by Sylvia McNicoll | Feb 6, 2011 | Sylvia McNicoll
Lena Coakley was a fabulous executive administrative for CANSCAIP but she’s also a talented writer. We bought her picture book On the
Night of the Comet and were mesmerized by the story. Lena made a dedicated pursuit of an American agent as she wrote a fantasy. This fall The Witchlander will come out and Lena’s decided to devote herself to writing rather than other kids’ writers.
January was her last meeting and here she is hugging CANSCAIP’s vicepresident Karen Krossing goodbye.
It was the only shot that I could capture them together, if ever so briefly. Good luck, good fortune and many great books Lena.
by Sylvia McNicoll | Dec 17, 2010 | Sylvia McNicoll
Am I trapped in a Linda Bailey picture book? After icing the yule log, I gave Mortie a bath in preparation for his party. That’s right, HIS party. We were invited to Pawsway Appreciation Night.
As part of my other job, features’ editor for Today’s Parent Toronto, he had joined me for the opening of the Pet Discovery Centre at the Harbourfront. He generated more press interest than any of my novels.
We were on television
together and in the newspapers.
Three years later, he had to look his best for a return visit. After his towel-off, he hid under the bed and refused to come out. I used my stern voice. “You have to look good. They’ll probably take your picture again,” I explained as I brushed him.
Talk to the paw. Mortie was not happy with me. After a tedious drive downtown, though Mortie forgave me. And yes the press trained their cameras on him again.
He loved meeting the other dogs. His tail hardly stopped wagging. Except for some reason he took a dislike to Sasha the Malmut. Maybe he was jealous of his Santa coat. Although there were plenty of water dishes around and lots of human treats, Pawsway forgot the dog snacks.
I felt a bit guilty sneaking Mortie bits of my grilled cheese and pear sandwich. As for the “So you think you can dance competition” I think Mortie could do just
as well as the dog dancers. He has just as good a sense of rhythm and responds equally well to the rattle of the treat bag.
Maybe next year.
by Sylvia McNicoll | Dec 12, 2010 | Sylvia McNicoll
Real writers can work anywhere. Proof positive are these students from Brier Park School in Brantford. The signal from the router couldn’t get through to the computer lab/stage although the thunder of the basketballs could. So we tried in the hall. Sometimes when I squatted down to help them, I wasn’t entirely sure I could get up
again. But I did and we had a great week.
On the final day we celebrated by reading poems and stories and acting out skits in front of keen parents.
This will be the last school visit for 2010 and it was a terrific way to end the year. Congratulations to Mrs Genge, Mr. Sturgeon and Mrs. Coulis for hosting it.
by Sylvia McNicoll | Dec 5, 2010 | Sylvia McNicoll
This week I visited Central Public Junior School
in Hamilton to perform my writing workshop.
I also read to them from Revenge on the Fly, a story about 12 year old William Alton, an Irish boy who emigrates to Canada in 1912 and ends up participating in the Hamilton Spectator Fly Catching Contest in order to avenge the deaths of his mother and sister. This story takes place at Central Public. Yes it’s a very old school.
I love reading to the kids anyway, gives me a break from yelling at them. Just kidding. But think they enjoyed having a story set at their schoo.
by Sylvia McNicoll | Nov 8, 2010 | Sylvia McNicoll
Working with 50 grade 7 students in the morning and 40 grade 8s in the afternoon proved no greater challenge than working with 30 kids at a time. Except when it came to one on one editing, that went out the computer screen since we had to divide the groups into two to type up their stories and poems.
Also my training as writer in electronic residence helped as I needed to read 90 stories in one night. Okay and my SRA training in grade 4 (speed reading for content but the initials stand for Scientific Research Associates).
In my last Artist in Education Stint, one of the teachers suggested I include more physical movement in the workshops so that’s my new challenge. Instead of passing around stories, the students now need to get up and shift seats. If I could get taller desks, they could walk on the spot while writing the way Art Slade and the other treadhead writers do.
The first challenge is always getting students to write on task when they’re in such a social atmosphere. Next time I must try playing classical music to blanket over ambient noise.
I miss the kids at St. Joseph School in Acton.
by Sylvia McNicoll | Oct 24, 2010 | Sylvia McNicoll
Readers would probably be shocked at how much research goes into a work of fiction. When I wrote A Different Kind of Beauty and Beauty Returns, I needed to get into the head of a blind 16 year old boy so I interviewed some blind people. I hate the way that sounds and could write instead “visually challenged” or something else but it would all suggest that I’m interviewing the handicap instead of the person. And it’s the people details in which a writer is really interested.
I met Angela Wice and she helped shape Kyle immensely by sharing the sounds, smells and feelings along the path of losing losing your sight and then somehow gaining a new vision.( for example she let me test my bloodsugar level exactly the way diabetic Kyle would.( I became a regular at her coffee house where musicians often visited to showcase new work. I became a fan.
When I write stories, I know I need music in my character’s lives but can’t really afford the time or money to purchase rights to songs. I believe after seven words of a quoted song you need to get permission. So I write caricatures of songs. They’re shorter with bits of verses and minimal refrain so that a book reader gets a sense of the music but doesn’t get bored.
Kyle’s Lullabye in Beauty Returns is one that Angela helped me develop into a real song. I have sung it at the OLA launch of the story and at various author visits (one in a grade 9 prison).
Angela consented to sing it for the book trailer and my son Craig filmed it yesterday. The moment the first note left her mouth I felt so touched. A creation of mine had reached a new tangible level for me.
More poignant too because Craig and Eireann’s baby Violet was there and cooed all the way through it. I also loved how three artforms were cooperating to produce something totally different. It will be awhile till Craig can put this all together. His daytime job at Emotion Pictures keeps him busy and I know he cherishes his family life in the hours he has left. But I also know it will be a masterpiece t.
Lena Coakley was a fabulous executive administrative for CANSCAIP but she’s also a talented writer. We bought her picture book On the 
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