Published

My article, "Completing Your Educational Journey,"  appears on the Back to College website.

This site provides advice and other resources for adult re-entry students pursuing professional development or advanced degrees.

Read the article.

This Means War

Definitely far-fetched with lots of action, romance and humour, This Means War was a great choice for Family Day.

I enjoyed watching Reese Witherspoon play the part of single product tester Lauren, who is lured into the world of online dating by her best friend, Trish (Chelsea Handler). Chris Pine and Tom Hardy play CIA agents, FDR and Tuck, who have been demoted to desk jobs. FDR and Tuck compete for Lauren's affections.

Chelsea Handler provides most of the laughs with her irreverent comments and advice.

Watch the trailer.

Sundays for Writers

This afternoon, I joined six other members of Guelph Write Now and Guelph Writers Ink at Lucie's Restaurant in south Guelph.

We shared and critiqued the first five pages of our respective manuscripts. I enjoyed reading the different genres, which included literary fiction, science fiction, fantasy, Young Adult, Regency Romance and a cozy.

Great stuff!!

The Art of Storytelling

Last evening, Sya VanGeest from the Guelph Storytellers Guild presented an entertaining workshop at the main branch of the Guelph Public Library.

She displayed her well-honed communication skills as she interspersed her PowerPoint presentation with folk tales. We all participated in one story and she listened as each of us told the stories behind our given names.

A few of her hints...

• Get out of yourself when you tell a story. Realize that you are only the conduit of the story.
• Stories are meant for the ear. Do not memorize the story before telling it.
• You can find your stories in different places. Be alert to what you see, hear and read.
• Throw your voice.
• Practice your story by living and feeling it. Have it in your head and go over it many times...before falling asleep, while doing chores, while driving...
• When telling your story, build on the positive energy of attentive audience members. Ignore the one or two audience members who may be sleeping or not paying attention. 
• Trust your instincts. There is no one way to develop a personal style.
• One of her suggested resources: New Tales for Old by Gail deVos and Anna Altman

Published

My article, "Revisiting Mathematics,"  appears on the Back to College website.

This site provides advice and other resources for adult re-entry students pursuing professional development or advanced degrees.

Read the article.

At the Total Woman Show

Yesterday, I drove out to Kitchener for the Total Woman Show. The show featured more than 150 exhibitors, speakers, workshops and a fashion show showcasing the ten finalists in the Fabulous Women Over 40 Model Search. These extraordinary women have battled cancer, overcome abusive situations and faced other challenges in their lives. While emcee Audrey Wilson stressed that it's not just about looks, all the women looked radiant as they modelled fashions from local retailers.

Later, I  sat in on an interview with local Olympians, Amanda and Cindy Overland, and their father Ernie. What an extraordinary family! The two girls and their brother Kevin are Olympic athletes. Ernie has volunteered at the Cambridge Skating Club and run 16 marathons, five of which were the Boston marathon.

While it was tough and expensive on the single father, he managed to raise three gifted elite athletes. Amanda and Cindy stressed that they didn't make any sacrifices. Instead, they made choices to eat, exercise, rest and manage their stress. And they have faced many challenges. Cindy had mononucleosis, ruptured her appendix and broke her arm in four spots. Kevin was involved in a serious car accident. Amanda has experienced knee, back and groin pain. And Ernie faced a divorce from his wife.

When asked about their role models and mentors, they cited their parents and each other. Cindy included Terry Fox and her coaches, Lisa and Tom.

In their own words...

"There was  some kind of tough inside me and I was able to do it." (Amanda)

"Work hard and leave a mark on your kids." (Ernie)

Editing with Brian Henry

Yesterday, I joined seventeen other writers for an Editing workshop with Brian Henry at a local church here in Guelph. In the past, I have driven to Kitchener, Woodstock, Oakville, Mississauga and Burlington to hear Brian talk about the writing journey. I was thankful that I didn't have to drive too far yesterday.

I am now ready to edit and revise my manuscript and found the workshop extremely helpful.  I was also able to get some one-on-one time with Brian. He gave me some excellent tips on how to improve the first 1000 words--critical words that can make or break a manuscript. I have been told that many agents stop reading after the first page.

Brian has a good sense of humour and I often jot down his quips along with his practical suggestions...

• If you revise the same page too many times,you are probably ignoring a major problem in your book.
• The first step of revision involves adding and expanding, giving the manuscript its fullness and making the voice more distinctive.
• Paring down is the last step.
• We all have a tendency to fall in love with our writing. To make it better we must fall out of love with it.
• When the characters start misbehaving, do not get rid of them. Go with the flow and make the appropriate changes.
• Write with passion, revise at leisure.
• Or...Puke it out, mop it up.
• "Give yourself permission to write a crappy first draft." (Anne Lamont) It is easier to work with a crappy first draft than a blank page.
• If the manuscript doesn't work, put it aside for a year.
• Working with only professional editors is limiting. Find more readers.
• Zen of revising--read like a reader. That is, read like you have never seen it before.
• With a strong voice, you can make almost anything work.