Why Julie Larade Writes

What's the saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words"? It's true, a picture tells a story, the image evoking memories and emotions, perhaps even conjuring the events that took place where the is scene located in vivid relief. A photo can also provoke things that lead a writer to tell much more than what can be seen- the world of what isn't apparent. Often, pictures serve as the tiny spark that sets off an entire novel.

The talent or skill of being able to create a world from an image aside, many writers can't explain why they love telling stories. They simply know that words help them create worlds. The real story is what happens in the background and the people, the time, and the small or larger dramas they encounter in a life. 

Julie Larade knows that the stories she writes reflect who she is and where she comes from. They are her as much as she is. This is her story of "Why Julie Larade Writes." 

Welcome to my blog, Julie.

Marianne Scott, author

Calling All Readers

I grew up on a farm in the 1950s and 60s. Our playground was the big outdoors

where we were free to roam as we wished. When I was old enough to help out

around the farm, I’d weed and pick rocks from the garden, feed the cows and

chickens, and bottle feed the lambs in the spring. I didn’t think of it as work or

chores but just something I did. What I enjoyed most were the stories my father

shared with my siblings and me.

When I became older, I’d help my mother wash and dry the dishes, scrub and

shine the floors, dust the furniture, and carry wood inside for the stove. I don’t

recall enjoying every minute of that labour, but what I did enjoy, and what made

time pass, were the stories, in this case, from my mother.

When I was old enough to learn to read, I was excited by the world of stories

beyond our farm. While there were sadly no extra books at home, the school

readers were filled with interesting stories, poems, and fables. Activity booklets

often accompanied the readers, which I loved.

It was around Grade seven when I caught the true reading bug. Still not having

access to books, I read and re-read the one book I did have: King Arthur and the

Knights of the Round Table. Later in high school, which had a library, I brought

home every book I could.

The first thing I did when I graduated from Nova Scotia Teachers College in 1972

was buy a set of encyclopedias and subscribe to a book club. When I married

and we had children, I subscribed to several book clubs for children’s books. If

I could have had my wish, I would have had a big cozy home library in our house.

I liked to imagine all the travels and adventures I could have experience there!

Yet during those busy years, my own reading had to take a back seat as I raised

my family and worked full-time. Even now that I am retired and have more time

on my hands, ironically, I don’t read as much as I used to wish I could. If I do

read, it’s primarily for research, or I choose non-fiction books because I can

pick them up and leave them as I wish.

When I do let myself read fiction, I get so engrossed that I don’t eat, sleep, wash,

or cook! Since this routine is neither wise nor practical, I tend to choose short

stories or smaller books that I can read in one sitting. If I do choose a heftier

book, I read as much as is feasible, then skip straight to the end so we don’t

starve! How ridiculous is that?

Another reason I don’t read as much as I would like is in the last decade or so, I

have shifted my love of stories from reading them to writing them. I’ve come to

realize I have many stories inside me that I want to tell. Stories from my parents

while growing up and stories from my own adventures. I enjoy putting them on

paper for generations to come so they will never be forgotten. The “how” I do it

part still remains something of a mystery to me. I just listen to the voice inside

me, and miraculously, the words somehow flow onto the page.

At this point, I’ve written three novels and four children’s books, two in English and two in French. As much as I love reading, I have found I love writing even more! It is very rewarding but while reading seems to take control over me, writing has a subtler effect. If the inspiration comes, I write day and night, and if the voice is still, I go on with my daily chores and simply enjoy life. I do not worry about writer’s block. I don’t even pronounce the word.

I also know how much we, as authors, need our readers to buy and enjoy our books. I write because I have stories to share, and it’s in the sharing where the magic happens. Without readers, a writer’s work is futile.

I am glad for the array of choices readers have; lovers of crime stories, for example, will find Marianne Scott’s books great fun. Lovers of historical, inspirational, or cozy fiction, may enjoy my novel, Laura’s Story, its sequel, To Fly Again, and my upcoming third novel, The Stories That Lead Us Home. These regional works all set in eastern Nova Scotia, Canada, highlight the culture and its people.

Fortunately, books are plentiful and widely accessible nowadays. If I were growing up now, I would surely enjoy reading works of cozy fiction equally as much as listening to my parents’ tales. In these trying times, curling up with a book might be just the thing to do.

📘

Visit Julie’s website at julielarade.com to see more and buy her books.