Hi! Well, here it is, Day 5 of 7 of my WorldTeach Twitter Feed Blog. I wanted to start this blog post with a quip. A few years ago I read an excerpt from Poor Man’s Galapagos at a reading series in downtown Toronto. Steven Heighton, a renowned Canadian writer, was there. (I have communicated with him recently and I am sending him a copy of the novel after it is published.) During Steven’s reading the lights went out and people brought candles to the front. Later as he continued, smoke began to rise from the podium. He lifted his poem and a corner had been eaten away by fire. A piece fell onto the stage, still aflame, and he had to stomp it out. He started blowing on the paper in his hand but that only reinvigorated the fire. So he had to dunk the parchment in water. Then he commented that he probably wouldn’t be invited back. The next reader arrived at the front to say that she loved the smell of burning poetry.
In my upcoming novel Poor Man’s Galapagos, the island’s mayor initiates construction of a luxurious hotel on the island, which is designed to attract tourists and infrastructure. The island priest is obsessed with liberation theology, the philosophy that it is against the precepts of religion to focus on spiritual needs while ignoring worldly needs such as adequate food and water. While his church is based on Portoviejo’s, the concept of liberation theology is one that has long been embraced in Latin America. Juan Carlos, Tomas’s friend, is a reporter and formerly a lawyer on the mainland who agrees to help Tomas with his fight for conscientious objection. Tomas’s “Ecuadorian mother” (his step mother who takes care of him) is the feisty Señora of the family. There is another character, a nurse acting as a doctor, who lives in the campo (the countryside) and cannot seem to escape.
Now all of these different characters could have separate, disparate lives. But books such as “Writing the Breakout Novel” by Donald Maas (a literary agent in New York City) emphasize the importance of having complex interweaving between the characters’ lives. Adding as many layers as you can to have intricate connections between them is important, as it enriches the story and brings it to life. I found this while doing rewrites, and that made the editing process both challenging and rewarding.
Another important aspect of the story was bringing someone back to the same place to show a change in character. That is a literary technique, showing how a character thinks of a place in one instance, and then how he or she thinks and reacts to that same location and situation after having experienced an inner change.
A word about readings, writing groups and courses. I have been on the executive of the Canadian Authors Association Toronto Branch since 2010, and I am currently the President. I strongly believe that aspiring writers should read their work in public as much as possible, and engage with other writers, editors, publishers and agents. Groups such as the Canadian Authors Association, which holds talks with writing professionals and member readings, can only enhance a writer’s development. By interfacing with those who have developed their skills as writers, editors, publishers or agents, writers can advance their own skills and become more effective in planning their own individual writing paths.
To be continued...
In my upcoming novel Poor Man’s Galapagos, the island’s mayor initiates construction of a luxurious hotel on the island, which is designed to attract tourists and infrastructure. The island priest is obsessed with liberation theology, the philosophy that it is against the precepts of religion to focus on spiritual needs while ignoring worldly needs such as adequate food and water. While his church is based on Portoviejo’s, the concept of liberation theology is one that has long been embraced in Latin America. Juan Carlos, Tomas’s friend, is a reporter and formerly a lawyer on the mainland who agrees to help Tomas with his fight for conscientious objection. Tomas’s “Ecuadorian mother” (his step mother who takes care of him) is the feisty Señora of the family. There is another character, a nurse acting as a doctor, who lives in the campo (the countryside) and cannot seem to escape.
Now all of these different characters could have separate, disparate lives. But books such as “Writing the Breakout Novel” by Donald Maas (a literary agent in New York City) emphasize the importance of having complex interweaving between the characters’ lives. Adding as many layers as you can to have intricate connections between them is important, as it enriches the story and brings it to life. I found this while doing rewrites, and that made the editing process both challenging and rewarding.
Another important aspect of the story was bringing someone back to the same place to show a change in character. That is a literary technique, showing how a character thinks of a place in one instance, and then how he or she thinks and reacts to that same location and situation after having experienced an inner change.
A word about readings, writing groups and courses. I have been on the executive of the Canadian Authors Association Toronto Branch since 2010, and I am currently the President. I strongly believe that aspiring writers should read their work in public as much as possible, and engage with other writers, editors, publishers and agents. Groups such as the Canadian Authors Association, which holds talks with writing professionals and member readings, can only enhance a writer’s development. By interfacing with those who have developed their skills as writers, editors, publishers or agents, writers can advance their own skills and become more effective in planning their own individual writing paths.
To be continued...
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