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.



Sent from my iPhone
-

Fusion Lunch with Mark

It was good to see Mark again.  He was young, healthy and handsome as ever.  An entertaining conversationalist, he was a delight to share a meal with and catch up on years gone by.  I'll never forget his help raising money to keep my office open at one time while he also worked tirelessly with charity foundations to rainse money for underpriviledged youth.  He was in town for the Rhinestone Phoenix Charity Foundation fund raiser pageant, the annual crowning of Mr. and Ms. Gay Vancouver.
I was sorry I missed this as it's been an annual occasion for me.  I'd have so enjoyed mingling again with MLA's, the Mayor and all the paparazzi that are drawn to this community dress up event. One west coast wit called it the prime celebrity event for gowns and tails 'with emphasis on tails', he chuckled.
Mark caught me up on the activities of Lighthouse of Hope, now meeting at St. Margarets  as well as having hospital services.  Mark and my friendship began in our church affiliation and love of Christ.  Mark was closely involved with Pastor Dylan's inspirational mission when we met and he came to work with me. Since he returned to Alberta where his family is, he's continued his Christian ministry.  He's also studying for social work and had just had lunch with our mutual phd friend, Barbara, both of us encouraging his natural healing talents.  He's continued connected with the Haven, hoping to complete their counselling training as well.
A talented writer, he was researching male sexual abuse , especially in the church and family, as a book project   I encouraged him to contact Ben Nuttall Smith whose new book "Secrets Kept, Secrets Told"  was about this very issue.  He remembered Ben from scheduling my attendances at  the Canadian Author's Association.
Still single, he said, "I don't have time." Yet, he and friends had made  time to spend half the night of Halloween a couple of years back helping me move my apartment to storage and my expeditionary gear onto the sailboat.  How many times have people told Mark he must make time for himself rather than burning the candle at both ends helping others.
I told him about Ballet BC's bringing the Alberta Ballet here to do Love Lies Bleeding, the extravaganza production based on Elton John's life and music.
Talking with Mark I remembered the CBC interview of Alberta's new premier Alison Redford who had mocked an Ontario newspaper heralding her election as evidence of Alberta finally joining civilization.  Premier Alison Redford went onto say that Ontario had a long way to go to catch up with the Alberta whose citizens had long been at the cutting edge of culture, society and change.  As an Albertan, Mark certainly was his own man.  I couldn't help but think that given his diversity of interest but ever guiding Christian influence he represented the new life that Redford spoke of comparing the vitality of the west with the oftimes stifling stodginess of the east.
Shaking hands we parted, he to a plane flying east, and me back to my eastside Vancouver clinic.