My garden

This will be the view I will keep in my mind as the snow begins to pile up over the next few months.

Writing can be a lonely business. By necessity, it's a solitary pursuit. So it's always fun to get out and meet my young readers. I always welcome the opportunity to talk to children in schools and libraries. Here I am at one of my book launches.

Writing Groups

Five and a half years ago I joined a writers' group. I wasn't sure I really wanted to at the time, but I decided to give it a try. Up until that point, I'd never shared my works-in-progress. My adult daughter used to read and give feedback on the "finished" manuscript. But the earliest drafts of my stories are too fragile to survive criticism. I still believe this. I have to turn off my "inner editor" when I'm writing. Because the story is still evolving, too much scrutiny will cause it to shrivel and die. It will be many months before I feel I can share it. And this is where the writers' group comes in.

We meet monthly, except during the summer. We celebrate our successes and commiserate over our rejections. We share any calls for submission we've come across. We also pass around any good books we've read and these too get discussed. Anyone who wants to read from a work-in-progress is welcome to. Usually, at each meeting, one or two of us will. The criticism is always constructive; we're there to encourage each other.

I value the insight I've gained from these other writers and, for the most part, I incorporate the changes they suggest. Their support has become invaluable to me. I've found that sharing the roller coaster ride that is the writing life with a group of likewise-involved people is good for me.

Writing Tags

Trouble at Turtle Narrows went to the printer last week. Just before that happened the publisher asked for my suggestions for the tag--the one or two lines that appear on the back cover, meant to attract a reader's immediate interest.

I thought writing a one-page synopsis was hard. Try capturing the essence of a story in one line! Because I write children's novels the tag had to be catchy enough to grab the attention of a young reader. I came up with: Will Joel save his family's home? Will he prove his father's innocence? Two lines, but only 12 words.

My publisher also asks me to write the cover blurbs for my books. I appreciate that. It gives me, the person closest to the material, the opportunity to sell the story in a few pithy sentences. For Trouble at Turtle Narrows I was asked for a short blurb (about 75 words) and a very short one (35 words). As well as being used on the book's back cover, these could be used in the publisher's catalogue and as part of the pitch for the sales and marketing team. Now I'm working on some more "pithy sentences" to use in a press release.

Write on.
Peggy

Book Covers

Yesterday I received the rough drawing for the cover of my new book, Trouble at Turtle Narrows. The artist's first drawing is something I always look forward to, but with a bit of trepidation.

The covers of my children's novels have always shown the main characters (s) in a brief scene from the story. How can I expect an artist to draw these characters, who until now have existed only in my imagination? That's a lot to ask. I hope my characters will come alive for the child who reads the story. But have I managed to describe them well enough that the artist can see them too?

The cover illustration is the first thing a young reader sees when he picks up the book. He may not even look inside, if he's not attracted by the picture on the front. I've heard writers lament that the artist gave away the ending by choosing to portray a particular scene on the cover. Others have complained that the scene never even happened the way it was shown.

This particular cover has been through three different versions. The artist who was working on the first two rounds left the company (amicably) for a change in career. We were down to the wire; publication dates were looming.

The final artist filled in at the last minute and I think she's done a terrific job. I love her placement of the three characters, approve of their clothing, even their hair. With this drawing she's captured a moment of high anxiety for the kids in the story. This cover is everything I hoped it would be.

Till next time.
Peggy

Applying for Grants

For the past couple of weeks I've been preparing material to submit for a writer's grant. The grant I am applying for is one that will make it possible for me to do intensive research in the archives of an Ontario university. The research should provide a touch of authenticity to a children's novel I hope to write.

The Writers' Union of Canada provides a link on its website to government agencies, both national (Canada Council for the Arts) and regional. Go to www.writersunion.ca and click on "writing & publishing" to bring up a list of grant programmes available across Canada.

It goes without saying that one must read the guidelines for applying for any grant very carefully. I usually make a printed copy so that I can study it more closely. I keep it in a file folder with copies of whatever supporting material is requested. Be sure you are aware of all the deadlines and know how many copies for each part of the grant are required and where to send them.

It took me a while to select the writing sample I would submit with the application. I wanted to send something that I felt was my best work, a piece where the writing seems to sing off the page. In the end, I chose a chapter from near the end of a novel that is yet to be published.

Once I was sure all the forms had been properly signed and dated, I drove over to the copy shop to have all the necessary copies made. Yesterday I addressed envelopes, made sure each application went into the right envelope and headed for the post office.

Now there's nothing to do except forget about it and get myself back to the current writing project.

Till next time.
Peggy

The Name Game

My novels are usually character driven. That's just the way I write. The character is the one who decides where we're going with this creation. This means that the story can't go anywhere until the main character has a name. And not just any name. I have to find the name that suits her perfectly.

If the story is not working, or if I'm having trouble getting started, I sometimes find it's because I've given the character the wrong name. So I try a different one.

In the case of my new story, I thought I wanted to give the girl an elegant name, such as Cordelia or Olivia, and she would be better known by her nickname, Corrie or Liv. But neither worked and the story stalled. So, now I'm playing the name game.

I avoid using the name of anyone I know because I'd be afraid my character would take on the personality of the real-life person whose name I'd borrowed. That could result in a real power struggle.

When writing for children I've found it best not to call your character by a name that could cause gender confusion--unless that is part of your plot.

You'll want to chose a name that is consistent with the time in which your story is set. I've found contemporary teen names in the captions under team photos on the sports page of the local newspaper. And I frequently use the phone book to find family names.

If you want to ensure that the name you're giving your character is appropriate for the year of your story, check out www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames. You can search the site for popular names by year, as far back as 1897.

In my day, popular names for girls were Barbara, Patricia and Carol. Boys were James, Robert and John. Some classic names--Sarah, Emily, William and Robert--never go out of style. Biblical names too--Benjamin, David and Ruth--are ageless. But I'd stay away from Hadadezar.

For the past 10 years the top names have remained Emily, Jacob and Michael. It interests me to see today's parents sometimes giving their babies old-fashioned names like Charles or Amelia or Isabel. I think it shows imagination.

There are plenty of names to chose from. I'll keep trying them out on my protagonist. Today, I'm leaning towards Delia.

Write on.
Peggy