10 things I learned about Lionel Shriver

Last week I went to see Lionel Shriver, author of We Need to Talk About Kevin and The Post-Birthday World, at the Toronto Public Library’s Appel Salon. Aside from walking away an even bigger fan than I was before and wanting to pick up her newest book The New Republic, here are 10 things I learned about Lionel Shriver that night:

• She wasn’t born with the name Lionel. Her real name is Margaret Ann. And when asked why she changed it she replied, “Do I look like a Margaret Ann to you?” Enough said.
• She loves naming characters and does it even before she starts writing the book.
• She doesn’t think the novel is dead, but even if it was she’d keep writing anyway.
• Before the success of We Need to Talk About Kevin, her books were largely ignored.
• She loves her book Game Control and moved to Nairobi to research and write it.
• She was happy to win the Orange Prize (prestigious literary prize for women writers) even though she would have “far preferred to win a prize that was for both men and women, but at that point I would take what I could get.”
• She lived in Belfast from 1987-1999 and the terrorism she saw there inspired her to write The New Republic.
• She was not involved in the movie adaptation of We Need to Talk About Kevin but she thought it was a “damn good film”.
• She’s a huge Edith Wharton fan, which reminds me that I still need to read The House of Mirth…
• Her advice to aspiring writers? Don’t take any advice.

Lionel Shriver was provocative and engaging, much like her books are. You can see for yourself by watching the entire Appel Salon interview here.

 

Related posts:
We Need to Talk About Kevin
What I learned from Nigella Lawson

Write your own adventure

Looking for something to do this month?

Script Frenzy is a writing event that challenges you to write a 100-page script during the month of April.
If you’ve ever participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), you know the drill. This isn’t about winning a prize or even about getting any recognition. It’s simply an effective way to get that script you’ve had inside of you out onto the page.

It’s free and even if you don’t finish all 100 pages in 30 days, it’s still worth the attempt.
I completed Script Frenzy a few years ago and went into it with only a vague idea for my script (it was going to be a short story but I thought I’d try something new). I’d never attempted to write a script before but had so much fun during the month that I will definitely do it again.

If you’re interested but have no idea where to begin, the Script Frenzy site has some Writer’s Resources to get you going, including an extremely helpful section on writing software (I used Final Draft and loved it).

So, are you in?

Here are the official rules:

1) To be crowned an official Script Frenzy winner, you must write a script (or multiple scripts) of at least 100 total pages and verify this tally on ScriptFrenzy.org.

2) You may write individually or with a partner. Writing teams will have a 100-page total goal for their co-written script or scripts.

3) Scriptwriting may begin no earlier than 12:00:01 AM on April 1 and must cease no later than 11:59:59 PM on April 30, local time.

4) You may write screenplays, stage plays, web series, TV shows, short films, comic book and graphic novel scripts, adaptations of novels, or any other type of script your heart desires.

5) You must, at some point, have ridiculous amounts of fun.

Related post:
NaNoWriMo 

Why joining a book club can help your writing

I’ve always wanted to be part of a book club and 2011 was the year I finally did it.

Joining the Matchbook Book Club has not only given me the opportunity to meet some great people but I think it has also helped me as a writer.

Here’s how:

Joining a book club forces you to read. And, as Stephen King so perfectly puts it, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”

Reading books I wouldn’t necessarily have chosen for myself lets me experience new genres and styles of writing that I may have ignored otherwise. So while I might not be a huge fan of romance and fantasy novels, as a writer there are many things I can learn from those genres.

Getting together to discuss books is a great way to see how others felt about characters and plot and to perhaps get some insight into what they thought worked and didn’t, which is all pretty invaluable to a writer.

Writing can be pretty solitary work. Joining a book club means taking a break to have some fun and talk about books. Walking away from your computer every now and again is good for those creative juices.

Related posts:

How writing is like baking cookies
Yoga for writers 

How writing is like baking cookies

I received the new book The Cookiepedia in the mail a little while ago (thank you Quirk Books!) and I started flipping through all the delicious recipes immediately. I knew right away which one I would try first: Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Might seem like a boring choice considering the book has recipes for Mint Thins (they’re next on my list), French Macarons, and Pecan Sandies. But for me, nothing beats a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie.

As I was baking I realized that writing and baking have some similarities that never really occurred to me before. So, with the help of The Cookiepedia and a pretty decent sugar rush, I put together a few examples of how writing is like baking cookies:

• You need to put all the ingredients together in the right order using precise measurements in order to produce the best results.
• Once you’ve attempted the recipe a few times you can get a bit creative with substitutions and additions.
• There is such a thing as making things too perfect. At some point you just have to trust that everything is ok and jump right in.
• Depending on the type of cookie you’re baking, one batch can take longer than another.

• Even after all your time and effort, sometimes the cookies just don’t taste very good. Roll up your sleeves and try again.
• Things can get rather messy in the kitchen. Let it happen. Worry about cleaning it up at the end.

I’m happy to report that my chocolate chip cookies were delicious: soft, chewy, and with just the right amount of chocolate. The recipe was simple and I loved the cheeky tone of the instructions (“If you get melted chocolate on your hands, you’re eating these too slowly.”). I highly recommend buying The Cookiepedia, but if you want to check out a few recipes online, Oprah featured the book on her website.

Wanna have lunch with Margaret Atwood?

If you live in Toronto and want a chance to have lunch and take a literary tour of the city with an award-winning author such as Margaret Atwood, this contest is for you.
Our Public Library is hoping to save the Toronto Public Library from City Council’s cost-cutting agenda that could result in branches closing down, reduced hours, and privatization. In addition to starting a petition to help save the TPL (over 45,000 signatures so far), they’ve just announced an exciting contest. The “My Library Matters to Me” contest allows Torontonians to express their love for the TPL and it gives them the opportunity to win a pretty amazing prize. Winners of the contest will have lunch and visit some literary spots in Toronto with one of the participating authors. You can see the full list of authors here, but these are a few of the names: Joy Fielding, Margaret Atwood. Michael Ondaatje, Jeremy Tankard, Vincent Lam.

For the latest news, rules, and to enter the contest, visit ourpubliclibrary.to/contest.
Good luck!