Sometimes a writer needs a quiet space, a place to escape the constant barrage of technology and uproar that make up a big part of our lives. It’s a chance to break away from the toxic blocks that sabotage us when the work isn’t going well. As much as we love our work, (most of … Continue reading A Quiet Space
Today I am praising my paper shredder. All hail the paper shredder! Without it, you might find me, weeks later, buried under a pile of balled up paper. For several weeks (okay months) I have been diligently editing and rewriting a short story. I find short stories challenging to write. While novels tend to follow … Continue reading Short Stories: A Moment in Time
I’ve been away from the desk for a few weeks, first taking a well-deserved break after a long rewarding year with The Writer’s Studio, and then battling a nasty virus in the first couple weeks of 2020 - but now I’m ready to get back to work. I checked my social media and my email … Continue reading The Book Launch: Emerge 19
Summer has finally arrived on the west coast - after a stormy beginning, the cool overcast mornings have given way to clear skies and sultry twilights. It’s a time to sit back and breathe, maybe take some vacation time, and slow down from the rush of work and school. After six months of surviving workshops, … Continue reading Break Your Chains: Write Everywhere
The first time reading your work in front of an audience can be both exciting and terrifying. It’s exciting because we get to share our work; it’s terrifying because we are exposing our heart and soul and opening ourselves up to criticism. Writers are not the most social creatures. We spend the better part of … Continue reading Giving Your Voice to Your Words
“The internet is a dark road to infinity potholed with links” - Rex Pickett, Sideways I read this quote in Rex Pickett’s novel Sideways and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. Aside from the fact that it’s a brilliant metaphor, it made me stop and think about technology today - technology and its … Continue reading A Good Place to Start: Writing and the Internet
It took three months, an essay, an application, a resume and 20 pages of my own work, published or not, finished or unfinished, and works in progress. A month after the deadline, I got the email I hoped for: “I am very pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into The Writer's Studio Vancouver at Simon Fraser … Continue reading The Writer’s Studio
There’s something romantic about stories of writers who have the means to travel to other places, live there for a few months and write. This is the dream we all have as writers. We imagine a cabin in the woods, a quiet desk at the window with a view, wildlife roaming freely through a lush … Continue reading Far and Away: A Writers Dream
You haven’t heard from me in a while. It’s because I’ve been writing. It’s the reason we embark on this journey – to write, to put our words out there, to tell our stories. I’ve been fortunate, in my short writing life, to connect with an audience early on and find opportunities to share my … Continue reading The Pitch
Research is necessary for the writer. We research everything from the right kind of devices for writing, publication procedures, literary agents, publishing houses, facts versus fiction, writing markets, coaches, editors, people, professions, places - the list is almost endless. Research is essential for us to find the right fit for our work, and often it … Continue reading Taking Research on the Road
