World Read Aloud Day by Leanne Dyck

 I cared for children in daycare centres as an Early Childhood Educator for over fourteen years. The bond I formed with the children in my care warmed my heart. These bonds were enhanced through my love of books. That's why, when I heard about World Read Aloud Day, I knew I wanted to participate.

image from the LitWorld website

For 13 years, World Read Aloud Day has called attention to the importance of sharing stories by challenging participants to grab a book, find an audience, and read-aloud! The global effort, created by the non-profit LitWorld and sponsored by Scholastic, is celebrated annually in over 173 countries and is all about bringing people together through the shared connection of reading aloud in all our communities. -the Scholastic website

How to read to children 

When we think of reading to infants and young children many questions arise. In this article, I answer three of the most commonly asked questions. 

Short stories about the joys of reading to children...

A Bedtime Story

Storytime

As a dyslexic, it's not easy for me to read aloud. Here's my story...

My Life with Letters part one and part two

And if you would like to hear me read more of my stories...

Readings by Leanne Dyck

Leanne Dyck and other authors reading on Mayne Island

I'm pleased to report that Mayne Island's literati is alive and well. In fact, we had a ball on Saturday, April 27, 2017, when local authors entertained a small but devoted audience. There was something for every reader from children's literature to romance to mysteries to...

Inspired by her granddaughter, Livia Wolfs, Dorothy Peters wrote the delightfully altruistic picture book Tomorrow, When I'm Bigger. Dorothy also read from her memoir for adults:  Daughters of the House of Jacob:  A Memoir of Migration.

 Prolific author D.R. Graham talked about her many titles and captivated us by reading from a manuscript she's currently working on. It's set on Mayne Island. I want to write more about it...but I won't.

Fans of Amber Harvey's Mary Magdalene Summer series (Magda's Mayne Island Mystery, Mayne Island Aliens, Mayne Island Skeletons, Magda's Mysterious Stranger) will be pleased to note that Amber is working on the next book in the series. She read from the opening chapters.

And...

There was more 

Arlene Pare

her latest book:  He Leaves His Face in the Funeral Car 

(a book of poetry)

Grant Buday

Jack Schofield

but... Well, I have to admit it was all a little too much for this hermit. Inspired,  I had to leave early to return to my writer's cave.

Here's some of what I said before I left...

I'd like to thank the library for this opportunity to share my writing. What have I been doing since the last Festival Active Pass on Mayne Island in 2015?

My writing life is like watching a duck swim -- on the surface, very little is happening.

On the surface... 

In 'My Life with Letters' (included in the anthology From the Heart), I wrote about being an author with dyslexia. Dyslexia is an inherited condition that affects the way my brain processes written and spoken language.

From the Heart was published in 2015. Proceeds benefitted BC youth seeking higher education.

On the surface...

In 'Christmas with Family' (included in the anthology In the Moment) I wrote about how my desire to be with family for Christmas resulted in my husband and me getting stuck in the snow on Salt Spring Island. 

In the Moment was published in 2016. Proceeds were donated to Children's Wish.

To order, From the Heart and  In the Moment, please email publisher Gary Doi (garydoi@telus.net).

If you look into the water, at a duck's feet, you'll notice that they are paddling like mad. 

Hidden in my writer's cave, I've been writing picture books for children, a novel for young adults, and short stories for adults.

What led me to write picture books?

In the 1980s and 90s...

-I took a children's literature course at the University of Winnipeg

-as an Early Childhood Educator, I read scores of picture books to groups of children

-I owned a children's bookseller business

All of these experiences fuel my writing...

Bim has a new cozy bed thanks to Loving Care Pet Products

Celebrating the Active Pass Festival

The Active Pass Festival celebrated the beauty and inspiration of my island home. 

Opening ceremonies...

 Michael Dunn, master of ceremonies and head organizer

 an excited and supportive crowd

Mayne Island community choir

There was truly something for everyone...

-sailing tours

-walking tours

-studio tours

-craft shows

Terrill Welch at work

-art exhibits

-music concerts

-author readings

and more


Many times during this three-day festival I wished that I could split myself in half and in half and in half again. I figured that way I wouldn't have to miss anything.

The highlight for me were the author readings. These readings were offered on Saturday and Sunday. 

Saturday, I was entertained by two powerful female authors who were driven to tell their truth. 

The first, Adrienne Brown (memoirist), fell era to her artist parents' story. Ms. Brown took on this challenge even though she was not an artist herself. She read from The Life and Art of Harry and Jessie Webb. 

The second, Cathy Ford (poet), felt compelled to make the world remember the women who were killed during the Ecole Ploytechnique massacre. Ms. Ford took on this challenge even though, at the time of the shooting, she lived several provinces away. She read from her long poem Flowers We Will Never Know the Names Of.

Sunday, the day began with...

9 AM author reading by Pam Withers. Pam offered writing tips and talked about her author journey and the research she did in order to write her latest book -- Andreo's Race. This research included a trip to Bolivia.

10 AM author Amber Harvey. Amber spoke about the inspiration for her writing -- to entertain and leave a legacy for her grandchildren. She read from her soon-to-be-published book, Magda's Mysterious Stranger. 

11 AM author Leanne Dyck 
I invited singer, songwriter, and actor Georgia Johnson to perform with me.

Georgia performing on the main stage on the Ag Hall grounds

My recipe:  3 short stories
2 songs
musical accompaniment
audience involvement
Blend together and offer to a room full of supportive friends.
Result:  an amazing author high


Noon with Governor-General award-winning children's writer, Kit Pearson. Ms. Pearson read from her newly released books The Whole Truth and And Nothing But the Truth. She told us that the books had started out as one but her publisher suggested that they become two. Ms. Pearson is a prolific, well-established (over 30 years) author. I'm looking forward to talking with her on May 17th...

(Please click on the image to embolden)

By this time, my brain was exploding with information and inspiration. So I took a small break. I returned to the library for...

Governor-General award-winning poet and fiction author, Arleen Pare. Ms. Pare read from her newly released poetry collection Lake of Two Mountains. I enjoyed listening to Ms. Pare's poetry, but I am a huge fan of her fiction. Here is my review of Ms. Pare's last novel -- Leaving Now.

More...

Mayne Island web site 

Mayne Island news blog

Writing contest...

Room's Poetry and Fiction Contest is Now open
Deadline:  July 15, 2015
contest guidelines


Sharing my author journey...

Word Vancouver notes by Leanne Dyck

This year, Word on the Street became Word Vancouver and I was blissfully unaware until I arrived home and read the brochure. 
Um... Yeah... Is my face red? Yup.
Anyway...
Here's what I did notice...

Because I wanted to attend an early morning lecture (11 a.m.) I sailed over to the mainland on Saturday evening. There were weather warnings. So I made plans to stay an extra day, if necessary.
I arrived at the Vancouver Public Library, Main Branch early Sunday morning (10 a.m. -ish) and watched the Word Vancouver crew tearing down tents. Due to the weather forecast, the outside market was brought inside. The Vancouver Public Library was stuffed full. Already, narrow aisles were made even narrower due to display tables occupying both sides.

The first display I saw was by the Alcuin Society. I feasted my eyes. The books displayed were works of art. All had won awards for book design. 

I descended the stairs to the Alma Van Dusen room.

Pauline Johnson -- A Vancouver Legend with Shelia Johnston

Shelia Johnston spoke eloquently about Pauline Johnson -- a dynamic poet and true Canadian. Pauline was born into an ethnically diverse family -- Aboriginal father and white more 

In a time when the dominate white culture looked down on Aboriginals, Pauline used her gift for poetry to attract and inform her mainly white audience about the proud Aboriginal traditions. 

"She caused revolutionary thinking," Shelia Johnston told us.

(sorry, this is what you get when you don't hire a professional photographer)

Shelia treated us by reading from Pauline Johnson's collection of poetry. I listened, captivated as Shelia brought Pauline's lovely words to life.

Audience members informed us that Margaret Atwood and Tobin Stokes have created an Opera called Pauline. 

Buckskin and Broadcloth by Shelia Johnston

Then. I walked next door to the Peter Kaye Room.

Get Published with Janet Love Morrison
Janet Love Morrison used her personal experience to help us navigate our way through the publishing process.

First decision, self-publish or traditionally publishing?

Janet offered us a series of questions to help direct us into one camp or the other.

Questions:
-What was the purpose or intent behind writing the manuscript?
-Who is your target market?
-What are your story's unique selling points?

Before submitting our manuscripts to a publisher, Janet advised us to do our homework.

Questions to answer...
-what genre does the publisher publish?
-what are the publisher's submission guidelines?
-how many books does the publisher publish a year?
-what is the size of the publisher's print run?
-what awards has the publisher won?
-how long has the publisher been in business?
(Janet told us not to shy away from new publishers. She simply wanted us to be informed.)
-where are the publisher's books reviewed?
-does the publisher support their newly published authors?
(Janet told us that generally a publisher will help market a new book for three months)

Once we've found our publisher and are ready to make a submission...

Send...
-cover letter
(Janet told us that if we could find someone (organization) to endorse our manuscript send that along with your submission.)
-synopsis
-sample chapters or pages
-state if this is a multiply submission

When a publisher is interested in publishing our books, they will ask us to sign a contract. Janet advised us not to sign anything until you completely understand it. In fact, she suggested hiring a literary lawyer to help explain the contract.

For those in the audience who decided to self-publish, Janet walked us through that process as well.

I shuffled back over to the Alma VanDusen Room

New Directions in Creative Writing
Presented by UBC Creative Writing

UBC professors discussed the creative writing program; the developments they've seen with respect to combining literary projects with new media and the professors also talked about their own writing.

I remained in this room for...

The Scene of the Crime
Presented by the Crime Writers of Canada
Moderator:  Cathy Ace
Panel members:  Debra Purdy Kong, David Russell, Robin Spano, Kay Stewart and Chris Bullock

I am a member of the Crime Writers of Canada and it was nice to re-connect with some of the members.

At the beginning of the discussion, each writer was given seven minutes to talk generally about their writing, their book(s) and to do a brief reading.
Then the audience was invited to ask questions. These were many and varied.
Some were...
Question:  Do you use beta readers?
Answer:  All of the authors did. One as many as 12.

Question:  Do you contact the police for a research resource for your book?
Answer:  Yes, the public relations office. Sometimes, through social media, the resource person contacts the author.

Question:  How do you come to your story?
Answer:  One author picks a place (location) where she wants to spend time and then develops a story around the place.
Others are haunted by an image or inspired by news headlines and current issues.

Back into the hall...
Think I'm done?
Think again.
I ascended the stairs to the Canada Writes Tent which was brought inside, into a coffee shop.
I kicked myself because I caught the tail end of Sexy Sick Chick Lit (Kim Clark and Robyn Michele Levy). I would have loved to hear it all and speak with them later. But then I would have missed... And I couldn't have split myself in two--or even cloned myself. So... Next year, perhaps.

I enjoyed listen to...
Mark Letheren-Young read from Free Magic Secrets Revealed:  A Memoir
Carellin Brooks read from her soon-to-be released book Fresh Hell
Shaena Lambert read from her short story collection Oh, My Darling
Janie Chang read from Three Souls

Okay, I'm not sure how but I had an opportunity to visit the book market. I met so many interesting people and I invited them to visit this blog. I'm hoping they'll accept my offer. Because I know you'll enjoy meeting them as well.

Oh, yes, and in case you're wondering, Mother Nature did throw a hissy fit--and I was stuck on the mainland. Oh, poor, me. I got to go out to eat with my in-laws--a rare and savoured treat.
I arrived home a day late and just in time to attend a meeting of my writing circle.
I thought I'd be drained -- and I was, a little. But mostly I was super-charged. And now I'm dreaming of flying off to literary events in T.O., New York, London. Okay... Okay... I know, don't get carried away...

***
Literary festival... 
Some day I will attend...
Some day I will attend as a participating author...
The stuff of dreams...

Sidney Writers' Festival

Whistler Readers and Writers Festival

Learn more here

Surrey International Writers' Conference
Learn more here