Category: on the writer’s life

The Best Writer’s Birthday Gift

Lori Twining 8 Comments

Every writer gets to celebrate one birthday every year. If you have a writer in your life, what do you get them?

Sure, writers love things like coffee, pens, highlighters, cake, wine, empty notebooks (cheap ones from the dollar store will do just fine), leather bound notebooks are awesome too (although most writers are afraid to write in them for fear of wrecking them), coffee, wine, dinner out somewhere, cake, coffee, maybe some more wine, definitely some more cake… but seriously, what is the one present a writer could receive, that would make them the happiest writer you know?

What is it? Read more

5 Ways to Actualize Your Writing Dreams

Donna Judy Curtin 3 Comments

In grade two, I declared I was going to become a veterinarian and even though my personality quizzes in high school suggested I would make a better florist, my heart was set on becoming an animal doctor.

I’m nothing if not determined.

And I’m great at dreaming.

Throughout my grueling University undergraduate courses, I kept visualizing the moment I would receive my acceptance letter to the Ontario Veterinary College. I could hear the envelope ripping, smell the glue, feel the rasp of the paper between my fingers, see the welcoming words on the page and when I was exhausted and frustrated and about ready to give it all up… I imagined a victorious jump into the air with a viscous fist pump. Read more

Everyone else is a Better Writer than Me – And other Fictions I Tell Myself

Diane Ferguson Leave a comment

I imagine that all those published authors and prolific writers sit down at their computers and just let it flow out of them. Sure, they may have to edit a bit, but they never have to struggle for the words, they’re in the zone. Then because I do struggle, I take this as a sure sign I musn’t be a real writer. It’s just another example that I’m faking it, I’m a “wanna-be”.

Because in my head, everyone else’s life is perfect, especially if you’ve already published a book! Then something comes along to burst that bubble and make me realize, no, this is tough for all writers. Each of us has a process but the most important part of that process is: bum in seat, hands on keyboard, social media shut-off. Read more

10 Great Reasons Why Writers Should Take an Online Writing Course

Lori Twining 6 Comments

You already know how to write, so why should you take an online writing course?

Good question. Let me explain…

I became an empty-nester in September. All three kids are off living in three different cities, studying to become someone who can earn a living at something they enjoy for the rest of their lives (at least this is the plan). As for me, this means I should have oodles more time to finish that novel (or multiple novels) that I have on the go, right? There are no kids wandering around my kitchen begging to be fed at a certain time. I have a husband who enjoys cooking for me and he doesn’t mind throwing in a load of laundry or washing dishes, while I write.

What’s my problem then? Read more

Be Adventurous

Kelly Babcock Leave a comment
Malaga
Let life lead you to your adventures

I dare you to be adventurous.

And I don’t believe you can’t be.

If you’re a writer, a fiction writer, and you claim you’re not adventurous, you’re probably not telling the truth … to yourself.

Being adventurous is a two part thing. The first part is having an imagination. The second part is acting on it.

Being a writer, of course is a completely different thing. Yes, of course you have to have an imagination. But you don’t have to act on it, your characters do.

And when they do that, when they act on your imaginings, you live through what they live through as you write about them.

So I have to ask …

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How To Support an Author… Other Than Buying Their Books

Donna Judy Curtin Leave a comment

I came upon a Twitter thread where a frustrated author was venting. This author, who I might add, is already at least a decade ahead of my writing success because she has a published book that in my imagination has a stunning hard cover hugging her words. She was asked by an interested party, “So, how many books have you sold?”

My first thought was, ‘what an honour—to have a book to sell’ but the author was quite upset by the question and expressed how she felt the person had blatantly asked, “So, how much do you make?”, as if the curious person had requested to see her undergarments and T4.

The remuneration we receive for our work is intimately personal. We don’t actively speak about what we get paid in society and often times, the amounts don’t compute. Why does a home care provider, nourishing the future generation and tending to the family home, essentially get no pay, while others make millions buying and selling businesses?

How do you put a value on art? On someone’s creative ability to share a fearfully thrilling, heartwarming or life altering story? Read more

Creating Conflict that Resonates throughout your Novel

Diane Ferguson Leave a comment

I was recently at my mother’s reading a magazine with the title, How to increase Conflict. My mom looked at me with a strange expression and I realized how the title must look to the non-writer. Who wants to increase conflict? Of all the self-help books on the market, I doubt any of them have that title.

Most of our lives we try and avoid conflict and tense situations, but then we have to turn around and create them. This was a major issue that came up for me in my substantive edit: my main character was avoiding conflict. In a good-humoured way, my mentor did say she sees this a lot. Writers tend to avoid conflict in their own personal lives, and then do the same on the page. The good writers realize that’s where to get it all out, all the conflict they’ve been avoiding.

So my major re-write has me focusing on creating the right amount of conflict and tension in my novel. How much is too much? Depends on the story and the reader. Ultimately, there is no one answer. It’s a balancing act known as pacing, and only the reader will tell us if we get it right. And each reader is looking for something different.

But there are some guideposts to follow.

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Why Write?

Kelly Babcock Leave a comment
question mark
Good question …

I write a lot. I write a lot of words and they end up in a lot of places.

A lot of what I write ends up online, easily half of it. And the stuff that doesn’t? Well, it ends up in files on my computer.

Of course I hope to those other words published some day.

But even if that never happens, I still have to write.

Read more