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The Tortoise and the Hare for Writers

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Photo by Ryan Grewell on Unsplash

As a novel writer, I move at a tortoise’s pace, working over my words with a fine tooth comb, re-reading to make sure everything flows as it should, reviewing beginnings and endings…you get the point, it’s never ending. As a first-time novel writer, I have the luxury of time.

But the newspaper and magazine world are all about timeliness. I’ve had a taste of this as I used to write-in to the local newspaper fairly frequently, responding to the current issues of the day. When you need speed, you lose some perfectionism, or at least you have to let some of it go. It feels antithetical to novel writing.

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Writing is life

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I was hesitant to actually write down words, for fear I’d have to admit to their ownership I suppose.

Twenty-five years ago I wrote rarely. That is, I wrote rarely with pen and paper or on a keyboard.

I often thought of things I would have written. I don’t mean that I thought, “I should write a story about some cats who tried to change their world.” I mean I used to think long segments of stories that I made up, stopping and fixing things in my mind as I went.

I’d churn out paragraphs of stuff, maybe good enough to be written down and shared with the world, but since I didn’t consider myself [Read more…]

Why Walking More Impacts a Writer’s Brain

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Discovering new places by walking in nature ~ Lori Twining

Last week, I scheduled some time away from work and my every day responsibilities to attend a seven-day writing retreat in the middle of the woods in Haliburton County. I hoped to review and revise my current novel by taking my characters deeper and solving a few lingering issues I had with plot holes.

The weeks leading up to this retreat stressed me out. Lists needed to be made for everything I required to accomplish at work before I could leave. I had lists of food that I must shop for and pack. I also had a weekend wedding in Hamilton to get ready for that followed the writing retreat with only a one-hour break between them. My brain was fried when I finally arrived at the retreat, and I didn’t have a plan of exactly what I would be working on. Poor planning.

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A Writer’s Hike

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A new friend of mine is currently walking the Bruce Trail and writing about her adventure. 

Elisha and I met in May on a virtual forum; a national summit on social activism and advocacy. Biographies were shared among the registrants and we connected over a shared love of writing.

She recently received a Canada Council of the Arts grant to walk the Bruce Trail end to end together with her mother, Donna. Her goal is to publish a collection of poetry, prose and photography exploring their relationship and documenting their journey hiking the Trail.

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What Five Kittens and a Cat Taught Me

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When our son moved downstairs, I took over his bedroom and renovated it into my writing space. I justified it by calling it an office and a guest room.

This room became my place of bliss. Especially when COVID hit, and I needed somewhere to hide for Zoom meetings, online conferences, and virtual writing gatherings. With a big window, a calming colour palette, pleasant lighting, and an ergonomic desk and chair, my room was always inviting. The small touches helped as well, like having my spare computer plug sitting ready and waiting, making it super easy to plunk myself down. My mood can always be met as I can lounge on the cushioned couch/guest bed or lean back on the perfectly sized recliner.

When a cat in need presented to my veterinary practice, pregnant with nowhere to have her kittens, I volunteered to bring her home. Unfortunately, the only open space for her to take up residence was my writing room. I cleared away my personal belongings, set up a cat litter, removed the soft furniture and covered my luxurious rug with mats and sheets. [Read more…]

Shhh… I want to tell you a secret! 

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photocredit to Olya Adamovich from Pixabay

Here’s my secret writing tip:

Tell your reader your secret!  

We love knowing other people’s secrets – it makes us feel connected to that person. Knowing their secret–something that no one else knows–is forming a bond between people.  Think of a time when someone asked you: “Can you keep a secret?”  Usually this makes us feel closer to that person; they trust us with a secret.  Either that or we feel instantly horrible knowing we will tell our other friends as soon as possible even after we promised we wouldn’t. As writers, we can use this as a way to form a bond between your character and the reader instantly.  

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Question not to ask a novelist: Are you finished yet?

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“I finished my novel,” I announced with excitement.

My family sat around the dinner table staring at me, silent.

“Aren’t you happy for me?”

More silence. My husband looked at me sheepishly, trying to find words. “It’s just that we’ve heard this before.”

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Steal things!

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Find people to talk to, and talk to them.

Plot, characters, twists, details, all these things start out as ideas, flashes of inspiration when the liberated writer’s mind realizes that they can take something from real life and turn it into part of their story without actually taking anything of value away from anyone.

Consider photography. If I see something, I am legally allowed to photograph it. I do not need permission, unless I am someplace I am not supposed to be. If I choose to attempt to use that photo for profit, I need permission, especially if there is a person in it. But if there is no way to identify the person, or the scene, all bets are off. Use it!

So, if you experience a situation that inspires you, and you can create from that a piece of your story without [Read more…]

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