Mar 21, 2020 | My Stories
On Saturday my husband and daughter went out to get some groceries in Toronto, Canada. After several hours they returned without hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol, rice, potatoes, or toilet paper. Not one for panic buying, I hadn’t stocked up. “We can...
Apr 24, 2018 | My Stories
The Brevity Magazine’s Nonfiction Blog today published a piece I wrote about vicarious trauma and how it affects me and other writers. I believe it’s something writers need to discuss openly: that way we can share concrete helpful advice to help all of...
Apr 11, 2018 | My Stories
Have you got a manuscript that’s finished and you can’t figure out how to get the attention of agents or publishers, or are you wondering what to do to get people to take your writing seriously? Being a writer isn’t easy. No one seems to want to pay...
Mar 17, 2018 | My Stories
Or, things I would tell my younger writer self (if only she would have listened) When I look back on my young writer self as a child or teenager, and later as a young adult in my 20s and 30s, I see a lot of wasted energy and time. To put it bluntly I lacked...
Sep 21, 2017 | My Stories
I’ve been trying to figure out what to call my husband when I write. ‘My husband’ is too boring, ‘spouse’ too formal, and ‘partner’ too practical (plus one wrong letter and it’s spell-checked into parent, which could...
Sep 16, 2017 | My Stories
Spinal surgery is serious stuff and it’s important you get your rehabilitation right. This plan may not be for everyone so you should check with your spouse first and your surgeon second. That’s what my husband did and now I’m sharing his very own...
Sep 12, 2017 | My Stories
Last week one of my friends called. “Um, can I suggest something about your writing?” “Sure,” I say. “I’m not precious about my writing, You can say anything.” Well I may be a little sensitive about it but I also want to hear...
May 26, 2017 | My Stories
I met up with singer songwriter Francesca de Valence this morning so I could record her for the Walking With Writers podcast. Before with green tea and coffee, during our walk along the Brisbane River, and after over an early lunch we discussed the artistic life and...
Apr 28, 2017 | My Stories
Getting our much loved home ready to sell may not have many advantages but I have found a few. And some, like decluttering and my portable writing box, are helping me manage my writing life amid chaos. First, I had no idea that decluttering was such good exercise....
