Digging out the Books

The Artist Way group is gearing up to begin in October. I have to say this group, running for over a decade, was a Godsend during Covid. The connection with writing allies is a heartening boon. A lot of us were disappointed in Julia Cameron’s book The Listening Path. It felt incomplete somehow and was written in a different style, but there was still bits of take away to hang onto.  In the winter we re-read The Hero is You by Kendra Black. She’s a writing coach and sets out a plan for writers using Joseph Campbell’s archetypes for The Hero’s Journey. Loved it! It will definitely be on the read again and again shelf. This October we’ll begin reading Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of the Creative Life by author Dani Shapiro.  This was gifted to me a while ago and I loved it so much decided to share it with the group. Here’s a snippet:

“Don’t think too much. There’ll be time to think later. Analysis won’t help. You’re chiseling now. You’re passing your hands over the wood. Now the page is no longer blank. There’s something there. It isn’t your business to know whether it’s going to be prize-worthy someday, or whether it will gather dust in a drawer. Now you’ve carved the tree. You’ve chiseled the marble. You’ve begun.”

Another book on craft I read recently is Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Page by author Lisa Cron:

“Mirror neurons allow us to feel what others experience almost as if it were happening to us…But here’s the kicker. We don’t just mirror other people. We mirror fictional characters too….The areas of the brain that lit up when they read about an activity was identical to those that light up when they actually experience it.”

A different take and well worth the read

She poses a lot of interesting questions in light of neurological research about the prose you’re writing. I like fielding questions once I’m a few drafts in and the story is solid in my imagination. Questioning the elements only strengthens my vision and direction in the end.

I’m taking a copy of Story Genius, also by Lisa, on an upcoming writer’s retreat where I’ll be shaping up a first draft of a novel I was awarded a Creation Grant to complete during Covid.  It’s been sitting resting all summer and I can hardly wait to dig it out and begin excavating. 

If you’re interested in the Artist’s Way group contact me at kathy.dianeleveille@gmail.com

Happy Scribbling,

Kathy

Perils and Pleasures of the Creative Life

I received this little book for Christmas called “Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life” by Dani Shapiro. I connected immediately with her experience of the writing life from an early age:
“I have been writing all my life. Growing up, I wrote in soft-covered journals, in spiral-bound notebooks, in diaries with locks and keys. I wrote love letters and lies, stories and missives. When I wasn’t writing, I was reading. And when I wasn’t writing or reading, I was staring out the window, lost in thought. Life was elsewhere–I was sure of it–and writing is what took me there. In my notebooks, I escaped an unhappy and lonely childhood. I tried to make sense of myself. I had no intention of becoming a writer. I didn’t know that becoming a writer was possible. Still, writing was what saved me. It presented me with a window into the infinite. It allowed me to create order out of chaos.”

Doing the memoir exercises in our recent Artist Way group brought me back to how energizing it was years ago when I first attempted writing short stories. I loved following inspiration and letting it run like a hooked fish to the end of the line. I would check collections out of the library, read and dissect them. I loved uncovering a turn of phrase, a description, a character marker, anything in the prose that highlighted what I was beginning to learn in my own writing and enlightened my ignorance. I admired these writers, but I also felt a sense of homecoming. This is where I belonged. This is the portal I entered as a child when I first picked up a book and stepped into an imaginary world and felt their magic igniting my brain, spirit and soul. I sensed even then the power, rightness and wisdom that came with slipping behind the veil. I had a sense of safety, of endless possibilities. I trusted that I was being held, guided, that I would learn things and experience worlds I never knew existed. Writing led me out of a confused childhood. It opened that “window” as Dani says in a stark room. Writing was and is my lifeline into the real world, even if by now it has allowed me live more in the world and less on the page. That’s a good thing. It’s what writing does. It seeps into your bones and lifts you high and carries you until you meet your true authentic self. Writing is the homecoming.

Don’t fear the blank page. Embrace it.

Kathy-Diane

 

Writer’s Union of Canada Short Prose Competition

It’s that time of year again. This is a wonderful competition to submit your short stories to for feedback and affirmation. I’ve helped participate in the judging past years and have always found it invigorating to witness emerging shining talent.

Writers’ Union of Canada Short Prose Competition

The Artists E-Circle is almost wrapping up. We only have a few weeks left to go.  I’m always blown away by the way a group of writers can come together, from various backgrounds, geographic locations, writing styles and goals, and gel so tightly, simply by corresponding weekly by E-mail tasking one of Julia Cameron’s books. I will take away renewed creative insight: a kaleidoscope of possibilities, entertaining directions and synchronous surprises. Thanks all for taking the risk to join in. It’s a great way to while away the longest month of winter!

Happy writing all.

Kathy-Diane

“Leveille knows character…” The Globe and Mail

Interview with David Alan Binder

I really enjoyed doing an interview with David Alan Binder this week talking about the writing process and creativity.  He’s a great supporter of writing for writing’s sake, and you’ll find all kinds of great information on his site:

Writers and Writing

I’ve just finished reading “The Hero is You” by Kendra Levin.  She challenges a writer to use the archetypes in Joseph Campbell’s heroic journey not only in plot and character, but also in their life, all the while guiding them through inspiration to completed MS. I was challenged by the questions it forced me to ask.

We’re half-way through the Artist Way E-Circle group with Julia’s Cameron’s new book. It’s wonderful to join with old friends and new, with keen expectations and trembling fear, to re-kindle the creative fire. We may be unique in our artistic histories, hopes and angst, but we’re comfortingly the same beneath the surface.  I am always amazed that it continues to be a journey of discovery for me.

Artist Circle 2015

It’s that time of year again. The holidays are over and I need some prodding to get back to the page.  So I’m organizing the annual Artist Circle to begin February 1^st and run for 10 weeks using Julia Cameron’s book “The Right to Write.” It’s an e-mail group that utilizes the principles of “The Artist Way.” There are 10 spots open, to be filled on a first come, first serve basis. It is not a critique group, but an opportunity to explore personal strengths and stumbling blocks, and to put pen to page at your own pace; while sharing discoveries with a supportive group. For more information you can contact me at  shadowsfall@kathy-dianeleveille.com

Happy Writing!

Kathy-Diane

Reading In Hartland

If you’re in Hartland next Wed, drop by to say hello. I’ll be reading from “Standing in the Whale’s Jaw” at the Dr. Walter Chestnut Public Library October 22nd at 10:30 a.m. Thanks to the book club for reading “Let the Shadows Fall Behind You.” Looking forward to our discussion!  I’m looking forward to the drive up and enjoying the spectacular fall colors.

Answering the Call X: Writers’ Retreat

It’s time! Time to tackle the manuscript you’ve been letting gather too much dust. The fall retreat is scheduled:

Answering the Call X: Releasing the Writer Within

A WORKING WRITERS’ RETREAT

WHERE: The Villa Madonna in Renforth, New Brunswick (just outside of Saint John)
WHEN: November 14, 15 and 16, 2014

FORMAT:

November 14, 2012:
5 p.m.-6:00 p.m.- Arrive and settle into your room.
6 p.m. Opening Welcome: Answering the Call by Kathy-Diane Leveille
6 to 9 p.m. Meet and Greet, explanation of weekend structure, sharing optional writing exercise, social

November 15, 2012: Full writing day
7-9 p.m. Optional Critique Group

November 16, 2012:
11:00 a.m. Closing and wrap up.
1:00 p.m. Heading home after lunch and out by mid-afternoon.

FEE: $176.00 which includes single room and board.

This is not a leader-guided writing retreat. Rather it an opportunity to give yourself the gift of uninterrupted time to write. Over the years, Kathy-Diane has created a loose structure that provides touchstones within the weekend’s framework for optional opportunities (between writing) to connect with other writers. How those connections happen vary with the individual and the ultimate shaping of each group. There is no predicting. Sometimes works-in-progress are shared, sometimes tentative ideas are given words and take more concrete shape, sometimes the room door is closed tight and the pen flies across the page. We each go willing to drop the hindrances keeping us from our writing and wait and see what unfolds. Rooms are single and private.
E-mail shadowsfall@kathy-dianeleveille.com for more information or to hold a spot.
(*NOTE: Cancellations after November 1 subject to a 50% refund/No refunds after November 10).

Hope to see you there! Send me a friend invite on FaceBook….

Happy scribbling,

Kathy-Diane

“Standing in the Whale’s Jaw is a swirling, twisting tale of intrigue. Two bright and daring young women weave through a cast of characters… to solve one great mystery and open their minds to a greater one. A rollicking ride with many surprises along the way.” -Linda Little author of Scotch River

5 chocolates for Standing in the Whale’s Jaw!

Thanks to Choco-Latte Reader for the 5 chocolate view of “Standing in the Whale’s Jaw:” Choco-Latte Reader says:

I loved this novel instantly from the first page. It was simply beautiful. There was a lot of vivid and breathtaking imagery, as well as an intriguing story line. Elsa is a fifteen year old girl who lives in a time where men dominate over men. Her mother, Rose, isn’t much help for her free spirit, and Elsa finds a confidant and friend in Lavinia; her mentor. When Elsa finds a wounded man, Simon, in her barn, she decides to keep him a secret despite the consequences. However, at the same time, a dead girl’s body is found in the river, and people are scrambling to find the killer.

I felt that this novel was one of self-exploration, for Elsa to find her place in society and life. All characters had a story to them, and I really connected with them all. Each and every character had a bit more of them revealed as the book went on, their life explained. I loved how Elsa matured through the story, and how she managed to find a place for herself, as a woman, in a male-dominated society.

I should have seen that plot twist in the end coming, but I didn’t. It was a nice surprise, and completely unexpected.

This novel was a joy to read, and was a smooth mix of self-discovery and mystery.

Happy summer reading!

Kathy-Diane

“Standing in the Whale’s Jaw is a swirling, twisting tale of intrigue. Two bright and daring young women weave through a cast of characters… to solve one great mystery and open their minds to a greater one. A thoroughly enjoyable read, it’s a rollicking ride with many surprises along the way.” -Linda Little Author of Scotch River

Arts East Review

Thanks to Arts East for reviewing my new novel “Standing in the Whale’s Jaw:”

Kathy-Diane Leveille makes rural New Brunswick, 1935, an enticing setting for a murder mystery.

Her second suspense novel, Standing in the Whale’s Jaw, centres around 15-year old Elsa Byrd, a strong girl wise beyond her years. Elsa and her mom have relocated from Saint John to her grandparents’ farm; her father Hal has been admitted to a tuberculosis sanatorium. As mother and daughter attempt to adapt to country life—coloured by what probably is a more palpable case of “women should know their place”—a body of a young girl is discovered, found dead inside a floating dory.

READ MORE

Thanks too to Mind Care for holding their annual “Music is Freedom” event. This year they decided to include a lunch reading with authors. I was so pleased to be asked to take part last Friday.  They do so much to help erase the stigma associated with mental illness. So nice to see such a great turn out!

Kathy-Diane

 

“Picturing ordinary people in extraordinary situations, and recording their impressions with an intense clarity we associate more with black and white photos, Leveille is blessed with a flash of insight that lets the readers see far beyond the surface.” – The Chronicle Journal