2011 in a nutshell

Things have been a little hectic for me over the past few months. As a result, I have definitely neglected my blog. Part of me wasn’t interested in writing – another part was too tired to think about it. But now that 2012 is finally underway, I will make a conscious effort to write and update this blog that I’ve come to love so much.

When looking back at 2011, here is a brief list of the most impactful events that took place in my life…

January – I spent three weeks as an intern at MTS, where I realized that I actually AM interested in pursuing a career in PR.

March – I launched my first novel – Pieces – at Cre8ery Art Gallery.

April – After two years of intense work, I attended my last CreComm class.

May – Copies of Pieces became available at McNally Robinson Bookstore.

June – I attended my CreComm convocation.

July – My close friends Tyler & Kristen were married, and I was the MC at their reception.

August – Jeff & I travelled to Toronto for a week.

September – I was the publicist for the Winnipeg International Writers Festival, and had the opportunity to meet writers such as Miriam Toews, Guy Vanderhaeghe and Elizabeth Hay.

October – Jeff proposed.

November – I started working as the Communications Coordinator for DUC.

December – Jeff’s dad – my future father-in-law – passed away after a seven month battle with cancer.

Overall, I would consider it to be a positive year, even though the recent death of Jeff’s dad has been very difficult for everyone (and you can expect to read more about that later).

Now, as I enter 2012, there are a number of things that I am looking forward to. In addition to my wedding and honeymoon – both of which are only a short, nine months away – I have plans to attend concerts, plays and cultural events. I look forward to lots of time spent with family and friends, and will hopefully have many more good days than bad…

I want you to want more…

A few weeks ago, I was invited to be the guest speaker at a book club meeting.

Somehow, the stars had all aligned at the proper moment, and Pieces was selected as the book everyone in the club would read. Nine copies were purchased at McNally Robinson Booksellers, and when everyone finished reading, they wanted to meet me.

Flattering, right?

Obviously I said yes, and I also brought my mom along for the ride. It’s her family history too, and she offers a unique perspective. The novel I wrote is historical fiction, which means it’s based on fact but some sections have been made up. Mom knows the story as it actually happened, and I knew she would be a great addition to the evening.

Well, let’s just say the club asked a lot of tough questions…

As a writer, I want a certain amount of mystery to remain with the reader after they have finished the book. I don’t want to give it all away, and it’s a good thing for people to want to know more. If a reader were to finish a book and say “that was a decent story, but I never need to think about it again” the writer has failed.

Everyone in the club wanted to know more, which was fantastic to see. It became difficult, however, when they wanted to know specific details that I wasn’t particularly interested in sharing. I never stated that the content of Pieces is 100 per cent accurate. As I mentioned at my launch, it was necessary to take certain liberties with characters and events because all the people who could confirm what I needed to know were dead.

The club wanted to know what I had made up and what was real. I told them a few things, but tried to keep the rest back. They pushed, and I pulled. Mom provided a bit of additional information – some of it being details that I didn’t even know – and in the end, I think the club was satisfied. They are now privy to SOME of the secrets of Pieces, without knowing everything.

Like I said, I want people to want to know more.

Participating in a book club meeting was a great experience, and it taught me a lot. I learned that I actually do need to prepare answers to questions ahead of time if I don’t want to be stuck. I also learned that people will not give up asking a question if they really want to know the answer.

Finally, I learned that the club truly enjoyed my book. I’m pretty sure they would have told me if they didn’t, and knowing I wrote something people take pleasure in is the highest form of flattery a writer can receive. I hope they weren’t too disappointed that I didn’t answer every single question they asked.

But, in the end, a girl’s gotta keep some secrets to herself…

A new office sparks new creativity

It’s funny how something as simple as an office can make me feel creative again.

The first time I walked into the Thin Air office on the sixth floor of the ArtSpace Building, I knew I had found a new home.

The sunny and open office is painted blue, and large, old-fashioned windows let in the sounds of the Exchange District below.

There is a table, a minimal kitchen area and a coffee maker surrounding the entrance.

A bookshelf that almost reaches the ceiling is used as an office divider, and I was delighted to note that I have read quite a few of the novels on the shelf.

I can’t quite figure out why, but every time I am inside the office I feel inspired to start writing another novel. The process of writing a book is a long, occasionally tedious but always enjoyable task that I have longed to repeat since I put down my pen last September.

The Thin Air office feels like the place I will use to start writing again. I’ve already started working on the plot, and hopefully I’ll have something started by the end of summer.

I love finding new and inspiring places to write. It makes life so much more interesting…

A McNally update...

Three copies of Pieces have been sold from McNally Robinson! Woohoo!

Pieces: Available now at McNally Robinson Bookstore

I never thought I would see this day.

A year ago, I perused the "Prairie Authors" section of McNally Robinson Bookstore with admiration. It takes a lot to publish a novel and have it sold in a bookstore, and I remember thinking to myself: "I wonder if one day my book will be here too."

Well, after a year of writing, editing, revising and marketing, it finally is.

Yesterday, Pieces became available for sale at McNally Robinson, and I couldn't be happier.

A special Christmas signing event will take place in the fall, and until then my books sit happily on the shelf waiting to be picked up, purchased and enjoyed.

Thank you, McNally. I am so glad this day has finally arrived.

A craft fair can be a lucrative enterprise

When I first published my debut novel – Pieces – I had a few plans for its distribution.

First, I would create a Facebook page. I would encourage my friends to “like” this page.

Second, I would hold a book launch and encourage people to attend.

Third, I would heckle friends and family to force THEIR friends and family to purchase a copy.

I did all that, and sold 150 copies in a month and a half. Not bad if you ask me.

The next goal on the agenda was to purchase another 150 copies and sell them to my secondary audience. Friends and family are pretty tapped out at this point, and I now have to find strangers (a.k.a. the “general public”) who are interested enough to invest $15 in a copy.

Initially, I was unsure of how I would be able to reach the general public. I was becoming slightly nervous I would be sitting on the second printing of Pieces indefinitely when my mom mentioned the Winnipeg Beach May long weekend craft fair. My brother makes jewellery, my mom makes cards, and she suggested we purchase a table for all three of us to sell our creative products.

It sounded like fun, so I agreed.

The Saturday of the craft fair was cold, wet and rainy. We arrived at the arena – with honorary Hope family member Tiffany Lachuta – at 8:00 a.m.

As we arranged our merchandise on the table, I convinced myself I would be lucky if I sold one copy of Pieces. A craft fair isn’t exactly the most likely place for people to purchase a novel, especially when there are so many interesting, handmade items to choose from.

Well, I should have had more faith in my selling skills.

My first sale took place at 9:23 a.m. to a lovely woman who actually came around the table and gave me a hug. A second and third sale quickly followed, and my lunchtime I had sold over 15 copies of my book. I was having so much fun talking to people, and the praise, support and positive comments I received were truly heartwarming.

After eight hours of sitting at our table, I managed to sell 27 copies of Pieces. I surprised everyone – including myself – and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. My mom, my brother and I plan to enter one craft fair a month for the rest of the summer. We will travel the province, sell our products and enjoy each other’s company. I can’t think of a better way to spend my time.

I want to take a moment and thank each of the 27 people who bought my book. You were all so kind and supportive, and it means so much to me that you wanted to read about my great-aunt’s life.

Stay tuned for info about the next craft fair…

P.S. To watch my book trailer, click here, and to watch my launch footage, click here...

A Winnipeg girl is growing up

It’s funny how quickly life can change...

One day I was a second-year college student focusing all of my time and energy on assignments, grades and time management.

The next day I became a recently graduated communicator with unlimited possibilities and the time to explore what I want to do with myself for the next 30 years.

It hasn’t been easy. Saying goodbye to my classmates and instructors the last day of class felt like I was parting with family. I know that I will see those I love often, and everyone is only a phone call, Facebook message or Twitter post away. But after spending every day with the same people for two years, I can’t help but feel like a small piece of my heart is gone.

It has also been difficult deciding what to do next. For the first months of my last year of school, my boyfriend and I had planned to move to Japan to teach English for a year after I graduated. Travel complications and the recent natural disaster destroyed that plan, leaving me with literally unlimited time on my hands.

I decided that finding something short-term would be the best way to recover from the quick change of plans, and in March I accepted a term position with MPI as a Community Relations Assistant. As a result, my summer months will be spent travelling around the province and giving presentations on bike and road safety. The job is fantastic, and after two weeks of work I’ve already fallen in love with it.

And then, last Sunday, I accepted a second term position…

Meet the new Audience Development Coordinator & Publicist for the Winnipeg International Writers’ Festival (more commonly called "Thin Air"). Not only will I be in charge of publicity and communications, but I will also be coordinating and overseeing each writer featured in the festival. This means I will be spending time with published authors who love what they do.

Anyone who knows me well will automatically understand that this is my dream job. It will also provide me with the entrance to the literary world that I’ve wanted for years.

This is a pic of me at my book launch in March. It was honestly one of the best moments of my life, and I hope that working for Thin Air will help bring me one step closer to my goal of becoming a successful author.

Needless to say, it’s going to be a busy summer. I don’t know what I will do after I finish both contracts in October, and I will once again find myself with unlimited time to do whatever I want. Maybe I’ll find a full-time job, another term, or maybe I’ll go travelling.

For now, I’m trying to enjoy each and every day until my life changes again…

"Pieces" Book Launch Video

Here is the video of footage from my book launch. It was edited by my friend and classmate - Jeff Ward - who also filmed the entire event. It's a small snapshot of what was definitely the most amazing evening of my life, so I hope you love it!

I will also be editing a longer video this summer that includes all of the speeches, the questions and the signing line at the end. Stay tuned!

"Pieces" Book Trailer

It's taken me forever, but here is the trailer for my book!

It was edited by my good friend - Adam Smitzniuk - who was nice enough to humour me for an afternoon and look at about a hundred black and white photos. He's my CreComm hero, and he did a fantastic job on this trailer.

"Pieces" Book Trailer from Adam Smitzniuk on Vimeo.

New launch photos

I wanted to include a few more photos from my book launch. My classmate - Cindy Titus - is an amazing photographer. She did such a good job that I have to show off her work!

My book launch is over…

For the last year, my book has always been on my mind. Ever since I decided to write a full-length novel, there hasn’t been a day that I didn’t think about it.

There was also always something to do. If I wasn’t writing, I was editing. If I wasn’t editing, I was publishing. And then, after publishing, I actually had to start selling the thing.

So many things were happening with school and life that I didn’t really think about my launch until about two weeks beforehand. I owe so much to my mother, because she basically put the entire event together. I also need to give a huge shout out to both Cre8ery Gallery – my venue – and Diversity Catering, the company that provided all of my food for free.

My biggest fear was that no one would show up and I wouldn’t sell very many books. One never knows with an “artsy” event like a book launch. Thankfully, I worried for nothing. Over 85 people attended, and I sold 65 copies of Pieces.

I can honestly say this… My book launch was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. When I stood in front of the microphone and stared out at the loving, supportive faces of my friends and family I was almost reduced to tears on the spot. I cannot express how humbled and grateful I feel for the love and the kindness I received last night, and the launch wouldn’t have been a success without my guests.

Who am I kidding? It wouldn’t have been anything without my guests. You are all amazing.

There will be a video of the book launch ready soon, and I will post it on my blog. I also had an amazing photographer take pictures throughout the night (thank you, Cindy Titus), and I’ve included a few of my favourites below. I hope you enjoy!

Desiree, Jess & Danielle. And food. :)

A few of my fantastic classmates watching the presentation.

One of my lovely table volunteers Kristen shows off my book.

I talk about my book!

Some of my guests. That's Jeff & Ty - my boys - in the front row.

I sign a copy of Pieces.

A successful media advisory

Occasionally, I Google myself.

This isn't a vanity thing. Recently, I have become the "go-to girl" for media advisory creation and distribution. Last week, I sent out about 30 advisories to media outlets around Manitoba that explained what the IPP Presentations at the Convention Centre were all about.

Well, I now know that my advisory worked on at least one media outlet. ChrisD.ca - a local journalist and blogger - pasted my advisory on his website. I don't know how many people read it, but knowing that my efforts actually worked is a fantastic feeling.

If you want to see the post, click here.

And, if you need any kind of media exposure for an event, organization or activity, please hire me :)

Another CreComm milestone is complete

Today I stood up in front of roughly 200 people and talked for 10 minutes about my first book.

I was nervous for about two days prior to the presentation. Earlier today - and especially first thing this morning - I was losing my mind with fear. Normally, I am not afraid of public speaking. But this was one of the most important presentations I have ever made, and I didn't want to ruin it.

Strangely enough, as I sat in the dark theatre waiting for my turn to stand up on the stage, my fears disappeared. I've been working on this book for a year. Of course I want to tell people about it. And beyond that, I want them to buy it and read it.

Overall, I think the presentation went well. I have copied my speech below, in case any of my out-of-town readers are curious what I said.

My aunt and her parents in 1916.

*****

I believe that a person can’t truly understand who they are until they understand their family’s past. The actions of our relatives are a part of our lives forever, whether we want to admit this or not. The woman featured in the book trailer that just played is my late great-aunt Rose. She led a fascinating life, and I chose to make her story the topic of my IPP.

Good afternoon everyone. For the next seven minutes I’m going to tell you all about my first book, Pieces.

• I will discuss where the idea for my book came from
• I will walk you through the process of how I actually wrote the book
• I’ll read a short excerpt that I hope will interest you
• And I’ll talk about the final product.

The idea for what would later become my IPP was first introduced to me in August of 2007.

• My great-aunt Rose – who was living in Armstrong B.C. – called my mother one day and announced that she wanted visitors.
• Rose was 91 years old at the time, and as she told my mom on the phone, she knew that she was going to die soon.
• Mom obliged, and said she would visit Rose, and I opted to tag along.
• We spent a weekend in Armstrong, and our visit quickly turned into a fascinating history lesson.
• In the four days I was there, Rose gradually told me her life story.
• Why she decided to confide in me, I will never know, but thankfully I was smart enough to take notes.
• I left Armstrong with three notebooks filled with information, and a great appreciation for what Rose had been through in her life.

And then, a year later, she died.

• Rose never had children, and most of her relatives besides my immediate family were also dead.
• The way that I saw it was that if I didn’t write her story, no one else would, and there was no way I could ever let that happen.

So, when it became time to pick an IPP topic in the spring of 2010, it was obvious what I would choose. I was going to write about my great-aunt Rose’s life, and that’s exactly what I did.

Once my IPP was approved, I was faced with the daunting task of actually writing the book I had proposed.

• I also had an added difficulty because most of what I was writing had actually happened.
• All of the locations, characters, and incidents were real, which meant I needed to conduct lots of research to ensure I got all the details right.
• To make the writing process easier, I decided to take the summer off - not work - and instead write a complete first draft of Pieces.

The month of May, and part of June, was dedicated to research, and after I finished researching, I started writing.

• Sometimes I suffered from writers block, other times I had insomnia, but gradually, I made progress.

At the end of the summer, when I returned to classes, I had achieved my goal and managed to write a complete, 100,000 word first draft of my book. From September until January I edited and revised the draft in an effort to produce an end result that actually resembled a real book.

Now, I would like to share an excerpt with you from the completed version of Pieces.

The scene I am going to read is from the fifth section of the book.

• Rose has just found out that her mother Olga had been sent to Selkirk Mental Institution in 1939. Rose hasn’t seen her mother in 40 years, but she chooses to visit her inside the walls of the Institution.
• Another character who is mentioned in this scene is Carolyn – Olga’s nurse –and I hope you like it.

To read the excerpt, click here.

That’s only a small excerpt, and if you want to know what happens next, you’ll have to buy the book.

So, where am I now with my IPP? Well, I’m happy to announce that I have received all 150 copies of my book, Pieces, and they are currently available for purchase.

• I will also be having a book launch at cre8ery gallery on Sunday, March 20, and you are all welcome to attend.

I want to take a moment, before l leave you, to thank the one person who made this book possible.

• My great-aunt Rose was an amazing woman, and I am so grateful she was brave enough to tell me her life story.
• At the end of the day - at the end of the school year - this book is really a tribute to her and her life.
• It has been almost three years since she died, but by writing this book I feel that I have ensured her memory and her life will never be forgotten.

Thank you for listening to my presentation, and I hope that what I have shared with you has made you just a little more curious about your own family history.

The CreComm Reading Series presents student talent

WINNIPEG, Feb. 23 – On Saturday, starting at 4 p.m., five second-year Creative Communications (“CreComm”) students from Red River College will read excerpts from their most recent writing at Aqua Books in Winnipeg. They have been working on the writing they will share since September 2010, and many of the excerpts have been recently published in print or online.

Amanda Hope is a first-time novelist who fell in love with the written word as soon as she learned to read. She is a graduate of the University of Manitoba – where she majored in History and English – and is also a soon-to-be graduate of the Creative Communications program at Red River College in Winnipeg. This is her debut novel, and it was written to honour and celebrate the life of her great-aunt.

Jennifer Hanson is a lifelong movie lover who has been blogging for the past nine years. Her project – 200 Movies, 1 Woman, 1 Blog – was a natural way to combine her two passions. She lives in Winnipeg with her parents and younger brother.

Danielle Conolly is a CreComm student who writes things sometimes, when she's not cooking or hobbling around on crutches because she's a klutz.

Stacia Franz is a gifted gymnast and swimmer who also indulges her creative side through her blog, "Have You Hugged Your Server Today?" Recognizing the larger story behind the blog, Stacia embarked on a novel-length description of the serving experience, which you'll hear this evening. In her spare time, this soon-to-graduate CreComm student has a passion for fashion, fine food, and world travel.

Lisa Tachan is a self-proclaimed vampire expert who has spent the last six months working on a high school play that is a parody of both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Twilight Series. In her spare time – when she isn’t busy with schoolwork – Lisa enjoys acting, dancing and chasing around sparkling-skinned boys.

Event Details:

Date: February 26, 2011
Location: Aqua Books; 274 Garry Street (between Graham & Portage)
Time: 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. (approx.)
Note: Students will be available for questions following the readings.

About the CreComm Reading Series
Red River College's Creative Communications ("CreComm") program is the training ground for Manitoba's professional communicators. The CreComm Reading Series curated by K.I. Press brings writers of all genres to Winnipeg. Opening acts are current and former CreCommers with creative works in progress.

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council of the Arts which last year invested $20.1 million in writing and publishing throughout Canada.

-30-

For more information, please contact:

Karen Press
Instructor, Creative Communications
Red River College
949-8316
@kipress
kipress.wordpress.com

Understanding really great sentences

Each week in Advanced Creative Writing class, a few students are required to give a short presentation on a chapter from Francine Prose’s book, Reading Like A Writer.

Last week it was my turn, and my presentation was about sentences.

I admitted to my classmates, and I’ll admit here, that I found the chapter to be quite long and boring. There were so many examples of ‘great sentences’ that I found myself lost among the ‘great sentences.’ Sure, there were a few authors that stuck out – such as Virginia Woolf and Ernest Hemingway – but overall, the chapter didn’t impress me.

What I did find interesting, however, was how the chapter started. Prose recounted a conversation between a young author and his publisher. The author was gushing about how his goal was to create really great sentences, and the publisher was rolling his eyes.

Francine Prose, the author of my textbook.

It’s easy to say, “I want to create great sentences.” It’s very difficult to actually do it.

I started thinking about sentences a moment ago when I opened a copy of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. The book was a Christmas present, and I am finally getting around to reading it. When I flipped to the first chapter, this is what I read:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness… we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way…

So that’s where that quote is from! It’s so famous, and I’ve heard it so many times, but I didn’t know what it was from or who wrote it.

One of the original covers of the novel.

As I kept reading the passage I was taken aback by how beautiful the sentence was. It flowed together in such a perfect way that I – the reader – went through a number of different emotions as I worked my way through the passage. In short, the opening paragraph in A Tale of Two Cities is quite possibly one of the most beautiful sentences I’ve ever read.

I wish I had read the passage before I did my presentation in class, and I feel like I have learned a lot about sentences just by reading a few short lines The entire book isn’t written in the same, beautiful format, but there are many parts that have made me stop and go ‘oooh.’

I’m sure that all authors want their work to stop readers in their tracks and make them contemplate some aspect of their own lives. I know I do. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s incredible.

Words are beautiful. So are sentences.

*Images taken from Google.

My book launch venue

I want to give a quick shout out to Cre8ery Gallery, the venue for my book launch in March. The manager of the gallery - Jordan - was kind enough to create a page dedicated to my event.

Check out the link here. Hopefully it will entice more people to come!

P.S. If you plan to attend the launch, please RSVP by Friday, March 11 to amanda.hope@live.com.

Welcome to Advanced Creative Writing class

This term, I am taking Advanced Creative Writing at school. So far, it is one of my favourite CreComm classes to date. For three hours every Friday morning, a small group of us sit around a table, drink coffee and critique each others work. It's fantastic.

One of our projects for the class is to maintain a blog called 'The Gemini Unjournal.' Each week, a few classmates post excerpts of work from other students. We also post information about book readings and other activities that will take place during the semester.

I am currently working on my post about Lisa Tachan's vampire play, Slaying Edmund. I checked out the blog and realized a classmate of mine posted an excerpt from my book. If you would like to read it, click here.

I killed my Dell Notebook

It was inevitable. If you buy a laptop for $500 it’s only going to get you so far.

My 13” Dell Notebook lasted exactly one year, one month, 6 days and 45 minutes.

I installed both Adobe Photoshop and InDesign on it, and those programs sucked the life out of the battery. I also wrote my first book on it, which is what I believe sped along its demise.

Throughout the first year of CreComm, I fought the Mac craze. I was determined to stubbornly hold onto my PC and I refused to listen to anyone’s opinion. I am very much a person who hates adjusting to new things. I fear change.

But using a Mac is a million times more user-friendly than a PC will ever be. A Mac holds onto things like formatting when cutting and pasting Word documents into other locations (such as this blog window). It also has a million little shortcuts that – once you learn them – are fantastic.

After mourning the loss of my Dell Notebook, I marched straight to The Apple Store and purchased a new MacBook Pro. I jumped on the bandwagon, and I’m glad. There have been moments of frustration – as software refused to load – but I’m glad I finally decided to make the purchase.

I hope that I haven’t hurt my Dell Notebook’s feelings. It really was a fantastic little purple computer while it lasted. I’m just ready to move on.

My book launch has been finalized!

Date: Sunday, March 20, 2011

Location: Cre8ery Gallery
2nd floor – 125 Adelaide Street
Winnipeg, MB R3A 0W4

Doors open: 7:00 p.m.

Presentation: 7:45 p.m.

Book signing: 8:15 p.m.

Book price: $15.00 (cash only please)

Complimentary appetizers and desserts are being generously provided by Diversity Catering; beverages will be extra.

Live music.

Please r.s.v.p by Friday, March 11, to: amanda.hope@live.com.

And here is the cover. It's beautiful and exactly what I wanted.

The second-last step

After two months of editing, revising, editing some more, chopping, cropping, screaming and editing again, I have finalized the content of my book.

And then – if that isn’t exciting enough – I picked up the proof of my book from the publisher on Thursday.

A moment ago, I gave the publisher the green light to start printing 150 copies of Pieces.

I will have them in my hands in approximately a month.
After seven months of work on this project, it is almost complete. I will be able to say that I am officially the author of a book.

I’m so happy I’m losing my mind a little bit.

When I touched the proof for the first time, I couldn’t stop the scream of joy that erupted from my throat. Nor could I stop the epic happy-dance that followed. This is such a huge, huge deal and I can’t express how happy I am with what I have accomplished. If a person is determined and dedicated, the sky really is the limit.

A picture of the cover will follow soon, as well as promotional excerpts and information about my book launch. Stay tuned because it’s going to get crazy...