Ascribe Writers – Page 32 – Writers write about writing

ER the perfect place for writerly inspiration!

July 8, 2019July 8, 2019 Tracey Richardson Leave a comment

Because we’re such a curious bunch, writers are always on the lookout for material to inspire, educate, fascinate. Cafes, restaurants, concerts, sporting events — any place where people congregate — is a great source for material.

But the best place? Go sit in a hospital emergency room for a while, because these places are teeming with humanity. An ER is a window to the world of how people respond, cope, survive (or not), how they give and take, how they communicate and, well, everything in between.

Recently I made the trip to the ER because I had an excruciatingly painful flare-up of a shoulder condition, and I wasn’t sure exactly what was causing it. The pain was making me nauseous and spiking my blood pressure, so off my partner and I went for the long wait to see a doctor.

Oh, Canada … You’re So great

July 1, 2019August 5, 2019 Kelly Babcock Leave a comment

You may have heard me snigger a little derisively when someone says, “Write what you know.” That’s because I’ve always been a big fan of the “Learn what you want to write about.” school of thought.

Taking My Own Advice

June 24, 2019June 24, 2019 Bernice Connell 1 Comment

I have tickets to see The Rolling Stones this week at a venue that is practically in my backyard. This is surely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, yet as of right now I don’t know if I’ll attend.

It was an exciting impulse buy but even as I hit the key to purchase, the option of selling the tickets was on my mind.

This ambiguousness has become a familiar frame of mind for months now, reflected in several areas of my life including my writing or lack thereof. Floundering in a fog of second guessing and self-doubt is not a totally unfamiliar state but I generally feel more in control of decision making and moving forward.

Blurring the Lines Between Art and Literature

June 17, 2019June 17, 2019 Lori Twining 4 Comments

Are you a writer? Are you an artist? Can you be both?

Of course you can!

Dating back to prehistoric times, visual art led the way to telling stories. Cave or rock paintings were etched or drawn on walls and ceilings using pictographs. So, the real storytellers were the ones who could draw.

When I was growing up, our family played the classic board game, Pictionary during every long weekend gathering. It was one of our favourite games to play on family night. Basic rules: You pull a card from the pile, read the one-word on it (without telling anyone what it is) and then draw a picture of the word, so the other team can guess what you are drawing within one minute. Let’s just say, there were many hours of laughing our ass off at the people who could only draw stick figures. We had a hard time distinguishing a hat from a rocket ship, or a turtle from a car. These people were not storytellers or artists… they were considered the comic relief for the room, and I’m sure they had many other talents that just weren’t applicable to this particular game. Not to toot my own horn, but damn, I was the Queen of Pictionary and that is probably why I remember these flashbacks so easily compared to a few other family members who have erased these memories from our entire childhood.

Happily Ever After

June 10, 2019June 10, 2019 Andrée Levie-Warrilow Leave a comment

On the days when I simply cannot buckle down and work on my novel, I want to at least write something by the end of the day.

So I look for writing prompts. I’ll shamelessly eavesdrop on conversations, trolling for a line of humorous dialogue or at least a good pun. I am not sure if a grocery receipt in a pocket or the back of an old flyer on the floor of my car count as writing tools, but they are great for recording stolen snatches of conversation or a new idea for a character’s next move.

the weirdest idea came to me

Failures and Follies

June 3, 2019June 3, 2019 Seana Moorhead Leave a comment

I’ve had a recent run of small failures.

I had a goal for my dog Ruby and I to qualify at the Ontario Regional Agility competition this May. I trained with her for the past year with this goal in my mind, taking courses and practicing runs with clear and focused handling. Despite these efforts, we failed to met our goal in the competition early this month. I blame my foot which had developed severe planter fasciitis in the weeks leading up to the competition making it difficult for me to walk, much less run. It’s still a disappointment.

Words to Whiskey

May 27, 2019May 27, 2019 Donna Judy Curtin Leave a comment

To write is a craft.

Like any craft, there is a process or sequence of steps to create a consistently identifiable, bold and long lasting product.

The craft of making whiskey hasn’t changed much over hundreds of years and writing is the same.

To make whiskey, you need only three simple ingredients; water, barley and yeast. Yet, with so few components, there are thousands upon thousands of flavours, and just as many Coopers (those who make whiskey). Although all stories share in the same basic premise–having scenery, characters and a problem, there are innumerable genres, styles and adaptations of old story lines.

As a story writer, there are things we can learn from the process of making whiskey.

What I Learned from My First Marathon

May 20, 2019May 20, 2019 Diane Ferguson Leave a comment

I wrote in my first novel marathon two weeks ago, in support of the Adult Education Centre in Owen Sound. The marathon was organized by the Owen Sound and North Grey Union Library but held at the Ginger Press bookstore. There were five of us in cozy quarters. There’s nothing like writing in a room full of books, whether at a bookstore, or a library. All those volumes goading you on, We did it, surely you can too…

I’m used to writing in short sprints, so the idea of a marathon was a little daunting. And I had other peoples’ expectations on me. Would I write enough to honour their donations? What was expected of me? I’d already stated that I need to sleep, meaning I wouldn’t be pulling an all-nighter.