2024 SiWC Diana Workshop “Focus”

Greetings Outlander fans!

This is my final post about Surrey International Writers’ Conference (SiWC) held in Surrey, British Columbia on Oct. 25-27, 2024.

I had a fabulous time. Got to hear Diana perform in two workshops, one panel and Michael Slade’s Shock Theater. Great fun!

This last post is a review of Diana’s workshop entitled “Focus.”

The room was filled to capacity even though it was the last day of the conference and some people had already left.  This is an obvious testament to the respect she commands in the field of writing.

She arrived wearing a beautifully embroidered top and a lovely smile for all!

Diana began her workshop by explaining that she writes slowly because she considers every word she adds to her story.

She thinks book 10 will be her last Outlander book so she is putting a lot of thought into tying up loose ends both for her characters and various unresolved situations.

She also is working on a new Lord John book titled, ‘Black Chambers!”

She also wrote two scripts for the new Starz series, Blood of my Blood (BomB).

Of course, she also does numerous events, has a family and two grandsons which require a bit of her “focus,” too. This all helps account for her “slow” writing. 😉

Moving to the meat of her presentation, Diana learned early on how to get people to pay attention to what she wants them to pay attention to  – this is the very definition of FOCUS! 🤗

Next, she explained how using the five points of journalism helps a writer focus a reader’s attention by using:

    • Who
    • What
    • When
    • Where
    • Why

As an example of focus, she read a new scene she has been working on. Will this excerpt appear in book 10, in the new Lord John book, or in another book? She does not say! 🤐

Minnie, wife of Hal and sister-in-law of Lord John, is the main character in this scene. She stands on the deck of a ship. She has a letter in her pocket from her second son, Adam.

Diana informs the attendees that that Minnie is a character in “Fugitive Green,” originally a short story from “Seven Stones to Rise and Fall.”  (Psst…..”Fugitive Green” is also now a stand alone novella!)🤭

She starts by telling the reader who Minnie is: She is a woman that likes uncertainty! She has a conversation with Irishman, Raph (Raphael) O’Higgens, a character from “A Fugitive Green.”  Then a whale arrives and the conversation focuses on the whale.

By the end of the scene, Diana has addressed all five of the journalistic points she discussed earlier!

She then explains several ways a writer can redirect a reader’s focus:

    • Change the subject
    • Create a loud noise
    • Distraction by something outside the convo
    • Add motion
    • Add alliteration
    • Use shiny objects 😄

She then elaborates on why motion is so effective at changing focus. Humans are highly responsive to movement because we evolved as both predator and prey. Motion attracted our attention because it was a matter of life and death. 😮

She explains that a writer must also write. As an example, various Outlander cast members have asked for advice on how to write a book.  She always recommends that they write for ten minutes every day for a week.  By the end of the week they will know if they want to write a book! 📖

She also noted that Sam Heughan is the only cast member who did write a book – all the rest fell by the wayside when faced with her challenge. 🤗

Someone asked her how much research she did to write about the whale. She modestly answered that, well, she does have a Master’s Degree in marine biology so she knows something about whales. Big laughter! 😄  

She also read the whale chapter from “Moby Dick” which she found highly useful.

She noted that she made a big deal of the whale in this scene because a whale features later in whatever book this scene is destined to appear. 🐳

She was asked about writing historical figures. Her rule is she tries not to make a historical figure do anything worse in her stories than the worst thing she knows about them!  🤩

She pointed out that if you present the reader with a question, they want an answer, so don’t take too long to address it. (I will reiterate what I wrote in an earlier SiWC post….. Diana has made her readers sometimes wait 10 years and two books for answers! 😜)

She reiterated the three types of characters she writes. Most fans know these already:

    • Mushrooms – characters that pop up, like Fergus
    • Onions – complex characters with many layers, like Claire and Jamie
    • Hard nuts – difficult to develop characters, like Bree

She also uses the rule of three…. For example, she always uses at least three senses to help the reader to focus and get into the character and what he/she is experiencing.

She believes she has a beneficial form of ADHD which has a huge impact on her writing and explains why she does not write in a straight line or follow an outline. Later, I asker her at lunch if she had been formally diagnosed and she has not but has read enough about the topic to deduct that it applies to her.

Diana ended her session by rereading a scene between Jamie and William. She has asked me not to share its contents. It is a very tender scene, I will say that.

The following is a recording of all of her workshop except that scene between William and Jamie – it was omitted. I hope you enjoy it.

Oh! There are 2-3 places where the recording is interrupted by extraneous noise. I think this was me shifting in my chair. I apologize. 🙄

After the presentation, I gifted her with a bee-themed book bag. Inside is a small encaustic painting by my oldest daughter. Book readers will recall that book nine, “Go Tell the Bees that I am Gone,” has an entire chapter about encaustic painting. 

All-in-all, Diana’s presentation was entertaining and enlightening. She always delivers useful information to the attendees and she does it with style and grace! 🤩

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Video and Photo credits: Outlander Anatomy

A Highland Tea with Diana Gabaldon!

Greetings, dear readers!

Five months have flown by since my last post, Anatomy of an Easter Egg Hunt! 😱

Dealing with summer crops, wildfire evacuation, and COVID have presented been BIG challenges. But, I am back today to share with you a most delightful experience.

On October 3, I was privileged to join author, Diana Gabaldon, and the Northern Arizona Celtic Heritage Society (NACHS) for a virtual highland tea!

Note: The below photos and video were filmed from my iPad screen. Thus, the quality is not the highest. Bear with me, please, because near the end of this blog, I share a link to NACHS full video of this wonderful event!

We gathered via Zoom in the library at Diana’s home in Flagstaff, AZ.  The first thing I noticed were book-filled shelves, a must for any library! 😉 Many of these tomes feature her favorite genre – mystery and murder mystery!

Diana was introduced by NACHS’ Mistress-of-Ceremony, Jude McKenzie, who did a splendid job moving things along. Jude explained this is an annual event so every year on this day, they are known as NACHOS: Northern Arizona Celtic Heritage Outlander Society! 😆

Diana has been supporting the NACHOS effort for 20 years! In case you may not know, Diana has supported many good causes over many years.

The Highland Tea is a ticketed event. Jude explained that funds go toward supporting all things Celt-ish! Among its various worthy causes, NACHS supports the Jim Thompson School of Piping and Drumming. To date, they have awarded over $120,000 in scholarships and will consider any proposal promoting Celtic heritage. A record to be proud of!

Diana sipped a blended tea, courtesy of a local Flagstaff specialty shop, Victorian Moon. The tea was served from a beautiful silver tea set which is partly visible in the foreground. Yummy-looking tea treats were made by volunteers.

As you all know, Diana is famous for “talking with her hands,” and this event was no exception. She used them throughout. I enjoy watching her expressive hands “chat” with us. 😜

I always check out Diana’s nail color. 👁 I may be wrong, but I believe she is wearing her favorite green polish. 

This is a closeup photo of that luscious green tone taken in October 2018, at the Surry International Writer’s Conference (SiWC) in Surrey, B. C.

Back to teatime!

Diana then consented to read excerpts from her ninth big book, Go Tell the Bees that I am Gone! Because time allowed, she read three!

Psst…..don’t you love her joyful smile! 

SPOILER ALERT!!!  With NACHS’ permission, this video clip is from the first scene she read. It occurs the morning after the end of Written in My Own Heart’s Blood (MOBY), Diana’s eighth book.

If you don’t want to be exposed to spoilers, you might skip the next paragraph and the film clip! 😱

Jamie and Claire had returned to Fraser’s Ridge just six weeks before this scene occurs. Bree is away on a hunting trip with da.  Roger is left to child care at Bobby Higgins’ cabin, which used to belong to Roger and Bree.

It is a wonderful scene starring Roger and Mandy.

Next, Diana read an excerpt about a “lively argument” between Jamie and Claire.  The subject: Lord John Grey and his, erm, history with Claire! 😲

The final excerpt describes  a shopping trip by Jamie where he provides insight as to why a murdered man is or isn’t Jewish. 😉

Listening to Diana read all three excerpts was an honor and a delight. I hope you enjoyed hearing the first one.

Jude then read a series of questions provided by ticket holders.  They were varied, interesting, and from all over the US and beyond. At the outset, Diana took the opportunity to answer an anticipated question: when will the show be filmed and when will book nine be published?

She pointed out that filming the show is postponed not only because of local COVID issues, but until the crew, many of which are Americans, cannot  travel to Scotland!  Let’s hope this ends soon! 🦠

Diana shared that she has read the first four scripts and verifies that they are good. Yay! 🤗

Then, she carefully explained the process involved in publishing her book and why it takes so long:

  • She has pretty much finished all of the pieces and is assembling and grooming them.
  • Once she is finished, the book is sent to three editors: One in US, one in UK, and one in Germany. The editors are encouraged to offer observations and suggestions. She considers input from all three – she may or may not incorporate their suggestions. This can take several weeks.
  • She sends the edited book to her copy editor (2-3 weeks).  She receives feedback about what to keep, what to modify, and what to eliminate. She then decides what to do with these suggestions.
  • Good news! The cover design is completed and is beautiful!
  • She then receives galley proofs, meaning a layout that looks like the finished book. Galley proofs take another few weeks
  • The next step is complicated: “Go Tell the Bees” is a big tome; roughly the same length as Drums of Autumn but slightly shorter than An Echo in the Bone. COVID has affected the printing industry, with several printers either cutting down on the number of books printed or going bankrupt. Currently, there are only TWO  companies that can print such big books! They already have books in a waiting cue to be printed. They must prioritize. She does  assure us: “They want to sell the book as much as you want to read it!” (Given her passionate fan base, this is a bit hard to believe! 😂)
  • The last step requires a decision of how many copies to make in the first printing: to do or not to do a full run?  A print company doesn’t want to over print and be left with unsold run copies.  And, it certainly does not want to under print a likely best seller. The middle of a pandemic make such predictions challenging for these companies. Fingers crossed they make the right decision for all! 🤞🏻

So there you have it!  Lots of moving pieces needed to bring this puzzle together as quickly as we all desire. And, hopefully, this helps us be a wee bit more patient with the wait. 🙏🏻

After this Q and A session, Jude moved to an interesting section of the tea – Diana autographed several items for an auction benefitting NACHS. A splendid idea!

The items included:

China tea cup and saucer:

Stained glass sun catcher – Celtic knot design:

Dragonfly stained glass lamp (💓 the green color!):

Then a second round of questions. Diana was asked to repeat her line from Outlander episode 104, The Gathering.

In a brief exchange with Mrs. Fitz (Annette Badland), Diana playing Iona MacTavish, pointedly remarks: “I see you are keeping the place as bright as a penny!” Mrs. F responds with a snide remark about Diana’s gown which, BTW, has a Fraser tartan inset to the bodice.

She recited her line perfectly, complete with Scottish accent. Lovely! 🤗

As always, Diana’s remarks were intelligent, economical, and pithy!  Her mind is keen, no? 🥰

The event concluded after more questions from ticket holders. Overall, it lasted about 1 1/2 hours, $25.00 well spent!

If you missed this lovely event, please dinna despair.  You can view NACHS’s full recording after making a small donation. Just send an email to the following address: nachs.events@gmail.com. I highly recommend the experience and the cause is worthy!

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo and Video Credits: NACHS; Sony/Starz; Outlander Anatomy

2019 Outlandish Vancouver, Day 2

This post has taken several days to write. Drove home on Monday and Tuesday was spent reorganizing (laundry, etc. You know the drill)! Anyway, here we go!

Up and at ’em early Saturday morning for Outlandish Vancouver, day 2!

Gathering at Johnston Heights Elementary School, Outlandish Vancouver fans were greeted by man-in-kilt security! 😉

Inside the cafeteria, we were delighted to greet three cast members!

Who invited this villainous pirate?

Time for a group photo – we are all wearing Outlandish Vancouver shirts.

Next were photo opportunities with the cast. Courageous Cathie McQuistion of Cats and Kilts faces the dread Pie-rate Bonnet!

Ed holds aloft a cream pie; KiKi and John gesture: “No, man, don’t throw it!”

Oh, yeah, Ed throws it! Check out his proud pose!

Afterwards, Cathie said all three stars begged to throw the pie! 😁 IMO, Cathie has the most creative and clever photos of Outlander fandom. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

After the photos, it was time for a bit of lunch and then into the auditorium for the First Nations panel!

Trevor bravely went first.

Followed by Carmen, looking sleek and svelte! Love the boots, Ms. Moore!

Last man standing, was Braeden.  Such a cute and lively guy!

Before the panel, the school principal read a declaration honoring all First Nations people who initially inhabited the land.  This short statement is read before all assemblies at Johnston Heights.  I ❤️ this tradition!

The panel answered and responded to attendee questions and comments.

Although photos were allowed, no videography, so the following is a summary of this delightful experience!

Q: What are your passions other than acting?

    • Trevor – Mixed martial arts (black belt, trainer, gym owner)
    • Carmen – Karaoke, Netflix! 😁
    • Braeden – Motorcycles. Vroom! Vroom!

Q: Braeden, did you know how to ride a horse before filming?

    • No. He watched YouTube videos to learn riding and some guys on set told him how to mount a horse!

Q: How did you prepare for your role?

    • Carmen:  A friend translated her lines so she was able to audition in Mohawk! (smart lass 🤓)
    • Trevor:  Researched Mohawk war dance on YouTube.

Q: How did the authenticity of the costumes and set influence you?

    • Trevor: Very impressed with costumes, set, and especially, by the dialect coach.
    • Carmen and Braeden:  Agree!

Q: Do you speak your own indigenous language?

    • Carmen: She grew up in Vancouver and doesn’t speak any First Nation languages.
    • Braeden: He watched the film, Windtalkers! (Carmen reminded him that Windtalkers spoke Navajo! 😜)

Q: Was there comradery on set?

    • Carmen: All natives bond instantly. Lots of love and laughter. One evening, the bonding grew into a pillow fight and spilled into George Square, Glasgow! 😂

Next, someone from behind me called out, ” Who was your favorite actor on set?” It was John Bell in the nosebleed section with KiKi and Ed. 😉 To a person, the panel answered, “Rik!” Apparently, Rik constantly pulled pranks on anyone and everyone.

BTW, John can jump! Easy to see why he did most of the gauntlet scene, himself!

Back to the panel….

Q: Did anything unusual happen on set?

    • Braeden: During a take of ep 413, he heard a thump and the wee babe had rolled out of her wrapping! 😱 Terrified, he grabbed her up, but, no worries, she was smiling.

Q: What was done to get you into character?

Q: What are your latest projects?

    • Trevor:  Just wrapped a German film, set in the Yukon.
    • Braeden: Filming a futuristic sci-fi film with Sera-Lys McArthur (Johiehon).
    • Carmen: Finished a film about an indigenous mother seeking her missing daughter, touring film festivals, and various other projects.

Q: I asked Carmen to comment on the canoe scene from ep. 413, Man of Worth.

    • Carmen: The experience was magical! Birchbark canoes (fiberglass core) were made in Canada and shipped to Scotland. As they glided on the water, she and Cait looked at each other, deeply moved by the wonderful experience.

Q: I asked Trevor how the realistic “head” was created (ep 413)?

    • Trevor: A mold was made of his head before leaving Canada, the head was cast in Scotland!

Q: What did you like best about Scotland?

      • Braeden: Accent!
      • Trevor: Beauty, Edinburgh castles, Glasgow, oldest subways, art, history.

Q: If you could touch the stones, would you go back in time or into future?

      • Trevor: I would go into the future because you cannot change the past.
      • Carmen: I wouldn’t touch the stones!
      • Braeden: I would go back for Woodstock!
      • Carmen: Oh, I would go back for Woodstock! 😜

This delightful event came to a close and I scurried back to the Sheraton for author autographs. An overflow room and crowd control was there for fans waiting for Diana’s signature! This is part of the line. Hi fans!

My last book to be signed until I get my hands on Go Tell the Bees That I am Gone! 😍

This guy belongs to Men In Kilts, a bonafide cleaning service, but today, it was charged with crowd control. Possibly, this cutie added to the chaos! 😉😉

Then time for a relaxing drink with my dear friend, Courtney Williams of Outlander Behind the Scenes. We were being so silly.  We have no idea why this weird grid showed up on our only photo!

Back to the hotel and fell into bed. Tomorrow, Day 3!

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo Credits: Outlander Anatomy, Outlandish Vancouver, DWPhotography, meaww.com, Starz,