Writers Who Blog ....and Once

Northern Voice 2008 continues to be an inspiration for me, so tonight, a quick shout out to all the members of CWILL BC -- authors AND illustrators who take the time to reach out through the internet and blog to (and for) their fans. Check out these amazing blogs:

Fiona Bayrock -----------------
http://fbayrock.blogspot.com/

Julie Burtinshaw --------------
http://burtinshaw.wordpress.com/

Diane Haynes ------------------ http://wildliferescueseries.com/

Shelley Hrdlitschka ------------ http://shelleyhrdlitschka.blogspot.com/

Eileen Kernaghan ------------- http://eileen-kernaghan.blogspot.com/

Tanya Kyi ------------------------- http://tanyalloydkyi.blogspot.com/

James McCann ---------------- http://jamesmccannauthor.blogspot.com/

Victoria Miles ------------------- http://www.magnifico-victoria-miles.blogspot.com/

Jacqueline Pearce -------------- http://www.wildink.wordpress.com/

Nikki Tate ------------------------ http://www.nikkitate.blogspot.com/

Meg Tilly --------------------------http://www.officialmegtilly.com/blog/

Kirsti Wakelin has 2 blogs! http://mysecretelephant.com/blog/

and ----------------------------------- http://kirsti.wordpress.com/


***



In other news, the song from ONCE, a tiny Irish movie that was my favourite flick of 2007, just won the Oscar for best song. Now, it was up against a whole load of Disney schlock, but still -- justice was served, and I am celebrating. If you haven't seen the movie yet, I recommend it. A small, gentle film with a beautiful message that isn't preachy, and one of the best endings I have seen to a movie in years. I loved it.

~kc

Sayonara Moose...

The Moose is no longer loose, but penned up inside his computer for another year. Northern Voice 2008 is history, but from all accounts (including my own) it was a marvellous success.

I had a great time on the 'Authors Who Blog' panel today, if only because all the folks who really know what they are doing out there in the ether very politely made room for those of us who have just dipped a toe in the blogging pool. I had a gas chatting with the other panellists, and send a big shout out to Monique Trottier for a job absolutely well done.

This conference served to show me that there is a whole culture out there of which I know only a fraction of a fractile. But it was kinda cool, and I had a lot of fun scraping up whatever orts of knowledge I could comprehend.

As a result I missed Serendipty for another year, though, and it sounds like it was a terrific event. First Nations theme this year, and as the reviews trickle in, it seems like everyone had fun. Big cheers to the Vancouver Children's Roundtable for another successful event.

I have two school events lined up for this week, but will update later...I'm sorely in need of a little recovery time.

~kc

Northern Voice ROCKS!

Spent a couple of hours at the Northern Voice blogging and social networking conference this afternoon. Had a TOTAL blast. Way more things to see and do than I had time to take in. The conference itself was held on that rarest of things -- a sunny day in Terminal City, in the Forestry Services building on campus UBC.

I arrived at lunch time, and inside was a hive of activity. Never have I seen so many MacBooks in one place. This was a collection of geeks, loud and proud, and I felt immediately right at home.

This is a shot of the Bloedel Atrium, a sort of central gathering place where bloggers could do their thing amongst a madding crowd all enjoying the same.

The day was a mixture of planning and spontaneity. Internet Boot Camp was scheduled, with classes such as Blogging 101 and Podcasting 101, but the organizers also chose the brilliant tactic of putting the conference back into the hands of the conference-goers. Near the registration desk, giant sheets were pinned to the wall, which filled with delegate-fuelled events that were added to the mix.

I managed to catch a session on photography, another on increasing blog traffic and search engine optimization and a teeny bit of discussion on Wordpress. (I was very sad to have to leave that session early, as I truly abhor blogging on Wordpress -- our CWILL BC blog is there -- but I know this is because I haven't taken the time to master the basics.

More tomorrow -- I'll be sitting on the 'Authors Who Blog' panel and madly trying to absorb all the knowledge I can from the massive brainpower the conference has magnetically drawn.

~kc

The Fog...

Rolled across the Sound in a most beautiful way today. Luckily we are high enough on the mountain to be above it, to enjoy one last day of sunshine before the rain settles in again.

Last night's event at the VPL was very successful. All the seats were full in the audience -- many folks present to gain a little insight into the publishing process. Members of CWILL BC -- Alison Acheson, Elizabeth Shefrin, David Ward, Diane Haynes, Julie Burtinshaw and myself (ably moderated by Ellen Schwartz) did our level best to answer all questions lobbed in our direction.

That's Elizabeth and Alison, above, collecting their thoughts prior to speaking. And another shot -- not as good -- of the speakers panel just before things got going.

A reminder to anyone in attendance who had a question or two that may have gone unanswered -- feel free to email me at contact@kcdyer.com and I'll do my best to fill in the blanks for you.

And finally, a couple of happy dogs on the beach at Ambleside yesterday...

~kc

Reading Break

..and the sun came out today!

Had a great visit this weekend with James McCann's CWC class. I stepped into his shoes for the afternoon on Saturday, and his students and I had an in-depth look through Ms. Zephyr's Notebook. We debated which character in the story was the most interesting and had an in-book scavenger hunt, among other things. The lesson was a near-disaster when the teacher (moi) got lost, but the class and their parents were wonderful, sympathetic and ready to stay a little later to make up for the tardy tutor.

Thanks to all for the warm welcome!

Tomorrow night at 7 pm brings the 'Getting Published' panel to the Alice McKay room in the downtown branch of the Vancouver Public Library. I'll be there with authors Ellen Schwartz, Alison Acheson, David Ward, Diane Haynes, Julie Burtinshaw and Elizabeth Shefrin. We'll be talking a bit about our own experiences getting published and answering questions from the audience. Co-sponsored by CWILL BC and the Vancouver Public Library. Hope to see you there.

~kc

Snowy Nostalgia

Took this shot last week. The snow is gone now, but I loved the look of it against this old long washed-ashore beach stump. (The tiny lump on the beach in the middle of the shot is a much-hunched and fluffed Blue Heron.)


Many years ago, I sat on this beach, leaned against this enormous driftwood and wrote one of the first scenes for the book that would become SEEDS OF TIME.


This was Delaney's hiding place, his home on the beach, until he took Darrell under his paw and things changed for both of them, forever. When she crawled inside the hollow log and placed her ear against the sea-smoothed surface, the sense of beating drums, smoking fires and salt on her tongue ... all came from this place. I sat with my old Shadow dog on the beach at Ambleside and wrote the scene. Before Seamus and before Silas there was Shady-boy -- the anti-Delaney.

















We all miss him, still.



~kc

(m)Öthêr Tøñgué Press moves forward

Just got a note this morning from Mona Fertig, long time propriator of
(m)Öthêr Tøñgué Press. Seems that the company has decided to move up from its practice of producing finely-wrought chapbooks and into the trade publication scene. They plan to publish two books in 2008, two in 2009 and three in 2010. Subject matter appears to be in the Arts & Literary vein.

All the best to this new BC endeavour!

For more details, check out the website at www.mothertonguepublishing.com


~kc

Local Writers Go International...

My buddies, author (and CWILL BC Prez) James McCann

and author-illustrator Lee Edward Fodi

are off to Korea tomorrow, for a week or so.

They'll be teaching a Creating Writing for Children (CWC) winter camp in Seoul, under the auspices of Joon Park, head of the CWC organization.

I'm hoping they'll blog the trip, so we can keep up with their adventures.

Have a great time, guys!

~kc

Prose Positive

A fabulous new blog from a warm and creative writer, Deb Anderson. She's reviewing books, talking about writing and sharing her wisdom.

A rare find.

Check it out at http://prosepositive.blogspot.com

My software is not cooperating right now, but when I can I'll put up the image of a new banner I'm having made...

More soon when I can get this thing to work.

~kc

Just Heard...

...from Monique Trottier, my link to this year's Northern Voice Conference. Monique will be moderating the panel I'll be on, and she sent me a list of the other Writer/Bloggers with whom I'll be sharing the table. Here's a summary of the bios...


Crawford Kilian: Published author of 20 books and hundreds of articles and columns. His books include novels, textbooks, children's books, regional history and political issues. Crawford's writing appears online in several places.
http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/


Meg Tilly: Author and film actress. Her two adult novels are Singing Songs and Gemma. Her first YA novel, Porcupine, was published by Tundra in September 2007. Some of her better known films include, The Big Chill and Agnes of God, for which she won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar.
http://www.officialmegtilly.com/


Pete McCormack: Writer and director of documentaries, feature films and novels. He wrote and directed the award-winning, Kevin Spacey-narrated Uganda Rising and the Pierce Brosnan-narrated Hope in the Time of AIDS. He's written, directed and produced several feature films, two novels, including the Stephen Leacock-nominated Understanding Ken and Shelby, and he recently recorded his third CD.
http://www.petemccormack.com/blog/



Robert Wiersema: Writer and events coordinator at Bolen Books. He recently published his first novel, Before I Wake, which became a national bestseller and was named a Book of the Year by the Globe and Mail and National Post. His published work includes columns in several Canadian dailies.
http://robertjwiersema.com/blog/

Monique Trottier: Former internet marketing manager of Raincoast Books. I am a web strategist and developer with Boxcar Marketing (formerly named Work Industries). I spearheaded the online marketing of Harry Potter, as well as developed the first Canadian-publisher podcast and blog series. I speak regularly at publishing conferences on online marketing, social networking, and blogging. I'm currently writing two training modules on online marketing for Cultural Human Resources Canada. I keep a regular blog on books, publishing and technology, which I started in April 2005.
http://www.somisguided.com/


An amazing group -- I feel very humbled to be in their company.

The conference itself looks to be marvellous -- check it out at http://www.northernvoice.ca/


***



Speaking of blogs, my friend, writer Amy Dupire Jones has started up her own blog. You can find her at http://amydupire.blogspot.com/


Amy is a hot-topic YA writer, whose never met a controversial story she won't tackle or a chocolate she won't enjoy. And yes, she is just as cute in person as her avatar.


Give her blog a read!

***

And finally -- Seamus is enjoying life as a big brother these days. He's teaching his new sibling everything he knows. Wrestling, playing -- it's enough to wear a dog (or two ) out.






That should be a good thing.

Right?

Right.


Until I remembered that for every cause...










There is usually an effect:



~kc

Interested in Getting Published?

Have I got a panel for you.

On Monday,February 18th, 2008 at 7 pm, the downtown branch of the Vancouver Public Library (co-sponsored by CWILL BC) is hosting a 'Getting Published' panel, loaded with local children's and YA authors. I'll be joining Alison Acheson, Julie Burtinshaw, Diane Haynes, Ellen Schwartz, Elizabeth Shefrin and David Ward and the discussion (and Q&A) will centre on getting books for children and teens published.

Present company excepted, this is a whole lotta brain-power in one room, so if you have questions about writing for kids in Canada, the Alice McKay Room is the place to be on the Monday after Valentine's Day.

If you are interested, you can contact the library at http://www.vpl.ca/ for more details. Hope to see you there!

Dogblog:

In puppy news, Silas is getting under the skin of big brother Seamus. There is some serious discipline being laid down by my previously passive puppy onto the hardly repentant interloper. I've never heard Seamus growl before...

Silas is slowly learning his place at the bottom of the dog ladder, but spends most of his time bounding around, just happy to be alive. Today he chased a ping pong ball around the kitchen for more than an hour. At this moment, he is totally unconscious at my feet -- too tired to even curl up beside his golden idol, Seamus.

Oh, and it's snowing again. I think I've figured it out...in the last storm, the house was picked up and blown 3000 km east, and I actually live in Ontario now.

~kc

Uh-Oh...

Had a momentary lapse in judgement this weekend...

His name is Silas.

He has ears like the Flying Nun.

Fur like a golden retreiver (crimped behind the ears and soft and wavy down the spine).

A freckled front paw.

A white tuft on his tail.

A slightly startled canine brother.

And a pretty cushy new life.

~kc

Celebrate Black History Month in Vancouver!

At the Seasonal Event for the Canadian Authors Association, Vancouver Branch last December, I had the opportunity to sit with a most amazing and engaging woman. Her name is Ugette Ebony Johnson, and she is the brains and the energy behind The Vancouver Pan African Film Festival.

Ugette is a woman with a passion. In 2007, she threw all her resources into creating the remarkable achievement of the first Vancouver Pan African Film Festival. Now she has turned her attention to celebrating Black History Month with a remarkable film and arts festival.

Looking for something EXTREMELY cool to do this weekend?
Check this out:

You are invited!
Travelling Pan African Film & Arts Festival African Heritage/Black History Month 2008, showcasing contemporary issues and expressions of the world's African/"Black" Diaspora for a Canadian audience.

A Canadian Heritage Celebration through Dialogue & Art
Officially proclaimed by the Province of British Columbia as "Black History Month"
VPAFF TPAFF Event Co-presented by Shadbolt Centre for the Arts
6450 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby

(near City Hall see www.vpaff.org for map)

11:00am - 11:00pm

Breath Control: The History of the Human Beat Box (everything you need to know about beat boxing)
When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (Social Justice)
The Origins of AIDS (Social Justice)
Wormhead, Canadian Premiere (Youth & anti-bullying, anti-racism/African Animation)

Afrikan World Civilizations (African Achievements)
Destiny Found: BC's Early Black Settlers, Ralph Taylor
What is Pan Africanism? Albert Smith
Door Prize
Cabaret Pavilion (featuring Vancouver's raw and seasoned talent)
Contact us to find out how to bring TPAFF to your event: info@vpaff.org
See full Program: www.vpaff.org

ABOUT THE VANCOUVER PAN AFRICAN FILM & ARTS FESTIVAL (VPAFF)
The Vancouver Pan African Film & Arts Festival aims to inspire contemplation through its programs. We wish to engage our audience in dialogue - inter-cultural dialogue - towards community solidarity primarily through film and art. Our mandate encompasses the commitment to present films of historical and political intrigue that reflect the moral dilemmas of our times under the segment "Human Rights Conscience." We wish to showcase a broad range of creative artworks by Africans in the global Diaspora, and we invite you to "Cast Yourself!" under the protective shade of the majestic Baobab tree!

CONTACT FESTIVAL PRODUCER:
Executive Director & Producer
Ms. U. E. Johnson

778-887-8438

~kc

A Cold, Cold Night...

...with promise of little better in the morning. My car was an ice cube this morning, and we missed the school bus due to taking so long to get the doors opened and the thing warmed up.

And then I heard on CBC that it was -50 with the windchill in Calgary today...suddenly minus 4 didn't seem so bad, somehow.

(The raspberries are now a lusciously jammed and jarred reminder of last summer...)

Safely tucked inside away from the cold with my still crepuscular computer, I have been busily focused on behind-the-scenes activity for the 2008 version of the Surrey International Writers' Conference. The Board of Directors meets tomorrow for the first time this year, and all kinds of derring-do is to be expected. Invitation acceptances are coming in from all over the globe, and I am almost to the point of sending out a mailing list update. If you want to keep up with the latest, make sure to hie on over to http://www.siwc.ca/ and sign up. (If you hate being on a listserv, then you can read all the latest missives under the News & Notes section.)

I've also been spending a bit of energy communing with DEADLINE, but more on that another time.

And finally, a word on the decrepit piece of furniture pictured. It forms but one part of a master plan to rejuvinate the most well-worn (and heavily used) room in the house. (This is the job that is currently standing between me and my new computer, so it can't be finished soon enough.)

Here's a little game I offer as a respite from a cold, winter day. Delve into the interior of a couch that is about to be hauled off for reupholstering. If the couch is over two decades old, all the more fun. Dig deep into the recesses at the sides, the seams at the back. Forget all the bonus money you'll come up with -- a mere trifle.

No -- I challenge you to count the number of pieces of cutlery you find. See if you can beat my record. One old couch = 9 pieces of cutlery -- 1 knife (butter), 5 forks (one salad, the rest dinner) and 3 spoons (all teaspoons). Also one chopstick, but as I'm pretty sure it was being used as a Harry Potter wand a few years back, it doesn't up the cutlery count.

This disgusting moment brought to you by two proud teenagers, who have spent their lives amassing treasures deep inside the dark reaches of the comfy couch. Now head off and look inside your own...if you dare.

~kc

Cyber-Frustration...

My computer continues to drive me crazy. My wireless only works for the single wired computer in the house, my server is freezing or crashing several times a day, as is my email. All will be well soon enough, but for now the frustration is mounting. That aside, there's lots to report, so on with it.






First, in weather news (for a writing blog, I have a remarkable number of people who tune in just to check out the weather and environmental conditions here on the Wild West Coast...) -- flash snowstorms are ravaging the city and region this weekend. Bizarre pockets of snow all around the Lower Mainland -- a foot in Burnaby, for example, while the sun shone in Howe Sound. A firetruck rolled in Maple Ridge yesterday, according to the CBC website. This struck fear into my heart -- what happened to all the firemen? I didn't hear of any fatalities, but still -- if it's that snowy, stay home if you can. This after a week of sunshine, and the most remarkable full moon that hung in the sky well into the morning for a couple of days. This first picture is a shot of the moon, shining through the trees around 7 am. Not a great shot -- hard to pick up the contrast. But when I mess with the colour saturation a bit -- a better sense of what it looked like emerges.





Okay, so the sky wasn't really that colour, but the moon was truly beautiful, peering through the branches...

Next up, just heard of the advent of a new conference for children's and Y/A writers to be held in Calgary this year.

The Kaleidoscope Conference (http://www.kaleidoscopeconference.ca/index.html ) will be held November 6- 8, 2008.

From the site: "The Kaleidoscope Conference celebrates literature created for children and young adults and the interpretation of this literature through media, performance and illustration. This celebration aims to heighten the awareness and appreciation of the creative processes through interaction with authors, illustrators, publishers, producers and performers. "

Looks kinda cool -- check it out!

And speaking of kinda cool -- this just in over the weekend:

Canadian author (and my buddy) Marsha Skrypuch has just been given notice that she has been awarded the Order of Princess Olha, class III by Victor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine. According to the announcement, the state awards of Ukraine are the highest form of civilian honour of for outstanding achievements in development of economy, science, culture, social sphere, defense of Motherland, protection of man's constitutional rights and freedoms, state building and public activity, for other services before Ukraine.

In further researching this, I was struck by the incredible life of the award's bestower, Viktor Yuschenko. The survivor of a dastardly (and likely politically motivated poisoning) AND being hit by lightning whilst mountain climbing, remains on active duty as the President of the Ukraine.

Marsha's award (pictured above) is specifically to honour women for distinguished services in state, production, public, scientific, educational, cultural, charity and other spheres of public activity.

An incredible honour.

~kc

A Man For All Seasons

Just in from the final preview of this terrific play, put on by Pacific Theatre and Midnight Theatre Collective.

It's a must-see if you are in the Vancouver area during its January 24 - February 23 run.

More details tomorrow -- check out www.pacifictheatre.org

~kc

Bright News for a Sunny Day

The sun is shining today in Vancouver, and that is reason enough for a lift in spirits. Let's ignore the latest stock market news and turn to something interesting, shall we?

Now that the new year is well underway, things are getting rolling for 2008 in the Lower Mainland writing community. A number of upcoming events are out there for the picking -- here's a sampling for you to think about today. Have a look to see which might strike your fancy...

The Vancouver Children's Literary Roundtable has a couple of exciting events coming up:

Authorfest on Wednesday, February 5th, 2008 will be a celebration of local writing talent in the form of four local writers who will discuss their craft.

Also, the Roundtable's annual Serendipity event this year celebrates First Nations writers and artists, and will take place at the First Nations Longhouse on Saturday, February 23.

Find out more information on both by checking out the VCLR's website at:
http://www.library.ubc.ca/edlib/table/events/events.htm




Also on the 22nd and 23rd, Northern Voice will take wing once more -- a very cool blogging and social media event at UBC for the fourth year in a row. It's taking place at UBC in the Forestry Centre. For more details, check out http://2008.northernvoice.ca/

An embarrassment of riches to help pass a dreary February in Vancouver for those who like to read, write AND blog. Take your pick.

In other news, I'd like to send out a big thank you to the Richmond Teacher Librarian Association for hosting writers James McCann, Pam Withers and myself at their meeting this month. It was great to get a chance to talk with this terrific group and spread the word about CWILL as an organization and the writers and illustrators who make their living in this province.

Special congratulations go out to Pam Withers, as her final novel of the 'Take it to the Extreme' series is hot off the press. MOUNTAINBOARD MANIACS is (remarkably!) prolific Pam's 13th novel, and as adrenaline-filled as all the rest. You can find out about all of Pam's books at http://www.takeittotheextreme.com/

Watched STARDUST this weekend with my girl, when she wasn't racking up new swim times at the Hyack Ice Breaker meet. LOVED this movie -- a sweet fairy tale with a stellar cast. It managed to have more than a little originality, and culminated in a happy ending that wasn't cloying. Very true to Neil Gaiman's story (in no small part due, I'm sure, to the fact he was one of the producers. SO satisfying to see a writer able to take on that role when his story moves to the screen...)

Highly recommended.

~kc

Shocking News from Raincoast Books

Just heard that Raincoast Books will be closing down the publishing arm of their business to "focus on the core business of distribution and wholesaling". I can't seem to pull the press release off the website, but the link to the CBC story is here:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/01/08/raincoast-cut-publish.html

This truly does feel like the amputation of an arm -- or many arms, in the form of Canadian writers who have been published by this fine company for many years. I remember when Raincoast picked up the Canadian rights to an obscure little novel from the UK about a boy wizard. I know the success of Harry Potter meant a great deal financially to Raincoast, and from that success (and others) sprang a truly wonderful opportunity for Canadian voices to be heard.

Raincoast is laying the blame at the feet of the strong Canadian dollar and the resulting implications for the publishing industry here. I know many authors and illustrators whose back-lists stand to be lost with this closure. A terrible situation.

~kc

Creative Writing Weekend

As a most excellent way to end last week, I got to spend a couple of days with a bunch of really creative minds -- the kids of CWC -- Creative Writing for Children. This group, run by the esteemed Joon Park, regularly meet to practice their creative writing skills. Twice a year they get together for an intensive camp, with writers and drama teachers to help add a spark to the process. I joined the group last summer in Abbotsford, and last week we met again, this time at Simon Fraser University. My groups spent two days learning how to flesh out a character and how to become 'setting magicians', finding a way to work setting into a story so it advances the plot and enhances the reading experience. I had a wonderful time.

In other news -- I just heard from the inimitable Janet Reid of the FinePrint Agency in New York (one of the pre-eminent agents who attended the Surrey International Writers' Conference this year) that she has signed a new client from among the 2007 SiWC conference attendees. Janet's blog can be found here: http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/ (Always a great read -- Janet is one of the wittiest bloggers I know...)

The writer she signed is Susan Adrian. You can check out HER blog at http://writers-tale.blogspot.com

I'm sending my fond wishes to both for a writer-agent marriage made in heaven!

And speaking of Surrey...

Now that the new year is here, things are stirring on the SiWC front. More on that soon.

~kc

Ringing in the New Year...

...in the dark.

We lost power at about 10 pm, New Year's Eve, with less than a half a scene left to watch in the marvellous Canadian zombie movie FIDO. BC Hydro called it a 'fade-out', but the power clicked off and stayed that way for a little more than two hours.

Enough to enjoy an atmospheric, fireplace and candle-lit entry into 2008.

It was lovely.

Onto things bookish...

Here's a terrific interview posted by Mark Blevis on his 'Just One More Book' site, with BC authors and illustrators Lee Edward Fodi, Kirsti Wakelin and James McCann.



http://www.justonemorebook.com/2007/12/31/dinner-with-james-mccann-kirsti-wakelin-and-lee-edward-fodi/

And finally...

I send out to you my fond hopes for the happiest of upcoming years. May you find the time to read your favourite books, conspire with your dearest compatriots and if you are inclined to put pen to paper, may the words that fall onto the page form themselves, with a touch of magic (and a dash of whimsy) into nothing less than a best-seller of epic proportions.

~kc