In today’s post, E.J. Nash tells us how she fits her writing into a packed schedule, gives advice to new writers on creating an internet presence, and talks about… Hawaiian pizza! (Hint: it’s writing-related) Check out her author bio:
E.J. Nash holds a bachelor’s degree from The University of Western Ontario in Creative Writing and English Language & Literature, and a master’s degree in Information Studies from McGill University. Her work has been published by CBC, The Globe and Mail, Nature, Woman’s World, and in various literary magazines. She is an American-Canadian writer & librarian currently located in Ottawa.
E.J., you write a variety of fiction, non-fiction, and performance pieces. How do you arrange time for writing?
I like to get up early and write as much as I can before work, and I’ll write on my lunch break if the planets align. In the evening my brain has turned into a potato, so that’s when I crash in bed.
Downloading Google Docs on my phone has been a game changer. Most of my writing is done on my phone, and I edit on my computer. Writing on my phone gives me the flexibility to write anywhere! Plus, I’m not scared about losing my documents since they’re all hosted in the cloud.
Do you prefer to read books in e-book or physical book format? What are you reading these days? Which contemporary authors do you recommend checking out?
I read both print books and eBooks. Most of my day is spent in front of a screen, and I can feel my retinas crying for mercy, so it’s nice to look at a print book. On the other hand, some of the books I read are only available as eBooks, so I’m happy to scroll to my heart’s content.
If you talk to me for more than ten seconds in real life, I’m going to trap you in a conversation about how much I love the Dummies books. You know, those books with the yellow covers? Last year I discovered the ones that discuss history, and I’ve been inhaling them at a rather disturbing speed. I started with The Ancient Greeks for Dummies and went from there. The history I’ve been learning has provided a lot of inspiration for my writing.
In terms of contemporary writers, I would recommend Ted Chiang. Story of Your Life changed how I view grief. It’s a really powerful story, and I think about it often.
E.J., you’re a supporter of Canadian writing competitions such as Eden Mills Writers’ Festival literary contest, PULP Literature’s flash fiction contests, and Grain Magazine’s Hybrid Grain Contest. What attracted you to submit your work to contests within Canada? What has been the most surprising thing about participating in writing competitions?
It’s so important to support Canadian magazines and publishers. Canada has a relatively small population, so it’s important to engage with these publishers to make sure they stay in business. I use this page from CBC to find Canadian journals and magazines.
I’ve been surprised to notice that even if a story doesn’t “win” a contest, the publisher may still print it. For example, I was a runner-up in a contest in 2022. In 2024, I was notified that it would be printed in the journal. That was a nice surprise! Many journals source their stories from contests. Essentially, this means there is more than one “winner,” which is very encouraging.
To quote Norman Vincent Peale: Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.
E.J., what strategies have you implemented to ensure that you can approach your writing with enthusiasm?
I like to have two projects on the go. When I’m stuck on one, I’ll go to the other. It keeps it fresh.
That said, sometimes the enthusiasm wanes. That’s just part of life. Those are the days when I hang my coat on my daily word count goal and power through.
Readers can get in touch with you about your writing journey from your website. What resources helped you with designing your website and what advice can you share with emerging writers about the importance of self-promotion?
I would highly recommend a website and some sort of social media presence. You don’t need to be a tech wizard! I use Wix.com, which is basically a drag-and-drop system. There is a fee for some features, but I find that it’s worth the cost.
Aspiring writers tend to feel lost in a world of rejection letters. How did it feel to begin sending your writing out to submission calls for publication? What helped propel you forward in order to persist in submitting your work?
Rejection letters are, bizarrely, a good thing. They mean you are trying. That you are submitting. That you are throwing yourself out there and saying, “Here I am.” Obviously it’s hard when you get the rejection letter, but that leads me to what I call the Hawaiian Pizza Principle.
Some people love Hawaiian pizza. Others believe it is an abomination. Let’s say you make the best Hawaiian pizza the world has ever seen. The pineapple is sweet, the ham is tender. Gordon Ramsay would weep with joy if he tasted this pizza. So you submit it to the World’s Best Pizza competition.
And it’s rejected.
Why? The judge doesn’t like Hawaiian pizza.
This is how it goes with the submission process. Sometimes an editor’s tastes just don’t align with yours. Find someone who likes Hawaiian pizza, and you’ll have more success.
The trick, of course, is finding what journal aligns with your writing. I really like Chill Subs, which offers a nice system to find the types of journals that align with your work.
To answer your other questions: I knew my first attempts at submissions were likely to be rejected, so I didn’t feel excited when I started the journey. I viewed it as a learning opportunity. Of course, when I received my first acceptance, I was over the moon. My boyfriend picked me up and spun me around—very Hallmark! That moment propels me forward.
E.J., what can we expect to see from you in the near future? Any new developments that we should know about?
I have my work coming out in three anthologies in the next year or two, so that’s exciting. I’m also querying an 86k thriller novel. What happens when a university student arrives at her dorm with a plan to murder her former best friend, only to find that her target has already been killed? Keep an eye on my website or social media for more updates!
More E.J. Nash online:
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Pauline Shen 