Lately, I’ve seen a number of articles commenting on ‘getting rid of the inner editor’. The voice that says stop, edit, you don’t know what you are doing.

I’m trying to surge ahead of my inner editor. I want to finish the first draft of my current manuscript. I must finish this manuscript. The time has come to finish this manuscript.

I’m hopeful that the famous ‘power of three’ will help me achieve this goal. I’ve been wading around in the depths of this story for some time. I truly don’t want to say how long.

But now – I need to forge into the wilderness. I need to trust myself and tell this story. What have I got to lose? I want to share this story with readers. And in order to have readers, one must have a story.

Well, (cliche alert ahead) I jumped in with both feet and bit the bullet. I’m now a proud owner of a Kindle.

After much fussing about, I decided to see what this e-reader was all about for myself. I ordered a Kindle 3 G & Wi-Fi, as well as a Kindle Lighted cover. And what fun it has been!

Now let me tell you right away, I adore books and I have alot of them with me on my four month journey into the southern states. I will always have books and read books. But I wanted to discover what it was like to read a novel on a Kindle.

The reading experience has been excellent. First I downloaded a novel. At least I thought that was what I was doing. However, I had actually ordered a story. Ah yes! the learning curve.

Next, I had great fun downloading a book I’d wished I’d purchased last year. I ordered The Human Experiment: Two Years and Twenty Minutes Inside Biosphere 2 by J. Poynter.  The book arrived immediately. There were some spacing issues but nothing that stopped the flow of the story. I read it in the truck and the lighting was great.

I doubt that I would order a magazine or a newspaper. I don’t require colour or anything fancier than plain print. But for straight-ahead novel reading, the Kindle works for me.

Have you experimented with a Wireless Reading Device yet?

I work at home and can easily immerse myself in wonderful distractions. Some days, even cleaning the house can appear as a super idea. Anything to keep me from ‘returning to the page’.

I don’t watch daytime T.V. However, this week I was transfixed by the events taking place below the ground and above the ground, as countries worked together to rescue ‘Los 33″ - the trapped miners in Chile.

There were 33 separate rescues and 33 separate stories. Many of these personal journeys will unfold in more detail over the next months. And of course, there are the stories of the brave men who willing went below to assist. Such awe-inspiring strength.

As each miner emerged from the rescue capsule, family members were present to greet them. Girlfriends, wives, mothers, fathers, children, friends. Each miner responded differently upon reaching the surface, finally released from their entrapment.  Demonstrations of faith, courage, hope, pride and relief were shared with millions of viewers.  These intimate moments were sent around the world. The brutal immediacy of the situation made me feel connected. I wept with them.

 As a writer I want to make efforts to capture that raw emotion. That is what can hold a reader’s attention and turn a manuscript into a ‘page-turner’.

May these brave miners embrace the same resilience and courage ‘above’ that they demonstated ‘below’ as they learn to cope with the media assault over the next period of time.

What were your reactions?

Sometimes I discover an author and I’m totally shocked and mystified that somehow or other I’ve missed this person’s novels. I know, I know. It’s a big world. Many books and so little time.

Well, yes, I did have a big miss, that’s for sure. But this past week, I’ve discovered Ann Patchett.

I was enjoying a summer luncheon with four  friends.  A diverse group we were – a pharmacist, a teacher, an artist, and a community activist  Everyone was raving about the book that one of the women was clutching in her hand. ”I picked it up and didn’t put it down until it was finished,” the pharmacist said.

Ah! My kind of book. I borrowed it. And was immediately transported into ‘The Patron Saint of Liars’ (1992). An unusual book set in a home for pregnant women.

 Oh my goodness! This was the author’s first book, at age 26. She said in an interview that when she was fifteen, she always knew she was going to be a writer. Then she simply went about ‘doing it’.  Ms. Patchett has continued on her journey, creating ‘Taft’, ‘The Magician’s Assistant’, ‘Bel Canto’, Truth & Beauty’ and ‘Run’. 

I had vaguely heard of ‘Bel Canto’ over the years but for whatever reason, didn’t pursue it. Sometimes books come along at the right time of one’s life. They match your mood, or your dreams or your distress. A phrase, a description, an introspection touches your heart.

That’s why I read. For those special moments when nothing else exists except the words on the page.

What have you read lately that has transported you into another world?

This past weekend I immersed myself in the world of writing. All day long, from six in the morning until nine at night.

“How could you do that?” my husband asked. Easy, easy, easy. When you gather together a group of determined authors and head to Vancouver for the ‘Write On, Vancouver’ conference, hosted by the Greater Vancouver Chapter of the RWA - there are lots of opportunities to share opinions about books and the complexities of writing fiction.

A merry little group we were: Rachel Goldsworthy (Women’s Fiction) Reggi Allder (Romantic Suspense) Marjorie Lindsey (Romance) and myself (dancing in the YA world). On the way home, Alice Valdal (Historical Romance) joined our enthusiastic dinner. We were a very happy bunch, as we’d chosen to ‘upgrade’ to the buffet. Always a fine idea.

 It was hard to notice the world class scenery outside the windows of the ferry, as we crossed from Vancouver Island to the mainland. Why? Because we are  passionate about our work and this  was an outstanding chance to share opinions and learn from each other.

Why bother with a conference? you may ask. And many folks do. However, in order to make an effort to understand even a small segment of the publishing business, one has to stay informed. Going to a conference enables me to share in the writing journey of others. I hope to learn from their tips and strategies.

 In other professions, there is always a learning curve. One can’t expect to improve one’s writing without putting forth effort. Sometimes that means launching oneself into a writing conference.

Having the opportunity to speak with editors is always a bonus. They are the recipients of all of our hard work. It was a pleasure to speak with Johanna Raisanen, Editor Harlequin/Silhouette and Martin Biro, Acquiring Editorial Assistant, Kensington Publishing. 

 I enjoyed listening to Laura Resnick’s Keynote address, following her journey to publication, which was certainly a bumpy ride. I read her candid nonfiction book, Rejection, Romance, and Royalities: The Wacky World of a Working Writer the day after the conference . Her tale certainly made me appreciate how fortunate I was to be regularly paid in my previous career. 

  All in all – a fine day. It was delightful to share time with like-minded people. People who can spend the entire day listening to, talking about and exchanging ideas about writing. Thank you G.V.C.

How did the day unfold for you?