Seeing Lucy Haché release her second book on Saturday at Café Guido was such an inspiring moment for me, but also one I just can’t help be envious of.
Allow me to explain that shocking opening sentence a little bit.
You see, I always wanted to be a novelist growing up.
I got the idea in my head when I was around 13 to write a novel, and I ended up creating a bizarre sci-fi story about humans destroying the planet with nukes to stop an alien attack.
It was a terrible piece of fiction, even for a 13-year-old, and I never attempted to write another novel until I went to university (which was for a college credit), and that one turned out awful as well (it detailed a few weeks in the life of a morally ambiguous homeless man, who was mute by choice, as he tried to find his mysterious father who may or may not have superpowers that could destroy the Earth).
At that point I had to deal with the realization I wasn’t any good at writing novels and would need to find a new career path, which eventually turned out to be journalism.
Thankfully, I love being a journalist and I know I’m good at it, so it all worked out in the end, but I still have that bitter dark seed of desire to be a novelist burning somewhere deep down inside my chest, suffocating me whole.
As for Lucy, well, she is obviously very talented, and it really shines through in each of her two books with At Bay Press.
“Clouds” and “Stars” are stunning pieces of autobiographical poetic prose that are easy to read, yet incredibly poignant.
I highly recommend picking them both up from the Book Nook in Port Hardy (below Cafe Guido) and giving them a read. Lucy’s going to be releasing another book in the series called “Trees” in the future, and I’m sure it’s going to be just as amazing as the other two.
Back to me and my shattered dreams for a second, I’m not sure if I’ll ever give writing a novel another shot.
Having to write five days a week is definitely challenging as it is without adding more to my already full plate. I also know my paycheque ultimately lies in keeping the local communities up-to-date on all the interesting things going on around the North Island.
That said, chasing your dreams is important and something you shouldn’t take lightly.
Maybe I’ll take another stab at it when I get some more vacation time. Or maybe I’ll just sit around, play video games and drink beer instead.
On another note, Lucy was cool enough to sign my copy of “Stars” that I purchased at her book launch, check out what I asked her to write below.