This blog post was originally published here on Rob McLennan's my (small press) writing day blog. My writing day begins at around 7 am. I’m hunched over in front of the espresso machine, watching the coffee trickle down into my cup. After frying up some eggs, scarfing them down and doom-scrolling through the news, I … Continue reading My Writing Day
Fleshing Out Your Skeleton
Hallelujah! The novel is complete. Now it’s time to send this out, get some fresh air, and socialize for a change. LOCKDOWN! QUARANTINE! DOORS SLAM SHUT! On the day that the Canadian government launched measures to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, I finally completed my novel. The manuscript, tentatively entitled, “VV,” deals with, among other things, … Continue reading Fleshing Out Your Skeleton
Clickbait: How to be a Prolific Prisoner
Sadly, keeping up the writing routine isn’t as easy as picking up smoking, but fear not! Much to the dismay of your parents and financial advisor, you can, with the right work-ethic, become hopelessly devoted to this promising path of poverty and obscurity. [1] Space & Ritual Joyce wrote in bed with crayons while Maya … Continue reading Clickbait: How to be a Prolific Prisoner
Scaling Past the Dead-End
"This isn't going anywhere! Burn the fucking manuscript!" Writer's block is often depicted in film with tortured, unshaven and chain-smoking novelists slamming fists on desks and tossing crumpled manuscripts into waste baskets. The disgruntled paper-throwing novelist is right about one thing: writer's block is a pain in the ass. Picture this: a climber reaches a slippery stretch … Continue reading Scaling Past the Dead-End
Google Scholar
“Embryos develop fingerprints three months after conception.” This factoid is one among the notes jotted down on Post-Its and scraps of coffee-stained napkins strewn across my desk, kitchen table and nearly every surface of my apartment, all for the purpose of enriching my shoebox-full of manuscripts. When I reach for a bank statement on the … Continue reading Google Scholar
