Search
-
November 15, 2019
Revision Part One
Revision, where the piled fragments of a draft shift and reassemble, is my favourite part of writing. It’s where the most substantial changes happen, and a story is overhauled in ways that are surprising ...
-
March 25, 2018
There's a lot to be said for not knowing what you're doing.
I’ve been writing professionally for nearly 40 years now, across a variety of media, and even now, every time I start a new project, it’s as if I’ve never written anything before in my life. I generally ...
-
March 21, 2018
Some things I never thought I’d be or do.
It is good, when the moment presents itself, to take stock of your accomplishments and express gratitude for the things that have come your way—especially those things you never imagined would be part ...
-
September 12, 2023The Infinite Library
A few years ago I led a writing workshop and introduced a prompt I called “The Infinite Library.” I had students imagine they had entered a library containing every possible unwritten novel, and could ...
-
March 01, 2018
So here's the story.
People always ask, so here’s the story: On January 1, 2015, I started writing a new play titled The Thimble Factory. I knew a few things about it when I began—it would be a collection of monologues, ...
-
July 04, 2016Service Industry Hell (Part 1): One Angry Writer and Two Warring Bosses
A lot of the inspiration for my new book, Congratulations On Everything, came from the things I saw while working in bars, restaurants, and hotels, and from the experiences of friends who did the same. ...
-
April 22, 2021CBC Short Story Prize 5-Writer Shortlist Announced, Including a Second Shortlist Appearance for Brooks McMullin
This morning, CBC Books announced the narrowing of their 33-writer longlist to the final five writers contending for the coveted CBC Short Story Prize. Three nominees from Ontario, one from Saskatchewan, ...
-
March 31, 2017
What I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Being a Writer #10: Amy Jones
I was so happy to meet Amy Jones several years ago in Thunder Bay, and then again when our books were released in the same season, and we shared the stage at a few literary festivals. What is the one ...
-
January 17, 2014
Open Book Toronto Update: Online Reading, Literary Resolutions & a Literary Event You Won't Want to Miss!
Fresh & Local: Your connection to Toronto's vibrant literary sceneDear Readers,New Year, new books! 2014 is the year to realize your literary resolutions — whether it's a specific book you've been ...
-
May 02, 2023Who Gets to Tell Stories? Deborah Dundas Challenges a Collective Reluctance to Talk about Class
These days, Deborah Dundas is known as an acclaimed editor at the Toronto Star, a fixture in the literary and journalistic communities, and a beloved figure who is an insightful, tireless supporter ...
