For writers working in narrative, there’s nothing quite as anxiety-provoking as the question of whether or not we have the structure right. We work for months on our messy first draft, some of us for YEARS even, hoping with our fingers crossed that when we get to the end, we’ll have a story that basically […]

Writers block once owned me, and then it didn't. True story: for a couple of months, I didn’t write anything until I’d spent 20 minutes colouring in pretty fairy pictures with my specially-purchased watercolour pencils and glitter crayons. This was a little while before that whole adult colouring book thing took off – and I […]

Over the years I’ve learned a few signs that signal to me that I am probably experiencing some writer's resistance and avoiding the creative work that needs to be done. One tricky sign is that I’m suddenly doing more reading about writing than I am writing. I tricked myself with this one for years because reading about […]

Curious about how to publish a book of poetry? In my experience, these are more or less the basic steps... Read other people’s poetry. Write poems. Get feedback. Hate feedback. Revise anyway. Subscribe to 5 poetry journals (or read them monthly at the library). Read other people’s poetry. Send poems out. Get poems rejected. Be […]

Wondering why writing is difficult sometimes? Last week I met up with a colleague and friend I hadn’t seen in over a year. It was SO GREAT to see her. We connected as though we’d just been together yesterday and both the wine and conversation flowed freely. I wish it worked that way with writing. […]

Does anyone remember a time when they weren’t crazy busy? [sits on hands] I have a vague feeling that those halcyon days once existed, along with plaid bell-bottoms and rotary phones, but most days I suspect modern life was essentially constructed with this much overwhelm baked in. I am of the generation that can still […]

Wondering how to choose your next writing project from among every note you've ever scrawled sideways in a journal? This is a place where writers often find themselves circling. And by circling I mean stuck. Can science help us here? Social science fascinates me, I must admit. Sometimes I have to read it twice (3x?) […]

Many of us wish the world was a kinder and more compassionate place. We’re clear that political dialogue should be constructive rather than destructive, and people attacking one another will not help us solve our problems or heal the world’s seemingly intractable divisions. We’re good humans, or we try to be. We know that being […]

I’ve just landed back at home this week from over a month of work-related travel. I love my work but I’m not gonna lie: four weeks of travel still feels like a few weeks too many. The last week was part vacation and my daughter was able to join me at a game reserve in […]

I’ve written before about how annoying I find the (not so?) subtle pressure writers face to be writing daily to be considered "real writers." But I do believe in the power and necessity of writing consistently, which in my world comes down to scheduling ideally both Short and Long writing sessions each week. Here are […]

Do you ever find yourself writing entire paragraphs or sections of your latest writing project in the oddest of places, only to be frustrated when you’re unable to capture the absolute genius of your ideas on paper? Why is it that the ideas and sentences that glistened so brightly at one point in the day […]

 Here in Ottawa, Canada where I live, it’s summer. The lilacs have faded, the peonies have all dropped, and now the roses and lilies are blooming in the gardens around town.  In the early evenings when I walk Mr. Darcy, the air smells like barbeque and I can hear music playing, the sound carrying across […]