Wow! I had so much fun being Writer in Residence for Open Book Toronto last month. I'm so glad they invited me. If you missed it - you can see all my blogs in their archives here: http://www.openbooktoronto.com/kim_firmston/main

But on to that writing game. So the other day I was prepping for a writing class and I needed a simple writing game that could be done either individually or as a group - and here's what I came up with:

It's called THREE THINGS

Materials: A container with objects written on small pieces of paper. Things like skirt, open CD case, saddle, glitter, tire marks, empty wine glass, a book on how to build a raft, etc. You can make these ahead of time or get the class to help you out.

To play: The player draws at random three papers out of the container. They have to come up with a scenario of what might have happened if they had come upon a scene where those three objects were and the people are no longer around. What happened, essentially. Individually, each player can either speak the scenario or write it down as an opening to a story then read it out. As a group there can be a brain storm of all the possible things that could have led to these three things being left where they were.

Example: Say you drew glitter, carrot, and saddle. Perhaps someone was trying to make a real My Little Pony for their daughter but the pony hated the glitter, and the carrot wasn't enticing enough and it bolted out of the house. The dad didn't even have time to get the saddle on the thing!

A simple, quick, fun game that would make a good icebreaker to any writing group.

My new novel, Stupid, is coming along. I've been working on edits from the reader's report that, due to my unfortunate choice of title, came back at me as the "Stupid Reader's Report". Yeah, the whole novel has been one big accidental joke after another.
I have a week to get it done. I'm almost 1000 words over my maximum count. And I have a bunch of other things also due this week. Not to mention I have to write a twenty minute play in two and a half hours this week as part of the 4play YYC festival. Come on out if you're interested in seeing it. It's going to be amazing.
Suffice to say, I feel like I'm drowning. But I'm also living my dream. Being a writer - if not totally making a living at it. (That would require some big time, best selling type novels and I'm getting to those). Right now I'm really happy to write for kids who need a good novel geared to their reading level. One that doesn't talk down, or try to teach them stupid stuff. One that exists in the real world. I wish they had these kinds of books when I was a teen - instead of those "drugs are bad" after school specials that they passed off as Hi/Lo reading.
I'm not panicking yet though. Deep breathing and moving forward is keeping me going. I'm looking for places in the manuscript to tighten my writing. Taking out all those unnecessary words like that and just I seem to always over use. I'm looking for repetitive phrases where I didn't trust my reader to get it the first time. I'm taking out exposition and putting in dialogue. Tight dialogue.
Tomorrow I start my read through of the book as well as squeezing in reading time with other books like Girl Fight by Faye Harnest too. I vowed this summer to read more, and I have. A bunch of good books including one with poetry (try not to fall over dead at that statement).  This will be my second time reading Girl Fight, it's that good. But I'll fill you all my reading come November when I'm writer in residence for Open Book Toronto. You'll love me there. I'll actually be blogging every day instead of this sporadic stuff I manage here. I'm looking forward to it. So I hope you'll join me.
Until then - back to my Stupid book. See, I told you it was an unfortunate title.

Summer is the time for adventures and I’m planning on having a ton of them. I started the summer by teaching at WordsWorth summer camp week one. I ran a class called Action Scenes. We used a lot of stage blood. A LOT. But it was fun. We learned how to write action scenes by toying with sentence length and pacing both on the page and using video. We watched a James Bond scene to see the visual equivalent of short sentences. It was pretty cool and something I just realized days before the class. I love teaching because it’s what helps me to write better.
After getting home I built a bush fort with my daughter. A bush fort is kind of like a tree fort, but on the ground. Anyway, it’s pretty cool and has a secret passage and built in snacks come August. Of course that wasn’t the only thing I was doing (it was mainly an excuse not to weed the garden). I’ve also been working on writing a new book called Stupid. I’ve been doing about a chapter a day, though I’ve hit a bit of a snag lately with my knowledge and my writing has come to loggerheads. So today I’m out to do some interviews in order to fix this issue.
Stupid is about a kid named Martin who has been misdiagnosed as having ADHD when he really has dyslexia. He’s a film maker and really smart – but because of his learning disability, everyone thinks he’s stupid, until he meets Stick. Stick does parkour and thinks Martin’s movie making is brilliant. This is new for Martin and he kind of likes having someone in his life who is on his side. Then bad things happen and Martin’s dad threatens to send him away. I’m about a third of the way through. The outline went through a lot of changes. I had to really focus on the hero’s journey archetype, something I’m still learning. I think really getting a handle on this may help me rewrite my February novel. Once Stupid is done – I’m planning on working on that trilogy once again.
In a week (just over) I’m going to be writing and producing a one act play with the DramAntics kids. This of course means I’ll have a new play to put up on the website for people around the world to use. It’s kind of cool to have my plays out in the world even if I don’t get paid for them. Money has never been the issue for me. I mean I forgot to pick up my check from WordsWorth and only got paid because Lisa Murphy-Lamb, the director, ran out and handed me the check in the car.
So far the play is thus – A giant has been killed, Jack is somehow involved. That’s it. The kids will come up with the rest. I’m looking forward to seeing where their imagination takes them. The interesting thing is we all get to learn how to write a mystery – something I’ve never really done on this level.
And that takes me half way through the summer. I’m doing another camp right before school starts. I wonder what kinds of adventures I’ll have in August. It’s going to be fun – I know that much and I’m looking forward to it.

I can't wait for summer! I have the special privilege of working with young writers while the sun is hot. This particular summer is going to be extra great. I'm working on a new class for WordsWorth Youth Writing Residency - week one (there are only three spots left, so get registered now if you want to go). I'll be doing action adventure writing. To this end I have been procuring cameras, laptops, sound effects, soundtracks, fake bombs, plastic, wood, and cardboard weapons, and small latches with keyed padlocks. It's going to be a blast. Oh, yeah, and I'm bringing a parachute. And after all that I get to write a play with another bunch of talented kids at the DramAntics theatre camp and perform it at the Calgary Fringe Festival. Then at the end of the summer I'll be hanging out at RIO summer camp where I don't even know what to expect as the whole thing is planned by the kids themselves. And in between all that is the People's Poetry Festival in Kensington and the When Words Collide writers and readers conference. So much to do this summer! Insane! I had better rest up now and do my prepping because once July starts, I'll be running.

Boiled Cat is launched. I’ve managed to get another book proposal in to my publisher for a little novel I call Stupid. Now it is that time of the  year when I start prepping my classes.
I work all summer. I teach at various summer camps such as WordsWorth, DramAntics, and RIO. And what do I teach? Writing of course. But not just any writing. I like to use play to teach. So in my classes we play  writing.
That probably sounds strange. I mean how do you play and write at the same time. Well, it’s pretty easy. I think of the lesson I would  like to get across, be it incorporating more senses into one’s work, or learning to pump more tension in to an action scene. Then I think of a way to get bums out of seats and up and moving. Bringing the lesson to life.
For senses I’ve done blindfolded hiking and  tasting/smelling/touching/hearing crazy stuff. For tension I’m thinking of firing live water guns at my students while they run around trying to write in  a notebook. Not everything I do works. But I do try everything. And even if it  doesn’t work 100 percent, we have fun and writing comes off as a positive  experience. Which is success in my book.

So Boiled Cat is launched! What a fun night. MJ Diva and Thrashadactyl rocked it out. I read. Books were signed. And I got to connect with people I haven't seen in a long, long time. (That's what happens when you lock yourself away to write)!
Now I'm on to new adventures. I'm doing art for the Boiled Cat book trailer. The STICK IT TO THEM Boiled Cat sticker contest is launched - go to the Boiled Cat website for info on that (www.boiledcat.com). Stickers are free so contact me to get some. I'm putting together classes for the THREE camps I'm teaching at this summer. I've also been invited to be a panelist for the When Words Collide conference in August. In November I'll be the Writer in Residence for Open Book Toronto. And during all this I've pitched a new book to Lorimer SideStreets called Stupid. If that makes it through all the hoops, I'll be working on a new book soon. I also plan on getting How To Be A Super Villain sold as soon as possible and finding an agent for February. The amount of work I have to do is endless, however I look forward to all of it. I hope you'll all stick with me on my adventures. Who knows where this road will take me but it looks like fun!
Oh, yeah, one more thing - there's new pictures on the corkboard and, as usual, they all link somewhere. Have fun with them!

The Boiled Cat book launch is only a week away! I'm so excited. I've already received some great feed back on the novel. Not only for Boiled Cat, but also Touch, my SideStreets novel that came out in the same month. Both will be on sale at the launch. It's going to be so much fun. I really am looking forward to it. If you're in the Calgary Area drop on down and party with me!
Here's the details:
Boiled Cat Book Launch, April 25, Doors at 6:00, Start time 7:00, New
Black Centre 919 9 Ave SE  Calgary, doors at the back. All ages.

Time sure flies when you're working your butt off. The Boiled Cat book is out. Touch, my new book from Lorimer SideStreets is also out (both in the same month) and now it's time to party. The Boiled Cat book launch will be held on April 25, 7:00 PM at the New Black Centre in Calgary, Alberta (Doors at 6:00 and entrance at the back of the building). MJDiva (rock and blues) and Thrashadactyl (thrash metal) will be performing. Boiled Cat books (and all my SideStreets books)will be available for purchase and I will be there reading and signing. It will be a fun night - so head on down. I will also be announcing a really fun Boiled Cat contest. You could win your own Boiled Cat t-shirt from the Boiled Cat shop. So stay tuned for that announcement.