Interview with Leigh Macfarlane
Published 2019-04-17.
Describe your desk
Recently, two of my adult children moved back home, and one is using my office for a bedroom. This means, my 'desk' right now is the side of the couch with a leg rest, and me on it, covered in a cozy blanket, legs up, lap top on my lap and Lily the dog snuggled up beside me. Although, earlier this evening my desk was a table at Wings Restaurant with a direct line of sight to the cute bartender and a distracting view of hockey on the suspended flat screens.
When did you first start writing?
Miss Brandt's grade four class. My mother saved a lot of my art work and stories from back then. They were all about horses in one way or another, and were seriously terrible. I've written in one fashion or another my entire life. In grade ten I had a teacher who had us journal for class, and that became a habit I maintained until my divorce. Then I started to worry my children would find my most bitter ramblings after my death -- and I wouldn't be around to contextualize. In University, I had an instructor who was also a single mother. She was a poet, and she once told me that happened because as a busy single mother, she found poetry a manageable medium. She didn't have time to write a novel, but she could finish a poem. That stuck with me, and for a while I wrote songs, which I think came from that same need. I wrote a couple memoirs during that period, too. I started with novels, though, in 2018. That year I completed three -- one 70,000 words, one 55,000 and one 60,000 words. The 60,000 word novel was a NaNoWriMo winner. I wrote the rough draft in 21 days. I'm a bit proud of that, to be honest, since it surprised me to learn I had that ability inside me. Mind you, I had it plotted meticulously before I started, and I set it on a ranch I actually used to work at, so some of the work was already done for me. At the end of it, I also had no idea if it was any good. It was a very disconnected feeling, writing that quickly. I was happy to reread it and realize it was a pretty good story! Pleasant surprise.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
How much time have you got?
I love it all. I love that I can sit at this computer and pound these keys and belatedly realize I have been sitting in virtually the same spot from 8 in the morning until 10 at night -- and it doesn't feel like work. I love that I can do that all over for days in a row and that on days when I can't sit at my computer all day, I am hungry for it, and a part of me is restless on the inside waiting to return to the writing. I love that in fiction, I get to play God, and create the rules which govern entire worlds. I love that you have a point a and a point z and my job is getting my characters from one point to the other. I love when my characters revolt and make it very clear to me that they intend to do things their own way, and they thumb their noses and tell me, "You're not the boss of me!" I love that despite the fact that I actually have only this one life to live, in my writing I can sample every career path, travel around the globe, have outrageous flaws and immense strengths. I love that in my fictional world, money doesn't have to stop my characters from living. If I want them to do a thing, I merely drop mana from heaven in the form of an inheritance, a previous career, a rich aunt... you name it, I can make my characters afford it. And once I do, it's up to them to make a success of the life I've given them. I love the comradery of being a writer -- of meeting other writers who just get it. You don't have to explain to them why you do it, or apologize to them for prattling on about your characters as if they really exist, and you don't have to apologize for liking your characters better than some of the people you meet in real life. I like that every single thing that happens in real life has the potential to feed the writing, or even make it into the book. I like the back and forth bleed of it. I love -- absolutely love -- that struggle of finding the exact perfect word for the exact scenario. And I love that rewarding feeling of thinking you've written complete junk, only to reread and impress yourself. I really love those few and far between damn-I'm-good! moments that come sometimes when you reread a draft. And I like the challenge of having a point to make, or a message or moral to tell, and framing a believable fiction around it in such a way, that it feels entertaining, not didactic. I like that I actually have to think and rethink what and how the characters are doing, how the story is unfolding, what point of view and tense and setting and all the rest I am inhabiting. I like the challenge of having to think it all through and actually craft a work. Did I mention, I like everything about it?
What's the story behind your latest book?
The one most recently published or the one I am currently writing?
I think maybe the story behind them is similar, really, My most recently published book, Smoke, is set within the Canadian art world, but it speaks a lot to the Canadian pipeline debate. The book I'm writing at present, The Way of Things, is really about violence against women. In it, a serial killer is stalking female realtors and also there is a husband arrested for domestic violence. As well, even the main romantic couple are finding themselves at odds. They are handling things a bit better than the villains of the story, though.
To some extent, I suppose both stories are ripped from the headlines, so to speak. With Smoke, I was literally creating new chapters on a daily basis, because I was writing it as events were unfolding in the news. Since a large goal of the book was simply to reflect the different points of view surrounding the pipeline debate without proposing definite judgement or answers to this huge current issue, the book was as easy to research as clicking on a daily headline. The Way of Things, on the other hand, is book number two in a series about an accidental crime-solving mother-daughter duo. The characters are very loosely based on my youngest daughter and myself (minus the crime solving), and there are several issues I want to touch on through the eyes of these characters. Violence against women is one. With the #metoo movement so prevalent in the news last year, I'm sure that has influenced my decision to broach that topic. For what it's worth, as much as I support the validation and empowerment of women, my personal opinion is that male / female partnership is the goal. I'm not a fan of villainizing males in order to elevate women. That is merely reversing patriarchy. So, a co-operative male / female dynamic is the one I wish to show as a contrast to a violent one. That's the struggle my male and female lead will be walking through as they solve this new wave of crimes.
Who are your favorite authors?
This is always a rough question to answer. I have an MFA in creative writing, so I sometimes feel my answer should be more intellectual than it is. That said, I am a long-time Nora Roberts and Stephanie Evanovich fan, as well as Iris Johansen. Recently my two favourite new (to me) authors are Jill Shalvis (she makes me laugh) and Jane Harper (her Force of Nature is maybe the best book I read last year). I was a big fan of the Spencer novels by Robert B Parker, and I think I've read every Dick Francis written prior to his death. I like Spencer Quinn's Dog On It books, anything by Lee Child, love C.S. Harris and Stephen White (Kill Me, still one of the best books I've ever read). I grew up reading James Herriot and Walter Farley and Farley Mowat and love them still. I also have a soft spot for A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens) and Crime and Punishment (Dostoevsky). In University, I discovered Thomas King, and I'd like to read more of him. And, although I have only ever read one book by Camilla Gibb, I think Sweetness in the Belly may be my all-time favourite read.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
I'm an optimist really, with a bit of a zest for life and a contentment for where I am at currently in mine, so this may not be a fair question. My children, my fur-babies, my extended family, my writing goals. Yeah, I have to say writing gets me out of bed -- in the sense that I will set an alarm clock so I can get some hours of writing in before the rest of the day happens. That and my daughter's travel needs might be the only two things I'll do that for. Oh, well, also travel. Yeah, I'd set an alarm to get on an early plane. And I'd do it with a smile.
Also, when we took family vacations when the kids were younger I'd get up early so I could go have coffee completely alone before the herd awoke. I'd take my yoga mat and my guitar and my coffee to an empty beach somewhere and just enjoy the solitude and sunrise. These days the kids are older. I don't necessarily have to search quite so hard to find moments of solitude, and I'm a night owl by nature, so that might not happen now. Then again, there is something fantastic about being alone on a beach watching the sunrise. That would probably still motivate me to get out of bed early. Just, maybe not everyday.
What is your writing process?
My ex-husband used to call me a sponge. He said I soaked up the environment around me. I think he didn't mean it as a compliment, actually, but he wasn't completely wrong. I have always been a thinker and I've always been a bit of an observer, and that translates into my writing as an endless source of inspiration. I soak life up, and although I may not always emulate what I've observed, I always think about it later, and I tend to form some definite opinions in the process. My mind is an impressionistic swirl of feelings and thoughts to draw from. Real life, for me, is a beautiful starting point for fiction.
As a sponge, I very rarely struggle with writer's block, and am more likely to struggle with settling on one topic to write about at a time. For me, this is often an act of discipline, as I tend to have multiple first chapters on the go at all times. (Right now I have three different novels sitting at between 20 and 30,000 words, for example, and also a first chapter of two more I am extremely impatient to begin, and three other lead character inspirations that matter to me, which I can't even begin to consider working with for a couple of years).
So, once I have committed myself to a project, I get a character inspiration or a plot or thematic idea, and I just speed write it as long as I can until the gas runs out. I don't edit during that time, but I will go back and put comments at the beginnings and endings of each chapter. At the beginning, I jot down the names of each character appearing in that chapter, at the end I jot down all the action which happened in that chapter. That way, later when I am stuck in a plot point, I can just review my comments rather than rereading entire chapters. Once I am stuck, I tend to take a step back and think things thru. In art class they tell you that an artist must step away from a canvas to see it for what it is and isn't, so metaphorically, I try to do this by asking directional questions of the manuscript. If character a does this next, they go in this direction, but if they do this, they can go another way. Which is best? At that point, I will draft up an outline for as far ahead as I can think it out. Then, I begin speed writing my way through this next section until I get stuck again. I repeat this throughout until the first draft is finished. Then, I walk away for a week (ish). When I come back a week later, I do a first read-thru. In this read, I simply try to feel the story. I might correct the odd grammar point here or there, but basically, I just read and feel. Then I leave it for another couple of weeks to a month. I'm usually pretty impatient to get back to things, but I try to hold out as long as possible. It feels like I am leaving my characters in limbo until the story is polished, but on the other hand, I will do a better job of being impartial with the edits if I give myself more distance before moving onto the next edit.
I don't tend to be someone who edits five million times. Oh, I could be, but I've learned that nothing is every finished, really, and nothing is ever perfect, and at some point, you have to let it go and release it to the world and accept that there are strengths and there are limitations to the manuscript and to yourself as a writer, and you've done the best job possible with your current skill level. Either that, or you'll never release anything, ever. For me, that's not an option. I want to have a product for my readers to enjoy. I just remember, I am my first reader. If I like it, that's a good starting point. And if I don't, the edits probably aren't done.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
We moved a lot when I was a child. I was born in Vancouver General Hospital, in British Columbia, Canada, but we moved by the time I was three (I believe) to Eastern Canada. At first we lived in Pincourt, Quebec, which is near the Dorval airport and my father's job as a Boeing 737 Captain. Pincourt is near Montreal, for a larger point of reference. Dad hated Quebec, though, because we lived there when Pierre Trudeau was changing the language laws, and that affected pilots significantly. Although English is the international language of aviation, at that time control towers in Quebec were required to speak French to the planes before they spoke in English. It was a dangerous choice, and dad grew frustrated enough that he moved us across the border to Cornwall, Ontario. We actually lived in a tiny town outside Cornwall called St. Andrew's West. I was seven, and became best friends with Margie, who lived in the house next door. Margie had a long driveway, and she and I used to run through the rain in thunderstorms "dodging" lightning bolts. We also snuck out of a sleepover and went skinny dipping in the above ground pool in my front yard. The pool was located in front of my parents' bedroom, and we got totally busted, and I, at least, got spanked. The year I turned eight, we moved to Ladner, British Columbia, just outside Vancouver. The next year, we went back to Ontario, and I went to visit Margie. She had died from a brain tumour. Other than the death of my cat, that was the first real death I ever experienced.
Ladner, when I lived there, was still a fairly agrarian town. It was there where I got to indulge my love of horses, first leasing Rocky Rockofellow, then purchasing Lay Dee Pete, my palomino quarter horse, love of my life. There used to be a Standardbred Race track in Ladner, and by the time we were there, it was a training track only. So, I was able to board LayDee there. The track had maybe eight barns standing at this time, and saddle horses were confined to only one of them. We weren't allowed to ride on the track, so LayDee and I would "race" on the flat stretch of lawn which was the hospital grass; we would "pole bend" around the sapling trees planted on the indoor skating rink grounds, then would go on trail rides and jump the drainage ditches behind some building whose purpose I don't recall, and I would pretend we were eventing. I lived a few short blocks away from the track, and would ride my bike there then spend every moment available to me at the barn. Walking home one day, I was at the head of our cul-de-sac when a car pulled over beside me and the driver asked for direction to the hospital and when I pointed, he flashed me. I ran home, and the police were called. They treated it very seriously because this was the time when Clifford Olson was killing his victims, and they seemed to think it was possible that my flasher was the serial killer. Our house in Ladner had a great view of Grouse Mountain, and my father re-named the ski hill Penner Mountain. We lived in Ladner until I was sixteen, then moved Oyama, British Columbia, which is fifteen minutes down the road from me now, and I love it, but at the time, I arrived kicking and screaming (internally, my dad wouldn't have accepted this behaviour). I'd left behind the high school basketball and volleyball team and choir, and the high school boyfriend the year I was going into grade twelve, and I was not happy about it. Oyama was a town which at that time had a gas station, a post office and an elementary school and that's it. Mind you, we lived a block above Woods Lake. It took five minutes to walk down the hill to the beach. Our yard had peach, apple, plum, pear and cherry trees in it, and we could help ourselves any time. Best of all, a now pregnant LayDee came with us, and she lived in our backyard. She also needed a friend, so we added a little Arabian, Bubba, to the family. I rode LayDee on the hill trails behind our home which I shared with no one but the occasional dirt biker. Now, those trails are gone, turned into the new highway between Kelowna and Vernon.
Anyway, I suppose this question didn't ask for my life story, and as to how it affected my writing? I think the moves we made as children showed me a breadth of experience to life which I draw from. I think it made me sensitive to regional dialects, and it instilled an appreciation for nature and for the small town over urban centres. I have a deep love for the Okanagan valley where I live, and my stories are often set here, but I also have a familiarity with Vancouver in a particular time and place, and that informs the way I think and the way I see life. Both affect how I portray life, love, conflict and setting, and possibly my views on permanence, and what is truly important in life, what is worth clinging to and what is irrelevant. To sum it up, I suppose my writing was influenced by my many childhood homes in an experiential way.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
Not one title, specifically. When I was growing up, though, the library where I got my books used to have a picture of a horse head on all the spines of books about horses. I am fairly certain I read them all. I remember the Man O' War, Misty of Chincoteague type books, Justin Morgan had a Horse, and one called Pit Pony, which was about ponies working in the coal mines in Britain who went blind. I remember that book made me cry, and also remember that it spoke of heather on the moors, which was an imagery which has captivated my imagination every since. I remember all the Black Stallion books, of course, and also My Friend Flicka. I also remember reading the Encyclopedia Brown books, and Trixie Belden books. I still have a lot of those. Trixie and her friends solved mysteries AND rode horses. What could be better? I remember Trixie's crush, Jim, gave her a charm bracelet, and I immediately and ever since have wanted one. Bucket list item.
And then of course, there were the books my schoolteacher mother wanted me to read. The Yearling was a big one on that list. Since mom had recommended it, I resisted. When I finally caved, I learned it is an absolutely amazing book. There was also one book I read -- I think it was a Scholastic book -- and a boy is raised with a badger and craves liver. I've always remembered that -- liver is on my no list -- and have never been able to find the book. It and Island of the Blue Dolphins are kind of synonymous in my mind. Which likely means I read them around the same age. I also loved The Dog Who Wouldn't Be, and James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small -- stuff like that.
What do you read for pleasure?
I read genre fiction, mostly. It still has to be well written, though. It actually makes me angry to get a third of the way into a book and find it fizzle out. I have grown a lower attention span for such books, and generally don't finish them. I really love books which make me laugh. Quirky characters or situations more than gimmicks.
What advice would you give a would-be author?
Become an accountant.
Just kidding!
I'd say, give yourself permission to write what you love to read. Don't waste time trying to write the great American novel or some Pulitzer prize winning masterpiece if that's not what you actually enjoy reading. Just be yourself. Your voice, your thoughts, your way. Go for it, and have fun! Write for your reader -- and your very first reader is yourself.
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Latest books by This Author
Art Heist
by Leigh Macfarlane
When the gallery where Raewyn Goldwin works is robbed, she becomes suspect number one. It doesn't help that Kurt, her new guy, has a felon for a brother. Then her ex decides to use this as a weapon in their custody battle, and suddenly Rae's dream job becomes a nightmare. It's possible she is falling in love with Kurt, but can she have him, save her job, and keep her daughter safe, too?
Wild Racing Heart
by Leigh Macfarlane
Book four of the Peachland Passions Series: A bear brings Owen into Asha's life. An assumption almost drives him out. When Owen finds himself in need of Asha's physiotherapy skills, though, the heat between them is impossible to ignore. Asha finds it hard to keep her thoughts professional, and Owen has no intention of making that easy for her. Trigger Warning: scenes of violence and abuse.
Smoking Hot Summer
by Leigh Macfarlane
Nina Fournier thought she and her childhood sweetheart, Colton Boyd, would always be together. Instead, a month before high school graduation, Nina told Colton she was pregnant -- and Colton bolted. Now Colton is back, and he's not a scared kid anymore. He's a man who wants his girls back, and he figures it's time to make his move.
Sunflowers and Sweet Peas
by Leigh Macfarlane
Cassidy owns the florist shop beside the Walking Walrus Cafe. She also owns the heart of rookie cop, Ian Roshan. Raised in a family of cops, Cassidy has a no-go rule where they are concerned. That's a rule Ian plans to convince her to break.
The Lakeland Series: Books 1-4
by Leigh Macfarlane
Colleen and Abbie Lewis are mother and daughter living in a small, lakeside town, and they are -- oops! -- about to become accidental crime solvers. The idyllic town of Lakeland is experiencing a rash of nasty crimes, and somehow Colleen and Abbie keep finding themselves involved! Fortunately, there are a pair of sexy men -- and some truly loveable canines -- wanting to keep these ladies safe.
Whiskey & Mistletoe
by Leigh Macfarlane
(4.00 from 1 review)
Near and Far Magazine accountant, Auggie Chamberlain, has been abandoned at Christmas. With her business partners on working holidays and an important client coming to town, someone had to stay to pitch their advertising services. Josh McLoughlin dances, he skates... and he does other, more adult things exceptionally well. He might be the perfect man. Too bad he lives halfway around the world!
Walking Walrus Cafe
by Leigh Macfarlane
(3.86 from 7 reviews)
Successful Peachland restauranteur, Monya Fournier, raised a daughter alone and now is watching her child do the same. Between her business, Walking Walrus Cafe, and her girls, there hasn't been time for men. Not since her husband died. In town for an art auction, Brett Grayson is only looking for a decent cup of coffee. In Monya, he's found more -- he's found his future. Can she feel the same?
Shutter's Eye
by Leigh Macfarlane
As teens, Amy Callaghan and Jamina Shad survived a racially-motivated bombing. Now a famous photographer, Amy is home for Jam's wedding. Best man, Zander, was just a rookie cop when the bombing occurred, and he's followed Amy's career ever since. Now, he's about to discover she's even more compelling in real life, and he only wants to know her more. Will Amy give him that chance?
Rock Bottom Ranch
by Leigh Macfarlane
(4.00 from 1 review)
Former rodeo queen, Pearl Robinson is coming home. She has a new job working at a ranch helping troubled teens through therapeutic riding. She also has a hunky new boss -- former town bad boy, Tim Wenger. As Pearl and Tim work together and defend the ranch against critics, sparks fly. Will love also bloom?
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