Canada's Great Secret

Okay, to tell the truth, a secret perhaps, but not a very great one. It's about me. Yes, all about me.

Now I'm not a famous nor an infamous writer. I have what would be called moderate to small fame. I've published many poems in obscure publications all over North America. As well, I've published about a dozen or so stories and come close to winning an award or two (shortlisted, honorable mentions), and published a smattering of articles but no big fireworks...yet.

As a Canadian speculative fiction writer, I'm small beans but not as small as others. And bigger than a few. Now here's the secret. Almost every other BC spec writer belongs to a small self-promotional writer's group called the Lonely Cry. I've been barred since the beginning of time and it seems a few other writers have joined my ranks.

Why barred? Well, first, Lonely Cry was created I believe by the now deceased (and probably still) very funny Mike Coney. I'd guess it's members started around 6-8 people ane really they would do a funny skit at the local science fiction conventions, and put out a broasheet highlighting new published works of the members. That was about it. Except that many of them netted interviews or newspaper coverage (albeit small) from this wee group.

So, now we go back a bit further in my history. I once decided to get serious about writing SF/fantasy and was accepted into Clarion West, a six-week intensive writing workshop in Seattle. After that, I was invited to join Helix (a local writers group, and at that point unnamed). So I brought to one of my first meetings a story I had written at or before Clarion. It had treelike beings who wove their history from the bark of their bodies.

A woman in the writers group decided I had stolen her idea because she had a planet with people who wove tapestries. Maybe there was more but in all neither of us had a truly original idea. Weaving happens in lots of stories. And our stories were so divergent that there was no resemblance at all. After telling me pointedly that I should watch where I got my ideas, even after I said I wrote it before I knew her, I was not anethema in her eyes and she left the group.

So when Lonely Cry formed she retaliated...I suppose. Only thing was, I did nothing wrong. I've never sold that story and doubt I ever will. It's not that original. She used to be invited to the readings that Helix did (Helix and friends) but after this continued treatment of me as the new Satan I grew tired of it and said she couldn't do the readings if I couldn't join Lonely Cry. And yes, one member naysaying could hold a dictatorship over the whole. Seems I could in Helix too though maybe a few were on my side.

That alone doesn't make me unknown but I'm a little uncomfortable with out and out promotional mongering. And I live in western Canada. In the great urban centers of Ontario and Quebec it is much easier to get funding, and to get recognized. Greater population basis, greater coverage. Grants are more available. I stopped being a member of the Leaque of Canadian Poets because they had funded readings in Toronto and nowhwere else. Hardly "Canadian" poets, that. Maybe it's changed. That was a long time ago.

Oh and when I've gone as one of many guests (pretty much any pro SF writer is a guest) to V-Con I was left off the list and the bios, not once but twice (or was it three times). There are other little things but somehow I manage to slide between the cracks.

There's no real "poor me" happening though because I haven't made a big splash. But I know what will happen when I do. They'll say, oh look an overnight sensation. When in truth most overnight sensations have been working at it for years. Still, I'm amazed how I can be so invisible and visible at the same time. Part of the reason I rejoined SFCanada, to see if I could increase my visibility (would you believe I first wrote invisibility?). What if you borrow that cloak and then find you can't take it off?