research

Had a great time at the Toronto Public Library yesterday, where writer Alissa York was a guest of the Toronto Writers’ Co-operative, and interviewed by john miller.

Ms. York talked about her childhood, the inspiration for her books, her writing routine, the importance of naming characters well (with which I agreed wholeheartedly) and the role of animals in her life and in her writing.

I was struck by Ms. York’s dedication to her writing and the thoroughness of her research (Ms. York’s books are quite research-heavy), and at how one tiny detail such as a discrepancy in the number of survivors of the 1857 Mountain Meadows massacre provided « just enough room » to allow her to write her novel Effigy.

It was an enlightening, entertaining and enjoyable evening. I wish I had taken notes beyond the few in my Twitter feed!