One day in Bliss

December 3, 2009 will be marked as a perfect day.

Up at 6 a.m. to make my handsome hubby's lunch and send him off to work smiling. Insert coffee IV, open laptop. Begin writing. Off to a great start, right?

By 1 p.m., I'd knocked off 6,000 words of fresh text. Yep, that's right - patting myself on the back, here.

At 1:30, I cleaned the kitchen, because even though my muse can work from almost anywhere, he really prefers organized chaos -- and I hear Kiefer Sutherland (this week's muse) is kind of anal about that stuff. Are you going to be the one to tick off Jack Bauer?

At 2:00, I hopped in the bath with pages from my friend Rocky's book Catch a Falling Star -- don't run to the bookstore, it's not on the shelves. Yet.

At 2:30 I began writing again. Another 2,000 words before 4:30. (Yep, 8,000 word-day. Suhweet!)

I started making dinner at 4:30. A healthy dinner, even. (I should fess up here, though, that the previous food choices for the day were not healthy - like the giant bowl of buttered popcorn, the Pop Tarts, and the Smores Pie from McDonalds - yes, Karen, JOYGASMIC.)

Having knocked my daily writing goal out of the park, I entered the "after-dinner" portion of my day without guilt. Handsome hubby and I took the dogs for a brisk walk. We watched a bit of T.V. together, then crawled into bed early.

Bliss.

This, my dear readers, is a perfect day in my world.

Hours of writing, reading and spending time with my family, peppered with communication with the friends who make my world go round. Text messages that bring smiles to my face (Sue). Phone calls that remind me of the wonderful people who support and love me (Kyle). A heart-warming message on my cell phone answering service (Karen). New pages from a critique parter (woot!).

Does it get any better than that?

Sigh.

Sadly, it's snowing outside and while I'd love to repeat yesterday, I'm back at the day job today. Don't get me wrong -- I love what I do and believe the goals of the Young Alberta Book Society are both noble and necessary. But after yesterday, today seems a little bit of a let down.

Thank goodness it's Friday and Kyle is on his way here. (And that my other crit partner finally posted a new blog today...)

Holy Smokes - he was right! (Sort of)

My husband and I were watching Angels and Demons the other night when after witnessing black smoke rise from within the chimney of the Vatican, he said, "That must be where the term 'holy smoke' comes from." When a new Pope is elected after the death of the previous one, black smoke indicates a decision has not been made - white, of course, indicating a new Pope has been elected.

My husband isn't the religious sort, and so I chuckled at his definition and quasi-suffered through the rest of the movie. But three days later, 'holy smoke' is still rolling around in my head. So I decided to look it up.

Turns out, my handsome hubby is right. Well, partially.

There appears to be a couple of explanations on how the term came about. The most common is the answer my husband provided. Another explanation dates back to the nineteenth century, when the term was first used by Rudyard Kipling in his book The Naulahka. And there are other references from literature as well - a poem from the 1860s by Jean Ingelow compares holy smoke to love, and in the Bible, the Book of Revelation quotes: And the smoke of incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand."

But perhaps the most likely explanation is that holy smoke - like "holy cow" and "holy mackerel" was invented as a mock-religious exclamation and mild oath. The word 'holy' is often inserted to strengthen an expression - to express strong emotion, such as great surprise or anger.

Interesting.

Is it any wonder I love research? (Just yesterday, I learned all about embalming....)

24-hour a"muse"ment

As a kid I watched MacGyver. Laugh all you want - he was one smart dude. And Richard Dean Anderson was no slouch in the looks department, either. My Dad would tell you my fascination with the show bordered on obsessive, so much so I mourned after the season finale for years.

And then came 24 -- and with it, Jack Bauer. Sigh.

I watched the first season on DVD in one weekend. I admit, parts of the show are unrealistic, and no mortal could be as heroic as Jack. But for me, Kiefer Sutherland plays a convincing (and hot) action hero, and 24 taught me a lot about writing thrillers. It was after watching the first season for the second time that I decided to randomly cut a key character from ABSOLUTION. Joey died that night. She's been killed several times since - I never get the story right on the first draft - but if not for a wild twist in 24, I might never have considered murdering Joey at all.

This week, I'll need to borrow Jack's torture techniques. If that sounds morbid, I guess it kind of is. I'm putting two characters through hell, and the Angel on my shoulder is not impressed. These aren't easy scenes to write for me, but like Jack would argue, this torture is a means to a satisfying - if not thrilling - end.

And of course, Jack is the perfect muse to help me cross the finish line on this project. Paul Walker might be fast, but no one works better under pressure than Jack Bauer -- how else could he accomplish SO MUCH in just 24 hours?

Literally confused

What's the difference between literary and commercial fiction?

Yeah, I know, I'm opening a massive can of worms. But this is the kind of question some writers obsess over, certainly a question I ask - and debate over - at nauseam.

Definitions for both literary and commercial fiction have gone through numerous iterations. According to Wikipedia, the term "literary fiction" came into usage around 1960 to distinguish "serious" fiction from genre or commercial fiction. While a literary novel focusses on style, psychological death and character, the "page turner" pays more attention to narrative and plot.

I'm uncomfortable with that definition.

If you assume that a book about somebody's attempt to solve a mysterious murder isn't literature because it can be classified as a murder mystery or suspense, then how would you label Snow Falling on Cedars? And does Romeo and Juliet not fit within the boundaries of a traditional romance novel?

Some may argue that literary fiction takes more liberty with the language. They point to longer chapters, looser writing, a more poetic voice and the tendency to lean on metaphors. I don't need to look any further than within my own critique group to question that definition. Both of my partners have the skill to weave beautiful metaphors into tight prose - and thus creating a sensory bouquet that allows the reader to live the story vicariously through the character's eyes. I would classify both of their novels as commercial fiction.

Perhaps you subscribe to the theory that commercial writers pay less attention to craft. But the same rules for good writing apply to all fiction. Passive writing, excessive narration, dialogue tags and grammatical errors are all red flags for editors and agents - regardless of literary style. The writer's fundamental objective is to compel the reader to turn the page - the only thing a literary artist should do with language is 'get us to the end.'

Popular fiction is often created to entertain, allowing the reader to escape into another world and explore fantasies and dreams without leaving the confinements of their safe environment. And while literary fiction often challenges societal beliefs and thoughts, I would argue some commercial fiction can cross those same boundaries. The definition should not be based on sales, either. Many literary books - Gargoyle, for instance - enjoy commercial success, just as several novels on the New York Times Bestseller list don't always conform to genre - and yet are clearly not viewed as "literary" fiction.

It seems to me, that the line between what is deemed commercial or literary continues to shift as the industry evolves. What distinguishes them is, perhaps, the experience you expect from reading it. When you buy a commercial book, you expect to be (for example) romanced or terrified - you read to get to that already-anticipated place. But literary fiction is more of an unknown - you are not certain what experience you will have. The writer takes you to unfamiliar territory, the kind of place you feel you can only get to with "this book."

But in either experience, you expect good writing.

The responsibility of the writer - regardless of category - is to provide that.

Writing fast and furious

This week, I need a "fast" muse. The kind of guy who will get my engine running...my, ahem, creative engine running, that is. There's no doubt Paul Walker is up for the task. Did you see him GO in all of the Fast and the Furious movies?

The way he handled those cars? The quick work he made of his relationships (grin). Yep, Vin Diesel may be the franchise's resident tough guy, but Paul - he's fast. And I need fast.

I'm "this" close to knocking off a project that's served as my ball and chain for almost four years. Just a few chapters to write, some edits to incorporate, and a final read through by my IR. But I've only got until December 1 to get it done. Which means the bulk of that work has to be completed - this week.

And as usual, I've got a lot on the go.

But with Paul at my side, I have no doubt the week will just speed along.

I wish I'd written...

Twilight.

Actually, there's a few books I wish I'd written, but for sure, I'd love to have created Bella and Edward. And, apparently, Jacob. I wish I'd woken from a vivid dream about werewolves and vampires and transcribed the details onto the page, thus creating a world loved by millions of people. You suck, Stephanie - but I mean that in the nicest way.

Last week, more than a thousand young fans (and my husband) lined up at West Edmonton Mall to meet three of the stars from New Moon. My stepdaughter was among them - even convinced her father to camp overnight (at the MALL). She came home with a signed poster, a dozen or so pictures, and a gigantic smile.

I wish I'd been the one to put it there.

You can say what you want about Stephanie Meyer's writing - even the heavy weights, like Stephen King, have voiced an opinion - but the bottom line is, she sells books. MILLIONS of books.

I remember when I started reading Twilight. I should admit that it wasn't when the novel first hit the shelves. I'd watched my cousins - especially Kyla - read the series on the dock at our summer cabin in Christina Lake, awestruck by (and envious of) her enthusiasm for each character. And even though my cousins' book choices are often bang on (Amanda and Savannah got me hooked on Leven Thumps and the Land of Foo), I still didn't succumb to Edward's charm. Yet.

Fate intervened two years ago when, about to board the plane for Hawaii, I realized I'd forgotten a book. I read Twilight on my first flight to Vancouver, then bought New Moon and Eclipse in the Vancouver airport - finished them both before landing in Hawaii, and then spent two days on the island looking for Breaking Dawn. I've read them twice since - not as a writer, but as a reader. No easy task for me these days.

One of my critique partners wrote an awesome blog post about how writing - and critiquing - has changed how she reads. I agree with her on almost all fronts.

Except for Twilight.

I'm sure there's a reason I'm so quick to ignore the "craft rules" Stephanie Meyers blatantly breaks in her writing - but that would mean I'd have to stop reading - and falling in love with Edward - to analyze it. Maybe I'll try again after I finish the books for the fourth time.

The power of words

I love this ad from Australian Post. It reminds me of my Nono, who not only used to give the best hugs, but he was the only one in my family who truly understood my "need" to write. Before my Dad bought me a beautiful roll-top oak desk one Christmas (acceptance that despite his pleas I would not change my career choice), my Nono bought me a quill. I used it only to write him letters.

My Nono wrote back in a confusing mix of Italian and English, but I didn't need to understand his language to translate the underlying messages of love and support. Words are pretty powerful.

That's why I don't understand, sometimes, why as a society we choose words designed to hurt. The average human uses around 370 million words throughout their lifetime - and just under half of those are negative. I'm not making this up - that statistic comes straight from the October / November issue of BBC Magazine (another guilty pleasure).

Words have evolved over time, often changing in meaning. In the 13th century, for instance, the word 'gyrle' simply referred to a child, irrespective of their gender. And in the 12th century, 'buxom' meant you were humble and obedient. And how about awful - one of those now negative words? Around 1300 AD, 'awful' related to awe, so something 'awful' commanded respect.

As a writer, I understand the importance of word choice. Each sentence, paragraph, page is crafted (at least hopefully) with utmost respect for strong verbs, powerful adjectives, and appropriate nouns. And as a reader, I am fully aware of how words can be used to convey emotion - pain, sadness, happiness, love. My favourite authors are masters of stringing together words that create magical imagery or inflict utter fear.

There is much truth to the saying: The pen is mightier than the sword.

In today's world of technological advance, it is more imperative than ever that we are all careful in how we wield our weapons of language. While my Nono had to wait several weeks for my letter to reach him, emotion (good and bad) can now be conveyed with a quick click of the send button.