Category Archives: Writing

A funny thing happened with my daughter last week. It has me thinking about characters in kids’ books, and the things they do. Sarah is a swimmer — a pretty good one. She’s involved with the local swimming team’s pre-competitive … Continue reading →

There are things I was thinking of blogging about today — about the mess that is my manuscript and the folly of posting goals in a space as public as a blog. About a large publisher’s recent decision to take … Continue reading →

It’s getting close to submission time for Tyler’s Intergalactic Spy Squad. (Title change!) And as a result, I’ve been something of a non-productive, panicky mess for the past few weeks. On the plus side, I got lots of Christmas knitting … Continue reading →

Yesterday was CANSCAIP’s annual Packaging Your Imagination conference in Toronto. I try to make it every year if I can–even the year that I was eight-and-three-quarters months pregnant and not at all sure I’d be able to pop myself free of … Continue reading →

I’m learning how to knit socks. It’s still very much a work in progress. In the picture, you can see my two current projects. The one on the right is for my mom. She has knit me some lovely socks, … Continue reading →

Last weekend my daughter and I took a road trip. A good friend of mine was celebrating his fortieth birthday. This friend, Paul, is someone I’ve known my entire life; his parents are my parents’ best friends. He and his … Continue reading →

Today my friend Sue and I had a random meeting with Maggie Stiefvater! We were at Mabel’s Fables, one of our favourite children’s bookstores in Toronto, planning to look at books and then go for lunch together. On the way … Continue reading →

Two weeks ago, I was in Port Joli, Nova Scotia, for a week-long writing workshop/retreat led by Peter Carver and Kathy Stinson. It was a wonderful experience, and I’m grateful to the Saskatchewan Arts Board and the Access Copyright Foundation … Continue reading →

Last week, I finished a new draft of a book I’ve been working on for some time, Tyler’s Intergalactic Spy School. It isn’t a book launch. It isn’t a contract. It isn’t even done yet — this is just one … Continue reading →

The other day I had lunch with an old friend. Talk turned, as it usually does sooner or later, to books. My friend isn’t a bookavore; she reads for pleasure, but doesn’t often have the time for it. When she … Continue reading →