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February 11, 2022Making a skating rink, and other tricks for stepping away from a work-in-progress
On a particularly cold Friday morning, I piled my kids in a car with snow pants and skates and a pile of books and we headed to a cottage rental. We all were desperate for a change of scenery, and I was ...
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May 30, 2023Feed Your Brain, Read Widely
Writers are often advised to read within their genre to better understand it. And when it comes to readers, it can be tempting to stick to their favourite genre too⎯it’s a favourite for a reason!I'm ...
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March 13, 2017An Interview with Adèle Barclay
“I'm not too interested in the reader needing to understand the private language...” - Adèle BarclayAdèle Barclay’s BC Book Prize nominated If I Were in a Cage I’d Reach out for You (Nightwood) ...
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February 25, 2020Read an Excerpt From Paddy Scott's Darkly Funny Debut 'The Union of Smokers'
Kaspar Pine, the irreverent and foul-mouthed twelve year-old protagonist of Paddy Scott's debut novel The Union of Smokers (Invisible Publishing), tells you right away that he is going to die today. What ...
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May 09, 2019Excerpt! Peek into the Dark & Unpredictable World of Cara Martin's Young Adult Novel, Shantallow
Meeting the girl of your dreams is supposed to be wonderful. But Tanvi isn't Mischa's dream girl; she's the girl he can't stop seeing in his nightmares. This is the premise that opens Cara Martin's chilling ...
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July 12, 2010Interview: Alana Wilcox, Senior Editor, Coach House Books
When Alana Wilcox fished me out of the slush pile, she walked into my life with ease, ferocity and intelligence. Working with an editor is an experience of intimacy. But, like working with a director, ...
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September 29, 2015
The musicality of language – an interview with David Arcus
We learn so much from each other, particularly from other artists.This month, I’ve been thinking a lot about rhythm, and what rhythm does to story. It’s so important, and it’s not a static thing ...
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May 06, 2016Comics in Parkdale - the Draw of a Good Comic Book Store
My interest in superhero movies has plunged to zero in the past couple of years, but I’ve found myself steadily reading more comic books. Thinking about this just after the recent Authors for Indies ...
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August 15, 2017
Interview with Ashley Spires
Today we’re talking to ASHLEY SPIRES! Writer and illustrator of best-selling, award-winning, kid-approved books such as Penguin and the Cupcake, Small Saul, Larf, the Binky the Space Cat series, The ...
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June 23, 20215 Tips For a DIY Writing Retreat
Now that we're peeking around the corner at a post-pandemic world, I've been starting to crave a DIY writing retreat. I don't get to do them as often as I'd like, but there's something magical about blocking ...