Do writers need business cards?
Posted on December 28, 2016
Do writers need business cards? I’ve found them to be a great way to connect with others, especially potential readers. Using business cards is certainly more professional than scribbling my name, book title, and email address on a piece of paper. Even in today’s digital world, having a paper card has come in handy, especially to spark conversations. My card has the cover design of my novel, Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety on one side (a quick way to market the novel!) and my contact/social media info on the other. I can’t take any credit for it – my publisher created the design and provided me with a box full of cards.
Some author business cards I’ve seen included QR codes. Others had colour photos of the authors. A quick search online showed conflicting views on what should or should not be on a card. Some sites recommended including a short bio or book blurbs, while others stated that doing so would make a writer seem unprofessional.
One thing everyone seems to agree on though is that business cards continue to be a valuable marketing tool. I’ve exchanged or given out cards at book signings and readings, author visits to schools, conferences, and at any social event where I’m meeting others for the first time. They’re also great to have when I run into old friends or people who express an interest in getting to know me and my work better. I’m sincere when I tell people I’d love for them to drop me an email and say hello.
Read more:
Writer Business Cards: 5 Ways To Think Outside The Box
PrimeTime: What Kind of Business Cards Should Writers Have?
Marketing 101 for Freelance Writers #6: What You Need Up Your Sleeve
Create an Author Business Card
Writers – What Should Your Business Card Say?
A 13-Point Checklist for Writing Business Cards
Blank Spaces – a new Canadian literary magazine
Posted on December 14, 2016
Blank Spaces, Volume 1, Issue 1
I met Michelle McLaughlin at Word On The Street in Toronto, and was delighted when she wrote to me. She and Alanna Rusnak had seen me speak at the Humber School for Writers Workshop: Overcoming the Odds: Long Journey to Publication. In turn, they introduced me to Blank Spaces, a new Canadian literary magazine, where Michelle is an assistant editor and Alanna is an editor and publisher. Both women are also talented writers. According to Blank Spaces’ website, their mission is “to celebrate and champion the work of Canadian creatives, bringing exposure and support to artists across our great country.”
I love the feel and energy of the magazine! December’s edition (issue 2) includes the stunning photography of Aidan and Leanne Hennebry from Hush Hush Photography. Their photos of New York taken from a helicopter are breathtakingly beautiful. There are also many entertaining and engaging articles, essays, and poems, including the winning story from issue 1’s writing prompt challenge. The deadline to enter the next challenge is January 10, 2017.
Blank Spaces is a quarterly publication with new issues released in September, December, March and June. According to their submission guidelines, they are looking for:
- flash fiction – short fiction – any topic, any genre (under 1000 words)
- more than word – photo essay
- food of love – fiction or nonfiction about music
- different strokes – art feature
- make art not war – DIY feature, creative living
- story matters – the craft of writing
- red solo cup – smaller pieces to fill the gaps. Poetry, micro-fiction, etc – be creative
- shameless – creative non-fiction. Personal essay that delves into your own truth and experiences
- fiction feature – longer fiction – any topic, any genre (up to 3500 words)
- between the lines author/artist spotlight (not open for submissions but contributors may be approached for an interview)
Complete submission guidelines are available on their website. Magazine copies, print and digital, can be ordered online. You can also connect with them on Twitter and Facebook.
Dark Side by John Choi
Posted on December 13, 2016
Dark Side by John Choi
It’s kind of crazy that both my brother and I published our first books this year. Like me, John took Creative Writing classes at the University of Toronto’s School for Continuing Studies. We even studied with some of the same instructors like Dennis Bock. The networking opportunities that came with being in our classes eventually led us to get our books published.
According to the National Reading Campaign’s review of Dark Side, the Young Adult (YA) novel “grips readers with its intensity, packing each page with relatable teen issues.” Emerson, the protagonist in Dark Side, is overwhelmed with family pressures and parental expectations. John, who works at Nexus Youth Services, explores themes that include domestic violence and teen suicide.
I really enjoyed reading the book because it spoke to so many issues and concerns that today’s teens deal with. As a teacher, I can see how young readers would connect with the characters and the challenges they face. John ends the book with an author’s note encouraging readers to seek help if they are feeling in any way overwhelmed by school or issues related to family and friends. Dark Side is available in bookstores and on Amazon. It was released by Lorimer Books, a Canadian publishing company, in August 2016.
So you wanna learn Korean?
Posted on December 12, 2016
Integrated Korean by Young-Mee Cho et al
A few people have asked about Korean language resources. It always delights me to hear from non-Koreans interested in learning the language. I’m surprised at how popular Korean food has become and where I live – northern Toronto – there’s lots of Korean restaurants, including Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu, Joons, and The Owl of Minerva. K-pop and K-dramas have also become very popular. Several people in my Korean class wanted to learn the language so they could read song lyrics and watch TV shows and movies without relying on subtitles.
The textbook my Korean teacher recommended for our beginner-level class was Integrated Korean: Second Edition by Young-Mee Cho, Hyo Sang Lee, Carol Schulz, Ho-min Sohn, and Sung-Ock Sohn (University of Hawaii Press, 2010).
There are also many wonderful online resources. Youtube videos are especially helpful because you can hear how words and phrases should be pronounced.
Top 25 Must-Know Korean Phrases
Learn the Korean Alphabet Fast
Introduction to Perfect Korean Pronunciation
Korean Polly Lingual (excellent place to start!)
Sunday Brunch
Posted on December 11, 2016
At the beautiful Vanity Fair Ballroom at the King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto
I had a wonderful time at the Ben McNally Globe and Mail Books and Brunch event where I got to share stories about my novel and hear about three other works.
Kamal Al-Solaylee has a background in journalism and is a professor at Ryerson University. His accomplishments are long and varied. He presented his second book, Brown: What Being Brown in the World Today Means (To Everyone). It was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award for English-language non-fiction.
Steve Paikin also has an extensive background in journalism and is the anchor of TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin. His stories about how he came to write Bill Davis: Nation Builder, and Not So Bland After All were entertaining and informative. Considered one of Ontario’s most important premiers, Davis was in office from 1971 to 1985.
Charlotte Gray and I work with the same brilliant editor, Phyllis Bruce, so we had met before. She is a much loved historian and author. Her latest book is The Promise of Canada: 150 Years — People and Ideas That Have Shaped Our Country. I’m intrigued by the influential Canadians she chose to write about, none of whom are prime ministers or hockey players!
I’m excited to read all three books, and thank Ben McNally for including me in today’s event!
Language and Identity
Posted on December 10, 2016
It’s only after I had my daughter, who is half-Irish and half-Korean, that I came to understand how our cultural heritage informs our personal identity. In my attempt to help my daughter understand her Korean background, I developed a stronger pride in my Korean heritage. Despite enjoying Korean food and many aspects of the culture, I have always felt excluded because of my weak communications skills in Korean. I also came to realize that until I could read and write in Korean, I would be missing out on Korean literature, which may never be translated into English.
I signed up for a beginner-level Korean language course offered through the Korean Education Centre here in Toronto. To my surprise, most of my classmates were not even Korean! When asked why they had signed up for the class, several shared that they had a deep love for Korean food, K-pop, and K-dramas. Some lived in North York, which has become another Koreatown, and wanted to be able to read store signs and restaurant menus in Korean and in English. My heart skipped to learn that one young lady had a two-hour commute in order to attend! Her commitment inspired me to study hard. We were also lucky to have a passionate teacher who engaged us with her enthusiasm.
Despite being Korean and having spent my first seven years in Korea, I find learning the language quite challenging. Korean is complicated by the use of honorifics that requires one to speak “up” or “down” to a person depending on that individual’s age and/or status. As well, sentences are constructed differently. In English, we use the “subject + verb + object” order, but in Korean it is “subject + object + verb”, so the sentence “I ate an orange” would be “I an orange ate.” Then there’s the complex use of particles that we don’t have in English.
And all this is in a beginner’s class!
My long term goal is one day to be able to write an essay or even a story in Korean. I’ve avoided learning Korean for over four decades, believing that I’d never need it. Now, I understand just how vital the language is for me to feel connected to my heritage.
Missing Poems
Posted on December 9, 2016
Few people know that my novel started out as a collection of poems that were written in the early ’90s. I wove them into the first draft of Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety. My editor advised me to remove them and avoid mixing poetry with prose. After focusing on novel writing for so long, I find myself wanting to go back and write poems.
Some articles to share:
The Benefits of Poetry for Professionals
How Studying Poetry Makes You a Better Writer
Does the Name Matter?
Posted on December 8, 2016
Mary’s Korean name is Yu-Rhee
I had a great visit with a grade 12 Writer’s Craft class today. One of the things we talked about was author names and character names. In the post entitled, “Yu-Rhee Versus Mary: Does the Name Matter?” I reflected on how my characters were impacted upon being forced to take “Canadian-friendly” names by the school board.
See also:
How Canadians can be more inclusive of diverse names (CBC article)
Naming a Newly Published Author (Writer’s Digest)
80s songs played at Mary’s Prom
Posted on December 7, 2016
Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” was my characters’ favourite song
Listening to Billy Joel’s tunes reminded me of a wonderful blog entry by City Girl Scapes who posted a playlist of the songs that I imagined played at my protagonist’s high school prom. The prom scene from Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety, which takes place in June 1988, consists of mainly 80s hits.
Mary’s Prom Playlist
If you visit City Girl Scapes’ website, you’ll find links to the videos for following songs:
(I’ve Had) the Time of My Life – Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes (1987)
99 Luft Balloons – Nena (1983)
Addicted to Love – Robert Palmer (1985)
Africa – Toto (1982)
Beat It – Michael Jackson (1982)
Billie Jean – Michael Jackson (1982)
Careless Whispers – Wham! (1984)
Celebration – Kool & the Gang (1980)
Crying Over You – Platinum Blonde (1985)
Don’t You Want Me – Human League (1981)
Down Under – Men At Work (1981)
Every Breath You Take – Police (1983)
Everybody Have Fun Tonight – Wang Chung (1986)
Eye of the Tiger – Survivor (1982)
Flashdance … What a Feeling – Irene Cara (1983)
Footloose – Kenny Loggins (1984)
Forever Young – Alphaville (1984)
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper (1983)
I Love Rock n’ Roll – Joan Jett and the Blackheart (1981)
I Wanna Dance With Somebody – Whitney Houston (1987)
I Wanna Know What Love Is – Foreigner (1984)
Jessie’s Girl – Rick Springfield (1981)
Karma Chameleon – Culture Club (1983)
Keep On Loving You – REO Speedwagon (1980)
Let’s Dance – David Bowie (1983)
Like a Virgin – Madonna (1984)
Mony Mony – Billy Idol (1981)
Nasty – Janet Jackson (1986)
Papa Don’t Preach – Madonna (1986)
Push It – Salt-N-Pepa (1986)
Raspberry Beret – Prince (1985)
Safety Dance – Men Without Hats (1982)
Start Me Up – Rolling Stones (1981)
Sunglass At Night – Corey Hart (1984)
Super Freak – Rick James (1981)
Tainted Love – Soft Cell (1981)
Take My Breath Away – Berlin (1986)
The Power of Love – Huey Lewis & the News (1986)
Thriller – Michael Jackson (1982)
Uptown Girl – Billy Joel (1983)
West End Girls – Pet Shop Boys (1984)
Whip It – Devo (1980)
With Or Without You – U2 (1987)
You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) – Dead or Alive (1984)
You’re the Inspiration – Chicago (1984)
Thanks again City Girl Scapes for the wonderful post and book review!!
Learning English With Billy Joel
Posted on December 6, 2016
This was the prompt I was given
I’ve been thinking a lot about my early years as an ESL student and remembered something I wrote a while back for The Litter I See Project. Canadian writers are given a picture of litter and asked to write a response inspired by the debris. All of this is done to support Frontier College and their work to promote literacy.
I got an image of a broken record as my prompt. That led me to write about how listening to Billy Joel back in the late 1970s helped me learn English. Click here to read more.
Some of my favourite Billy Joel songs (in no particular order):
A Matter of Trust
Falling of the Rain
Pressure
Everybody Has a Dream
I’ve Loved These Days
Stiletto
It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me
This Is The Time To Remember
Piano Man
Vienna
An Innocent Man
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
Summer Highland Falls
The Ballad of Billy the Kid
I Go to Extremes
Zanzibar
Scandinavian Skies
Streetlife Serenader
Miami 2017
Where’s the Orchestra
ann y.k. choi 