A Calgary author is hoping to inspire others to get their works on bookstore shelves by finding’s one voice within a story.
Janet Gurtler will be speaking at the Okotoks Public Library on Saturday May 14 about some of the steps and hurdles involved in the publishing process.
Gurtler just released her young adult novel “I’m Not Her” and has another “If I Tell” coming out in the fall of 2011. The best selling “Twilight” and “Hunger Games” series have proved there’s a huge audience for adolescent-based material and Gurtler has found it to be the perfect realm for her writing style.
“I had a path to teen fiction,” she said. “Its sort of where my voice has taken me. It’s all I read now and it’s my passion.”
Gurtler’s first published young adult work, “Waiting to Score” was released in 2009 under the pseudonym J.E. MacLeod. “I’m Not Her” is the first novel to be printed utilizing the writer’s real name and Gurtler said she felt the narrative came together quickly.
“It probably took me about a year to write it from start to finish with all the revisions that went with it,” she said.
“I’m Not Her” is the story of Tess who is a teenage girl with a beautiful, athletic sister named Kristina. Tess is sort of invisible at school until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer and forced to miss classes.
“Tess doesn’t like being in the spotlight,” she said. “The reason is her sister is really popular and she’s become used to being pretty much ignored. But with her sister away it’s a big secret. Tess is not allowed to tell anybody why. Everybody tries to get information from her so she’s not really enjoying the attention.”
Gurtler revealed the dramatic heart of “I’m Not Her” is rooted in her own past.
“The story came from my memories when I was younger,” she said. “I’d see other teens I thought were perfect. Stripping away that perfection and seeing what’s really there was my motivation.”
Over the last few years Gurtler has learned she can produce work at a fairly prolific pace. She’s anxious to pass on what’s she’s learned to an audience of would-be authors in Okotoks Saturday.
“The presentation is going to talk about voice,” she said. “I think it’s something people who write are really interested in because it’s really hard to define exactly what voice is in a story. So I am going to look at the voice in teen novels versus adult novels.”
Voice is often defined as an author’s distinctive style or as the point of view applied to works written in the first person. Gurtler said her presentation will also touch on the manner voice is implemented in different areas of today’s teen fiction, everything from paranormal material to contemporary stories. She also plans to touch on what’s involved in the time between when a manuscript is purchased and it is published.
Gurtler’s presentation at the Okotoks Public Library Saturday is from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. She will have books for sale at the event. People can register by calling 403-938-2220.
