What one writer learned in the first two years after being published . . .
The View from Two Years Post Published
Why write?
Motivation can be easy to find, but it’s hard to keep. Read this if you need a motivation top-up today.
Making every minute count
Some ways to make every minute count. In particular this post is dedicated to my dear friend Ray, a talented writer who was just speaking to me about how hard it can be to get back into ‘writer’s’ mind” and the flow of one’s project if you’ve spent time away from it.
Dinner Party 1
You are having a dinner party for writers and you can invite five writers — living or dead. Who do you invite and why?
Katherine Dunn, author of Geek Love
Because Geek Love is dark and beautiful and deeply creepy. I suspect she would have interesting things to say.
Mary Oliver, poet, Pulitzer Prize winner
Oliver is the author of one of my favourite twentieth century poems, “Wild Geese”. Here she reads it.
Because I am very glad I do not have to be good.
Anne Lamott, author of Imperfect Birds (and many other things)
Because she said “I thought such awful thoughts that I cannot even say them out loud because they would make Jesus want to drink gin straight out of the cat dish”.
Neal Stephenson, author of Reamde (and many other things)
Because the payoff in the final third of any of Stephenson’s novels is always always always worth what it took to get there as a reader. And because you gotta love a guy who encorporates ancient Sumerian mythology, virtual reality, and a vagina dentata apparatus being used as a personal safety device all in the same novel.
Angela Carter, author of Nights at the Circus (and many other things)
Because her take(s) on magic realism changed how I thought about the world, and now there is no going back.
Writing Prompt
You are having a dinner party for writers and you can invite five writers-
living or dead. Who do you invite and why? (My answers tomorrow).
Writing and Flow
You know that phenomena we experience sometimes? Where we sit down to write or draw or play music, then look up and realize it’s five hours later? It’s called flow. Read more . . .
Take your writing to the next level
Booming Ground is UBC’s non-credit Creative Writing program, run by graduate students in UBC’s Creative Writing MFA Program. A Booming Ground mentorship offers you the chance to work one-on-one with an experienced writer in one of a wide variety of genres. This unique online mentorship allows you to write and receive feedback from anywhere in the world
Federation of BC Writers Young Writer’s Conference
Federation of BC Writers Young Writer’s Conference
Saturday March 7
12 pm- 4 pm
Surrey Public Library, Room 418
Entrance by at-the-door donation to Youth Food Bank (suggested donation $5 or 2 non-perishable items). All proceeds to Purpose Society Youth Food Bank. Seating is limited, please pre-register via chloe.a.cocking@gmail.com
Three workshops by youth for youth
Cody Shaw- Creating a Graphic Novel
Try your hand at sequential storytelling! This workshop is for people who are interested in visual storytelling, and want to learn to communicate with more than just words. Get started with some simple exercises and get used to a new way of getting through to readers!
Mingshu Dong- Character and Dialogue
Learn how to develop well-rounded and realistic characters for your story. Focus will be on character creation, and dialogue. Learn how to write dialogue that fits specific characters and using dialogue to show instead of tell in a story.
Yilin Wang- Setting
How do you create a fresh and vivid setting that leaves a lasting impression on your readers? Come explore the art of creating setting through this hands-on, interactive workshop. We’ll discuss ways to generate setting ideas, deepen your understanding of the story world, and use sensory details in your writing.
The winner of the VBT Memorial Emerging Youth Writer Award will be announced and the prize awarded. Coffee/tea and light refreshments will be served.
Chloe Cocking 
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