Summer Writing, Reading &Editing

Hello, welcome to this edition of Gates Open. 

Summer Writing is troubling, tiring, and hard to fit into my life. Why do I push? Why is it important not to take a long summer holiday?

Please don’t misinterpret this to mean I don’t want to write or that I have lost my passion. I haven’t, but the long swims, the summer heat and the family-together times with children and grandchildren fill my heart and zap my energy. I am tired, and fatigue clouds my mind. 

Summer Reading:

I am a better summer reader than I am a summer writer. You know you are a writer when every book you read teaches you more about your craft.  I have started making notes about the writing as I read novels. Here are a few examples from three of my summer reads.

Bright Beautiful Creatures by Shelly Van Pelt - I wrote:

- I need more description in my novel

- I love the way the Marcellus gets only a page or two at a time - brilliant, bold and makes such an impact- is there a place for short one-or two-page impactful chapters in my novel 

The Air Raid Book Club by Annie Lyons I wrote:

- it’s“heartwarming”; why? 

- the way death and love come together; even when a character dies, you feel the love first. Need to think about the death or after the death scene in my mystery novel

- description is vivid  - I need more description that addresses the other characters

- it’s an historically accurate account of bombing and air raids for more than just the main character - have I given enough voice to all the players in my novel - go back and edit for this 

Judgement by Linden Macintyre - I wrote:

- wow, written in first person. (I write memoir in first person and sometimes short stories fiction, but to write a 421-page novel in first person is beyond me.) - excellent dialogue and a great plot make it work seamlessly and keep the reader hooked. Easy, quick read for me.

- going to read his second novel, The Bishop’s Man, winner of the Giller Prize. Want to know why this novel stood out and became the winner of this prestigious award. 

Summer Writing 

Writing on the Senior Side, newspaper stories published every other week of approximately 1000 words. The last two, Summer and Songs of the 60s, and Summer Reminiscences, were enjoyable personal takes on my childhood and teen memories. They take the reader back and forth, from then to now, and I hope they resonate with other seniors. I try for a balance of personal stories and thoughtful pursuits of issues and topics that may be important to our quality of life as we live on the senior side. I worry that I am not out and about enough and don't have enough new experiences that will inspire my stories. Then, I think if I am truly writing on the senior side and this is my senior side life, there are always life experiences to share and explore.

Writing short /flash fiction stories - wrote two new stories and revised two more as yet unpublished stories. Okay with this, but I don’t think I’m hitting the right notes with my submissions. Time will tell, as will my growing understanding and insights about what the specific magazines and online publications are looking for. Think I may have screwed up in my historical fiction short story. I researched the facts and used them in the story… did I inadvertently use AI? I will never use AI in my story writing. Maybe historical fiction is a pitfall I should avoid. 

Summer Editing

I used to detest editing. Much like the children in my grade four classroom, I was a naive beginning author who thought my stories were good. But then I found out the secret - every time you edit, you improve your “good” story, and you realize the editing may never stop and the story may never be good enough. At some point you give it up and pass your story to a trusted friend or to your writing group to make it even better. My husband, Peter, is my first reader, and I am not sure whom I would go to if I didn’t have him. I miss my writing group. I want to share my stories with other authors who will give me feedback and suggestions. I want to read their stories and do the same for them. Perhaps in September I will start looking for a new writing group. 

 I have done a first edit on the first section of my novel. I am still at that 25,000-word mark. I felt I had lost track and thought this might be the best way to get back. Also, my age is showing in that I forgot some of the intricacies I wrote into my novel in the first section, so going back and making notes as I did so proved to be a refresh and worthwhile. I also made notes for the developmental edit, which will come later. 

I have reset my goal of 33 000 words done by the end of August to mid-September.

Summer marketing of my book 21 Smithfield Drive 

Well, nothing to report yet. Next week, I am meeting with my friend Linda who is going to video me reading one of my stories and talking about my book. I seldom like having my picture taken, never mind a video, but I need a kick-start. Linda says she can upload it to YouTube immediately. Scary….

What’s next on Gates Open? 

Not sure everything I will include, but definitely start with this:

• Back to my investigation and exploration of topics dealing with the craft of writing - Endings.

• What do successful authors say? What did I take away from my courses and assignments? Why do I find writing endings of short stories relatively easy and planning the ending of my novel so difficult?

Final thoughts

I used to live on a beautiful lake, and now I live near the village. We keep our pontoon boat at a local marina 2 min from our home. I love to swim in the lake and do so almost every hot day, and there have been a lot of these this summer. We are renting a lovely cottage on Lake Kashagawigamog, and all my children and grandchildren will be coming, some for the week, some for a few days. Summertime is a family fun time. Summer writing takes its rightful place down on the list on my senior side life. 

Gail