Simon Rose: My
guest today is Anita Daher, Canadian writer and author of middle grade
adventure novels and teen thrillers. She has been honoured to have
books named finalist for awards such as the Arthur Ellis, Hackmatack,
and the Diamond Willow, and in 2007 was given Manitoba’s John Hirsch
Award for Most Promising Author.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Sure!
Although I’m not sure what to tell. I was one of those kids who had a
flashlight under the covers when I was a kid, reading long past “lights
out.” I’d devour adventure stories, animal stories, myths and
legends—anything I could get my hands on. It was when I was
12-years-old and living in Baker Lake, Nunavut, that I first had an
inkling that I would like to be a writer one day. But…I talked myself
out of it, because writers were my heroes, and I was just a shy young
kid who liked adventure stories. After an eight-year career in Canada’s
aviation industry, it slipped my mind that I’d ever talked myself out
of following my dream, and so I turned back to it with gusto. 

That is how I came to writing. Good enough? I can also tell you I love music, chocolate with cherries, and working with horses.  I
am very good at beginning crafts, but very bad at finishing them. I am
a big-time daydreamer, and still while away a good amount of time each
day just imagining.

How long have you been writing? 

I
have been a writer as long as I have been a reader, but only turned
seriously to it—that is, I began writing with the intent to publish—in
1995. After tucking several dozen rejected picture book manuscripts
(and corresponding rejection letters) away in binders, I sent my first
middle-grade novel to Orca. It was accepted, and published in 2002.
I’ve been writing middle grade and teen novels ever since. 

You write for middle grades, but also for teenagers. What are the main differences in writing for those two age groups?

There
is a world of difference in terms of the way each of these age groups
view the world and interact in it, and that (hopefully) is reflected in
my writing. Teen books are actually much more akin to books for adult
readers. When I put myself inside the head of a twelve-year-old I am
concerned with friends, what is going on in my family, and “doing the
right thing.” The choices I need to make are pretty straightforward. I
like having fun, and appreciate silly jokes. When I put myself inside
the head of a teen character I am also interested in friends, family,
and doing the right thing, but I am aware the world is far more complex
that I used to think it was, and that choices can be difficult. I enjoy
writing for both age groups because one is more play, and the other
allows me to go a little darker, and deeper.

Where do you get your ideas and inspiration from?

I
am a big time news junkie, and so scour news sites via the Internet
every morning. Often a crime or some incredible adventure will catch my
eye, and so I save the story in my “idea file.” Sometimes it becomes
the seed of a new story, or the idea of it adds a layer to something
already on progress. For example, Flight from Bear Canyon was
inspired by a story about a group of real life tourists rafting down a
northern river toward a flood-swollen section where caribou had drowned
while crossing, and a number of grizzly bears had gathered and were
having a feeding frenzy. In my story I toasted the part about the
tourists and the raft, but kept the drowned caribou and the grizzly
bears.

Inspiration is a whole nuther thing.  These days it is the character that inspires me most.  A
news story might spark an idea for the story, but it is the desire to
see a character through it that keeps me going to the end.   

What projects are you working on now? Any new books coming out soon?

I am excited about launching the third in my Junior Canadian Ranger series (and seventh book overall), On the Trail of the Bushman, in April, but am otherwise giving middle grade projects a rest this year to work on my next teen novel.  Like
most of my other stories, this one is set in the Northwest Territories.
It is a psychological thriller, but it is variance from my usual manner
of writing (and so is extra fascinating to me) because I haven’t yet
decided who my psychopath…er, antagonist is.  It could go one way…or another.  Hmmm.  There is also a hint of romance in this story, which may mean I am softening in my old age.

Do you have a special place where you write, such as an office in your home?

I have moved from one community to another quite a lot over the years. In some houses I have an office, and in others I do not.  In
my current home in Winnipeg I do not have an office. Instead I have a
lovely wee antique desk that I park in a quiet corner and spend time at
in early mornings before the family wakes.  Sometimes if the writing isn’t “flowing” I pick up my desk and find another quiet corner. I
also have a writing retreat/family vacation get-away in a lovely
riverside community not too far north of Winnipeg, and go there when I
need intensive writing time.

What is your writing process? For example, do you create an outline for the story before you begin work?

That
is my preference. Some writers start with an idea, and let the story
take them where it will. I think in part because of the kinds of
stories I write the plot is hugely important, and so I like to have an
outline worked out.  That said, the plot often changes during the writing of the story.  But, having a “story map” gives me a place to begin.

How many times do you revise a story before you decide its ready to be submitted?

Oh…so
many times! It is in my nature to be in a hurry, always, and so I need
to force myself to let a story sit even when I think it is as polished
as I can make it. My
first draft is usually VERY rough. So rough I don’t like to share bits
of it with anyone until I’ve had a chance to comb through it at least
three or four times, and often more than that. After a half-dozen
rewrites it might be ready for an editor or my agent.  From that point it depends, but there will likely be at least one more major revision, and probably several minor ones.

How do you promote yourself as an author, either in person or online?

I
generally try to make sure I am easy to find in my community, online,
and through several writing organizations. For every new book I usually
arrange a tour. I do this on my own, but connect with my publisher at
every turn. In this way I feel we take a “team” approach toward book
promotion. I love visiting classrooms. I often give writing workshops
in my own community and elsewhere, but this is more about a sharing of
knowledge than actual book promotion.  Still,
everything an author does in terms of getting out of that quiet writing
corner and into the public eye helps a little. There is a balance
between promoting oneself (and one’s work,) and pulling back in to
create again. I try to be mindful of the balance, but more often than
not it is akin to a tug of war over a muddy pit with one side gaining
ground on one day, and the other side on another. The goal is not to
have one side win over the other, but to simply stay out of the mud.