Reading time: About 2 minutes

Sarah Boon warns that writing a thousand words a day is no guarantee of a book by year’s end…

Sarah Boon is a freelance writer and editor. She has published essays, book reviews, author interviews, and articles in a range of magazines and journals, including Science, Nature, Longreads, Flyway Journal, Electric Literature, and others. She trained as an environmental scientist and held a tenured position in physical geography before returning to her writing and editing roots.

I was excited to talk to Sarah Boon about how she approaches writing. 

Q. Roughly how much time do you spend writing every day?

One to two hours when I can.

Q. What’s a simple activity or habit that makes you a better writer?

Journalling. It opens up my mind to new ideas and I often find I come up with solutions to particularly gnarly issues in the pieces I’m working on.

Q.  What interferes with your writing?

My mental illness. On many days I just can’t write, or one hour feels really long because I don’t have the capacity to write. Some days I just have to say, “no, today is not a writing day.”

Q.  How do you persuade yourself to sit down to write on days when you really, really DON’T feel like doing it?

I think about the days I can’t write because of my illness, and decide that I need to make the most of the time I have to write. I need to get my butt in the chair and get to work while I can!

Q. Is there a particular motto or saying that you’ve found helpful for writing?

One year for Christmas, my nephew sent me a framed photo that said “write” in his childish handwriting. I keep it by my desk and look at it regularly. It’s very motivating. Another saying that helps me goes something like “You’re going to be living, anyway, so why not spend that time writing?”

Q. Which stage of the writing process do you enjoy the most: researching, writing or editing/rewriting and why?

I enjoy research and editing. I love reading books for research that transport me into the life of the author (I read a lot of memoirs and narrative nonfiction) and that spark something in my mind. And I enjoy editing because it’s so satisfying when you work hard on a paragraph or section that’s been eluding you and suddenly it clicks! It feels like magic. Writing is hard. I don’t mind it, but I have to say I enjoy researching and editing better.

Q. What’s one of the best books you’ve read (either fiction or non) in the last five years? 

First, James Bridle’s Ways of Being. A thoroughly engaging read about humans, computers, ecology, AI, and more. He has a particular way of braiding these topics together that you have to read it twice (or more times) to get it all. Next, Owls of the Eastern Ice, by Jonathan C. Slaght. It’s a fascinating narrative nonfiction book about his PhD fieldwork in Russia studying the Blakiston Fish Owl. Along the way he meets eccentric characters and encounters strange Russian traditions, all described in close detail. You feel as though you’re travelling with him across the remote lands of eastern Russia. Finally, Melissa Sevigny’s Brave the Wild River. It’s the forgotten story of two women who rafted the Grand Canyon in the 1950s to do a botanical survey of the area. Based on archival letters, journal entries, and more, it’s an exhilarating and fast-paced story that brings you into the action so you feel like you’re actually on the river with them.

Q. What book are you reading right now?

I’m reading Double Bind, an anthology edited by Robin Romm, about women and ambition, with essays from Roxane Gay and others. I’m finding it highly relevant to my situation—and that of many other women, and very applicable to my next book. I’m also reading Thirty Below, by Cassidy Randall, about an all-women team that summited Denali in 1970. It’s a fascinating look at the sexism inherent in the climbing community back then (which hasn’t changed much), the sheer physical and mental toughness needed to climb a mountain, and the relationships you have to build with your climbing team so that you can handle tough situations as a group.

Q. What do you think is the biggest misperception that new writers have about the act of writing?

That if you sit down and write a thousand words a day, you’ll have a book by the end of the year. They forget that those won’t be a thousand perfect words, but just words. You’ll have to take time to edit them and massage them into a coherent whole. You’ll have to rewrite, and rewrite again. So there goes your one-year book.

Sarah Boon blogs at Watershed Notes and lives and works on southern Vancouver Island, the traditional unceded territory of the Quwut’sun people.

Reading time: About 2 minutes

Jasmine Ruff says that writers shouldn’t fixate on form. She says she’s seen mediocre fiction writers become brilliant poets and vice versa….

Jasmine Ruff is a queer writer living in Vancouver —  the ancestral and unceded lands of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples. Her writing has been published in the Ex-Puritan, Foglifter, Plenitude, and elsewhere. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia.

I was excited to talk to Jasmine about how she approaches writing. 

Q. Roughly how much time do you spend writing every day?

I think of my writing more on a weekly basis rather than a daily basis. I have a four-day work week, so I usually have one day where I can dedicate a few quality hours to writing and then the rest of the week I’m lucky to catch fifteen minutes here or there. However, I consider reading to be part of the work of writing and I usually read every day.

Q. What’s a simple activity or habit that makes you a better writer?

Therapy.

Q. What interferes with your writing?

Drama.

Q. How do you persuade yourself to sit down to write on days when you really, really DON’T feel like doing it?

I get into bed with a cup of coffee and the treat aspect of that motivates me to get started.

Q. Is there a particular motto or saying that you’ve found helpful for writing?

The other day the Paris Review posted a James Baldwin quote that resonated with me: “You want to write a sentence as clean as a bone. That is the goal.”

Q. Which stage of the writing process do you enjoy the most: researching, writing or editing/rewriting and why?

I love the research/dreaming phase when everything about the idea seems shiny and exciting, but I also like when I’ve been working on a project for so long I can finally see the cracks.

Q. What’s one of the best books you’ve read (either fiction or non) in the last five years? 

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. Dykette by Jenny Fran Davis. A Good Happy Girl by Marissa Higgins.

Q. What book are you reading right now?

I’m reading two books at the moment—in part because I always have an audiobook on the go and something on my kindle. So right now, I’m listening to The God of the Woods by Liz Moore and reading Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

Q. What do you think is the biggest misperception that new writers have about the act of writing?

That you need to stick with the form you began writing in. I’ve seen mediocre fiction writers become brilliant poets and vice versa. I think experimenting with other forms only makes one a strong writer—and sometimes one finds a new and unexpected home.

You can find Jasmine Ruff on twitter and instagram @jasmineruff411.

Reading time: About two minutes

Sue Dvorak says that talking about writing is usually a mistake. Instead, it just burns up the drive you’ve had to do it…

Sue Dvorak is a physiotherapist and a mother of six now-adult children. She dabbled in writing on and off over the years, then four years ago, began writing what has turned out to be a book, her first. A narrative non-fiction memoir about parenting, Apparently This is what parenting feels like was published April 15. Sue lives in Vancouver, B.C..

I was excited to talk to Sue about how she approaches writing. 

Q. Roughly how much time do you spend writing every day?

I’ve learned the answer depends what phase of a project I’m in. During ‘actual writing’ or editing, an hour or more a day. Editing to a deadline, though, it’s a few multi-hour chunks spread throughout a day. Other tasks, such as research, reading about writing, or publishing, etc., I can squeeze in more randomly.

Q. What’s a simple activity or habit that makes you a better writer?

I’m a prayer-person, and I notice that a morning prayer time before writing puts me in a great head space and perspective for writing. I look at things more tangentially and critically somehow; I get more sparks. This has been a gradual discovery, a wonderful one.

Q. What interferes with your writing?

Other reasonable demands on my time that cannot be scheduled otherwise.

Q. How do you persuade yourself to sit down to write on days when you really, really DON’T feel like doing it?

At ‘writing time’ I look over the random notes I’m constantly writing to myself, on my phone or scribbled into a small, bright-coloured notebook. Reading those fragments of thought, superb vocab words, imagined dialogue, storyline connections, all rekindles the ideas that had me record them. This helps me begin.

Q. Is there a particular motto or saying that you’ve found helpful for writing?

“No one else ever has to read this. Just write.”

Q. Which stage of the writing process do you enjoy the most: researching, writing or editing/rewriting and why?

I like rewriting most: the satisfaction that comes with seeing and feeling a piece get better and better, carved out and polished. Less is almost always more.                                

Q. What’s one of the best books you’ve read (either fiction or non) in the last five years? [If you can’t narrow it down to one, please don’t give any more than three.]

Fiction: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Non-Fiction: This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett.

Q. What book are you reading right now?

None at the moment for various reasons.

Q. What do you think is the biggest misperception that new writers have about the act of writing?

I’d say the misperception that talking about your writing project helps you get it done – when the opposite is true. Talking about your writing burns up the drive you had to do it. Keep your ideas stewing in your head, and spill that bubbling pot with writing, not talking.

Reading time: About 2 minutes

Sarah WaterRaven says writing is no different from any other profession….

Sarah WaterRaven is an urban fantasy author who says she kills people and then distracts readers with pixies. She is the author of Detective Docherty and I Fell in Love with a Necromancer.

I was excited to talk to Sarah about how she approaches writing.

Q. Roughly how much time do you spend writing every day? 

I have a schedule for myself to write on certain days of the week. I typically write for one to three hours on those days. As a self-employed author, who also homeschools a young child, I may split those hours between morning and evening, but I always consider it a success if I get any writing done on a scheduled writing day.

Q. What’s a simple activity or habit that makes you a better writer? 

Scheduling writing for specific days and making sure I have multiple devices to write on. Even on days where everything goes wrong and I find myself in bed with little-to-no word count, if I can pull out my phone and write a couple of sentences before I fall asleep, I am that much closer to finishing.

Q. What interferes with your writing?
Working from home with a young child. My son is wonderful and can entertain himself for long periods of time, but being young, he needs help with meals, snacks, and potty breaks etc., so even during times I have slotted for writing, I have to anticipate interruptions. I know this will get easier as he gets older and I try not to sweat it. If I have to ask my husband to take him to bed so I can get writing in, I know I will have that help and can set work aside until then.

Q. How do you persuade yourself to sit down to write on days when you really, really DON’T feel like doing it? 

I listened to a podcast once where the guest said something along the lines of, “When you are self-employed, do one thing each day that either makes money or is working toward making money.” So, for example, when I open social media, I will pause and remind myself that I have to have more books out to promote them and make money. Once I’m refocused, I will pull up a playlist associated with my current work in progress, as well as any world-building and reference materials, and get my head back into writing gear.

Q. Is there a particular motto or saying that you’ve found helpful for writing? 

I don’t have a specific quote from someone that keeps me motivated, though there are a lot of great ones out there. What motivates me is the absolute need to create. If I do not do it, I am the one who suffers.

Q. Which stage of the writing process do you enjoy the most: researching, writing or editing/rewriting and why? 

Writing. Just watching the ribbon unravel as my story and characters come tumbling out. Other than holding a finished book in my hands, it has to be one of the best feelings in life.

Q. What’s one of the best books you’ve read (either fiction or non) in the last five years?
The Cruel Prince, The Fourth Wing, and the Seven Realms series.

Q. What book are you reading right now?
I’m currently reading Witch Hat Atelier, which is truly lovely.

Q. What do you think is the biggest misperception that new writers have about the act of writing? 

That writing is different from any other profession. It’s not. If you want to make writing your job, you need to treat it like one. Schedule the time and sit down and do it.

Reading time: About 2 minutes

Jen Frankel says the Oscar Wilde quote, “It’s better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating,” helps keep her grounded as a writer.

Jen Frankel is the author of the vegan zombie romantic satire Undead Redhead and the Blood & Magic series. Her work has appeared in anthologies in Canada and the US and in magazines like Analog and Amazing Stories. She also runs a small press, Xeno Productions, and hosts literary events in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario.

I was excited to talk to Jen about how she approaches writing. 

Q. Roughly how much time do you spend writing every day?

That’s a surprisingly tough question – I spend time every day thinking about stories and making notes, but I don’t have a set number of hours or words I put in every day. I’m a bit of a binge writer; when I’m deep in a project, I don’t do much else, and when I’m done one, I often take some time out.

Q. What’s a simple activity or habit that makes you a better writer?

Keeping my workspace simple. I have a lot of projects on the go at any one time, so it’s essential that all my notes and research are in one place.

Q. What interferes with your writing?

Life! But life also enhances my work, so it’s a wash.

Q. How do you persuade yourself to sit down to write on days when you really, really DON’T feel like doing it?

I don’t. If I’m not in a creative headspace, I’m going to produce substandard work. It’s better to do something else and let the work find me.

Q. Is there a particular motto or saying that you’ve found helpful for writing?

I have two quotes by my desk:

“Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom.” — Albert Einstein

“It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating.” —Oscar Wilde

One builds me up and the other keeps me practical.

Q. Which stage of the writing process do you enjoy the most: researching, writing or editing/rewriting and why?

Depends on the day, and it definitely depends on the project. The most fun I have is when I’m writing and the characters take over, and I’m just along for the ride.

Q. What’s one of the best books you’ve read (either fiction or non) in the last five years? 

For sheer storytelling power and style, William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor series. I’ve read the first fifteen in the series since October 2023. Fortunately, I still have a few left!

Q. What book are you reading right now? 

Alanna: The First Adventure, by Tamora Pierce, and Ken McGoogan’s Searching for Franklin.

Q. What do you think is the biggest misperception that new writers have about the act of writing?

That it’s easy. And that more experienced writers know exactly what they’re doing. To coin a phrase, we write a book one word at a time, just like everyone else.

You can purchase Jen’s poetry and read her free posts at Patreon.

Reading time: About 3 minutes

Cid V Brunet says it’s always important to have time away from my desk to let the writing simmer on the back-burner….

Cid V Brunet published their debut memoir, This Is My Real Name, with Arsenal Pulp Press in 2021. With recent poetry publications in CV2 and Eavesdrop magazine, they are currently completing an MFA in creative writing at UBC and working as Editor of Reviews at PRISM international literary magazine. When they’re not writing, Cid enjoys crafting, weightlifting, and caring for an ever-growing collection of houseplants. 

I was excited to talk to Cid about how they approach writing.  

Q. Roughly how much time do you spend writing every day? 

Two to four hours, five days a week.

Q. What’s a simple activity or habit that makes you a better writer?

Working within my optimal creative window allows me to show up and write. I am most creative in the mornings, so if I haven’t made it to my writing desk before noon, I’ve likely missed my window for that day. Knowing this, I try to stick to a routine where I wake up, make coffee, and get to my desk before life gets in the way.

Q. What interferes with your writing?

Primarily it’s the need to work for money that interferes most with my writing. Writing is a timely process, one I enjoy getting lost in. I regularly feel the tension between working on my (unpaid) creative projects versus needing to make money to live. It’s a difficult balance.

Q. How do you persuade yourself to sit down to write on days when you really, really DON’T feel like doing it?

On days I really really don’t feel like writing, I don’t write. On those days, it’s usually because there is some life-stress or difficult task that I’m dealing with (or avoiding). Plus I need time away from my desk to let the writing simmer on the back-burner. However, I will try some basic ‘automatic writing’ techniques when I want to write but find myself sitting in front of the dreaded blinking cursor on an empty page. Lately that’s looked like asking myself to write one page from my character’s perspective just to get my fingers moving on the keyboard. That is usually enough to help me move through the stuckness and decide on what I want to write once my one page is finished.

Q. Is there a particular motto or saying that you’ve found helpful for writing?

No particular quote comes to mind, however I’m regularly inspired by Octavia E. Butler’s reflection on her writing process. As I was scrolling through a repository of her quotes, I felt a lot of affinity with this gem, “Every story I create, creates me. I write to create myself.”

Q. Which stage of the writing process do you enjoy the most: researching, writing or editing/rewriting and why?

I’m currently researching and writing a first draft of my novel, which is quite uncomfortable and tedious. I often feel overwhelmed and stressed by how much I have to learn and know. By contrast, my favorite aspect of the writing process is editing and polishing. I love finessing my writing and other people’s; nothing feels better than when a peer lets me know my edits helped them clarify their writing.

Q. What’s one of the best books you’ve read (either fiction or non) in the last five years? [If you can’t narrow it down to one, please don’t give any more than three.]

The Night Watch by Sarah Waters stands out. It is exceptionally written historical fiction that takes place in the UK during the second world war with a cast of almost entirely queer characters. The details and the sense of place and time Waters was able to achieve is mind-blowing.

Q. What book are you reading right now?

To help me understand the context of the world I’m writing about and my characters, I’ve been reading historical fiction/nonfiction by children’s authors and/or with child-aged protagonists; essentially, books that take place from a child’s point of view. I just finished Orphan at My Door by Jean Little and am now re-reading The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. If you’ve enjoyed a book with a child as the main character that is written for adults, please dm me on Instagram @cidvbrunetwrites I’m always interested in recommendations!

Q. What do you think is the biggest misperception that new writers have about the act of writing?

Sometimes, I hear new writers worry that they have to wait until they are ‘ready’ to start writing. I wish I could tell them that there is no better time to start writing than right now. You don’t need to wait for anybody or anything to happen. Inspiration may come and go, but consistency and dedication to craft make it possible to complete writing projects.

To learn more about Cid V Brunet, check out their website.

Reading time: About 2 minutes

Charmaine Li says she likes to tell herself that she needs to write for only five minutes. Often, she ends up writing for longer than that, but the idea that she MUST write for only five minutes helps to persuade her to sit down…

Charmaine Li grew up in Vancouver, the unceded Coast Salish territories. Her first novel Crash Landing won the 2024 Canadian Governor General’s Literary Award in Young People’s Literature. Shorter works by Charmaine can be found in The Tyee, ZORA, Plenitude Magazine, and more.

I was excited to talk to Charmaine about how she approaches writing.

Q. Roughly how much time do you spend writing every day? 

It depends. I’m a freelance writer currently, so it depends on what tasks I’ve been assigned on any particular week. With regard to creative writing, I’m taking a wee break from that right now after Crash Landing. I’d say two to three hours per day on average.

Q. What’s a simple activity or habit that makes you a better writer? 

I make the act of writing as physically enjoyable as possible. This means a comfortable chair adjusted to my height, a mechanical keyboard that’s satisfying to touch, good music (I find jazz perfect for writing), coffee, and something sweet to nibble on.

Q. What interferes with your writing? 

Worry. Anxiety. I must feel a certain level of wellness to be productive. This means I make sure I’m well fed, well slept, and don’t have any outstanding urgent chores.

Q. How do you persuade yourself to sit down to write on days when you really, really DON’T feel like doing it? 

I tell myself I only have to do it for five minutes. Often, I end up writing for more than five minutes once I get into the flow. But sometimes I can only manage five minutes, and I tell myself that that’s okay.

Q. Is there a particular motto or saying that you’ve found helpful for writing?  

No particular saying comes to mind, but I often remind myself that only I can tell my story. Therefore, no one is as qualified to write my current work than I am.

Q. Which stage of the writing process do you enjoy the most: researching, writing or editing/rewriting and why? 

Absolutely the exploration stage. I love the feeling of everything being possible. You’re not worried about logistics, plot holes, word counts, or anything like that yet. You’re just brainstorming what’s possible and anything goes!

Q. What’s one of the best books you’ve read (either fiction or non) in the last five years? 

How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran. I can’t get enough of sassy, feisty, self-reliant female characters who are also realistically insecure at times.

Q. What book are you reading right now?  

I recently picked up Love After the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit & Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction edited by Joshua Whitehead. I find futurism from non-Western worldviews refreshing.

Q. What do you think is the biggest misperception that new writers have about the act of writing?  

Most writing doesn’t happen when you’re sitting down and typing (at least for me). My best ideas and turns of phrase have occurred while I was walking to the toilet, taking the bus, or chopping vegetables. I don’t think writing can be “forced.”

Reading time: About 2 minutes

Madelaine Caritas Longman estimates that estimate that for most people, writing is at least 80% rewriting…

Madelaine Caritas Longman is the author of the poetry collection The Danger Model (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2019), which received the Quebec Writers Federation Concordia University First Book Prize. Her writing has appeared in PRISM International, Vallum, Room, The Ex-Puritan, Grain, and elsewhere. In 2020, she was shortlisted for the PRISM International Creative Nonfiction Prize by Alexander Chee. She lives in Montréal.

I was excited to talk to Madelaine about how she approaches writing.

Q. Roughly how much time do you spend writing every day? 

I make it a point to write every day, even if that’s only a 20-minute free-write or a walk in the park jotting notes in my phone. Typically, I write for three to four hours per day, plus another one to three hours of reading for research and inspiration.

Q. What’s a simple activity or habit that makes you a better writer?  

I’m inspired by haiku poet Masaoka Shiki’s concept of sketching from life, which involves paying close attention to the surrounding world and describing its details as objectively as possible. This gets my mind working when I feel uninspired – there’s always something worth noticing when I look outward.

Q. What interferes with your writing? 

Because the arts are undervalued, many people don’t respect a writer’s solitary writing time the same way they would someone else’s work hours. I’ve found it necessary to protect my time and set boundaries, even if not everyone always understands.

Q. How do you persuade yourself to sit down to write on days when you really, really DON’T feel like doing it? 

I’ve found a loophole in that I don’t technically need to sit down to write – I can walk and take notes while brainstorming, or scribble a line here and there as I pace with my morning coffee. Once the thoughts get flowing, the motivation and focus tend to kick in.

Q. Is there a particular motto or saying that you’ve found helpful for writing?

Kelli Russell Agodon writes, “everyone wants to read the poem / we’re afraid to write.” When I’m embarrassed or hesitant to write about something that nonetheless feels important to me, sometimes that’s a sign to do it anyway. There can be valid reasons not to publish material, but I shouldn’t censor myself before I’ve even written it.

Q. Which stage of the writing process do you enjoy the most: researching, writing or editing/rewriting and why?  

Once I’ve settled into a rhythm and voice, the writing stage becomes very exciting. I love the surprise of what comes out, and how the slow accrual of ideas and images suddenly begins to stream into something that feels cohesive and alive.

Q. What’s one of the best books you’ve read (either fiction or non) in the last five years?  

Xanax Cowboy by Hannah Green is an incredible poetry collection. Moving, lucid, devastating, funny, and surprising. Brilliant.

Q. What book are you reading right now? 

Bryan Washington’s short story collection Lot.  

Q. What do you think is the biggest misperception that new writers have about the act of writing? 

The amount of editing behind the scenes. I’d estimate that for most people, writing is at least 80% rewriting. A piece pouring out fully formed is exceptionally rare, so it’s okay not to always feel inspired or “on.” Working consistently will add up. Dedication is also a form of passion.

Reading time: About 2 minutes

Write Kit Daven keeps a mantra posted near her computer. It reads: By Any Means Necessary….

Kit Daven’s heart beats for the eerie and the extraordinary in her tales. Her sci fantasy series, A Xiinisi Trilogy (The Forgotten Gemstone, The Other Castle, and The Starry Rise), possesses demonly threads running through the epic trans-dimensional landscape. In the novella, The Arrest in Mannequin Row, she steps out of the fantasy realm into an urban one, where the living and dead collide in a town beneath the lake waters. Watch out for the spider that never dies in Spider Spun and the supernatural senior in the dystopian story The Cannibal’s Handbook.

I was excited to talk to Kit about how she approaches writing.

Q. Roughly how much time do you spend writing every day?

When I’m drafting a story, I do my best to write three to four days a week, depending on my schedule. When I can, I’ll immerse myself in writing for a good two to three-hour block of time with mini breaks. When I’m revising, I will work on a section, then put it down until the next day, and can usually do revisions every day.

Q. What’s a simple activity or habit that makes you a better writer? 

Whenever I start a new project, I always commit to learning something new about the craft. In addition, I target one problem area in my writing and work on improving it. Another habit of mine is to review story fundamentals and story theory in between projects. When it’s time to work on the next project, I put the story theory away.

Q. What interferes with your writing?  

Doubt. A simple thing but very powerful for casting a wrench into my process, and after burning out about two years ago on this writing journey, I’ve been grappling with doubt quite a bit this past year. Thankfully, I’ve been able to push through, and that’s really the trick to defeating doubt — feeling it, acknowledging it, and writing the words anyway.

Q. How do you persuade yourself to sit down to write on days when you really, really DON’T feel like doing it?

On days when drafting new words feels like an impossibility, I still give it a go. Sometimes, scratching at an itch to write that isn’t there will create the itch, and before I know it, the writing comes and it’s rejuvenating. When that doesn’t happen, I focus on research, updating world-building notes, and anything that will assist with my next writing session.

Q. Is there a particular motto or saying that you’ve found helpful for writing?
For over a decade now, the mantra posted near my computer reads: By Any Means Necessary! I still adhere to that. And my all-time favourite quote is from Maya Angelou: “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” Unfortunately, I have difficulty staying on track with the “liking how you do it” part of that quote. I’m working on that.

Q. Which stage of the writing process do you enjoy the most: researching, writing or editing/rewriting and why?

My favourite parts of the writing process are: 1) the developmental stage, where I sort out the premise, the characters, and the basic world-building; 2) the drafting process; 3) line editing. The most fascinating part of this process is observing the reduction and refinement of the story that occurs from revision and editing.

Q. What’s one of the best books you’ve read (either fiction or non) in the last five years?

The one book that stands out in my mind is Joe Hill’s 20th Century Ghosts. I have a lot of favourite stories from that horror collection, but “He Will Hear the Locust Sing” deeply affected me. This collection turned me into a fan of Joe’s writing.

Q. What book are you reading right now?  

I’m currently reading Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. There’s been a lot of praise and criticism toward the book online, and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

Q. What do you think is the biggest misperception that new writers have about the act of writing? 

From my experience chatting with some new writers and non-writers, they think because a book is easy to read, then it must have been easy to write. When I explain to them that fluent prose comes from a lot of revision and editing, they never believe me.

Kit Daven lives with her husband and her feline familiars amidst the quiet hills of Hespeler, Ontario.

Reading time: About 3 minutes

JF Garrard  encourages authors to write because they love doing it and because they love the craft. Don’t think too much about what others have accomplished, she advises….

JF Garrard is an award-winning speculative fiction writer (The Undead Sorceress, The Blue Son, Sasaeng Waves), editor (Belief, Immersion, Futuristic Canada) and publisher. She is the President of Dark Helix Press, host of The Artsy Raven literary podcast, President for the Canadian Authors Association’s Toronto branch, and Deputy Editor for Ricepaper Magazine. 

I was excited to talk to JF Garrard about how she approaches writing. 

Q. Roughly how much time do you spend writing every day?

It depends. Unfortunately, life gets in the way, but I would estimate 20 minutes to two hours which is never enough. I view writing as forming words about a daydream I am having. So even if I’m not writing, I’m always thinking about the plot and characters while doing other things. I used to paint, so I like to have my visuals and scenes in my head all ready before I write.

Q.What’s a simple activity or habit that makes you a better writer?

I listen to video game orchestral music when I write. For some reason, it helps open my creativity portal. This might be related to how I’m a visual person and music makes me think of scenes to match.

Q. What interferes with your writing?

Family. I have a young child (nickname – the Kraken) and elderly relatives who are constantly asking me for help. I was raised in a strict Chinese household where filial piety was ingrained into us, so writing feels like a luxury because I feel like I’m selfishly taking time to do something for myself. I also do a lot of volunteer work which also chips at my time. Another writer advised me to give up volunteer work, but I believe that helping others also helps yourself. I have cut back on volunteer work over the years, but it’s important to keep a connection with people as we work on a common goal of doing good in the world.

Q. How do you persuade yourself to sit down to write on days when you really, really DON’T feel like doing it?

I’m a writer, editor and publisher. On days I don’t want to write, I can edit other people’s work which helps my own writing in the long run or I can do promo stuff which is another form of writing. I also love doing cover design, so there are a lot of activities related to writing that I can focus on. On days when I know I should be writing but can’t find energy, I work on a picture board of characters and scenes. It’s just a simple word doc with images I find on the internet to help inspire writing for another day.

Q. Is there a particular motto or saying that you’ve found helpful for writing?

“You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.” – Robin Williams.  This quote is on my website. It’s so easy to give up on writing because it’s so hard to do on some days! Once you find inspiration, run with it. Writing is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, translating what is in my head to page is a lot of work. 

Q.  Which stage of the writing process do you enjoy the most: researching, writing or editing/rewriting and why?

I love researching and writing. I’m a very curious person and I love research because I’m always learning new things. Writing is the act of creation and there is a lot of satisfaction with making something unique that is yours. Editing/rewriting my own work makes me anxious, because that’s when I start doubting myself. I’m a hoarder so I don’t throw out anything. For five years I queried a short story unsuccessfully, but it ended up winning a contest! Just keep chugging along and celebrate your successes because there will be a lot of failures.

Q. What’s the best book you’ve read (either fiction or non) in the last five years?

Since the birth of my child, I’ve been reading and writing more short fiction than novels. Ray Bradbury’s Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales is a collection of science fiction stories that I’ve read while dissecting it to figure out what makes a great short piece of work. I find it more of a challenge to write short fiction because the world-building and story needs to be complete within a few thousand words.

Q. What book are you reading right now?

Interior Chinatown is a 2020 novel by Charles Yu. There is a Disney+ tv series based on this book which came out recently starring Jimmy O. Yang and Ronny Chieng. The way it’s written is a bit jarring because it uses a screenplay format to tell the story of Willis Wu, a “Generic Asian Man” who is stuck playing “Background Oriental Male” and occasionally “Delivery Guy” in the fictional police procedural Black and White but who longs to be the “Kung Fu Guy” hero. As a generic Asian myself, I love the telling of a hero’s journey which has so many details about the struggles of what life is like for someone who longs to be more.

Q. What do you think is the biggest misperception that new writers have about the act of writing?

That you will get rich and famous fast! Writers are like snowflakes; we are all unique and there are lots of us. The ones that get super famous — such as J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, Margaret Atwood — all won the writing lottery. It’s rare for writers to do it full time since it doesn’t pay much. Many have full-time or part-time jobs or a few have families that can support them. Write because you love doing it and focus on the craft; don’t think too much about what others have accomplished. I have seen jealousy poison the mind of writers and they stop writing since they sink into depression. Don’t take things personally because publishing is a business and the supply of writers is large, so publishers can be picky. It’s a long game and successful writers have developed grit because they survived much rejection.

A portfolio of books and short fiction for JF Garrard is listed on jfgarrard.com and you can find her on X @jfgarrard, Instagram @jfgarrard, Facebook @JFGarrardauthor.