Purchase both titles online at:
CanLit is Sexy, an anonymous blog, has just popped up twisting the titles of selected Canadian novels in rather suggestive ways. Now, the National Post has jumped on board, too. Some of these are hilarious. Have a scroll through and perhaps suggest others. I’m honoured to have been included in this august list. Although, I figure with the word “laid” in the title, it was an easy call… (creepy photo of me too, which seems kind of appropriate under the cirsumstances.)
Time to look back on my writing year, as I’ve done annually since starting this blog back in January, 2007. It was another year of counting my literary blessings. Here are a few highlights that made 2011 such a memorable year for me:
As you can see, it was a very happy fifth year in my life as a writer. I am one, very grateful novelist.
Looking ahead, there’s more excitement coming in 2012. First and foremost, my third novel will hit bookstore shelves in September. Beyond that, who knows?
A few weeks ago at the Writers’ Trust Gala, I chatted for a few minutes with Margaret Atwood. Yes, Margaret Atwood. If you’d told me three years ago that in November of 2011 I’d actually be speaking with Margaret Atwood, I’d have scoffed until I had no scoffs left to offer. I’m still amazed that I managed to construct complete sentences and not fall down throughout the brief but memorable (for me) conversation. Margaret (I dared not use “Peggy,” which I assume is reserved for closer acquaintances) left me flabbergasted when she said that several audience members at a reading she’d given recently in Picton, Ontario had suggested strongly to her that she read both of my novels. She went on to note that they were so eager to ensure her compliance that the titles of my first two novels were dutifully written down on a piece of paper and given to her lest she forget them. As she conveyed this miraculous story, I did my best to plaster a modest smile on my face even as what felt like a hockey game broke out in my stomach and my heart rate soared into the red zone. I thanked her and let her move on to the throng of fans gathering on the periphery of our conversation. I then sat down for a moment to… well, to recover. Eventually I collected my wits that were strewn about me on the floor, stood up, and ventured into the reception. It was a lovely night, but my brief exchange with Margaret Atwood was certainly a highlight.
Our encounter came back to me this morning when I opened Twitter on my iPad to get caught up on all the news. Of course I’m one of Margaret Atwood’s nearly 289,000 followers. I had to sit back down again when this Tweet passed through in my Twitter stream:
I guess she kept that piece of paper from Picton. What a thrilling way to close out a wonderful year in my still fledgling life as a writer. Well, twelve hours later, I’m still sitting down. Tomorrow I may try to stand up, but I don’t want to rush it…
I’m more than halfway through my stint as this year’s Canada Reads resident blogger. Each week I’ve written a post for the Canada Reads site, which partly explains why I seem to be posting on my own blog less frequently lately. I’m enjoying the role after surmounting the weekly moments of anxiety as I try to figure out what to write about that week. Erin Balser at CBC Canada Reads has been very helpful in suggesting ideas for posts and has made my life much easier. In fact, she’s just done it again. Erin has created a page on the Canada Reads site that aggregates all of my posts to date. Thanks, Erin.
Not coincidentally, my final five posts will be about the final five books, tackling each one in turn, starting on January 4th.
I was thrilled to learn recently that The High Road has been chosen as the Woodstock Reads 2012 selection. I’m honoured and will definitely be making the trip down to Woodstock, in southwestern Ontario, whenever the organizers would like me to be there. I have such fond memories of my One Book One Community experience in Kitchener-Waterloo last year when The Best Laid Plans was that region’s selection. I look forward to meeting the readers of Woodstock sometime in the coming months. I’m grateful to the organizers for choosing THR and hope it’s still a popular choice after the community has read it! I’ll keep you all posted.
I’ve been sitting on this news for a few months now, but it’s finally official. The Best Laid Plans is in development as a six-part mini-series to be aired on CBC television. Jian Ghomeshi made the announcement as part of the big reveal this week of the five finalists for this year’s Canada Reads crown. A hugh crowd was gathered in the atrium of the CBC Broadcast Centre. It was a great event, but I confess my heart was pounding as Jian told the assembled throng that The Best Laid Plans was headed for television. What a thrill.
The director/producer of the mini-series, Peter Moss, is a very experienced television and theatre veteran having adapted the works of others writers including Mordecai Richler and Timothy Findley. The writing team is in place and they are true professionals. I’m honoured to have the story in their hands. You’ll hear more about them and the cast when all of the pieces are in place.
Jian Ghomeshi announces the TV mini-series.
This all began back in the summer when Peter approached my agent, Beverley Slopen, and me to secure the film and TV rights to the novel. It’s incredibly exciting to contemplate the story coming to life on the small screen. I’ll get to stay involved in the project throughout as a “story consultant,” not so that I can jealously protect my work, but really just to indulge my curiosity about the whole process of adapting a novel to television. I think it’s going to be a fascinating experience. I couldn’t be happier about how it’s all come together. I”ll keep you posted as we cross certain thresholds in the production. But it’s going to take a while. We’re probably at least 18 months away from seeing Angus on television. Be patient, art takes time! Thanks for all your kind words since the news broke, and stay tuned…
Jian Ghomeshi had me stand up at the Canada Reads launch after announcing the mini-series.
Not every one of my friends and acquaintances knows that I actually have an engineering degree, and at one point in my life, planned to make engineering my career. Much has happened since my university days, but I still wear my iron ring with pride. A month or so ago, I spoke to a group of engineers about how I felt my engineering education prepared me for life as a political advisor, public affairs/public relations professional, and a novelist. Those of you who have read my first two novels will understand that even though I’ve never worked as an engineer, engineering is still a part of me. So when the editor of The Voice, the magazine of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, invited me to write a piece about my engineering education, I was very pleased to accept. You can read the article by clicking here, or on the graphic below, and scrolling down to page 14:
This is going to be fun. In fact, it’s already been fun. Winning Canada Reads last February quite literally changed my life as a writer. I am so grateful for the experience. So I’m thrilled that I get to hang on to Canada Reads a little longer as the resident blogger for the 2012 annual battle of the books. If you’ve noticed that I’ve been posting less and less frequently on my blog of late, part of the reason is that I’m deep into reading the Canada Reads Top 10 that were unveiled on November 1st. As well, I’ve already written my first official Canada Reads blog post and it went live last Wednesday. I’ll be blogging every week throughout Canada Reads 2012. I’ll also be moderating the online chats with each author, attending the offiical launch later in November, and I’m sure happily doing a few other things along the way.
So there may be slim pickings here on my own blog in the coming weeks, but I hope you’ll follow my Canada Reads 2012 posts each week. In the meantime, why don’t you head out to your favourite book store and pick up some of the Canada Reads Top 10 books? It’s non-fiction this year for a change. Trust me. You’ll be amazed and captivated by the storytelling.
Six months ago to the day, I started drafting the manuscript for novel #3 (it’s still untitled). Last night, at close to midnight, I actually wrote the words “The End” to complete the draft. It always feels great to bring the story full circle. It comes with a real sense of accomplishment, even though the journey is far from over. The manuscript is just over 91,000 words, which should make the book about 300 pages, I figure.
So what’s next? Well, now I head back to Chapter 1 and start the editing and polishing process. I also do a ‘humour check.’ This can mean toning down or even cutting out some of the funny stuff that may just be trying too hard. Alternatively, I may pump up the laughs in places where I haven’t fully exploited the comic potential. But I’m learning to let the story carry most of the load. It’s nice to have a laugh or two along the way, but it should only support, not supplant, the story. So I’ll spend the next month of weekends and the odd weeknight massaging, rearranging, cutting, and adding to make sure the last six months of writing hangs together as one continuous, seamless, compelling story. Then on December 1st, I’ll send it off to my editor, Douglas Gibson at McClelland & Stewart, as well as to my literary agent, Beverley Slopen. Doug will carefully read the manuscsript more than once, and then add his distinctive, insightful and almost always sound editorial suggestions in pencil in the margins. He’ll pass the manuscript back to me probably by the Christmas holidays. I’ll then work my way through it, making changes where required. Then I imagine I’ll send it back to Doug sometime in January where the more formal publishing process begins. There’ll be copy-editing and cover design, not to mention the gathering of blurbs from interesting folks. Then, if all goes according to plan, the book will miraculously appear on bookstore shelves and in online catalogues in early September 2012.
But the big news today is that the first major hurdle has been surmounted. The story is fully written for the first time. I’m going to bed…
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