Tag: Inspiration
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On connecting with creative outlets.
How do I stay rooted in creativity when I am knee deep in a project? This is my fifth year working on my book. The book is now on its 6th draft following some very constructive feedback I received to reduce the word count from 120K down to 95K. Working on a project consistently for…
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The art of killing one’s darlings.
“In writing, you must kill all your darlings,” William Faulkner famously wrote, suggesting that the process of editing requires a certain stoicism, and the suppression of affection towards superfluous material, no matter how much we love it. In the midst of many outright rejections from agents, I got an email last week from an agent…
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My Book Mood Board
When I began writing my book, I put together a mood board to inspire me – essentially a set of visuals that captured the world of my story, my characters, and the essence of the narrative. Vibe and mood Playing some of the music that filled our house from my childhood – Diana Ross, Abba,…
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Querying – a lonely process that wreaks havoc with your self confidence
I started the querying process in earnest in October, after spending the summer researching literary agents in the UK and the US. So far, I have sent out 20 query letters. I’ve received 3 rejections and one request for more details about my book. Nothing yet from the other 16. And this is just the…
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How Dani Shapiro’s podcast, FAMILY SECRETS, inspired me to confront the shame of a family secret and write my memoir.
In 2019, I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumour and had surgery to have it removed. The surgery, though traumatic, went very well and all the pathology came back completely cancer-free. A relief, an immense blessing. Following my surgery, I spent several months at home quietly recuperating, which forced me to take time to…
Novice Memoirist 