writing and hot desking

My life hasn't been all doctors and hospitals this May and June.
Let's deal with writing first: A few months ago I joined a group of writers who meet every second Saturday morning from 9:30 to noon at a local restaurant. We have a leader who has been published multiple times and is able to keep us under control, most of the time. After an introductory "lesson" on some aspect of the writing life, we take turns reading something we have written. We're put on a reading list in advance so we all come prepared with the right number of copies to pass around. We must not go beyond the word maximum, which I confess I'm not quite sure of, but I think it's about 800 words. We read aloud the piece we've prepared while the group follows and makes notes on the distributed copies. After the reading, people offer their comments and suggestions and the reader/writer listens but is not supposed to explain or otherwise interrupt the "feedback" (they don't like the word "critique" because it sounds too much like criticism). When that is all done, the reader list for the next meeting is established and many of us stay for lunch in the restaurant to continue chatting.
The "sessions" consist of about six meetings, I think, and we pay about $18 for the leader's photocopying, plus a couple of dollars for refreshments. The restaurant proprietor, Jon, provides coffee and hot water and drinking water for the $2.50 cash, and the other refreshments (doughnuts or scones, etc.) are included in the prepaid $18.  I've now attended two of these sessions, but have decided to take some time out until maybe September or January.
That's the critique group part of writing.
Then there's the conference part. I've signed up for the Surrey International Writers' Conference which will be held in October 2019. I've got my hotel arranged, plus a few days with friends in Vancouver, but still need to get my flights set up. The whole thing about transportation gives me a bad taste. First off, I'm annoyed that Greyhound has abandoned all of Western Canada, and that was my preferred method of transportation. Second, while I have nothing against flying, I detest airports. I have no other choice. I could rent a car and drive the 500 km each way, but I hate driving even more than I hate airports.
Writing? Oh yeah. There's that, too, isn't there? Ok. Next post.

SiWC 2017

Yesterday evening I arrived home after four nights in one of my favourite hotels, Accent Inns in Burnaby.
Unfortunately, I didn't get my dates straight in enough time to fulfill my volunteering obligations, and had to cut down my time at the Surrey International Writers' Conference to only Saturday--missing all of Thursday, Friday and Sunday. However, it was not time wasted.

At the conference, I went into the room I would have to be in for the next workshop in order to introduce that speaker. Luckily, the early workshop was ""The Whirlwind Researcher" presented by Kearsley. Very worthwhile! As was Greg Van Eekhout's "Middle Grade: Beyond the Formula."

After lunch, I tried a workshop on writing short stories, but I was very sleepy and had to leave. So that was it for the conference for me.

Next year, I'll reserve the hotel room sometime before summer for the October conference, and I'll sign up as a participant, not a volunteer.

SiWC 1916 accommodations

On Saturday, October 15th, my husband and I went to Vancouver. Our first trip back since our move to Penticton last April. The first five days were catching up with a few friends (couldn't get together with some, unfortunately) and taking care of Franciscan obligations. (See that blog entry.)
Then, on Thursday a friend kindly transported us from the Accent Inn, Burnaby, to the Sheraton Guildford in Surrey for the conference.
My husband had to amuse himself while I attended the Surrey International Writers' Conference on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The conference was excellent as always. I didn't manage to connect with friends as I usually do, and that was the only disappointment.
It's so hard to get to all the workshops I like, while still taking the opportunities to meet with agents for pitch sessions and with fellow writers for blue pencils (editing). Still it's worth the effort.
I want to get the calendar in front of me before I tell you what workshops I did manage to attend. For now, here's just the mechanics of getting around.
When I first booked my room at the Sheraton, at the same time that I registered for the conference, I didn't know my husband wanted to come, too. Not to the conference, but to the Lower Mainland, and to extend the visit to include our Franciscan obligations.
As a result, the Sheraton room was not very "handicap accessible" and I didn't think to change that before our arrival. We spent the first night in my original room, but my husband had so many difficulties that they finally were able to give us another room where he could be comfortable.
The staff were exceptionally helpful for the whole time we were there.
My conference registration was for the whole package--which included most meals. They were varied and quite good, but spoiled by the excessively long lines to get to the "buffet" (aka cafeteria style). Surely a hotel of this size and quality can feed a crowd (I think we were about 700 or 800) in a more efficient way that this. I've been to many large banquets where the meals were brought to the tables by staff, so guests could all eat hot food together at the same time, without having to carry the plates ourselves.
Other than that, the weekend was great! 

Six months in Penticton

My last post was about four months ago, I guess. I was still feeling like a novice in our new home, our new town, starting a new life you might say.
I still love the little apartment, plenty big enough for us, as we continue to get rid of stuff we thought we couldn't live without--our "Lazyboy" chairs, for example.
I still love to go to my "Cowork" office, and savour the many hours of just sitting at the computer and actually getting some writing done.
Since my last post, I have completed the book I was writing, sent off the synopsis and first 100 pages to the agent, Laura Bradford. Now I'm about 30 pages into the sequel--just in case I'm lucky enough to have her ask me to send the second part of the first book and the first part of the second book. Failing that, I have another series I want to write. Maybe she'll ask about that. That's a question I'll have answers for this time next week.
How come? Well, this is the week of the Surrey international Writers' Conference, and I have an appointment to "pitch" to Laura Bradford at the conference. Hopefully, it won't take me four months to report of the result of that appointment.

time flies! December already

For a while, I was doing so well! Posting with a degree of regularity. Then, somehow, that stopped. I won't try to catch up September, October, November and December. One third of the year! What I will do is tell you that I have been writing. I've changed viewpoints a couple of times, and format, and of course even the title. The story remains the same. It's the contemporary young adult mystery, now called House of Secrets. I pitched the story to an agent at the Surrey International Writers' Convention in October, and she has asked for 100 pages and a synopsis. She also wanted me to raise the protagonist's age from 13 to 16. Makes sense, of course, but also requires some rethinking of parts of the story. That's okay. But it's keeping me busy. Especially since I sort of suggested she could have the 100 pages and synopsis by the end of the year. Um, that's about two weeks.
Oh, and in addition, my husband's physical condition has deteriorated to such a point that we are compelled to sell our house and move. The real estate agent wants to show the house in mid-January. We've lived here for 44 years (as of the Ides of March), and ... well, you figure it out!
Blogging has not been #1 on my to do list.
Also, I'm trying to keep up with my Franciscan obligations!