sunny, mild, temps 10
A little cool in the shade...still wearing my all-time favorite coat - a waxed Barbour we bought years ago in London. In fact, the photo to the right - me sitting on the bench at home - in that photo I'm wearing it too. Love it. Because it's waxed I smell more than a little bit like an old tent.
An oddly comforting smell, actually. At least for me - not sure if it's as comforting for my companions.
Like most people, I'm drawn to fragrance. Roses, sandalwood, coffee, bacon, fresh cut grass, peony, lilac, smoke from maple logs in the fireplace - and old tents. I read once that my generation (I'm turning 52) tends to relate to chemical smells - gasoline, Ben Gay, cool aid. Things that are manufactured. The older generation reacts to natural aromas - like grass.
I thought that was interesting - and perhaps even true. I know when I smell Ben Gay I feel comforted. I suspect when my mother smelt it she felt simply stressed. One more sick child.
Had fun yesterday - very hectic day. Supposed to have breakfast with our friend but there was a confusion of dates. Frustrating since we'd have loved to see her, and it pushed our day back by 2 hours. We'd normally be at the restaurant for breakfast by 7:30 - 8am - home by nine and writing...but she wanted to meet at 9am. So lost 2 hours of precious writing time when I'm rushing and working hard to try to finish before we head to Washington next Thursday. Not catastrophic if I don't finish, but having to stop writing for four days in a first draft is never a good thing for me.
But, got home and got 2 hours of writing done anyway, before heading off to our tax accountant. Great news - I'm getting a refund. Not great news - it will be eaten up and then some by Michael's taxes! All those pedicures, I suspect.
Then we hopped it over to the Delta in Montrealfor the Blue Metropolis Literary Festival - met Nancy and pat and Barbara and Anthony for drinks and dinner. I scooted away briefly to meet with Louise loiselle, the president of Flammarion Quebec, my French publisher. She was there with one of her authors, James Frey. Rejoined the others then we headed to the event room.
It's always a little scary, thinking no one will show up - but the place was packed. Barbara Fradkin and Anthony Bidulka were sparkling and fascinating...and then Anthony was nominated for the Arthur Ellis for Best Novel...which was thrilling!
there was a wine and cheese afterward - sponsored by the Crime Writers of Canada. Nancy Grant - the VP of the CWC did the most wonderful thing. She took all our book covers and turned them into wine labels, then stuck them on wine bottles. It was a riot.
Home by shortly after 9pm...pooped.
Hope you had a happy Earth Day. When I think of the changes in our lives - environmentally speaking - since the first Earth Day 40 years ago I shudder. At the waste I'm responsible for...at the fear of what we've collectively done - but also at how easy the changes are to implement. Our garbage is easily a quarter what it once was. We have one car (and a horse). We compost and turn off lights. And still we could do so much more.
I look at old movies - from the 40s or 50s - and want to shout at the screen...don't do it. Don't ruin everything. Don't build big cars and create fast food and strip the rain forests, don't rip of passenger rail routes and don't believe plastic is the future.
But apparently screaming at the TV doesn't work. if it did the montreal Canadiens would be winning their series!
Be well - speak to you tomorrow. Back to work for me.
Showing posts with label Blue Met. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blue Met. Show all posts
Friday, 23 April 2010
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Moving ahead by going back
mainly sunny, warm, lovely day. temps 15
Gorgeous day - Lise, Donna Del and two young men shoveled compost for most of the day - and the garden looks spectacular. There was a bat flying around, though. Freaked poor Donna out. I love bats - but don't really want to get too close. They're just so good for the environment...but they should not be flying around during the day.
not sure what's up with this property...normally noctural creatures are about in broad daylight. The skunk and now the bat.
Our theory is it's the bat that was asleep this winter by the fireplace, that I took out and put in the shed. The gardeners disturbed it today and it left the shed and just zoomed around. I hope so. Like to think the little bat survived.
We dropped by and saw Markus...rolling in the mud. Very happy horse! Also dropped by and saw Gary and Alan at the guest cottage and the new balcony they've built. Fabulous!
Went to breakfast with michael this morning - then drove to Richford, to mail the page proof corrections to NYC - and listen to music and think about the rest of the book. Actually, I just had another structural idea.
Wrote a few thousand words...but now i think I need to go back and re-do it. Oh well.
have been invited to the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, TN - for Oct 8,9th. And the Calgary Literary Festival. Not sure if I can make that one, though I'd LOVE to. My friend Anne Green runs it and it's her last year putting it together, so would love to go to celebrate her. But it's the same weekend as Bouchercon, in San Francisco. the big crime readers and writers convention.
Busy week...will set the alarm and get up early tomorrow to write a couple thousand words before noon - then off to Montreal for Michael's dentist stuff...then Thursday we have breakfast with a friend, and off to Blue Met. The ash cloud had stranded the Crime Writers of Canada organizer of the event in England - so Barbara, Tony and I need to get there early and figure things out. Happily we've all done this many times...but it means doing stuff we wouldn't normally. (do NOT let your imaginations go wild)
Then the event at 6:30 at the delta hotel. Thanks, Marjorie, for the link on the comments page!!!
Will try to blog tomorrow...
Gorgeous day - Lise, Donna Del and two young men shoveled compost for most of the day - and the garden looks spectacular. There was a bat flying around, though. Freaked poor Donna out. I love bats - but don't really want to get too close. They're just so good for the environment...but they should not be flying around during the day.
not sure what's up with this property...normally noctural creatures are about in broad daylight. The skunk and now the bat.
Our theory is it's the bat that was asleep this winter by the fireplace, that I took out and put in the shed. The gardeners disturbed it today and it left the shed and just zoomed around. I hope so. Like to think the little bat survived.
We dropped by and saw Markus...rolling in the mud. Very happy horse! Also dropped by and saw Gary and Alan at the guest cottage and the new balcony they've built. Fabulous!
Went to breakfast with michael this morning - then drove to Richford, to mail the page proof corrections to NYC - and listen to music and think about the rest of the book. Actually, I just had another structural idea.
Wrote a few thousand words...but now i think I need to go back and re-do it. Oh well.
have been invited to the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, TN - for Oct 8,9th. And the Calgary Literary Festival. Not sure if I can make that one, though I'd LOVE to. My friend Anne Green runs it and it's her last year putting it together, so would love to go to celebrate her. But it's the same weekend as Bouchercon, in San Francisco. the big crime readers and writers convention.
Busy week...will set the alarm and get up early tomorrow to write a couple thousand words before noon - then off to Montreal for Michael's dentist stuff...then Thursday we have breakfast with a friend, and off to Blue Met. The ash cloud had stranded the Crime Writers of Canada organizer of the event in England - so Barbara, Tony and I need to get there early and figure things out. Happily we've all done this many times...but it means doing stuff we wouldn't normally. (do NOT let your imaginations go wild)
Then the event at 6:30 at the delta hotel. Thanks, Marjorie, for the link on the comments page!!!
Will try to blog tomorrow...
Monday, 19 April 2010
Barbara Fradkin and Anthony Bidulka
cloudy, showers cool, temps 3
Lise and Donna came to tidy the garden more before Del arrives tomorrow with several strong guys to spread the compost. Always an exciting day. And - you must know - I'm not being facetious. I honestly get excited by compost day. As does Lise. Which makes us such a great team. That and the fact Lise made chocolate covered graham crackers this morning and brought four of them for us!
In fact, My Assistant (and Gardener) Lise is the woman I want to be. Efficient, kind, generous - a really hard worker who never complains (even when we gave her a urinal as a welcome gift...well, it's actually a vase, but it sure looks like a urinal). We pay her in dog biscuits. She does complain a bit about that.
Wrote almost 4,000 words today. Difficult scene, so surprising so many words ended up on the page. But I'm at that stage where I think what I'll do now (often do this at various stages in books) is throw a lot of words onto the page one day and try not to worry what a dog's breakfast it might be, then spend the next day or two editing and shaping. Then do more original writing...and then edit. Kind of move along in stages.
I also realize I can take a lot of words out without losing anything important. Indeed, it picks up the pace...so less is more. In reading over and editing from the day before I see what I often do. I put WAY too many steps in. I'll say something like, "Gamache sat down then looked over at Gabri before picking up his glass and taking a sip of red wine." I actually have not written that sentence in the book...but it would be improved by simply saying, "Gamache sat, and looking over at Gabri he took a sip of red wine.' No need to say he picked up his glass. Like saying someone walked over to the stairs and went up them. Most of the time we can just say he went upstairs. The rest can be taken for granted. Not every step needs to be described. That's your job as the reader. You do at least half the work...you can fill in the blanks. Our job is to lead you there. And not treat you like idiots.
Wanted to mention I'll be moderating a panel discussion this coming Thursday evening at 6:30 - as part of the Montreal literary festival called Blue Metropolis. It's with two fabulous mystery writers - Barbara Fradkin and Anthony Bidulka. both award-winning, bestselling authors. It's at the Delta Hotel in Montreal. Indeed the Blue Met starts Wed. and goes all weekend. But if you like mysteries and live anywhere close to Montreal you might want to come to our event. you have to buy tickets, but I think you can get a ticket just to whatever events you'd like to see.
Hope to see you there!
So, I find, I can often just drop words like 'up', 'down', 'over'. Sometimes I leave them in for cadence or flow
Lise and Donna came to tidy the garden more before Del arrives tomorrow with several strong guys to spread the compost. Always an exciting day. And - you must know - I'm not being facetious. I honestly get excited by compost day. As does Lise. Which makes us such a great team. That and the fact Lise made chocolate covered graham crackers this morning and brought four of them for us!
In fact, My Assistant (and Gardener) Lise is the woman I want to be. Efficient, kind, generous - a really hard worker who never complains (even when we gave her a urinal as a welcome gift...well, it's actually a vase, but it sure looks like a urinal). We pay her in dog biscuits. She does complain a bit about that.
Wrote almost 4,000 words today. Difficult scene, so surprising so many words ended up on the page. But I'm at that stage where I think what I'll do now (often do this at various stages in books) is throw a lot of words onto the page one day and try not to worry what a dog's breakfast it might be, then spend the next day or two editing and shaping. Then do more original writing...and then edit. Kind of move along in stages.
I also realize I can take a lot of words out without losing anything important. Indeed, it picks up the pace...so less is more. In reading over and editing from the day before I see what I often do. I put WAY too many steps in. I'll say something like, "Gamache sat down then looked over at Gabri before picking up his glass and taking a sip of red wine." I actually have not written that sentence in the book...but it would be improved by simply saying, "Gamache sat, and looking over at Gabri he took a sip of red wine.' No need to say he picked up his glass. Like saying someone walked over to the stairs and went up them. Most of the time we can just say he went upstairs. The rest can be taken for granted. Not every step needs to be described. That's your job as the reader. You do at least half the work...you can fill in the blanks. Our job is to lead you there. And not treat you like idiots.
Wanted to mention I'll be moderating a panel discussion this coming Thursday evening at 6:30 - as part of the Montreal literary festival called Blue Metropolis. It's with two fabulous mystery writers - Barbara Fradkin and Anthony Bidulka. both award-winning, bestselling authors. It's at the Delta Hotel in Montreal. Indeed the Blue Met starts Wed. and goes all weekend. But if you like mysteries and live anywhere close to Montreal you might want to come to our event. you have to buy tickets, but I think you can get a ticket just to whatever events you'd like to see.
Hope to see you there!
So, I find, I can often just drop words like 'up', 'down', 'over'. Sometimes I leave them in for cadence or flow
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
Is that a bear dropping?
Sunny, milder, temps 4
Slight chill in the wind but mostly a nice spring day. Crocuses (Croci?) are up. Trudy and I went for a walk through the forest, between the main house and the cottage. Should have worn my Wellies. Up-to-here in mud. As was Trudy. Saw what looked like moost droppings...way to big for deer, but similar. Our neighbours, Guy and Nicole, say there's a huge black bear around but I didn't see any evidence. Though my skills as a tracker aren't all that honed.
Nice day. Breakfast in Cowansville, Lunch with Cheryl and Joan in Sutton (Cheryl's birthday) - then off to Richford Vermont for gas and to mail a few things.
Then home for the Trudy walk and a meeting with Lise, my assistant. She brought turnovers and pumpkin chocolate loaf for Michael's birthday so we put the kettle on, had a tea and fresh baking! Not a bad corporate environment.
Back to book 6 tomorrow...can hardly wait. And Malice Domestic in Washington fast approaching, as are a couple of events next week - a workshop at Bishop's University and signing in their bookstore, then a Blue Metropolis Literary Festival in Montreal...I have an event next Thursday night - April 23rd - with Giles Blunt, a fabulous Canadian mystery writer. Then the shortlist for the Arthur Ellis awards will be announced. They've asked Michael to read out the names of people nominated for the Best Unpublihsed First Novel. So kind of them to do.
Off to feed Trudy. Speak tomorrow.
Slight chill in the wind but mostly a nice spring day. Crocuses (Croci?) are up. Trudy and I went for a walk through the forest, between the main house and the cottage. Should have worn my Wellies. Up-to-here in mud. As was Trudy. Saw what looked like moost droppings...way to big for deer, but similar. Our neighbours, Guy and Nicole, say there's a huge black bear around but I didn't see any evidence. Though my skills as a tracker aren't all that honed.
Nice day. Breakfast in Cowansville, Lunch with Cheryl and Joan in Sutton (Cheryl's birthday) - then off to Richford Vermont for gas and to mail a few things.
Then home for the Trudy walk and a meeting with Lise, my assistant. She brought turnovers and pumpkin chocolate loaf for Michael's birthday so we put the kettle on, had a tea and fresh baking! Not a bad corporate environment.
Back to book 6 tomorrow...can hardly wait. And Malice Domestic in Washington fast approaching, as are a couple of events next week - a workshop at Bishop's University and signing in their bookstore, then a Blue Metropolis Literary Festival in Montreal...I have an event next Thursday night - April 23rd - with Giles Blunt, a fabulous Canadian mystery writer. Then the shortlist for the Arthur Ellis awards will be announced. They've asked Michael to read out the names of people nominated for the Best Unpublihsed First Novel. So kind of them to do.
Off to feed Trudy. Speak tomorrow.
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