Still Writing

Every writing project I have ever worked on, has worked differently. At least two of my ten books for children, I started writing, did not stop until I had finished, and then went back and revised . Each of my two non fiction books began with a detailed outline that I used like a road map, taking unmarked roads from time to time, but mostly getting where I needed to be by the end of each writing day. But my favoured way of writing long fiction--I did write short stories for many years, which were another story all together--is to write in scenes and cobble them together. I am most energized by the 'best bits', the scenes with tension, action and drama. I usually leave the connective tissue until later. And after the cobbling is over, I use a system of reverse outlining to evaluate what's on the page. But when I approached revision of  Return of the Summer Fish , it was a different matter all together. Once I dug up three different folders containing scenes--many of which I ...

Over the years I have either hit upon or been led to some great online sources of useful info to help my own writing or to support my students.  Here are ten of my current go-tos. Back to Basics Online submissions have changed the way we submit work and respond to editor queries. But this lays out the basics of how to format a manuscript. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiS2mnHF7Jg Canadian Editors Association A breakdown of the various services offered by editors, and what you might expect to pay for professional editing.  https://editors.ca/hire-an-editor/rates/ Also, check out my blog posting about predatory soliciting. Categories of Children’s Books There’s a lot more to writing for children than just knowing the genre you’re writing in. Age and reading level have a lot to do with it. Broken down here.  https://greenleafbookgroup.com/learning-center/book-creation/childrens-book-categories-what-are-they-and-why-are-they-important Funds for Writers Contests, grants...

In mid-March my tenth book for children and youth was published. I am immensely proud of Creatively Human: Why We Imagine, Make and Innovate and enjoyed the two years of researching, writing and editing it. And grateful to Orca Book Publishers who did such a great job of supporting and marketing the project. I had a lovely launch at my local independent bookstore Windowseat Books . And was fortunate to receive some nice reviews. But then the air went out of my writing balloon. And nothing could get it airborne again. I have files of unfinished work, manuscripts of unsold picture book stories, pages of 'germs' of ideas. But very little draws me back to my desk in any focussed way. Even copies of old journals and tear sheets from newspapers and magazines of my work aren't enough to convince me that I have much to say. I do still write - old habits die hard - in snatches and fits and starts. I hunt and peck at my keyboard - yesterday on a 100-word Drabble on the topic of ...