Search the Site

Author Archive

Writer’s Block song from Debs and Errol

Writer’s Block by DebsAndErrol Above: A fun song from Debs & Errol (a.k.a. Deborah Linden & Errol Elumir). Errol & Deborah are looking for new song ideas, by the way. If you’d like them to come up with some more writing-related songs, do go over to their CD Song Contest page and post your song ideas! . . .




Interview: Hélène Boudreau on book tours, writing, promotion and MERMAIDS

Toronto author Hélène Boudreau writes fiction and nonfiction for children and young adults. I first met Hélène at a Torkidlit group tweetup and have continued to be impressed by her never-ending positive creative energy, ability to juggle multiple projects AND her online promotion skills. Her tween novel, Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings  was . . .



Torkidlit Tweetup: May 4th

I had a lot of fun at last night’s tweetup of the Toronto Area Middle Grade & Young Adult Author Group. We’ve moved to a new location: The Bedford Academy near Avenue Road and Bloor. The place has a laid-back pub atmosphere; I recognized it from when I attended the National Cartoonists’ Christmas . . .




Using Story A Day May and NaPiBoWriWee To Brainstorm Book Ideas

At first I was torn between participating in Story A Day May and NaPiBoWriWee, but then I realized that I can do both. I’m using these two challenges to come up a month’s worth of picture book story ideas. I’m aiming for an average on one picture book story a day. These stories . . .



Carmella Van Vleet on writing nonfiction & SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD

I feel very lucky to be part of the MiG Writers’ Critique Group. Recently, one of our members debuted a nonfiction book: SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD– Discover Amazing Monuments To Civilizations. Carmella Van Vleet was kind (or brave?) enough to let her fellow MiG writers interview her. Do visit our MiG Writers’ blog for . . .



Paula Yoo and National Picture Book Writing Week (NaPiBoWriWee)

National Picture Book Writing Week starts tomorrow! Founder Paul Yoo explains the event… What exactly is NaPiBoWriWee? NaPiBoWriWee stands for National Picture Book Writing Week. The goal is to write 7 picture books in 7 days. I have to clarify this by stating that I do NOT think picture book writing is . . .



Julie Duffy on the Story A Day May Challenge

Starting Sunday, May 1st: Story A Day May Challenge! Founder of the challenge, Julie Duffy, was kind enough to answer a few questions about the event for me: What exactly IS Story A Day May? Story A Day is creativity challenge for writers: write (and finish)a short story every day in May. . . .



Inspiration from Libba Bray

Love this quote from Libba Bray’s latest blog post: This is the magic/curse of writing: That in crafting your fiction, you leave yourself open to sudden moments of unguarded truth, and you have to be willing to tolerate that again and again. You have to keep raising your sword and charging, . . .