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September 18, 2020
How writing rituals saved me from quitting as a writer
I define my writing ritual as a series of unique actions taken that tells my brain it’s writing and creation time. This is part preparation, part boundary-setting, part protective aura. I know that ...
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October 27, 2017
How My Version of the Canlit Community Sustains Me
Two months ago, one of my best friends was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. She is a mother. She is a prolific, brilliant writer. And she was my very first writer friend.We first met working ...
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April 21, 2022
How to Start a Writers’ Group
I spent years working on a novel about a lifeguard who was terrified of drowning. Years, of sitting in the same corner of the same coffee shop bashing out draft after unreadable draft. And the only feedback ...
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July 07, 2016
How to Plan a Book Tour
As grateful as I am for the vast reach that the internet provides artists, every time I tour I am reminded of the value of real life human connection and interaction. Being able to travel with my art ...
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November 23, 2020
"The Conditions That Foster Creativity": Catherine Bush and Sheung-King Discuss Guelph's MFA in Creative Writing
Imagine having a year or two totally devoted to your writing, surrounded by fellow-minded emerging writers with whom to discuss work and craft, and experienced teachers on hand to guide you and offer ...
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March 25, 2019
How to Secure a Literary Agent
With spring just around the corner (we hope), there’s a renewed sense of optimism in the air. Writers are slowly emerging from the depths of their hobbit holes, and some have manuscripts ready to be ...
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March 10, 2020
Lucky Seven: Robin Taub Teaches Financial Literacy for the Digital Age
Author Robin Taub (CPA, CA) wants you and your kids to get serious about their financial future. A former accountant and Citibank Canada trader, she published the CRA-funded Parents Guide to Raising ...
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February 04, 2020
How Ableism Stopped Me From Writing
“When will your novel be ready to send to agents?”Maddy asked this question as we lay on the beach. It was a hot August day and we were looking out at the water and eating cherries. I smiled and put ...
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March 28, 2019
How Heated Fitness Classes Improved My (Writing) Life
It’s a given that entrepreneurs are supposed to invest in their business, accumulate assets, and build something bigger than themselves. Writing is what I do, it’s my business. When I started teaching, ...
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February 21, 2022
*Well, excuuuse me, Princess
Welcome back, Open Book reader. Lovely to see you again, hope you’re doing well. As promised, I’m going to give some insight into what fuels all this nerdiness I’m brimming with. The relatively ...