Write On

No More Hair

2008-02-18T14:20:00.007-07:00

It’s over and it was not what I thought, then again what is. I don’t mind going without my hat, but it is too cold! It feels like your hair is permanently wet. It also looks so soft and fuzzy, but its not, it feels like Velcro. Everything sticks to it.

But I am so glad I did it, it was great fun and I am so proud of the kids from Gibbons; they raised over $40,000 again this year. Quite a feat. But then we all know we have really wonderful kids in this town!

And thank you again to all of you who took part in my journey and cheered me on.

Lanny

D day

2008-02-13T08:31:00.002-07:00

This is it, my last day of hair. Again I would like to thank you all for your suport, it has been a slice.

Lanny

Three more days of pink

2008-02-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

Only three more days of pink left and surprisingly I think I am going to really miss my pink hair. (You will notice it’s much shorter at the back now, it was tuning all my cloths pink, so I let Julia cut it. It’s only a little crooked.)

I have met so many wonderful people though out this process. It just blows me away how many people out there have survived cancer, or know someone who has. Their comments and best wishes have gone a long way to help strengthen my resolve.

Lanny

We did it, but now I want more, more I say!!!

2008-01-31T18:09:00.000-07:00

You did it, we hit the $500 mark today. But now I want more. If you have not yet pledged remember it is a wonderful cause.

This is me last night on my way to becoming pink. Don't know if I am cut out to be a blond.

This is me today, I am in the PINK

More Great news!

2008-01-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

Wow, more great news! I just receved a letter from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts saying they have ok’d my grant application to write a children’s book on the history of women in Sports in Canada.

Lanny

Two days to go!!

2008-01-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

Two days to pinking and thanks to all of you, (all my wonderful supporters are listed on my page http://www.hairmassacure.com/) I am getting really close. I'm got 70 % of my goal. But last night I dreamt that I pinked my hair and then didn't make my $500., and I had to stay pink forever! But then I maybe already living the nightmare.

Yesterday Julia and I decided to bleach our hair; you have to bleach it first so the pink dye will penetrate. Julia's tuned out a really nice honey blond, mine on the other hand, is all splotchy, with blond spots at the top and the sides and many other interesting shades in between. I might have to start wearing my hat early!!

Lanny

Almost half way

2008-01-24T20:21:00.001-07:00

Well week two is almost over and I’m almost half way to my goal, Thank you to all who have donated $ so far.

In anticipation of the inevitable Julia and I got some really cool toques. I think we look quite smashing! Maybe I’ll become the hat lady of Gibbons. LOL

I would like to thank Clara Ho, at the Fort Saskatchewan Record, for her wonderful story about the students at Gibbons students. Man, I am sure lucky to be involved with such a great group of kids.

Check it out at http://www.fortsaskatchewanrecord.com/News/369909.html. I also promised her a picture of me pink so stay tuned.

Lanny

Week Two

2008-01-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

and I still have my hair

Wow, the reception to my challenge has been wonderful; so far I have raised almost 30% of my goal.

Pinking is next Wednesday, January 30th, so we will see if I go as a helper or to be pinked.

Have a great day
Lanny

Deputy Mayor of Gibbons takes it off for $500.

2008-01-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of the end of my hair.

Acting on a dare from my daughter Julia, I have reluctantly agreed to die my hair pink then shave off all my lovely locks if I get at least $500 in donations.

Now up until today the pinking and lightening which is in conjunction with the 2008 St. Valentines Hair Massacure February 13th and 14th , was just an idle promise, but I just sent out press releases, kind of like saying out loud, so I guess it’s now a reality. And two wonderful friends have even pledge $10 each, so as of this moment I only have $480 left to go.

Last year I participated in the challenge as an observer, and hair washer on pinking day, and was overwhelmed by the courage and enthusiasm of the students involved. Last year the kids at our local school, the Gibbons School, raising over $40,000, in 2006 they raised 30,000, quite miraculous a feat for a school in a town of around 3,500 people.

So I decided if they could be that brave I could too, and so was born the shave the deputy mayor challenge. Now I have agreed to take it off for $500, but I’m shooting for the sky, and I will keep you informed on how far I get.

If you would like to make a donation to the shear the deputy mayor challenge, go to http://www.hairmassacure.com, (click participate - donate on line – make a pledge – Lanny Boutin) Cheques can also be mailed to Box 1427, Gibbons, T0A 1N0 or dropped off at the Town of Gibbons office.

Please include your full name and address, and mark the envelope shear the deputy mayor. Please make your cheque payable to the “St. Valentine’s Day Hair Massacure. Receipt will be given for all donations over $25.

All money collected from the massacure is divided between the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation (Pediatric Oncology), and the Make a Wish Society of Northern Alberta

Have a great weekend
Lanny

Writing For Magazines

2008-01-10T18:57:00.001-07:00

Still wanting to kick start your writing career? Looking for some help to move forward in the industry? I will be teaching a class on Writing For Magazine March 4, 6, 11, and 13, 2208. It will run the four evenings at a school in Sherwood Park.

If you are interested stay tuned, or contact Elk Island Continuing Education for more information and to register.

Lanny

Merry Christmas and all the best for 2007.

2006-12-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

Well, 2006 is quickly drawing to a close. It has passed like a whirled wind, with three books published in the same year. Sometimes it was hard to know which book you were promoting today, but believe me it was not boring.

I would like to thank everyone who purchased, read or talked about my books. You were instrumental in making it a great year and as promised I used some of the money from this Christmas’s book sales to buy school supplies for underprivileged children.

I anticipate 2007 will be almost as hectic as I have two new books coming out; Rebel Politicians and the Junior Edition of Titanic: The Canadian Connection (rewritten for a grade 5/6 level)both Amazing Stories.

I also want to give all my friends the heads up (pun intended) that my kid’s school will be participating in this year’s St. Valentine's Day Hair Massacre #5. Both my son and daughter will be dying their hair bright pink, then on February 13, 2007, at West Edmonton Mall, having their heads shaved - all to raise awareness and money for cancer research.

If you are interested in donating to this important cause, please email me. Donations will give the donor access to before and after photos, which I believe will be really amusing. Also dontations of $25. or more receve a tax recept.

Lanny Boutin

Hope to see you there!

2006-11-14T22:45:00.000-07:00

Everyone is cordially invite to join me for the Launch of my third book

Titanic: The Canadian Connection

November 26 at 2 pm, at Audrey's Book Store, 10702 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton.

I will also be reading at the

Fort Saskatchewan Public Library, Monday November 20th at 7 pm

and signing books

at Coles Books at Northtown Mall, November 25th at 12 pm

& Chapters West Edmonton Mall, December 3rd at 1 pm.

Hope to see you there

Lanny

Writing for Magazines

2006-11-14T17:45:00.000-07:00

For all you aspiring magazine writers there are still spaces available for my next Writing for Magazines class, Saturday December 2 and 6.

Contact Metro at http://www.metrocontinuingeducation.ca or call 10877-202-2003

Canadian Authors Association's Writers Q&A Buffet

2006-10-17T18:47:00.000-06:00

On September 29th, 2006, I attended the 85th anniversary of the Alberta Branch of the Canadian Authors Association. It was a great party and after the meeting we had a fascinating Writers Q&A Buffet. We split into groups to pick the brains of four fascinating writers; Nikki Soared: What Women Want, (erotic romance); Janice MacDonald: Killing them Gently (Canadian Mysteries); Colleen Heffernan: Writing for the Future (writing for young people) ; Tim Bowling: Ideas on Fiction, Non-fiction and Poetry.

I reported on the bash for the Alberta CAA newsletter, The Branch Line, (available at http://www.canauthorsalberta.ca/) but I ran out of space before I could add my recollections of the Buffet so, for what its worth, here they are:

Colleen Heffernan: Writing for the Future: The Challenge and Joy of Writing for Young People

Colleen Heffernan the author of the 2005 Exploring Alberta award winning book A kind of Courage started off with her list of the five myths of Children's Writing:

1 - You make lots of money. (I wish!)
2 - Picture books are the best way to start. Picture books can be harder to write (smaller is not always easier) and tougher to get published. Many more middle aged readers are printed each year.
3 - Picture book writers must organize the pictures and find the illustrator. Wrong, the pictures and illustrations are the publisher's job. Typically it is done without any impute at all from the writer.
4 - Writing for Children isn't a literary pursuit. (Don't get me started on that one!)
5 - Picture books are easy - anyone can write one.

She also gave us some of her best reasons to write for children like the fact that each of us has a little person inside just wanting to say things.

Colleen stressing the fact that children must be respected and not written down to and on the topic of censorship of books by age, she was adamant that kids take from a book only what they understand. Explaining that as a child she read adult books with what some might call very adult themes, but these themes went right over her head. It was not until she became an adult that she understood them.

More information on Colleen's book is available at http://www.orcabook.com/BookWebPages/Teen/KindofCourage.htm

Tim Bowling: CAA's Writer-in-Residence

Tim Bowling, a new member and the CAA's new writer-in-residence, spoke on poetry, novels and writing in general. He explained that there is a fine line between poetry and the truth, adding that writing prose is difficult because it's less about form and more about tone; about the author coming through.

He talked about the importance of editing, especially with long projects as not only does your work changes over time, but so do you, about how easy it is, especially with prose, to fall in love with your own voice at the determent of the work and how poetry like any other work must always have a solid grounding.

Tim agreed that no mater what type of writing you do, it is hard work; it typically takes him two to three years to write a novel. He also stressed his belief that all writing has similar value whether it's a community history or a Giller prize winner and that once started the author has an obligation to the work, to get it done.

Tim also commented that with writing it often feels like every time you do something you are learning everything all over again. (And I thought I was the only one who felt that way.)

More information on Tim and his books is available at - http://nightwoodeditions.com/author/TimBowling

Janice MacDonald – Killing them Gently: Writing the Canadian Mystery Novel

A good mystery is a puzzle, set up in a closed world, notes Janice MacDonald, and you need that closed world so you don’t have 100,000 plus suspects to deal with. The trick is to pick a world that is interesting to the reader and novel, but not so novel that you end up spending half the book explaining it. The puzzle must be intriguing but not so overly complicated that you turn the reader off or leave them confused or in a state of disbelief at the end of the book. As a writer it’s your job to tinker with the formula just enough to keep them guessing.

Janice stressed that you need a body for a mystery because that is what breaks the circle; what wounds society as a whole, and allows the reader to step in and help solve the crime. Without a body you can leave the reader feeing that they are just a voyeur eaves dropping on someone else’s life. You also have to straddle the fine line between thrill and gore. Don’t leave the reader with blood on their face.

There is a big market for mystery books. They have a large following with some mystery “addicts” reading four to seven books every week, so unlike “middle of the road” novels, which probably don’t make the publishers cut, there is always room for another “decent” mystery.

Readers like mysteries because as with most genres, they are safe. The reader knows what they are getting. That there will have a beginning, middle and an end, with a plot and interesting characters. Janice also said that mysteries which aren’t too experimental or timely have a very long shelf life often staying in the publisher’s catalogue for many years.

Find more information on Janice’s busily life at http://members.shaw.ca/mystery3/cv.htm

Nikki Soarde – What Women Want

Nikki said that the erotic romance market is very hot right now; so much so that publishers have even been know to ask writers if they will write for them, something unheard of in this business.

Many of the books she’s written are available as downloads or e-books, long before they are available as bound copies, but Nikki says that doesn’t seem to diminish book sales. Many of her fans happily buy the e-book and then the bound version later.

The market for erotic romance is mostly heterosexual women and Nikki noted that almost anything two people (or even two aliens) can do together is fair game. The only thing that doesn’t seem to sell well is stories depicting two women.

A quickie, as they call it in the business, is a book which is 12,000 to 15,000 words; full length manuscripts run to 122,000. Her e-books sell for 2.99 to 6.99 depending on the length. Nikki receives around 38% royalties on e-editions and the standard 10 to 12 percent royalties on print editions.

A prolific writer Nikki’s site http://www.nikkisoarde.com/ warns you to “enter at you own risk”. If you go be sure to read the Mennonite connection.

PS - For those of you interested in writing for magazines don't forget I am doing a workshop, Periodical Writing: Know the Rules, on Saturday October 28, 2006, information is available at http://www.canauthorsalberta.ca/content.php?id=68 or at my web site http://lannyboutin.com.

Fall is here

2006-09-05T15:36:00.000-06:00

Fall is here and the kids are back to school. Yah!

And after a mind numbing summer it's now time to think about expanding our minds. So if you're into writing here are three courses that will interest you.

I'm offering them all in Edmonton.

Building a Blueprint: Business Plans for Writers, Friday October 27, 2006, 7 pm
Canadian Authors Association - http://www.canauthorsalberta.ca

Periodical Writing: Know the Rules, Saturday October 28, 9:30 to 4pm
Canadian Authors Association - http://www.canauthorsalberta.ca

Writing & Selling to Magazines, Saturday December 2nd and 9th, 8:30 to 3 pm - Metro Continuing Education http://www.metrocontinuingeducation.ca/ (780) 428-1111

The Titanic is here!

2006-08-10T20:55:00.000-06:00

Titanic: The Canadian connection

One of Canadian history's best kept secrets is the number of Canadians, many very rich and very famous, who where traveling on the Titanic its last fateful night. They include HÃ©lÃ¨ne Baxter the widow of diamond Jim Baxter; Winnipeg tycoon Mark Fortune; Charles Melville Hays the President of the Grand Trunk Railway; Arthur Godfrey Peuchen a Major in the Queens Own Rifles and his long time friend Harry Markland Molson heir to the Molson empire.

In my just released book Titanic: The Canadian Connection, I attempted to chronicle the Titanic's last hours through the eye of some of her Canadian passengers, and to explain, who they were, why they were there and what ultimately happened to them.

For a preview or order a copy of the Titanic: The Canadian Connection please visit http://www.lannyboutin.com/.

Don't they read these things before they print them?

2006-03-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

Today’s Edmonton Journal has a small story, from the Canadian Press in Montréal entitled, “Blind woman struck and killed by bus carrying housing activists.” It’s of courses a tragic story, but what caught my attention was the people on the bus. They were, according to the article on their way back from a demonstration they staged in front of “Premier” Stephen Harper’s Ottawa office.

So what? Harper is now the Prime Minister of Canada and the premier of Ontario? Now that’s a neat way to raise you profile in the east, don’t you think?

Dief's day is almost here!

2006-03-01T20:57:00.000-07:00

My book on John Diefenbaker is finally done. There have been so many false starts; it is hard to really believe that it's finally happening, and that one day real soon the bus will stop and drop off a box of my books!! I am waiting, as they say, with bated breath.

Four of Jackfruit's Warts and All series books including John Diefenbaker: The outside who refused to quit, Sir Wilfred Laurier: The weakling who stood his ground, by Heather Grace Stewart, William Lyon Mackenzie King: The loner who kept Canada together, and Jean Chretien: The scrapper who climbed his way to the top both by Nate Hendley, were launched at a ghostly gala on February 20th, in Toronto. Regretfully I wasn't able to make it out for the night.

But Dief's real big day is still to come. On March 14, at 7:30 pm, I will launch him, at a hopefully packed party, at Laurie Greenwoods Volume Two, 12433 - 102 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta. Hint, hint - all are invited. It should be great fun. Writer's cramp here we come. Might as well think positive, right?

Also anyone interested in Writing for Magazines - I have a class at Metro, running May 6 and 13, 2006.

Travel Writing

2005-02-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

There ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them. — Mark Twain

One thing I always get asked about in my magazine classes is travel writing. It’s something I don’t do often, as it’s hard to pop off to Europe when you have two small kids at home, but on a cold Alberta, winters day, I can definitely see its appeal.

To traveling around the world, all expenses paid, right? Well regretfully that’s not how it works. Few magazines or travel web sites can afford to send their writers half way across the world to get a story, but that doesn’t mean that a smart writer, can’t cash in on travel.

“I do a fair amount of travel writing,” says Sandra Phinney, a freelance writer from Yarmouth, NS, “most of it celebrates things from my home town or province. It’s great way to get into travel writing.” Sandra suggests writers contact their local department of tourism, search out privately owned publications as well as magazine from other provinces, the U.S. or even abroad, for opportunities to sell their locale.

She also stresses writers need to get the most out of every trip by querying diverse magazines. “In the next three months,” says Sandra; “I plan to query a food magazine about one of our wineries, a business magazine regarding a corporate shark fishing get-away and a unique birding opportunity in southwest Nova Scotia for a nature magazine.

If you’re lucky enough to be heading out of the country, Sandra recommends you first contact Canadian Embassy or Consulate to see if there is a "Canadian connection, any businesses doing import/export, missionaries or teachers?” Also collect as much information as you can while you travel. Check out everything, especially places not on the regular tourist routes. Do mini-interviews to establish a rapport with the locals; people you can follow up with later by phone or email. That way when you return from your trip, you’ll have a wealth of story information.

To get started here are a few sites to visit:

- National Geographic Traveler hopes to “capture a place’s essence in a way that inspires readers to follow in the writer’s footsteps. Traveler’s Guidelines

- blue caters to the traveler and adventure sportsman and urban explorer. blue’s Guidelines

If you’re looking for something a bit more specific there:

- Spa Magazine for those who wish to be pampered

- Backpacker magazine for those who go off the beaten track.

- Gripped for those looking for something vertical.

- Journeywoman which calls itself the premiere travel resource for women, but only offers a $35 dollar honorarium for stories.

There are also a few sites that list travel magazines like:

Yahoo Travel Links , World Newspapers.com , and a site set up specially for travel writers which boasts rates, guidelines and contact information for 500 travel magazines and 200 newspaper travel sections. Travel Writers.com - Note: not all the content on Travel Writers.com is free.

My Baby

2005-02-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

The best way to become acquainted with a subject is to
write a book about it. Benjamin Disraeli (1804 – 1881)

This week I got a mock-up copy of the first book in Jackfruit Press’s new series, Sir John A. MacDonald - The rascal who built Canada, written by Jackfruit Press founder and publisher Jacqueline A. Brown, as well as a copy of their promotional catalogue which shows the cover of my first book, John G. Diefenbaker - The finger waggling chief. And even though my book will not be out until sometime this summer, seeing the mock-up cover somehow made it all feel real.

It’s a bit like being pregnant. You know that if everything goes well, in a few months, you’ll be able to hold your new baby and brag about them to all who will listen. But you also feel a bit apprehensive and don’t want to get too excited, just in case something happens and it doesn’t work out the way you dreamt it would. Oh, the life of a writer!

Have a good week and Write On

Lanny

Are newspapers now beyond the freelance grasp?

2004-12-06T14:29:00.000-07:00

Writing, so I've been told, is a noble profession; a romantic profession, filled with stone faces curmudgeons, who sit behind gigantic oak desks, cigarettes hanging from their mouths, Vodka on the rocks in their hand, mercilessly grilling long lists of poor souls, in the hope of separating the truth from the bull.But in reality, we writers aren’t much different that everyone else. In the morning we feed our cats and send our kids off to school. When the workday ends, supper still has to be made, the dishes washed and the kids tucked in. Sure we are doing something we love, (believe me no one would stay in this profession if not) but like everyone else we still must feed our families.

So, it is not hard to see why writers get all up in arms when yet another large media conglomerate decided we are dispensable, and drafts a contract asking for everything - as the saying goes, except your first-born.

Typically, in these situations, writers scream and race to the courts, eventually the conglomerates are forced to back down, but it takes time, a lot of time. And during that time many extremely talented freelancers decide that this business is just not worth the hassle. And regretfully I’m here today to say that the next fight brewing looks like it will be with CanWest.

CanWest has come up with a new contract, one that demands

· Freelancers “hereby irrevocably grants and assigns to CanWest all rights of every kind in and to the Content (including copyright).”
· As well this contract forces freelancers to agree that “CanWest shall have the right to exclusively use and exploit the Content in any manner and in any and all media, whether now known or hereafter devised, throughout the universe, in perpetuity.”
· It also demands that freelancers agree they “have no right to re-sell or re-publish the Content without CanWest's express written permission.”
. And that the freelancer even wave “in favour of CanWest and its assigns, all "moral rights," something I strongly advise my writing student to never do! (A quick primer on moral rights.)

In a perfect world CanWest would pay freelancer a hefty price for all these rights, but in the real world newspapers still pay writers little for their work. That is why the ability to resell our work is so vital.

Now I could go on and on about all of this, but I’ll leave you now with someone else’s words. If you have a moment, check out author Brian Brennan's eloquent take on all of this.

Thought for today

2004-10-18T22:07:00.000-06:00

“The beautiful part of writing is that you don’t have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon.” Novelist Robert Cormier.

Lanny

Welcome

2004-10-17T22:49:00.000-06:00

Ok, I’ll admit it, until this afternoon, I couldn’t have told you exactly what a blog was. I had some ideas, they were mostly wrong, but then what’s a snowy cold Sunday afternoon for if you can’t learn something new?

Of course this is my way of saying bear with me. Hopefully I’ll get the hang of it all real quickly. Until then, check out the writing links at the side. If you have any favourites of your own, I would be happy to add them.

Lanny