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Why writers need to talk about work

Like a lot of people out there, I used to think that anyone who had a book published must be “making it” as a full-time writer. I didn’t wonder how much they might actually be making, just assumed that...

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The importance of creative rituals

“Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work.” - Chuck CloseFor years now I’ve used a very simple way to mark the moment when it’s time to write: I light a stick of...

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How tarot can help you with your writing

I was 13 the first time I tried to see the future in a playing card. I’d been at the grocery store with my parents, and in the checkout line was a small rack of books. I was immediately drawn to one...

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Finding inspiration in Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol is arguably one of the most quotable artists to have lived. And although much mystery and controversy surrounds his powerful legacy, there is so much inspiration that can be drawn from his...

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Why your book doesn't really need a launch party

A couple of years ago, I finally admitted something to myself: I hate organizing launch parties.Like, completely just no. I love coming up with ideas for them. I love talking about them. I love making...

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Why I don’t want you to buy my book (from me)

“I want to buy your book, but I want to do in a way where you’ll get the most money. Should I buy it from you?”I love this question. It’s one of I’ve had several times over the years from well-meaning...

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How spending time with your influences helps overcome creative blocks

It happens to everyone: Everything is humming along nicely with a project and then, bam! You have no idea where to go next. The words aren’t coming anymore, the ideas have stalled, and your confidence...

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The problem with working for free

When I first started writing, I took any opportunities I could.First, I interned at a magazine for a high co-op program. Later, I wrote CD reviews for free, got a few poems published in some zines, and...

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How to start an author blog

A lot’s been made about “author platforms” over the past few years. Marketers love jargon and “platform” is just another word for presence.“The line between writer and creative entrepreneur is thinning...

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Literary readings: Do you have to do them?

Picking up from where I left off about book launches, today I’m talking about whether writers really need to read from their work to promote it.Books are sometimes (often?) tricky things to sell. There...

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The thing that terrifies me the most about writing

It came out of me the in a journal entry the other day, a fear I know has been swimming around inside for years now, but one that I never fully articulated, or maybe even fully acknowledged, until it...

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Hello, Open Book readers. I'm happy to be here...

Hello readers. As you might have gathered, I am the incoming Writer-in-Residence for Open Book Toronto, and will be with you through the entire month of November. I’m happy to be here for the month,...

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On Writing Violence

Like all writers, I’m often asked what my writing is about. Especially with regards to my recently published collection of stories, Debris, and the novel that I am revising for publication next year...

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At the end of the "DEBRIS" tour - Notes on my first rodeo

It has been a few days since my last WIR post, but I promise that this is not because I was just playing video games and drinking beer in my Annex hobbit hole. In fact, I’ve been away at the Wild...

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On Navigating the Literary Landscape - Part 1

Over the past few years, in order to buy peanut butter and bread and pay rent, I’ve taken on a number of manuscript assessments for various readers. I was first put on to them by my friend Michelle...

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On Navigating the Literary Landscape - Part 2

Hey. Thanks for coming back for Part 2 of this discussion about various aspects of navigating our literary scene. Good to see you again...Engaging with the literary community – Social mediaread more

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Taking Your Medicine in the Editing Room

In previous posts I’ve talked about the hard road to getting a book published, and even a bit about the effort that goes into just getting those first few stories done. I’ve talked about submitting...

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On Writing Violence - An Addendum

I’ve been receiving a lot of positive feedback and some questions about one of my first posts for Open Book, “On Writing Violence.” One reader, Susan, asked me in the comments about how this all might...

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On Writing "Fiction"

Over the past while I’ve noticed a number of situations where an author is asked about the autobiographical or non-fiction elements in their books. It has always been something that people are...

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Eighty feet without a net - Conversations with John Irving

About a year ago I got an email that I had to read about twelve times over before it really settled in. That email was from Janet Turnbull Irving, the wife and agent of one of the most famous literary...

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