Learning and Writing
Reflections about creativity, the writing process, and the writing life.
April is All About Poetry
Poetry is here...
It is poetry month. You will find poetry events all over North America. You will find poets staring off into space at random moments of the day. They try to find the perfect phrase for a poem… Continue reading
Spring Funk? Bring it On!
Posting a blog a week might be good for my schedule, but it is not good for my focus. To get back into writing shape I will need to post nearly every day. Please check back often for new posts… Continue reading
Excuses and Promises: The Return to Blogging
We begin the fourth month of 2013 and my writing threatens to grow fat and lazy. An instructor once told me that even taking a one day break hurts writing. I wrote some poetry in December. I wrote some journal… Continue reading
Ontario Writer’s Conference Master Class
Registration is now open for the Ontario Writer’s Conference, May 3 and 4, 2013. Hope you can join us!
I will be teaching a Master Class titled: We Write Who We Are.
Examine ways we collect stories and… Continue reading
Taking Pictures
In May I bought a Nikon Coolpix S8200. This weekend I had some time to play with its features. Finally, I have a point and click camera that can help me to capture moments with more accuracy. The pictures seemed to instinctually know what I wanted.
As we toured around Georgian Bay in mom and dad’s pontoon boat I experimented with the camera’s features. I am excited about the possibilities of using photography with writing.
How do you use photography and writing?
Now and Then and Later
How has history impacted your work? Has it slipped into your created worlds? Has it inspired the people who inhabit them? If we fall too deeply down this well of thought it becomes impossible to separate the influences of history… Continue reading
What is a Creative Life?
Creative living. It sounds like a section in a fancy lamp store. Creative living is about light and design, so maybe the lamp store idea is not too far off.
A creative life is dynamic, purposeful, energized, connected, expressive, and open. To begin a creative life just turn on the lamp, let the light shine on who you are and who you want to be, for at its core a creative life is about you. It is about a deep sense of self and an understanding of purpose. Continue reading
Celebrating Poetry Month
People who love poetry can spend hours contemplating a ten-word world. To love poetry you need to love words and word placement. Poetry can be intentional, intuitive, musical, thought-provoking: really, it can be as exciting or boring as any other type of writing. But there is something unique in poetry, something that makes me slow down when I read so I can taste the words, something that makes my coworkers wrinkle their noses, something that makes poets the most under-celebrated group of writers in North America.
Why does poetry have a bad rap? What happened to the days when ladies in long gowns and gentlemen in riding boots sat around on uncomfortable high backed chairs reading Byron? Why do high school students across Canada collectively groan when their teachers write the word “Poetry” on the board to indicate the next unit of study? Continue reading
Spelling Tests in July, Gustavus the Expanding Baby, and Smashed Potatoes
Tonight after dinner, before I left for an evening walk, I reached into a pocket of my large black Matt & Nat bag hoping to find a pen. Instead I found some keys. Lost keys appear at odd times.
In December I spent hours looking for keys to open my writing trunk. Years ago I bought a large tool trunk to store old notebooks and writing projects. I secured the trunk with two locks. The trunk has been locked for about five years. I could not remember what was inside other than some old notebooks and drafts of my plays.
What can we learn about our writing by looking at the work we did as a child? Continue reading
Research and the Writing Process
Some say write what you know. Others say write what you are interested in and go out and know it. Last week I visited Archives Canada to do some family history research (that also serves as the inspiration for my next big writing project about Leilah).
My approach to research is like my approach to writing: go to where the energy burns brightest. I did not have a plan. I had a thick file holding three years of research notes, an iPad, and some blank paper. Generally, I wanted to know more about the Metis, the Voyageurs, lighthouses, and my family.
When we arrived at Archives Canada we had to sign-up for a Library Card. This process was easy–some photo ID, a computerized form, and a signature. Once our cards were ready we signed in at the security desk and received a key for a locker. It is helpful to read all the information on the Archives Canada website, Preparing for a Visit. Continue reading
