‘When you will make an end of it?’ – Pope Julius II in The Agony and the Ecstacy

by | Jul 7, 2011 | Canadian novel writing, creative writing, final draft, novel in progress, novel writing, revision, rewriting, Rewriting the novel, second draft, Uncategorized, writing, writing fiction, writing process, Writing retreats

It is day four at Maryholme Retreat Centre on Lake Simcoe and I have just completed another full edit of my novel, Weather Vane. I have been hearing the voices that say bad words in my head again. I heard them and I kept walking over the lawns with my clipboard and my...

What is this Story About?

by | May 26, 2011 | Canadian novel writing, character development, fiction, literary writing, literature, novel in progress, novel writing, revision, rewriting, Rewriting the novel, writing fiction

Lilacs bloom, filling the warm air with heady scent. How do you describe the smell of a lilac? Does it smell like wind and sun? Silt and grapes? Smell has to be described as something else.  A story of the heart has to be told as something else. When I first caught...

Retreats, and a snippet from Weather Vane

by | May 12, 2011 | Canadian novel writing, critiquing, editing, fiction, final draft, literary writing, literature, memoir, novel, novel in progress, novel writing, revision, rewriting, Rewriting the novel, writing, writing fiction, writing groups, Writing retreats

As I prepare for five days on the shores of Lake Simcoe with Pat Schneider, I consider what I wish to accomplish on those dream-come-true days. Weather Vane has rounded a corner and is bouncing toward the finish line. It would be so lovely to dedicate most of my time...