On My Book Launch

For those of you who missed it, here’s a copy of my speech from the book launch on October 25th at the Estevan Public Library. Over a hundred attended! It was a very, very special evening. I have deleted the portions that I read from Power Plays . . .and of course the parts where I got a little emotional. Enjoy!

. . . .Well, here we are. And believe me – nobody is more surprised by all of this than I am.

Surprised – and absolutely delighted. As delighted as I was on April 8, 1986 and October 27, 1988 when I looked for the first time into the faces of our daughters Robin and Blaire. I worked hard to bring those babies into the world.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from watching the Imperials, the A’s, the Xtreme, the Ice Devils, the Warriors, the Blackhawks, the Legends, the Wildcats, the Huskies, and of course – THE RIDERS — all these years, it’s that the most rewarding games are the tight ones. The nail-biters. The “it’s not over till they shake hands” ones.

If I’d “gotten it right” the first time out of the gate, I don’t think I’d feel this way today.

Eight seems to be a significant number for me. Eight years from start to finish. Eight drafts. Eight rejection letters. A possibility of publication in 2008, which thankfully was pushed ahead to 2007. And of course – the number eight on the back of Robin’s Xtreme jersey. Not sure what eights the future holds for me. I certainly hope it’s not eight books in a series. Because that means I’ll be 64 years older before I’m done.

I worked very hard on this book. It was my blood, sweat, and tears. It was my time for writing and revising squeezed in between prepping for classes, marking stacks of papers, driving to games and practices and figure skating competitions, writing and directing plays, playing the organ – and occasionally, just occasionally – dusting, vacuuming, ironing, cooking supper, and doing dishes. It’s a labour of my love for my family and for the sport many of them have played beneath the fluorescent lights of the Great Frozen Cathedral.

In the process of receiving rejections from Orca, Thistledown, Kids Can Press, Groundwood, Annick, Penguin, and Fitzhenry and Whiteside, I fumbled around with this manuscript, struggling to find the voice of Jessie McIntyre, my main character, struggling to weave in subplots about bullying, struggling to stay on top of the ever-evolving realities, language, and technology available to a fourteen year old girl. If I have come even close to the target, I feel pretty satisfied.

I am really, really lucky to get my foot this far in the door of the publishing world. It’s not easy getting published, and I am so lucky to have a publisher like Coteau – right here in our province, promoting Saskatchewan writers. There are no Coteau representatives here tonight, but I received the good wishes of the office staff Nik, Karen, Duncan, Deb, and Mandi earlier today. I am very grateful to them and to Barbara Sapergia and Geoffrey Ursell for believing in the potential of a manuscript called Not Just a Boy’s Game.

Now, I know some of you have read Power Plays already, but many of you haven’t. Power Plays takes place in Estevan. Many of the games are staged at the LMC and are based on actual games played by the Estevan Xtreme.

Power Plays has four subplots:
1) bullying – exclusion, gossip, harassment
2) bullying – physical threat
3) girls hockey
4) romance

Here’s a brief synopsis of the plot:

Fourteen-year-old Jessie moves to a new city and learns teamwork, self-reliance and a new kind of friendship when she joins the girls’ hockey team.

Jessie has left the close friendships she’s had since her childhood and isn’t having an easy time fitting into her new Grade Nine class. An older girl, Kim, takes a disliking to her, pushing her around and setting her up to be attacked by a group of really rough kids who land her in jail. It looks like life is going to be downhill from now on.

Then, because she used to play ringette, Jessie is invited to try out for the girls hockey team. She doesn’t expect to like it, but as her skills grow, she makes new friends – girls who respect each other and rely on each other’s strength and hard work. Some even help her resist the bullies, until she can stand up for herself – stand up to Kim, who’s a pretty good hockey player herself, although not as good as she thinks she is. A fast-paced story about hockey, peer pressure and finding yourself.

Things I have Learned Since the Power Plays saga began on a winter’s day back in 1999 when I sat down at my Performa computer and started to write.

1. Plots need to move quickly to keep kids interested. Kids also like first person narration. They don’t like big words. They hate loads of description. They like chapters that lead into the next. They like narrators that look as critically at adults as adults look at them. They like snappy, gritty dialogue.

2. When something isn’t working, I need to change it. I can change just about anything. I have no favourites. I have learned that I can axe just about any line of dialogue or scene or character. Anything that strikes me as phoney has to go.

3. I have learned that dally is not a hockey term. Players do not dally behind the net – not even when killing penalties.

4. I have learned there are many words that can be substituted for high-profile, offensive swear words. There’s crap, friggin, frickin, flippin. Most people won’t even notice if I use hell, damn, ass, or bitches. And then of course there’s always the S.E. Hinton fallback, “She strung together a bunch of swear words that would make a pool hustler blush.”

5. Writers groups rock. Writers are the only creatures who understand the frustrations and joys of writing. When my husband starts snoring in the middle of one my questions about, “Do you think it’s a good idea to change the entire book from past to present tense?” I know it’s time to turn to my writers’ group.

6. Characters speak loudest after midnight. Randy can attest to this. My creative juices kick in pretty late.

7. I have learned numerous ways of describing play in the offensive zone. It would be really great if those commentators on TSN and Sports Center who are constantly trying to place a new spin on questions like “is there a place in hockey for the tough guy” or “should fighting be allowed” would come up with another word for puck. Black disk or rubber projectile just doesn’t cut it.

8. I have learned that if I want to get something published, I have to put it in the mail. It won’t get published sitting in the bottom drawer of my desk or taking up memory space on my computer. And furthermore, I can take rejection. A lot of it. I can take it and learn from it. I would have been embarrassed if my first draft had been published. This one is a tad better. Don’t quit. Don’t give up. Rejection is information, it’s not failure.

Things I’ve Learned Since November 27, 2006 – the day I learned I was going to be published.

1. Working with a professional editor is awesome. I was lucky enough to have Robert Currie, Saskatchewan’s poet laureate. He’s an incredible teacher and editor. He took me firmly by the hand and led me through my manuscript, gently showing me its flaws and inconsistencies, helping me see my own characters with new eyes.

2. I’m not ever going to get rich as a writer. If I’m lucky I’ll make enough to compensate for the books I’ve given away to family and friends.

3. It’s nice to have some new labels – writer. Author. It’s right up there with some other pretty special ones. Teacher. Wife. Mother. Church organist.

4. Publishing companies know a great deal about what to put on a cover. Everyone connects with this girl – even if she is wearing a hockey Regina jersey. And the red and blue look very good. I wanted black and gold – Estevan colours. But I think Duncan Campbell at Coteau did a pretty fine job –  front, middle, and back. I think the type-set and chapter headings are nothing short of awesome.

5. The artistic and sporting worlds can co-exist. Coteau paired me with an editor who knows something about hockey.

6. I’ve learned how much fun it is to have people actually read something I’ve spent so much time on. Being told by people that they loved my book, couldn’t put it down, makes the entire project worth every minute of my time. But if you don’t like something in it, please do tell me. I’m a big girl, and I can take it. But not until next month, okay? Let me revel in it for a little while.

7. I’ve learned what it’s like to be inside that exclusive mansion called the publishing world. But believe me, I’ve been peering through the windows for so long that I won’t forget what it’s like to stand in the cold, stamping my feet and wondering what I’ll have to do to get inside. If you’re a writer, join a writers’ group and the Saskatchewan Writers Guild. Start sending out your manscripts. Believe in yourself.

8. And finally – and most importantly – I’ve learned that I have many, many friends. And I’ll let you in on a really big secret. This night isn’t about me at all. It’s about YOU.
It’s my opportunity to thank all of you for your love and support
- for coming to watch my plays (for acting in my plays)
- more recently, for reading my blog, checking out my website, asking about my book, buying copies for your own families, and generally being just as excited about Power Plays as I am

And just in case you don’t think I mean YOU, let’s be clear who you are:

- the Estevan Public Library – you have upheld and valued our writers group – thank you
- Henders’ Drugs, you have acted as my ticket outlet for years for Lampman Community Theatre, and you are now displaying Power Plays right where people line up for their flu shots – Thank you!!
- the Estevan Mercury and Lifestyles, you have promoted student and community theatre
- the Estevan Xtreme and their parents (I really, REALLY miss those days – the postgame antics of Dean and Pat, getting kicked out of the rink at Sedley, laughing about so many things)
- the parents and guys of the boys teams Robin played on in Lampman, Estevan, and Midale – especially the Blackhawks
- my friends and family in Lampman, the epicenter of my personal universe, and beyond
- my extended family in Estevan, which includes:
- the staff and students at Pleasantdale
- the EJH staff – who have miraculously survived the great Diaspora
- my writers group – for your unconditional acceptance and support
- my daughter Blaire who was my true editor (I can safely say she read every word of every  draft)
- my daughter Robin whose passion for the game has been my inspiration from the moment she laced on hockey skates
- my best friend Randy who also just happens to be my husband

And that brings me to the conclusion of my part of the presentation. But a good conclusion always looks ahead to the future. And in our immediate future I am going to answer a few questions, sell and sign a few books, eat a few goodies, and have some great conversation. Please hang around for a while.

Any questions?

This entry was posted on October 26, 2007 at 7:37 pm and is filed under On Writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.