galadrielwatson

January 10, 2015

My Year of Reading Randomly

In 2015, I vow to have no reading resolutions. I will read what moves me, when it moves me, at the speed at which it moves me. I will buy books new. I will rent books from the library. I will pull already-read books off my shelves.

I will not try to read a book a day, or a book a week, or a certain number of books in the year. I’d rather read mindfully. I’d rather do whatever I like.

That being said, I do want to throw in one goal. Before my courses begin for my Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, I’d like to have some idea who I might be learning from. So here are a few of the authors and titles I’ll be keeping in mind (and please forgive me if I’ve missed someone):

Fiction

Annabel Lyon: The Golden Mean
Nancy Lee: The Age
Joseph Boyden: The Orenda
Michael Winter: The Architects Are Here
(teens and children) Maggie deVries: Hunger Journeys, Rabbit Ears

Nonfiction

Charlotte Gill: Eating Dirt
Kevin Chong: Neil Young Nation
Wayne Grady: Bringing Back the Dodo
Deborah Campbell: This Heated Place

Other

(graphic novel) Sarah Leavitt: Tangles
(playwriting) Stephen Hunt: The White Guy
(poetry) Susan Musgrave: Origami Dove

What are your 2015 reading goals?

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About the Author

Posted by Galadriel

Hi, I’m Galadriel: blogger, author, reader and resident of a quaint small town in the breathtaking West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. You can also find me on Twitter and Facebook.

January 7, 2015

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The Girl Who Was Saturday Night (in Similes)

The Girl Who Was Saturday Night by Heather O’Neill is like the box of Christmas chocolates you don’t want but start eating to be polite and then keep shovelling in because you’re hooked even though they are giving you a stomach ache.

The characters are like lumpy, drool-stained pillows you can’t afford to throw out, which you want to whack, whack, whack in the probably vain hope you can fluff them into somewhat-normal shape.

The cat similes are like a houseguest you find intriguing at first, then who wears on your nerves, then who through persistence becomes an expected—even welcomed—part of your everyday landscape.

In short, the novel is like a puke-churning roller-coaster park of a world that makes you whoop and holler—from fun! from nausea!—and you’re so, so relieved to get off and then you remember it fondly and consider doing it again.

Have you read it? What did you think?

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About the Author

Posted by Galadriel

January 3, 2015

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Five Rules of Writing, Times Two

Hannah Kent is an author worth listening to. I read her novel Burial Rites in September 2013, and have been holding it precious within me ever since—plus nursing an intense desire to visit Iceland.

In 2014, Kent outlined her five pieces of writing advice:

Read
Cultivate empathy
Work hard, be disciplined
Expect it to be difficult and don’t expect to be ready
Write from the soul.

I say yes! to all, but would extend #2: cultivate empathy. Whereas I agree that writers need to be able to put themselves in other people’s shoes, in my experience I didn’t 1) cultivate empathy, then 2) write. Rather, I did it the other way around: first I wrote, then I found myself becoming more empathetic. The more I write, the more I find my character-creating skills coming into play in real life. Why did flesh-and-blood so-and-so behave in that way? I now dig in and explore the possible reasons.

Kent’s rules have also spurred me to reflect on my own writing beliefs. Here’s what I’ve come up with:

Get inspired and keep learning: Read as much as you can, in as many genres as you can. Take classes to learn the skills you need or polish the skills you’ve got. But also remember to say your story in the way that moves you. If that requires breaking a “rule,” go ahead and take your chance.
Steal your ideas, or live them: It’s not so bad to be a wallflower: you can observe things the busier folks may not. Or be the adventurer, collecting tales. Or be stuck in routine life; mundane existence is fascinating fodder too.
Let your imagination run wild: Are you a worrier? Do you vividly imagine every horrid outcome? Hurray, go on and imagine the worst—you’ve got the makings of a great storyteller.
Make the time but don’t bemoan if it’s not the time: Set aside regular, solid time to write—but if this isn’t the right time of your life (responsibility-wise, age-wise, inspiration-wise), don’t beat yourself up. When you’re ready, recognize it and move forward.
Draw from your unique experiences: While they may seem everyday and dull to you, to someone else they may be captivating. Welcome people into your world.

What are your writing tips?

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