laureate Brad Cran's it was a huge success.

The place was on fire with amazing talent. Michael Nichol Yahgulanaas opened the evening with a look at the deforestation of Haida Gwaii and then treated the audience to a taste of his art combined with the magic of a cello.

A Most Excellent selection of writers and poets followed including Rhonda Waterfall, Weldon Hunter, Leilah Nadir, Alex Leslie and McKinley Hellenes [right, in red].

Once my own reading was over [I did a short, hopefully humorous bit from my satirical mystery novel SEVEN DAYS], I was really able to sit back and enjoy.

A couple of CanLit guys [and also SiWC alums!] graced the stage.

Steven Galloway [right] read the very end of his story THE CELLIST OF SARAJEVO, and Timothy Taylor read a lovely little selection from an upcoming novel.

CWILL BC sister Caroline Adderson read a selection from one of her adult stories, and strove to set herself apart in the eyes of the audience by offering the shortest selection of the night. [I wanted more -- she was wonderful!]

YARN BOMBING authors Mandy Moore and Leanne Prain shared a few of their quirky and wonderful ideas for making the world better one skein of yarn at a time. And the evening was most ably and wonderfully co-hosted by Vancouver Reader & Writers Festival head Hal Wake. I'm hoping he found his lost pen...!

A highlight of the night for me was meeting young Toby -- [you can see him sitting on his mum's lap in the shot here of Hal Wake]. He was a delightful addition to the audience, listening carefully to all the writers and clearly enjoying himself. He high-fived me after my presentation and offered his theories as to the location of a mysteriously disappearing cell phone in the excerpt I read.

Writer, SiWC conference coordinator and all-round cool chick Kathy Chung came with me and we had a riot listening to all the readings and then enjoying a city celebrating the hockey win of Team Canada over Russia.

It was quite a night.

Next up -- a peek at the CANSCAIP element of the Ontario Library Association Superconference. I've spent the last couple of days storming Vancouver with author Kari-Lynn Winters. Wild times!

~kc

Toronto!

2010-02-25T21:56:00.000-08:00

Made it!

It's been a busy day, but as you can see, I've ended up in a very zen hotel. I also got to spend time tonight with my dear friend [and whirlwind] Kari-Lynn Winters.

Tomorrow, along with Kari and a group of other fantastic authors, I present A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW at the Ontario Library Association Superconference. I'm hoping to connect with as many writers, librarians, readers and friends as I can here over the course of my brief stay in this snowy province. [What are you thinking, Ontario? SNOW in FEBRUARY? Haven't you heard of cherry blossoms?]

If you're at the conference, come up and say hi!

And to finish, if you really feel like a taste of true zen, have a look HERE....and then HERE...

to see some of the world's most beautiful libraries, via The Huffington Post.

Tomorrow I'll do a proper post about the brilliance that was the W2 Real Writers of Vancouver finale last night on the downtown east side.

Short version: It rocked.

Long version: Tomorrow. [with pictures!]

See you then.

~kc

Next up: W2 Real Vancouver Writers Gig Grand Finale

2010-02-22T22:11:00.000-08:00

This Wednesday.
7 pm

You can see a couple of pix I took at the event two weeks ago HERE.
As you can see, it's been standing room only every week. This Wednesday, with writers like Tim Taylor, Steven Galloway, Carolyn Adderson and [controversial!] Poet Laureate Brad Cran...well, I suggest you get there early.

Details, via Sean Cranbury:

Date: Wednesday February 24th
Location: W2 Culture + Media House 112 West Hastings Street across from the refurbed Woodwards Building.

Doors open at 630
First Reader 710ish
Hosted by Sean Cranbury & Hal Wake

Programme:

Opening Remarks: Sean Cranbury

Introducing Honoured Special Guest Michael Nichol Yahgulanaas who will showcase a video/interactive discussion abt his work.

From there we will go to a streamlined line-up of 5-7 minute readings from our writers including two breaks. Like this:

Rhonda Waterfall
Weldon Hunter
kc dyer

Break

Steven Galloway
Leilah Nadir
Alex Leslie
Caroline Adderson

Break

Leanne Prain & Mandy Moore aka The Yarn Bombers
McKinley M Hellenes
Timothy Taylor
Brad Cran

Here's a great video from week 2 about the series: http://realvancouverwriters.com/2010/02/19/cool-video-about-w2-real-vancouver-writers-series/

We will be giving away some amazing prizes during the evening. There's a cash bar, too and great art and photography on the walls.

Me again. Gonna be tons of fun! Hope to see you there!

~kc

Hockey Night in Vancouver

2010-02-21T22:41:00.000-08:00

Got a chance to watch the only ticketed event I'll make it to for these games...but what an event! The Canada-US hockey game.

High excitement in the air, unbelievable crowds,

[this was on the street, walking to the stadium]

[this was taken in line to get in...]

terrible officiating over the first period and a half and a less than fairy-tale ending...but still a breath-taking experience.

So much fun! So much noise!

The press corps is in the bank of blue seats you can see in this shot. Essentially 3 full bunks of seats -- a huge chunk of the stadium.

I'm kind of curious just exactly what percentage of the blood volume of the average hockey fan at the game tonight was beer...? Guesses?

Back to the edits in the morning.

And, as an early birthday present for my friend Pamela, HERE and HERE are some words of wisdom for writers, from writers, via...what else? The Guardian. Pam-- I expect you to adhere especially closely to Anne Enright's Rule #8.

Hoping to be able to tell you fer sure fer sure what the actual title of Darby, Too will be later in the week!

~kc

Carving, molding, shaping...

2010-02-20T22:55:00.000-08:00

...the new story s-l-o-w-l-y into shape. Got a goodly chunk done today and need to get as much done tomorrow, though I will have half the time.

But feel no pain for me, for I pause in my herculean labours merely to take in a [whispering] hockey game. Canada vs US. Woo-HOO! Expect a few play-by-play tweets from me... [sweetly tweeting @kcdyer, of course].

In the meantime, twitter has brought me this via the Most Wonderful @JannArden, and so I thought I would share it with you. I've probably listened to it ten times today, and though I like to watch the whole family singing in the kitchen vibe, the harmonies hold up so beautifully without video that I've just been listening to it as I write.

Hope you enjoy. {And someone PLEASE get this family to make a CD!]

~kc

We interrupt this posting...

2010-02-19T16:16:00.000-08:00

...to bring you a still shot taken from a downhill mountain bike movie my boy is shooting at the moment. He's documenting a number of his friends riding, and the footage is taken from all around the North Shore. He and his friend Nick evaded the heavy security presence on Cypress last week to take some footage of a huge gap jump they had built. Peter got a few stills as well.

Anyway ... I love this shot, so thought I'd share.

You can find it on Peter Dyer's flickr page, too.

~kc

Darby, Too...

2010-02-18T22:28:00.001-08:00

I have a new book coming out this fall. I'm deep in the middle of edits right now, torn to ribbons between slipping sideways through time, and making it back in order to see the speedskating. Oh, the woes of editing whilst the Games are on!

So perhaps this goes a way toward explaining my hysteria in watching, yet again, another version of my favourite Hitler meme. This time, the first few minutes are devoted to NBC's coverage of the games, but when Adolph moves on to analysis of CTV's coverage, well... I just lose it.
Language is NSFMMOTC [Not safe for most members of the clergy...]

PS...He's speaking metaphorically...

~kc

[HT to @dbarefoot for the link]

Creation of Hope Event

2010-02-17T14:29:00.000-08:00

My fellow writer [and friend] Eric Walters is holding a special magic show to raise money for his Creation of Hope water projects in Africa. The event, as you can see from this poster, will be at Erindale Secondary School in Missassauga on Thursday, February 25th, 2010.

If you are in the area -- please consider attending this special evening. And if you can't make it, please send a donation to this incredibly worthy cause.

I've blogged about Eric Walters before. He is the closest thing I know to a living whirlwind and an incredibly successful author. But he is also a caring and compassionate individual -- one who is NOT afraid to step out and take action. Creation of Hope is an example [and only one example -- Eric is involved in many endeavours...] of that action made manifest.

I hope you'll take part in whatever way you can.

~kc

Quick Catch-up

2010-02-15T22:06:00.000-08:00

A speedy one tonight, as Duty Calls.

First, in the spirit of All Things Olympique: If you are around town [and by that I mean Rain City] for the festivities these days, you could do worse than catching a concert at Holland Park in Surrey. They are running every night, with a collection of GREAT bands. Find out more HERE.

Came across this the other day, and thought it Quite Cool...

And to finish, here is an action shot of my Canine Boys. It seems, on a hike, I can only get the rear view...

More soon!

~kc

Olympic Update

2010-02-14T21:43:00.003-08:00

Whew.

That was the sound of Canadians breathing a collective sigh of relief. A gold medal safely won on home soil. Actually, the last 24 hours have brought a medal of each colour, so good news all around. Billions spent now justified.

Okay, okay -- I'll drop the cynicism now. I have NO use for the protesters yesterday who broke and smashed things to prove...what? The decisons have already been made, people. The money spent. No use setting fire to the barn once the horse has left the building. Unless...maybe you're looking for attention of a different sort? I fully support everyone's right to peaceful protest -- and I hope those who choose to do so continue.

HUGE congratulations to all the athletes who have made it here, are at the pinnacle of their respective sports, and show themselves to be true Olympians.

The cynic in me was quieted still more last night, after a tour around downtown Vancouver. This is the part of the Games I love.

I was surprised by how much the atmosphere felt like it had back in Calgary -- very family-friendly, lots of celebration and good sports. I was in the beer tent beside the Canada Pavilion in Live City
Downtown when the women's moguls was on, and the cheering for Jenn Heil was electric. When she was ousted at the very end by Hannah Keirney, though, everyone cheered for her, too.

Sadly, I ended up carrying a dead camera around with me all night, so the pix here are of sorry iPhone quality, but I have to say that the rain didn't deter the enthusiasm of the crowds who roamed Vancouver's streets on the first full day of the Olympic Games...and a great deal of fun was had by all.

[A quick pic summary from top to bottom: Crowds dance to bands at the LiveCity stage in Yaletown, Yahoo's FANcouver site in Yaletown [free internet!], a brilliant tree underneath the free zipline in Robson Square, the crowd celebrates Jenn Heil's silver near the Canada pavilion at LiveCity Downtown, the Four Host First Nations Pavilion on Georgia St by the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Canada Post celebrates the flag above the crowds on Hamilton Street, and the Hockey Night in Canada guys brave the rain outside the CBC and go live.]

We walked for around seven hours, and made it to a ton of the free sites and pavilions around downtown. If you are in the area, I highly recommend you lace on your good walking shoes and go out to take part.

You'll find a great summary of all the open sites in the Lower Mainland HERE. Tons to do. Enjoy a side of Vancouver rarely seen -- SO much fun to be had.

And to finish, a very beautiful poem I have permission to share with you from writer Dee-Ann LeBlanc. Dee-Ann is a naturalized Canadian-citizen, born in the US, and she is an avid and enthusiastic volunteer for the Games. She and I have shared the many tribulations of the lead-up to the Games, as we also share the same drive-way...the Sea to Sky highway. Her portion of it is longer and more dangerous than my own, since she lives near Squamish.

I'm thrilled she has allowed me to air her poetic thoughts here...

The Games

by Dee-Ann LeBlanc

Sometimes I feel too much.

Everything ugly in this world

everything ugly wrought by man

famine, sickness,

bigotry, war

and the endless droning

of cynical voices

incapable of any kind of joy

Weighs down on me

suffocating

until I can only

curl around the

sputtering spark

that's left of my

once bright spirit

I think that's what drew me

to the flame of the games

Not the literal flame

of the real world,

with its human flaws

so easily listed

But to the ideal of the games

To the bright flame

of love, courage,

peace, strength, and dedication

that draws people together

in a world seemed determined

to tear us apart

So while cynics protest

just for the attention

and politicians manipulate

for selfish gains

I'll rest my sputtering spark

for a while

in the arms of the flame

And find warmth

in the hopes of the games

Thank you, Dee!

~kc

Olympian Ambivilence

2010-02-12T13:13:00.001-08:00

I've got this little knee issue that's stealing much of my sleep for the moment, so I found myself up at 3 this morning, watching the news, having given up the sleep ghost for a while. By 5 the pre-torch run show was on, and at 6 I watched the throngs begin the final day's surge across the Lions Gate Bridge.

I was at the Olympics in 1988, and it was quite a show. The day I rode up the chair lift just ahead of Eddie the Eagle, they had to shut down the luge run due to the chinook that blew through, spraying prairie dust all along the icy surface. Low snow seems to be a theme with our Canadian Winter Olympics, it seems.

I've felt far more ambivalent about the approach of these games. Even in this post-9/11 world, the billion dollars the IOC and VANOC have allotted to security seems like an unthinkable amount. Last night as I drove home along the Sea to Sky there were six police cars who had pulled drivers over in the course of the fifteen minute drive.

While the television coverage doesn't really show it, most of the torch-bearers had the ubiquitous Coca-Cola truck running interference for them, replete with go-go dancers for that special little commercial touch.

And, how our premier can beam fondly over at the well-protected, torch-bearing Arnold Schwartznegger this morning and at the same time make cuts to education [800 teaching jobs on the line in Vancouver alone next year] and health care -- well, it leads one to want to turn one's back on the spectacle entirely.

And yet...

There's THIS -- a look at our beautiful country through the eyes of others who may never have seen it if not for the torch run. Or the pictures here, which I took the other night at the downtown branch of the Vancouver Public Library. They depict a collection of twinkling dreams made corporeal, shot high through the air into a web of hope by those who see the Games as a peaceful way for countries to gather together.

So for all those athletes and volunteers and well-wishers -- let the games begin. I'll fire high my twinkling hopes for great competition, good sportsmanship and increased understanding among nations. And I'll save the worries for my city and province for when the post-Olympocalypse descends.

[Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to head out onto the Sea-to-Sky and remember to drive with due care and attention, UNDER the speed limit...]

~kc

W2 Real Vancouver Writers' and Culture Series

2010-02-11T13:16:00.004-08:00

Just read THIS on Bookninja this morning, stating that Vancouver Poet Laureate Brad Cran is declining to participate in the Cultural Olympiad, mostly [if I understand his argument] because it is only paying lip-service to Canadian writers.

Yay for Brad Cran! I love a poet who sticks to his metaphorical guns. But Mr. Cran WILL be appearing at the W2 Real Vancouver Writers series finale on February 24h, and I look forward to meeting him there. [I'll be reading there, too, that night...] This event is, in fact, antithetical to all things commercial, and is the best way I can think of to spend that 5 bucks that is burning a hole in your pocket.

Speaking of W2, I went to the second event [of four] last night. It was held at 112 West Hastings on the downtown east side, and the place was HAPPENING, man.

[That's the big W, floating in the dark above the new building.] From a distance, the new site looks as though it is on fire, with projected images of flames dancing in the windows.

Now, as I understand it, the W2 facility is not quite ready yet, so for now, this series of events is being held across the street from the not-quite-finished Woodwards building. Behind a corrugated metal door, just down the block from Victory Square -- it is a hyper-cool venue, and there was a selection of readers last night that more than did the venue justice.

I was invited to participate by the effervescent Sean Cranbury, whom you can see orchestrating things in the picture above. I'm actually quite, quite thrilled with this shot, as it shows Sean doing his thing on stage, the screen to one side reflecting photos of the downtown east side [taken by Emmanuel Buenviajje] from a book called 'Vancouver Special' by Charles Demers AND the guys working upstairs in the booth to live-stream and tape the readings. kc rocks the meta-media photo...!!

Ahem.

This is Charles, who co-hosted the evening, making a sock puppet hand, just to show that young writers don't discriminate against low-tech, either.

It was a great evening, with loads of amazing talent. The line-up included: Kevin Chong, Jen Sookfong Lee, Ian Weir, Chris Walter, Peter Darbyshire, Jenn Farrell, Jane Sayers, Shay Wilson, Larissa Lai, Anne Stone.

I particularly enjoyed hearing Jen Sookfong Lee [whom it was nice to put a face to, after hearing her so often on CBC]. Here's a shot of Jen, followed by shots of Chris Walter and Ian Weir. [For more pix, check out my Flickr page.]

All the writers gave wonderful readings -- and Sean has rassled up a bunch of raffle prizes, to add to the fun. There was even a bar in the back.

So, if you're hanging around Vancouver in the next couple of weeks, and if you feel like raising a fist of protest in the air to all the commercial elements of the Olympic Games, there's no better way to do it then to come on out to these W2 Real Vancouver Writer events.

I'll be there, as promised, on February 24th, along with Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, Steven Galloway, Timothy Taylor, Rhonda Waterfall, Yarnbombers Leann Prain and Mandy Moore, Weldon Hunter, McKinley M Hellenes, Alex Leslie, Leilah Nadir, Caroline Adderson, Brad Cran, and ably hosted by the marvellous Hal Wake.

With a line-up like that -- I'd suggest arriving early. It was standing room only, last night.

~kc

Dis and Dat....a

2010-02-09T22:28:00.001-08:00

Hmm. Lotsa news. Let's take it one item at a time, shall we?

One: My Five Fave things about Vancouver appeared on the Raincoast Blog today, courtesy of my once-publicist, the most-awesome Dan Wagstaff. I realized after I posted my answers off to him that pretty much all of the favourites revolved around my stomach and the satisfactory filling thereof.
Alas.

B. The pix are from an Exceedingly Fun Fieldtrip I took with fellow SiWC folks and friends Kathy Chung, Dale McGladdery and Ingrid Roeske last weekend to the Victoria Film Festival.

We hit the road to see the new documentary called ANNE PERRY: INTERIORS which had been filmed at the conference a couple of years ago. Well worth the trip. [Plus we had lotsa good food. Have I mentioned before that I enjoy that aspect at all...?]

The first shot is at Tswwassen, just ready to float across the Strait. Second is the film festival desk, and third is a sign I spotted on the door of a Very Funky Victoria store, as we were searching for ... food.

III. Make sure you check out the W2 Real Vancouver Writers' and Culture series blog HERE.

This series runs all through February on Wednesday nights -- with a really incredible line-up of local writers.

I'll be reading at the closing night of the series, with a stellar group: Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, Steven Galloway, Timothy Taylor, Rhonda Waterfall, The Yarnbombers Leann Prain and Mandy Moore, Weldon Hunter, McKinley M Hellenes, Alex Leslie, Leilah Nadir, Caroline Adderson, Brad Cran and possibly a few others I don't even know of as yet.

Am having major fits of trepidation as to what I should read when presenting with such a list of luminaries. Right now am leaning towards a snippet of my post-Olympocalyptic satire set here in Vancouver. I'm not sure if I have a scene set in Stanley Park as an homage to Tim Taylor... the Wreck Beach scene might have to do. I'll be sure to wear my fingerless gloves in honour of Leanne and Mandy, as they were knitted by one of their Biggest Fans. But -- can I play the cello for Steven Galloway? I don't see that happening. I think I may have to sneak into tomorrow night's performance to get a feel for the standard I'll be expected to uphold. I'll be the one in the back wearing fingerless gloves...

4. New website design is coming along swimmingly. Have decided to move to a new server as ~~Telus~~ [company name redacted to protect the guilty] is all about the fail lately. With the site upgrade [spooky houses! glowing lights!] will hopefully come an integrated blog. More news as it happens.

And finally -- I was hoping to embed this, but no luck. Granny O'Grimm is nominated for Best Oscar short -- and, well...I'm telling you to judge for yourself.

TOTALLY worth the 5 minutes of viewing time: http://www.grannyogrimm.com/#/the-film

[Hat tip to @dale42 aka the SiWC webwizard Dale McGladdery for this gem.]

More soon!

~kc

The Road to the Games...

2010-02-05T08:58:00.000-08:00

...[which also happens to be my driveway] is blocked today, due to torch-trotting. It's all-Olympics all the time these days, with lots and lots of police and military support for Those Who May Not Be Good Sports.

However, along with all the police cars and helicopters, there ARE a few cool things happening, most of them to do with the Cultural Olympiad. Down at the brand spanking new W2 building, an incredible space has opened up for the arts and technology. I am VERY excited to see it...and you can see it, too!

The W2 Real Vancouver Writers and Culture series runs every Wednesday in February at 112 West Hastings Street in the new old iconic Woodwards building, at 7pm. Here's a summary:

February 3rd – Hosted by Sean Cranbury

Richard Van Camp, John Burns, Brendan McLeod, Bruce Grenville, Cathleen With, Jennica Harper, Robert Chaplin
February 10th – Hosted by Charlie Demers
Kevin Chong, Jen Sookfong Lee, Ian Weir, Chris Walter, Peter Darbyshire, Jenn Farrell, Jane Sayers, Shay Wilson, Larissa Lai, Anne Stone.
February 17th – Hosted by Elizabeth Bachinsky
Teresa McWhirter, Lee Henderson, Elizabeth Bachinsky, Heather Susan Haley, Nikki Reimer, Chris Hutchinson, Dina Del Bucchia, Amber Dawn, Donato Mancini, Sonnet L’Abbe, Jonathon Wilcke, Catherine Owen.
February 24th – Hosted by Hal Wake

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, Steven Galloway, Timothy Taylor, Rhonda Waterfall, The Yarnbombers Leann Prain and Mandy Moore, Weldon Hunter, McKinley M Hellenes, Alex Leslie, kc dyer, Leilah Nadir, Caroline Adderson, Brad Cran.

I'll be there on closing night -- SO looking forward to being a part of this event. It's going to be live-streamed, on You-tube -- the whole shebang. Find out more HERE.

~kc

Aaaaannnd...a couple of updates to the Amazon Debacle post

2010-01-31T22:36:00.000-08:00

Looks like things between Amazon and all the Macmillan books and imprints have been resolved.

First -- a change of heart from Amazon HERE.

Next, for his insightful and ever-amusing take on things, Scalzi is HERE. [I laughed and agreed with his arguments, but have seen the most evidence of his point #3 this weekend].

And for those who missed my post yesterday, HERE is boingboing's summary of the whole shenanigans going down.

To finish, just to disabuse any of you who think that the writing life is one of unending glamour -- a shot of my bed this weekend, taken with my computer camera, of the interlopers who felt my attention should be on them, as opposed to the keyboard. Complaints, complaints...
Luckily one of the dogs was otherwise occupied.

~kc

It's a Brave New World...

2010-01-30T23:14:00.000-08:00

...out there.

Especially for those of us in the biz of writing.

Writers and story-tellers are riding a wave right now. I've talked about this before. Things are changing, fast enough to make heads spin and hearts sink.

I've gone on record before as saying I believe people will never stop reading stories. Reading is too much a part of our humanity. Our collective conscience, maybe.

And I really believe the first generation hardware we are seeing right now to take readers into the electronic age -- the Kindles and iPads and other e-readers -- are just the very, very start of something. These are the Edsels of the electronic book.

Personally, I still like the paper variety best, and I keep buying 'em while I have the chance.

But the fear of how this will all play out is a HUGE factor in the minds of many content providers. Publishers need only glance over at the riotous change that has been [and continues to] taking place in the music industry to see that the ride for writers and writing and newspapers and books and the Internet...well, it's going to get interesting, in the Chinese curse sense of the word.

As I attempt to feel my own way through this process, one of the things that has most worried me is a little item called DRM. This stands for Digital Rights Management, and it refers to the ability of the producer of material that has been digitized, to manage the conditions under which the copyrighted material can be accessed.

DRM purports to protect the copyright holders, but it often gets in the way of the end-users enjoyment of the material. For example, DRM may account for the problems you could have had running music you downloaded -- legitimately paid for or otherwise -- on your computer or MP3 player.

And in the field of e-readers, DRM has proven to be quite an interesting subject for discussion. The situation with George Orwell's 1984 meets the Amazon Kindle brought some interesting facts to light. It's a long story, but in a nutshell, when Amazon discovered that the copyright on the particular issue of 1984 that they had sold through a third-party to Kindle readers may have been in question, overnight one night Amazon not only withdrew the rights of the readers who had already bought the software version of the book to read it; they literally pulled the files themselves off the devices they had been downloaded into. You can read more about this story HERE.

This situation left me feeling justified in my mistrust of DRM, as did further reading on the subject from sources I trust, such as Cory Doctorow [here's the transcript of an anti-DRM speech Cory made to Microsoft way back in 2004.] and Defective By Design. As a writer, I am a front-line producer of content. I want to hold my own copyright. I want to be able to make a living from my work as a writer. But I don't think the current shape of DRM is the right way to do things.

As an author, I already have to jump through many large, varied, and often flaming hoops to have my work published and distributed. I have established relationships with my publishers that rely on trust and mutual respect to ensure that my books are the best they can be, and they are distributed to the best of everyone's ability.

The power of some other external agency to give and take away MY writing from readers who want it leaves me worried.

In the past couple of days, another incident has left the book world reeling. This one is much closer to home, affecting the livlihoods of many writers I know and love. In a dispute with Macmillan publishing over the cost of ebooks, Amazon has pulled all books that are published under the Macmillan umbrella from their on-line stores.

Here is the NYTimes take on the story.
Here is American author John Scalzi's take [from his blog], since updated with a few other thoughts.
Here are Canadian author Robert Sawyer's thoughts.
And here is Macmillan CEO John Sargent's message to the authors of the various imprints that came out in Publisher's Lunch this weekend.

We do live in interesting times.

Feel free to throw in your own two cents [and change] into the comments.

~kc

Oh, Canada...

2010-01-27T22:41:00.000-08:00

A quick one tonight. Had a good writing day. Stopped only long enough for my gym class and to walk my dogs. Watched helicopters flying over downtown. Black. My boy was up shooting a movie on Cypress this afternoon, and found himself slinking away from the armed presence up there. The Olympics have brought us a police state?
Makes me sad.

Anyway, my edits for this year's book have arrived and life has suddenly heated up. Not to mention all the weaponry pointed in the general direction of my little village on the road to the Olympic Games.

Saw this version of the anthem this week, and I liked it a lot. Enjoy! And know that no matter how we feel about the Games, Canadians welcome the world to our doorstep in peace.

Classified!

~kc

A Bit of Fry and Shirley...

2010-01-26T21:30:00.000-08:00

Not a big award show fan [unless Ricky Gervais is hosting...] but this one is SO deserved.

Why is he not yet Sir Stephen?

Now, to close a few tabs...

THIS is for my Knitting Maniac Friends [whom I whole-wooledly support...], A Novel Woman, Sarah the Librarian, and Leanne the Yarn Bomber.
[via boingboing, of course]

And THIS brilliant hand-ninja is for my favourite ninja author, James McCann.

And to finish? I saw this little number this weekend on a boingboing series of dance numbers, and I have to say, Shirley just blew me away. Talk about Dancing with the Stars! Enjoy...

~kc

Sunday Morning Celebration...

2010-01-24T09:37:00.000-08:00

...of being human. Beat that drum!

People In Order: 1. Age from James Price on Vimeo.

via @MrsGreatDismal

~kc

Break...

2010-01-23T22:04:00.003-08:00

Writing a very intense series of scenes at the moment. The good thing is, every time I trip [metaphorically] and fall, the story wrenches me to my feet again and I'm off.

This makes me pretty happy.

But I still have to give the ol' brain a break to allow stuff to gel, y'know? So today, while gellin', I cleaned off my grossly overloaded desktop [metaphorical again; my actual desk top has wood visable, which is fairly unusual for me at this stage of a book. Still haven't opened my mail since November, though -- so goes to show I'm not THAT far gone...]

Anyway, cleared off the desktop and while I was at it, I dumped a bunch of blogs from my reader. I only got rid of those, whom, once loved, no longer post at all. Made me a little sad to see how many I had to cull.

I miss you, one and all!

However, I am still here, and as soon as the new website is up and ready, we'll be facilitating some kind of a blog move, too. Not sure if we'll be here or there, but wherever we are, you'll know. And with the new site, there will be a whole new section of the blog on writing tips and links. I already do the link-thing, but the tips'll be new. New-ish. New to me.

You get it.

In the meantime, how cool are these fingerless gloves? They go all the way to my elbows, I swear. Knit for me by the uber-librarian and Needle-Smith Sarah Wethered.

Not sure how much detail shows in this classy photobooth shot, but they have the coolest colours, a kind of spiral pattern and are made of...[wait for it...]

bamboo, baby.

[Not actually the offspring of bamboo. Just bamboo itself. Baby.]

Sarah, you rock. My new gloves rock. I may have to dedicate the new book to them, for the cool factor of having my hands so cosy while I type the chase scenes through a chilly Scottish night. Not that it's actually chilly here, or even Scottish for that matter [except by ancestry], but the chase scene is both. But regardless, a pair of fingerless gloves will make an appearance. Watch for 'em.

So, I guess I'd better get back to it.

But first -- speaking of Scottish -- don't forget the wee Rabbie's birthday is on Monday. A bet a few drams are being lifted on his behalf, even as I type.

We'll celebrate in style then, shall we?

~kc

News and a wee LinK Fest

2010-01-18T23:03:00.000-08:00

Another nutso day, but I can't let it slip by without doing a little link-fest here.

Had a GREAT chat with members of the North Shore Writers' Association. Thanks to event coordinator Joyce Goodwin for inviting me, and all the members of the NSWA for the warm welcome. I am a past president, and was in that position when my first book was published and the support I garnered from this group was wonderful. Nice to see you all again! Shout outs and good publishing karma sent back to Penny and Elaine and Dorothy and Gerhard and to all the new members.

and now...a few items of interest, to allow for some tab-closing on my machine!

First -- a write up in the New Westminster Record of the Rock solid plays that have come out of my writer-in-residence experience at NDub Secondary. Traci Cave and MJ Hunt were the teacher-brains behind the operation, but the writing and acting all came from the kids. It was so much fun to work with this group!

Next, a nice little review of MS. ZEPHYR'S NOTEBOOK, on the blog of Sarah Wethered, the Amazing Knitting Librarian. Thanks Sarah!

And to finish, a few choice words from Ill Doctrine on the situation in Haiti. And please remember, if you are Canadian, the federal government is matching all donations that are going through registered charities until February 12th. My money went to Medecins Sans Frontieres. [I've supported this group for years -- Darrell's mother in my very first Eagle Glen series is a doctor who donates her time to MSF...]

More soon, of course...

~kc

Hanging in a Steaming, Spitting Underworld

2010-01-12T00:34:00.000-08:00

Yep.

That's where I've been.

Of course, I haven't had to leave home to be there. But I have had to avoid my email and the time-sucking internets as much as possible, hence the paucity of posting here.

I can say, though, that the new book is tripping along. Hope to be finished any day now. [Actually, if I can have something tangible to present to my agent and a few compatriots by next month sometime, I will be Very Happy.] It was supposed to be finished with 2009, but as you know, sometimes Life Interferes. I actually started researching this book four years ago next month, with my trip to Edinburgh during the Turin Games.

And then... *Bang!* Flash!*... it's suddenly time for the Vancouver games. So I guess I'd like to finish the book before that actually happens.

So while I spend my time digging through the Victorian undergrowth for rusty cogs and a watch chain, here are a few interesting things to keep you busy...

To begin, my buddy the very talented [and creepy] Michael Slade has a new book out, just in time for a decent slaughter at the Olympics. It's called RED SNOW. Details HERE. And please ignore the minor detail of the main slaughterer's name. I would like it to go on the record that she was NOT inspired by anyone you know. And for all you Sladists out there, you know there's got to be blood in the snow. You've been warned.

I'll be speaking at the North Shore Writers' Assn meeting this month -- the evening of January 18th. Come by and heckle, if you'd care to! Details HERE.

Also, later in the year ... I'm going to be a featured speaker at the Canadian Authors Ass'n CanWrite 2010 in Victoria this summer. More details HERE, and as anything new emerges, I'll keep you updated.

And to finish -- a very cool initiative... with a great beat:

~kc

The Known Universe...

2010-01-02T11:40:00.001-08:00

I'm having a writing morning, but am just pausing here, as I thought you might like a taste of the known universe with your Saturday morning coffee.
Enjoy!

~kc

Pee Ess...

Happy New Year!

HAP-py...oh, wait a minute...

2009-12-31T19:49:00.000-08:00

I'm early. This has never happened. Somebody write it down. My house is pretty tidy -- at least the bits that show. My dogs are fed. I remembered mascara. The food is ready.

I have time to blog.

NYE...FTW!!!!

To tell you the truth, I'm not actually wearing a tiara. I don't own one, sadly -- though I've just remembered I did buy one for my last CWC class. Must hunt it down sometime.

[I'll never find anything again, since I tidied my house today...]

So I'm wearing my bat hat. Never go for the expected -- my motto.

Anyway -- just a final wish to you, my loyal readers. May the next year bring you joy, and may you, in turn, bring happiness to someone else. Be safe and stay cool.

Talk to you in 2010.

~kc

New Year's Eve Eve...

2009-12-30T20:51:00.001-08:00

A busy day around these environs may preclude a blog post tomorrow, [I'm having a 'Lost Souls' New Year's party for those who haven't anything else on their dance card], so I thought I'd take a moment and post links to a few interesting items.

First -- for Spider Robinson and his wife Jeanne...a fundraising opportunity HERE. You can score an e-copy of Lawrence Santoro's LORD DICKENS'S DECLARATION, and help defray some of the costs the Robinson's are facing as Jeanne battles cancer. I read about this on Matthew Sanborn Smith's One Thousand blog, and by posting here, I'm participating in the blog rally for the Robinsons. You can do it, too!

Second -- since my link to the graphic of 20 Things That Happen in One Minute has proved so popular, here's another that caught my fancy today. From my beloved boingboing, of course, here is a graph that compares the cost of printer ink to the costs of other precious liquids [including blood, vodka, crude oil and more...]. Let's just say that there is a reason some people call printer ink 'black gold'.

And finally, one of the writers at whose [metaphorical and thus far electronic] knees I have long worshipped -- the amazing Jo Bourne -- muses about The Odds of Getting Published...and what a person can do to improve 'em.

So there you have it -- a whole lotta link love to end 2009. And now...let's watch for that Blue Moon tomorrow night, shall we?

~kc

Holiday Time...

2009-12-29T22:20:00.000-08:00

Ah, the Christmas season. Filled with family joy. Time together.

Time.

As an individual who has spent no small amount of time thinking about how to deal with time [meta-time?], I came across a new way to look at time the other day. Ever thought about what happens over the course of a single minute on our planet?

250 babies are born, 113 of whom are born into poverty.

Lightning strikes the earth 360 times.

5 earthquakes rattle the planet.

The average person on earth earns $0.013 [That's just over a penny.] And Oprah Winfrey makes $523.
[To be fair, this is peanuts compared to what Nike makes in the same time period].

Anyway, for a very cool graphic of 20 or so things that happen in a single minute on earth, take a look at this link, courtesy of Mother Jones's Marian Wang.

And enjoy every little minute of the holidays, wouldja?

~kc

Pee Ess....

Speaking of time, I just found out today [via the dear @linda_grimes] this year will end on a Blue Moon. More on that soon....

Was Going to ...

2009-12-21T20:50:00.000-08:00

...post about CWC Winter Camp and all the Winter Follies...

but then I got tired.

So instead, I offer you this marvellous little snippet, told in a voice made to mesmerize, of the truly horrible torture that is Christmas to one, special man...

With thanks, of course, to Neil Gaiman.

Ho

Ho

Ho.

~kc

Another Take on Holiday Feelings...

2009-12-20T13:41:00.000-08:00

My friend, author Kate Coombs has done a lovely holiday posting on her book blog Book Aunt.

Kate's is an awesome blog, and well worth following, but I found this post particularly moving, especially for those for whom holidays bring less than joyous memories.

A collection of welcome stories for the holidays -- from a slightly different perspective.

Enjoy!

~kc

Christmas Crazies

2009-12-19T11:02:00.000-08:00

Holiday madness a bit ramped up this year, so for your viewing pleasure...

Jack finds his way onto ... the naughty list:

~kc

N Dub Rocks...Solid

2009-12-13T22:11:00.000-08:00

I'm quite, quite sad to report that this week marked the end of my experience as a Writer in Residence at New Westminster Secondary School. I took on this gig when the amazing writer Meg Tilly moved away, and generously recommended me to teacher-librarian Sarah Wethered.

[Ed. Note: The photo of the school here is the only unaltered one of this posting -- all the others have been adjusted to obscure the kids' faces.]

It was a sweet gig from the start -- amazing teachers to work with [Traci Cave and MJ Hunt, along with Sarah] and creative, funny, talented kids [primarily Ms. Cave's senior drama class and Ms Hunt's Creative Writing class]. Together we worked on the 'Rock Solid' project -- an anti-bullying dramatic production put on by the students of N Dub Secondary for kids in the feeder schools of the area.

I spent most of my time with MJ's creative writing teams who were putting their ideas on paper, taking the idea of bullying and letting it play out using themes including homophobia, racism, mysogeny and more.

The resulting plays were fantastic, and I was lucky enough to get to watch a couple of performances at Queensborough Middle School.

I spent half my time with my eyes on the production and the other half watching the audience. I was blown away by the way these young men and women magically combined the power of the written word and the power of performance. The audience of young students sat spellbound. They laughed. They gasped. And yes -- they even cried.

The authors' words carried power, with conviction and clarity. The actors' skills took the ideas and philosophies expressed in the plays and gave them dimension and humanity.

The dedication and hard work of these playwrights and actors translated into something amazing to watch. The plays' inner themes of friendship, solidarity, and kid power rang through to the hearts of the audience. The messages you passed on against bullying, racism and homophobia were powerful and resonan.

I'm so proud and honoured to have had a chance to work with the teachers and students of NWSS. I spent some time with a few other classes, as well, and we shared ideas and conversation and a whole lotta gory, grotesque history, as is my wont. The whole experience has given me very fond memories of the school and the kids and teachers who give it heart.

Thanks for having me, N. Dub!

~kc

We have a Winnah!

2009-12-12T21:56:00.000-08:00

Apologies for the delay of this post -- lost wireless and had to fight it out with ISP.

But all is well now, and the winner of a copy of a kc dyer title of choice is...

Rachelle Reese!

Congratulations, Rachelle! In your entry you said you'd like a copy of A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW, so as soon as you email me your mailing address, I'll get it off to you.

And thanks to everyone for entering -- and to Lorna Suzuki for the great interview.

~kc

Red Bird

2009-12-07T21:15:00.000-08:00

A quick one tonight ...

A friend of mine -- great writer -- Ev Bishop has a piece of short fiction published in Alien Skin Magazine, the latest issue.

It's called Red Bird.

I still have goosebumps from reading it. Dare ya...

Congratulations, Ev!

[You can read Ev's blog HERE if you want more...and who wouldn't?]

~kc

Remembering...

2009-12-06T16:54:00.002-08:00

On this day 20 years ago, I was pregnant with my first child.

I didn't know I was going to have a little girl, but for the first time I was trying to get my head around what it was going to be like to be a mother.

I spent most of the day weeping, I recall, for the mothers of the young women lost in the shooting at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal.

Those of you who follow me on Twitter will have watched as I re-tweeted the name of each of these young women, an idea begun by @katrinaarcher. I like the idea that their names live on. My latest manuscript has as one of its themes some of the historic acts of violence against women, though I hadn't really thought about it until today.

My own girl is now in university herself. Second year, as were some of the students who died or were injured that day in Montreal. She doesn't remember December 6, 1989. But I do. And as writer Carla Luchetta remarked on my twitter feed today -- all young women at the time, regardless of where they were going to school, were changed and shaped by that day.

Ten other young women and four young men were injured at the Ecole Polytechnic that day. If you don't know the story, you can read more about it here. And just in case you didn't see them earlier...here are the names of the young women who were lost that day. We cannot possibly know how much they are missed, but...

I think they bear repeating.

Annie Turcotte
Sonia Pelletier
Barbara Daigneault
Annie St-Arneaud
Michele Richard
Anne-Marie Lemay
Maryse Laganiere
Maude Haviernick
Anne-Marie Edward
Maryse Leclair
Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz
Helene Colgan
Nathalie Croteau
Genevieve Bergeron

~kc

Technical Difficulties...

2009-12-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

Ooops.

Looks like the email link on my website has been dead awhile.

Apologies for not noticing sooner!

It's up and working now, so for those trying to reach me
[including those entering the contest] ...

please try again!

The email address is contact@kcdyer.com

We'll extend the contest deadline until Wednesday, to make up for the glitch!

~kc

When Self-Publishing Becomes Cash Grab...

2009-12-04T21:53:00.002-08:00

I don't often rant about the publishing biz here on leftwriter, but something has recently attracted a bit of public notice, and as it has touched a nerve for me, I'd like to take a closer look.

Today's subject is the traditional vs self-publishing model.

My books are published by traditional publishers. I have to admit to starting in this business with a snobby, anti-self-publishing view. I believed people who published their own books didn't go through an adequate editorial process, they were not patient enough to go through the traditional route and they were prepared to put sub-par work out into the public, just for the sake of saying they had books in print.

I know now that while all of these things can be true to some extent, self-publishing isn't only a cesspool of the underskilled and unloved. I know of several people who make a living giving talks to large groups -- self-publishing works perfectly for them, because it allows them to get their books to the audience they want, and they have a built-in distribution system. And a know of a couple of cases where lightning has struck, and an author who has self-published goes on to get a decent contract with a traditional publishing house.

But for the most part, I still see companies who encourage self-publishing as predatory. They steal aspiring authors' dreams, wrap 'em up in a sub-standard package with little or no decent editorial input, and slap 2000 copies into the poor creature's garage, leaving them to sell the books through mercy-buys to friends and relatives. And they charge the authors for the privelege of being taken to the cleaners.

I know of _hundreds_ of cases like this. More. This is still the norm.

It is HARD to get published traditionally. It can be a brutal, soul-eating experience to have your first book published. But there is a reason for this. It's also very hard to make money as a publisher, and many, many people believe they can write books. These aspiring writers do it by the thousands every day. They write 'em and they write 'em...and the acquisitions editors at publishing houses have to read 'em.

The magic of a brilliant story, well-told is a comparatively rare circumstance. So, yeah -- it's hard to go through the process. But it is possible. [The living proof is typing these very words...]

When you do go through the traditional process, the advantages of traditional publishing -- even with all its flaws and foibles -- are manifest. Design teams for the cover. Editorial teams for the content. Publicity and distribution. All these things are missing from most self-publishing business models.

What this boils down to is that the vanity presses and self-publishing houses are in it strictly for the money. But surely even traditional publishing houses want to make money? Of course they do. But legitimate publishing houses make their money through the sale of books. Who do the self-publishing houses make money from? YOU. The self-published author.

I spend a lot of time sending the aspiring writers I meet off to writing workshops or conferences like the Surrey International Writers' Con. I hope they will have fun, meet new colleagues, learn the ropes of good writing. But I also want them to learn that if ANYONE wants them to pay to produce a book, they are not working in the authors' best interest. This includes people who claim to be legitmate agents who charge reading fees. This includes self-professed poetry journals who offer 'prizes' to poets, in exchange for the exorbitant cost of paying for the shoddily-produced book in which the poem appears. And this includes ANY so-called publishing house that charges the author to produce the books. These are NOT publishing houses. They are printers.

Sometimes the siren song of the money to be made through self-publishing lures even legitimate publishers. Harlequin Books dipped its toe into the water of self-publishing biz, recently, and the noise in the industry has been loud and clear.

But don't just take my word for it...

Agent Kristin Nelson, Romance Writers of America & others [via Making Light] , Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers, Mystery Writers of America [via Richard Curtis].

It will be interesting to see what comes of this. The world of publishing is changing, and those of us who live within it are riding an amazing wave right now. But wherever people have dreams, there are always charletans out there, willing to take your money and not deliver.

If you are a beginning writer -- be cautious. Listen to your colleagues -- in classes, in conferences, in writing groups. Weigh offers carefully -- if they seem too good to be true, they probably are. There is no doubt it is a often a long, hard road to becoming a published author. But if you find a group of friends with whom to share the journey, the trip becomes a lot more enjoyable.

If you have thoughts you'd like to share -- do so in the comments. Let's talk about this!

And to finish? A tip of the hat to blogger/agent/author Nathan Bransford. He calls this little clip the future of publishing.

He may be right.

~kc

Guest Blog -- and a Contest...

2009-12-01T21:07:00.000-08:00

Writer Lorna Suzuki has just posted an interview of yours truly on her website HERE.

Lorna's a real dynamo and she asked some great questions, so trot on over to her site and have a look. [She's got some beautiful stuff there -- really enjoyable to just cruise around a bit...]

As a bonus to the interview, we're also offering an autographed copy of whichever of my titles you'd like. Just to keep things interesting, I'm not going to post the rules here...you have to read the interview on Lorna's site and follow the instructions by posting your comment below.

Contest closes December 7th -- midnight PST. Will post the name of the winner on December 8th. Remember to check back! I'll personalize the book of your choice and pop it in the mail to you just in time for holiday giving.

More soon!

~kc

Guerilla Reading -- Philly-style

2009-11-29T16:18:00.000-08:00

Monday, November 23rd. Our last day in Philadelphia. Goal: to run up the steps of the Art Museum, a la Rocky Balboa.

Result: A little different than what we expected....

We'd said goodbye to Lori Sherrit-Fleming and her wonderful family the night before, and had a few hours to kill before our flight home, so Lee Edward Fodi, Kari Lynn Winters and I headed out to see a bit more of the city of Philadelphia.

En route, we enjoyed [in our own way] the incredible statuary to be found in the city. Please note Kari's sophisticated style when posing amongst wildlife...

And Lee, under threat from a metal croc...

After a lovely walk punctuated by a misty-rain and a dissertation from Lee on the Masonic roots of the city's layout, we made it to the gallery.

Evidence of the enthusiastic run up the steps...

Almost to the top!

And then....? Disappointment.

But hey. We are proud Canadian authors, stranded atop the storied steps at the Philadelphia Art Gallery. Did somebody say storied steps? Well, then...

What better place for a Guerilla Reading?

We were not the only disappointed visitors to the Art Gallery that day. At the top we stumbled upon a couple of young families, and a group of teachers who had paid unconscionable sums of money for a private tour that they had been a few minutes late for and subsequently been locked out of. [Also the most fetching transvestite model, bedecked in vivid pink and black and with one of the lovliest crinolines I have ever seen. You may see the accompaning balloons from her photoshoot in the background below...]

Super-Canucks to the rescue! We whipped out Lee's Mr. Wiz hat, and the guerilla reading began.

First, Lee mesmerized the group with a taste of KENDRA KANDLESTAR AND THE BOX OF WHISPERS....

Then Kari wowed 'em with a song and rendition of the full text of 'ON MY WALK'.

And I finished off with an introduction to Darby and her time travel adventures from A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW.

It ended up being a Fantastic Event -- we all had so much fun, and the teachers and children were delighted when they found out that we had not only written and performed the books -- but were signing and giving away a copy each, as well.

Free Trade and many positive International Relations resulted!

We finished off the chilly day by live-podcasting our thoughts for later broadcast on 'Authors Like Us', and then trotted trippingly off to the Franklin Institute for a taste of science, with a good sprinkling of Victoriana, much to the delight of yours truly and her latest work-in-progress.

It was altogether a most satisfactory first visit for me to the city -- and I left Philadelphia with many fond memories. Oh -- and a wicked cold. But that came on the plane, so the city harbours no culpibility whatsoever...

And now -- I am about to bury myself in some serious writing time. Will post as I can -- but be aware...my on-line silence should result in some on-page productivity!

~kc

Philadelphia Revisited

2009-11-28T11:52:00.001-08:00

kc and her fellow Canucks storm the National Council of Teachers of English Conference in Philadelphia, PA....

The story begins before dawn on a rainy, West Coast pre-dawn flight to Phoenix, Arizona. Much flying ensues.

Also lots of waiting.

But finally, West Coast sunrise leads to East Coast Philly airport. More rain. [This is the airport tower in the dark and rain, which looks MUCH cooler when seen through actual eyeballs, as opposed to a grainy iPhone shot...]

More waiting, as fellow-traveller Lee Edward Fodi was stranded for six hours in Houston, due to nation-wide travel computer glitch.

Interesting note: there is no food in the arrivals area of the Philadelphia airport. Also no free wifi, rendering stranded author entirely unable to catch up on email from frantically emailing travelling companion.

But all was finally well, and the two Canuck writers were
reunited in time to go to a 24 hour bar and eat veggie wraps.

After a couple of hours of sleep, the intrepid authors met up with friend and colleague Lori Sherrit-Fleming,
and put on a rocking demonstration of how to use other modalities within the arts [drawing, music, drama] to entice children into and enhance the experience of becoming life-long writers and readers.

After which there was much walking around the conference floor, meeting up with old friends and signing books with new friends [this is Lee with author-illustrator Jerry Pinkney and author Malinda Lo].

All the while, the Very Busy Kari Lynn Winters was tearing up the turf in Prince Edward Island on the final day of her CCBC Tour. [Evidence that Kari Lynn is secretly a human whirlwind: this week ALONE, she flew to the Maritimes, did 16 gigs on her tour of PEI, flew to Philidelphia, attended the NCTE conference, plus a few other gigs thrown in for good measure, flew home and just yesterday was awarded the title of Doctor of Letters when she successfully defended her thesis in a 21/2 hour examination. WooHOOO! Let's hear a cheer for Doctor Kari!]

And yet... when she did finally arrive, she somehow managed to stay still long enough for me to photograph her with an ice cream cone on her head.

Mint chocolate chip, I believe, if you want to get technical.

Kari, Lee and Lori celebrate by actually sitting down together!

Other weekend highlights included a ghost walk... [in which we spied the remains of the ancestors of one of our missing friends in the McCann Family Vault], a trip to the Philadelphia Portrait Gallery [second largest in the United States only to the one in the Smithsonian],

....a wander around a very cool old bookstore with this amazing tree out front....

...its roots gnarled and growing around the old bricks from the road...

...and a visit to the Franklin Institute, loaded with lots of steampunk arcana [very helpful for the new book].

We topped the trip off with a palm-reading session,

complete with crystal ball [VERY illuminating -- note stack of US Magazines neatly placed close to hand...]

AND a Guerilla reading on the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum.

But this last event has earned its own post...so hang on tight and you can read more, very soon, my pretties!

[And if you'd like to see more of the pictures in detail, you can check out the Philadelphia set on my flickr page.]

Back soon!

~kc

We interrupt this posting...

2009-11-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

Working on a Philly post and getting my photos on-line, but while you are waiting...get a load of this before it goes viral...

According to @xenijardin it was 18 years ago today that the world lost Freddy Mercury. A tip of the hat to @dbarefoot for sharing this little piece of muppetebration!

~kc

Philadelphia Freedom...

2009-11-23T05:59:00.000-08:00

Last day in Philly today after an amazing NCTE Conference. Met lots of great new people, and reconnected with some familiar faces -- our presentation went very well and we've had a great time.

Yesterday, Lee Fodi and I spent the afternoon taking a quick peek at the city -- we hit the portrait gallery [second largest in the US after the Smithsonian], the Liberty Bell, the Delaware River waterfront, a very cool bookstore called The Book Trader...and had our palms read by a lovely gypsy woman. [Actually, she wasn't a gypsy...and her crystal ball was set up beside a stack of US magazines, but it was beyond fun anyway!]

This is a shot of the clock outside our hotel on Chestnut Street, evidence that we were having a bit of trouble adjusting to the time change.

Today is our Freedom Day -- a few hours to wander round and check out the city before we fly home. Freedom to Read seems like a workable theme, so we're planning a Canuck Guerilla Reading on the steps of the Philadelphia Art Gallery. I've talked my slightly stunned-by-the-idea friends into reading a line or two from their books on the steps ... and then finding someone in the crowd to donate the books to.

Will be twttering details as the time approaches and report back here with photographic evidence!

Speaking of pictures, I'll be posting the best ones up to my flickr page, and will liven the link here as soon as I do. Lee has also been recording snippets for his podcast 'Authors Like Us', so will link to that when it appears, too.

Now -- time to go spread a little Canadian author love around the streets [and steps] of Philadelphia...

~kc

Flying Through Phoenix...

2009-11-19T11:17:00.001-08:00

A quick word from Phoenix, Arizona – just a pit stop here en route to the NCTE conference in Philadelphia this weekend.

This was kind of a last-minute event, and I’ll be presenting with my friends Lee Edward Fodi, Kari-Lynn Winters and Lori Sherritt-Fleming. I can’t believe they let me take part, when I only have TWO names, both lower case, to boot...

[This is Lee playing uh...not-golf, in not-Phoenix...]

Because this is a bit of a radical adventure for me, I’ll be tweeting and blogging on the fly – and I’m going to try to talk my compatriots into a couple of guerilla Canuck readings on the streets of Philadelphia.

More soon!

~kc

Madness Monday...

2009-11-16T21:48:00.002-08:00

The Madness portion of my day has been fulfilled. In fact -- there is no room left in my brain that is in any way share-worthy.

So, instead -- I give you these two items:

Number 1: Sir Ken Robinson's TED talk makes a case for why schools are killing our children's creativity. His dry and humorous delivery is delightful -- and his point profound.

[With thanks to James McCann for the link]
And for the writers out there: 11 salient points made by author Tim Wynne Jones for those who want to write their best work. HERE.

No madness in either locale....would you agree?

~kc

kc November Update

2009-11-14T22:26:00.001-08:00

ello fair readers!

Well -- life is certainly interesting, is it not?

Fall is always a busy time for me, but a few family issues have ramped up the pressure a little. Busy is the new black. Or...frantic is the new busy. Or something like that.

Anyway, this post will have to serve to bring you up to date on A Few Things I Am Up To, as well as A Few Things I Currently Find Interesting. Shall we begin with the former?

On chatting with my Most Wonderful Agent this week, I found myself promising to show her BOTH books I currently have Under Construction by the end of the year. [Insanity runs in my family. Have I mentioned that here before?]

One -- SEVEN DAYS, is a re-write. [In fact it is both a re-write and a co-write, as I am trying a new little social media experiment with the story. I'm hoping to be able to get more specific about this shortly.]

The second is the realization of a project [as yet unnamed] that has been several years in the making. [To give you an idea of just HOW many years, I began working on this story before I took a stroll with a certain Scots colleague through the streets of Edinburgh during the last winter Olympics.]

Yipes! Time flies. I took this picture on that trip. It's a distant shot of Edinburgh Castle taken from the North Bridge and across the city on a moonlit night. I still remember the wind.
Edinburgh in February -- beautiful!

Anyway, this project is the first in what I hope will be a series of steampunk y/a novels -- time travel a required element, of course.

I'm also working on a large desk-topping project [hardly ever do this sort of thing any more, but occasionally the draw of the dollar compels me to creep down out of my artist's garret and make a few bucks]. Not sure where I fit this in, but...will figure it out.

This week I am making a trek to Philadelphia, PA, in order to speak at the NCTE conference. This, for those who don't care to click the link, is the National Council of Teachers of English, and they are holding a giant conference in Liberty City. I'll be going [and appearing] with Kari-Lynn Winters, Lee Edward Fodi and Lori Sherritt-Fleming. Hoping to meet lots of teachers and share as much WALK as anyone will care to listen to!

After I get back, I have the performances of the New Westminster students' plays -- the fruitition of some of the writer-in-res work I've been doing.

And this week I collared Sean Cranbury who was crazy enough to agree to brainstorm a potential collaborative project starting in the new year. In the meantime, make sure you check out his site at Books On the Radio . He has scored some amazing interviews lately!

More on all of these doings as they ripen. I'll be tweeting @kcdyer if you feel like following the action more closely.

And to finish -- A Few Items of Interest [aka a tab-closing fest for all!]

*   The first is the blog responsible for the beautiful drop-cap I've inserted here today: DailyDropCap.com A click of the needles to knitting/blogging goddess Leanne Prain for the tip via twitter!

*   The Telegraph's List of a Hundred Books that Defined the Noughties. Definite UK bent, but an interesting means to open debate on the topic, just the same. How many have you read? And which others would YOU add to the list?

*   Just found out there is to be a mini-TED right here! TEDx-Vancouver ... the very idea of it thrills me no end. Not sure how it will all shake down, but you can follow the details HERE.
That's it for now -- more to come. Busy week ahead!

~kc

'Authors Like Us' Inaugural Podcast

2009-11-14T21:54:00.000-08:00

Authors like Us have gone live with their first podcast. They chose the very risky tack of cranking on their recorder at a Hallowe'en Party, comprised only of kids under 10 and authors...well, like us.

This new idea is the baby of Lee Edward Fodi and James McCann. They plan to interview authors they find from all over the world -- and ask them about EVERYTHING ...except their books.

A great idea!

I put in an appearance in this episode, since I was at the Hallowe'en Party, after all, but really -- this episode is best described as the' crazy inaugural event'. Or maybe -- 'what happens when a group of geeky authors get dressed up in the presence of children'.

Loads of fun, though.

You can listen HERE.

Join the Authors Like Us Facebook page HERE.

~kc

Remembrance Day

2009-11-11T18:41:00.000-08:00

Remembrance Day here, Veteran's Day in the US.
A day to remember ... thoughts too big, perhaps for a single day.

For a little taste of something different, I invite you to enjoy this compilation post, American in origin, which has had me alternately laughing and crying my eyes out today.

A must for canine-lovers -- dogs welcoming their soldiers home.

[For non-dog lovers, the final clip of children being surprised by their returning dads is incredibly moving, too.]

HERE.

Happy Remembrance Day!
[tip of the hat to boingboing for the link]

~kc

Friday Night Cool...

2009-11-06T19:47:00.000-08:00

Yes, sir -- it's been a busy week. However, I have managed to accumulate a shipload of cool, and since it is the coolest night of the week, I'm going to share it all with you.

Cool Item #1:

Darby got a great review in The Muskoakan: [www.muskokan.com]

A Walk Through A Window

By K. C. Dyer

Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 2009, 230 pages, $12.95 paperback

Darby’s idea of a great summer is hanging out with her pals in Toronto doing whatever is dear to the hearts of young teens anywhere. To her dismay, her parents pack her off to her grandparents in an out of the way village on Prince Edward Island while they renovate their house and generally sort out their shaky marriage. Big time bummer, thinks Darby. Little does she know………….

K. C. Dyer has skillfully woven a coming of age story into dramatic, action packed glimpses of Canadian history that include early aboriginal nomads, desperate settlers fleeing the potato famine in Ireland and Scottish immigrants seeking a new life in the colonies. The literary device of letting a character step over a magic boundary into a totally different time gives the story the ghostly quality that readers relish. Darby’s connection to her ancestral past as she discovers more and more about her grandparents’ genealogy brings her an eye-opening new appreciation of her family as well as a more exciting summer than she could have ever imagined.

This is a lovely summer read for girls from 10 to 14.

Thanks, guys!

One of these days the newspaper style-police will learn to just leave the name in lower case. No caps. No periods. Just kc dyer -- lower case, low key. Canadian.

Think it'll happen?

Nah, me neither. I'm just happy they liked the story!

Cool Item #2:

Got my flu shots this week. I've got asthma, and that puts me in the high risk group, I guess. Not really cool...but this is:

[hat tip to QI elves...]

Hmm. Not sure that worked...

But, come ON, who wouldn't want to learn how the flu takes over your body?

And finally, Cool Item #3:

Not quite sure how big those viruses really are?

Check out the very cool comparative size chart, from the size of the font here [Times New Roman 12 pt] to a carbon atom -- and many things [including viruses!] in between:

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/scale/

[hat tips to a tweet from Grant Imahara of Mythbusters, and to the University of Utah for building the page]

Okay -- I think that must be just about as much cool as any person can stand, even for a Friday night.

More soon!

~kc

The Peripatetic Author...

2009-11-05T21:44:00.000-08:00

Heading off to Calgary for a quick, family-related trip this weekend [tho' I plan to hit a few bookstores and sign up all the stock I can get my hands on!]

However, a few other opportunities have come my way lately, and I'm trying to take advantage of 'em wherever I can. I'll be presenting to the Ontario Libraries Ass'n in the spring, and I might have a chance to flit off to Philidelphia in the next couple of weeks to present to a group of teachers there.

Busy times! Will keep you posted!

This pic is from the latest installment of 7 DAYS -- my satirical mystery, aimed at an audience aged slightly north of my usual suspects. I'm working on a bit of a re-write right now -- hoping Charlotte will find a way to make her way into the world between the pages of a real book one of these days!

Charlotte is a reluctant traveller, unlike myself. But that doesn't stop her -- nor does the faulty suitcase depicted here. Fingers crossed she'll emerge unscathed in her new incarnation!

More soon...

~kc

N Dubs Playwrights ROCK!

2009-11-04T22:09:00.000-08:00

This, my friends, is Sarah Wethered.

She loves shoes.

She's a teacher.

She's a librarian.

And, as you can see from the giant yarn sceptre she's weilding -- she is a Killer Knitting Machine.

Sarah is also the person responsible for bringing me in as Writer-in-Residence at N Dub -- aka New Westminster Secondary.

I've spent the night reading scripts produced by Ms Hunt's terrific writing class -- and they are fantastic. The kids were tasked with writing scripts for this year's Rock Solid production -- topic: bullying.

And they've done an amazing job. I'm hoping to get a few shots of Ms. Cave's drama class in rehearsal for the production later this month. Will post them here if I can.

An amazing experience -- I'm loving every minute!

~kc

The Chapters Poster saga continues...

2009-10-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

Short post today. I had a ton of meetings, running around to do.
Conference starts for me in a matter of hours.

Passed the ONLY Indigo in town without posters -- they are never sent them, as they have no window space.

Still no winner in my contest.

People.

For the love of all things kc [kanadian and crazy]

...somebody PLEASE get me a picture of my book cover on one of these Chapters posters.

And remember -- if you get a picture of the poster and it is actually up on a window -- DOUBLE the prize!

~kc, dsp*

*kc, deperately seeking poster...

CONTEST! [and protest, while you're at it...]

2009-10-18T20:56:00.000-07:00

For those who don't follow my twitter posts [@kcdyer], I just found out this evening from a friend [the astonishing Kari-Lynn Winters] that a picture of the cover of my latest book, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW is featured on a poster at Chapters.

Now, I haven't seen this picture, but I love Kari-Lynn and count on her veracity...so I am having a sudden, twitter-inspired Canada-wide contest.

To win a signed copy of the book, be the first to send me a picture [camera phone or otherwise] of the poster at Chapters.

But wait...there's more!

If you can get a picture of the poster actually up on a window -- bonus kc dyer book, signed, sealed with a kiss and sent to anyone you love through Canada Post.

I'm excited! Any takers?

******

I've missed a few significant things lately what with all the to-ing and fro-ing, and I'd like to redress one of these omissions right now.

The BC Arts community is reeling after a series of stealth cuts have decimated Arts funding in the province by as much as 85%. Read a great article by Crawford Killian on writer Loranne Brown's blog HERE.

~kc

Heigh Ho...

2009-10-17T23:55:00.000-07:00

Hola gentle readers.

A quick post to note that lately, the tiny little slips of time I have to communicate tend to be on my twitter feed @kcdyer

The pictured version of fall [ambleside, last week -- leaves changing, sunshine, brisk fall wind] is no longer with us.

The ocean has risen up to swallow the sky.

And rain, of course, means it's time for the Surrey International Writers' Conference.

I'm in the throes of the last week before Surrey. May change my plans and move down there a day early -- so much to do, so little mobility to do it with!

SiWC 2009 looks to be astonishing. I've just been reading the script for War of the Worlds, this year's Shock Theatre offering from Michael Slade. It is hysterical, and even ends with a truly modern twist. I simply can't wait to be a part of it.

In other news, A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW has been nominated for a Cybils Award. It's a great little on-line award program -- the chicken nugget of awards [both nummy and nutritious]. The books are twice-read by a panel and decisions are made in February. So send positive vibes toward Darby, okay?

More soon. Hope to post lots of pix from Surrey, especially on Friday night when There Will Be Aliens.

~kc

This week...

2009-10-12T18:34:00.000-07:00

Happy thanksgiving! On my SiWC blog, I put up a turkey [with alien antennae...to go with our theme this year], but here? I'm allowed to let my veggie side show. Yeah, I cooked a turkey breast for my family, but I also had Indian food -- rice and curry and pakoras and salad.

And I was thankful. Yum. Cranberry sauce goes really well with Indian cusine.

Mostly I was thankful for a fairly peaceful day, as now I dive full bore into conference prep. Mostly dealing with details and last-minute disasters, but it's a busy time. I've got Fall Book Harvest and Vancouver BookCamp on the agenda this week, too, along with another writer-in-residence visit lined up with New Westminster Secondary.

Plus, I picniked myself into red-eyed little green writer. Not sure it's a good colour for me...

~kc

The Berlin Reunion

2009-10-10T22:41:00.000-07:00

Man -- blogging's been a bit sporadic lately, and poor Darby's not been blogging at all. So much to do for the conference -- hoping to get back to a more regular schedule shortly.

In the meantime, enjoy the spectacle of these remarkable pictures -- a French production, to celebrate [can it be?] 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The Berlin Wall was erected right around the time I was born, and I remember rejoicing when it fell, just before the birth of my daughter. I thought hers a much more auspicious time to be entering the world than my own. The world has changed so much since she entered it, and tho' she is not yet quite 19 and a 1/2...this celebration still touches me, on her behalf.

For, whatever has happened since, the world is a better place now that the wall is down. And these magnificent puppets -- well, they just took my breath away. The detail...truly awe-inspiring.

Enjoy. [via The Big Picture in The Boston Post]

The Berlin Reunion.

~kc

CWILL BC Catalogue

2009-10-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

The new CWILL BC catalogue is out. The beautiful cover was designed by Lee Edward Fodi and the catalogue was put together by a group of most excellent volunteers.

Isn't it gorgeous? You can download a copy for your very own here: http://www.cwill.bc.ca/files/pdf/CW.09.p.cat.pdf/

It's a compendium of current and recent titles by BC authors of books for kids and teens, and gives a little bio of all the authors, so is a great resource for teachers who want to bring these authors into their classrooms. So, tell all your friends!

~kc

Visene No More!

2009-10-02T23:26:00.000-07:00

Hokay -- finally there. All SiWC contest entries read and re-read. Some re-re-read. Contest conclusions come to. Final discussion amongst contest readers still to take place, though, so shortlisted authors will not hear until tomorrow at the earliest.

Had a break from reading entries today to go meet with Sean Cranbury of Books on the Radio fame. We taped an interview for his blog/show, and he tells me it'll go live in a few days. I'll post here when it does.

[This is Sean NOT wearing the Very Cool Hat he had on today. I have dibs on it now -- fair warning!]

What else? You can check out the latest blog post HERE, documenting agent Kristin Nelson's big find at the Surrey International Writers' Conference. [Hint: Local author Janice Hardy shines in the story, too!]

That's it. I'm toast. Tomorrow I need to kill 200 email. It'll be a big-game email hunt. Expect carnage.

~kc

Odds and Sods, This and That, Here and There

2009-10-01T22:49:00.000-07:00

Quite a few balls in the air at the mo.

I'm currently Writer in Residence at New Westminster Secondary, and I spent some great time today brainstorming stories with Ms. Hunt's class. We'll be creating plays to be performed by Ms. Cave's drama class, and the process is a gas. More on that, and performance dates as time progresses.

The SiWC 2009 Road Show continues. No stops today, though, as I was dealing with writing contest [see annual bloody eyeballs post HERE] and plumbers and such.

Conference registrations are coming in fast and furious, which thrills me. We are hoping to make SiWC 2009 the best ever, and in light of Publisher's Weekly's view of how things are in the books & writers conference business these days, I am happy to report that SiWC 2009 is strong and healthy and rarin' to go.

For those who have very kindly inquired about the epic fail of a day yesterday; my new modem is en route, the plumber did finally show up today, but couldn't restore my water pressure, and most importantly -- my mama is resting comfortably, with her shoulder relocated to where a person's shoulder should be.

Readers in Calgary take note -- we [and by we, I mean James McCann, Lee Edward Fodi and myself] are planning our annual Fall Into Fantasy tour through your fine city in November. Check it out HERE on Facebook. If you'd like to have an incredible presentation at your school, please email our publicist Angela Crocker at angela@beachcombercommunications.com and she'll organize things for you.

Okay -- I'm sure there are a tonne of other topics I should touch on, but I've got to go read the last few entries in the SiWC 2009 writing contest!

What are YOU reading tonight? My friend Bernice Lever advises you to take a Canadian author to bed...

~kc

SiWCrazy

2009-09-29T23:04:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year -- all the Surrey stuff is coming to a head, my own book promo is in full swing and things are just nuts around here.

Today was the SiWC 2009 road show, and I had a marvellous reception at Archbishop Carney Secondary in Port Coquitlam, followed by a brief trip into the new Surrey campus of SFU to talk with a World Lit 100 class about the conference. This is a shot of the inside of the campus. It's like the prow of an enormous ship -- quite, quite beautiful.

Huge thanks to Allison Wall and her wonderful creative writing class for their kind welcome! And also to Melek Ortabasi and her group at SFU. Hope to see many of you at the conference!

Had to deal with many phone issues [as those who follow me on twitter have no doubt learned], but all is well now, new phone in place, fully functional and I am communicado once more.

Make sure you check out recent blog posts over at www.siwc.ca, as that's where I am spending most of my energy capital these days. Tons going on -- all fun, all nuts, all the time.

More soon -- catch up day tomorrow.

~kc
sweetly tweeting @kcdyer

Exciting End to September!

2009-09-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

Tons of stuff to look forward to over the next couple of days. Tonight is the premiere of FlashForward, the tv show adapted from the Robert J. Sawyer novel. Exciting! The premiere got an incredible review in the New York Times, and from Time magazine, and Rob's face can be found right now hovering on the pages of Time.com

How incredible is that?

On Saturday, I'll be on Bowen Island, celebrating the latest release from Bernice Lever -- a book of poetry called Generation.

On Sunday, it's Vancouver's Word on the Street. I'll be out pounding the pavement [in neon tights, of course] talking about the Surrey International Writers' Conference. I'll have posters and registration forms with me and will be tweeting throughout the day. Sign up for the conference and get your picture in our blog!

And speaking of the SiWC....

...something weird is trying to take over my blog at www.siwc.ca. Have a look at THIS. And what about THIS?

I'm really hoping it's just a prank, and not some kind of warning...

~kc

Fall Book Harvest -- coming October 16, 2009

2009-09-20T18:19:00.001-07:00

Fall Book Harvest moves to the North Shore this year. A chance to see the latest in books for kids and teens, meet the authors and have an all-round good time.

For the whole scoop, check out the CWILL BC blog HERE. You can also win a FREE author visit to your school -- details HERE. [I'll be one of the authors participating...]

And if you'd like to spread the word, you can download copies of the poster HERE.

~kc

Pee Ess -- check out the latest news for the Surrey International Writers' Conference on our blog. New presenters, events...and we've joined twitter! If you're so inclined, I'm @kcdyer and SiWC is @SiWC2009

Bookclub Extravaganza!

2009-09-19T00:38:00.002-07:00

Today is the day to visit Christianne's Lyceum in Vancouver. Propriator Christianne Hayward is holding a Bookclub Extravaganza...a chance to buy gently used books at discount prices as a fundraiser for the Lyceum. But that's not all -- prizes, draws, fun and a chance to chat with local authors can all be yours.

The event runs from 10am to 3 pm, Saturday, September 19th. I'll be there for an hour or so around 1 pm, so please feel free to drop by and say hello. You might even pick up a few books for this good cause!

Busy Fall...SiWC 2009 Road Show

2009-09-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

Hey. September has launched like a cherry bomb in the school bathroom, and things are suddenly really nuts around here.

First among nuttiness is that my lovely website re-design was supposed to be up and running by now, but alas...image problems have slowed the process drastically. So we keep on keeping on, and when it's up and running, we'll have a contest to celebrate!

Now, let's see...where to begin. A couple of upcoming events should do, and I will add to the list as soon as I am able.

The most important right now is the SiWC Road Show. I'm putting on my wandering minstrel shoes and heading around the Lower Mainland (and Northern Washington state) to visit book clubs, universities, creative writing classes, high schools...you name it, to talk about the Surrey International Writers' Conference.

Mostly doing this to help spread the word about this amazing conference, and make sure we have a sell-out again this year. You can read more about the conference at www.siwc.ca or if you are interested in having me come and speak to your group for an hour (no charge, will bring own Diet Coke), drop me a line in the comments and we can connect.

The plan is to go out the last week of September/first week of October, as SiWC 2009 is October 23-25th this year. I've already got gigs coming in, so get in touch soon and I'll make sure I find time to get your group on the Road Tour!

I'm now officially the Writer In Residence at New Westminster Secondary School this fall, so I'll be posting about that excitement very soon. Also CWILL BC's Fall Book Harvest is just around the corner -- more on that soon, too.

So much going on!

~kc

Jack the Bear is born!

2009-09-13T21:21:00.003-07:00

Spent yesterday afternoon with Christina Leist and her friends, celebrating the release of her new picture book JACK THE BEAR.

The party took place at Christianne's Lyceum in Kitsilano, and by the time things got going, it was standing room only.

Christina read her story, and then helped all her fans learn how to draw a picture of Jack on the backs of paper grocery bags. (Here Christianne Hayward acts as a human easel for the artist.)

The whole story was illustrated that way, and a most beautiful book it is. Though she has illustrated other books, this is Christina's first endeavour as the writer and the illustrator, and the results are just beautiful.

Kids love reading it.

Grownups love reading it.

And to finish? Rob the baker from Tinker's Hatch Bakery brought in special Jack the Bear cookies!

If you'd like to see more pictures, check out my flickr page HERE.

~kc

A Brief Note on Word Verification

2009-09-13T07:55:00.001-07:00

Hola, loyal readers. Big post coming soon with loads of pix from Christina's Leist's launch of JACK THE BEAR yesterday. Much fun was had and cookies eaten!

But first... a mention of word verification.

I've managed this long (since 2005, actually) without it, but am currently being stymied by a particularly virulent spammer, so I'm afraid you'll now be subject to word verification to prove you are, in fact, human before commenting.

Apologies....!

~kc

September 11.

2009-09-11T13:41:00.001-07:00

Fall is here and I am spending this September day the way I have spent so many others in the past -- coordinating the details for the Surrey International Writers' Conference. This year the conference runs from October 23-25, with Master classes on October 22, 2009.

This will be my last year as the coordinator, and though I plan to stick around on the Board of Directors (since they don't know what else to do with this bad penny...) I am feeling a little nostalgic about each job as it gets completed.

This conference is one of the building blocks in my own career as a writer and [bias aside] I can't recommend it highly enough. If you are at all interested in being a writer, this is the place to start.

And if you already write for a living, SiWC is the place to go to refresh, rejuvinate, get new ideas and professional development.

One of our long-time presenters Elizabeth Lyon recently sent me a letter in which she called our conference the "best in the universe". Fine praise. We're working hard to deserve it.

Elizabeth is just one of the strong American presence we have had at the conference over the years, and I cannot help but remember our American friends on this day. One of the best essays I've read on the memories of September 11, 2001 was written by author Rebecca Solnit and can be found here on the Mother Jones site: How 9/11 Should Be Remembered.

It's a brief, heartfelt and thoughtful piece.

Back to working on the conference. If you'd like to find out more, check out www.siwc.ca or leave me a comment and I'll answer any questions you have to the best of my ability.

And I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to seeing all my friends and colleagues in October!

~kc

Forget Labour -- Viva Brazil!

2009-09-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting in Dundas Square in Toronto, at the moment, typing on my knees and surfing the only free wifi I can find [outside my hotel room] on this Labour Day, 2009. Sheesh -- you'd think in Toronto I'd be able to work on this day to celebrate work, wouldn't you? But it's taken me two hours to get set up here.

And I am not alone. I am surrounded by crowds of rowdy Brazilians, celebrating their day in brilliant yellow and green and some very funky music. There is a band setting up on the stage, but the crowd aren't waiting -- they are singing along with each other in a big group in front of the stage. It's Brazilian Day Canada, the sun is shining, and Toronto is Brazilliant.

Getting ready to start the Viva Brazil party...

I'm here to meet with my publisher tomorrow, but today I need to get SiWC work done -- emails sent, schedules compiled and so on. So for you, dear readers -- a little round up of some of the arcana that has caught my eye recently:

First, a nice little review of WALK on TheFreeLibrary.com HERE
Care to find out how the internet sees you? Check out your Persona online.
And finally, for those among you who are Mythbusters fans, [and who could not be?] Adam Savage has created a geekfest he's calling Wootstock. Looks like it'll just be in California, with dates set up in San Francisco and LA in October, but surely there'll be a geek or two livestreaming the thing, so here's hoping! http://tinyurl.com/mnwf6p

Now, can someone tell me how to type without leaping up to salsa?

~kc

Friday Round-up -- Contests and a Hark Back to Summer Dream

2009-09-04T22:25:00.000-07:00

I'm deep in the bowels of Ontario at the moment, seeing to a little family business and a bit of workishness and other skullduggery. Poor timing on my part, as I am in the midst of a couple of contests right now requiring dexterity of email ability. But it is fall, and fall is the Prime Time for the writing community -- no one sleeps at this time of year. Much running about, attending, reading, writing, promoting. Such is the life I love!

A recap...

First: The SiWC 2009 Writing Contest closes tonight ...last chance for entries to be submitted by email is essentially right now. Check it out online at www.siwc.ca and send entries to contest@siwc.ca. If you do submit by email, entry fee must follow via snail mail in cheque or money order form. Website is there for details. Do not think you are alone in last-minute submissions -- you are legion, my procrastinating writer friend!

Next: The intrepid Darby's interview this week on Darby Speaks is with Princess Meg, star of THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS and the just released smash sequel THE RUNAWAY DRAGON. You can win a copy of the latest novel by leaving a comment on Darby's blog HERE. Spread the word! You have until tomorrow night.

And finally, a fond remembrance of this year's wonderful Summer Dream in Stanley Park. This is one of my favourite images -- my friend the zany author Lee Edward Fodi, reading from his latest book Kendra Kandlestar and the Shard From Greeve, whilst a young woman signs the story to a group of clearly mesmerized children.

You can see more of my pix from Summer Dream 2009 on my flickr page HERE.

More catching up soon!

~kc

Google Book Settlement -- Choice Made & Deadline Extended

2009-09-03T21:49:00.004-07:00

Well.

Am quite desperately behind in this particular blog -- I have a huge backlog of topics to discuss, but lately appear to have run out of time to discuss them. Will try to remedy over the next little while.

In the meantime, today I finally decided to opt out of the Google settlement.

What is the Google Book Settlement, you ask?

HERE is a pretty good, failry recent summary of both sides of the issue.

Is it sour grapes to opt out of the noble cause of digitizing all books?

In my own case, sizeable chunks of several of my books were printed verbatim on-line, without any discussion by said printer [Google Books] with the author [me].

It was a very odd situation, when I first discovered it a couple of years ago. It continues to rankle.

And then a mass lawsuit was struck, on behalf of all the authors and publishers in the same boat as myself. What to do, what to do????

This thing has been eating at me for a long time -- opt in and get paid for the work they took of mine and put on-line without asking? Opt out because of insultingly small settlement for said work?

And what about the basic ideals behind Creative Commons? Do we not all grow when we share our work? Does not other, better art grow from the art we make and share?

Tough, tough call. I know many writers who have been struggling with it.

In the end, I opted out for the reason above, plus the general queasiness I feel with handing my work over to a giant megacorp to do with what it will. I am not opposed to sharing of work on-line and in new media, but I like to be able to have some say which bits of my stuff I share, when and with whom.

So I opted out with the proviso that they contact me, please, to discuss the works they have already displayed.

We are surfing a new, weird wave in publishing. With so much of our work now readily available on-line, will writers lose their only source of income -- storytelling -- to this brave new world which is demanding all content be available for free? Does sharing of work help spread the word, and make the storytelling stronger (and the author able to earn a living?)

I'd like to believe the latter. But for now, I want to choose what to share, where and with whom.

If you want to learn more on the opt-out, go HERE.

And by the way, the deadline has been extended...[from the Google site]:

Important Update: On September 2, 2009, because of issues with the Court's electronic filing system, the Court extended the deadline to file objections and amicus briefs from September 4, 2009 until 10:00 am Eastern Time on September 8, 2009 (see Court order). The Extended Opt-Out Deadline remains September 4, 2009. The Final Fairness Hearing is scheduled for October 7, 2009.

~kc

Summer Dream 2009

2009-08-22T09:05:00.003-07:00

Off to Pandora's annual Summer Dream Literary Arts Festival at Lumberman's Arch in Stanley Park today. I'll be reading from A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW at 4:30 pm on the children's stage if you plan to stop by.

Three stages full of entertainment, face painting, crafts, info booths -- a great way to find out what's going on in this vibrant arts community.

It's an amazing day of stories and poetry and song -- not to be missed! Find out more HERE.

See you there!

~kc