L'auteur (est moi)

I was recently reminded by a friend that I'm supposed to be writing the great Canadian novel.

She's suggested a thinly veiled parable about shenanigans at a large, disorganized financial institution.  The characters will be fictional, of course (because there's no way you'd know who "Mesley" is, right?)

Can't quite bring myself to do it, though. Firstly, because I'm not really sure what a parable is. And secondly, because if the veil is too thin, someone might guess which financial institution I'm riffing on. Since I'm still a shareholder, it's not really in my best interest to inadvertently contribute to the death spiral.

So there is no parable about shenanigans at a large, disorganized financial institution.  Instead, I started a novel - a work of fiction - that is meant to be funny, ironic, sarcastic, about a young woman who's been cast adrift for most of her life... And although it  might incorporate some fictional-ish shenanigans (write what you know!), that won't be the primary focus of it.


When I started the novel in some earnest a while ago, my young teenage son said skeptically "But that's not a real job".  Which was true.  (And which also reminded me that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree)


Yet I created this daydream, where I imagined a lovely little writing shack up at the back of the yard, where I'd go every morning, make some tea and write, write, write, while I looked southwestward towards the Georgia Straight and Vancouver Island, waaaaay off in the distance.

But who would read my written words?  Probably not my son (maybe if I SnapChatted it?).  Probably not my daughter either (unless I added photos and tagged her in every one?)

More importantly, who would pay for those words?  I'm sure it's difficult enough for the really great Canadian writers to make a living from their words. And I'm certainly no Miriam Toews or Ann-Marie MacDonald. Sigh.

So I knew there were hurdles. But hurdles that I was willing to fight against.  Until I realized the biggest hurdle that would shoot my daydream down in flames...

Ummm, I'm not really a tea person.

So, I'm asking... would bourbon do?