Chaos Reigns
Chaos reigns as I try to get organized to leave town.
The dryer broke, so we have wet laundry draped around the bathroom and mudroom. One daughter has bleeding toes from ill-fitting shoes for a drama production, running three nights this week. The other needs help navigating a poorly created website to understand a training program she’s interested in (why does every program application have to be submitted while I’m away?)
Page proofs for Crow Boy arrived. I received an invite to participate in the Calgary Young Writer’s Conference; they need a workshop description and a bio before I leave. Plus, of course, I have to organize myself, and help my family get organized for while I’m gone. The calendar is filled with gigs and bingo nights, writing groups and classes and rehearsals. And, of course, Christmas is coming and requires attention.
Somehow, through all of this, I have to emerge rested and peaceful, ready for a 10–day meditation retreat. Argh!!!!
Maureen
The Call of the Giant
I’m working on the third book in the Veil of Magic series, The Call of the Giant (at least that’s my working title). I’ve been hoping to have a first draft before I go away in late November, and then get hung up in Christmas busyness. It’s not going to happen – I’m down to the last four chapters, all planned and ready to go, but I have little brain for writing and a too-long to-do list. Sitting won’t hurt it, but it is a little frustrating. I’ll be coming back to page proofs for Crow Boy and Christmas chaos. I suspect once I can focus on The Call of the Giant again, it will go really quickly. But that might not be until January.
Maureen
Spouses of Writers
My husband is learning what it means to be the husband of a writer. FIrst, he pays the bills. He is, on occasion, my driver, my bringer of lunch, my hauler of boxes. When I’m having “a good writing day” he takes over all the household stuff. At the fair, he missed my reading because he was staffing my table. But that’s fair trade – I miss most of his gigs because I’m taking care of things at home. He gets to discuss eyebrows on otters, whether buffalo can sing, and the characteristics of spiders. He honours new manuscripts and new contracts and new books, awards and nominations and cheques in the mail. I would wish every writer to have a such a partner.
Maureen
Musings: Calgary Children's Book Fair Feather Brain The Nexus Ring
by Maureen Bush
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No Origami at the Book Fair
The book fair went well – well organized, steady traffic. I did no origami, although I did a little writing in the quiet times. I brought Alice the Apatosaurus, and she was a big hit.
Kids were consistently drawn to The Nexus Ring rather than Feather Brain, and I sold more copies of The Nexus Ring, even though Feather Brain has been more successful generally, both in sales and in nominations. I talked to Derek Mah, who was casing the place, and his theory is that The Nexus Ring title and cover art both clearly say, “This is fantasy,” while the Feather Brain title and cover art are less clear.
My favorite moment: a boy read the cover of The Nexus Ring and told his dad about it. His dad misheard, in the noise of the hall, and said, “It’s about fairies? A fairy ring?” The boy struggled to explain, and finally, in frustration, said, “No, Dad. It’s ferry – F E R R Y – they’re homonyms!”
Maureen