Updates

Fantastic opportunity today to have my work critiqued by 8 colleagues at IFWA’s Poor Man’s Workshop. It is a modified Clarion-style with the work submitted in advance and 2 full oral critiques and then a 40-minute discussion by all the contributors, with written critiques from everyone. I was affirmed for most of my story, which is always gratifying, but the discussion generated tons of ideas about where I could take my world further, which was exactly what I was looking for. Some fantastic stories on the table, too–a joy to critique.

And, there was lunch!

Met with the publisher of Laksa Media today and the next anthology is coming along really well. The stories are shaping up to be awesome and the edits are going well. I think we will be following up Strangers Among Us with an equally wonderful Sum of Us!

Exercise is excellent for creativity. At the gym this week, I got three new ideas for stories. None of them is fully fledged, so I can’t say how many will actually take flight, but I really believe that getting oxygen to the brain, as well as exercise-generated good brain chemicals feeds creativity. Also, I think repetitive motion tends to shove stress/anxiety-thoughts away, too, leaving room for creative ideas.

I am teaching a course at the Alexandra Centre called The First Three Chapters, and had my first class this week. Awesome group of students–7 out of 8 of them have a very clear idea about the novel they want to write. And a new student enrolled this week, so I will have 9. This should be tons of fun!

I had a ton of fun today, working for the Alexandra Centre, doing a drop-in query workshop. Actually, I had two clients booked, but saw five in 3 hours. Each brought a query letter and I did a “blue pencil” style critique and talked to them about various strategies for getting an agent, writing a synopsis, and other elements of the business of writing. An awesome day!