There’s lots I like about attending the Ontario Library Association’s annual Super-Conference. I get to take a quick trip to Toronto; hang out with my best pal, author Rina Singh; and meet up with loads of librarians (yay for librarians!!) and fellow authors (yay for them too!!).
For several years now I’ve wanted to sit down with author Lorna Schultz Nicholson so I could ask her a few questions about her writing life – and share them in a blog entry. Well we finally made that happen today.
Get ready for some excellent, practical writing advice from a celebrated Canadian children’s author!
First, an update about Lorna’s upcoming book, Man of Motion: How Rick Hansen’s World Tour Helped Break Down Barriers for People with Disabilities, scheduled to be released this April by Owl Kids.
Lorna got the idea for this book when she met and befriended Rick Hansen at an Edmonton Oilers hockey game. “His journey happened in 1985. He left and was gone for two years, two months and two days, raising a ton of money for physical disabilities such as spinal cord injury. I thought, ‘Kids need to hear this story, and it needs to be retold.’” Lorna explained.
What, I wanted to know, that makes Hansen’s story so important? Lorna had no trouble answering that question. “It’s a story of resilience, persistence, grit and determination,” she told me.
And now, because I was thinking of you, dear blog reader, I asked Lorna, “What’s your best advice for writers who are getting started?” I loved her answer: “Finish! Don’t edit as you go along. Get the first draft done!”
If you are familiar with Lorna’s work, you will know that one of her specialties is writing stories that involve sports, especially hockey. But you may not know that during university, Lorna was a competitive rower, and that following university, she spent a year on the Canadian rowing team. So I wanted to know if Lorna’s focus on the importance of finishing was influenced by the world of sports. Here’s what she told me: “When I play a sport, or even run a half-marathon, I’m going to start out at the start line, and I know exactly where the finish line will be. It’s the same thing for me when I’m writing. It’s important for me to know where my story will end, even if that changes. Because then I can get from A to B.”
Like me, Lorna is in her sixties and has been writing for many years. She and her husband recently moved from Edmonton to Penticton, BC. They make frequent trips to Toronto -- because it’s where their three grandchildren live. But when it comes to writing, Lorna isn’t planning to slow down. “I’ll write for as long as I can – because I love it so much!”
With that, I was off to catch my train. And Lorna was off to see her grandkids. I did extract a promise from her to let me know when she’s in Montreal. I’m already looking forward to our next chat. And I hope you are too!