on the writer’s life – Page 21

Truth About The Writer’s Million-Dollar Question

August 19, 2019August 19, 2019 Lori Twining Leave a comment

This week a writing friend of mine, Colleen Winter, who is publishing her debut Sci-Fi Thriller novel, THE GATHERER in November 2019, sent me a text message:

HELP! I have a million-dollar question for you today. How is it that you give the appearance of being on social media a lot, but you say that you actually aren’t on very much? I’m trying to organize my life and could use some tips.

I chuckled, but understood the panic of trying to write a novel with a deadline, plus manage your social media accounts, plus be a mom, feed the kids, show up for your job in body, mind and in good spirit, shop for groceries, cook, eat, clean up… and the list goes on and on and on.

Here are some real truths that may or may not answer her million-dollar question:

Road-trip Vignettes

August 12, 2019August 12, 2019 Bernice Connell Leave a comment

I love road trips and I love my life-long friend, Jenn.

Jenn was widowed just over a year ago and when she shared with me that her attempts to be brave and independent included a drive to the east coast this summer, I jumped at the chance to be her co-pilot on the journey.

It would be the second such adventure for us as we’d taken a cross country drive together over forty years ago – before spouses and kids – to Edmonton, Alberta. That trip was in my 1968 Camaro. This time we hit the road in her trusty GMC truck with Border Collie, Blue along for the ride.

Destination: Nova Scotia!

The Nugget Of Networking

July 22, 2019August 5, 2019 Donna Judy Curtin Leave a comment

Writing can be a solitary place.

But it doesn’t have to be.

In pondering topics for this blog, the same thought kept floating to the surface.

I am so thankful for the writers in my life.

Yes, you!

(As I suspect, at this time in my writing career, most of my readers are writers.)

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.

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.

Category: on the writer’s life