I am just visiting my son in Central Ontario and riding out a power outages in the ice storm. Of course we are discussing good reads and as I shrieked, 'What do you mean, you have never read Terry Fallis? You work in the county clerk's office!!'; he sat back to absorbe the inevitable monolog on your writing.
I described you as a humorous writer who really knows your subjects; but also weaves pathos, insights and tension into your stories.
Thanks for a thought-provoking piece that is also a pleasure to read. Your work manages to blend humour with issues to think about, and your determination to grow has given it a greater emotional range over the years. Even if sales for a novel are lower, I think this adds interest to your work and will bring people back because they can expect something that doesn't just repeat. Remember what happened to Dylan when he dared to move beyond folk, and then how things went after that. With due deference to your family, you plainly do have a sense of humour and trying suppress that would make your work artificial. Some of the greatest authors of all time, like Twain or Dickens, provide wonderful humour along with unforgettable stories and emotional richness. So as a reader, I say keep doing what you're doing.
Terry I have loved reading all of your books! I always look forward to a new book coming out. I remember way back buying your first book for my husband and while he was reading it one night he was laughing out loud. So naturally I had to read it! We have both read every single book you have written. Laughter is the best medicine. I always mention your books to all that are looking for a recommendation!
Great post Terry. It is interesting to think how a loyal audience can make things wonderful but also just a little more complicated. Like a lot of the comments above, I guess you find your way as you go and keep trying to go to the writing that satisfies you. :) Always impressive.
I suppose asking the question is like checking your blind spot before making a lane change. It is a good and prudent thing to do but it doesn’t mean there was any issue with the lane you were in.
I also suppose that trying to parse out how comedy and humour differ might be an informative exercise for some but I’m not certain it would advance your writing. I mean it’s not like you have ever been chasing down one-liners or been writing stand-up gags. These sorts of laugh triggers are not your stock and trade. They are designed to detonate a guffaw rather than cause a grin to creep across lips. Once triggered, the guffaw expels all its energy outward leaving nothing behind of either breath or reflection. Humour nurses the grin’s route across the lips but then goes inward to warm the heart, probe the memory and irritate the imagination. One-liners go well with beer and shots. Humour goes better with coffee, tea, a good brandy or sherry. Humour’s range is much broader, is a close cousin to drama, and isn’t too proud to draw on pathos or euphoria or anything else that gives texture or relief to the topographic map of human experience. I read you Terry because humour. Perhaps you are finding it too confining a canvass for what you have to say? My sense is that it is an embedded element of your expressive instrument. Imho.
So I looked for a quote, Terry...a sign of my occasional unoriginality...and Mark Twain has provided it..."The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter." Given so many situations in the world, keep up the fine work...
Love that quotation, Bill. The other Twain line I leaned on heavily during my years in the student movement (a long time ago), was "I never let school get in the way of my education."
I have read and loved all your novels, skimmed over the ball? Hockey in your last novel but enjoyed the brotherly friendship. I look forward to many more good stories and some laughs.
Hey, people like Jim Carrey, Steve Martin, and Robin Williams jumped from comedy to drama and back again all the time -- sometimes in the same movie. Why not you?
Reading between the lines... does that mean Book #12 is underway?
True. And no, #12 is not yet underway. We haven't actually started editing #11 as my editor is still rightly focused on getting #10 out the door. I don't even know what #12 will be yet. But my wheels are turning.
Wonderful piece, Terry. Every good writer must ask themselves the very same questions you are. I'm going through it now! You need to stretch yourself. At times, you need to veer out of your lane and try something new. How else do you grow?
I like this peek into the writer's mind as the journey goes on. My own journey has been somewhat similar and I believe we like to push ourselves to try new things, to go further off our beginner's trail and to acknowledge that our expanding our writing is just as important as our initial need to write. Sometimes opportunities come along to push us in a different direction. Certainly that happened with my fourth book and my eighth book. Why wouldn't a writer welcome those opportunities? Thanks for discussing this phenomenon, Terry. As usual, you make us all think, whether we're writers or passionate readers or both.
I am just visiting my son in Central Ontario and riding out a power outages in the ice storm. Of course we are discussing good reads and as I shrieked, 'What do you mean, you have never read Terry Fallis? You work in the county clerk's office!!'; he sat back to absorbe the inevitable monolog on your writing.
I described you as a humorous writer who really knows your subjects; but also weaves pathos, insights and tension into your stories.
So in short.... you nailed it!
Thanks for recommending me to your son. Word of mouth remains the most powerful marketing tool of them all.
Thanks for a thought-provoking piece that is also a pleasure to read. Your work manages to blend humour with issues to think about, and your determination to grow has given it a greater emotional range over the years. Even if sales for a novel are lower, I think this adds interest to your work and will bring people back because they can expect something that doesn't just repeat. Remember what happened to Dylan when he dared to move beyond folk, and then how things went after that. With due deference to your family, you plainly do have a sense of humour and trying suppress that would make your work artificial. Some of the greatest authors of all time, like Twain or Dickens, provide wonderful humour along with unforgettable stories and emotional richness. So as a reader, I say keep doing what you're doing.
Many thanks for the kind words, Jack.
Terry I have loved reading all of your books! I always look forward to a new book coming out. I remember way back buying your first book for my husband and while he was reading it one night he was laughing out loud. So naturally I had to read it! We have both read every single book you have written. Laughter is the best medicine. I always mention your books to all that are looking for a recommendation!
Thanks so much, Sue. I'm grateful.
Great post Terry. It is interesting to think how a loyal audience can make things wonderful but also just a little more complicated. Like a lot of the comments above, I guess you find your way as you go and keep trying to go to the writing that satisfies you. :) Always impressive.
Thanks, Melany.
I suppose asking the question is like checking your blind spot before making a lane change. It is a good and prudent thing to do but it doesn’t mean there was any issue with the lane you were in.
I also suppose that trying to parse out how comedy and humour differ might be an informative exercise for some but I’m not certain it would advance your writing. I mean it’s not like you have ever been chasing down one-liners or been writing stand-up gags. These sorts of laugh triggers are not your stock and trade. They are designed to detonate a guffaw rather than cause a grin to creep across lips. Once triggered, the guffaw expels all its energy outward leaving nothing behind of either breath or reflection. Humour nurses the grin’s route across the lips but then goes inward to warm the heart, probe the memory and irritate the imagination. One-liners go well with beer and shots. Humour goes better with coffee, tea, a good brandy or sherry. Humour’s range is much broader, is a close cousin to drama, and isn’t too proud to draw on pathos or euphoria or anything else that gives texture or relief to the topographic map of human experience. I read you Terry because humour. Perhaps you are finding it too confining a canvass for what you have to say? My sense is that it is an embedded element of your expressive instrument. Imho.
Thanks for your thoughtful observations, Newman. Very kind of you.
So I looked for a quote, Terry...a sign of my occasional unoriginality...and Mark Twain has provided it..."The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter." Given so many situations in the world, keep up the fine work...
Love that quotation, Bill. The other Twain line I leaned on heavily during my years in the student movement (a long time ago), was "I never let school get in the way of my education."
I had many teachers over the years who would have likely agreed that that summed me up to a T...
I have read and loved all your novels, skimmed over the ball? Hockey in your last novel but enjoyed the brotherly friendship. I look forward to many more good stories and some laughs.
Thank you, Judith. Glad to have you aboard.
Hey, people like Jim Carrey, Steve Martin, and Robin Williams jumped from comedy to drama and back again all the time -- sometimes in the same movie. Why not you?
Reading between the lines... does that mean Book #12 is underway?
True. And no, #12 is not yet underway. We haven't actually started editing #11 as my editor is still rightly focused on getting #10 out the door. I don't even know what #12 will be yet. But my wheels are turning.
Oh, those turning wheels... lol
Looks like you have another exciting summer and fall coming up!
As usual an interesting and thoughtful piece Terry.
Wonderful piece, Terry. Every good writer must ask themselves the very same questions you are. I'm going through it now! You need to stretch yourself. At times, you need to veer out of your lane and try something new. How else do you grow?
I'm with you on that, Anthony. Thanks.
Don't worry about it. I didn't think you were that funny. :)
(Just kidding, I have enjoyed all of your books and always look forward to the next one. Mark Twain seemed to have done okay as a humourist.)
Nice one, John! That made me laugh out loud.
I like this peek into the writer's mind as the journey goes on. My own journey has been somewhat similar and I believe we like to push ourselves to try new things, to go further off our beginner's trail and to acknowledge that our expanding our writing is just as important as our initial need to write. Sometimes opportunities come along to push us in a different direction. Certainly that happened with my fourth book and my eighth book. Why wouldn't a writer welcome those opportunities? Thanks for discussing this phenomenon, Terry. As usual, you make us all think, whether we're writers or passionate readers or both.
Thanks, Elaine. Hope you're well.
I think you are terrifically funny guy, but also commiserative, insightful, wise, and you have a wonderful command of WORDS!
PS - write what you want, not necessarily what folks expect. It will work.