Writer's Progress

1000 novels everyone must read: the definitive list: Part 1

2009-02-22T22:19:00.004-05:00

A month ago the Guardian, a UK newspaper, published a list of the 1,000 novels that everyone must read. I’ve read 64 of the listed novels - nothing like a list like this to make you feel that you have been doing nothing with your time and have been been reading all the wrong things. Curiously enough according to this list, I’m most well read in the science fiction/fantasy category! Love was a close second. Apparently, I like escapism in my reading.

Here is part 1 of the list (the books crossed out are the ones I've read).

Comedy

Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
Money by Martin Amis 
The Information by Martin Amis 
The Bottle Factory Outing by Beryl Bainbridge 
According to Queeney by Beryl Bainbridge
 Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes 
~~A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters by Julian Barnes~~ 
Augustus Carp, Esq. by Himself: Being the Autobiography of a Really Good Man by Henry Howarth Bashford 
Molloy by Samuel Beckett 
Zuleika Dobson by Max Beerbohm 
The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow 
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett 
Queen Lucia by EF Benson 
The Ascent of Rum Doodle by WE Bowman
A Good Man in Africa by William Boyd The History Man by Malcolm Bradbury No Bed for Bacon by Caryl Brahms and SJ Simon
Illywhacker by Peter Carey 
A Season in Sinji by JL Carr

The Harpole Report by JL Carr
The Hearing Trumpet by Leonora Carrington 
Mister Johnson by Joyce Cary
The Horse's Mouth by Joyce Cary
~~Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes~~  Well, I've read half of it.
The Case of the Gilded Fly by Edmund Crispin
Just William by Richmal Crompton 
The Provincial Lady by EM Delafield 
Slouching Towards Kalamazoo by Peter De Vries 
The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens
Jacques the Fatalist and his Master by Denis Diderot
A Fairy Tale of New York by JP Donleavy 
The Commitments by Roddy Doyle 
Ennui by Maria Edgeworth 
Cheese by Willem Elsschot 
~~Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding~~ 
Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding 
~~Tom Jones by Henry Fielding~~ 
Caprice by Ronald Firbank 
Bouvard et Pécuchet by Gustave Flaubert
Towards the End of the Morning by Michael Frayn
The Polygots by William Gerhardie 
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons 
Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol
Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov
~~The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame~~ 
Brewster's Millions by Richard Greaves (George Barr McCutcheon)
Squire Haggard's Journal by Michael Green
Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene
Travels with My Aunt by Graham Greene
Diary of a Nobody by George Grossmith 
The Little World of Don Camillo by Giovanni Guareschi
~~The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon~~ 
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller 
Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House by Eric Hodgkins 
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
I Served the King of England by Bohumil Hrabal 
The Lecturer's Tale by James Hynes 
Mr Norris Changes Trains by Christopher Isherwood 
The Mighty Walzer Howard by Jacobson
Pictures from an Institution by Randall Jarrell 
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome
Finnegans Wake by James Joyce
The Castle by Franz Kafka 
Lake Wobegon Days by Garrison Keillor 
Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov 
The Debt to Pleasure by John Lanchester
L'Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane (Gil Blas) Alain-René Lesage 
Changing Places by David Lodge
Nice Work by David Lodge
The Towers of Trebizond by Rose Macaulay
England, Their England by AG Macdonell
Whisky Galore by Compton Mackenzie
Memoirs of a Gnostic Dwarf by David Madsen
Cakes and Ale - Or, the Skeleton in the Cupboard by W Somerset Maugham 
Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin 
Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney
Puckoon by Spike Milligan 
The Restraint of Beasts by Magnus Mills 
Charade by John Mortimer
Titmuss Regained by John Mortimer 
Under the Net by Iris Murdoch
Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov
Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov 
Fireflies by Shiva Naipaul 
The Sacred Book of the Werewolf by Victor Pelevin 
La Disparition by Georges Perec
Les Revenentes by Georges Perec 
La Vie Mode d'Emploi by Georges Perec 
My Search for Warren Harding by Robert Plunkett
A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell 
A Time to be Born by Dawn Powell
Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
Less Than Angels by Barbara Pym
Zazie in the Metro by Raymond Queneau 
Solomon Gursky Was Here by Mordecai Richler 
Alms for Oblivion by Simon Raven
Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth 
The Westminster Alice by Saki 
The Unbearable Bassington by Saki
Hurrah for St Trinian's by Ronald Searle 
Great Apes by Will Self 
Porterhouse Blue by Tom Sharpe
Blott on the Landscape by Tom Sharpe 
Office Politics by Wilfrid Sheed 
Belles Lettres Papers: A Novel by Charles Simmons 
Moo by Jane Smiley 
Topper Takes a Trip by Thorne Smith 
The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom by Tobias Smollett 
The Adventures of Roderick Random by Tobias Smollett
The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle by Tobias Smollett
The Expedition of Humphry Clinker by Tobias Smollett 
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark 
The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark 
The Driver's Seat by Muriel Spark
Loitering with Intent by Muriel Spark
A Far Cry from Kensington by Muriel Spark 
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne 
White Man Falling by Mike Stocks
Handley Cross by RS Surtees
A Tale of a Tub by Jonathan Swift
Penrod by Booth Tarkington 
The Luck of Barry Lyndon by William Makepeace Thackeray
Before Lunch by Angela Thirkell 
Tropic of Ruislip by Leslie Thomas
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole 
Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope
Venus on the Half-Shell by Kilgore Trout
The Mysterious Stranger by Mark Twain 
The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike
Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut 
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh
Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh
Black Mischief by Evelyn Waugh 
~~Scoop by Evelyn Waugh~~ 
The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh 
A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh
The Life and Loves of a She-Devil by Fay Weldon 
Tono Bungay by HG Wells 
Molesworth by Geoffrey Willans and Ronald Searle 
The Wimbledon Poisoner by Nigel Williams
Anglo-Saxon Attitudes by Angus Wilson 
Something Fresh by PG Wodehouse
Piccadilly Jim by PG Wodehouse 
Thank You Jeeves by PG Wodehouse 
Heavy Weather by PG Wodehouse 
The Code of the Woosters by PG Wodehouse 
Joy in the Morning by PG Wodehouse

Stayed tuned for part 2.

Top 10 Tech Picks

2007-12-22T22:30:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it is the time of the year when you look back on the past year and reflect on what has transpired. This was a big year for me in terms of technology - I finally became friends with all the technology that has entered my life. Here are my top 10 tech picks for 2007.

1. MacBook Pro - I finally made the switch from horrible, cranky Windows PC systems and it is amazing! Finally, a computer I can be friends with. It does what I want and it isn't painful! Long live Mac! Down with PC!
2. IWork '08 - This is of course related to number 1. I was thrilled to learn that I didn't have to use Microsoft Office and still have access to powerful word processing, presentation and spreadsheet software. It is lean, mean and gives you just what you want. No fat! And for only $79 (CDN) it beats the pants off Office.
3. Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi DSLR camera. I've had a digital point and shoot camera for a couple of years, but was frustrated by its limitations. Along with some Canon lens and a great light weight tripod from Manfrotto, there isn't anything I can't shoot. Plus, it impresses the pants off everyone - I look like a professional!
4. iPod Nano - Okay, I've had this first generation Nano for a couple of years now, but I bought it originally to connect to a PC. It was always frustrating trying to get it to connect to iTunes. I plugged into my new Mac and viola! Music! I'm old enough to have owned a Walkman (with cassettes!) and thought it was cool! MP3 technology is brilliant. Kids today are spoiled. They can carry around 500-1000 songs and think nothing of it. They have no idea what it is like to be stuck with 10 songs, or carry around a stack of cassettes - that occasionally got jammed.
5. Adobe Creative Suite CS3 - I do a lot of graphic design and photo editing, especially in my work. This industry-leading software just keeps getting better - especially for Mac. (see #1)
6. USB thumb drives - Makes it a snap to transfer a gig or two of songs, files,etc. As I was transferring some files the other day and had a flash back to my first computer, a Commodore 64. I was on the cutting edge of technology with a 5 1/4 inch disk drive! Remember floppy diskettes?
7. HP Photosmart printer/copier/scanner - This printer creates excellent quality printouts and borderless photos. Plus, the built-in card reader makes it a snap to print out photos without even having to turn on the computer.
8. Mac Mighty Mouse - Apple is all about smart design and smart function. This wireless mouse works on bluetooth technology. It is a snap to set up and no transmitter taking up a USB port.
9. YouTube - You can watch anything at anytime. Broadcasting made democratic. Even my mother has discovered YouTube and sends me links to funny videos.
10. Facebook - I resisted joining the social networking movement for quite awhile thinking it was just a silly time waster. Well, it is a silly time waster, but I have connected and reconnected to a number of old friends that has led to real world connections.

Out of Balance

2007-10-18T23:48:00.000-04:00

I've been extremely busy in my day job lately. Thankfully things are starting to settle down - a little bit. Right now I'm feeling tired and a little burnt out. I've been so caught up in my work that it took someone else to recognize that i'm on the verge of burn out. So, I'm taking some time off next week to hang out with my father and look after myself.

This period of extreme busyness has made me recognize that I let my work, or family issues, or volunteer, or whatever, to dominate my life at any given time. It doesn't matter what it is - it takes over. I haven't given myself very much time to pursue my passions - writing, photography, sketching, reading great books, connecting with my friends. I need to find a way to restore balance permanently to my life and not let any one part of my life take over.

Any tips?

P.S. I'm thinking about doing this for the month of November.

I'm Back, and a Mac Convert

2007-10-15T22:44:00.000-04:00

Yep, I'm back after a very long hiatus. It has been a long time away from blogging, a long time away from being creative, but now I'm back. I've got photography projects on the go, writing projects percolating and plans for a new website.

I've also the proud owner of a spanking new Macbook Pro! I've converted to Mac and I can see why it is almost a religion with people. Macs are so much better than PCs. The great esthetics, the smart design and interface. It is so easy to use! Programs speedy and fun to use. Plus, I bought mine at the Mac store and the service is fantastic. I've bought a number of computers over the years and this was a completely different experience. Instead of listing off the list of specs, the sales clerk wanted to know how I was going to use my computer and then suggested a model that would meet my needs. I wasn't pushed to buy more than I needed. Actually, I wasn't pushed at all. I was presented some options and choose what I felt was best. No pressure. The sales clerk took the time to answer all my questions and gave me fantastic service. When you buy a Mac they will even transfer the files from your old Mac or PC - free! Oh and for a small amount, you can get weekly sessions one-on-one sessions to help learn how to use your Mac or even help you do projects like create a DVD. I'm hooked! And never buying another PC. This girl won't be singing the Vista blues!

Still Here!

2007-05-06T22:11:00.000-04:00

Sooke Potholes Regional Park, Vancouver Island, British Columbia

I've returned! I spent the last two weeks on Vancouver Island visiting my Dad. We passed the time hiking through the forest, kayaking on the lake, watching bald eagles soar and even had high tea at the Empress Hotel. I fell in love with BC and and I'm finding it hard to back in the big city so far away from the wilderness.

I fell in love with the west coast rain forest. Vancouver Island is so lush and green. The forests are dominated by huge Douglas fir and cedar trees that are shrowded in moss. We went for a hike in the Cathedral Grove - an old growth forest. The size of the trees is absolutely mind boggling. The trunk of some of these giants was over 6 feet in diameter!

I took over 400 pictures during my trip and it will take awhile to go through all of them. I've got lots of material for paintings. Stay tuned!

Time Consumed

2007-04-12T22:31:00.000-04:00

I haven't been posting here as much as I would like. I've been taking a pretty intensive French language class for the last couple of months. Thankfully the class wrapped up with the final exam Monday night. I really want to learn another language, but man it takes up a lot of time!

I also have to admit that I'm not very good at balance. I find it pretty easy to let one part of my life - work or school - to take over every part of my life. I end up not giving myself the time to continue other pursuits, like writing or photography. I almost feel I need to go back to Week 4: Uncovering a Sense of Balance. I need to really organize my time and give myself permission to continue doing things that are good for me. Trying to live a more grounded, spiritual life is harder than it seems.

An Artist's Date with Emily Carr

2007-03-29T22:09:00.000-04:00

For my artist's date this week, I went to see the Emily Carr exibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Emily Carr, who died in 1946, created moving paintings of the landscape and Native culture of British Columbia. She was a fiercely passionate woman who escaped the confines of Victorian society to paint in the remote wilderness of Northern British Columbia. She lived alone her entire life and never married. In her latter years, she was somewhat eccentric - living with a menagerie of cats, dogs and a pet monkey named Woo.

In some ways the world that Emily Carr was trying to capture in the 1920s and 30s wasn't all that different than now. She rushed to capture in her paintings the native villages before assimilation destroyed the culture and the wilderness before logging decimated the forests. Native cultures and old growth forests continue to teeter on the edge.

I was especially moved by her paintings that captured the spiritual aspects of the Native totem poles and wilderness scenes. If you have ever had the pleasure to walk deep into a forest, you know that there is an energy, an aliveness in the forest that is extraordinary.

Next month I am going on holidays to Vancouver Island, British Columbia and I'm really looking forward to seeing the land that so inspired this artist.

50 Accomplishments

2007-03-17T22:53:00.000-04:00

Inspired by Leah, I decided to tackle the Divining Rod exercise by listing 50 accomplishments. At first it was hard to come up with accomplishments, but then ideas starting coming to me. At first I think I was hung up on the idea that accomplishments had to be big and public, but an accomplishment can be something small and private as long as it is important to you.

Completing my OACs (university prep courses) while working full-time.
Paying my own way through university and college.
Graduating from university.
Graduating with honours from college even though I was tempted to drop out a couple of times.
Getting my driver's license.
Winning a silver medal at a figure skating competition.
Landing an axel jump in skating.
Getting help for depression.
Building a healthy relationship with my father.
Getting through major back surgery, twice.
Learning to sail.
Standing up for myself when I was laid off from a job.
Getting published.
Joining a gym.
Working with a personal trainer.
Doing squats with 50 lbs - 1/2 of my body weight.
Buying a guitar and learning to play.
Landing the job I have now.
Paying off my student loans.
Returning to skating afer back surgery.
Confronting my body image issues.
Standing up to my gym teacher - a bully.
Coming up with the idea to award school spirit with a pendant with my high school's logo on it.
Challenging my 12th grade economics teacher for his teaching methods.
Passing OAC calculus after flunking it the first time around.
Getting a power drill and doing my own home repairs.
Forgave my mother.
Built my own website.
Designed a website for a club that is still up.
Took a drawing course at the art gallery.
Maintaining friendships with two dear girls I used to work with.
Volunteering at an animal shelter to bottle-feed orphaned kittens.
Ran an Amnesty International group in university.
Raised my kitty Zoey.
Moved to Toronto by myself when I was 19.
Quitting my job to go to university.
Performed in an ice skating show on New Year's Eve.
Learned to meditate.
Heard the Dalai Lama speak.
Writing about my experiences with spina bifida for the spina bifida association magazine.
Maintaining a regular yoga practice.
Learning graphic design.
Being trusted to take watches to sail my family's sailboat from the Bahamas to Florida at night.
Building a strong relationship with my sister.
Saying good-bye to a guy who was really bad for me.
Travelling to Trinidad by myself.
Exploring Amsterdam by myself.
Kept a diary/journal since age 12.
Money in my bank account.
Dyed my hair red.

Artist's Date

2007-03-14T22:06:00.001-04:00

I'm working from home this week due to office renovations so I have a bit more freedom this week than usual. My back has been really stiff and sore this week so I decided to take care of myself and get a massage.

I found a new massage therapist who was just wonderful. I listened to beautiful classical music while she kneeded out all of the sore, stiff muscles. I was born with spina bifida and have scoliosis (curved spin) so I'm very familiar with back pain. I was intruduced to massage therapy two years ago after having major back surgery - now I wonder why I didn't go sooner! It is great and really helps to keep me pain free and moving.

I ended up looking after two aspects of Finding Water - self care and an Artist's Date. I've struggled with the Artist's Date because it seems frivolous and time consuming. I have to really get my head around the idea that an Artist's Date can be really good for me - my body, mind and soul.

Week 3 Check In

2007-03-10T21:04:00.000-05:00

Morning Pages
I only did them four times this week. It was a week of staying up late, waking up too late and not giving myself enough time to do my pages or much else in the morning. My emotions came to a head this week - a realization that things can't go on as they have. I need to be more organized, give myself time to do the things I want to do and things I must do.

Artist's Date
I did take the time to take an Artist's Date this week. Not very imaginative, but I went to a discount bookstore and bought a couple of books. I then sat in a comfortable coffee shop, sipped a latte and read. This is something I used to do all the time but hardly ever do anymore. It was nice to just take some time for myself and read beautiful words.

Weekly Walk
I walked a couple of times this week, but a sore back and icy conditions made it hard to be meditative - mostly just thinking about staying on my feet.

The issue for this week was priority setting. It is so easy to stay busy doing the things I need to do or procrastinate. It is so easy to shy away from tough emotional issues. One of the books I bought today was The Invitation by Oriah. This quote struck me as being especially true:

I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.

Week 4 is about uncovering a sense of balance. As always Julia Cameron has anticpated exactly what is needed.

Artist's Date

2007-02-28T22:48:00.000-05:00

I went on my first Artist's Date last weekend. I headed over to a local indoor market and spent on hour or so taking pictures of vegetables. I wasn't feeling very inspired - until I heard the drumming. To commemorate Chinese New Year's, Chinese dragons and drummers were making their way through the market stopping to perform at some of the stalls. I took over 50 pictures, but many of them didn't turn out very well. But, it doesn't really matter though, because I left the market feeling rejuvenated.

That's is one of the things I love about the city I live in - it is so culturally diverse and you just never know what is going to appear around the corner.

Week 1 Reflections

2007-02-23T23:29:00.000-05:00

The first week of Finding Water is drawing to a close and it is time to reflect. This week has been absolutely nuts. It has been a real challenge to fit in Morning Pages - especially since I'm not a morning person. I did manage to do the Walk. I live in downtown Toronto so I walk everywhere, but I'm walking somewhere - to the gym, to the subway, to get grocery. It was harder to fit in a Walk that didn't have an errand at the end of it. However, on Wednesday I went to a work-related workshop after work, but had an hour and a half to kill before it started. I got off the subway many stops early and took a slow, meandering walk through the campus of the University of Toronto.

I graduated from U of T nearly ten years ago, but haven't been on campus for over a year. As I walked along I took time to admire the old stone buildings covered in ivy. (Those old buildings was one of the reasons I decided to go to U of T - probably not the best way to decide where to go to school, but it worked for me!) I also marvelled at the new glass-clad buildings that have sprung up since I was a student. Students loaded down with knapsacks and with cell phones glued to their heads hurried past me. It all brought back memories of my own student days rushing to class or being buried under books at the library. It was a treat to enjoy campus without feeling stressed about the workload.

I think university campuses are optimistic places - filled with young people the beginning of their adult lives, feeling empowered by knowledge and watching the world open up before them. I remember feeling like it was possible to do anything I wanted in life. I guess, by trying to be more creative, I hope to can regain that feeling of possibility.

Even though I've done the Artist's Way and am familiar with Morning Pages, Artist's Date and going for walk, this week has highlighted just how much of a commitment this is. My lesson from this week is that doing Finding Water and having a more creative life is that it is not about adding one more thing to my busy life - it is about changing my habits, changing my life style.

Finding Water

2007-02-17T00:16:00.000-05:00

Today I'm joining the Finding Water online community. For the next 12 weeks I've committed to working through Finding Water: The Art of Perserverance by Julia Cameron.

A couple of years ago I did the Artist's Way. It was a classic case of synchronicity. I was thinking of rekindling my interest in writing when suddenly I began hearing about the Artist's Way everywhere I turned. My stepmother, a professional photographer, raved about the book and gave a copy of it to my sister, who was trying to find her way back into painting. I was intrigued, but didn't really seek out the book. Then my best friend started talking about the book and that she would like to do it with a couple of other people. I jumped at the chance. Another mutual friend was also interested in doing the course, so the three of us began meeting once a week to discuss the exercises at the end of each chapter and share our experiences.

It really was a life-altering experience. I learned so much about myself and about my two friends in those twelve weeks. For the first couple of weeks, we met at a local Starbucks and kept our discussion close to the questions. But as the weeks progressed we really began to open up to each other - and to ourselves. All three of us became more creative during that time. It wasn't so much that we did more creative projects - writing, painting, etc. We became more creative in our day to day lives - chosing unusual ingredients to make supper, buying unique, interesting clothes. Even our weekly Artist's Way meeting became more creative. For our last meeting, we met at a park on an island in the city's harbour - truly a natural oasis in the middle of an urban landscape. We laid in the grass eating a picnic lunch, watching the birds and talking about our creative aspirations.

But creativity is a funny thing - if you don't use it, you lose it. Over the last year, I've stalled in my writing, in my art, in my photography - in my life. I need a kick start. Once again, more synchonicity. I was in the bookstore the other night when I noticed Finding Water on display at the end of an isle. I was going to walk right by this section, but somehow the book called out to me. I was interested to see that Julia Cameron had another book out, flipped through it and put it back on the shelf, telling myself I'd think about buying it and come back another night. Later that evening, I was reading one of my favourite blogs, Creativity Every Day, when Finding Water and the online community was mentioned. I knew this was going to be the kick start I needed. The next night I returned to the bookstore bought the book and a colourful new journal to go with it.

I guess my first lesson is that you will be presented with whatever it is you need. You just have to recognize and accept it.

Everything is Illuminated Book Review

2005-11-13T16:00:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer, a young American writer. After I got over my jealousy (he is a couple of years younger than me and has published two very successful novels), I settled to down to read this unusual book. It tells the story of a young man, also named Jonathan Safran Foer, who travels to the Ukraine to look for the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis during the Second World War. The story is partly narrated by Foer and partly by Alex, a Ukrainian translator who speaks in a brilliantly butchered English. Throughout the book, I marveled at the author's ability to write such rich and moving prose. The butchered English passages by Alex are hysterical and still easy to understand. While there are many novels that focus on those who suffered under the Nazi regime, this novel is unique in style and content. I highly recommend it.

Poem Published

2005-10-25T10:32:00.000-04:00

I've been published once again. My poem "The Old Man" has been published on the Oct/Nov issue of All Things Girl. Check it out!

Writing Books

2005-09-20T12:54:00.000-04:00

I've read many of the writing books on the market. Writing books break down into to rough categories: those that inspire you to lead the "writing life" and those that help you with the actual writing process. Here are a few that I have found helpful.

When I first started thinking about taking my writing more seriously, I read a pile of "writing life" books and I found many of them to be helpful. I loved The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. I think everyone who aspires to a career in the arts, or just wants to live a more creative life should read this book. The book sets up a twelve-week program to help you think about yourself, your ailities and your time. I've gone through this book twice and learned a lot about myself each time. Another great book is Writing Done the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. She applies a Zen Buddhist approach to writing and advocates a type of stream of consciousness writing process. The approach really frees you up and I've always been surprised by the results.

A great book that looks at both the writing life and the writing process is Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott. This is a beautifully written book that is really inspiring and presents advice that will help you improve your writing. I've read the book twice and have loved it each time. One piece of advice that she gives is to write "shitty first drafts." The idea is to just write that chapter or that article, get it out, and then worry about the finer points like grammar and punctuation. It is always easier to work with something written than sitting in front of a blank page waiting for just the write words to come to you.

I haven't found as many good books on the writing process. This is probably because there is no one firm idea of good writing. For every set of rules that have ever been composed, there has been a literary writer who has broken them brilliantly. One book I did enjoy was A Passion for Narrative by Jack Hodgins. Hodgins is a respected Canadian literary writing and creative writing teacher at the University of Victoria. I have found his advice on character, plot and point of view to be especially helpful. There have been a number of grammar and punctuation books that I've found helpful, including Woe is I by Patricia O'Conner and Sin and Syntax by Constance Hale. I also enjoyed Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Trusse. It isn't really a guide book, but it is a lot of fun.

Welcome!

2005-09-05T13:19:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my little patch of the Internet! After much hemming and hawwing, I've decided to make my private journey towards becoming a successful writer public. I've been inspired by the websites of Alec, Kate and Kerri to share my story. Over the years, I've been moved by their struggles and triumphs and I've decided to give back to the Web community by sharing my thoughts, tips, resources, etc. on the writing life.

Here I will share my adventures in becoming a writer of fiction, poetry and freelance journalism. I've wanted to be a writer since I was ten-years-old and read the Little House on the Prairie books. I believed that if Laura Ingalls Wilder, a pioneer woman with little formal education could write books, than so could I. Over the years I have had some success. I had my first article published in a sailing magazine when I was fifteen-years-old. I've had poetry and journalism published in a number of magazines and newspapers, including Canada's national newspaper The Globe and Mail. Most recently, I've had an article entitled In Praise of Dependence publshed on MosaicMinds.