Hello all,
As regular readers know, I spent last Thursday and Friday at the Reading for the Love of It Conference at the Sheraton Centre in Toronto. I’d been there years earlier as a teacher, but this time I attended as an author and book coach. It was so lovely to connect with fellow teachers who are enthusiastic about teaching and books, and many who are passionate about writing, both for themselves and their students.
Here’s the thing. I believe that creative people need an outlet and if you want to write you need to write. In order to show up for our students, families, and friends, we need to give ourselves time and space to do the things that give us energy and let us explore our creativity. Writers need to write. Painters need to paint. Musicians need to play. And when we do, we are better for it.
Thank you to all the educator and exhibitors for wonderful conversations about teaching, reading, writing, and creativity. I’m so grateful to be a small part of this amazing conference and this wonderful community of educators.
Now, please enjoy learning about Maia Caron’s writing experiences. She’s an inspiration to me and I’m sure she will be to you as well.
About the author…
Born and raised in the mountains of British Columbia, Maia Caron is the Métis author of the upcoming The Last Secret from Doubleday, September 2024, and Song of Batoche (2017), a historical novel about Louis Riel and the Northwest Resistance of 1885. When she’s not researching and writing women’s untold stories of the past, she can be found hiking the wilds of Vancouver Island with family and her fierce little pug, Scout.
“Treat your writing as a sacred act. Writing is our art and we must ensure we’re protecting our time and energy to practice this art.”
On a writing routine …
As soon as I get up, make a cup of tea, and surf Facebook for half an hour to wake up with cute bird posts, I’m ready to write until early afternoon. If I’m working on deadline with my editor, either in substantive edits or line edits, I work 6-8 hours a day with breaks to stretch and nap. If I’m working on a first draft, I hold to that work schedule, as if my agent or editor has me on deadline. I work best that way, although I can make many false starts (if there is such a thing), and get side-tracked, especially when it comes to research. My first two books were research heavy, but my next one isn’t because my eyes need a break!
I take Lion’s Mane tincture to keep plot lines straight and keep a health work to life balance of workouts and walks. When in creative mode, it’s tough to remember to do anything else, but I always remember to eat and make tea!
On writing spaces …
I always write at my computer in my office. I wish I had wall-to-wall bookcases, but at least I have two that house some of my favourites for inspiration. In the past, I’ve tried to write with others in a coffee shop and couldn’t concentrate for all the noise. At night, I often dictate sentences or ideas, sometimes blocks of paragraphs into my iPhone, then transfer to Scrivener in the morning. I never listen to music. It interferes with my thought process. I have a manifestation altar in my office with crystals and tarot cards that I switch out to amplify what I’m manifesting for myself in terms of my book goals and my writing life. It feels good to know it’s within arm’s reach and that I’ve committed my writing goals to the universe.
On writing communities …
I’m a member of TWUC and there are members where I live who are always organizing get-togethers, which I sometimes attend. My best writing community is online (DMing other writers on Instagram) or by phone with my mentor in Toronto. For the past four years, we’ve chatted often and share the writing life. I find email correspondence with her and other writers in my genre keeps me going. If you want more of that kind of connection in your own writing life, I suggest reaching out by email to an author you admire. They often had someone mentor them when they began, and are very gracious and kind. I’ve made the best author friendships out of this type of connection.
On challenges …
When I was a young mother and working full time, I didn’t really write because who has the time? But when my daughter grew older, I was able to start writing seriously full time. My family knows when I need time to write/edit and respects that space.
On the best writing advice …
From Ayn Rand’s THE ART Of FICTION: “No action is taken in a vacuum, and an alert reader is automatically watching for the meaning of every line and action. She is constantly on the lookout: ‘I’m meeting a new character. What makes her tick?’ The reader is constantly making lightning-like calculations: ‘What premise does this action come from?’”
I’ve learned so much about this kind of clear and immersive writing from my editor on my historical novel that’s being published in September 2024. This has become my mantra: When writing commercial fiction, vagueness is not allowed!
When my editor acquired my book, I had no idea how much editing was in my future (we worked together for 1.5 years from acquisition to typesetting) to give my story clarity in every line and action. It was a master class in writing, as was the copy editor’s comments. I was lucky to have Gil Adamson copy edit on this book. I’m a huge fan of her novels, and it elevated the story to have another writer as copy editor. Having these experienced editors work on my book was a privilege.
I’m applying the “clarity” and “immersive” techniques I’ve learned to my next novel. The most valuable lesson I learned was editing to ensure the reader doesn’t get snagged on a sentence or idea. Those lightning-like calculations are going on when someone is reading your work, which is why it’s so important to get a developmental editor and book coach such as Liisa, then at least six beta readers to look at your story before you think about submitting to agents. What you think is great might be too vague and problematic and filled with plot holes. I learned this lesson on my first book: not to burn bridges with agents with a manuscript that wasn’t polished, edited, and beta read before submission.
On the worst writing advice …
It’s not really a worst piece of writing advice, but a worst experience that set me back for a bit and undermined my confidence. Twenty years ago, I wrote a paranormal thriller and didn’t know that I should first have a developmental edit and beta readers look at it before submitting. I was so sure it was great (oh sweet, summer child), so I dove into the deep end and went to a pitch conference in New York. A big agent asked for my first five pages. I was so excited until she sent them back with this scrawled on the front page: “Your writing is not ready for publication!” in red pen. She might as well have said, “You can never cut it as a writer!” I cried, then dusted myself off, but that echoed in my brain for years after. She was right, my writing was in no way ready for publication. But 10 years later it was. I choose to focus on that truth!
On advice from personal experiences …
Take courses and read. Study how other authors in your genre do it. I once took a writing course that entailed taking famous authors’ first paragraphs and emulating that style. This exercise really taught me a lot and gave me confidence that I could try different ways of approaching a story.
And treat your writing as a sacred act. Writing is our art and we must ensure we’re protecting our time and energy to practice this art.
Also, keep writing! It takes years to write a book and then to edit it, so every day should include writing, if possible, even if it’s editing something you’ve already written. Sometimes when I’m stuck, I’ll jump into the middle of a first draft to write a scene there, just because that’s where my excitement lives at the moment. Or tapping or dictating some ideas or sentences into your phone. I’ve found those candid notes are often the springboard to bigger ideas.
A good work ethic is key to surviving the grueling writer’s life. I often work seven days a week, six hours a day when on deadline with substantive or line edits. There’s such a huge amount of work to do, usually in a 5-6 week timeframe, that it requires long days and no breaks for a day off. That’s in edits, so I now know to double that intensive focus in the earlier stages, when plotting, writing and revising a draft.
Maia’s online spaces …
Spring is Coming! What are you writing?
I’m accepting applications for my 12-Week Spring Book Coaching program. Here are the details:
Dates: April 8-June 24, 2024
Weekly Meetings: Mondays, 7-8:30 PM via Zoom
Weekly individualized goal setting
Weekly writing tasks
Individualized feedback
Support and encouragement
Small group setting
In our twelve weeks together, we’ll work through Author Accelerator’s Blueprint for a Book steps and explore craft topics. By the end of the session, you’ll have a concrete plan for the book you are planning, including your why, your point, your ideal reader, your genre, and your outline. And for those with a completed draft, you’ll have more clarity on your work-in-progress and a plan for revision. This program is perfect for first time and experienced writers of fiction or memoir.
Investment: $499 (+HST)
How to Apply: Email me at liisabookcoach@gmail.com and use Spring Session in the subject line, or use the contact form on my website. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Attention teachers!
If you’re a teacher, I have something special just for you. Download a free copy of my workbook, Beyond the Blackboard: Empowering Teachers to Write Fiction. You have all the skills you need to learn how to write that book already.
Happy writing!
Women Writing is a weekly newsletter featuring women who are doing the difficult work of writing. If you enjoyed reading the newsletter, please share it with a fellow writer. Let’s inspire each other!