Thoughts on the Humber College Workshop "An Insider's Guide to Getting Published"

This week I was at the Humber College Lakeshore Campus in South Etobicoke for a two-day workshop on how to get published. Although there was some content on U.S. and International sales and agents, the focus was very definitely on the publishing industry here in Canada, which was the main reason I finally signed up.

I say finally because I was back and forth about whether or not I should spend the money. I noticed the course was coming up last week and thought the content looked pretty good, but with currently tight finances the nearly $350 fee was daunting. I've done a lot of research into the business aspect of writing on my own, so I was worried I'd be paying to hear things I already knew. But my cheerleading squad were all for the idea (thanks mom and Steve!) so I took the plunge with an eye to the "I want to be a Canadian writer" content I rarely find online.

CanCon notwithstanding, I should have known what the real value was going to be based on the workshop's name, "An Insider's Guide to Getting Published". Workshop leader Cynthia Good, current director of Humber's Creative Book Publishing program, was with Penguin Canada for many years and thus was actually the one on the receiving end of countless queries. She gave us specific tips, was happy to answer any questions and also said a whole lot about what would really annoy an editor just by her reaction to questions or the emphasis she would put on certain points. I have a had a growing list of small but annoying questions I could never find the answer to in books or online, and over the two days Cynthia answered them all. She even gave her feedback on our first-attempt query letters! Then one afternoon was spent with Jennifer Murray who did marketing with Penguin Canada and Kids Can Press, and had just as much specific, practical information on how books actually get sold and what writers can be doing to help that happen.

Another great thing about the class was that we were a small group (under twenty) which made for a nice atmosphere and let us get to know a bit about each other's projects. I'm certainly eager to hear who does get their book published and I'm sure many - if not all - will (I also have a feeling who will be first... Patricia, I'm looking at you).

I'd recommend the class to anyone who is fairly well along in their manuscript. I still have a lot of editing to do, but I wish I'd been ready to apply what I'd learned the second I walked out the door. That said, some people who weren't even sure what form their manuscript was going to take seemed to get a far better sense just by learning about the publishing/marketing end of things. So it could be helpful if you're at the other extreme, too.

Of course now that I've spent the money, I'm even more motivated to finish this current project and get it out into the world. And for me, added motivation to finish is never a bad thing.

• Check out Humber's workshops, events and classes - including their well-respected correspondance program - on the Humber School for Writers website. (Watch your sound level if you don't want your boss to know you're browsing - a welcome video plays automatically)

To the Goats of Riverdale Farm

On New Years Day Steve and I took a walk to Riverdale Farm. It's a place that makes for a lovely little retreat in the middle of Toronto, and maybe someday I'll write a post about that aspect of it. Today's post however is all about the goats - who I find the biggest attraction and, on some days, the biggest frustration:


The Goats of Riverdale Farm

Oh happy goats, so lively!
Oh happy goats - what charm!
Oh happy goats with floppy ears
You're the highlight of the farm.


Oh playful goats, so daring!
Oh playful goats, so brash!
Oh playful goats with endless games
I must get a photograph!


Okay now goats, hold still please.
Oh hey you goats, no leaps!
Oh blurry goats with backs to me
Don't you know my camera's cheap?


Fine, stupid goats, forget it.
Are you happy goats? I'm through.
I know a goat who's well behaved
and whose portrait's overdue.




(That last photo is of Vivian, our plush guard-goat who keeps an eye an the apartment while we're out. Good ole stoic stuffed goat, always ready to pose.)

The Wrong Kind of Geek

Last night I made a last-minute trek to the brand spankin' new Toronto After Dark Film Festival - a "premiere showcase of international sci-fi, horror & fantasy cinema". When I arrived at the Bloor Cinema there were lines all over the place as pass holders and online ticket buyers and rush ticket hopefuls all tried to sort themselves into the right place. These were fans, and I felt like maybe I wasn't going to live up to the standard as I hunted down the Guest List table to sign in.

Inside I was found by a horror-fan buddy who had a pretty good looking gash on his neck (the "wound" was even more entertaining when we later ended up at a surprise birthday party). I didn't see other costuming, but if you hadn't known what kind of film festival this was beforehand, the t-shirts were a dead giveaway.

I'm not actually a big horror fan, unless it turns out to be a horror-comedy (whether or not it was intended to be funny is irrelevant). But the opening night film was more sci-fi, an area in which I'm hardly hard-core but certainly have my loves. Special is about how a comic-book fan/parking enforcement officer has his life changed by participating in a drug study. Michael Rappaport stars as Les, this man whose adverse reaction to the medication has him believing he is an unstoppable super hero. It's a good movie with great performances; a funny and sad look at the desperation that lays under so many lives.

The thing is, the movie was obviously made by people who understand the superhero genre of comics, with lots of parallel moments to the classic story arcs. While I caught all of those references (I think), the reference that was like a 2x4 smash in the face for me was the blue feather used in the medical testing project's logo. When that came onscreen I wanted to jump out of my seat - "Oo, oo! Richard Bach's Illusions, right? That's where that's from!"

As much I loved the throws to classic comics and sci-fi plots, a possible connection to a late seventies novel from the guy who gave the world Jonathan Livingston Seagull was what got me giddy. I don't even know if that's really what they were thinking of, even though there was a Q&A (I always feel like you should only ask a question if there's a chance someone else in the audience might care.)

I was also pretty giddy over the short film that preceded the feature. It was a Canadian production called "The Grandfather Paradox" about a physics lecture with more practical applications than the prof was hoping for. A great little movie, if you get the chance to see it anywhere.

So at the end of the night I had a great time and was certainly glad I went, but couldn't help but feel like I wasn't quite the target geek for the festival.

Still, I never felt out of place, because if there's one thing about geeks, it's that they understand getting excited about things that leave other people staring blankly.




Quick Links:
- Toronto After Dark Film Festival (continues until October 24th)
- "Special" Official Website
- "The Grandfather Paradox" on Redhead Productions

The Old Mill Inn, Toronto

Traveling on the west end of Toronto’s subway line there comes a stretch of rail that bursts out of the underground into the fresh air and sunshine* to cross the Humber River. I’m always eager for that glance north at the enticing buildings on the banks of the Humber Valley. There’s one especially that I love, a big white building with brown trim that makes it look oh so much like you’re riding a toy train through some hobbyist’s beloved model town. Not so long ago Steve and I finally stopped at Old Mill Station and went to check out the picturesque (scale modelesque?) Old Mill Inn for ourselves.

One of our top criteria for choosing entertainment is that it needs to be cheap or free. If you’ve ever been to The Old Mill Inn you’re likely questioning how it fits into this category. I don’t actually know how much anything costs at ye Old Mill but as Steve so accurately put it, “If you have to ask you can’t afford it.” The beauty of the building however is that so much of the beauty is in the building itself.

We spent over an hour just wandering through the luxurious halls and peeking into any of the large event rooms that weren’t in use. For history buffs, the hallways are hung with a great assortment including paintings of fox hunts, military medals, an old land ownership agreement and everything in between. Of course even the armchairs and railings are beautiful, so there’s eye candy for more than just those with an eye to the past. The courtyards outside provide a wonderful walk as well, likely more so when it’s not winter. And if the grounds of the Inn aren’t enough for you, you can always take a finishing stroll through the Humber Valley. Anyone who found the land ownership document as interesting as we did should be geeky enough to want to read the City of Toronto historical plaque commemorating Hurricane Hazel as well.

Maybe someday we’ll head back for a spa treatment or Afternoon Tea, but in the meantime a simple wander through The Old Mill Inn made for a nice cheap date with a Toronto landmark.

*Depending on the hour of day and your definition of ‘fresh’.