2020: My List of Accomplishments by Leanne Dyck

So much about 2020 sucked but still, as I look back on the year, I'm smiling. Here's why...

photo by ldyck

Virtual Author Readings

Last July, I was invited--by a company called Allears--to record my short stories for my blog. It was a generous offer but I was reluctant to accept. I'm dyslexic and so doing recordings of me reading... I'm not computer savvy and so learning to do something new on my computer... 

But I'm so glad that I did try because I've been having so much fun, challenging myself, and learning a lot.

So far, your most favourite reading has been...

A Stone Heart

The complete (so far) list of my virtual author readings.

Writing

Ever since I heard about The Fold Festival I've wanted to attend, but it's held in Brampton, Ontario--and I'm all the way over here on the west coast. So I... 

But in 2020--like many literary events--The Fold was held online. (Very good news for me!) I was especially interested in participating in a pitch session. For a fee of thirty dollars, participating authors sent excerpts from their manuscripts in hopes of--if selected--having their words read by either a literary agent or book publisher. 

You did read that I wasn't computer savvy, right? Well... I had some trouble completing the application form. Fortunately, thanks to the help I received from one of the members of The Fold team (much thanks to you, Ardo) my application was accepted.

On August 26, Fold sent me an email of congratulations--I had been chosen to participate. Well, I was over the moon.  Even better news, the fee of thirty dollars had been waived. 

I waited to be contacted by an agent or a publisher. 

On September 1, I was sent an email from one of the biggest publishing houses. I was blown away--and, of course, nervous. But it does help to know that a publisher has liked your work enough to want to speak with you about it. 

The publisher was warm and helpful. She gave me tons of notes regarding my manuscript. As it turns out, the manuscript I sent her was too short but... I mentioned another manuscript that I was thinking of starting to write and she expressed an interest in reading it.  That's the manuscript I've been working on ever since. 

 Blog

At 10:59 a.m. on Sunday, September 13, 2020, this blog received its 500,000-page view. 

Thank you for your continued support. Without you, these words would simply be sent into the atmosphere. A story isn't a story without a reader to read it.

And regarding next year, I have big plans...

'Abby taking her human for a walk' photo by ldyck

2021 on this blog...

Your favourite short stories of 2019 (list) by Leanne Dyck

In 2019, I clicked my pen and wrote humour, magical realism, women's fiction, metafiction, a narrative poem, historical fiction, and creative non-fiction. In total, I wrote 17 short stories and one poem for this blog. (I also wrote 25 manuscripts for young children. This includes finishing my middle grade novel. A project that--at times--I never thought I would finish. And at other times thought I was silly to have even started. But it's amazing how much pleasure I had writing it.) Here are the stories. If you click on the title it will take you to the story so you can re-read it. Under each title is a brief description of the story. At the end of the list, you'll find the three stories that earned the most page views. Thank you for your interest in my writing. Stories are listed in the order they were published on my blog.

"Sun" by ldyck

Short Stories

January

Island Artist

a humourous near-visit to a notorious fine artist who residences on a small island

February

Answering Machine

moving on from a failed romantic relationship

March

Authors in a Pub

three mid-list authors discuss how hard it is to write--inspired by Monty Phyton

Let the Sunshine in

in this magical realism narrative poem, a granddaughter journeys through the woods to visit her grandmother

April

Huldufolk

birth stories--some of us are given them; others of us have to find them

May

Baby Rescuer

An Early Childhood Educator gains employment at a Day Care Centre for young parents and gets an education.

Annie

driven by an overwhelming need for a baby, an Early Childhood Educator crafts plans to make her dreams reality.

June

Playing with Your Muse
part 1 
part 2

a muse gifts an author a story about a senior citizen who knits

July

Sharing Your Writing

a wife shares her writing with her non-writing husband and asks for his feedback

The Toy

an abandoned toy longs to find a child who will play with him

August

The Invisible Woman

a middle-aged woman confronts invisibility

September

Afi
part 1
part 2

inspired by true events, this is the story about sharing my story about my afi (grandfather) with my Amma (grandma)--one of the first times I shared my writing with my family

My First Writers' Group

the feelings that I confronted when attending my first writers' group meetings

October

The Craftsman

this story about a Settler meeting a Native American was inspired by my first published story--published when I was in elementary school

November

On Stage with the Island Storyteller

a silly fictitious story that provides a venue for me to thank all those who helped me grow as an author--including you

December

Christmas Secrets

about my mom's naughty kid

A Christmas Present

it's not the present. It's what you do with that counts.

Christmas with Family

in which I long to spend Christmas with family and my husband endeavours to make that happen

Your Favourite Stories

or at least the stories that received the most page views

(drum roll, please)

Authors in a Pub
Island Artist
Let the Sunshine in

Thank you for each and every clicked link.

"moon" by ldyck

In 2019, I reviewed 18 books. I read historical fiction, literary fiction, horror, a middle grade novel, and short story collections, short novels and a book of linked stories. Oh, how I love shorts. Publication dates for these books spanned the years from 1891 (not my copy, but the book) to 2019. That's 128 years. Wow! And I loved each and every one of them. And to think I was once a reluctant reader (many, many years ago). Not no more, sister. If you click on the title it will take you to my review. Under each title are the author's name, the genre, and a brief description of the book. Books are listed in the order the reviews were published on my blog.

Book Reviews

January

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and her Monster
Jonathan Auxier
(middle-grade historical fiction)

set in England, Sweep is about a girl, a chimney sweep and a lump of coal

February

The Saturday Night Ghost Club
Craig Davidson
(literary fiction)

a nephew discovers the dark secret that haunts his uncle

March

Washington Black
Esi Edugyan
(historical fiction)

born a slave, a boy grows up to be an adventure, an inventor

A Wake for the Dreamland
Laurel Deedrick-Mayne
(historical fiction)

about enduring friendship and surviving war

April

Bluebird's Egg
Margaret Atwood
(short story collection)

reflections on the relationships women have with the men in their lives

Something for Everyone
Lisa Moore
(short story collection)

all stories are connected in some way to Newfoundland

May

Bellevue Square
Michael Redhill
(literary fiction)

a woman hunts for her twin

Milkman
Anna Burns
(literary fiction)

set in Ireland during The Troubles, an adolescent girl is followed by the "milkman"

June

Fox 8
George Saunders
(short novel)

a fox learns to speak human

The Time I Loved You
Carrianne Leung
(linked stories collection)

about the Ontario suburb Scarborough

July

An Ocean of Minutes
Thea Lim
(fantasy/romance)

a time-travelling love story

August

The Quintland Sisters
Shelley Wood
(historical fiction)

set during the depression, a young woman learns about nursing and life as she cares for the Dionne quintuplets

The Princess Dolls
Ellen Schwartz
(middle-grade historical fiction)

during the Second World War, two girls--one Jewish and the other Japanese-Canadian--bond over their mutual adoration of Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret

September

Bunny:  A Novel
Mona Awad
(literary fiction)

a writer is bullied by a group of writers

The Pearl
John Steinbeck
(a short novel written as a parable)

a poor family's struggle to survive

October

The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde
(gothic horror classic)

explores what can happen to a man's life when he is manipulated by the wrong influence

November

Akin
Emma Donoghue
(literary fiction)

a son investigates what his mother did during the Second World War

The End of the Affair
Graham Greene
(romance)

set during and after World War Two, The End of the Affair is about three self-obsessed people and their struggle for love

December

The Little Paris Bookshop
Nina George
(romance)

after 20 years, a middle-aged man learns to live and love again


Your Favourite Book Reviews
or at least the reviews that received the most page views

A Wake for the Dreamland by Laurel Deedrick-Mayne
Bluebird's Egg by Margaret Atwood
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan


I know I'm a midge early but, I just can't wait.

Happy 2020!!

January on this blog will be positively

(January 5) 2020  Meditation 

wild

(January 12) Book review:

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

(January 26) Book review:

Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline

Let me list the ways

(January 19) List

2010s:  Your Favourite Books

😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄

A Year Spent with You - -2017 in review

"On Mayne Island amidst the Holiday lights at the Japanese Gardens" by ldyck

At the end of each section, I leave hints on how to use the information I provide.

Most Popular Posts Published in 2017

Canadian Literary Prizes:  write and read (380 page views)
in which I list the winners of the Rogers' Trust, GG, and the Giller

A Star (short story) (368 page views)
inspired by my experiences as a dyslexic elementary school student

Quilt Diva (a true story) (290 page views)
how a knitter wound up walking in a parade as a quilter

After 7 years, why keep writing? (250 page views)
I created this blog 7 years ago. I explain why I'm still writing.

Byron did:  in praise of poetry (220 page views)
further explanation not required

About dyslexia (211 page views)
further explanation not required

Bloggers: take inspiration from my most popular posts to write your own web content.

Books Reviewed in 2017

(This slow reader reviewed 15 books this year. Wow! I doubt I'll repeat that number in 2018)

All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner 
Fiction
an alcoholic's story

Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis
Speculative Fiction
The Greek Gods give human intelligence to fifteen dogs

Note to Self by Laurie Buchanan
Self Help
Unpack your baggage and become your best self

The Wonder by Emma Donoghue
Historical Fiction
A girl is reported to be exciting on manna alone--but how

The Lotterys Plus One by Emma Donoghue
Middle Grade Fiction
A happy family of misfits

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time 
by Mark Haddon
Fiction
A character sketch of a person with a neurological disorder.

Are You Seeing Me? by Darren Groth
Middle Grade Fiction
After their father's death, twins travel from Australia to Canada. One of the twins has a neurological disorder.

13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad
Fiction
further explanation not required

Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Middle Grade Fiction
an exploration of being short in stature

Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger
Short Story Collection
further explanation not required

The Break by Katherena Vermette
Fiction
exploration of the victim -- the abuser

Nation by Terry Pratchatt
Young Adult reads like Speculative Fiction
exploration of building community

The Only Child by Andrew Pyper
Horror
which is worse -- the evil "other" or the evil inside us?

Pride by Robin Stevenson
Non-fiction
A celebration of the gay community

Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson
Magical Realism
the effect of the residential school system on three generations of Aboriginal Canadians

Readers:  If you click the link for each book you'll be able to read the reviews--including where to buy the book.

Guest Posts

This year I interviewed four children's authors--Linda Marshall (Rainbow Weaver), Dr. Sigal Haber (Chuck the Rooster Loses his Voice), Pam Withers (Tracker's Canyon), and Maxine Sylvester (Ronaldo:  The Reindeer Flying Academy)--and author of the popular blog Tuesdays with Laurie, Laurie Buchanan (Self Note). I also shared some of my dad's--A. J. Willetts--writing with you. (I'm thrilled that my dad's post drew a "wopping" 481 page views.)

Writers:  Reading the guest posts will give you helpful tips on how to kickstart your author career. 

Thank you for spending 2017 with me. I hope you enjoyed our time together. I look forward to sharing 2018 with you.

Next post:  

Published on Sunday, January 7, 2017 2018
at approximately 5 PM PST
Writing:  right foot forward
if you like me need a little pep talk to start your year here it is.

On this blog in 2015

Please click on the image to embolden

Dear Reader,

As my own writing career demands more and more of my attention, I'm finding less and less time for everything else. And thus I've been forced to make a difficult decision. Effective January 16, I will no longer publish guest posts. (My last guest will be Victoria Chatham.) 

This will be my new blog blurb...

Leanne Dyck invites readers and writers to join her on her "wild" author journey. She promises to keep you entertained, informed and inspired. One new post will be available every Monday. Leanne writes from Mayne Island, B.C., Canada.  Thank you for helping to nurture this blog by visiting, sharing the link and commenting. 

As we meet the promise of a new year, I hope I can continue to count on your support.

And please note, my decision to cancel Friday posts does in no way effect my goal of building community and supporting those in the publishing industry. I plan to continue to share my Internet finds -- publishing opportunities, informative articles and more. In fact, I hope to meet this goal more effectively by utilizing Google Plus and Twitter. 

Please follow me...

on Google Plus, please click this link

and on Twitter as lustfulgraces ( link )

(I'd also enjoy connecting with you on Facebook.)

Of course, the over 100 guest posts that I began publishing on this blog in 2010 will still be available for your reading pleasure on the guest post page. 

Thank you to the publishing industry professionals who have contributed to this blog. I've learned a lot from you. The most important lesson is that if you continue to strive to build a successful life in writing you will be successful. Believe in the power of your words.


I'm looking forward to spending 2015 with you.
Best wishes for a fun and successful new year,
Leanne

Friday's Guest:  Reality Skimming Press

Next Monday's post:  No MFA? Submit to these literary magazines. 

Sharing my author journey...

An Introduction to Blogging by Leanne Dyck

Some bloggers own their own homes. They've built or have had built blogs. These are the most expensive blogs on the Internet. But they own them and no one can evict them. However, they live out in the wilds and no one may even know they are there. 
(Here is an in-depth explanation on how to create your own blog) 
Other bloggers live in apartment buildings. The most highly populated buildings are WordPress and Blogger. Because they live in apartment buildings they have the potential of getting many visitors. But they are tenants so there's a danger that they can lose their homes--and all their hard work--if their landlords decide to close the building. 
(Here is an in-depth comparison of Blogger and Wordpress)
Still other bloggers live on communes. The work of maintaining these blogs is divided more or less evenly between two or more bloggers. It sounds like fun until there is a conflict. Then what? Whose blog is it? Also, with so many contributors, it's easy to be overshadowed.
(Here's another interesting article:  How to Start a Group Blog for Writers)
An author's website is your storefront; a blog is your home. It's where you can let your personality shine through. Are you an educator, an entertainer, a motivator, a promoter--tell your readers. They're interested. They want to get to know you. And through your blog, you've expanded your readership globally.

Blogging Tips by Leanne Dyck

When you begin to blog don't think about how many people are reading your blog. Chances are it won't be many. And dwelling on this might discourage you. So, instead, think about building community. 

Visit other blogs and leave comments. Look around. What do you like? Make a note of it and plan to use it on your own blog. Did their article provoke you? Could you write an article in response? Do you like the photos and stories the blogger shares about their farm? Why not share stories about the city you call home?

Show appreciation for the readers--how ever few--that you do have. Write articles with them in mind. Inform them, entertain them, inspire them. 

Set goals such as writing daily to encourage yourself to take full advantage of your blog.

When beginning to blog, don't dwell on the negative; strive for the positive. 

What this blog will offer

Okay, so, it's 15 days until The Sweater Curse is published and the nerves have taken over. In hopes of calming some, let's focus our attention on what will be. In particular, what will this blog offer you.
-knitting-related flash fiction
-knitting patterns
-the cream of the cream from Designer's Notes (my old knitting blog)
-interviews
-guest blogs
-reviews of The Sweater Curse
-contests

Ah, contests. More on that Monday.