The crocuses are open and the daffodil tips are swollen with promise and ready to burst into bloom. The color is a welcome spot of cheer at a time when the world feels grim and fearful. Things are changing at such a rapid pace that whatever I say about today’s news will be out of date tomorrow. But one thing that won’t change is the need for good books, the need to escape. Here’s what I’m reading this week:
Not long
ago, a friend recommended we watch “Somebody Feed Phil.” The Netflix
documentary series follows Phil Rosenthal, the creator of “Everyone Loves
Raymond,” as he travels and eats his way through various countries around the world.
The show is a wholesome, family-friendly version of Anthony Bourdain, only
unlike the sometimes cynical approach Bourdain took, Rosenthal is unabashedly
positive and overwhelmingly enthusiastic. We liked the first episode so much we
quickly watched two more. Now, “Somebody Feed Phil” is a show we turn to when
we’re ready for a TV break.
Around the
same time as we discovered “Somebody Feed Phil,” I was asked to write an
article about a local artist, Sheila Warren (if you haven’t discovered her art,
go here https://www.sheilawarren.com/.)
During our interview, Sheila talked at length about the passion she has
for her art, adding that if she doesn’t have a strong emotional connection to
her subject, it will show in her paintings.
As I watched
Phil eat his way around the world and then later visited Sheila at her gallery,
I realized that their passion was infectious. I felt happy and uplifted after
only a few minutes in their presence. I also realized something else. Passion
is fuel.
It’s hard
work writing and producing a TV series, even though we don’t see the hard work
when we watch a one-hour episode. It’s hard work painting a canvas, though we don’t
think of that when we enjoy the results of that labor hanging on our wall. It’s
hard work writing a book, which I know from personal experience, yet when I’m engrossed
in reading a novel, that thought never occurs to me.
For creators, when passion is our fuel, work becomes like play. Hours are lost to the joy of the moment, to the creative process. Passion and play become intertwined and the process is often magical, transformative. Not only for the artist or the writer or the TV personality, but also for those people who enjoy whatever we produce.
I’ve been reading about Feng Shui again lately. Probably
because we moved last year and I’ve been spending more time thinking about my
surroundings. Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of creating harmony in
living spaces. Its literal translation means wind and water. It’s based on the
principle that, like wind and water, you and your environment are two forces of
nature, constantly interacting and influencing each other. When they’re in balance, chi or positive
energy can flow and that, in turn, affects our health, wealth and happiness.
As simple as it sounds, the art of Feng Shui is
surprisingly complex and doesn’t lend itself to a superficial approach. Feng
Shui masters spend their entire lives studying the principles and helping
others apply them. That said, there are some basic go-to rules we can utilize
to bring harmony to our living spaces, and to our offices as well.
Here are some of the Feng Shui principles I introduced
into my writing space years ago, ones I continue to utilize today.
* Simplify and declutter. Active chaos or temporary
clutter (reference books or the visuals that pile up as we write) is the result
of creativity in motion. But passive
chaos or stagnant clutter – outdated papers or books not being used, old
magazines and journals – needs to be eliminated.
* Your desk should be in your office’s commanding
position. Ideally it should face the room’s entrance, but angled to the left or
the right and not directly in line with the door. If that’s impossible, use a
mirror to reflect the entrance door or, at the very least, hang a bell on your
doorknob so you’ll hear someone approaching.
*Put the materials you use regularly within arm’s
reach of your desk. If that’s impossible, gather whatever you need at the
beginning of your writing session and have everything close.
* Avoid having an abstract painting on the wall in an
area where you want to focus.
* Watch out for doors that stick. Feng Shui believes
they can create sticky situations.
* Make sure your work area engages all five senses.
This is critical for us as writers too.
When you look up from your desk you should see something you love on the
wall. Create a soundtrack for the book
you’re writing. Add a scented oil diffuser to the shelf. Toss a throw rug with a beautiful texture
onto the floor.
* Hang a crystal over your desk to stimulate the
thinking chi and improve your work habits.
* Surround yourself with colors that personally
resonate. The color blue activates the fifth chakra, or throat chakra, and can
inspire creative writing. If that color appeals, put a few blue touches in your
office. I’ve added red in my office to kick start my thinking. In fact, one of
my favorite pictures is a painting from my aunt featuring red poppies against a
deep blue background. I have half a dozen vibrant, creative images in my new
office and they’re all framed in black. Black is grounding and helps with persistence.
* Keep a plant in your office and make sure it’s
healthy.
* And finally, if you want things to change, relocate
(or get rid of) 27 things in your working area. This is a powerful Feng Shui
tool that can be used to sweep out the old and bring in the new.
I’ve often said if I had to be stranded somewhere, I’d
choose a library. They are warm, well-lit, and clean. There’s usually a staff
room with the makings of coffee and tea, and often a fridge filled with snacks.
Best of all, there are books. Stacks and stacks, row upon row, of books.
I love to visit libraries around the world.
Did you know that the Tikkurila Library in Vantaa,
Finland has a karaoke room with thousands of songs that patrons can perform? (Don’t
worry; the room is soundproof.) Or that the New York Public Library loans
accessories like neckties or briefcases for people who need to polish off their
look for a job interview? How about this piece of trivia: the Joanina Library
at the University of Coimbra in Portugal has a number of bats in residence. No
one minds because the bats prey on insects that could damage books. Staff drape
the tables overnight and clean up the guano in the morning. Now that’s
dedication!
And librarians are dedicated. As a kid, it was a
librarian who helped me learn to write so I could get a much-coveted library
card. As an adult, librarians helped me with research for a number of my books.
And now, as a writer, libraries also contribute to my income.
The end of February is when PLR (Public Lending Right)
cheques are issued to authors. This year, more than 17,000 Canadian authors
will receive money as compensation for free public access to our books through
Canada’s public libraries. I’m always grateful to receive that cheque. I’m also
grateful for what it represents – our incredible library system and the acknowledgement
of the role Canadian authors play in contributing to it. Thanks is also due to
the Canada Council for the Arts which spearheads this important program.
And if you’re a reader but you haven’t visited the
library in a while, I hope you check out your local branch soon.
Tomorrow is the inaugural I Read Canadian Day,
an event designed to bring attention to and celebrate Canadian books for young
people. Let’s broaden out and support ALL Canadian books and authors, even those
written for adults.
For information on the I Read Canadian program for children and teens, go here:
https://ireadcanadian.com/day/
If you’re looking for a good read by a Canadian author,
check out this list from Booknet Canada. You’ll find fiction and non-fiction,
and some juvenile titles too.
I’m away
from home dealing with some heavy family business, and I’m staying in a city not
known for being winter-friendly. How can you put friendly in the same sentence
with minus thirty temperatures? On a positive note, however, a good book can
take your mind off the frigid weather outside. Here’s what I’m reading this
month:
The Family
Upstairs by Lisa
Jewell
Lands of
Lost Borders: Out of Bounds on the Silk Road by Kate Harris
I recently came
across a saying attributed to Confucius: ‘The green reed which bends in the
wind is stronger than the mighty oak that breaks in the storm.’
It made me
think of resilience. A few days after I saw the quote, I had a coffee date with
a writer friend. We’ve been friends for decades. We’ve been writing for decades
too, both as traditionally published and self-published authors. As we sipped
our coffee and discussed the current ups and downs of the industry, she
mentioned she was thinking of approaching a small publisher for her next novel.
I’m going with Crwth Press, also a small publisher, for my next YA No Right
Thing which will be out in April.
With the
rules of publishing constantly changing, our ability to adapt and cope is constantly
being tested too. And one of the best ways to survive is to develop resilience.
Resilience
can be hard to put into words. Ask five people what it is and you’ll probably
get five different answers. Even dictionary definitions vary. At its core,
however, resilience is the ability to recover from or adjust easily to change
or misfortune. Coping with stress (be that good or bad stress) in a positive
way is known as resilience. One definition even said that resilience is
developed through discomfort, to being exposed to experiences that push or
challenge us in a variety of ways.
Well,
publishing is made up of experiences that push and challenge us on a regular
basis. With that in mind, here are a few
tips to help develop resilience.
Remember
why you write. Think
less about the outcome and embrace the joy of getting words on paper. If you’ve
lost that joy, how can you get it back? Maybe you need to fill the well by
reading books or stories that spark your creative urge. Focusing on why you
write in the first place can keep you writing when you hit a speed bump.
Have
good boundaries. We
all know the importance of having good boundaries with others, but boundaries
extend to social media too. Many writers rely on social media to promote their
work and to say engaged with others. How does social media make you feel? Is it
helping or hurting you? Do a check in and see if the people/media you interact
with leave you feeling energized or depleted. Set boundaries where you need to.
Consider
possibilities. We
write to get published, at least most of us do. And we have dreams and goals,
or we should. But don’t be afraid to think out of the box or try a route
previously untraveled. Thinking about potentials – playing ‘what if’ with your
writing career – can sometimes lead to surprising opportunities.
Change
the narrative. I don’t
like the ‘put on the rose-colored glasses’ and ‘things happen for a reason’
mentality. As far as I’m concerned, a rejection is a rejection is a rejection.
But sometimes reframing a situation can help. Perhaps the rejections are
helping you develop the toughness and drive you need to survive in this
industry. Perhaps they’re pointing you in a new direction. Accepting and cultivating
a positive approach can help us change the narrative.
Develop
social networks.
Writers work in isolation by necessity. Many of us are introverts by nature.
That’s not a bad thing. We need alone time to incubate our stories and get them
written. But we need people too. Find your peeps. They don’t have to be
writers. They need to be people who get you, who support you, and who encourage
you to be your best self. In an ideal world, they need to be people who also
model resilience. People who know how to bend instead of break . . . and who can
help you learn to do the same thing.
We had a
snow week not long ago. Okay, maybe not an entire snow week but we had three days
of snow, followed by several more days of sleet, making the roads treacherous. Team
Sheltie was limited to one midday walk, and only if temperatures rose enough to
make sure the roads were free of ice. Considering what the rest of Canada goes
through most winters, and especially the blizzard that hit Newfoundland this
year, we are lucky. We get just enough bad winter weather to justify cutting
back on work and curling up by the fire with a book. Here’s what I’m reading
this week.
If you love books – whether as a reader or a writer – and if
you can spare 20 minutes, have a listen to this TED talk by children’s author
Mac Barnett. His premise? A good book is a secret door into another world. Be
prepared to smile . . .
A few days ago, I received the final cover and page proofs for NO RIGHT THING, my first YA novel with Crwth Press. This is such an exciting stage. My story now looks like a real book with a lovely font, justified type and elegant scene breaks. But we’re not quite there yet. Page proofs are just that – pages that need to be proofread. And it’s not a time to rush or get sloppy. Each page has to be read very carefully to catch those tiny mistakes: a forgotten period, text that doesn’t flow, maybe a missed hyphen or italics where they shouldn’t be. I’ve found all of that and more and I’m only a little over half way through the book. I’ll be reading methodically over the next few days to make sure everything is perfect for April’s publication date. Meanwhile, here’s a first peek at the lovely cover.
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