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Conquering Your Writing Goals with a Strategic Plan

January 4, 2021January 4, 2021 Lori Twining 4 Comments

Let’s face it, 2020 was tough on some of us, if not all of us.

I know that my writing plan for last year was sailing smoothly from January to February, and then, by mid-March, it skidded into a crazy tailspin, halting at our first lockdown. From March 17th through to the end of December, it felt like running over a bed of sharp nails—known as a contagious pandemic—which flattened all four tires in a matter of seconds. It left me feeling extremely anxious about my family, my friends, my health, my wellness, my job, and my writing career (what there is of it at this point). As of December 26^th, we landed back into another 28-day lockdown that may hang-on much longer than we want it to.

So, what do we do? How do we plan for a possible 365-day lockdown in 2021? I know that I don’t want to repeat the mess I waded through in 2020, that’s for sure.

The Year That Was…2020

December 28, 2020December 28, 2020 Andrée Levie-Warrilow 1 Comment

It’s late December, the clock’s ticking, and we’re almost done with 2020. A friend sent me a joke on Facebook this week. He had selected four book titles to describe the year: Great Expectations, A Series of Unfortunate Events, One Hundred Years of Solitude, and Far from the Madding Crowd. Read more

Brightest Light on the Longest Night

December 21, 2020December 21, 2020 Bernice Connell Leave a comment

Photo credit: Alessandro Viaro (Unsplash.com)

It’s December 21^st. Happy Solstice everyone!

Winter solstice – the longest night of the year, marking the beginning of the planet’s slow tilt and turn toward spring’s days of increased light.

The changing of the seasons has been revered throughout the ages in ancient civilizations, indigenous cultures and various religions. Celebrations included feasting, gathering with loved ones and gift giving and were the origins of our modern traditions at this time of the year.

Bah Humbug

December 14, 2020December 21, 2020 Joan McAndrew Leave a comment

Bah Humbug (def’n): An expression used when someone does not approve of or enjoy something that other people enjoy, especially a special occasion such as Christmas. (Cambridge Dictionary)

The BAH HUMBUG Christmas of 2020 is coming, steadily advancing, crawling along, daring us to disregard all the Public Health Warnings that bombard us daily with the dangers of Covid-19. Upwards of one half the population of Ontario is in the Grey Zone … locked down once again. We are all cautioned not to travel, not to shop except for essentials and to stay home to protect ourselves and others.

The Joy of Writing

December 7, 2020December 7, 2020 Diane Ferguson 1 Comment

Here it comes, the darkest days of the year as we slide into winter—and we’re in a pandemic. I think most of us are ready to say goodbye to 2020. It wasn’t a great year, but it won’t quickly be forgotten. Now Old Man Winter is begging us to hibernate and the government is asking us to stay home too; stay safe. What better time for a writer?

Pitch Wars; Where a Loser Can Pull out a Win

November 30, 2020November 30, 2020 Donna Judy Curtin Leave a comment

If you’ve never heard of Pitch Wars, then this is the blog for you.

Pitch Wars is an online competition where published and experienced authors/editors volunteer their time to give back to the writing community. How does it work?

An amazing author, Brenda Drake, came up with the idea—a way for those who’ve landed on the shore of success, in some fashion, to put up a light house for other aspiring novelists. It’s a huge online and Twitter event with an organized writing community of positive energy. Basically, authors apply, mentors pick and they work together on a manuscript for 3 months and then the author posts their log line, in the form of a Tweet, during a Pitch Wars agent Pitch Fest, hoping and praying an agent will ‘like’ their Tweet—which is basically an invitation to query the agent directly.

Murder Your Darlings

November 16, 2020November 15, 2020 Kelly Babcock Leave a comment

I love dramatic statements. It’s something like swearing in church. Or at least swearing when people aren’t used to you swearing.

I try to control my language as much as possible. Not because I feel I need to be polite all the time or because I fear any great risk for my afterlife or even for my reputation.

No, I refrain from swearing when I think to, because that way, when I do let fly with some expletive, people F*cking well believe that I am serious. (sorry, but you get my point, right?)

How Are You Going to Write About 2020?

November 8, 2020November 8, 2020 Tracey Richardson Leave a comment

I don’t have to tell you that 2020 has been a poop sandwich.

The world wide pandemic, a political and social disintegration for our neighbours to the south thanks to Trumpism, a record year for hurricanes and devastating wildfires. It’s a long and unforgettable list in a long and unforgettable year.

If you’re a fiction writer, it’s a dream year in terms of material. I mean, EVERYTHING is happening. Peoples’ lives have changed dramatically. Our daily life is perhaps forever altered in some very meaningful ways. Read more

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