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Ad Astra Day 1: Myth-information in modern fantasy
Friday night session: Myth-information in modern fantasy. Panel: Marie Bilodeau; Chadwick Ginther; Jen Frankel; Stephen B. Pearl; Katrina Guy How do authors incorporate traditional lore and myths into...
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Sundog Snippets: Workshop with Roz Morris, part the first
Yesterday was a busy day. First up, I had a Tweet chat, followed by a Google Plus hangout video call (HVC), with Roz Morris, Lori Sailiata, and Amy Pabalan for @M2the5th. This was the first in what...
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Sundog Snippets: Renny DeGroot launches Family Business in Sudbury
Renny reading from Family Business After the Tweet chat and HVC, I shot downtown to catch what I could of Renny’s book launch for her novel Family Business at the Fromagerie Elgin. I managed to be in...
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Ad Astra, Day 1: Writing when you have a day job
Panelists: Marie Bilodeau; Karen Danylak; Ada Hoffman; Joel Sutherland AH: Scheduling your writing is like another job in itself. JS: Now that I have kids, I use my time more efficiently. I writer on...
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Ad Astra Day 2: The writing life
Panel: Julie Czerneda; Suzanne Church; Stephanie Bedwell Grimes; Karina Sumner-Smith; Ada Hoffman JC: We’re starting out with our typical days. For me, that’s get up, exercise, write until breakfast,...
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Ad Astra Day 2: It builds character
Panellists: Karen Dales; Patricia Briggs Note: Steven Erikson was not able to attend this panel. Humourous note: It builds the character or it gets the hose. KD: Characters are the heart of your story....
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Ad Astra day 2: Unleashing your creativity
Panel: Karina Sumner-Smith; Alyx Harvey; Judith Hayman; Leslie Hudson; Sally Headford SH: If you walk into a grade one class and ask, “who can sing?” everybody raises their hands. Ask, “who can dance?”...
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Book review of Nail Your Novel by Roz Morris
Once again, this is a bit overdue. I finished reading the first of Roz’s NYN series last month, but my crazy life has run away with me again. I’ve had to pick and choose what I’m posting about. First,...
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Ad Astra Day 2: When an editor is not an editor
Panel: Anne Groell; Max Turner; Michael Matheson; Karen Dales AG: I’m executive editor at Penguin Random House (A.K.A. Random Penguin) working with high profile clients such as George R.R. Martin and...
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Ad Astra, day 2 (yes, still): What makes a great villain?
Panel: Ada Hoffmann, Matt Moore, Rob St. Martin, Thomas Gofton AH: I write short stories and other things. MM: Science fiction and horror writer. RSM: Author of three horror, three urban fantasy, and...
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Ad Astra, day 3 (finally): Science in Urban Fantasy
Panellists: Shirley Meier; Alyx (A.M.) Dellamonica; James Alan Gardner; Dennis Lee SM: I write fantasy and science fiction. AD: Science fiction with an ecoscience bent. DL: I recently coauthored a...
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Ad Astra 2014 day 3: Biotech, identity, and personal freedom
Panellists: Alison Sinclair; Shirley Meier SM: Everyone is terrified of the loss of control. We use plague zombies to explain our fear. Dracula was about the fear of women’s power and blood magic. One...
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Ad Astra 2014: It’s a wrap!
The TARDIS and a Dalek formed the welcoming committee I’ve been blogging this puppy for a month and a half now (!) There was so much more to Ad Astra than the awesome sessions, though. There was so...
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A poetic road trip to Rutherglen
Yesterday, those of you who follow me on Facebook may have noticed that I was out of town again for a bit. This time, it wasn’t for work, though! My gifted, poet friend, Kim Fahner (who is likely...
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CanWrite! 2014: Agent panel, June 19
Panelists: Sam Hiyate, Carly Watters, Marie Campbell Moderator: James Dewar JD: What’s changed in the author-agent-editor relationship over the years? SH: When I was studying English...
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CanWrite! 2014: How to be your own editor with Farzana Doctor June 19
That’s Dr. Farzana Doctor ;) Learning to edit your work is learning to know when to let go. Maybe that’s what this workshop should be called: Let it go. This is what I do. You don’t have to do what I...
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CanWrite! 2014: Publisher Panel, June 20
Panellists: Christie Harkin, Lorimer; Craig Pyette, Random House; Halli Villegas, Tightrope Books. Moderator: Sue Reynolds SR: What would make you shout “Eureka!” if it crossed your desk...
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Six questions with Mat Del Papa
Mat is a writerly friend and a past-president of the Sudbury Writers’ Guild. He’s published two collections of stories loosely based on the history of the railway in Capreol, and now, he has become an...
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CanWrite! 2014: Writing fantasy with Kelley Armstrong, June 20
I took a little break last week because of the blog tour and interview with Mat, but I’m back and ready to proceed with moar CanWrite! 2014 reportage. I’ve been interested in Kelley for years, ever...
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Review of Jane Eyre: Writer’s Digest Annotated Classics by K.M. Weiland
I read Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre for the first time when I was in high school. At the time, though I enjoyed it, I wasn’t yet reading with the critical mind of an author. I wasn’t reading for craft....
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