Yuck!

snow, strong winds, temps minus 4

Just so you know, the title of this post contains a typo.

Storm blew in about 2 hours ago. Not actually all that much snow, but dastardly strong winds. The mudroom (so appropriately named) door blew open and I didn't discover it until I went to take Trudy for her walk and check the mailbox. sitting in the living room, writing, I could feel a slight chill, and a draft. Little did I know the outside was piling into the house like marauders. And our heat was, understandably, fleeing.

but now we're sealed in tight. Or at least as tight as a united empire loyalist brick home gets.

March is a good month to be away from Quebec. As is, I have to say, April. Indeed, April might be a worse month here than even March. Only because of all the false hope. Each year we think maybe this really is it. Spring is here, for real. And each year our tender hope is crushed under yet another snow storm.

So one in mid-March is not exactly a big surprise.

I hear from some of your comments on yesterday's post that we're far from the only ones getting this storm. C'est la vie, I guess. And if we choose to live here, what can we expect?

The problem really is the transition months. Mid-March to mid-April. Mid-November to mid-December.

I'm thinking next year we might try to get to London for April. We've spent the month of April there in the past, renting a flat. But I found it frustrating to try to write when one of the great cities of the world was calling. Too many distractions. And when I was out enjoying London, I was frustrated because I felt I needed to be writing.

But I think I've matured enough in my writing and my process that fear, while always there, plays less of a role. Spends less time in the drivers seat. Yes - next April in London would be fabulous. And Michael's birthday is in April. It would be a fun way to celebrate.

As you see - I dream ahead.

Writing forging ahead. One foot in front of the other. I think it's going well...but then sometimes I feel as though while the word-count is going up, the story is not actually progressing. But I feel like that with all the books. And I might actually be right....and have to remember that with a first draft it doesn't matter. It will never be right the first time.

Issues like pacing are often, for me, more obvious and solved in later drafts - when I can see the arc. Right now the focus is on characters and plot. Getting those forged.

At almost 25-thousand words now. About a quarter of the way through the first draft. And when I finish the first draft I figure I'm about half way through writing the book. There will be at least four sometimes five, six or seven more drafts. But with each one the changes get smaller and smaller. Until it is just polishing. changing a word here or there. Things no one else might notice, but I do.

And still, without exception, when I read the final draft, after the books is out, I cringe, and wish I had just one more go at it.

Off to Montreal tomorrow...pat and tony and their one remaining dog, Filo, moving in to look after the house and Trudy.

lupins

Mainly sunny, hot, temps 30

Another stunner. Gorgeous. Spent the morning on the screen porch, writing. I wish I could say I was editing, but the truth is, I'm doing mostly original writing...doing new scenes at the beginning of the book.

But I really like what I'm doing, and don't feel at all badly that all the writing I did months ago to start the book will never be read...will in fact disappear. Because I know two things....what I'm doing now is better. And I needed to write what I did before to be able to write this.

It's all a process...building on itself. And the beginning of my books are almost always going to need re-writing because when I start a book the themes and direction are never as clear as when I finish. So the second draft is done from a whole different perspective.

I'm actually very excited about this stage...not at all afraid anymore, even though it looks as though the editing is really more of a second draft than an edit. And will almost certainly take longer than expected. But I'm now hoping to have this draft finished by the beginning of July. We're going to NY for a few days early in the month to celebrate a friend's birthday so I'm aiming to have it done then.

Lovely life. To sit on the porch, looking over the gardens, and writing about Three Pines, about Clara and Ruth and Gamache.

when I'd finished for the day I took Trudy for a walk - and found that the lupins by the pond were out.

Did I mention that a duck is nesting on the island? Trudy and I scared it by mistake a few days ago and it flew away...then I worried it wouldn't come back - but I didn't want to check, and scare it again. But Victor and Michael reported it was back. So we're expecting a brood of ducklings any day now.

My Assistant Lise dropped by with the flats of annuals. She'll put them in tomorrow. And Kirk came by with a suggestion for a wall colour for the Montreal apartment.

Nice, nice day. I feel at peace.

Yaba Daba Doo

Overcast, cool, temps minus 5

It's a kind of damp, cold day. But fun. Had to zip in to the village to get some things for lunch. Michael's former lab technician, Claudine and her 16 year old daughter Katherine were coming for lunch. Driving 2 1/2 hrs from the lower Laurentians.

We decided to do a tortiere with wild rice salad, lentil salad and a green salad, as well as fresh baguette. Picked all that up then dropped into the bistro to say hi to brother Doug and Joan, having coffee together.

Arrived home just in time to greet Nancy, who was there to fix Michael's computer, again. Damn servor keeps messing up. Poor Michael - very frustrating.

And just as I got the groceries in, Claudine and Katherine arrived. Such lovely people. Claudine worked in Michael's lab (working on childhood leukemia) for decades. They adore each other, so it was such fun to see her again and get caught up. And Katherine, who is lovely, wanted to interview me for a school project she's doing. So we sat in front of the fire and while her mother and Michael chatted we yakked as well.

Doug came by just as we were getting up from lunch to take the dogs for a walk. He was just settling in when the phone rang...his son Brian from the ski hill. He and Theo were ready to be picked up.

They're coming over in an hour or so. We'll have a spaghetti dinner. Easy. Everything in this house is easy. Claudine and Katherine brought their HUGE black dog named Ebony and we all agreed when you have dogs in the country you can't be house-proud. Hair everywhere. Toys. Slobber. Bones. Mud from outside (though we try to clean their paws). Honestly, it looks like Fred Flintstone's cave sometimes.

Finished the draft of THE BRUTAL TELLING. Still not sure which version I like best, but we're off to Hovey Manor for a few days next week and I'll take both along and read them there. I know whichever I choose it will still need editing and polishing and tweaking. It's a process that never ends. The Neverending Story!

Oh, more good news. The Murder Stone was chosen the top mystery of the year by Margaret Canon of the Globe and Mail, along with Giles Blunt's No Such Creature. The Murder Stone was also chosen as the top pick by the Hamilton Spectator.

Be well and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

The Year in Writing

Rain and mild, highs 10 degrees

I've had so many wonderufl comments about the blog. A number of people have commented that they hope I'm not neglecting my writing in favour of the 'nicely turned ankle' of the blog. Of course, I know they're kidding, since we all know the books are a priority.

But - I thought I'd just let you know a little about my writing year.

I'm scheming the next book right now. The fourth book is set in a remote former hunting lodge on the shores of a Quebec lake. The lodge has been turned into a luxury Auberge, Manoir Bellechasse, and Gamache and Reine-Marie are there celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary. Until something very bad happens. You might be able to guess what.

This is a direct wink at, and homage to, the hermetic mysteries if the Christie era - ala 'And Then There Were None.' Of course, Gamache et al must visit Three Pines a few times!

I write the first drafts beginning every January - try to write 1,000 words a day. It generally takes me four months to write the first draft. Somehwere in there I take a couple of weeks to do a US tour to promote the last book.

In 2008 I'm going to Ann Arbor, Phoenix, Houston and a couple of other cities in mid-March.

Once back I finish the first draft (sometime in May generally) then set it aside for a couple of weeks (and get caught up on all the stuff that I've ignored for four months!) Then, over the course of the spring/early summer, I edit and do three or four new drafts, each more finely tuned.

By the beginning of the summer it's ready to be read. By Michael, and my brother Doug and a good friend, Susan.

Then it's off to the redoubtable Teresa Chris, my agent in London. At about this time a kind of reverse miracle occurs and I become convinced the book is crap.

I try to take the summers off to re-coup my senses.

From September to December I tour Canada, the US, the Commonwealth, etc with the books. I love that. Such incredible fun meeting people who've read the books. Or want to.

I try to take December off - then we're at it again.

Must fly. Am speaking to the Canadian Club in Sherbrooke tomorrow, so Michael and I have decided to take a few days at our favorite Inn - Manoir Hovey (upon which Manoir Bellechasse is loosely based).

Take care and speak tomorrow -