Finishing a novel: Are we there yet?

Finishing a novel: Are we there yet?

I finished a novel yesterday. Or did I? When do I declare it’s done? When I’ve completed the final chapter of the first draft? The final chapter of the last draft? (What the heck is a last draft, anyway?!) When I feel ready to send it to my agent? Bingo. I’ve decided...
A writing teacher writes me! (inspiring boys to write)

A writing teacher writes me! (inspiring boys to write)

When my sister Cynthia and I co-authored Jump-Starting Boys — our book on helping boys ages 7-17 read, write and achieve — we obviously hoped it would touch readers (parents, educators and mentors) positively. We especially hoped so given that the project,...
Twas the week before Christmas & a dark and storm night

Twas the week before Christmas & a dark and storm night

Well, okay, it was the week before the week before Christmas. But honestly, it was a dark and stormy night. As in, hurricane force winds. I was holed up in my cabin on a small island trying to finish my novel. Rain and wind whipped around me, making me wonder when a...
Calling all young Canadian writers & poets

Calling all young Canadian writers & poets

Calling young Canadian writers and poets!Announcing the Book Week 2015 WRITING CONTEST for Kids & TeensDo you love to write? Young writers from across Canada are invited to submit their stories and/or poems to the *Book Week 2015 Writing Contest for Kids &...
Beautiful whitewater kayaking

Beautiful whitewater kayaking

In twenty-five years of whitewater kayaking, I’ve seen and paddled many rivers, and enjoyed many films of whitewater kayaking. But this series takes my breath away. It’s what I can only call “beautiful...
Finishing a novel: Are we there yet?

First snow

The only thing more fun than the season’s first snow, is having a kitten who has never seen it before. First she ventured out and stopped dead in her tracks. Then she gingerly ventured onward to stick her face in a plant pot that normally has water. She emerged with a...