Canadian Author's Association - West Coast Branch - Jan. 11,2012

Notes from the CAA-West Coast Branch taken with two finger in put into digital note pad then emailed to myself and copy and pasted here:.
Not suddenly, by any means, very laboriously, really!
Jan11 12 CAA
President :Bob Mackay introduced new exec
Past pres - m hume
Margo Bates - v pres
Doris Pamela Grain secretary
Missing person
Ben Nuttall Smith - member at large
West coast author - needs name
Russ Harvey web master
- ---------------editor's note - if you get the spelling of any of these writer's name wrong they will boil you in oil!
Ben announced new book publication - Secrets Kept, Secrets Told.

Bernice  giving workshop 'business of writing'

Reading on north shore
Reading 20th risin cafe
-------------------------------editor's note - you idiot - you are supposed to write down the dates and places where Bernice Lever is reading.

Soldier of Horse listed top 2011 books in January mag
---------------editor's note - you said you asked Bob before the meeting began if the American blockbuster movie now out called War Horse didn't follow the publication of his Canadian masterpiece. Bob, with characteristic Canadian modesty only said, "yes". Why didn't you put that in your notes?

Annita from Ottawa announced that  downtown writers circle Starting jan 26
----------------editor's note - idiot, isn't that the writer's circle you're supposed to be attending?

Student doctor 7th in Irish doctor series already national best seller
--------------editor's note - Isn't this Patrick Taylor's book - you might have thought to mention his name.

8th Open Mike Next meeting
--------------------------------- editor's note - What's this about it being about anything or  Open Love because it's Valentine's Day. What the hell is Open Love?

Editors Assoc presenting

Website attached to CAA $25 a year - Russ would help
-----------------editor's note - I think you were trying to say that writer's could have a website on the CAA site

Dennis E Bolen
BA u vic 72-77
MFA Ubc- Jerry Newman
Taught at ubc and we were colleagues
Brian Wade a tv producer there
Vanc Sun
Judge for National Book Award CAA
Successful writer 30 years
Literary advocacy

"anticipated results'

Reason I like fiction is it is a form I can achieve a truth greater than newspapers and other forms that claim truth

Described growing up on Vancouver Island as an outsider

'I'm always suspicious of people who loved high school'

UVic / studied with Robert Skelton, an English minor poet,
A great teacher and weird looking person - practiced witchcraft

People take too long to start a novel , must rock and roll from the start

Federal parole officer 1978 to 2000

1975 -Published short story in Canadian fiction magazine

1988 wrote novel based on parole service

1992 'stupid crimes' Book
Anvil press - landmark serious west coast publisher
Later put out by Random House
'this genre has yet to find an audience' - Canadian crime - no machine guns or car chases'
---------------------editor's note: You say this is an example of typical Canadian dry wit"

Optioned - by tv and movies - got $5000 a year

Editors choice book by globe and mail

1995 'stand in hell' - about holocaust - Shane commission 1980's -

1997 'krekshuns' - street term for corrections - reviewed by Steven Reid - just released on parole - had just written his own prison book - ran a truck over my book
But got interview on Peter zosky's morning side - great getting a lot of exposure

My sales so bad I was fired by random house. No more limousines waiting at airport

I liken this time to being with the Yankees and being sent back to the juniors

2005 'toy gun' final of the corrections trilogy - very good reviews

2009 kaspoit! - my version of the missing women case

I no longer use he said or she said because if you are writing solid prose it shouldn't be necessary

2011 "Anticipated  Results" my take on my generation  -  50 year old  men who didn't make it
-

taught at langara

I can improve your writing by 30% - don't use

Really very sudden (ly)

Most overused words in English language - only place acceptable is dialogue

There are critics who say if they see suddenly in a book they chuck it

Catch a glance
Cast a glimpse
cliches
Watch out for cliche

Reading from "Anticipated Results" - 'not all of us made it .....
Many of us boomers. ... Looked for love that left like everything else "
Book is about falling asleep in the good times and waking up in the bad times
----------editor's note - this is the book you told me was brilliant - the one you bought after at Chapters ? Why didn't you buy me a copy too?

Sam shepherd said 'only assholes explain'

Discussing reading :  encouraged readers to read not explain and entertain and 'don't drink and read'

Jean Kay said 'we give them 2 minutes and then applaud'


Me and publishing
Wrote book and sent round and no one wanted it then entered play competition and met Brian Kaufman and I gave him my book and some money and started anvil
Sent out and globe and mail review took off, kind of self published.

Find someway to get exposure
Get on mailing list of all the small presses
Go to book launches
In a year you'll be a known person and will know publishing scene

If you are a prose writer study poetry and cross boundaries

BC book publishers association is good

Spend a couple of hour in social media - I cranked out my own trailer for 'anticipated results'

I expose myself a couple of hours a day.
-------------------------------------editor's note "Did he really say that?" Can we quote him?
Best thing I was invited to Vancouver Writers Festival and met acquisitions manager - now I'm working on another book

3 parole books were optioned as a package - for tv series - was author and tech advisor - Global - almost got it
2008 big decline of business hit

----...............Editors note - "I think it's good but we're going to need a couple of car chases and machine guns if we expect to sell it south of the border.



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