Issue 4: A Toast to Clobbering
Sorting Scraps into Masterpieces
Happy 19th, Ninetweeners!
Welcome to the fourth issue of my monthly newsletter, Ninetween. You can look out for new issues on the 19th of every month at 19:00 EST (that’s 7 PM!)
Please consider showing your support by leaving a like or comment when you’ve finished reading. Even better, recommend Ninetween to a writing pal! I’d appreciate it.
Anyway…
I made some really yummy Bruschetta.
To begin: I am very thoroughly someone whose (former) surname ends in ski. I am pale as a corpse, mostly blonde, blue-eyed, and about the farthest thing from Italian. So, to my Italian friends, I am sorry in advance. My bruschetta is an affront to Italian sensibility. Please simply consider this simply a really, really good toast instead.
The origin of my bruschetta expedition is simple. My husband, Chris, and I went to the spa for a parents-day-away and while we were there we indulged in snackies at the restaurant, including a delicious bruschetta.
“I can probably make this at home,” I proclaimed (boldly, impractically).
It was on.
I started my quest by searching for a copycat recipe. But after many failed Google inquiries, I realized it probably didn’t exist online, which was fine. I wasn’t too deep in this yet, and I could grab a picture from my phone and use that to recreate what I’d tasted.
Whoops, no phones allowed in the spa. I didn’t have a photo. Neither did Google. Rule-abiding Canadians!
Well, onward. What is bruschetta if not stuff on bread? And surely the recipe wouldn’t be much more than the ingredient list on their menu, right? Off I went back to Google to find the menu.
This was a significantly quicker endeavour; the menu was easy-peasy to find. Now I had a grocery list:
Hothouse Tomatoes
Garlic Flatbread
Basil Mayo
Pickled Red Onions
Balsamic
Parmesan Chips
Experience told me any old tomato would be fine; I chose some nice ones on the vine for the freshest taste. Garlic flatbread, balsamic glaze, and parmesan were easy finds. Some of these things I already had in my pantry (we are a balsamic family).
But basil mayo and pickled red onions? Back to Mama Google, where I found two recipes, one for each. You can find them here and here. (Sidebar: the pickled onions are incredible on hamburgers).
I gathered everything I needed and headed to the kitchen. I pickled onions. I basiled mayo. I thin-sliced tomato.
How hard could a parmesan chip be? I set the oven to broil, made little piles of parmesan on a cookie sheet, and set it in until they bubbled. When removed from the oven, my experiments hardened into perfect (if a bit unsightly) chips in a few minutes. Success!
I assembled, I broiled again, and I carefully dolloped basil mayo onto each serving with a lil’ chip adornment. Was it perfect? No! But it was mine and guess what?
Chris loved it.
Me, on the other hand? I took one bite and thought, “I forgot the arugula.”
See, I didn’t have a picture of the original bruschetta and the menu didn’t bother to mention the arugula. Maybe it was outdated. But the moment I bit into that piece of really, really good toast, I knew something was missing.
Ar-u-gu-la. There it was in my memory. Clear as day.
Dang it.
But the bruschetta was yummy nonetheless. Next time I make it, I may toss the arugula on. I may not. It is, after all, not the spa’s recipe. It’s mine.
I know what you’re saying. Congratulations. You cooked, Elysia. What does any of this have to do with writing? I’m not here for a culinary newsletter!
Writing Tip: Sometimes We Have to Clobber Words Together from Scraps.
Yes, the bruschetta is a metaphor. We are writers, after all. You probably caught it as it was happening, didn’t you?
Here’s the thing: writing a novel is kind of like compiling a weird bruschetta recipe together from some random spa we went to one time, isn’t it?
We read and read and read. We find authors we like and we say, “I want to be just like them!”
With our mentors in mind, we fumble our way around a rough draft. Its a slog and sometimes it takes a lot of Googling. Sometimes, the words we conjure sound just like our favourites. Others, we start to find a voice that we haven’t quite heard before, a voice that is nothing but our own.
Then there’s always that point in a new draft where we run into trouble. A character we can’t figure out, a voice that doesn’t quite fit, a setting we’ve never been to. Our favourite author hasn’t gone there before, but we have to in order to make the book work. So, we seek out another mentor. A supplementary recipe.
Next thing you know, we’ve got some cooking experience and we make the parmesan chips recipe-free from good-ol’ confidence and know-how.
And then, when the draft is done?
Yeah, you’ll dig in and realize something is missing.
Dang arugula!
That’s okay — that is what editing is for and spotting the missing piece means that you have good writerly instincts! Sometimes actually experiencing a thing is the only way to discern what it needs to improve.
The point is that you created something that you can improve. But you must get in the kitchen first. You must gather ingredients. You can’t be afraid to stick something in the oven. And when you’re done? That meal is all yours, baby! Enjoy every bite.
Publication News.
April showers bring May publications!
I’ve had a really exciting month for publications, and I’m on target to hit my goal of 30,000 words on my WIP by the end of the month. I’m looking forward to more chances to read and write outside as summer comes at last to us northerners.
My short story With Fortitude was published in Elegant Literature Issue #42, which you can read for free here! I love this story, one of my first forays into sci-fi that was heavily inspired by Red Rising by Pierce Brown. And how cool is that cover?
My short story What Happens Now placed second in Writers’ Playground’s 10th Challenge. It is also available to read for free here. This story is one of my favourites, a literary exploration of the relationship between an estranged brother and sister. I had the opportunity to read it at an Open Mic on May 15th, and it was a delightful experience.
I’ve also received acceptances for two short stories with Waffle Fried and Moonlit Getaway, which I’ll share once they are available. Stay tuned!
Elysia’s Middle Grade Bookshelf.
My relationship with middle grade books is perhaps a bit strange. My kids are still pre-schoolers, so while I read these books for my own enjoyment (and is there ever so much joy in children’s literature!) I also read them to keep abreast of industry trends and to celebrate my peers.
So, with that said, I don’t have too many people I can scream enthusiastically to about these books. Except my mom. My mom loves good middle grade and so, I’ve developed a bit of a barometer. If a book I read goes in the “pass along to Mom" pile, it’s a keeper. A real, genuine, life-changing read.
The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest went straight to the pass along to Mom pile.
Spoiler: It also jumped to my all-time favourites pile.
The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest tells the story of Clare, a fox and the usher of the afterlife. For six years, Clare has helped passing spirits discern which eternal realm they belong in: Peace, Pleasure, Progress, or Pain. But when a badger named Gingersnipes arrives and appears to belong nowhere, Clare will do everything he can to make things the way they were or risk facing his own afterlife.
For middle-grade readers and parents, this book is a wonderful opportunity to discuss topics including death, destiny, friendship, kindness, and grief. It is both cozy and heart-wrenching, with a framing device that will leave adult readers in tears. If reading with younger kids, be prepared to talk about beginnings and endings, purpose, legacy, and what it means to do good.
The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest may be purchased locally at Mill Street Books. If you aren’t in Almonte, please consider supporting an independent bookstore near you. It would mean a lot to me.
Other Projects.
The LAM, the literary magazine I co-founded, is approaching the deadline (May 31) for submissions for our first issue, themed darkness and light. Unfortunately, we are only open to submissions from writers and artists in our area. You can find all the information you need on our Facebook page, including our call for submissions.
If you are interested in joining the Almonte Writers Guild, you can do so here. Please note that members must reside in Lanark County. I’d love to connect with you! We will be releasing our summer schedule this week, so keep an eye out for that. There are plenty of outdoor writing opportunities in the works!
You can now subscribe to the Almonte Writers Guild Newsletter right here on Substack!
This month is exciting for my work with Almonte Readers & Writers because on May 22, I will be interviewing Bram Stoker nominee Amelinda Bérubé at their delve: In close conversation with authors event. Tickets are pay-what-you-can and may be purchased on their website or at the door. I’d love to see you, so stop on by if you can. Equator Coffee, Almonte from 6:30-8:00 pm.
Almonte Readers & Writers is a local non-profit that brings literary events to Lanark County. For more information, check out their website.
Next Issue…
The next issue of Ninetween will land in your inbox and/or feed on June 19 at 19:00 EST (that’s 7 PM!) See you there!
Keep it almost twenty,
Elysia Rourke