IWSG, New Round of ROW80, Canadian Books Challenge, and Oceans

nother Insecure Writers' Support Group day is upon us! Thank you for hosting us, Ninja Alex!

I've got three quotes as my IWSG offering this month:


Here's some advice I got the other day from Anne Wheaton:

Also came across this tip from Donald Maass: "In 20 minutes write a parody of your genre. Next compare it to your WIP. What's dead on? Uh-oh. Work to do."

And this plotting tip: "What's the cheesiest plot device in novels in your category? Outdo, twist or reverse it."


Last year, I thought I'd pledge myself to the Canadian Book Challenge, to read a book from every province and territory in Canada.

I didn't actively go looking for books, but looking back now, I seem to have covered nearly half the country:

British Columbia - Willow and Twig by Jean Little
Alberta - none
New Brunswick - honourable mention to Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson, which takes place mostly in Nova Scotia, but mentions places in New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador - none
Prince Edward Island - Anne of Green Gables, of course. I reread this book often.

Northwest Territories - none

Manitoba - Who is Frances Rain? by Margaret Buffie
Nunavut - none
Ontario - Alligator Baby by Robert Munsch, A House Far From Home by Budge Wilson, and Runaway by Bernice Thurman Hunter (in this case, the author's from Ontario, but the story takes place in England!)
Saskatchewan - none
Québec - Mary Ann Alice, and Boy O'Boy, both by Brian Doyle (this is a stretch, as these books take place in and around the Gatineau River Valley, which straddles Ontario and Québec)
Yukon - none
Nova Scotia - a lot: Breakdown, Lorinda's Diary, Thirteen Never Changes, and Mystery Lights at Blue Harbour by Budge Wilson; Rainy Days with Bear by Maureen Hull; and Real Mermaids Don't Need High Heels, and Real Mermaids Don't Hold Their Breath by Hélène Boudreau

I've got to get further west and north! I did read a few snippets of a Ghost Stories of Canada compilation. And, of course, there was also the board book I read with my nephew, Canada 123 by Kim Bellefontaine and Per-Henrik Gurth:

A new round of A Round of Words in Eighty Days has begun!

I've got three projects on the go:

Submit Eyes of the Sky short story

Type up and edit Where There's Life short story and send to betas

Print out and reread Druid's Moon novella one last time, enter those changes, send to betas, and start drafting the query and synopsis

Also some knitting, keeping up with blogs and the Forum, bringing the TBR pile down, and lots of summer barbecues!

Speaking of Nova Scotia, and the ocean, Neil Gaiman tweeted the other day about the TerraMar Project, whose aim is to "create and empower a global community of ocean citizens."

They "believe in the Law of the Commons. It states, 'The high seas belong to all of us and should be protected for generations to come.' We've taken this idea one step further and are encouraging you to claim your legitimate right to the high seas. Your citizenship to TerraMar is a pledge that you will help bring awareness to your friends and family about the problems plaguing our high seas, the largest and least explored place on Earth."

Here's what Neil said:

I agree completely. Not just oceans, but the sea - because the sea reminds me of childhood summers at my grandmother's. Of playing in the waves, watching the waves, of the one time in (apparently) thirty years when it rained in the middle of summer (for about ten minutes), swimming at dawn and midnight and all the hours in between, of boating, of my first taste of octopus, of mystery lights across the span, of games in the sand, of romantic wishes, of boundless dreams.

What do you love about the ocean?

What are your ROW80 or other writing goals?

Please let me know if you have other Canadian book and author recommendations!