Consulting an Expert

Seana Moorhead 1 Comment
Image by mohamed Hassan, pixabay

Margaret Atwood upon writing “Oryx and Crake” found a young man with commitment issues to read a draft of her story.  She wanted to make sure that she got things right with her main character (who had commitment issues) and didn’t make any major errors.  Atwood explained about how important it is to find a reader similar to a character whenever you write a character who is not yourself.  Small details can make a difference between having a reader commit to your story or fall out of it.  

I had already heard that it can be helpful to have a reader review your work when you add in characters that have a different ethnic or racial background than you.  This is called a “sensitivity reader”. It’s important to ensure that you have the details correct and prevent yourself from falling into stereotypes with these characters  I had never thought I expanding that concept to all my main characters regardless of their ethnic background. Read more

The Stories We Hold

Andrée Levie-Warrilow Leave a comment

Old Québec by the author

Ah, the memories we writers carry from all our Decembers Past: how those who loved us would spend hours preparing special foods only eaten at this time, presents, decorations, catching up on family gossip, watching favourite seasonal movies.  For me, I especially loved the stories, the family memories.
    Now, as my father loses his grip on his memories, his stories, I will catch and hold them for him.
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When Is a Writer Considered Successful?

Lori Twining Leave a comment
Lori Twining

The definition of success:

Success (the opposite of failure or defeat) is the status of having achieved and accomplished an aim or objective. Being successful means achieving desired visions and planned goals. The dictionary describes success as the following: “attaining wealth, prosperity and/or fame”.

Last week, I had at least a dozen weird “writerly” things happen to me. Here are two situations that are relevant to this question: When is a writer considered successful?

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Storm-Stayed Stories

Bernice Connell Leave a comment
Curvy windy road in snow covered forest, top down aerial view.

If there is one thing that can ease the stress of being stranded by a surprise winter storm when traveling, it is getting to hang out with folks who are great storytellers.

This was the lucky situation for me last week when traveling to Fort Frances. After a bumpy landing in Thunder Bay amid blustery seventy-kilometer per hour winds, it was a quick ride to a hotel with the hopes of getting a room. Many other travelers had the same plan. The Trans-Canada Highway heading west was closed as was the 350 kilometer stretch of road to Fort Frances.

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Receiving Writing Feedback

Donna Judy Curtin Leave a comment
Photo by Chris Liverani on Unsplash

Driving home from the rink recently, my son begrudgingly shared—and I thank the heavens daily he feels safe to share with me—how during practice, a team member made a viscous comment about a mistake he made on the ice. Doing my best not to slam on the brakes and one-eighty-it to drive over the little bastard, I forced myself to reflect on the resilience it will build in my son to take this hard knock and learn from it.

Heaven knows, it sure isn’t easy.

As a writer in the query trenches, rejections are a constant reality. After I pick myself up, and dust myself off, the next step is to search out advice to improve my writing. I, as well, have had to develop a thicker skin and tune into my inner voice to further understand what advice is best to listen to. Read more

Embracing Autumn

Tracey Richardson Leave a comment

There’s something comforting about autumn.

Perhaps it’s the bounty of all the months spent growing food, and we all know that food is comfort. It’s also comforting to know that it’s that season of warm sweaters, flannel sheets and fireplaces. Doesn’t that visual want to make you curl up with a book in your favourite chair, wrapped in a warm throw blanket in front of the fire?

While it is common to think about cozy scarves and autumnal fruit pies, the symbolic meanings of autumn are more profound than you might think. Ancient cultures, science, and astrology have associated many aspects of this beautiful season to human life. These symbolic associations are powerful reminders that Mother Nature has an incredible influence on our lives. Read more

Scary Stories

Seana Moorhead Leave a comment
Halloween 1976

When I was a kid, I loved ghost stories.  I was the proud owner of an Alfred Hitchcock’s vinyl record, “Ghost Stories for Young People” featuring him introducing his own short stories. I played that record over and over again on my red and yellow toy player.  The lights would be turned off and I’d make a cave with my blankets and pillows. Armed with a flashlight, I’d place the needle on the record and listen to his stories. I always played it around Hallowe’en—one of my favourite holidays back then and not just for the candy, but because I believed in ghosts and witches and monsters. 

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