Making a fictional restaurant seem real
After a long break, I’m finally back into revision mode. At this point, I’m also doing a bit more research to make sure I get the details right.
I’ve lived near Turtle Lake for a big chunk of my life, but yesterday I went for a drive to take some photos related to my setting. You see, the fictional restaurant in my book is a sort of mash-up. It’s loosely based on two different restaurants I worked at in high school, but placed on a beach that has never had a restaurant.
Readers who have never been to Turtle Lake aren’t likely to notice this detail. However, I didn’t feel like I had a strong image of how the fictional restaurant looked on that bay. I was faking it a little, and I’m sure astute readers would pick up on that.
Now I have a few photos to look at when I’m revising my description.
Swampy area at Horseshoe Bay.
Forest scorched by the Turtle Lake Fire of 2002. Taken from Kahtava Dr, the site of The Horseshoe.
A view of the lakeshore from Loon Dr, Horseshoe Bay.
The old KMB restaurant, on Kivimaa-Moonlight Bay, Turtle Lake. One of the restaurants that The Horseshoe is loosely based on.
Kahtava Dr, Horseshoe Bay. The site of my fictional restaurant, The Horseshoe
Coffee Shop Author – winners announced
Congratulations to the winners of the Coffee Shop Author contest! They are:
First Place
Ranjini George Philip – Miracle of Flowers: The Way of an Emperor, A Goddess, A Story and a Tiffin Stall (Creative Non-fiction)
iCoffee – Mississauga
Second Place
Theresa J. Wouters – Children of Hobbema (Teen Fiction)
Esquires – Grande Prairie, AB
Third Place
Ron Stewart – A Boy Growing Up In London (Poetry Collection)
The Little Red Roaster – Komoka, ON
Honorable Mention
Cristy Watson – The Coffee Shop Series (Poetry Collection)
Pelican Rouge – White Rock, BC
I’m on the longlist!
I’ve been so busy teaching, freelancing, and wrapping up poetry workshops this month that I’ve had no time for updating this blog. However, when I checked my email earlier, I had a happy surprise.
My novel is on the longlist for the Coffee Shop Author contest. Yay!
The final three winners will be announced June 11th. Until then, good luck to the other finalists. They include:
Avery Cooper
Christy Watson
Monica Menghetti
Ranjini Philip
Ron Stewart
Sharon McLean Kuroyama
Teresa Wouters
Vicky Bell
If you follow this blog, you may, at times, wonder if I’ve dropped off the face of the earth. Rest assured, I’m still here. Just busy.
Blogging and writing and community
This spring has been a mix of above-average temperatures punctuated by nasty, nasty blizzards. Needless to say, whenever temperatures creep into the 20s, I’ve been spending a lot of my spare time outside. Away from my computer. Any time at my computer has been devoted to revising my manuscript, contract work, and trying to sell some superfluous property.
A different way to revise
I’ll be honest. Up until last summer, I didn’t write much fiction. I wrote one decent short story, a lot of stuff related to this project, and lots of poetry. Most of my editing experience came from revising my poetry.
Professional development for writers
With summer around the corner, now is the time to think about summer and fall writing programs. Whether you’re looking for a self-directed program, on-site instruction, or distance learning, there’s a range of options for Canadian writers.
Arc Poetry Contest – Vote for Reader’s Choice
Each year Arc, a poetry journal based in Ottawa, runs a Poem of the Year contest. They also give out a Readers’ Choice award, based on votes from folks like you. I just went through the poems, and found it tricky to only choose three. There were five I really liked, so I had to trim my list.
You can read the poems in this PDF. Be sure to send your top three picks to vote@arcpoetry.ca.
The action is at the Turtleford Library
Ernie the Turtle
If you’re a writer in the Turtleford area, be sure to drop by the library on March 23rd for Myrtle Conacher’s book signing. Myrtle will be on hand from two to four pm to sign books and answer questions.
Getting into the head of a musician
For this next round of revisions, Susan, my mentor, suggested I focus on the perspective of Darby, my main character, who is a singer and aspiring songwriter.
I love to listen to music, but I really don’t know much about creating music, so I’ve been doing a bit of research. Along with talking to my husband, who is a musician, I decided to learn a bit more about Neko Case, one of my favourite singers.
