Monique's Blog

What in the world, you may well be asking yourself, does Monique's old dollhouse have anything to do with writing?

But it does. I mentioned my old dollhouse (one of my favourite childhood toys) last week in my Writing for Children class at Marianopolis College here in Montreal. My students are working on writing Chapter One of a junior novel (aged for readers who are about 11 to 14 years old) and I was explaining how my students can shift their characters from one small scene to another. I remembered (out loud), how I used to use my dollhouse to tell stories about the plastic people who lived in it. And I remember how as a child, I hated having to move those plastic people from one room to the other. Dragging them around on their plastic feet slowed my stories, disrupting the flow.

As a writer, I've sometimes felt the same way. So I have a simple trick to share with you today, dear blog reader. If you want to shift a scene, JUST DO IT. A trick I like to use is to simply add three stars (***) after one paragraph ends and I want to go someplace else with my story. This way, there is no need to drag my characters around on their plastic feet. ("Sean walked from the living room to the kitchen" or "Sean ran all the way to school.") Speaking of plastic feet, another thing we writers need to do is make sure our characters are real, not plastic. But that is the subject of another journal entry.

Beautiful day here in Montreal. I'm off for a run, then on to school...  to turn back into a teacher. Hope wherever you are, you're enjoying your day!

I often tell students that, to me, "The air feels thick with stories." That's because no matter who we are, we all have stories living inside us.

This morning, the air felt especially thick to me. I was at Pius X Adult Centre, working with a group of about 100 adult learners. Almost all of them have come to Canada from faraway places including Mexico, Bulgaria and Pakistan. And luckily for us, they have brought their stories with them.

That's Keo with me in today's pic. He is a Buddhist monk who was born in Cambodia, and who's now working at a Buddhist temple in Riviere-des-Prairies. Let's just say I haven't had too many Buddhist monks in my classes! (Thanks to Mandeep for taking our pic.)

I also met Nasir, who's from Pakistan, and who told the group he has been working on a book having to do with smiling. Great topic, Nasir, and I wish you luck with it. Nasir understands that it is important to write regularly. He says he's been working on his book almost daily for nearly six years. When he asked what to do about writer's block, I suggested several things: that he take a shower (warm water on my head often does the trick for me), go for a brisk walk, or best of all, just keep writing... even if it is only to complain on the page ("I have writer's block. I hate when this happens. I just hate it!!").

Another student named Simon, who comes from Bulgaria, expressed his concern that though he may have a great story to tell, he may not have the ability to express himself well enough to tell  it. I told him I think the story is more important than the style. I also pointed out that if he sticks with his project, and has a positive attitude, he stands a better chance of succeeding than if he gives up before he's even started.

Though I love working with teenagers, it was a special treat to meet with a group of adults this morning. Many thanks to librarian Cathy Boyle for inviting me again to Pius X. You guys are wonderful. Now get started on your stories!!

Now I must admit I have never met Bridget P. But the reason I am sending out three cheers to her is that, as far as I know, she is the first teenager in the world to read my upcoming book, Miracleville. And guess what? She liked it. A lot!!

I happen to know all this because Bridget P. goes to Lake Norman Charter School in Huntersville, North Carolina, where she is part of the teen reading club. Lake Norman is one of 16 American schools taking part in the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)'s YA Galley/Teens' Top Ten program. Students involved in the program receive galley copies (that means advanced reading copies which are distributed before a book's official publication date) of upcoming books. And Bridget liked Miracleville enough to rate it "hard to imagine a better book"!!!

Here's what she said: "The most compelling part... is ... when Ani starts to accept herself for who she is and not worry about what others think." I had the feeling from reading Bridget's review that she really "got" what I was trying to do in the book: have Ani grapple not only with faith, but also with who she is as a person.

When I work on a book, I try to keep in mind an imaginary reader -- someone who's bright and funny and has a lively mind. But it is a very special treat to know that your book has touched a real live teenager named Bridget P, who lives in Huntersville, North Carolina!

Because Bridget also commented that she really liked the cover of the new book, I've posted it here again for you to see. I love the cover, too, Bridget. I danced around my living room when I first saw it!

So here's to Bridget and also to Kathy Corbiere, the enthusiastic media specialist at Lake Norman Charter, who runs the school's teen book club. I wish you all, Bridget and Kathy C and my other dear blog readers, and myself, too, loads more happy reading and writing!!

We spent March break in Havana -- and because Internet access was difficult, I've gone longer than usual without a blog entry. (Hope you haven't been too lonely, dear blog reader.)

Today, I thought I'd reflect a little on the importance of taking some time off every once in a while. If you know me, you'll know I am a very go-go-go person. But I have to admit that this semester, between being back at school full-time and trying to keep up with the business of writing, I have been feeling a little worn-out. So March break couldn't have come at a better time!

Most Canadians who visit Cuba head for the beaches, but we thought we'd explore Havana instead. It's a beautiful, but crumbling city. I don't think I've ever seen such poverty. And yet, there's music everywhere. My two favourite moments of the trip? One was when we passed an old man in the street who was singing to himself -- and he had such a beautiful voice it made our hearts ache. The other occurred in another street -- there was music coming from a little restaurant and a young Cuban couple walked by, and the woman started spontaneously to jiggle her hips and dance. To me, both moments showed that even in difficult circumstances (most Cubans cannot afford basic necessities), people have a need for beauty and creativity.

There was another incident I'll never forget. On one of our daily runs, we were accompanied by a small homeless dog with short legs, but a big personality. It worried me that he was following so closely at our feet, especially since we were in an area with a lot of car traffic. (If you've read my book The Middle of Everywhere, you'll understand why I worry about dogs and vehicles.) So I decided to turn back towards our hotel. My husband wanted to continue running along the seaside, where the traffic was heavier. The little dog (let's call him Perro, which is Spanish for dog) stopped in his tracks. He looked at me, then he turned and looked at my husband. Then he looked back at me, then back at my husband...

and then he followed my husband! (Silly boy!!!)

I got to watch that little fellow's decision-making process.

In the end, my husband and Perro caught back up with me. I brought Perro a bowl of water from our hotel. He was a little nervous when I got close to him, but he drank that water mighty quickly. I went into the hotel to return the bowl... when I came out, Perro had disappeared into the streets of Old Havana. He doesn't have an easy life either, but as my husband pointed out, this little homeless dog still wanted to run and play. Run and play and sing and dance. All, I think, are medicine for the soul.

Have I told you that this strange thing happens to me when I hear a great story?

My shoulders start to TINGLE.

When that happens, I know it's time to find my paper and pen and write down whatever story I just heard.

This afternoon, I visited two Journalism classes at John Abbott College and told the students about my tingling ability!! I also told them that sometimes I feel like a scavenger bird, swooping down when I smell a meaty story.

The Journalism students I met are taught by Deirdre King and Gayle Irwin, both passionate teachers who know a lot about the field. And because many of their students are taking Creative Arts and Languages, Deirdre and Gayle also asked me to talk a little about my work as a fiction writer.

Journalists aim to report the truth. And in our own way, fiction writers do the same. Through made-up stories, we try to get to the heart of things, to what is most important, to what we need and what we hope our readers will need, too.

Here's wishing you, dear blog readers, tingles (or whatever sign your body gives you that you're in the vicinity of a great story!!).

I am the Queen of Weird Writing Exercises. And sometimes, they work!

Today was my final visit to Rosemere High School, where I have been doing a series of writing workshops. So, I tried one of the weird exercises I keep in my bag of tricks. I asked students to write with their non-dominant hand. That means righties work with their left hands, and lefties use their right hands. The theory is that using the left hand forces us to access the right side of the brain, which is believed to be the center of creativity.

I tried the exercise a couple of times this morning. It went particularly well in Mrs. Lewkowicz's class. (It also went well with Mrs. Artiss's students.) While Mrs. Lewkowicz's young writers were working, I circulated in the classroom and because I'm snoopy (a useful trait in a writer!), I tried to peek and see what the students were writing.

I came across one little piece that was so lovely I asked its author -- Catherine C -- whether she would let me share it with you in today's blog entry. Fortunately for you, dear blog reader, Catherine said yes. Here's what she wrote using her left hand:

"This hand is weak. It has been abandoned and unused. It has watched its twin be favoured all its life. It is hurt, but no one notices."

I found myself very moved by Catherine C's words and I wonder if she might write a story, not just about a hand, but about a person who feels the way her hand does. I know I'd want to read it.

One tip: if you try writing with your non-dominant hand, make sure to transcribe what you've written when you're done, using your dominant hand... otherwise, chances are high you might not be able to read what you wrote. Which would be a terrible shame now, wouldn't it?

Special thanks to all my new friends at Rosemere High School. You guys were great! And an extra-special thanks to Mrs. Lewkowicz for organizing the workshops. You're the best, Mrs. L!

Usually, I'm the one who gets to ask the questions! But today Rosel Kim (that's her with me in today's pic) popped by my office at Marianopolis College to interview me. But before she left, I managed to ask Rosel some questions so that I could tell you all about her, dear blog reader.

Rosel works as an English monitor at the college's Learning Resources Centre. She is also a poet and a busy blogger. Her blog, found on her website www.kickaction.ca, focuses on women artists. Rosel told me she got the idea for the blog when she read an article about how male authors get way more book review attention than female ones. "There was a pie chart in the magazine and it was really startling," Rosel told me.

Since Rosel began her blog in November, she has interviewed a female artist almost every week. "I wanted to create a network of emerging and established artists," she said.

I asked Rosel what the most important thing is that she has learned from interviewing women artists. Here's what she told me: "That to make it as an artist, you have to be persistent. And that it's okay to have a day job."

Sure makes sense to me!

Now I didn't EAT lunch with a young writer named Alex. I SPENT lunchtime with him. That's because I was back at Rosemere High -- doing my fourth of five author visits at the school this winter -- and I'd offered to meet with young writers over the lunch break.

Alex brought me a story he'd written. In it, he tells his own modern version of a Greek myth. We looked over the piece together and I suggested some ways to improve it. One thing I pointed out was that he might use fewer words in some of his sentences. The trick, I told him, is to say what he means to say -- quickly and clearly, without wasting any words.

Alex went on to TELL me two stories: one about his life at school, and one about his life at home. I really liked both stories and encouraged him to start writing the one about school. And you know what? He did! And you know what else? He got his new piece off to a fine start.

So today I want to say three cheers for stories and storytelling! And four cheers for Alex, whose company I much enjoyed at lunch.

The reason I'm starting to know my way around Rosemere High School is that this morning was my third of five visits there. This winter, I'm doing a series of writing workshops with RHS students.

In today's pic, you see a lovely young man named Marcus reading from my book What World Is Left. Usually, I read a little during my visits, but since I'm getting over a cold,  I needed  assistance -- and Marcus kindly agreed to help me out. And you know what? It was kind of wonderful hearing SOMEBODY ELSE read my book out loud! So thanks Marcus for the great job!

This was my second visit with Miss Fazio's Grade Sevens. In preparation for today, she'd asked them to interview someone interesting. A student named Jana shared the sad, but beautiful results of what she learned. One of Jana's relatives told her, "My childhood was filled with fear and pain. My imagination helped me escape." When Jana read these lines to us, my arms got tingly. This, for me, is a sign of a great story. Jana, if you're reading this, I hope you have the courage to learn more about this story -- and then to write it, perhaps from the point of view of your relative when he was a teenager. I would definitely want to read it!

I tried all sorts of strange writing exercises with Miss Fazio's class. I made them shake out their hands, do deep breathing, then write with their left hands. A student named Dominique stopped by at the end of my session to say she'd actually come up with a plot for her own story. So maybe there's something to be said for my kooky ideas!

I'll be back at RHS tomorrow afternoon -- hopefully with a working voice! Sleep tight wherever you are!

Today, Montreal-based author Kathleen Winter came to speak to us at Marianopolis College. Winter, the author of the much-acclaimed* novel, Annabel, put all of us in a great mood. That's because she was so frank with us, sharing the challenges she has faced during her career, and because she offered a number of super, practical writing tips. 

Winter told us she spent about 14 years writing before she sold her first novel (which is Annabel): "I have seven unpublished novels under my bed."  She also told us she could wallpaper a room with rejection letters. But she said she had a moment of realization during this period when her work was being rejected: "I realized there must be something I needed to do to improve. I started to look at rejection as a way to ask, 'How can I be better?'"

Winter explained that though Annabel tells the story of an unusual person -- someone who is transgendered -- her goal was to make the book universal. She said she wanted to explore, "something we all share: that we have a real self that gets squashed."

As for writing tips, Winter said she organizes with her mind, but writes with her body. She went on to explain that when she's not sure what will happen next in her story, she gets up from her desk and lets her unconscious mind do some of the work: "I'm asking a question. I feel it with the body."

One of my favourite moments today during Winter's talk was when she was talking about the character of the dad in Annabel. She said, "When I first met him in my mind...." I thought that that was a gorgeous way of putting things and also, for me, very touching. Thanks to her imagination, the character was somehow transformed into someone real.

Here's to Kathleen Winter -- thanks for a super talk -- and to the many characters we'll all still get to meet in our own work and in others' wonderful stories!

*Annabel was nominated for the 2010 Giller Prize, the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, and the Governor General's Literary Award for Fiction.

Today's quote ("The best way to get started is to get started") comes from Montreal picture book author and journalist Jane Barclay. Jane's most recent picture book is Proud as a Peacock, Brave as a Lion, winner of the 2010 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Picture Book Award. Jane was speaking at Marianopolis College today and my three classes came to hear her talk.

Jane shared many tips and I thought I'd mention some of them in today's blog entry. On the subject of how to get started, Jane recommended writing that first sentence -- and then seeing what happens. "That first sentence takes you in a certain direction," she said.

She also said it helps her to break down a large project into smaller parts and to get those done one by one. I was a little surprised when Jane told us that editing is one of her favourite stages of the writing process. (I know Jane quite well, but I never knew that about her!). "Editing is cleaning and polishing," she told us, "it's cutting out the unnecessary."

Jane was also very honest about what writing means to her. She that if she has a problem, she tends to turn to writing as a way to sort it out. She also talked about the challenges and possible complications of writing personal essays, especially those that deal with the people we love: "You have to be prepared to stand by your words."

Perhaps most importantly of all, Jane told us, "You have a voice. Be honest and use it."

Thanks, Jane for coming to visit on such a winter-y day and for sharing your wisdom and your spirit with us!

It's only a little bit sunny out today in Montreal, but the day was sunshiny for me since I spent most of it at an elementary school called Sunshine Academy in Dollard-des-Ormeaux.

I worked with three classes: Mrs. Pedicelli's Grade 4's; Mrs. Petosa's Grade 3's; and Miss Boulos's Grade 5's (though Miss Boulos was absent and Miss Kouri was in charge instead). My visit was organized by librarian extraordinaire Miss Susan.

You know how I'm always telling everyone to be OBSERVANT? Well, I made an interesting observation of my own in Mrs. Pedicelli's class. I noticed that a boy named Dylan keeps a packet of ketchup in  his pencil case. (In my time, I have snoop-ily inspected the insides of many pencil cases, but this was the first time I spotted ketchup!!) Then I uncovered an interesting story: many of the kids in the class keep ketchup packets in their pencil cases. Dylan says he likes to throw his up in the air and catch it; Kelly likes to smear ketchup on her finger and pretend it's blood. I think a story about kids and ketchup could be fun!

I told Mrs. Petosa's class that, like the Inuit students I have met in my travels to Nunavik, I am also a hunter. Then I asked Mrs. Petosa's students what they think I hunt for. The answer I had in mind was STORIES. Only a student named Julien came up with another very good answer: WORDS. You're quite right, Julien, we writers (and by that I mean every one of us who does any kind of writing, so that includes students, too!) need to HUNT for the RIGHT WORDS!

The Grade 5 gang really responded well when I read them some bits of my books Home Invasion and What World Is Left. I was inspired to read from What World Is Left (a novel about the Holocaust and based on my own mum's experience during World War II) because I noticed several posters on the wall about Anne Frank. (Did I ever tell you my mum knew Anne Frank? They attended the same school in Amsterdam and were in the same grade.) When I told the Grade 5's that I write every single day, a student named Adrian told us he's as serious about swimming as I am about writing. Even in winter, Adrian swims five times a week.

So here's to Sunshine (both the school and in our sky!) and to dedication to things we love to do.

I'll be back again at Sunshine Academy on March 18. I'll make sure to stay through lunch in case any of you students at Sunshine want to show me the stories you're working on. Have a great weekend wherever you are!

Hi blog readers!

First, I want to say that I never got as many comments as I did following last week's visit to Honoré Mercier School. Thanks to all of you for being in touch. I will try to imagine your faces the next time I get a little discouraged during the writing process... and that'll help me keep on writing!!

I spent today at Rosemere High School. It was my second of five visits I'll be making there this winter.

I worked with three classes (that's my first group in the pic to the left -- note how hard they are working on a writing exercise!) as well as the school's Book Club (that's me and librarian Madame Plante with the Book Club members in the second pic. I am squeezing the shoulders of a very bright boy named Mikael!).

I did my best to inspire students to write and I also shared some of my tried-and-true writing tips. But because I am a kind of SPY, I also observed the students at Rosemere High. Amongst my observations: a student named Melissa who has a habit of shredding paper into tiny squares (I have never met a human shredder before!!); and a student named Amanda who matches her nail polish with her clothes (today she was wearing an egg-yolk yellow top). I also told the students to write down FUNNY things that happen, since these can possibly be used in stories, too. When I was telling Mrs. Weir's class about my book 121 Express, which is based on a real bus where the kids go crazy every afternoon, I asked Mrs. Weir's students what they thought I brought with me when I took the bus myself. "Advil!" a student named Kelly replied, and we all cracked up.

The Book Club students had read my book The Middle of Everywhere and were eager to learn more about life in the north. Mrs. Weinstein's students had also read the book; they, too, had good questions -- and were especially interested in the relationship between fact and fiction (Did I really see a polar bear? Well... I have to admit... I didn't!! That's where IMAGINATION and RESEARCH come in!) Mrs. Weinstein's students also impressed me because they knew my favourite writing rule (thanks to Mrs. W): "Show; don't tell!"

When I asked Mrs. Lewkowicz's class where they can go to find stories, a student named Alexina pointed at her head. I thought that was a great answer! But you know what else? There are stories EVERYWHERE, ALL AROUND YOU. In addition to going inside your head and using your IMAGINATION, you can also use your powers of observation and your interviewing skills to find even more stories.

I'd write more, but hey, I've got an assignment I'm supposed to be working on for The Gazette. Whatever school you go to, wherever you are, even if you're not a student any more... good luck finding stories, and especially the one story you really need to write!!

Hello, hello, dear blog readers! So I'm just back from a happy busy day at Honoré Mercier School in St. Leonard. In fact, I've got so much to tell you that I hardly know where to begin! But, as I was telling the students today, every story needs a beginning, so here goes: The first thing I saw at Honoré Mercier were some amazing posters made by students in Grade Five. (You can see the posters and the students who made them in the second of today's pics. Honestly, I think some of the posters are just as nice as the covers on some of my books!)

In the first pic, you will meet Gabriele. I was on the look-out for him all day since his big brother Marco is one of my students at Marianopolis. And Gabriele looks like Marco, too! So I made sure to get a pic of the two of us -- we wanted to surprise Marco when he next checks out this blog! (Hi Marco!!)

The students at Honore Mercier are really focused, well-behaved and smart. I even worked with kids in pre-K and kindergarten -- and they were keen to learn about how writers need to be observant. I think they enjoyed when I asked them to share their observations about the gym where I was doing my talks. One boy noticed how the floor had a particular smell! And you know what else was fun about talking to the littlest kids? THEY CAME ROUND TO HUG ME AFTERWARDS!! You can be sure this does not happen at college!!!

Here are some other highlights of my day. The girls in Grades One and Two were wearing some amazing headbands. One of them was pink with sparkles -- I must say it made me wish I was young again and could wear such a dazzling hairband! Speaking of smells, when I was receiving hugs from the K and pre-K students, I noticed how one boy's T-shirt smelled of delicious fresh-washed laundry!! During the period before lunch, the Grades 3 and 4 students had many terrific questions and comments. Massimo wanted to know if I write on a computer or by hand. (The answer is both. Sometimes, I find that if I'm getting a little stuck on the computer, it helps to switch to writing by hand.) When I was talking about how I sometimes get good ideas when I am waking up or falling asleep, a clever student named Seth came up with a new word: "sleepwriting." Hey, Seth, I love that word!! Another student named Tyler said: "I've tried writing a book and it's a lot of hard work." Good for you, Tyler! You sound like a true writer. It is hard work and you mustn't let that stop you. I, for one, enjoy hard work. In fact, if things are too easy, I get tired of them quickly.

I finished my day with the Grades 5 and 6 students. They were a delightful audience and I didn't need to train them in good body language. Almost all of them were taking notes and looking interested.

A special thank you to librarian Mr. Walter for inviting me to the school. Principal Mrs. Manos (do you know she was named Principal of the Year?) really encourages students to do their best in both the arts and sciences. Thanks also to vice-principal Mrs. Sammarco for helping to organize Literacy Week. And a special thank you to Angelina Di Zanno, a parent volunteer at the school, who was my chaperone all day, and whom I feel as if I've known a lot longer than just a day!!

To my new friends at Honoré Mercier, enjoy the privilege of going to such a dynamic school where so many good things are happening. Remember -- stay out of trouble! But if trouble ever strikes, remember you can use it in your stories. Stay in touch. Happy reading and writing!!

In today's pic, you'll meet my "Stuff of Nonsense" Humanities class. They're my Monday and Wednesday 8:15 group. They look pretty lively, don't they -- especially for such early-risers? 

I bet you are wondering what in the world happens in a course called "Stuff of Nonsense." Well, we study the underlying meaning of nonsense. Today, we analyzed a joke about a teen and her mum. I warned the students in the class that by about Week Four of this term, they will no longer be able to simply laugh at a joke -- that's because they'll be ANALYZING it. In other words, I'll be ruining jokes for them. (Not to worry -- it's only a temporary effect -- by the end of the term they'll be analyzing jokes and laughing at them at more or less the same time.)

I am also trying to load another pic for you -- it's the cover of Poupée, the French translation of my YA novel On the Game -- due out next month with La Courte Echelle. And it's such a great cover, too. I really want you to see it! Only the file is too big and I am too confused to figure out how to make it smaller. I JUST FIGURED OUT A WAY TO DO IT. (I'll admit it's not perfect photography on my part, but hey, I get points for effort and endurance!)

That's it for today's blog entry. I've got to go read and write!!

I spent today at Rosemere High School, where I worked with two lively Secondary I classes. My visit was sponsored by a program called Culture in the Schools and organized by Rosemere High English teacher Freda Lewkowicz. I was excited to meet the students and also Freda, who, because she writes for newspapers including The Gazette -- usually on the Op-Ed page -- I felt as if I already knew!

So, let me tell you a little about today's pics: The first two were taken during my morning session. In the top pic, you'll see two students named Lee-ann and Anjolina pretending to read my book Scarred! (I told the students I was getting a little tired of group photos for the blog, and so the girls suggested this pic instead.) In the second pic, you'll see the students with their teacher Miss Fazio. Because Miss Fazio is so young-looking, I'd better point her out: she's in the middle, wearing a grey sweater.

You are probably wondering about the last picture: an arm with a lot of writing on it. This literary limb belongs to a student named Stephanie, who was in my afternoon group. As I told the students, I am always snooping for stories and characters and details -- I thought Stephanie's arm was very cool -- a kind of work of art. Some other things I snooped out today: a student named Alyssa who loves the colour purple (she was wearing a purple hoodie, using a purple eraser and her watch was ... you guessed it... purple!); a student named Dominique, who told us her mom runs a daycare (we discussed how a daycare could make an interesting setting for a story, especially a story told by a teenage narrator whose mom just happens to run a daycare ("What do you have access to?" See Sunday's blog entry if you don't know what I'm talking about!).

The afternoon class I worked with is taught by Mrs. Weir. But I found out something really interesting about this group -- they've had several teachers since school started. Hmm, that gets me thinking... wouldn't you like to read about that class?

I'll end today's blog entry with a funny moment. I always bring one of each of my books with me when I do a writing workshop. A guy named Kevin looked at the books (there are 11 of them so far), and asked, "These are the ONLY books you wrote?" To which I said, "Hey, Kevin, there's 11 of 'em. Isn't that good enough?!!" The answer is apparently not. Well,  there's good news, Kevin: I've got another book coming out this spring!

I'll be back at Rosemere on Feb. 1 since I'm doing a series of workshops with students there. I'm already looking forward to my return visit. Have a good weekend wherever you are... and good luck snooping for stories!!

Either you are thinking that the young people in today's pics are very very lucky -- imagine spending four hours with me every week for the next 15 weeks... or else you think they are very unlucky (for the same reason!!). In the first pic, you can meet my Journalism class. In the bottom pic, you can meet my Writing for Children students.

I was thinking that these could work as "before" photos (as in "before and after" photos in which a plain woman (or man) is transformed into a great beauty. As you can see, my students are already very good looking! I'm interested in a different sort of transformation... an internal one. You see, some of these young people are going to turn into writers. And for me, that's a very exciting process to be part of!

I have to admit I was just a wee bit sorry to return to teaching this week... there is, after all, something to be said for an eight-month sabbatical. (Think of snowy days when a stay-at-home writer can stay-at-home in her flannel PJs all day long!!) But you know what? All  my students this term (there's another group -- my Stuff of Nonsense class and I'll try to get their pic for you next week) strike me as bright and interested and interesting. And you know what I am? Lucky to be their teacher!

Except for having to get up a little too early, I actually enjoyed being back in the classroom today after an eight month absence.

I made students in my first class do a stretching exercise -- to prove the point that it feels good to stretch (they weren't so sure, so I had them test it out... and then I told them to keep stretching until they agreed it felt good!!). I was trying to show my class the importance of stretching intellectually, so I tried using the example of physical stretching.

My first class was "Stuff of Nonsense," and I'm just in from teaching "Writing for Children." At the start of the semester, I often talk about body language. I asked students whether they knew the term in poker for when someone's body language reveals that he is, for example, bluffing or holding valuable cards. A student named Marc called out the word I wanted: "Tell!" .... which got me thinking how body language can TELL us information during poker, and it can also help us TELL our stories when we write them. For me, a lot of life is about telling, as in "What's the best story you can tell?" I grew up in a noisy family with many good storytellers. If you wanted attention (and a moment or two of relative quiet from your relatives), you needed to have the best possible story. That may be partly why I became a writer...

I also asked students in my second class whether they love the sounds of words. I have to admit, they looked at me like I was a little wacky for even asking that question. (I thought of it because I had just used the word "judicious," advising the class to "make judicious use of the intelligent nod," and I just love sound of the word "judicious." It sounds... well... juicy and delicious!)

Well, that's all you're getting from me today, dear blog readers. Though I'm a little tired after my first day back at school, I am planning to try and do just a wee bit of writing and reading before dinner. Hope you're stretching (physically and mentally), and watching for TELLS of all kinds, and nodding judiciously (this makes us look intelligent) and saying (and writing) words that are just plain fun to say!!

Even on the last day of my eight-month sabbatical from teaching at Marianopolis College, I managed to think of you, dear blog reader!

I spent most of today snowshoeing at Doncaster Park in Ste-Adele. And because I was with three visual artists, my friend Thomas Kneubuhler, and his friends Andreas Rutkauskas and Jessica Auer, there was a lot of talk about creative stuff, especially photography. (There were also, as you can imagine, several photo-taking stops!!) Andreas, who teaches at Vanier College and Concordia University, said something really interesting that I thought applies not only to photography, but also to writing (that's when I thought to myself, "Hey,  I should mention that in a blog entry.") Here's what it was: Andreas says he often tells his photography students to consider what sorts of things they have "access to" and that they should share this access with their viewers.

Now, usually, I'd have a pen and paper in my pocket or purse, but all I had with me today was an extra pair of mitts. So, just for you, I made a point of remembering Andreas's wise remark. And here's something for us all to do: consider what sorts of things we have "access to" -- worlds that others might know little about. Maybe that'll lead to a subject for a photo -- or a story. 

Let me know if Andreas's trick works for you!

And one more thing that connects photography and writing" Jessica told me she rarely goes anywhere without her camera... I had explained that I get up early to write three pages in my journal every single day, so Jessica said, "My taking pictures every day is like you writing in your journal." Which means we all need to PRACTICE. Hey check out Thomas's, Andreas's, and Jessica's websites (I've given you the links in paragraph two) to see what they've got "access to."

P.S.: Thanks to Thomas for today's picture!

Nearly all week, I've been reading submissions from a group of 74 Quebec writers who have applied to the Quebec Writers' Federation Mentorship Program. The writers who are chosen will be paired up with several professional writers and will get a special privilege: one-on-one coaching.

This is the first time I've been asked to be part of the jury that reads submissions and it has been a humbling experience. First of all, many of the new writers are really talented. They have interesting stories to tell and compelling voices. But the other part of the experience that has been humbling is reading the letters of intention they've been asked to write. Many describe struggling to write in a "vacuum," and not knowing whether their work is good enough, or will ever be good enough. For me, it's a sometimes painful reminder of how I felt for many years in my own life when I was struggling to find my voice and the stories I needed to tell, and then to get published.

So, if you're an aspiring writer reading today's entry, all I can tell you is keep the faith. But most of all, keep writing -- and reading. It's those of us who don't give up (even when we're awfully tempted to!!) who make it. Here's to courage and stick-to-it-ive-ness!!

Did I mention that I return to full-time teaching on Monday morning at 8:15? Expect to read all about it right here!

I know it's 2011, but in my head, it's August 1942. That's because, as part of my work on my latest book project, I've been researching the Battle of Dieppe, which took place on August 19, 1942 -- and in which thousands of Canadian soldiers were injured, killed or taken as prisoners.

In particular, I've been looking at how Canadian newspapers covered the story of Dieppe. What's interesting is that early reports are largely positive. The huge number of deaths and casualties was revealed slowly and the focus was on the so-called "lessons" learned at Dieppe.

As well as looking at old newspapers on microfiche, I have been reading Hugh Brewster's moving novel Prisoner of Dieppe. It's part of Scholastic's I Am Canada series. What I like so much about Brewster's book is that his characters really bring history to life. I got so involved reading about Alistair Morrison that I forgot I was doing research! 

My favourite scenes in Brewster's book have to do with the friendship between Alistair and a young man named Mackie. Before the boys go into battle, Mackie gives Alistair a little mirror to put in his pocket -- and that mirror turns out to be very useful. Read this little excerpt and you'll understand why:  "I reached in and pulled out the metal hand mirror that Mackie had given me. It had been punched inwards and shaped like a tiny fist. Clasped inside its bent edges was a jagged piece of shrapnel that had been headed for my heart."

Can't you just see it -- and feel it?

Here's to historical fiction that really works!

One of the books I read over the holidays was Haruki Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. Murakami is a Japanese novelist and marathoner and he draws many interesting and often surprising comparisons between writing and running. 

Though Murakami concedes that writing requires some talent, he seems to be even more interested in the dual powers of focus and endurance. Here's a quote from his book: "Writing novels, to me, is basically a kind of manual labor.... It doesn't involve heavy lifting, running fast, or leaping high.... You might not move your body around, but there's grueling, dynamic labor going on inside you.... a writer puts on an outfit called narrative and thinks with his entire being."

Smart, don't you think? I especially like Murakami's use of a clothing metaphor ("puts on an outfit") to describe the writer's relationship with story. For me, running is a great time to clear my head and sometimes, if I'm really lucky, to get ideas for my stories... but perhaps Murakami is right and all my years of running have helped strengthen my focus and endurance muscles. 

So, have I made you want to go for a run?

Maybe I'm being a little too optimistic -- considering it's only the second day of January 2011... but look what I saw outside today! Two clotheslines in action!! (One of them is mine -- that's our butter-coloured balcony.) So this means there are at least two crazy households here in Montreal -- hanging out our laundry with a couple of feet of snow on the ground!

This is just a short entry to wish you, dear blog reader, all the best in 2011. And in case you are missing me very much, here are links to two sites where you can see me in person. (One is the Quebec Roots website where visual artist Thomas Kneubuhler posted a spirited multilingual greeting from our trip to Nunavik; the other is a little interview with yours truly that was aired on CTV on December 31. If you want to check out the CTV interview, you need to look for my name on the right side of the CTV Montreal homepage... not sure how much longer it'll be on their website.)

Okay, more news from me later this week. Time to see if our sheets are dry!!

PS: I guess it's Show 'n Tell around here today -- I just posted an image of the cover of Miracleville -- due out this spring. Pretty, isn't it?!!

It's a good thing that you can't hear me singing the title of today's blog entry because I am an awful singer. Even my own husband asks me to stop singing when he hears me!

But I do want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a very happy and healthy New Year ahead. What have you been up to over the holidays?

I spent most of my day yesterday on the couch recovering from a cat attack! I know, I know... trouble makes a good story, but I'd rather not have this particular good story to tell! Anyway, I am babysitting a cat and I got a little too close to him, and next thing I know he took a nip at my forehead. My daughter blames my big hair -- she says he probably thought my hair was a strange creature.

I kept myself busy on the couch by reading K.L. Denman's YA book, Me, Myself and Ike, which was recently nominated for the Governor General's Prize. It's a super interesting book and it chronicles a young man's descent into schizophrenia. It's not an easy read, that's for sure, but Denman does a great job of capturing what the narrator (Kit) is going through. K.L. Denman and I share the same wonderful editor -- Sarah Harvey at Orca Books. 

In the novel, Kit wants to climb a mountain. I was thinking how, in our own ways, we all want to climb mountains (or write books, or raise children... mountains don't necessarily have to be high and have snow on top)... so my wish for today is that you keep climbing to your mountaintop -- wherever it is and whatever it might be! And stay away from (wo)man-eating cats!

Visual artist Thomas Kneubuhler and I are in Kangirsuk, a village of some 450 people, located on the Payne River, about 12 kilometers from Ungava Bay. We spent our day at Sautjuit School, working with teacher Velta Douglas's secondary students. And it was a magic day.

Here's why: it was quite foggy this morning, but it just so happened to clear up exactly after Thomas had finished his photo workshop and was ready to head outside with the students and their cameras. By the way, I should also tell you that Velta managed to get ten super fancy digital SLR cameras for her students -- she applied for and got a grant to cover the cost of the cameras... anyway, the students didn't just look like professionals, they behaved like professionals, too! Right now, Thomas is on his computer, reviewing the photos the students took today -- and tomorrow he'll give us all his feedback on their shots.

Like the other classes involved in this year's Quebec Roots project, the group here has had to come up with an idea for their chapter in this year's edition of Quebec Roots: The Place Where I Live. They've decided to focus on the land, and plan to call their chapter, "On the Land/From the Land." My job was to inspire them to do some writing. I explained how I'm hooked on writing and how writing (and reading) have helped me through the toughest moments in my life. I also talked about how writing takes courage. Together, we managed to produce a few group poems. They supplied the details and most of the language; I was the cheerleader at the blackboard -- and one especially cooperative student, Malaiya, was our official scribe, writing down everything and not once getting upset when we crossed things out and added new stuff.

We did a couple of poems about the students' experience on the land. I tried to stress the importance of details -- I explained how readers remember strong details. Jessie came up with a gorgeous unforgettable detail -- about a snowy owl landing on a wooden cross. Aaaahh! Jessie, you brought me with you there, and made me feel like I saw that snowy owl, too. 

Just about all the students made some sort of contribution to the writing. Christopher shared some great stories about a walrus and a polar bear. Susie helped to describe a woman named Sarah who had died in a nearby community, by telling us she came to Kangirsuk "when her family needed her or if there was a funeral." This detail will help readers get to know Sarah, too, and feel how kind she was.

I took notes during Thomas's talk, too. I liked how he told the students, "First I think before I take a picture." Of course, that's great advice when it comes to writing, too. Thomas also compared himself to Joe Juneau, the former NHL player who's been working with students throughout Nunavik. Thomas said, "I'm a photography coach." Which makes me a writing coach. And today, we two coaches had a magic day. Thanks to Velta Douglas for doing such good preparatory work with her students and for training them to be expressive and polite (she uses an ingenious reward system called "Meltas") and to her students for sharing their stories and this beautiful place where they live with us!!

Ikusik School in Salluit is closed this morning on account of high winds -- they're gusting at about 80 kilometers an hour right now. My flight to Kangirsuk has been cancelled. I'm hoping the students will be able to make it in this afternoon so that I can maximize my time here and do a few more writing workshops. Then, if all goes well, I'll fly out to Kangirsuk first thing tomorrow morning.

Yesterday, I worked with Janie, who teaches Grade Six French. Janie and her students are working on a Christmas story and she asked if I might have some tips for her. "Last year," she said, "the students wrote a story about elves who fart on the lake. This year, I want them to have more ideas!"

I suggested to Janie that she encourage the students to interview their grandparents -- and ask them about obstacles they've faced in their lives and how they overcame them. We also discussed how the real theme of Christmas is new beginnings. Perhaps, Janie's students can come up with a character together (they'll need to do some brainstorming in order to decide basic things about this character -- is it a boy or girl? how old is he or she? what does he or she want most in the world? what obstacles does he or she face? what could be a new beginning for this character?)

I also helped Katherine's Grade Seven English class write a group poem. Just about everyone in the class contributed. I'm going to post what the students came up with. I think it's pretty beautiful! (Oh, you'll need to know that pualuk means mittens in Inuktitut.)

Happy Winter Days in Salluit 

By Katherine's Grade Seven Class

After school

Just snow

The air smells fresh

My hands are warm inside my pualuk

I made them myself in girls' culture class

They keep me warm and I'm proud because I made them.

After school

Just snow

I climb up on a pile of snow

And flip over on my back

A bit of snow gets in under my jacket

And melts on my back

I feel cold, but happy.

One day, I'd like to see the beach in Los Angeles

Or a basketball game in Montreal

Or get a hug from Justin Bieber!

For now, though, I'm playing in Salluit and having a snowball fight.

I'm writing to you today from Ikuskik School in Salluit, in Nunavik. It's lunch time and I should really be eating lunch... but I couldn't resist slipping into the computer room so that I could send you my report!

Salluit is a beautiful snowy town on the Hudson Bay. I am working with Katherine's classes. I've already worked with a couple of her groups. I asked Katherine's Grades 7 students whether any of them liked to read or write. No one said anything at first, but then I caught a student named Maina looking at one of my books. Ah ha, I thought to myself, here's a reader!! 

A few of Maina's classmates talked about how they go hunting for seal and caribou. I told them I'm a hunter, too, only I hunt for stories. I'm also a spy... wherever I go, I try to observe people and listen to their stories. Sometimes, I tell my students that the air around me feels "thick with stories." That's how it feels here in Salluit. 

Tragically, the day before I arrived, a little boy was killed here in a car accident. In a town this size, everyone is touched by this death. I offered my condolences today to the students I met, and I told them how for me, when life gets really tough, when I feel close to giving up hope... I turn to writing and reading. Perhaps my visit here will inspire some of them to do the same.

I am writing to you today from Orchard Elementary School in Lasalle, Quebec. I'm here doing a series of writing workshops. I started my day with the kindergarten classes and am working my way up to the senior students. What I find interesting is that the basics of writing stay the same -- no matter if I am teaching kids in kindergarten or my own students at Marianopolis College.
So, today I've been focusing on what I call the "hunt" for stories and how I ask the question, "What if?" when I begin imagining a story. I'm going to tell you a little about some of my happiest moments today. Here goes: A kindergarten student named Dyrhon gave me a spontaneous hug after my presentation. Now, that doesn't happen much in college!!
Two other kindergarteners -- Naijah and Alyssa -- told me they've both decided to become writers. I told them I only started writing seriously when I was in my mid-thirties. Think how experienced Naijah and Alyssa are going to be when they hit my age!!
Other happy moments: When I was trying to make the point that writing, like anything we want to get good at, takes practise, one of the older students, Kamiyha explained how she plays badminton "a lot." I explained that I write A LOT, too.
I also heard a gross but captivating story from a student named Justin. When Justin's brothers' dad was a kid, his finger got badly cut... it was hanging from a thread of skin. Gross right?... but see how the details bring this story to life? And now here comes my favourite detail in Justin's story: the dad's mom made him eat his breakfast before she took him to the hospital! Now, that's a story I'll never forget!
So, thanks to my friends at Orchard Elementary and to principal Mrs. Liz Rivard for inviting me here today. Madame Wendy, the school librarian, isn't at Orchard on Mondays, but she's one of my favourite librarians! So, here's to hunting for stories and including the details that can help bring our stories to life!!

My book The Middle of Everywhere, which is set in Nunavik (did I tell you I'm heading back there on Tuesday morning?!) did not win the 2010 QWF Prize for Children's and YA Fiction. The prize went to a delightful book called Rough Magic by Montreal author Caryl Cude Mullin. That is Caryl at the centre of today's pic. I know her book is delightful because I'm reading it. It's a fantasy inspired by Shakespeare's play The Tempest. Also up for the award was Catherine Austen (she's wearing the black and white checkered dress) for her wonderful book Walking Backward. I encourage you to read both these books.

After the awards gala on Tuesday night, several friends came up to me and offered their condolences. But I explained -- and I really meant it -- that I was honoured that The Middle of Everywhere was nominated for this prize and honoured, too, to be in such fine company!

It's normal and probably healthy, too, to feel competitive. But one thing I do believe: there is endless room for talent. I also believe that by supporting talent in others we nurture our own. Well, that's more than enough wisdom from me for one day, isn't it? Time now to get back to my latest manuscript!

I'm just back at my desk after today's visit to Beaconsfield High School, where I worked with Miss Cochrane's Grades Seven and Nine classes. I've visited BHS before, and I've come to have a lot of admiration for Miss Cochrane, who really gives her all to her students.

This morning, another local YA writer, my friend Lori Weber. worked with some of the same students. So, in a way, I had an extra challenge: keeping the students interested in the second half of their day (just when they were getting sluggish and when they had already met a writer. I mean, how many writers can people handle in a day?!).

I'll be frank here: A few of the students exhibited body language that was less than ideal -- using each other as human pillows and nudging their neighbours. I have to admit I found that a little frustrating. But the atmosphere changed dramatically when we started discussing my book The Middle of Everywhere. Many of the students had read the book and had really good questions about it. One wanted to know if I'd ever seen a polar bear (no!), and someone else wanted to know if the part about a guy's getting his finger chopped off was true (also no). Another student seemed to know more than I do about polar bears. He said their fur is transparent and the skin underneath the fur gives them their whitish-yellow colour. Very cool. (Too bad I didn't meet this young polar bear expert while I was working on the book.)

Anyway, I must say that the students' questions showed how smart they are, and how carefully they read -- and especially that they think about things. And in my own way, of course, I'm glad my book got them thinking. I should also say there were several young people whose body language was "right on" -- I felt as if I could see their brains working... thinking about how stories work and considering where to go and whom to talk to in order to find exciting, inspiring and perhaps even funny stories. (By the way, the student in today's pic is NOT SLEEPING -- she was doing a writing exercise that involved closing her eyes in order to access an old memory!)

So special thanks go out today to the students at BHS who listened attentively, who asked good questions, who think about things -- and to Miss Cochrane for being so wise and kind.

Talk about body language! Have a look at today's pic -- that's Cedric, a student at James Lyng High School here in Montreal, who was hiding under his T-shirt during the first part of my visit today. (But I noticed that once I got to talking about writing, and especially about my book What World Is Left, Cedric emerged from under his T-shirt! Besides, he had an excuse -- he told me he was cold.)

Anyway, I'm always telling students how I feel the air is"thick with stories." Well, it certainly is at James Lyng. I worked with three groups of students, all of whom are taught by Mrs. Bourne. One student told me that Mrs. Bourne is "like a second mother to us."

So here's a few bits and pieces from my day: A student named Derrick responded to an exercise I gave about retrieving a memory by writing a short paragraph about coming up empty. I suggested he might turn it into a poem -- I had the strong feeling that Derrick has a poetic soul -- and you know what? He wrote something lovely, and very moving.

I told the students that like working out, writing requires constant practice. Then a student named Amber explained how she plays football with her brothers every single day. I thought that was a great example, and I imagine Amber plays a pretty good game of football! Amber, keep working on the writing, too. Slowly, you need to build your skills and endurance -- just like with football!

Matthew wrote a fine descriptive paragraph set during World War II. Lahteisha understood immediately when I said my stories start with a little bit of something true -- I knew it from her eyes and also because she said, "then you expand on it." Which is exactly what I do: start with something true, then let it expand in my mind by asking myself the question, "What if?"

And Ashley Tibbo, what can I say? Your writing showed me that you are a writer. Not to mention that you have a perfect writing name. I can already imagine it on a book cover!

Have a great weekend all of you. This was a special week for me -- in which I got to meet many special inspiring young people at Beurling and at James Lyng. Get started on the stories that matter most to you!

Hey, those people in today's pic don't go to Beurling Academy!! Sorry for confusing you, dear blog readers. Those are two interesting people I met last night at Salon du Livre here in Montreal. But I'll tell you about that in the second half of today's blog entry. First, you probably want to know how Day Three at Beurling went.

The answer is: very well. Even those students who were less than focused yesterday were on track today. Usually, when I do school visits, I only spend a day working at a school, so having three days at Beurling really gave me the feeling I miss most about having my own class: a real sense of connection.

This morning, I worked with two Ethics classes, as well as an English and Creative Writing class. For the ethics discussion, I focused on my novel What World Is Left which I hope raises some important ethical questions like: What are we willing to do to stay alive? Is anyone perfectly good or perfectly evil?

And I'm still pondering the issue that Tamara raised on my first day at Beurling: Is it somehow selfish of us to want to hear other people's stories, especially their painful private stories? It's a great question and one that would probably take way more than a book to answer. I do think, though, that people have a need to share their stories (even the painful private ones) and that listening to these stories, with respect and an open heart, is a kind of gift we can give to others. And of course, their stories are a gift to us.

So thanks to all of you at Beurling Academy for making me feel so welcome. Thanks to the students, to Miss Debi and to librarian Helene Bourguigon. You guys are amazing!

Now I want to tell you a little about last night's visit to Salon du Livre. I was invited by the publishing company Courte Echelle, which is bringing out my novel On the Game in French in February. Merveilleux, n'est-ce-pas?! I found out exciting news -- that the French title of the book will be Poupée. And though I didn't know anyone in the room, I resisted my urge to flee (you see -- even naturally outgoing people like me sometimes get shy!!), and met some really fun people. In the pic at the top of today'  blog entry, you, too, can meet illustrator Guillaume Maccabée and translator Amy-Lou Lafontaine. Guillaume is the illustrator of the popular Emo series. Amy-Lou's most recent translation is of the novel Mammouth Académie, tome 4.

And because I'm naturally curious (and always thinking of you, dear blog readers), I asked Guillaume a little about how he works. He told me that before he starts to draw, he takes deep breaths. "It opens a channel in me," he said. He also told me that he thinks, "a word is worth a thousand pictures!" ... Guillaume, if you're reading this, you will be pleased to know that this morning when I worked with the Creative Writing class at Beurling, I had them do some deep breathing before their writing exercise. Hopefully, your trick helped open up their channels, too!

Hello again, blog readers. Today, I am back at my desk after an action-packed second day at Beurling Academy in Verdun.

Meet Vicky (that's her in today's pic). Vicky is in Miss Debi's Grade 11 Creative Writing class and she and some of her classmates stayed behind after my session to chat a little more about the world of writing.

But first, I worked with Miss Debi's Grade 10 English class -- a group I also saw yesterday and will meet again tomorrow. It isn't right for teachers (or authors!!) to have favourites, but I have to say these kids are stealing my heart. Even Bradley who was facing away from me AGAIN today -- despite all my encouraging advice to him yesterday about eye contact!! I forgot to tell you how yesterday, Bradley shared a very interesting observation about men's behavior in bathrooms (something I have been unable to research personally on account of my being a woman!) -- Bradley says there is what he calls "a two stall rule,"  meaning that when men pee, they tend to try and leave an open stall between them. That's what I call insider information and books need lots of insider info!!

A student named Ashley in the Creative Writing group struck me as intriguing. I noticed several unusual things about her: her socks were wet (she'd stepped in a puddle on the way to school); her socks did not match (one had rainbow stripes, the other had blue stripes); she has a snakebite piercing under her lip; and she had blue marker markings all over one arm (from a "marker fight" yesterday). When we got to chatting, Ashley explained that those unmatched socks are actually lucky socks -- and that she is -- here comes the most interesting part -- a grappler. (Which is like a wrestler.)

I don't know about you, but I love the word "grappling." I'm a grappler, too, only I don't grapple other people's bodies! I grapple with ideas.

This wouldn't be an honest entry if I told you that everything went super well today at Beurling. There was a small group of students in the Creative Writing class who were, let's say, a little less than focused. I call this kind of behavior "resistant." And you know what it means to me? Not that these young people aren't interested in learning about writing -- but that they must have some seriously interesting and important stories of their own to share. Only they're resistant. So here's my challenge to all of you, today: may you be brave enough to find and tell your stories!!

Hey, blog readers! Today, I am writing to you from the library at Beurling Academy in Verdun. I'll be here the next three days doing workshops with the school's Grades 10 and 11 students. So far, if I may say so myself, things are going super well! That may be because some of the students here already know quite a bit about the Holocaust, the subject of my book What World Is Left. They have been studying the Holocaust in their Ethics classes. Last week, Ethics teacher Miss Debi took some of her students to the Montreal Holocaust Centre where they actually had the opportunity to meet and interview survivors.

I was telling my first group this morning how important details are to story telling. Details bring a story alive, but too many details can bog a story down and make your reader lose interest. So it's a question of finding the right balance. By way of example, I pointed out a few details I had observed by looking at my audience. A student named Bradley was the only one in the group who had his back to me. When I got him to turn around, Bradley admitted something interesting: that he dislikes making eye contact. This led us to a little discussion about eye contact and its importance (I told Bradley he is more likely to be stopped at the border if he doesn't make eye contact with the border patrol officer!). Anyway, Bradley happens to have very kind eyes, and when he did look at me, it was great! I also observed a student named Tamara (that is Tamara in today's pic, wearing a white shirt) who was scratching her paper with her pen. In all my years of working with students, I had never noticed this sort of scratching before -- and so I immediately wrote it down in my notes. As I told the students, I am always looking for young people to "people" my stories. So, who knows? Maybe Bradley and Tamara will turn up (names changed, of course!) in an upcoming book!

At recess, Tamara re-appeared and she told me a little about her visit to the Montreal Holocaust Centre last week. Tamara had mixed feelings about interviewing a survivor. She wanted to know more, but felt a little bad about her curiosity.... guilty, I guess. I told Tamara that her response shows remarkable sophistication and sensitivity. Perhaps here, too, as in including details in a story, the trick is to find the right balance. Curiosity is vital, but we also want to tread gently when we ask difficult questions. So special thanks to the students I've met so far for being so open with me. Thanks to Miss Debi, and to librarian Helene Bourguignon (she is also in today's pic) for arranging this week's visit. Oh, and I nearly forgot to tell you two fun coincidences. A student here named Netta had already heard me before -- a couple of years ago when I visited her school in New Carlisle in the Gaspe! (Hope I didn't say too many of the same things, Netta!) And a Beurling math teacher named Mr. Swiderski popped by to say hi, too. He was my student at Marianopolis in 1995!! (I love coincidences.) ... Have a great day wherever you are!

How you may ask can there be two -- count them, two! -- Miss Fréchettes at Shawinigan High School? How confusing for the students!! And to make matters even MORE confusing, the two Miss Fréchettes are identical twins!! (That is them in today's pic.)

Thank goodness that yesterday they were wearing their hair in different styles. Otherwise, photographer Monique Dykstra and I, who were at the school helping students work on their chapter in this year's edition of Quebec Roots: The Place Where I Live, would have been unable to tell the Miss Fréchettes apart. That is Cloann Fréchette with her hair down, and Marilou Fréchette with her hair piled on top of her head.

So, I was thinking... wouldn't it make a great story to have two identical twin sisters teaching in the same school? Imagine the possibilities for fun -- and trouble (two essential ingredients in a good story!!).

One more thing... before I get back to work on my newest book project... Monique Dykstra was shooting photos at the school yesterday when she turned to me and said, "What I'm trying to do with pictures is not be so afraid. When you're afraid, you don't try something new -- you just want the picture to work. Fear drowns out instinct." Of course, I thought that what she said was so smart that I grabbed my pen and wrote it down. So today, I'm wishing you -- and me, and Monique D, courage to try new things when you (or we) tell stories using words and photographs!!

Today, photographer Monique Dykstra and I are spending the day at Shawinigan School, where we are working with Miss Fréchette's wonderful Grade Two class. That means I am sitting in a very small chair writing this blog entry (luckily I am a small person!). This morning, Monique D talked about how photography works, and I talked about how I get ideas for my books. Then, somehow, we got to talking about memories. And as if by magic, that became the students' topic for their chapter in this year's Quebec Roots: The Place Where I Live.

I think many of us tend to associate memories with older people. But we learned this morning that even students who are eight years old have lots of memories -- happy ones, embarrassing ones, and sad ones. Also, many of the students here have parents who also went to Shawinigan School, and it will be interesting for the kids to interview their parents about these memories.

Now the vote for a topic was close -- the students were also very interested in writing about the animals of Shawinigan. They have seen squirrels, deer and sometimes even moose. Some of their parents trap animals or go hunting. But we have a solution: the students can also write about their memories that have to do with animals, especially animals they may have seen at school or through their classroom window.

Right now, Monique D is with the kids working in a computer room upstairs. Later today, the Moniques head back to Montreal -- full of memories of our fun trip to Quebec City and Shawinigan.

A word of explanation about today's pic. Miss Fréchette has 21 students -- well, there are 20 plus Lili (Lili is the little redhead sitting on her best friend's lap).

I'm back at my desk in Montreal, but in my head I'm still FLYING from my trip to Inukjuak, Nunavik this week. I met so many interesting young people and heard so many AMAZING stories. The young people I met hunt for caribou and seal; I told them I HUNT FOR STORIES. And that's why I'm flying. I feel full of stories!

During my visit, I interviewed two survivors of the High Arctic Relocation. Both Alacie, who's now 83, and Markoosie, who's 69, were sent by boat from Inukjuak  to Resolute Bay in the High Arctic. They were told that there were many animals to hunt at Resolute, but that wasn't the case. Instead, they suffered terrible hardships. And many of the survivors of this relocation have not spoken much about their experience. I felt very very privileged to hear their stories. I had a lot of help, of course. A very special young lady who speaks perfect Inuktitut even though she is only 10, and neither of her parents are Inuit, helped me translate Alacie's words. So I send a hug to Sarah A for her assistance. And a wonderful young man named Paulusie organized my meeting with Markoosie. Monkey hats off to you, Paulusie! (I say monkey hats because Paulusie wears a very cool monkey hat!)

Some students from Inukjuak have already written to me. (One of them is in today's pic. The teacher to my left is Crystal, whom I mentioned in my last blog entry.) I am so pleased to hear from you, and to learn that perhaps a little of what I told you about writing stories will stay with you. You guys have a big responsibility: to listen to the stories in the world around you and to share them with the rest of us.

And remember, for those of you who come to college in Montreal -- spaghetti dinner at my house!!

Hello world! I'm writing to you today from Innalik School in Inukjuak, a town on the Hudson Bay in Nunavik. Right now, I'm in Room 220 using a teacher named Crystal's computer. At lunch, I worked on a computer in the staff room and from the window, I looked out on the bay. There's no snow yet on the ground here, but the air has that crisp feeling it gets before the snow comes.

Let me tell you about some of my happiest moments so far.... When I first arrived at the school yesterday, I worked with a group of Grade Three students who happened to be in the school library. I showed them my journal and explained how I write three pages in it every single day. I asked the students (they speak mostly Inuktitut, so they had a translator with them) if they wanted to be writers one day, too. No one answered, but one student named Linette suddenly straightened her shoulders, so I knew that meant yes! I told her she needs to write every day, too, and suggested she might use a smaller notebook than the one I use (that way she could fill the pages more quickly!)

After my morning session today with Inga's class, a student named Samwillie stayed to chat. So did a student named Victor, who'd actually written a moving piece for me about dealing with a troublesome situation. (I told the students that TROUBLE is an essential ingredient in stories, but recommended they try to stay out of trouble, if at all possible!!). Then, just now, in Crystal's class, I worked with several students who seem to really enjoy writing. Bailey expressed her feelings on the page, saying: "I write every day. Writing sometimes hurts, but sometimes it's worth it." I thought that that showed Bailey has a lot of courage, another thing we writers seem to need in order to tell our stories. And another very special person I met is Jennifer, who LOVES READING. And writing!! (Way to go, Jennifer!) Crystal (Jennifer's teacher) just told me that Jennifer is always asking for new books to read. In our workshop today, Jennifer started work on a story told from her grandmother's point of view. I told the students that it can be very satisfying to tell the story of someone we love a lot -- and someone who's survived hardship. 

So that's my news for today. I'm off now to do some exploring around town. I hear there's a library that's not part of the school. My plan is to find it and bring over one of my books. I'll be back  "South" (meaning Montreal!) on Friday night... so I should have lots of news for you by then!

P.S.: A little explanation about today's pic: It's the first photo I shot in Inukjuak, when I met those Grade 3 students. The young man at the left is Simeone, who translated what I had to say into Inuktitut; the woman at the top right is Nunga, the school librarian.

Hello, hello, blog readers. I'm writing to you today from St. Willibrord School in Chateauguay. I'm here today with photographer Joel Silverstein and we're working with students in Miss Small's Writing Club. These students (all girls in grades 4 to 6) are amazing. THEY LOVE TO WRITE!! And right now, it's lunch, and they're out snapping pics.

This morning, I did a little writing workshop and then Joel took over. He led an interesting discussion about the links between writing and photography. As Joel said, "Both are trying to get somebody somewhere." He advised students to take lots and lots of photos: "Take pics of what interests you. Take pics of what you don't understand. Take pics of what you do understand. Take pics of everything!" He also told the students they have some advantages over older photographers: "You see truths some of us may have dismissed." This thinking, Joel told me later, was inspired by Ernst Haas, one of the founders of the famous Magnum Photos.

Soon, we're going to try and get the students to FOCUS (another link between writing and photography!) on the topic they'll explore through words and pictures in their chapter of this year's Quebec Roots: The Place Where I Live. But so far, I'd say we're off to a fun and fruitful start!!

... me again, writing from home now. Just to report that our group is coming quite close to FOCUSING on a topic. And because I know you're eager to know what it is, here's how it looks, so far -- the girls want to explore how St. Willibrord brings together students from two communities: those who live in Chateauguay and those who are part of the Mohawk community in Kahnawake. Joel and I agree that we can't wait to see the stories this group comes up with using both words and photographs! Great work today, young women members of the St. Willibrord Writing Club -- and three cheers for your super smart and sensitive teacher Miss Small!

Last night was a Fall Harvest get-together for Yes Oui CANSCAIP! -- a Montreal-based organization of writers, illustrators and performers for kids. Five local authors and two local illustrators did a sort of "show and tell" about their latest books. And of course, I was in the audience, taking notes for you, dear blog readers.

Jennifer Lloyd, author of the picture book Ella's Umbrellas, teaches kindergarten on the West Island. She said she was inspired to write her Ella book when, after her grandmother's death, she was cleaning out a closet at her grandmother's home and discovered it was full of umbrellas. She wondered what one person could possibly want with so many umbrellas.

Alan Silberberg spoke about his new novel Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze. He told us that the book is a kind of fictionalized account of what life was like for him as a young boy following his mother's death.

And picture book author Nancy Gow (her first book is called Ten Big Toes and a Prince's Nose) says the idea for her book came to her when she was taking a nap. As those of you who've been in my classes can imagine, I loved when Nancy said that since I'm a great believer in the hypnagogic state (that's the period between sleep and waking)... like Nancy, I've found it a great time for coming up with ideas.

Thanks, as always, to Carol-Ann Hoyte for organizing yesterday's soirée.

Okay then, I've got no time for naps today. I'm off to McGill to do a little research for my latest book project. Have a good day wherever you are! Did I mention I'm heading up to Inukjuak next week?! It's a town in Nunavik, Quebec -- and I'm getting excited about this next northern adventure!

Hello, hello blog readers! I'm just back from a whirlwind day in Ottawa. This morning, I did a talk for Grades 5 and 6 students at Severn Public School. Those kids were dynamite! When I advised students to learn their grandparents' secrets, Alexandria told me she knows everything about her grandmother -- except her age. (I thought that was pretty funny!) A student named John demonstrated that he really thinks like a writer. I told the students how in my book Junkyard Dog, the owner of a guard dog decides to get rid of his dog in a cruel way. Without telling you too much (I don't want to spoil the book for you!), the owner arranges things so that another person will be responsible for the dog's sad end. John said: "Imagine how that person would feel!" EXACTLY THE KIND OF QUESTION A WRITER NEEDS TO ASK!! (That's because writing requires us to get into other people's heads!)

Both my talks today were organized by Jessica Roy of the Ottawa Public Library. Thanks, Jessica, for the invite (and the company). Thanks also to Severn P.S. teacher Jody Fillion who decided her students needed to meet me!!

After lunch, I headed to the Ottawa Public Library's Beaverbrook branch. There, I was welcomed by librarian Patricia Skarzynski. And soon, I was working with a very lively group -- Miss Riddell's Grade 12 English class at Earl of March High School (conveniently located across from the library!). Plus there were two younger students in the group (Elizabeth and Simi), both of whom are being home-schooled, and were there with their mums, which I thought was really fun (being a fan of mums and a mum  myself!).

In today's pic, you see me with (from left to right) Stef, Ben, and next to me, Elizabeth. I had an hour with my second group and though I moved with my usual speed, I found they were able to keep up and follow my sometimes zany thoughts. Though I did forget to tell them how I get some of my best writing ideas in the SHOWER. (Ben promised he'd tell that to the rest of the class when he sees them next. Don't forget, Ben!)

After that presentation, there was time for an informal chat (over Timbits). A student named Reegan told me that her friend Christine "is good at writing, but she doesn't think so." I told Christine that that sounds like a description of a real writer, too. I think it's helpful NOT to think we're the best writers ever... that humility brings us back to the page every day so that we can continue to practice our craft and hopefully continue to improve and get closer to achieving our goal -- transforming our thoughts and feelings about what matters most into words!

So, here's to all my new friends in Ottawa. Happy reading and writing to all of you. And remember, stay out of trouble -- but if trouble has come your way, well then, USE IT IN A STORY. Thanks for a great day!!

You may know that my favourite book of all time is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (it was the subject of my Master's thesis at university)... that helps explain why I had such a fun morning today -- I got to talk about Alice with a group of wonderful Grade 5 & 6 students at Akiva School in Westmount, Quebec. The entire school is reading Alice and they've decorated their building with Alice pictures and posters and paraphernalia. In today's pic, I'm with Jennifer Fraenkel, the school's director of academics, who coordinated the project -- with a great deal of assistance, of course, from the teachers, the administration and the students. Check out Jennifer's mad hatter's hat and the tea party exhibit!

For me, the best part was working with the students. They were so smart and well prepared! I told them they were able to answer some questions that my own CEGEP-aged students would have had trouble with! Such as: Where was Lewis Carroll born? (A student named Rebecca knew the answer to this one: Cheshire, England, which helps explain the appearance of the Cheshire Cat in Carroll's book) and What was Lewis Carroll's real name? (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson -- a student named Shai got the middle name, and a student named Michael knew the rest). Then when I was reciting the poem "Jabberwocky," a student named Jon helped me out when I lost my place. Thanks for that, Jon!

I must say I had a good chuckle when a student named Naomi asked if I had written the Alice books. (No, but do I ever wish I had!!) Emma wanted to know if I was Carroll's daughter. (Nope to that one, too!)

I only had about an hour with the students... and truth is, when it comes to talking about Alice, I could go on forever. But here's what I asked the students to remember: that the book's theme of growth is also an important theme in our lives. No matter our age, we continue to grow -- inside and out. I also told them to keep reading, that reading brings solace when we need it (not to mention new information and experiences) and that Wonderland cannot be found on a map -- that's because I think Wonderland's in all of us, available all the time through our imaginations and that no matter our age, we need to exercise our imaginations as much and as often as possible. So make sure you get to Wonderland soon. Have fun learning and growing!

Special thanks to Tina Roth for bringing me to Akiva; to Jennifer, for getting things organized; and to librarian Janice Camlot for letting us use the library. Akiva students, you sure are smart and energetic! Maybe I'll get to teach some of you at Marianopolis in a few years. Hey, you'd be wiz-es in my Alice class!

I have the great good fortune to be participating again this year in Quebec Roots, an educational program sponsored by the Blue Metropolis Literary Foundation. As part of the project, teams of writers and photographers will visit a total of 10 schools in the province in order to help students produce a chapter in this year's Quebec Roots: The Place Where I Live.

Today was the first of two orientation sessions and I met some of the teachers I'll be working with. Photographer Monique Dykstra and I will be traveling to Quebec City and Shawinigan to work at Everest Elementary School and Shawinigan High. Closer to home, photographer Joel Silverstein and I will work with students at St. Willibrord Elementary in Chateauguay. My biggest (and furthest) trip will be with photographer Thomas Kneubuhler when we go to Sautjuit Schoool in Kangirsuk, Nunavik.

One of the other writers working on the project this year is Winnipeg-born poet Gillian Sze. Last year, Gillian's poetry collection, Fish Bones, was a finalist for the Quebec Writers' Federation First Book Prize. Today, I had a chance to chat with Gillian. She was telling me about her work with at-risk teens, and how important it is for the young writers she works with to feel they can trust her. I really loved how Gillian expressed her thoughts, telling me: "Walls don't write." (You can tell from that line that Gillian is a poet, can't you?) Anyway, that's what I'm thinking about this afternoon... how writing takes a certain openness. If your feelings get too walled up inside, you've got to find a way to take down those walls. For me, it's always been writing.

Have you ever noticed that nice news sometimes comes just when you need it?

It's been a challenging week. My mum (wonderful woman whom some of you have had the good fortune of meeting -- she's the subject of my novel What World Is Left and has occasionally come to do talks with me) has been pretty sick. She was hospitalized earlier this week, but thank goodness, she was released yesterday... so things were already looking up. (Note to young readers here: APPRECIATE your mum and dad, if you are lucky enough to have them. Sure they sometimes drive us crazy, but no matter what, we love them, right?!)

Anyway... on to the other nice news. I just happened to be reading the Montreal Gazette this morning and guess what I found out? My most recent novel The Middle of Everywhere has been nominated for the 2010 Quebec Writers' Federation Prize for Children's and Young Adult Literature.

Last year, when What World Is Left was nominated for the prize, I knew in advance... so when I was reading the article, I was already half-grumpy, thinking for sure I  hadn't made the shortlist and anticipating a little grumpiness this morning. But then I scanned the story and my eyes landed on my name. So, all this to say, sometimes nice news comes at just the right time in just the right way. Hope there's nice news coming your way, too. Life sure is a mix of things, isn't it?

You probably know that at this very moment, the world is in the middle of a dramatic rescue -- 33 Chilean miners who have been trapped in the San José Mine for 69 days -- are being lifted up to the ground one at a time in a tiny capsule. Though I haven't been watching the rescue on TV (too busy reading and writing!!), I have been following the STORY closely in the newspaper and on-line. This morning, when I read an account of the rescue in the Montreal Gazette, I wept.

Which got me thinking about what makes a great story (one of my favourite things to think about). If you've met me, you know I'm always saying how stories need TROUBLE and these miners certainly had their share of trouble. But their story is also about tremendous courage and about the bonds that can develop between us. Apparently one of the miners had a great sense of humour; another one proposed, from underground, to his girlfriend; another looked after his fellow miners' medical needs.

And, not surprisingly, there's already talk of a book. When they were first trapped, the miners kept a kind of diary. (I really love that part of the story, too.) Another interesting issue that's getting a lot of media attention is how the miners will fare when they return to real life. They'll be famous and rich, but it's likely they will also face major adjustment difficulties.

I don't know about you, but I AM HOOKED ON STORIES. And you know what else? STORIES ARE EVERYWHERE!!!

This afternoon, I visited my friend Sabine Walser's English 103 class at Marianopolis College here in Montreal. Ms. Walser invited me in to talk to students about writing book reviews. I told them everything I know about the book review business -- how book reviewers need to read every word of a book, how they should take careful notes and keep track of their responses, how they should express a forceful opinion early on in their review and support their major points with quotes from the book. Anyway, the students had many good questions -- and best of all for me, they got me back in the mood to be a teacher!! (I'll be back at Marianopolis full-time in January.)

On another note, I wanted to talk a little today about coincidences. You may remember that I wrote about a student named Mary, who lived in Akulivik, Nunavik, and who died unexpectedly early this summer. Mary was a star student involved in the Quebec Roots program -- which is how I got to meet her. I wrote a note to Mary's mum in Nunavik, expressing my condolences. Last week, I was visiting a friend at the Montreal General Hospital and I saw two Inuit women. I said hello to them in Inuktitut. (My Inuktitut isn't very good.) Something about one of the women's faces made me keep talking to her. She told me she was from Akulivik; I said I knew Mary -- and guess what? IT WAS MARY'S MUM!!! Guess what else? She's coming here for supper tonight. I think some coincidences are more than just coincidences -- and this was one.

It's been a while since I've been in a classroom -- and now I realize how much I've missed it!

I had the pleasure of spending most of my day with students at Mother Teresa Middle School in Laval, Quebec. First, I worked with teacher Monic Farrell's Music class. I must say they were a lively bunch (you'll see some of them in today's pic) and they helped get me energized for the rest of the day. Only two of the students said they had an interest in becoming writers, but hopefully, I convinced a few others in the group to consider the writing life. A student named Manny wanted to know how I handle writer's block. I told him that mercifully, it doesn't happen to me very much, but if I do feel blocked, I JUST KEEP WRITING. Even if it is only to say, "gee this is tough. I'm getting discouraged." In other words, I'd write through the block. We talked a little about determination and a student named Dylan gave me a look that told me he knows all about determination. Later, Dylan told me his dream is to become a chef. I told him that'd make great stories -- so maybe he can be a chef who writes on the side.

I spent the rest of the day with Miss Farrell's accelerated learners. I don't think I've ever worked with such a keen group of young writers. Several came in at lunch to share their work with me and to get some feedback. Angel is working on a werewolf story; Alexis is more interested in the place where fiction and non-fiction meet. I told both of them their work looks promising, full of energy and fun, but that they both need to really get to know their main characters. In case you're reading this entry, Angel and Alexis, a good exercise to learn more about your main character is to write down 50 questions (whatever comes to mind -- favourite food, religion, kind of house he or she lives in...) and then work out the answers. We writers need to know all we can about our characters. 

Miss Farrell is doing some super work with her students. They are keeping writers' notebooks, critiquing each other's work, and rewriting. Way to go, Miss Farrell and your students! Thanks for inviting me to Mother Teresa today. Special thanks, too, to principal Mrs. Villalta who attended part of my workshop; to Joan Wasserman, the super English consultant for the Sir Wilfred Laurier School Board; and to Mr. Bilodeau, who was videotaping the visit.

You must be wondering how I managed to get to Missouri this morning and be back in time for lunch in Montreal! That's because I did a Skype visit with Emily Edger's class at Lewis and Clark Middle School in Jefferson City, Missouri.

I must say the students were super well-prepared! They had loads of good questions for me. Kelly wanted to know if I shared my writing while it was in process. (My answer was yes, but I am very careful about whom I show it to. My first readers have to be kind and smart and honest. Also, I rely heavily on my editor's input during the process.) Morgan wanted to know if I ever get distracted. I answered by holding up my cup of tea (that was my third cup this morning), but I explained that during my frequent tea-making and tea-drinking breaks, I am still thinking about my manuscript.

It was a short Skype session and frankly, I'm sorry it's over so soon. (I think I'm missing having a class of my own!!) In case any of you from L&C Middle School are reading today's entry, I want to know whether you are big fans of the explorers Lewis and Clark. I bet there are many great stories about the famous pair. Do you guys know any of those stories? Thanks to all of you for the fun morning -- and to Miss Edger for making it happen and preparing you so well!

Just so you know, dear blog reader, I am ALWAYS thinking of you. Even during business meetings. Yesterday, I was having a business meeting with Sarah Harvey, my editor at Orca Books. Sarah always says many smart things, but when she said this one thing about the trick to writing historical fiction, I thought to myself WRITE THAT DOWN SO I CAN USE IT ON THE BLOG!!

Here's what Sarah said: "The trick with historical fiction is to make the characters live in both these worlds." You're going to need a little context now. The two worlds Sarah meant are the historical world the author is trying to capture in her (or his) story, and the world contemporary teens live in today. 

I thought that line was simple, but oh-so-smart. And because I'm hard at work on another historical YA fiction, that's exactly my challenge: getting my characters to live in two worlds.

Hope things in your world are going okay today.

Why, good morning, blog readers! I heard this wonderful line yesterday on CBC radio: "Your heart can only be broken open." It's something that poet-musician Kinnie Star's mum once told her. For me, it means that something huge and wonderful can come from a broken heart.

Kinnie is the author of a collection called How I Learned to Run. During the CBC interview, she talked a little about what writing means to her. She said, "All we're going to have eventually is our stories." That line really resonated with me, too, because though I do like material things, I like stories even more! And I know how important it is to preserve and share them.

I'm back in Montreal and it feels good to be here at my desk. I've written two food stories based on our trip to France and Spain, and I'll let you know when they come out in our paper.

In the mean time, if you've got an achy heart -- and believe me, I've had one (many times!!) -- perhaps you'll take a little comfort in knowing that aches and breaks can lead to a new open-ness. And you know what else? Writers need open hearts in order to imagine what their characters are going through. So, in the end, your own aches and breaks may not only open your heart, but make you a better writer, too!

Hello again, dear blog readers! Today, I'm writing to you from Toulouse, France's "pink city." We drove here yesterday from Bilbao, Spain, where we visited the Musea Guggenheim Bilbao. The titanium-covered museum was designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry. We did an audio-tour of the museum and thinking ahead to this blog entry, I took some notes.

In an interview, Gehry said that for him, designing a building is "like feeling your way in the dark." I LOVE THAT LINE because that's what writing fiction feels like to me, too. I also enjoyed learning that in some ways, Gehry returns to his childhood when he comes up with his ideas. When he was a child growing up in Toronto, he spent a lot of time with his grandmother, who encouraged him to make little buildings out of cardboard and other materials. Gehry's grandmother used to buy fresh carp at the market and kept the carp in her bathtub before cooking it up for dinner. Gehry says fish continue to inspire him: "The fish shape got me into moving freely." The titanium exterior of the Musea Guggenheim Bilbao really does look like fish scales. When I'm back at my own computer in Montreal, I promise to post a picture.

In the mean time, I have a question for you: which of your own childhood memories can you tap into and use in a creative way?

I'm always telling my students that trouble makes for a good story. A story that has no trouble in it is ... well ... boring.

Of course, the irony is that we don't want trouble to happen to US (only to the characters in our stories)!! But, alas, there's no avoiding trouble, is there?

We had some trouble this week in Barcelona. Our rental car was broken into. Two of the car windows were smashed and because we had one suitcase stashed in the trunk, the thieves got that, too. We lost our warm clothes and I lost my souvenirs! We had to file a police report and get a new rental car... but we're both fine and of course, we've got STORIES to tell about our experience. Today, we leave Barcelona (a gorgeous city, despite the banditos) and head for San Sebastian. Adios for now, amigos!

Remind me never to complain about rewrites again! Yesterday, we visited Barcelona's most famous church, the Sagrada Familia. Renowned Barcelona architect Antoni Gaudi spent the last TWELVE years of his life working almost exclusively on the church. He knew that the work would never be completed during his lifetime and in fact, to this day, work on the church continues. It sure is magnificent, though! Instead of pillars, there are these huge structures that look like tree trunks, and when you look up at the ceiling, it's covered in yellow leafy flowers. In a strange way, you have the feeling you are in a forest, not a church!

On another note, my journalistic urges have kicked in again. This morning, we are going to La Boqueria, Barcelona's famous food market... and I've hatched a plan to interview vendors there and ask them for tapas recipes. Now it's true that I speak hardly any Spanish... but don't think that's going to stop me!!! I wish you a buenos dias wherever you are.

Okay, the title of today's blog entry is a little misleading since Salvador Dali died in 1989, so I couldn't really have spent yesterday afternoon with him. On the other hand, we did get to visit the home he shared with his wife Gala in Port Lligat, just outside Cadaques where we are now staying. (Have I mentioned that I'm writing to you from Spain?)

It's not that I believe in ghosts... but somehow the Dalis felt very present during our visit. And oddly, so did my grandparents... now you really must be thinking that I am losing my marbles during this holiday. Like Dali, my opa (the Dutch word for grandfather) was an artist... and the home he shared with my oma (Dutch for grandfather) in Plandome, New York, had something of the feel of the house we visited yesterday.

Dali was a Surrealist, more interested in some ways in dreams than in reality. When you first walk into the house, you are greeted by a huge stuffed bear, several necklaces draped around his neck. Now Opa and Oma's house didn't have a stuffed bear in their entrance way. What the houses had in common was a sense of beauty and order -- and playfulness. My favourite example from the Dali home: in the room adjoining the bedroom, the Dalis hung a large mirror in a special spot so that in the morning, they'd wake up to the sun rising in their bedroom. 

... When, earlier this summer, I flew from Paris home to Montreal, I sat next to a gentleman from Mauritius, we got into a very good conversation... the sort of conversation it's sometimes easier to have with a complete stranger. Well, this gentleman told me how, in his view, life is about moments, and you have to hold on tight to the special ones, make them last. I think maybe that is what Dali and his wife were doing... I like to imagine them waking up with the sun.... That's it for today's blog entry. May you find (or perhaps, like the Dalis, create) your moments!

Yesterday, we went to the nearby town of Perpignan to see the interntional photojournalism exhibit running there until September 12.

In my last blog entry, I quoted Anne, an art historian here

Hello hello from Collioures, France, birthplace of the Fauve art movement. It's a beautiful little town and I'm writing to you from a table that looks out on the Mediterranean Sea. Not a bad

I haven't told you, but I've been a little cranky the last few days -- that's because I was supposed to be working on an outline for my next book. Only, I kept getting stuck. But you know

Just in case you think writing's easy... today's entry is meant to set you straight. This week, I spent most of my days working on DRAFT NUMBER FOUR of Miracleville, my novel due out

It's back to school today for Montreal CEGEP (college) students and teachers. Normally, that would mean me -- only I'm on sabbatical again this semester so that I can continue work on another

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In case you're wondering "Ms." stands for "manuscript." And the 79-year-old judge is my dad! My dad (I generally call him "Pa") reads a ton -- but mostly just newspapers

"Writing is problem solving." That's what my friend, author and journalist Joel Yanofsky , told my students

After a week in France, I'm thinking in French! So I'm back from a wonderful whirlwind holiday -- and back at my computer, sipping green tea and gearing up for a day of writing.

I was

Goeje dag means hello in Dutch. I am writing to you today from Amsterdam. And tonight I leave for Nice -- and cooking school.

I just met with Samantha Haywood, a literary agent based here. I

I'm off this afternoon -- to Holland, then on to France. In all, I'll be away two weeks, which means I may not be blogging with my usual regularity (it all depends on how difficult it is for

You know the feeling I'm talking about... you crack open a book, you start reading, and within seconds, you know it's GONNA BE WONDERFUL. Now, that's what I call pleasure.

I've

I don't know about you, but I do a whole bunch of things before I settle down to write. Here's what I've done this morning: Got up, wrote in journal (I recommend this as a loosening-the

Now that the revision of Miracleville is with my editor, I could be relaxing... only I'm not very good at that!! Instead, I've drummed up some journalism work. I'm doing two stories for

I'm working on the first major revision of my manuscript Miracleville. It's due on Monday at lunchtime and I'm trying to give it a real push this week. Some moments, I think it

YA author Louis Sachar -- best known for his book Holes -- had dinner at our house last night.

So in today's blog entry. I will answer your burning questions!

What did he

Oh, what a wonderful afternoon!! That's Louis Sachar with me in today's pic. Louis is the author of many YA books including Holes, which was made into a movie by Disney. I LOVED THAT

This seems to be my week for hanging out with twins! In today's pics, you'll meet two pairs of

Yesterday, I did the last of three creative writing workshops at Hebrew Academy here in Montreal.

I've been working with a group of six lively and bright 11-year-old girls. Because I wanted

I spent a fun afternoon with some bright young readers from across Canada -- all without leaving my comfy chair here in Montreal.

That's all thanks to Teenrc

This week, I got to interview Quebec picture book author and illustrator Mélanie Watt. (I'm doing a profile of her for the Continue reading

Today, I want to tell you about a very special person named Mary Qinuajuak. Photographer Thomas Kneubuhler and I met Mary in December 2009, when we traveled to Akulivik, an Inuit community in Nunavik

I spent the morning at the 10th Annual YES Artists' Conference, where I participated on a panel called "Creation and Inspiration: How They Made It!" Our moderator was Andy Nulman, president

I was just in my car thinking how I'm feeling like a hippity hoppity happy writer. I think those words only when I'm feeling most happy. And the reason I'm HHH (see, I won't make you

Yesterday, I did the first of three writing workshops at Hebrew Academy here in Montreal. I'm working with six Grade Five students -- all girls, and all eager to write! In my one-hour session,

I'm feeling Dutch these days. Could be because I keep making Dutch friends! It's also because I spent yesterday at the annual meeting of the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Netherlandic

I'm just home from participating in a conference run by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Netherlandic Studies, and though I'd like to tell you about it, I'm going to do a

Today, I'm scheduled to do an audio interview for a website called TeachingBooks. They're located in Madison, Wisconsin, and through their website

You may or may not know I review self-help books for the Montreal Gazette. A side-effect is that I can get a little unbearable when someone has a problem -- I'm always recommending books

These days, most readers contact authors over the Internet... but yesterday, I actually received two old-fashioned snail mail letters. Both are from students at Hadley Junior School in Glen Ellyn,

The new rhythm I'm moving to is a SLOWER one. That's because my marking is nearly all done (just two late assignments left)... and I'm back at my desk most of the day. It's nice not

The bad news is that picture book author and illustrator Mélanie Watt is out of town and my interview with her has been postponed till June. The good news is I have a wide-open day, with lots

I used to think that compared to writing, taking pictures was easy! Until, that is, I started hanging out with photographers.

Monique Dykstra is one of those photographers. We have worked together

I was excited to learn that children's author Louis Sachar will be coming to read in Montreal this summer. You may know Sachar's YA book, Holes, which is one of my all-time favourites

I think perhaps most of all, we teachers need to teach our students to be independent. That's why when students come to see me for help with their writing, I make a point of NOT doing all the work

In today's pic, you'll meet my "Writing for Children" class. Our semester ends

Today's pic is the OUTSIDE of our house. I wanted to show off our spring garden -- still

Why, you may be wondering, is my mind on Oprah Winfrey, host of the world's most popular talk show? It's because I'm reviewing Kitty Kelley's recently released unauthorized bio of Oprah

It's Sunday morning, and my desk need some serious tidying. That's because it's covered with notes I took during the Blue Metropolis Literary Festival, which comes to an end today. Yesterday

I'm home, taking a little breather between Blue Met events. I did another student writing workshop this morning and this afternoon at five, I'm on a CBC panel called "The Human Face of

I really shouldn't be writing this blog entry! That's because in exactly 20 minutes from now, 20 dinner guests are due to arrive here! They're all friends involved in the Quebec Roots project

It's Day One of the Blue Metropolis Literary Festival here in Montreal  --

Hello hello, dear blog readers! I'm just in from a long, but happy day. I started at Marianopolis

Today, I did something I haven't done for ages -- I took a class instead of giving one! I did a one-day workshop with Nova Scotia children's writer Sheree Fitch. Sheree called