Living in a bubble

Who, or what, is keeping you relatively sane these days? Are you able to stay motivated? How?

by Dietrich

I live in uninformed bliss, in a bubble you might say. I don’t read or watch the news. Let’s face it, there’s never much that’s uplifting in those headlines, and there’s just not much that I need to know. Besides, there’s always somebody around that’s willing to bring me up to speed on all the doom and gloom. “Hey, did you hear about …”

I stay motivated by keeping my head down and writing more than ever these days. When I do come up for air, I make it fresh air, and it’s amazing how good I feel after going for a long walk through the woods or along the water’s edge.

I read a lot and I’ve been listening to a lot of audiobooks lately; great words are such a motivation for a writer. And it doesn’t matter if it’s fiction or non-fiction, as long as I think it’s good. And I love taking in art that feels uplifting. I could spend a week at the McMichael Gallery north of Toronto and just stare at those amazing works by The Group of Seven. And music puts a bounce in my step, like the new albums by Neil Young and Billy Gibbons – stuff that makes the toes start tapping – ever see a writer dance? God, what a sight – cover the mirrors.

I try not to take anything too seriously. I accept that sometimes stuff happens. And I try to roll with it, and not in it. Laughing is a good way to keep sane, and I like to catch shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm or The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I grew up laughing along with National Lampoon, Mad Magazine, Monty Python, the Goons, and French and Saunders. And I always love catching some good stand-up. Lately it’s been Brits like Josh Widdicombe, Sarah Millican, Greg Davies, Joe Lycett, Gina Yashere, Alan Carr, James Acaster – God, what do they put in their water over there?

Oh, and I’m pretty thrilled about the new book too, Cradle of the Deep, coming out this fall, November 3rd to be exact. You can check it out here. And the audiobook for it is being recorded this week, and I was given a chance to listen to the auditions, and I’m really looking forward to hearing what Vancouver actor Keith McKecknie does with the telling; he’s got the perfect voice for the story, and he just nails the rhythm of the words. 

With this COVID thing, it doesn’t look like I’ll be traveling down the coast to California this fall, and it looks like most of the promotion for the new book will likely end up on line. But, that’s okay, it’ll give me more time to start working on the next one.

My lockdown life

"Describe your lockdown life. Has it had any unexpected sweet spots in it? And what are you most looking forward to doing again afterwards?”

by Dietrich

Well, for a writer who sits at a desk at home and spends a lot of time in a make-believe world, not that much has changed on that note. Probably the greatest challenge these days is staying positive and keeping focused. 

Of course, outside of my little writing world, so much is different right now: no hugs, no handshakes, no contact. And praying for the health and safety of all those around us. Wearing a mask and keeping a safe distance is the order of the day. While many businesses are closed, the ones that aren’t generally require customers to stand in line on marked spots several feet from the next spot, all to get into a place that only allows a handful of people at a time.

What am I most looking forward to doing after lockdown? Well, I’m looking forward to hugs and handshakes, and no more masks and line-ups. Then I’d like to pick up on some travel plans that I was getting my head around before ‘lockdown.’ First off, I’d like to get in a fall trip down the coast to California, something that’s become an annual thing for my wife and me. I’m also looking forward to walking into some of my favorite indie book stores and sticking my nose into some new arrivals. And I’m sure looking forward to going on some very long walks. 

I had to pull the plug on a Noir at the Bar event here in Vancouver earlier this month. We had a great line-up set and everything was in place, and it was the first time that there hasn’t been a spring noir event in Vancouver in seven years. I do have a fall event in the works, and I’m certainly looking forward to that.

I’m also thinking of new ways to promote my upcoming book Cradle of the Deep, which comes out at the beginning of November. At this point I don’t know how much will be blog tour versus actual tour. I love taking part in book readings and events, so I’ve got my fingers crossed. If it isn’t possible, then I’ll have to find some different ways to promote it via social media, blogs, podcasts and through my website. 

Have there been some sweet spots? Well, I have found more time for reading (except for the news), and I’ve been listening to more Audiobooks. I’ve also caught up on a few series and some films I’ve wanted to watch.

So, while I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been able to keep writing through these times, it sure will be nice for all of us when times take a turn and this pandemic and lockdown are behind us.

Inside out

"We're in the strangest time many of us have ever known right now. How do you decide how much of the outside world to include in your work?”

by Dietrich

Strange times indeed, and I could go on about that, but the question is how much of the outside world do I include in my work?

When I stumble on some real-life event that I find interesting and story-worthy, I like to let my imagination run with it and come up with different twists and turns. And sometimes I find a few other real events that fit in as the story progresses. By the time I’m done, there’s not necessarily much that’s recognizable from any of the original real-life inspiration. 

In my novel coming out in the fall, Cradle of the Deep, there are references to news events and happenings from the early 70s, the period the story is set in. Using actual events lent some flavor and credibility, but the story itself is pure fiction. The one coming out after that is also complete, but it follows the real-life happenings of a little known bank-robbing couple who lived in the 30s, making that one more truth than fiction.

There’s obviously more latitude in creating pure fiction than in following actual events, and usually less research is involved in the former than in the latter, but I loved writing both of them. And I like finding challenges and new ways to keep the writing creative and interesting, and sometimes that means trying something different and taking a few chances.    

The whole process of writing a novel normally takes me up to a year, with edits and more edits coming later and tacked on top. So, the initial idea really has to grab me in order for me to want to invest that amount of time in it. And usually the kind of events that interest me most offer some levity. And right now, there’s just not much going on in the world that would make me want to write about it. Maybe it’s all just a little too close to home at the moment.

And how much of the outside world to include – well, that’s a case of balancing. Generally I want enough detail to paint the scene for the reader and still keep the pace moving. I’m usually stingy with the amount of description, and many a darling has been sacrificed along the way. 

In the writing community a lot has changed in recent months. Book stores and libraries have been closed, events and launches have been cancelled, postponed, or driven online. All of it leaving writers, agents and publishers scrambling for new ways to promote their upcoming titles.

As Cathy wrote in a post recently, I too am grateful to just to be able to do what I love to do, and I’ve managed to keep writing in spite of all that’s going on. So, here’s to all of us finding our way through these times, and to things getting back to what we like to call normal.

Up around the bend

The world, and the way we live in it, has changed. These are extraordinary times. How has the business of being an author changed, for you, in this new reality?

by Dietrich

These are extraordinary times, and the world keeps revolving and evolving and many of the events going on around us keep us on the edge of our seats. And in order for me to get any decent writing done, I sometimes feel I need to extract myself from what’s going on in the real world, tune it all out, sit at my desk and get my head into the imaginary world that my characters live in.

As far as the publishing industry goes, in the years that I’ve been an author a lot has happened. Digital print-on-demand has become a great option to traditional offset printing. And we’ve bounced from print books to books-on-tape, to ebooks on disc to ebooks online, and back to print again. And audiobooks have come along, and they continue to be a growing segment of the industry. And self-publishing has evolved and continues to offer another avenue for authors as well as for readers. Platforms like Smashwords and CreateSpace allow indie authors to upload and market their work. 

While there has been a recent decline for the big-box book stores, it seems that many indie bookstores are starting to pick up and thrive once more. And Amazon’s book sales just keep jumping and showing stronger numbers every year. Social media, blogs and podcasts have become popular ways for published authors as well as those who are self-published to get noticed and promote their work online. And more literary festivals, conventions and special events keep popping up. 

Whatever the format, print books, ebooks, audiobooks, traditionally published or self-published, the good news is people continue to read, and they’re not just looking for the latest books, they’re also interested in backlists too.

And there are great blog sites like this one where an author can join in with other authors and be heard, and if they’re crafty, they can sneak in a little self-promotion. For example:

Cradle of the Deep 

Getting into bed with the wrong guy can get you killed.

Wanting to free herself from her boyfriend, aging gangster ‘Maddog’ Palmieri, Bobbi Ricci concocts a misguided plan with Denny, Maddog’s ex-driver, a guy who’s bent on getting even with the gangster for the humiliating way in which he was sacked.

Helping themselves to the gangster’s secret money stash, along with his Cadillac, Bobbi and Denny slip out of town, expecting to lay low for a while before enjoying the spoils.

Realizing he’s been betrayed, an enraged Maddog calls in stone-cold killer Lee Trane. As Trane picks up their trail, plans quickly change for Bobbi and Denny, who now find themselves on a wild chase of misadventure through northern British Columbia and into Alaska.

Time is running out for them once they find out that Trane’s been sent to do away with them, or worse, bring them back – either way, Maddog will make them pay.

It comes out November 3rd, and can be preordered from my publisher ECW Press here.