Lindsay Zier-VogelTag

The Key to Publishing a Book: Being a Staunch Celebrationist

Writing a book takes forever. Or, it does for me. I always think I’ll be able to crack the code for the next one, and write faster and be more efficient, but the reality is, it takes me five years to ...

Read an Excerpt From The Fun Times Brigade by Lindsay Zier-Vogel

Lindsay Zier-Vogel has shown her valuable insights about writing life each month as an Open Book columnist, and she's been an integral part of the CanLit community for years now. So, it comes as no surprise ...

The Pros and Cons of Beta Readers

I just finished an early draft of a new middle grade novel and realized as pressed “save” that even though it was nowhere near done, I’d taken it as far as I could.It was officially time for a beta ...

How to Avoid Blank Page Syndrome: The Jar Method

When I’m editing, there are specific problems to tackle, and I find I have a clear to-do list. Even if there’s a lot to do, I have a road map, but at the beginning of a project, I get so easily daunted ...

Grant Writing 101: Timelines

You’ve got an idea, you’ve got working title, maybe you’ve even got a beta reader, or a mentor lined up. You’ve got your budget planned out (and know how many days/weeks or hours your project ...

Grant Writing 101: Support Material

When I’m not writing books, I write grants for artists and non-profits and if my inbox is any indication, nothing says the new year like applying for grants! Let’s start 2025 with some grant funding!!!For ...

Perfect Gifts for Writers

Tis the season to ask the most pressing of all questions: What is the perfect gift for the writer in your life? Books? Pens? Journals? A six-figure book deal: (Note: we all want the latter!)Authors Farzana ...

Writing Lessons from Joni Mitchell

I often look to books for inspiration, but I just got back from seeing Joni Mitchell play in L.A., and as I was sitting at the Hollywood Bowl, with the moon rising over the hills, I realized how much ...

Grant Writing 101: How to Write a Final Report

You got a grant, YAY! But now it’s time to write your final report. I’ve heard from so many artists panicking about writing them, but I promise, there’s no need to panic!Final reports are a way ...

The Magic of Letter Writing

Summer challenge: Write a letter to your favourite authorWhen I was in Grade 3, I loved Jean Little’s books. So I did what I always do: I wrote her a letter. I told her all of my favourite things about ...