My regret is that I did not take your humour workshop (with Rod Carley) at least a year or two earlier! It was from you I learned about the Public Lending Rights Program, which eventually gave me about a 1000% return on what I paid for the workshop. The pressure is really on you guys if I take that workshop again.
Not too many but a few. I am a self-starter so my hundreds of unanswered queries just opened the door to creating my own publishing company which now has 8 books under its modest banner. And, no, I don't publish anyone else's books. Learn to do by doing was and is definitely my mantra. I started later than you did, Terry, so I didn't feel I wanted to wait until the cherished response to my queries might land in my mailbox. Instead I learned all I could at conferences, writing groups, author presentations and by surfing the net for answers to my questions. I found excellent people to hire for such things as cover creation and laying out my books. I didn't want to do those things.
That journey was and is terrific. I do not regret a bit of it. And as I've mentioned in several places, you were part of my book journey, writing cover bits that enhanced my work and my output. Thanks so much for that!
Hello Terry. When my husband read a draft of my debut novel, he said "This is really good honey. You should've done this 10 years ago!" thereby sentencing himself to the basement couch for the night. Yes, it would've been easier to get discovered, especially in Canada. But 10 years ago, who's to say whether I would've had the maturity, discipline, and life experience to write a book and navigate the confusion of the publishing industry?
And also ... thank you for all that you do for our writing community.
Thanks for writing and sharing this. It says so much about how people rank "funny" that anyone would ask you this... "Do I regret the focus on writing funny novels?" If anyone ever wondered how the brilliant DRAMA, The Bear, steals so many comedy awards it'd be this sense that somehow funny means your books should be at the kiddie table. “Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.” - Edmund Kean (probably)
Only if it's the kind of not really funny "funny" that has the reader smiling knowingly at how clever they are with no possible risk of them laughing...
Funny you should mention that. You’ll find Angus in my next novel, The Marionette, in bookstores October 7, and already available for preorder. It’s not an Angus novel the way the other three are, but he plays an important role in the story and has several scenes.
Great blog. Like you, my first book was published when I was, shall we say, slightly more mature. The wonderful thing is that such a long lead-up allowed me to accumulate lots of stories and some life experience so I feel like I actually have something worthwhile to contribute.
I think we all have regrets about something or other, perhaps essentially about not being a different person (our later and wiser self maybe). But we were all the person we were, so that's that. You cover a lot of ground, including your question about writing earlier. Your political/communications career made a huge contribution to your early books, especially, so I'm glad you don't regret that. I wonder if writing is one of those activities (perhaps like politics) that benefits from prior experience in something else. For a writer, this gives a different perspective and something other than personal feelings to write about, which is an important part of the appeal of your work. Thank you for not inflicting prose-poetry and opaque plots upon us! Can Lit already has enough of that.
My regrets, although different that yours, fall along the same vein: stuff I wish had happened but I didn't have much control over.
I always wanted to be a writer when I grew up -- still do. When I was a kid, that meant novels. But as I got older, I realized that it's not something you can do to make a living and raise a family unless you're very, very, very, very good or lucky.
But I write full-time as a freelancer, so in that way, I've already won.
Thank not that!
My regret is that I did not take your humour workshop (with Rod Carley) at least a year or two earlier! It was from you I learned about the Public Lending Rights Program, which eventually gave me about a 1000% return on what I paid for the workshop. The pressure is really on you guys if I take that workshop again.
(Have been wanting to that you for that…)
Glad the PLR is working for you!
Not too many but a few. I am a self-starter so my hundreds of unanswered queries just opened the door to creating my own publishing company which now has 8 books under its modest banner. And, no, I don't publish anyone else's books. Learn to do by doing was and is definitely my mantra. I started later than you did, Terry, so I didn't feel I wanted to wait until the cherished response to my queries might land in my mailbox. Instead I learned all I could at conferences, writing groups, author presentations and by surfing the net for answers to my questions. I found excellent people to hire for such things as cover creation and laying out my books. I didn't want to do those things.
That journey was and is terrific. I do not regret a bit of it. And as I've mentioned in several places, you were part of my book journey, writing cover bits that enhanced my work and my output. Thanks so much for that!
Thanks, Elaine. It’s all about the writing, I figure. All that other stuff needs to get done, but it starts and ends with the writing.
Hello Terry. When my husband read a draft of my debut novel, he said "This is really good honey. You should've done this 10 years ago!" thereby sentencing himself to the basement couch for the night. Yes, it would've been easier to get discovered, especially in Canada. But 10 years ago, who's to say whether I would've had the maturity, discipline, and life experience to write a book and navigate the confusion of the publishing industry?
And also ... thank you for all that you do for our writing community.
Exactly! When you've lived a little, you have loads more material to draw upon and more wisdom to know how to use it.
Loads of regrets. Loads and loads. But lots of wins, too. It's all part of the adventure. (And at age 58, it gives me something to write about.)
Thanks for writing and sharing this. It says so much about how people rank "funny" that anyone would ask you this... "Do I regret the focus on writing funny novels?" If anyone ever wondered how the brilliant DRAMA, The Bear, steals so many comedy awards it'd be this sense that somehow funny means your books should be at the kiddie table. “Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.” - Edmund Kean (probably)
I hear you. Will we ever see a funny novel on the Giller shortlist?
Only if it's the kind of not really funny "funny" that has the reader smiling knowingly at how clever they are with no possible risk of them laughing...
I am very impressed with your one word sentences. That’s why I love reading your books.
Xxoo Catherine
Finally got my hands and the Angus "trilogy". Any plans for a fourth novel about Angus?
Funny you should mention that. You’ll find Angus in my next novel, The Marionette, in bookstores October 7, and already available for preorder. It’s not an Angus novel the way the other three are, but he plays an important role in the story and has several scenes.
Write on, I say, Terry, and damn the torpedoes of time...
Great blog. Like you, my first book was published when I was, shall we say, slightly more mature. The wonderful thing is that such a long lead-up allowed me to accumulate lots of stories and some life experience so I feel like I actually have something worthwhile to contribute.
Thank you, Lucy! I agree. A long career provides creative fodder for stories. It worked for me
I think we all have regrets about something or other, perhaps essentially about not being a different person (our later and wiser self maybe). But we were all the person we were, so that's that. You cover a lot of ground, including your question about writing earlier. Your political/communications career made a huge contribution to your early books, especially, so I'm glad you don't regret that. I wonder if writing is one of those activities (perhaps like politics) that benefits from prior experience in something else. For a writer, this gives a different perspective and something other than personal feelings to write about, which is an important part of the appeal of your work. Thank you for not inflicting prose-poetry and opaque plots upon us! Can Lit already has enough of that.
Agreed. Thanks, Jack.
My regrets, although different that yours, fall along the same vein: stuff I wish had happened but I didn't have much control over.
I always wanted to be a writer when I grew up -- still do. When I was a kid, that meant novels. But as I got older, I realized that it's not something you can do to make a living and raise a family unless you're very, very, very, very good or lucky.
But I write full-time as a freelancer, so in that way, I've already won.
No regerts!
Happy Father's Day!
Thanks, Graham.