.
I have a number of letters to answer -- e-mails from readers. I woke up this morning with my right hand cramped, and so I decided to test out the new dictation program. And it works! I am dictating this post.
There is an interesting difference however. When I am at the keyboard, words come. When I'm dictating, I'm stumped. My initial plan was to use dictation to make it easier to record research notes from books. I begin to see that that's going to work, but it's possible that once I get used to it I'll be able to use it for writing, as well.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Jumping between blogs
. .
Oh, I'm bad. Too many blogs! Readers of this one might be interested in the post from guest blogger Mary Novik over at my 17th century research blog, Baroque Explorations. I have tremendous respect for her work, and her description of the writing process is comforting, because it's so meandering.
Mary mentions the book coming to her in a dream. I've heard this from two other writers of late. Josephine B. came to me in a dream, as well. This is all well and good, but what if no dreams come? What then?
(I did dream of Obama saying he had better get to work, that he had a big job ahead. And he does!)
As for me, I'm packing again — heading south for Mexico ... and for good reason. I've about 100 lbs. of books to pare down. Books and files and more books. It's not easy being a travelling writer of historical fiction.
Oh, I'm bad. Too many blogs! Readers of this one might be interested in the post from guest blogger Mary Novik over at my 17th century research blog, Baroque Explorations. I have tremendous respect for her work, and her description of the writing process is comforting, because it's so meandering.
Mary mentions the book coming to her in a dream. I've heard this from two other writers of late. Josephine B. came to me in a dream, as well. This is all well and good, but what if no dreams come? What then?
(I did dream of Obama saying he had better get to work, that he had a big job ahead. And he does!)
As for me, I'm packing again — heading south for Mexico ... and for good reason. I've about 100 lbs. of books to pare down. Books and files and more books. It's not easy being a travelling writer of historical fiction.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Oh no — not another blog!
.
.
Just what I don't need: another blog! But I'm pleased nonetheless:
Bookmarks: a collection.
It's a beginning.
.
Just what I don't need: another blog! But I'm pleased nonetheless:
Bookmarks: a collection.
It's a beginning.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Festivals and Book Clubs
.
.
I've had a few days doing author-type things. I was in Ottawa at the Ottawa Writers' Festival for a few days, and last night I was at a book club meeting in Combermere. All very enjoyable, seeing old friends, meeting new ones.
A conversation at the book check-out counter at the Festival was delightfully confusing:
SHE: That will be $10.30. Oh! [Seeing my Festival name tag.] You're Sandra Gulland. I've read all your books.
ME, taking the book: Thank you, that's wonderful. [Handing her a $20.] I have 30 [as in cents].
SHE: Oh, I've not read 30.
ME, realizing what she meant, and overwhelmed at the thought of 30 books to my credit: I'll never make it to 30.
SHE, laughing and giving me my change: That what all 24-year-olds say — "I'll never make it to 30."
I take the book — Mortifications; Writers' Stories of their Public Shame, the perfect companion for a writer on tour, BTW — and back away, dazzled by the notion of being a 24-year-old with 30 books to my credit. If only!
.
I've had a few days doing author-type things. I was in Ottawa at the Ottawa Writers' Festival for a few days, and last night I was at a book club meeting in Combermere. All very enjoyable, seeing old friends, meeting new ones.
A conversation at the book check-out counter at the Festival was delightfully confusing:
SHE: That will be $10.30. Oh! [Seeing my Festival name tag.] You're Sandra Gulland. I've read all your books.
ME, taking the book: Thank you, that's wonderful. [Handing her a $20.] I have 30 [as in cents].
SHE: Oh, I've not read 30.
ME, realizing what she meant, and overwhelmed at the thought of 30 books to my credit: I'll never make it to 30.
SHE, laughing and giving me my change: That what all 24-year-olds say — "I'll never make it to 30."
I take the book — Mortifications; Writers' Stories of their Public Shame, the perfect companion for a writer on tour, BTW — and back away, dazzled by the notion of being a 24-year-old with 30 books to my credit. If only!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Unicorns and more
.
.
I recently got a letter from a friend who had just read Mistress of the Sun, which features a white horse which is mythic in spirit, magical — rather in the way of a unicorn. She reminded me of a party I’d gone to over 35 years ago. The theme of the party was to come as your “true essence," and I’d gone as a unicorn.
I have only a vague recollection of this. People ask me, "What is the significance of the horse in the novel?" My answer has been that it’s my main character’s true self, Petite's unbridled essence. And now I begin to see how much this is about me, as well.
In St. Louis, while on tour this last June, I had the pleasure to meet Beckah Voigt, the woman who had danced the part of Josephine in an amazing one-woman production. She understood that I might be too tired to meet — and I was — but mentioned that she did "energy work." I told her I could use "energy work"; I didn't know what it was, but, as the Quakers say, "it spoke to my condition." We made a date: we would meet, and I would rest. (The ultimate in multi-tasking.)
Meeting Beckah was like discovering a sister, and after the "work" — which was meditative in the extreme — she talked of what she had sensed. She didn't know anything about Mistress of the Sun, so I was astonished when she said that she got a very strong impression of a flying white horse.
All this just to say that it seems to me that the process of creation — whether it be a novel, a poem, a painting — has deep roots in an unconscious personal mythology, and that you won't really even know this until long after the work is completed.
.
I recently got a letter from a friend who had just read Mistress of the Sun, which features a white horse which is mythic in spirit, magical — rather in the way of a unicorn. She reminded me of a party I’d gone to over 35 years ago. The theme of the party was to come as your “true essence," and I’d gone as a unicorn.
I have only a vague recollection of this. People ask me, "What is the significance of the horse in the novel?" My answer has been that it’s my main character’s true self, Petite's unbridled essence. And now I begin to see how much this is about me, as well.
In St. Louis, while on tour this last June, I had the pleasure to meet Beckah Voigt, the woman who had danced the part of Josephine in an amazing one-woman production. She understood that I might be too tired to meet — and I was — but mentioned that she did "energy work." I told her I could use "energy work"; I didn't know what it was, but, as the Quakers say, "it spoke to my condition." We made a date: we would meet, and I would rest. (The ultimate in multi-tasking.)
Meeting Beckah was like discovering a sister, and after the "work" — which was meditative in the extreme — she talked of what she had sensed. She didn't know anything about Mistress of the Sun, so I was astonished when she said that she got a very strong impression of a flying white horse.
All this just to say that it seems to me that the process of creation — whether it be a novel, a poem, a painting — has deep roots in an unconscious personal mythology, and that you won't really even know this until long after the work is completed.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Ergonomic issues
.
.
I slept last night with my right wrist bandaged in "pain pads" and a tensor — a reminder of how hard on the body working at a computer can be. When I am in full work mode, I set a timer to ring on the hour: a reminder to get up and go through a series of exercises intended to relieve the neck, back and wrists. But like most good intentions, this doesn't always happen. A friend noted that her son, a musician, had to take courses on ergonomic issues and how to avoid harming himself. Writing courses should do the same.
Accomplished yesterday: ordered a number of books related to my current area of research (17th century theatre); made bookings related to a trip to NY; posted to my research blog (and here); looked over my Sandra Gulland Inc. tax reports; began to organize my To Do lists, which include preparing for a library reading in a few days, a festival interview and CBC recording next week; sent off a photo and release form for an anthology I'm part of; rescheduled writer's group meeting; responded to an email from someone whose grandmother owns a portrait of Louise de la Vallière (subject of my research blog); printed out the manuscript of a novel written by a friend — which I will begin reading today.
You will notice in all this that although everything is writing-related, Not One Thing has to do with actually writing. Today I have over 20 emails from readers that need to be answered (a backlog from being away). Keeping up is hard to do!
.
I slept last night with my right wrist bandaged in "pain pads" and a tensor — a reminder of how hard on the body working at a computer can be. When I am in full work mode, I set a timer to ring on the hour: a reminder to get up and go through a series of exercises intended to relieve the neck, back and wrists. But like most good intentions, this doesn't always happen. A friend noted that her son, a musician, had to take courses on ergonomic issues and how to avoid harming himself. Writing courses should do the same.
Accomplished yesterday: ordered a number of books related to my current area of research (17th century theatre); made bookings related to a trip to NY; posted to my research blog (and here); looked over my Sandra Gulland Inc. tax reports; began to organize my To Do lists, which include preparing for a library reading in a few days, a festival interview and CBC recording next week; sent off a photo and release form for an anthology I'm part of; rescheduled writer's group meeting; responded to an email from someone whose grandmother owns a portrait of Louise de la Vallière (subject of my research blog); printed out the manuscript of a novel written by a friend — which I will begin reading today.
You will notice in all this that although everything is writing-related, Not One Thing has to do with actually writing. Today I have over 20 emails from readers that need to be answered (a backlog from being away). Keeping up is hard to do!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Research!
.
.
I'm in book mode. Winter will soon be upon us, and we plan to leave for sunny Mexico in only a few weeks. What research books will I need to take? I'm still somewhat unsure about the subject of The Next Novel. I have been thinking that it will be about La Grande Mademoiselle, but another possibility pounced upon me a week before we left for Europe and has taken root in my thoughts. It would be told against a background of the theatrical life in the 17th century. There is so much to be learned. On a practical level, I will need information, books — and I don't have very much time to order.
More anon!
(I also just posted to my research blog: Baroque Explorations.)
.
I'm in book mode. Winter will soon be upon us, and we plan to leave for sunny Mexico in only a few weeks. What research books will I need to take? I'm still somewhat unsure about the subject of The Next Novel. I have been thinking that it will be about La Grande Mademoiselle, but another possibility pounced upon me a week before we left for Europe and has taken root in my thoughts. It would be told against a background of the theatrical life in the 17th century. There is so much to be learned. On a practical level, I will need information, books — and I don't have very much time to order.
More anon!
(I also just posted to my research blog: Baroque Explorations.)
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