The Word on the Street

by Leanne Dyck

17^th year

Mission:  To promote reading, writing and literacy while showcasing the depth and diversity of Canada’s publishing industry

Who:  Authors, publishers, booksellers, storytellers, performers and thousands of book lovers

Where:  Six Canadian cities, coast to coast—including Vancouver, British Columbia; Lethbridge, Alberta; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Kitchener and Toronto, Ontario; and Halifax, Nova Scotia

When:  Sunday, September 25^th

(Note:  This year Vancouver’s event was expanded to three-days—Friday, September 23^rd to Sunday, September 25^th)

(Information collected from The Word on the Street pamphlet.)

My personal experience…

My involvement with the festival began with an email from Debra Purdy Kong (Crime Writers of Canada British Columbia/Yukon regional vice-president). She wrote to solicit volunteers to represent CWC. Even though I’d never attended The Word on the Street, I seized this opportunity. In further correspondence, Deborah asked me to help work the booth from one to three o’clock.

Travelling from my quiet rural island to a city alive with words was a culture shock. I arrived at the event at 11 AM. Arriving early provided me with an opportunity to explore. The Mainstage already pulsed with music. Smaller tents housed authors reading to attentive audiences.

From these venues, I moved from booth to booth, networking with authors, editors, publishers and other professionals—many of whom I’ve invited to visit my blog (http://sweatercursed.blogspot.com). Watch for these interviews and guest posts to be featured in the coming months.

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At the Crime Writers booth, I distributed bookmarks, promoted books and spoke with readers.

The Word on the Street is a dynamic, activity-packed event and I’m very glad I attended. Next year I plan to listen to some panel discussions as well.

Links: 

The Word on the Street http://www.thewordonthestreet.ca/wots/

Crime Writers of Canada http://www.crimewriterscanada.com/

Happy First Birthday, Decadent!

What a difference a year makes. What a difference Decadent has made for me.

Before submitting to Decadent I was a self-published author.

I want to celebrate my relationship with the house by reviewing the bounty they have brought this emerging author…

1) Validation

Perhaps you can imagine the joy I took in telling people, “Decadent publishing house just accepted my manuscript.”

UNTOUCHED PLACES (erotica) was the first book I released through Decadent.

THE SWEATER CURSE (thriller) was my second.

2) Education

What happens after you receive a contract? How do you work with an editor? What’s it like to see your ebook on Amazon? How do you participate in a blog tour? Thanks to Decadent I can answer all of these questions.

3) Companionship

Decadent has grown in leaps and bounds in a year. Now I have 49 fellow authors to cheer on, seek advise from, and to interview for my blog (http://sweatercursed.blogspot.com)

4) Growth

Ever since I was tiny, spinning tales is what I’ve wanted to do. Before Decadent it was hard to justify this pursuit. I felt like I was just wasting time — only dreaming. Now I know that I’m working to perfect my craft.

Much thanks, Decadent, and here’s to many more years.

Bloody Words...

by Leanne Dyck

British Columbia is the place to be this year first for the Olympics, now for the hockey play-offs and last weekend for Bloody Words.

Bloody Words is the largest gathering of crime writers—and related genres—in Canada.

In one sentence, I loved it.

It was the first time I attended such an event as a published author. I had the opportunity to sit on a panel and meet with a literary agent. Both experiences took me out of my comfort zone, but I’m so glad I made the leap.

I know that many Decadent authors have a literary agent. I’d like to invite them to share something of their journey in the comments section.

Please, join me on mine.

At home, to prepare, I…

-asked more experienced authors for advice.

-used a search engine to research the literary agent I was to meet with.

-visited the Preditors and Editors site. This site lists agents and gives information regarding their legitimacy.

-worked on my presentation. This was the most daunting task. I wanted to represent myself fairly in terms of my past success, my current project and my future goals. I had a presentation time limit of fifteen minutes.

-gave my presentation to my writers’ group. It was forty-five minutes too long so  they suggested I revise it and use cue cards to stay on topic and cover the main points.

-cut fat from my presentation—reducing it to seven minutes.

-did additional research. Fearful that I’d forgotten something, I read writers’ magazines.

-developed questions to ask the literary agent.

On the ferry, sailing from Mayne Island to Vancouver Island, I rehearsed with my travelling companion.

Just before meeting the literary agent, I took ten deep breaths and remembered to smile. Thankfully, the literary agent smiled back.

It was a pleasure meeting with her. However, the meeting didn’t go as I had imagined. For example, she didn’t throw her hands in the air and shout, “Oh, my gosh, I’ve finally found YOU!” For another, she didn’t want to listen to my carefully rehearsed presentation. Instead, she wanted to get to know me. She did say, however, that she was pleased that I was so well prepared. So, I don’t feel that the time I spent preparing was wasted.

I was delightfully surprised at how well I conducted myself—smiling was easy and words flowed. Even without my cue cards, I was able to highlight my past successes, current project and future goals.

At the end of the meeting, she gave me her business card.

I had thought that meeting with a literary agent would be the end of a journey. As it turns out, it’s just the beginning.

Where great ideas come from…

by Leanne Dyck

Someone once said, “If I knew where great ideas come from, I’d go there more often.”

I have yet to solve this mystery. However, I know who is responsible for all of my great ideas—my muse.

My muse is of me, but outside of me. She is my link to the global, eternal wealth of creativity. To nurture her, I must take proper care of me.

Discipline: I must have structure in my life. So, I keep regular business hours and am open to creativity 24/7.

Stimulation:  I fill my life with the work of others—books, art, music. This inclusion allows my muse to dance.

 

Concentration:  I must be able to focus. In order to do this, I need to control stress factors in my environment. So I take care of my health and my relationships.

 

 

Enjoyment: I have learned that my muse works the hardest when I am happy. So, I make room for the positive—through my actions and my thoughts.

Responsive:  I listen closely for my muse’s call. Weather she calls in the morning, noon, or night I’m ready. Pens and paper are always (usually) easily accessible.

How about you? How do you nurture your muse?

The Sweater Curse Playlist

In The Sweater Curse, a chance meeting between lead character Gwen Bjarnson and minor character Pathan weaves their lives together. For reasons beyond Gwen’s understanding, she feels compelled to help Pathan establish her career as a vocalist.

In this quote, Gwen describes Pathan’s first stage performance:

‘It was Friday night, The Starving Artist was packed-typical for open mic night. …

I think I was more nervous than she was. Be good, be good, I silently repeated.

The café was filled with polite applause.

“I’d like to dedicate my first song to my friend, Gwen.” She sang, “Stand By Me”, and you could have heard needles click. Each performer was to do two songs each, but the audience wouldn’t let Pathan leave until she offered them three.”

Stand By Me

            Here Gwen describes Pathan’s singing at a funeral:

            ‘Pathan begins to sing “Into The Mystic”. Tears threaten her voice. … She struggles for control and wins. Her song fills the room, wraps around the mourners, comforting them…

            Pathan…begins to sing “I Will Remember You”. She begins quietly, but with each verse, the volume increases. Other voices marry with hers.’

Into the Mystic

I Will Remember You

Writing songs into my story was fun, and I won’t hesitate to do it again. 

Leanne Dyck

For Better or Worse ~ Decadent Authors in the Spotlight

 



"The tin grin was in. My mom took this picture in 1981 when I was nineteen. I had braces for six years," says Leanne Dyck (author of The Sweater Curse). Leanne offers no explanation for the glasses or the hair, however.





 



 







Rita Hestand - 1960s  "Me, the one is a picture of my hair ratted back in the late 60's, it is sticking out all over, the other is what it looked like when it was combed into a style.  My mother was a hairdresser and took both pics."

Kathleen Gallagher ~ "If I Could Turn Back Time", was released June 1, on my birthday. If Cher could wear the wild hairstyle, so could I. 

 Ann Mayburn ~ late 80's. "Those giant dark glasses, that tough girl glare, I was hell on wheels! Pink and grey 10 speed wheels that is. On a walk...with my grandma and my little brother. Yep...I was a real bad ass."

Valerie Mann ~ 1976, Denver, CO. Dig the groovy beaded headband and sexy hotpants (too bad the picture cut off the view of my legs). My mother made those duds for me - they said "VOTE" all over them. 

My father and I came home and found a wild duck in the yard. Judging from the stranglehold I had on it, it's no wonder it flew away during the night. 

 Clare Dargin - late 90's. That was a meeting for my job a little over ten years ago.  And they were going over from table to table taking pix and I was, oh, I've been here all day... okay... <cheez!> now go away so we can finish and I can go home!!

Maureen O. Betita
~ 1976. "I was 16 and this was my pic from my student body card. Oddly enough, I thought I was fat. Sigh. Man, I loved that shirt! And I often wore it with my light blue bell bottoms, painted with flowers on them... I still own them in my memory box."
















Mahalia Levey ~1993 April just admitted early into the military :)

Sheila Stewart ~ "Do not piss me off!!"

Mari Freeman ~ Mardi Gras Road Trip, New Orleans 1985

Gracen Miller - 1989 ~ Good Lord!!--that hair is atrocious!!!  LOL  And to think I paid for that awful curl job.  *shudders*  Looks more like I stuck my finger in an electric socket.  :-)

  












Jennifer Robins, Age 15
Jennifer always wanted to write even at an early age but couldn't find the needed time until she grew much older. 

 

Deena Remiel ~ A long time ago, in a land far away called Long Island, there lived a girl. There, she shed her sheltered world and came into her own as a college student for four years. This girl was captured in photograph in her second year, 1985. She partied hard, made great friends, and studied well.

                                     

Leanne Dyck local promo!

For more information about The Sweater Curse, click HERE

Are you an artist or an artisan?

How did you answer that question? Artist? Artisan? Both? Neither?

Artisan: I grew up in rural Manitoba. There, crafters surrounded me. In my grandmother’s home, braided rugs lay at the front door and a crocheted afghan covered the sofa. My aunts sewed their children’s clothing. My mom knit mittens, scarves and sweaters. When I was old enough I joined 4-H and was schooled in handicrafts.

Artist: As a child, I never saw adults painting pictures or modeling with clay. These were activities for children in kindergarten.

In 1999 I moved to an island off Canada’s west coast. Here, visual artists, musicians and wordsmiths fill my life. In the beginning I revered them. Now I’m among the artists’ rank. I eat, breathe and write.

Writing The Sweater Curse allowed me to explore my attitudes and believes regarding art and craft. For main character Gwen Bjarnson, crafts, namely knitting, brings her comfort in a tumultuous world.

Yet, her mother tells her, “Crafts are for the common folk. Art is far more worthy of your time and energies.”

What do you think?

In which camp do you belong?

What is society’s attitude toward what you do?

Does the government support you? How? Can it do more? Why?

Does your family/friends support you? How? Can they do more? Why?