A Poet’s Nanaimo

In a writing circle when I give an invitation or prompt  which could be in the form of a question or a line from a poem, each person writes something different, in their own voice. Voice is who we are, who we’ve been, and who we are becoming.For the Writing Life...

Some have said that we teach what we need to learn and that could be true. In fact, I’ll declare it true! I’ve learned so much from being a writing mentor and a facilitator of writing circles.In the late nineties, I set out to have companions for my writing practice...

The Nourished Writer: Be Part of a CommunityWriting is a solitary practice that can really benefit from some time with other writers to receive encouragement and support for the passion you share.When I facilitated a writing circle in Vernon, B.C. in the spring, I was...

The word “discipline” is often mentioned when it comes to describing a writing practice. Writers give themselves a word count to aim for or a designated amount of time. I prefer the word “devotion.” The word "discipline" conjures up diligence and reprimand whereas...

In the Summer issue of The New Quarterly, ten years ago, I was happy to see an interview with Susan Musgrave in which she said that writing for her is about the process, or at least that’s her intent.Susan said: “Writing, for me, is, and should be, about process. But...

It may be that we avoid getting back to our writing practice as we’re anxious about what will come up in the silence. Creating a ceremony as a container for your writing practice offers something predictable in the realm of creativity which can take us into the...