I promised last week to share some favourite research resources for the Victorian era. But first, some news that despite being 6 days old is still enough to make me jump up and down! A Spy in the House is shortlisted for the Ontario Library Association's 2011 Red Maple Award! Yes! Let me throw in a couple of extra exclamation points, like so!! This is a reader's choice award for ages 11-15, … [Read more...]
FAQ: Are your books funny?
Heigh ho! You have 5 days to enter the Tardy Contest to win ARCs of The Body at the Tower. Don't be late! (har har) Also, I'm featured at Books on the House this week. Enter there to win copies of A Spy in the House plus an Agency t-shirt. When Misa Ramirez of Books on the House interviewed me, she asked, "Are your books serious, or does your wit come through?" I'm not really happy with the … [Read more...]
“Where do you work?” & bookplates
I used to be one of those coffee shop people, hunched over a black coffee and rattling away at the keyboard. But no longer! For I now have a study, and it’s a delicious shade of blue (Benjamin Moore’s Yarmouth Blue, if you care), and all I have to do now is try to keep it as zen as it appears here. Hah. In other news, I have BOOKPLATES! These are basically large & fancy stickers with … [Read more...]
“How do you get published?”
This was the #1 question that came tumbling out of the students at my first school visit. At four different sessions, in different-sized groups, students ranging from grades 9 to 12 all wanted to know the secret. And, sadly, there’s no magic for that. I don’t even think the question “how do you get published” is answerable, because routes to publication are so varied; no single path will do. I … [Read more...]
“Where do you get your ideas?”
The short, annoying answer is, “from my head”. While that’s true, I realize it’s neither helpful nor illuminating, so I’ll try to be a bit more specific. If you and I were to go to the same film/lecture/bare-knuckle boxing match, we’d notice different details. Then we’d interpret and prioritize our experiences in different ways. So everything I’ve ever written comes from some experience of mine … [Read more...]
On writer’s block (plus contest winners)
One question I’ve heard a lot recently is, “What do you think about writer’s block?” Oh, writer’s block. It seems to be a bit like Santa Claus, or Love at First Sight, or the Perfectibility of Humankind: either you believe in it, or you don’t. Many writers I admire suffer, on occasion, from writer’s block. One of my favourite living novelists, Beryl Bainbridge, found herself unable to write … [Read more...]