Monique Polak

I'm up early and I haven't even had my green tea... but I thought today I'd respond to some of the comments you've been posting on this blog. So here goes:

Sophie talked about the sense of smell -- how having a blocked nose affected her experience of eating chocolates her dad brought home. Sophie's comment provides a good opportunity to remind starting-out writers aboutthe importance of using the sense of smell -- both as inspiration and as an example of sensory detail in their work. Researchers tell us smell is one of the sharpest triggers of memory. Sometimes you get a whiff of something --  yesterday, for me, it was someone's discarded Christmas tree out on the side of the road -- and it brings you back to another time and place. That can be very useful in your writing. Sophie also mentioned a quote I use in class: "I never thought of myself as a good writer. But I'm one of the world's greatest rewriters." It is one of my favourite quotes, too -- Sophie said she'd forgotten who said it, well, it was American author James A. Michener.

Rosa asked if editors ever want authors to make changes in order to make a book more marketable -- not necessarily better. My answer is that good editors -- and I've had the great privilege of working with terrific editors -- want to make a book the best it can be. That being said, a better book should sell better, too.

Tamar, you wanted to know what I've been reading -- and if I had some suggestions I could post. Right now, I'm reading the new Sophie Kinsella book, Remember Me? -- it's not for sale yet -- I've got a review copy for The Gazette. Lucky me, since so far, it's a riot. I thought I'd mention some of my all-time favourite books: Eddie's Bastard by William Kowalski; The Rose Tree by Mary Walkin Keane; Confessions of a Heartless Girl and Mistik Lake, both by Martha Brooks; In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez; Johnny Kellogg Died Today by Hadley Dyer (whom I've written about in earlier blog entries) and Klepto by Lori Weber (another local YA writer who will hopefully be visiting Marianopolis this semester).

Kim has been getting up early all week for the robotics competition. How's it going Kim? Are you learning a lot and having fun? (My two top priorities!!)

Okay, time for green tea. I'm hosting another birthday luncheon here today -- this one is for my friend Mireille, who teaches French at Marianopolis. Tomorrow,  Mike and I leave for a long weekend in Pennsylvania. It's his mum's 80th birthday, so we'll be meeting up to celebrate with his whole family.  Looks like I may not be back to my blog till next Tuesday... Have a great weekend. If, like me, you're heading back to school in 10 days or so, rest some, but have fun, too!! It's going to be a busy, intense semester ahead!!