Assumptions Aren’t Facts My teen daughter asked me to pick her up at an event outside the city. Dutifully, I arrived on time and texted her to say I was waiting. Then I waited. And waited. It was unlike her … Continue reading →

Invisible AND Impactful I’ve read books that I love, love, love and keep re-reading.  I’ve read books that are meh. After I’m done, they sit on my shelf and that’s that.  I’ve read books that, well, I never finished reading.  Don’t we all … Continue reading →

is whoYOU Are I read an interview with Ralph Macchio, the actor who played Daniel LaRusso in the 1980s Karate Kid trilogy. He talked about a decades-long dry spell in his acting career after that, which was only recently resurrected with Cobra Kai, … Continue reading →

What’s Important to You? Have you ever played the “If today was your last day” game? Where, with your (pretend) impending death you look hard at your life and priorities? Some may consider the “what-if” morbid (“live every day like it’s your … Continue reading →

When You Become a “Real” Writer Do you feel like a “real” writer? Many writers don’t. Not until they have a book published and can’t point to the shelf in the bookstore as proof.  I felt that way for a … Continue reading →

Weddings and Writing On my wedding day, I got to live out my little-girl dreams. I was marrying my Prince Charming, in a hotel that was the closest thing Ottawa had to a castle, with a gorgeous dress that would … Continue reading →

Story vs Life I harp on my clients—and myself—all the time about cause-and-effect in writing. To ensure a story makes sense, one scene has to lead to another. Because of this, THEN that…  Cause-and-effect controls the pacing of the story, and … Continue reading →

Comp Titles and Confidence Comp titles make me shudder. They are comparative (or competitive) titles, books that are similar in some way to yours. They are a marketing tool used by author, publisher, distributor and bookseller to help everyone figure … Continue reading →

What We Can Learn from Terry Fox Terry Fox, a Canadian athlete who lost his leg to cancer, embarked on his 1980 Marathon of Hope, a cross-country run to raise money for cancer research. He had to end his quest … Continue reading →

When Your Book Flies the Nest You may have heard how some writers feel like their books are their babies—loving and nurturing (and being driven crazy!) by them. Some argue it isn’t a fair metaphor since books are a business, … Continue reading →