Writer in ResidenceTag

The 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 ...

Surviving the Workshop

Blurring the the lines between reader, writer, and critic, the writing workshop has become somewhat of a cultural point of contention, with heated and ongoing debate over whether creative writing degrees ...

Writing on the Clock

A common question from the published writer is: will I ever earn out my advance? Recently I wondered: what about my stolen time? If I only ever wrote when I was “supposed to” (in periods of grant ...

"Things I Wouldn’t Otherwise Be Able to Say" September Writer in Residence Fawn Parker on Poetry & Process

Fawn Parker is not slowing down anytime soon, and that is very good news for readers. On the heels of her widely acclaimed, Giller-nominated novel What We Both Know, which came out in 2022, she has ...

Things I Didn’t Know About Residencies

Before 2023, I could barely describe what “residency” meant in the realm of writing and art. A residency felt like it was reserved for someone with more writing experience, more books, and just more ...

Adapting an Adult Book Into a Book for Young Readers

I know that young people are reading my 2019 book, because they’ve written me e-mails and messaged me on various social media platforms to tell me where they got it (thank you, libraries) and who they’re ...

The Benefits of Being an Imposter

Like most writers, I’ve had a lot of rent jobs. When I was lucky, I worked in my chosen fields of editing and education. When I wasn’t so lucky, I worked in an institutional kitchen, as an ad mail ...

The Rule of Three

I read somewhere once that a writer will always write three versions of their book: one for themselves, one for the professional reader, and one for the public reader. Knowing this has changed my life ...

Your Global Indigenous Playlist: Summer Solstice 2023

Yesterday, I received 200-plus comments from an editor on the first draft of a manuscript. I love this part of the publishing process, when I’m in conversation with someone about making a book. Page ...

Writing Family and Community Stories

Why do we write? Some people want to write the definitive work on a subject. Others want to create new audiences or business potential. Some want to introduce readers to a place or time they wouldn’t ...