Novel Debut

On October 15, I will be taking the stage once again. And for the first time, I will be sharing new work from the novel I've been writing for the last two years. It is exciting and a little terrifying.

It will be exciting to see the reception from the audience. This book is completely different from Plastic. It's a novel set in Montréal in present day. The subject matter is darker than my first book. The characters even more unknown to me. Writing the book is an exploration into such completely different lives.

It will also be terrifying because the book is still in development. I am deep into the second full draft, and I spent the summer reorganizing the book, twice. While Plastic was told in a linear chronology, each story taking place after the previous, I have been experimenting with the narrative in the new book.

Of course, my reading of a short section will not convey those changes. What it will highlight is voice. The two narrators in this book come from very different backgrounds. One is a young girl and the other is a middle-aged woman. The first is new to Canada, while the second has spent her whole life in Montréal. I don't feel that I am completely there yet with either voice. I am still working my way into their heads and hearts. I am still finding them. Which is how the writing process works for me. The deeper I get into their stories, the closer I feel to them. The more they speak to me.

While the novel is still a work in progress, I am eager to share a glimpse of what I'm working on. And I'm ready to hear my protagonists' voices through outside ears.

If you're in Victoria on October 15, drop by Caffé Fantastico that evening. You can read your own prose at the open mic between 7 and 8 pm. Then stick around for the featured readers. I'll be reading with Al Cool between 8 and 9 pm. I hope to see you there!