People, Places and Things

Want more Valerie?

This month you'll find Valerie at WomenBloom!, Mississippi Crow, and in WCDR's Word Weaver. You can also read her work at Bread 'n' Molasses, and NYC Midnight.

Thunder Bay Has Something Toronto Never Will

I just finished eating a Bennett's Bakery Persian. (Technically, it was 1.5, if you count just the icing off a second item).

If you've never heard of Bennett's famous-among-NWO-residents, baked good, read about it. Wikipedia describes it as follows:

"A Persian is an oval-shaped, cinnamon-bun-like pastry with a sweet, pink icing made of either raspberries or strawberries. It originated in and remains particular to the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada."

There's more of the story about how the Persian was named on the city's tourism website.

Although the Sally-Ann - a small, round chocolate icing covered white cake (like a Maryanne cake), with a dab of white frosting inside - has long been my favourite, but because neither dessert is as readily available to me now as they were when I was a kid living in the Lakehead, they are now equal favourites. It's hard to chose one over the other.

I introduced these delicious treats to my husband then my son and now my mother must travel with a couple of dozen desserts stowed beneath her airline seat. In the past, we've joked that we'd leave her waiting at the pick-up zone outside Pearson International Airport if she's without at least one Bennett's Bakery box.

+Image courtesy of www.visitThunderBay.com.

Day Jobs for Authors

In my daily job search online, I discoverd Quill & Quire's job board. This morning, I spent some time reading the blog ... and found a thread about Day Jobs for Authors.

Here's what I wrote.

I’m a technical writer by trade who works on contract only. This way, I can earn enough money to take time off between each contract. It’s the only way I can get any creative writing done. I make notes, jot ideas, and consider aspects of stories, poems, and other pieces, but it’s not until I have downtime in large chunks that I can actually put it together.

I’ve tried part-time gigs; one at a talent agency was particularly helpful because of the creativity of the clients, but the one as a meat-wrapper at a local chain grocery store was awful.

For me, the time between contracts is what makes slogging in a corporate environment less painful.

Maybe John Tomasi [writer who posted] is right. Maybe we have to steal time from jobs we hate to make time for our work.

If that’s the case … on to the next unfulfilling gig!

Amazing Artists

In a December blog posting, I briefly mentioned talented artist Jacqueline Hudon-Verrelli. Shortly afterward that posting, I commissioned her to illustrate two children's limericks I'd written years ago (and recently rewritten for a writing class.)

If you're interested in art and would like to view Jacqueline's beautiful renditions, check out her blog: http://www.chubbybroccoli.com/.

Writers-in-Residence

In May 2004, poet Harold Rhenisch agreed to an email conversation about the challenges writers-in-residence face during the exchange between seasoned writer and emerging writer. Rhenisch advises writers on what to do when participating in a professional critique, how to  submit your best work, alongside works-in-progress, in order to gain the most from the opportunity of working with an established writer. Download QandA_Rhenisch.pdf

Download QandA_Rhenisch.pdf

Overdosing on Media Coverage

Without going into too much detail about an article in this morning's Toronto Star, how does a "doctor counselling stars on reality show" have the audacity to claim that "our fascination with bad behaviour needs to stop"??

Sure, many people I know can be lumped into the "We're making fun of people with serious mental health issues." group, but to claim that "That hasn't really entered the public consciousness yet." is incorrect, at least from perspective I have from the chair I sit when writing this.

Someone ought to let the doctor know that generally, the "public" is uninterested.

It is the media outlets with their insatiable need for ratings and an overtly over-fascination with celebrities shortcomings and goings-on, even packaging all actors and artists into the "celebrity" category as if all performers crave the intense spotlight of tabloid journalism and somehow enjoy the pervasiveness that group of rogue photographers dubbed the "paparazzi" for good reason.

It is all so sad. I really ought to stop reading the Entertainment section and concentrate the World and Business sections.

Ontario Writers Conference

REMINDER: This weekend May 2-3, 2008 the Writers Circle of Durham Region is hosting the Ontario Writers Conference. To learn more about this two-day event at the Delta Toronto East Hotel, go to www.ontariowritersconference.com.

Whatcha Reading?

I was asked recently if I read technical magazines to keep up on technology trends. From my post the other day, you know I do not.

And you might as well know, that I have not kept my promise to buy only Canadian magazines, but this month just one of six magazines I purchased not "Canadian."

Here's this month's inventory:

• Psychology Today
• The Writer (excuse: research for writing course)
• Best Health
• Toronto Life
• Reader's Digest
• More magazine

Oh, and

• Shameless
• Domino
• Canadian Geographic
• Our Canada
• Fashion

Of course, a few books caught my attention, too. This month I read:

• A Mother's Story by Gloria Vanderbilt
• White Rapids by award-winning Quebecois cartoonist Pascal Blanchet
• Property by Valerie Martin
• Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now and A New Earth {I wanted to know what all the fuss is about.}

As of yesterday, I returned to Consolation this year's pick for Keep Toronto Reading One Book Campaign. I got sidetracked.

Every Paycheque is a Bonus

Today, I'm feeling a little cow-handed about this whole resume updating thing.

Even though I regularly update my resume -- that is, after each writing gig -- last month I decided to revamp my CV.

When I opened a Word doc containing my entire work history, I enjoyed a meandering detour along memory lane and couldn't help but laugh out loud at some of my work experience.

There was my solitary retail experience in women's clothing - Ricki's, circa 1984, my summer fling with waitressing, rather I had a carhop gig at A&W carhop in 1981; and there was a horrific summer job in 1977 working for my aunt's husband.

Although the thought of these jobs made me chuckle, in part because they were far from the worst jobs I've held, I was reminded of a recent survey that claimed a large percentage of individuals would work entertainment industry, if possible. I've worked in the film/tv industry; it's not all it's cracked up to be. To those folks, I'd say, keep hold of that job you've got. If it pays the bills, you're already ahead of the game.

As for me, I'm packing it in.

In 1996, in a Nobel lecture, poet Wislawa Szymborska said, "Most of the Earth's inhabitants work to get by. They work because they have to." Most of us, she assured her audience, do not choose our jobs out of passion, but from the circumstances of our lives.

In the March 2008 issue of "O" The Oprah Magazine, Oprah wrote "If you can get paid for doing what you love, every paycheck is a bonus."

I agree. I like to derive a sense of satisfaction, of accomplishment, of a job well-done from my 9-5 just as I do from my freelance and volunteer work.

What about you? Wislawa, or Oprah? Which type of job do you have?

During a recent job interview, I was asked about how I keep up on technology and the truth is, I don't. Not really. (If you do, and are reading this, you are probably familiar with Laurence Cutler's blog Technically Speaking. If you do not, I suggest you check out the blog later.)

For anyone with the title "technical writer" on his/her business card, lack of interest can be perilous, if not downright detrimental, to said career.

Not long ago, I came across a good article on this very topic.

"Are You a Good Technical Writer?" reminded me of the importance of technical writers to enjoy technology.

The article also brought to mind a comment a colleague made to me during our work on a bank project. It hit close to home. After a brief discussion about my findings during the discovery process, a the fellow contractor, to whom I reported, said to me "You're not a technical writer, you're a business analyst."

Oops.

Indeed, after a decade of doing so, the realization that I was no longer interested in pursuing technical writing as a profession came as sort of a surprise to me. And as I thought about the former colleague's comment, which she'd meant as a compliment, I discovered that I missed my former career more than I previously admitted. So, I decided to return to my administrative roots.

After a 10-year hiatus I'm glad to be back.

U R Normal

Fearful Flyers Become Frequent Fearless Flyers

If you are like 33% of the airline travellers, you have a fear of flying. I do.

I've put off vacations, trips home to visit family, even passed on a lucrative writing contract because it involved frequent travel by plane.

Dan MacAskill knows what that’s like. He used to be afraid of flying too, but he’s conquered his fear and he’s teaching others how to do it; he's running his seminar in Barrie next month.

This came at a perfect time for me because the job I turned down has been offered to me, again. With Dan's help, I'll soon be flying overseas to the UK and Europe for business with the added bonus of visiting countries I've always wanted to see, but would not otherwise have done so.

If you're interested, here are the details.

All participants are required to call Dan first.

Dan insists that every participant take a few minutes to find out more about his seminars and to get questions answered before signing up. This is mandatory because once you decide to register, Dan will email you a brief questionnaire about your fear of flying and your life, in general.

"It’s easy to do," says Dan, "but it must be completed before the day of the seminar."

The seminar will be held at the Barrie Public Library in the Consumer Gas Boardroom. It costs $165, plus GST ($173.25 total), and is limited to 12 participants.

All registrations and questionnaires must be received by May 1, 2008.

To learn more about Dan and his seminars, go to his website urNormal.com. You can also read about Dan and the fear of flying in a recent Globe and Mail article.