TIME OUT

I've been very busy lately with this and that -- not working too much on the novel, just a little. And doing other things like editing, attending classes for professional development and winding up the class I teach at night school. Whenever there's a break, like now -- Spring break -- I like to get out and about. A little R&R. One thing I do is walk about the neighbourhood. Just down at the foot of my street by the port-side road there are three little parks. This one (above) is a Meditation Park. There's little bench where you can sit looking out over the inlet and North Shore mountains. This is view (below).

I've been enjoying some special events the past two weeks, besides the classes I attended at the Simon Fraser Uni. downtown campus. I took an all day class in editing fiction (most useful for the task ahead with my novel and also helpful with my other editing tasks such as class papers and the submissions I get for my travel web site. This past Friday I attended another all-day course put on by the Writer's Union of Canada. It was a writing/publishing workshop with three interesting lectures -- one for non-fiction, one fiction and one for the technical aspects of publishing such as contracts etc. Very useful information. Next month I'll be doing another editing class on fine-tuning your writing. My aim is to get more experience editing so I can use this to supplement my income as a writer. One thing I've learned is the importance of writers having websites and/or blogs where there are samples of their writing. Most editors these days like this as a reference point when people submit manuscripts. I've got my blogs. I used to have a fairly extensive website which, unfortunately went into cache mode because I neglected to activate it after 40 days (was busy and forgot). Now I'm considering reopening it but it's hard work with the http coding and all. Still, I did it before and I'm sure I can do it again. Just a matter of finding the time.

I am poking away at my novel. Got a little stuck (usual do on transitions) but ready to go again now. My March issue of Travel Thru History is almost ready to publish so there isn't much editing to do for that until next month. Time to focus totally on the novel again.
Class are finished until next month and Spring is just around the corner. There are lots of flowers blooming in gardens now and in another week most of the cherry blossoms will be in full bloom. Yet it's feeling cold and wintry still. In Eastern Canada they're still up to their armpits in snow. Here on the Coast at least we have the signs of Spring. Like the lovely daffodils (below).

On the weekend I attended a very interesting play by a French-Canadian playwright Michel Tremblay -- title "Hosannah" -- a strong, beautifully written work about two gay men, one very macho (a biker) who is struggling to accept his feminine side. And the other a transvestite obsessed with Liz Taylor being Cleopatra, who is struggling with his male side. A wonderful play and the acting was simply superb. A friend of mine who had a starring role in my own play "The Street", was the director.

Sunday there was a dinner party at my friend's with a delicious meal of lamb -- all cooked and served in elegant Argentinian style by her boyfriend. Afterwards we all went up to the Drive and took in an evening of Latin jazz. I was supposed to go to a very early Monday morning breakfast for France tourism next day but when I woke at six a.m. and heard the rain pouring down I decided it was best to stay tucked under my cozy covers. Sorry I missed it though, as it wasn't just breakfast but lunch as well, all French cuisine including wine.
The next travel writer's event is a get together with the BC Association of Travel writer's folks this week to discuss the 2010 Winter Olympics and what role we media people can play. Frankly, I don't care about the Games. It will all be too expensive for the average Joe to afford anyway and they should be spending the money on the vast numbers of homeless folk who are living on our streets. However, there will be tourists coming to our town so it's a chance to write local stories to promote Vancouver and environs.

So, in spite of taking "Time Out" from my more serious endeavors, there's lots going on and most of it focused on writing anyway.
And, by the weekend I'll be back in the full swing of things and the next series of dramas involving Alexander's world.

A LITTLE R & R

" A little work, a little play,
To keep us going -- and so, good day!"
George Louise Palmella Busson du Maurier 1834 - 1896 "Tribly" 1894 - pt VIII

Or, as the saying goes: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!

So after the last couple of weeks of dedicated work on my novel, as I came to the end of another chapter segment and needed time to think about what was next, I 'rewarded' myself with a weekend of leisure time.

I left Friday afternoon on the slick commuter train out of Vancouver, heading 70 k. out to the Fraser Valley to a sweet little town called Mission, (pop 35,262) nestled on a mountain slope overlooking the Fraser River. The area was originally inhabited by the Sto:lo First Nations People, and the town was founded there in 1892. 180 meters up on the mountain above the lush Valley is the Seminary of Christ the King, a Benedictine monastery, founded in 1931. The last time I visited Mission my friend and I went up there to look around and wander the pathways with tremendous vistas of the river valley below. On that visit I also spent some time at the Xa:ytem Longhouse Interpretive Centre run by the Sto:lo Nation. This morning the distant church bells tolling from the Abby (called Westminster) could be heard across the Lake along with the twittering of birds and croaking of bull-frogs.

My girlfriend is managing a very nice neighbourhood pub in Mission and stays in a big house called the Lake House at Hatzic Lake. The lake is unfortunately reedy but the swimming pool at the house made an extra pleasant treat. And to make the weekend even more special, my Havana Buddy had supplied us with comps to the Mission Folk Festival.
We went on Friday night and again on Saturday. I'm not much of a 'folkie' but there were some good acts including the Battlefield Band from Scotland, and a real treasure of folk music, Buffy Saint Marie, who sings just as beautifully as she did back in the 60's and 70's. Later on Saturday three other girlfriends came to join us for nachos and pizza at the pub. The weather was mostly very warm and sunny although today it rained a bit. My friend drove me part-way back to the city and from there I took the bus and sky-train home. In all, a pleasant and relaxing break. It gave me time to refresh myself and sort out where I'm headed for.

Last week I'd finished another chapter segment and find the transitions are always difficult for me. I wasn't sure who's point of view I should be writing from in the next part, what to leave out from the scattered notes I've had saved up for some time. (The novel is already way too long so I hesitate to fill it up with unnecessary scenes, keeping in mind I have to keep the plot moving along.) Anyway, given time to think about it in a pastoral setting was beneficial, and I think I have an idea of where to go next.

Sometimes when you get stuck, or you're not sure of where to go next, it's a wise idea to take a little break from the writing, step back, reassess and then go back to it with a fresh perspective.

I've got a busy week coming up with some lunch and dinner dates, the annual fireworksdisplays in the city this week and I'd like to attend at least one, and on Thursday I'm starting a five week in-home writing group with six people registered so far. So I don't want to loose the momentum and stop work on the novel. I needed some pre-planning time, which is done now and I'm ready to launch into the next phase of the story. In addition, I've been taking breaks each day for exercise, because my back is bothering me from too much time at the computer. If the weather holds out this means a few more trips to the beach or other recreation areas, some picnics, daily walks and an occasional bike ride too.

"If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it."
Herodotus 485-425 BC "Histories" bk II ch 173.