Things that inspire me to write #94: My fifteen year-old diary

I filled a lot of scruffy looking notebooks like this one with observations and thoughts on life throughout my teenage years–such as this one from my second trip to Japan at 17. And yes, the pack-rat that I am I still have most of them. A few months ago I hauled them out of my storage unit […]

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Things that inspire me to write #95: Camilla Gibb

“ So, when are you going to start your Phd?” That was the first thing people asked me after I finished my master’s of education degree several years ago–and I never knew quite how to answer them. On the one hand, it almost seemed inevitable that I should continue on the path I had started and work towards a […]

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Things that inspire me to write #96: 1000 awesome things blog

Reading Neil Pasricha’s blog about all the things he’s grateful for is definitely a smile-rising experience, but it’s the story of the blogs creation that captivates me most. According to a radio interview I heard on CBC with the author, Neil first set a goal of 1000 hits for his blog–and when he met that […]

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Things that inspire me to write #97: Running

My legs are pumping, my feet are pounding and my heart is dancing in my chest like one of those dapper kids at the Robson square swing night. I don’t know exactly why or how–maybe it’s the faster than usual movement of blood or the sudden uptake of oxygen I can always think much clearer […]

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Things that inspire me to write #98: How I live now

We have all read books that changed our lives, and for me one of those was Meg Rosoff’s How I live now, which made me first realize that there was more to Young Adult fiction than Sweet Valley High–and that I might just want to contribute to it. Yes, it is that excellent. Even now, several years later, […]

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Things that inspire me to write #99: Margaret Atwood

There is nothing quite like reading a really good author to fuel one’s creative juices–however that’s not why I have included Mrs Atwood here. What I really find inspiring about the lady is her attitude. I saw her for the first time yesterday at the Vancouver Writer’s Festival and was impressed  by her humor and humbleness. Despite her amazing […]

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Things that inspire me to write #100: The Vancouver Writer’s Fest #writersfest

Could there be a better way to kick off my Mental Gatorade challenge  than spending the day at the Vancouver Writer’s festival? What I love about this festival is the opportunity to hear authors and publisher talk about writing like it matters, like it means something–like when I am sitting alone at my computer I […]

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Mental gatorade: 100 things that inspire me to write

Writing is hard: the rejection part, the critique part, and just the sitting down to do it part (especially when you have experienced a lot of the first two) Since completing my latest novel manuscript I have been finding it especially difficult to get back at it. Which brings me to this: a daily challenge to list […]

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Writing and the hunger for swine blood

Congrats to me. Like some angry bird with a hate on for smirking pigs, I have just launched yet another manuscript (my third) into the publishing stratosphere. And it was not easy. Sure, there was a lot of work involved–especially when combined with my many new mommy duties–but that really wasn’t the hardest part. The hardest part for me: […]

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Twitter-ature lied to me

Argh. Just got an email from my agent telling me that more work needs to be done on my second ever attempt at novel writing and I have to admit, I am very, very disapointed. Some may call me impatient, and maybe I am, but hey–it’s not my fault! Micro-fiction, one-day book writing contests, and twitter-ature. […]

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