International Women's Day

International Women’s Day is recognized annually on March 8 and I am supporting the One Girl Can Society fundraising effort. This organization works towards breaking the cycle of poverty and achieving gender equality through education and mentorship for girls in Africa.

For the month of March my publisher, Now or Never, will be donating 15% of profits from books written by its female authors. If you want to help support this effort go to the link below and scroll down to Now or Never to purchase your book.

https://onegirlcan.com/now-or-never-publishing-female-author-titles/

New Year's Resolutions

If you’ve resolved to tackle a writing project this year, here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way:

1. Choose a topic that you are passionate about – something that will hold your interest for a long time to come.

2. Expect that it will be a long process. There will be false starts and missteps and rewrites. That’s all part of it.

3. Work away at it steadily and regularly.

4. Most of all….enjoy the journey. Your creativity is a beautiful thing, not a race.

The Reviews are Coming in.....

Sometimes you pick up a book and you can't look away. Time stands still as the pages fly by. Such is the transformative power of Penny Chamberlain's "Songs from a Small (in a Minor Key). Highly recommended.

Amazon review

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I love how this book is written. It is a collection of 12 short stories looking at an event from multiple perspectives. Characters intersect through the stories in peripheral ways that drive continuity and change the readers perceptions as more information emerges about the people in this small town. Highly recommend!

Amazon review

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I loved how she twined the stories together to reveal one vision of a place and people. I loved the hope at the end. This is a must read book, I highly recommend it.

Goodreads review

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Life in this town is far from idyllic, and Chamberlain reminds the reader of this through setting descriptions that are all the more lively when placed in contrast to the drab places they detail. Similarly, she describes the feelings of townspeople during the deterioration of the quaint small town illusion. Though the town may appear to be based on multi-generational connections and close family ties, the panic of this uncertain disease shows how a desire for self-preservation quickly pulls the town apart. The community swiftly becomes a place of sidelong glances, For Sale signs, and whispers in the street: “They aren’t contagious, are they?”

The Ormsby Review

Scenes from my Book Launch at Hermann’s Jazz Club, Oct 18th 2020.

It was a great afternoon with a short talk and reading, followed by an afternoon of fine jazz with the Ashley Wey Trio!

Songs From a Small Town (In a Minor Key): Book Launch

Mark Your Calendars!

Songs from a Small Town (in a Minor Key) Book Launch

Sunday October 18th

1:30-3:00 (Doors open 12:30)

Hermann’s Jazz Club

753 View St, Victoria BC

Tickets will only be available through the Herman’s website. I’ll let you know when they go on sale! A ticket will get you a copy of the book and a pleasant afternoon listening to jazz with the Ashley Way Trio. Covid-19 safety measures will be in place. (The event will also be live-streamed.)

If you can’t make the launch and want a copy of the book you can pre-order it anytime now through your favourite bookstore or online:

• Amazon

• Chapters/Indigo

• Bolen Books

• Munro’s Books

The Back Cover

Here’s the back cover my book with a brief description of the plot and two very lovely endorsements.  (For release Oct 15, 2020).

Excerpt from: Songs from a Small Town (in a Minor Key)

To be published: October 15, 2020

Inez was at an outdoor church service by the river. She could hear the girls behind her whispering.

“Oh, my God! There’s Sophie Ackerman. Over there on the grass. Did you hear about her?”

“What?”

“She has some kind of weird disease-y thing where her arms keep moving around. Watch her.”

Inez didn’t want to turn and stare like she imagined the other girls were doing, but she allowed herself a sideways glance through the tent towards the grassy slope at the back where Sophie was sitting alone. Inez recognized her from school. Although they didn’t run in the same circles, they had once said “Hi” in the hallway. Inez knew Sophie was on the honour roll and that she was a ballerina. A quiet, serious girl, always a little standoffish. Just as Inez was sneaking a peak in her direction one of Sophie’s arms jumped up off her lap. It twisted behind her head and then shot into the air like it was pointing to the sun. And then, as it settled back down again, the other arm began to shake. That arm snaked behind her back so far that the shoulder looked as if it was going to pop out of its joint. It was so unexpected, such an unnatural movement, that Inez could not help but feel horrified and repulsed and sorry for the girl all at the same time.

As Inez watched, an unexpected stray breeze stirred the treetops, set the tent flaps swaying, and ran over her body, bold and sly in its touch. Her sweat turned cold. She shivered. Then, a few seconds later, the wind was gone, vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Once again the midday heat pressed in, heavy and close.

And all the while, the girls sitting behind Inez continued talking.

“Ew! What the hell? It’s like she’s some kind of freak or something. It’s really creeping me out.”

“I know!”

“If I was her I’d never go out in public. Ew! Look at her!”

“Oh, my God! It’s completely disgusting!”

“What did you say was wrong with her?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think anyone knows. She just woke up one day and she started doing it. That’s what I heard.” A pause. “She’s probably just wants attention. Either that, or it’s all in her head.”

“Maybe it’s some kind of Tourette’s thing. You know, where you swear all the time and bark like a dog.”

“I think it’s just the arms. That’s what I heard.”

“Maybe she’s possessed.”

“Yeah. By the devil.”

“Or maybe it’s that thing like where people go to church and they start talking in tongues and dancing down the aisles, and falling down. Like they’re overcome by the Holy Spirit.”

“You know her dad was the minister in that old white church that washed away in the flood, right? The one who drowned? She’s probably all screwed up in her head with religious stuff and shit. I mean, how could you not be?”

“And did you hear that she was going out with Stuart Harris, but they broke up?”

“I know! Who’d want to go out with that?”

Inez snuck another peak at Sophie, and wondered how much misery could be contained in that one small body.

Naming My Characters

I’ve spent hours and sometimes days picking a name for a character in a story. Sometimes I’ve written a whole book, still haven’t been satisfied a name, and changed it again.

It’s hard to find something that’s just right. Hitting on the right name is key. It has to be convincing. It has to have the right “feel” and sound, and associations. It has to be historically and culturally authentic. It can’t be too much like other character names in the story: same initial or same ending. It can’t be too long because I don’t want to be typing it out over and over again. There are so many things to consider.

I always thought it was just me: wasting time, lacking inspiration, and being indecisive. But then I googled “character names” and was surprised to see how many websites were devoted to this very topic. It turns out that this is a common problem amongst writers.

You start out thinking it should be easy. But it’s not. It’s almost as hard as naming a child.

The Book Cover!

Here’s the book cover for my new book (Oct 15th, 2020 release date), designed by Now or Never Publishing.

That Old Book on your Shelf

This is a time when we’d all like to forget the Covid-19 pandemic and escape to an entirely different world. For readers it’d frustrating that libraries and bookstore are closed. But before you go on-line and order a book through Amazon, take a moment to consider something different. If you’re like me there’s at least one old book that’s been overlooked for years. It’s been sitting there on your shelf, gathering dust. You may have had good intentions of reading it at one time, but in all the pre-pandemic busyness of normal everyday life it’s been forgotten.

I’ve just read Emma by Jane Austin – turns out I had two copies of it, but never read it before. Other delightful finds on my shelf are: The Call of the Wild, A Tale of Two Cities, and Silas Marner.

Go to your own bookshelf and see what’s there. Maybe it’s a classic. Maybe it’s a genre you don’t ordinarily read. But give it a try. You might just be surprised how much you like it.

Mark Your Calendars!

On Oct 15, 2020 my first adult fiction book will be released! (Book launch details to follow.)

Songs from a Small Town (in a Minor Key) is about a bizarre case of mass hysteria in a small faming town. A mysterious condition begins to strike teenage girls in the town. One by one, the girls fall ill. Their arms twitch and jump. They can’t control the movements and no one knows what’s causing it.

This is a novel in stories, with each story told from a different point of view. As the stories progress various facets of this strange phenomenon are explored, dark secrets come to light, and the hysteria grows.

My Favourite Books about Writing

There are a lot of excellent books about writing. Here are my top three. Each one is inspiring, informative and very readable. I’d recommend them to any writers.

“the making of a story’ A Norton Guide to Creative, Alice LaPlante. This is a comprehensive book that covers: getting started, point of view, dialogue, and everything in between. Each section ends with writing exercises, and examples of great literary fiction.

On Writing, A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King. This book consists partly of his experiences as a writer, and partly his writing advice. (His personal story is amazing!)

Startle and Illuminate: Carol Shields on Writing, by Anne Giardini and Nicholas Giardini. (Carol Shield’s daughter and grandson) This is a posthumous collection of essays, speeches and correspondence on writing. It includes her advice to her creative writing students.

Pop Quiz

Select the correct answer:

1. For Sale signs sprang up on the lawns.

2. “For Sale” signs sprang up on the lawns.

3. For Sale signs sprang up on the lawns.

For the last 6 weeks I’ve been proofreading my book. It’s all typeset and should be ready to go. You’d think I would have caught every single thing now, after 5 years of working it. But, no! There are so many things that I start to wonder about. Punctuation: Does the comma go inside or outside the parenthesis? Grammar: Is it, “The pair of shoes she already had was perfectly fine.” --- or, “The pair of shoes she already had were perfectly fine.” Sometimes I’ll Google these questions and find the rules are different for Britain and the States. But what about Canada? It’s been an education, but I don’t think I’ll ever completely figure out the comma!

If you picked the first answer above, you’re right.

Why does it take so long for a book to come out?

You might think that once a publisher accepts a manuscript all they have to do is print it off and send it to the stores. But publishing is a process just like writing is a process.

It often takes a year or longer. There are many steps. Sometimes there is a substantive editing needed and the time to do revisions. (Once I had to trim a manuscript by 1/3). There is copyediting and proofreading. It needs to be checked over meticulously and revised again. Then comes the typesetting, when the interior of the book is laid out like an actual book. That’s where I am currently with my latest book and it’s exciting to see it get to this stage. Still to come, will be the cover design (!!!) After all that, it will finally go to the printers.

And while these things are happening there is also the planning and logistics around the publication season, the marketing and the distribution.

Coming: the fall of 2020….. Songs From a Small Town (in a Minor Key)

Patience

We live in a world where speed is seen as a virtue, where faster equals better. We are conditioned to expect instant gratification. Tasks must be done with maximum efficiently so we can quickly move on to the next task on our list. This culture of speed breeds increasing impatience. We become annoyed if we have to wait in traffic or if we have a slow internet connection.

But writing well is not about speed. It’s a different world, a different mind set, measured not by the clock or the calendar, but by the quality of the product. It is a world based on infinite patience, where, as the saying goes, “Good things take time.” That’s the way it should be. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves of that. It’s a valuable lesson, not only in writing but in most other things in life. It doesn’t matter how long it takes to create something of worth. Even if it takes a lifetime.

Everyone Has a Story to Tell

Sometimes I hear people say, “What can I write about that hasn’t already been done? I don’t have anything new or important to say.”

The thing is we all have something to say. We all have a story to tell--more than one! If you dig deep enough you will find something that happened in your life, something you experienced, observed, or learned, that was significant to you. It doesn’t have to be earth-shattering or of great importance. It can be as simple as an unusual interaction with a stranger that left you feeling shaken and you’re not sure why. If it resonates with you it will probably resonate with others. That’s because the human condition, in all its various facets, is endlessly fascinating. Have you ever watched a stand up comic and wondered how even one small detail from his life, even something mundane, can be fodder for such great storytelling? The audience hangs on every word because they identify with the situation. They connect with the story.

It’s true that you’d be hard pressed to find a topic that hasn’t already been written about in some form or other. But that doesn’t matter. It’s your take on the story, your style, your insights, that will make it unique.

The Blank Screen

When it comes time to start a new book the blank screen can seem intimidating. Some writers feel they have to rush to write something. But for me I have to have an idea that is so great that I'm prepared to invest a huge amount of time on it over several years (at least). The idea has to be refined so that it is sharply focused. I have to know what I want to say. I need to come up with an outline - not everything is mapped out, but a basic idea of where I’m going with it. And I have to get to the point where I feel I have the patience to do justice to the story, so the reader gets the experience that I'm going for. Writing fiction is essentially creating something out of nothing. And it's hard work. The very thought of embarking on such a project can be exhausting, so when I'm starting a new book, I spend a lot of time thinking about it and preparing. It might take months before I put down the first word of the first draft. Other times I have laboured over something--mapping it out, doing character development, researching—and it still doesn’t feel right. I’ll end up abandoning the idea and moving on without writing a single word. The blank screen is still there. But it’s good to remind myself it’s all part of the process. It’s like prepping a wall before you start painting it. There’s a tremendous amount of thought and work that goes into this stage, even if no one ever sees it.

Other writers approach this differently. They just plunge in and see where it takes them. Stephen King for one. Maybe that’s a sign of genius. But, me? I’m a plodder.

Reading with Fresh Eyes

Six months ago I thought I had polished my manuscript as much possible. I had gone over it dozens of times. I had laboured over every word and comma. I had it buffed and shined and ready to send out to publishers hoping to get a nibble.

Now I have found a publisher and he’s asked me to check it over once more before it goes to the editors. So after six months, I am looking at it again with fresh eyes. It’s been a good exercise. I’m surprised by how many little errors I’ve found: missed words, improper punctuation, spelling (even with spell check!). There are sections that are not as clear as I thought I’d made them. There are other sections that are extraneous, or don’t ring true. The manuscript I thought was “clean” still benefits from a re-reading with fresh eyes.

It reminds me of when my sister-in-law, Mary read my first book (a children’s novel). At that point it was in book form, already published. I had gone over the book exhaustively, other reader’s had checked it, and editors had proofread it. But of everyone who read the book, Mary was the on who found the most errors. Mary’s first language is Dutch. English is her second language. She reads slowly and carefully. The language is fresh to her and she approaches it studiously and meticulously. If there is a missing word in a sentence she doesn't gloss over it as other readers tend to, their minds filling in the blank, not even noticing the omission and barrelling on with the story.

It just goes to show the importance of reading with fresh eyes.

Reasons to celebrate: Canada Day…..and finding a publisher!

I’ve just signed a contract with a publisher for my latest project and I'm over the moon. This will be my first book for adults so I needed to find a publisher that specialized in literary fiction for adults. Now or Never Publishing from Vancouver will be publishing my new book in the fall of 2020.

The book is called “Songs from a Small Town (in a Minor Key)” and is comprised of 12 linked stories, each told from a different point of view. It’s about a bizarre affliction—a mysterious movement disorder-- that effects only girls in a small farming community, and the ripple effect this has on the rest of the town.

I found out that Now or Never wanted to publish my book while I was en route from Victoria to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. I’d been looking for a publisher for a few months so when I checked my email in the Vancouver airport and read the first line, “We like this book.” I had to read it over and over again to believe it. I was so excited that when I boarded the plane I told the stranger sitting beside me. “Mazel tov!” he said, and then insisted on buying me a drink to toast the occasion.

Some people say that finding a publisher is like winning the lottery. It certainly feels like that. And I call that a reason to celebrate!