How does a writer organize different projects? PART ONE
First, let’s examine what is meant by “different projects.” Writers, effectively, are artists. It’s a craft that carries high risk in terms of outcome versus expenditure of time, energy and effort. In order to market anything in the artistic realm, the maker (in this case, writer) needs to consider the full scope of the endeavour. There’s a lot of talk from writers about the challenges of getting work done and whether “writer’s block” is indeed a real phenomenon. However, that’s just one aspect of the creative process. And it’s only a nugget of the profession overall. Does that sound strange? Let me explain.
In this post, we’ll be hearing from Canadian author Merilyn Simonds. She shares with us her inspirations, describes her writing process, and gives us a sneak peek into her next work in progress! Check out her author bio:
Merilyn Simonds is the internationally published author of 22 books, including the novel The Holding, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, and the Canadian classic nonfiction novel, The Convict Lover, a finalist for the Governor General’s Award. Among her best-selling nonfiction is A New Leaf, the story of her gardens north of Kingston, and Gutenberg’s Fingerprint, a meditation on reading, writing, and the future of the printed book. Her most recent book—Woman, Watching, whichwon the Foreword Indies Editor’s Choice Nonfiction Award for 2022—is an innovative memoir/biography of Louise de Kiriline Lawrence, an extraordinary recluse who changed the way we see birds. Simonds memoir, Walking with Beth: Conversations with my 100-Year-Old Friend is forthcoming from Random House Canada in September, 2025.
Louise de Kiriline Lawrence, who is the focus of your novel Woman, Watching: Louise de Kiriline Lawrence and the Songbirds of Pimisi Bay, was a neighbour of yours. For this book, you’ve woven your own memories of Louise into a biographical narrative. How much research did this manuscript require? Were there any parts of the research or writing process that gave you pause?
Woman, Watching is not a novel, although it’s hard to say exactly what it is: not a biography although it is biographical, and not a memoir although there are threads of my own memories and observations through the book. Louise was what we call “a country neighbour” which is not the person next door, as in the city, but anyone within driving distance. We lived on opposite sides of a large lake, and about an hour apart by car. But at a time when writers were thin on the ground in northern Ontario, we were certain writerly neighbors.
The research was fascinating and daunting: it absorbed a couple of years, mostly going through Louise’s 26 boxes of text archives and dozens of boxes of image archives at Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa. Covid intervened, closing the archives, but the archivists arranged to have hundreds of pages of letters reproduced digitally, A close reading of Louises’s vast correspondences—mostly with her mother whom she wrote to every Sunday for 40 years, but also with professional and amateur ornithologists around the world—provided the foundation for the book. I also searched high and low to acquire all of her scientific and popular articles and books, many of which provided first-hand accounts of her field studies of birds, which I reproduced in the book. Unlike most biographies, I was intent on allowing the reader to get to know Louise as I had, through her own voice.
The whole project gave me pause! Louise asked me to be her biographer in 1990 and it took me 30 years and the writing of about 10 other books to find a way to make good on that promise. I am not a scientist by profession or by nature, so the scientific literature she excelled at was often a challenge. I didn’t want to get that wrong. But the biggest challenge came from parts of her life that felt extremely private. How much should I tell? If she were alive and writing a memoir, what would she reveal? It helped to have known Louise: she was forthright, honest, principled. That helped me decide to include even the painful parts.
Beginner writers are often told, “write what you know.” Merilyn, your book, The Lion in the Room Next Door, is a collection of short stories inspired by your own memories. Tell us about the process of writing that collection.
I actually believe that writers need to write what they don’t know. Writing for me is an exploration, whether of another person’s life, Like Louise’s and Beth’s in Walking with Beth, or an exploration of my own memories, not for the facts of them but for what they might mean.
As I was writing The Convict Lover—a process that took eight years—an image would suddenly pop up. The first was a lion walking down a hall. I pushed the image away and returned to Kingston Penitentiary, but the lion kept popping up. I finally stepped away from the prison and wrote the story of the lion in the room next door—there really was a lion in the hotel room next to where my family lived for six months, but no one ever saw it but me, so the story is about memory and what it means. I returned to the convict and the girl who brought him solace, but again and again some image would pop up—a gun, a machete, a Volkswagen van, a dead child—and I would have to write the story in order to clear my imagination for the book at hand. I think that the intense process of imagining the prison and more particularly the life of Peggy, a small-town girl much like me, shook loose significant, unresolved moments in my own life.
A lion is often associated with courage, and writing about real-life experiences certainly takes a tremendous amount of it. At what point did you decide to write memoir and creative non-fiction?
What has Pauline Shen been up to? What can we expect to see from her next?
Season Summary: Spring 2025
“Eighteen Ninety-Seven” released as a reprint with Literally Stories in April. I’m so pleased to see this story circulating once again.
My favourite short story is continuing to make the rounds in reprint form. “Glycerine” is published online with CommuterLit’s March 31, 2025 post.
Check out my blog in case you missed these awesome interviews. I am delighted to partner with editors, writers, and publicists to bring you an insider scoop on what’s going on in the industry. Spoiler alert! Releasing in July: Interview with Merilyn Simonds. …and more to come—make sure you’re subscribed to have these delivered directly to your email inbox.
Updates & Work in Progress: Summer 2025
I’m delighted to announce that my Camino story “Et Suseia” is forthcoming with Scrawl Place. The story began as a 500-word contest entry and grew into something more substantial over the course of about a year of revisions. A huge thank you to my beta readers for offering comments and encouragement on this one!
After an intense winter of working on my manuscript-in-progress as well as finishing-up a variety of short stories, I took a hiatus from writing in the springtime. I’ll be returning to my manuscript this summer. I’m especially looking forward to spending time with my protagonist. Seriously, I miss her as though she’s a real living person.
In following, summer is also an opportune time for me to conduct some research for my manuscript-in-progress. I’ll be visiting a variety of plant nurseries and greenhouses in order to take photos and examine the seasonal plants available, the general store set-up, and absorb the plant-y atmosphere. Why? A character in this story runs a plant nursery, so I’m taking stock of the details for scenes, setting, and general logistics.
What I’m Reading: Summer 2025
I’d like to know what you are reading this season. Check-in by commenting below.
And that’s it. Enjoy summer. Stay tuned for my next blog post. Wanna get it in your email inbox? Subscribe to stay informed of my newest articles, story reviews, updates, and more.
Cover Image: Photo by Ameruverse Digital Marketing Media on Pexels.com
In this post, we’ll be hearing from author Marianne K. Miller. She tells us about the process of writing her first novel, offers advice for new writers, and hints at a new work in progress! Check out her author bio:
Marianne K. Miller is a graduate of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Toronto. As an independent scholar and member of The Hemingway Society, she presented a paper, Hemingway in Toronto, at the 18th International Hemingway Conference in Paris, France. Her debut novel We Were the Bullfighters is published by Dundurn Press and was just nominated for the Best First Crime Novel Award given by the Crime Writers of Canada. She lives in Toronto.
Marianne, what drove your decision to study creative writing? And has getting published changed how you view your own writing?
I always enjoyed writing. As a lawyer, I wrote letters and pleadings, discovery reports. As an adjudicator and mediator, I wrote orders for a tribunal. Many people ask why are so many lawyers writers? I think that is because lawyers are, at heart, story tellers whether it is on paper or in a court room, their goal is to set out a credible story for the position they are putting forth. But the idea of not having facts and law to rely on when I was writing kind of frightened me and so that’s why I signed up for a creative writing course. It was a challenge. I was used to a very precise way of writing and I had to loosen up.
How did you first learn about The Hemingway Society? What attracted you to become a member?
In this post, we’ll be hearing from author and writing contest judge Laura Frost. Check out her author bio:
Photo credit: S.L. @2beinthemoment
Laura Frost is an award-winning author of novels and short stories, and her debut novel, Seeking Sasha, will hit bookshelves this fall. Laura has been published in numerous journals and collections, and she is a returning judge for an international short story competition. An amateur baker and former wildlife biologist from northern Canada, Laura explores the world with her family, seeking out adventure to both calm and stir her writing muse.
Laura, you’ve been practicing creative writing since childhood but only recently began submitting work for publication consideration. What drove your decision to begin sending manuscripts out? Has getting published changed how you view your own writing?
Although I’ve dabbled in writing my whole life, completing my first novel was the turning point in my writing journey. I hadn’t written my novel with the intent to publish, but both my cousin and my husband read my draft and enjoyed it so much, they begged me to get it published so they could share it with others.
As I quickly learned, getting a book published is no easy feat. Because the publishing industry is so competitive, I decided to write short stories and submit them to literary magazines as a way to build my author portfolio and grow my audience, and I continued to write novels as I worked through the process of submissions. I have now been published in ten different magazines and collections, an accomplishment which has been an important part of my journey towards finding a publisher for my debut novel.
Having numerous short stories published has allowed me to trust in myself more as a writer, and to not get as discouraged when rejections land in my inbox. I have learned just how subjective the publishing industry is. If one of my stories doesn’t work for a particular publisher, it doesn’t mean it’s bad, it’s just not the right fit for them. Rejections and acceptances have helped me hone my skills as a writer, and they have helped build confidence in myself while also keeping me grounded.
Tell us how your book idea for Seeking Sasha came about. Did you have doubts while working on the draft? Laura, what helped propel you forward to finish the manuscript?
My short story “Coffee and Cream” has been reprinted online with Commuter Lit. If you haven’t read the story, check it out here. Back in autumn 2020, this piece began as a writing course assignment. It was picked up for publication in early 2021, and is now published multiple times over.
Check out my blog in case you missed these awesome interviews. I am delighted to partner with editors, writers, and publicists to bring you an insider scoop on what’s going on in the industry. More to come—make sure you’re subscribed to have these delivered directly to your email inbox.
Image courtesy of Sloth & Envy Press, 2025
Updates & Work in Progress: Spring 2025
“Eighteen Ninety-Seven” will release as a reprint with Literally Stories in April. Wondering about the title for this piece? Although this particular story is fiction, I wrote it after poring over a collection of ancestral documents that my late cousin compiled in the early 1990’s. The booklet she made details some of what the circumstances were like prior to leaving for The New World and what the journey entailed. 1897 was the year my paternal ancestors came to North America from Europe and so it seemed a fitting title for this piece.
OPEN CALL: Guest Blogger. Got something to say about writing? Check out my submission call for guest bloggers here. Submissions accepted on an ongoing basis until the closing date of June 30th, 2025.
What I’m Reading: Spring 2025
Last season, I found myself totally enamored with Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi. The premise of the book is essentially what would happen if someone continued to pursue the other realm presented in C.S. Lewis’ The Magician’s Nephew. And what if that person was entirely unscrupulous? While the first section of this book can be a little off-putting, this is done by design to pull the reader into the action in a big, big way. I recommend this book, particularly if you’ve read TheChronicles of Narnia, as there are multiple references back to C.S. Lewis’ series throughout.
Another recommended read is Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. It is most assuredly a masterpiece. It does take some patience to pick through the information and get one’s bearings for the first third. The true inciting incident doesn’t occur until about a quarter of the way into the novel. You do, however, need the context leading up to that point to understand the full scope. I found it to be similar to Piranesi in the sense that it takes a little while to catch on, but once you do, it becomes an obsession! I found myself reluctant to set the book down.
I plan to read through Resonance: Essays on the Craft and Life of Writing. This is the recommended text for the Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University. The collection addresses the fact that we, as writers at any stage in our career, all face challenges or obstacles in the process of writing.
And that’s it. Enjoy spring. Please share your comments below. Stay tuned for my next blog post. Wanna get it in your email inbox? Subscribe to stay informed of my newest articles, story reviews, updates, and more.
Cover Image: Photo by Ameruverse Digital Marketing Media on Pexels.com
In this post, we’ll be hearing from author Roz Nay. I hope you are as thrilled as I am about this interview! (See what I did there?) Check out her author bio:
Photo Credit: Lisa Seyfried Photography
ROZ NAY’s debut novel, Our Little Secret, was a national bestseller, won the Douglas Kennedy Prize for best foreign thriller in France, and was nominated for the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Mystery and the Arthur Ellis Best First Novel Award. Her second bestselling novel, Hurry Home, was shortlisted for the Crime Writers of Canada Best Crime Novel award and The Hunted, her third, was nominated for Best Crime Novel in 2022. The Offing is her fourth novel. Roz has lived and worked in Africa, Australia, the US, and the UK. She now lives in British Columbia, Canada, with her husband and two children.
More details about Roz and The Offing can be found here.
Roz, your first novel, Our Little Secret, began as a creative writing assignment and grew into a full-length manuscript. Tell us about that process. At what point did you decide to pursue novel writing and what did you learn at those early stages of your writing-for-publication journey?
I only kept going with my first-ever manuscript because I missed writing class, and needed to hang onto some part of it. I just patchworked together a narrative around a voice I’d created in class, and wrote it over a year while my two little toddlers napped. I didn’t really have a clue what I was doing, other than that I’d built a world I was enjoying writing. When I look back now, that time was fairly chaotic but what I learned most was that, when you have a story you want to tell, one way or another you get it done.
Image courtesy of Penguin Random House; Cover design: Emma Dolan
Beginning writers are often told, “write what you know.” For your thriller Hurry Home, the inspiration stemmed from your career in child services. Your newest book, The Offing, draws on your experiences while traveling in Australia. Roz, what does your writing process look like? How much preliminary research is required and at what point do you forge ahead with writing a draft?
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:
Photographer Trina Koster
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.
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.
In this post, we welcome author, speaker, and mentor Eileen Cook. She shares an abundance of helpful (and heartful) writing advice as well as a glimpse into what it was like when she first started out as a budding writer. Check out Eileen’s author bio:
Photo courtesy of Eileen Cook
Eileen Cook, author, speaker, and mentor lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her books are published with HMH, Simon and Schuster, and HarperCollins. Cook’s recent titles include You Owe Me a Murder, One Lie Too Many, and With Malice. Under the pen name Kate MacIntosh, she’s written a historical novel, The Champagne Letters. People Magazine chose this book as a December 2024 Best New Book saying: “this fun, fizzy novel is delicious.” She received the John Spray Award in 2018 for best mystery in Canada with her novel The Hanging Girl/One Lie Too Many. Her books have been optioned for film and TV, although she is still waiting a chance to walk the red carpet.
My most recent book, The Champagne Letters, was a big change for me as it was both adult and a dual timeline historical. It just came out in December 2024 with Gallery Books (Simon and Schuster) under a pen name to help brand it as different than other things I’ve written. At long last, a chance for my historical nerd side to come out and use all those random facts I’ve been gathering for years!
Even though the book just came out, I am already wading into another manuscript. I am the happiest when I have a book on the go. The current book is also a dual timeline with a character in the present who is traveling to England after a death. It’s still very muddy and unclear how it will unspool, but I’m enjoying doing a bunch of research and seeing where it may go.
Eileen, you’ve got a wealth of experience with writing-for-publication. Tell us a bit about how it felt when you first started sending out manuscripts. What drove your decision to continue writing and what were your next steps? At what point did you begin speaking to audiences and mentoring others?
Pauline Shen 