Terry Fallis - Best Laid Plans

I’m really looking forward to speaking at the Waterloo Public Library (McCormick Branch) tonight. The branch’s book club has been reading TBLP. As I’ve noted before on this blog, I’m happy to speak about TBLP pretty well anywhere, and to anyone, but it’s particularly enjoyable to be amidst a group of book lovers who have read the novel. The discussion is usually deeper and more interesting. Plus, I had such a wonderful time in Waterloo last fall when I attended the Words Worth Books book club, that I’m very pleased to be going back this evening. Here’s hoping the snow holds off until I get there!

Later in April, I’ll be heading east to St. John’s to speak to the Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs about social media as part of their annual conference. My talk will likely lean more heavily on my day job in PR but I often use my writing odyssey as a social media case study of sorts, and may, in this instance, too. I’m hoping for beautiful weather.

It’s hard to believe that January is over. Seems like the New Year’s Eve countdown was just a few nights ago. After a quiet January on the talks/readings front, there are two gigs planned in February. (I’d love to see you there if you’re in the neighbourhood.) Then events pick up again in May and June. You can see my schedule, such as it is, on the Appearances page.

In the last couple of years, I’ve really enjoyed the time I’ve spent in Orillia at various Leacock-related events, and getting to know the folks at the Leacock Association who do so much to breathe life into the great Canadian humourist’s legacy. I’ve been to two Leacock luncheons, one Friday night soiree, two Leacock Galas, a couple of great parties, the Leacock Summer Festival, and even a local book club meeting. I’ve also had a piece run in the Orillia Packet & Times. I’ve enjoyed them all. I was already planning to attend this year’s luncheon and gala but it seems I’ll now have some additional responsibilities. I was thrilled some months ago to get a call from outgoing Leacock Association President, Wayne Scott, inviting me to serve as Master of Ceremonies for the 2010 Leacock Gala (!) on June 12th, on the shores of Lake Couchiching. I’m excited and nervous at the same time.

You see, I have big shoes to fill. Last year, the hilarious and talented writer, Drew Hayden Taylor, ran the show.  And the year before that, the amazing satirical songwriter, Nancy White, was in charge. Tough acts to follow, to be sure. I’m honoured to have been asked and have embarked on a rigorous training regimen that includes 30 minutes in front of the bathroom mirror every day speaking into my hairbrush. So far, it’s going well. I hope to be up to the challenge by June.

“Testing, testing one, two, three, testing. Is this thing on?”

Like so many other Canlit lovers, I’m torn up today. There will no new Paul Quarrington novel to anticipate. Not any longer. Every few years there would be another, and we would line up to buy it. Then we would line up to hear him read sections to us (so much better than reading it ourselves). Then we would lament that we’d finished reading it. Then, the interminable wait until his next offering arrived. The Quarrington cycle. I know it well.

Long before I dared dream I might one day be a writer, I became an avid Quarrington fan. King Leary was my introduction. I was hooked. I quickly powered through the Quarrington canon and started collecting first editions (I do this for favourite authors). I loved his humour, melancholy introspection, and note-perfect dialogue. I can’t say I wouldn’t have written The Best Laid Plans without reading Paul Quarrington. But I can say with certainty, that his writing inspired me and taught me that it was possible to write a comic novel with a message and with a heart.

Sharing a car with Paul, and then the stage for a reading in Grimsby last spring, is a highlight in my fledgling writerly life. That, and appearing on the list of Leacock winners with him.

I will miss him. You can bet that I’ll have my nose in a Quarrington novel before the night is out, in tribute.

Here’s what I’ve written in the past about Paul:

• A post about the night I opened for Paul at the Grimsby Author’s Series;

• A post in my Writers I Revere series;

• The post I wrote upon Paul’s diagnosis.

The National Post’s online book site, The Afterword, collected tributes from the Canadian writing community today. Here’s my contribution.

Next month, I’ll be heading down the 401 for an hour to the lovely community of Waterloo, home of the wonderful Words Worth Books, where I spoke last fall. I’ll be speaking and reading at the McCormick Branch Book Club that was kind enough to select TBLP as their pick for February. Should be fun…

I’m looking forward to this event, although it’s not until April. Blue Heron Books, another wonderful independent bookstore, is located in Uxbridge just north east of Toronto. I met Shelley Macbeth, at a reading I did in November. She invited me to participate in Blue Heron’s Books & Brunch spring series along with Marina Nemat, Kim Echlin and Linwood Barclay. Looking forward to it.

It was a shock to learn yesterday that the wonderful McNally Robinson bookstore, open less than a year ago, has closed as part of bankruptcy proceedings. I’ve been to the MR Toronto store many times, most recently a week or so ago for last minute Christmas shopping. It was a beautiful haven for book lovers. They’ve been very good to me, hosting a reading last June. It was a great event and I’m grateful.

Though it’s a long shot, I’m praying someone else steps up, changes the name, and tries to make a go of it. But it’s a tough business in probably the toughest time ever for booksellers. We clearly need to buy more books!

For the last two years, on Christmas Day, I’ve posted about what has happened in my humble life since I signed up with iUniverse on Boxing Day in 2006 to self-publish my first novel. Every year at this time I re-read those two annual posts, One year later… and Two years later…. This year is no different. I just had a walk through those earlier two posts and find myself yet again counting my blessings. In my sideline life as a writer, it would be hard to top 2008. But I’ve had a wonderful time in 2009 and taken a few more strides down the writerly road. TBLP continues to sell well even though it’s been on bookstore shelves since September 2008. I also kept up a steady stream of readings, signings, and talks about the novel and the strange way it came into print. I think I’m up to about 60 book-related gigs since the Leacock Shock, with more being added steadily. Many authors dislike the “book tour” part of promoting their works. I, on the other hand, really enjoy getting out there and meeting those who have read the novel. It helps that most who read TBLP seem to like it, or at least they don’t dislike it enough to say nasty things to the author’s face. I’ve loved doing book clubs and public library readings, and bookstore signings. For me, that’s the fun part.

The big achievement in 2009 was outlining and then writing the sequel to TBLP, called The High Road. It was a great joy to write, and a great relief to finish, the sequel. It took about the same length of time to write as TBLP. What’s more, as 2009 wound down, McClelland & Stewart and my editor Douglas Gibson, agreed to publish The High Road in September 2010. Needless to say, in these uncertain times in the publishing world, I’m thrilled. In 2010, I became more active on Twitter and enjoyed connected with many writers and readers in this way. You can find/follow me on Twitter (@TerryFallis).

So I couldn’t be happier as 2009 draws to a close. My day job at Thornley Fallis has been busy and satisfying, and it’s shaping up to be a very fulfilling year professionally. On the writing front, the final manuscript for The High Road is due at M&S on January 11th so I’m in final tweaking mode. Then the focus moves to cover design and cover copy etc. Finally, I’m about ready to start outlining my third novel, as yet unnamed. It will not be another installment in the lives of Angus McLintock and Daniel Addison (although I expect I’m not through with those two yet). The characters and plot are still steeping in my mind but the general story line is there. It’s not as narrowly focused as my first two and I hope it might appeal to a broader audience. I think I’ll leave it at that for now. But it will be another satire.

All the best in 2010 and thanks for a year of encouragement and kind words from so many!

A week or so ago, I was pleased to participate in a great event at the wonderful Re: Reading bookstore on the Danforth here in Toronto. The reading was organized by a group of students in the PR program at Centennial College and it was in support of Frontier College. Also reading at the authors event was Pasha Malla, who wrote the award-winning short story collection, The Withdrawal Method. I really enjoyed meeting and talking with Pasha. I hope our paths cross again. The event was very well organized and the food was great. Frontier College has been doing extraordinary literacy work in this country for over 100 years. I was honoured to support this important institution.

Alexandra Courneya, a talented photographer, was at the event and took some shots. Be sure to vist her site.