In 2008 – after a very long hiatus from creative writing – I decided I was going to take my writing more seriously. I reactivated my membership with the Nova Scotia Writers’ Federation and I began to write. Through the Federation I heard about a creative writing competition in Saskatoon. It was part of the We Are Many Arts Festival. I was intrigued when I heard that one of the judges was Yan Martel. Life of Pi had been one of my favourite books and the idea that Yan Martel would read one of my stories really inspired me to write something and send it off. Months later I was thrilled to receive an email from Yan Martel himself telling me that I was a runner up in the competition with my short story – On the Head of a Pin.

I was now incredibly motivated to write more so I again turned to the Nova Scotia Writers’ Federation to investigate writing courses that were being offered in my area. I was happy to hear that there was one being offered in the nearby community of Berwick. Best-selling author, Christy Ann Conlin, was offering a creative writing workshop at the Berwick Fire Hall. I enrolled and began classes with a diverse group of fellow writers. Not only did I learn a great deal in this workshop but it turned out to be the beginning of a friendship between Christy Ann and I that has lasted ever since. She is not only my friend, but a trusted mentor and a gifted editor. From the point in my writing journey where I met Christy Ann until now I can honestly say that my debt to her cannot be overstated. When I needed a gentle nudge or some subtle advice of what to do with  a story, she would offer it. When I needed to be kicked in the butt to get writing, she’d be wearing the boot.  I know my talent is my own and I know the time I spend on it is mine to spend but the best advice I think I could ever give an emerging writer is to find a mentor that is a talented as mine and carefully watch every move they make.

Best selling author of Heave and The Memento as well as the host of CBC Radio’s summer hit, Fear Itself,
Christy Ann Conlin

As I mentioned on my About page, I’ve been writing for years.

I’d had some teachers through school who were very encouraging and my Aunt Doreen (a teacher herself) had always been an avid fan of my blossoming skills. However I think my first memory of writing was when, as a struggling nine year old writer, I had an opportunity to meet another writer – a real one – someone who did it as a job. The story of my meeting with this guy and the subsequent literary fire in my belly can be found in Saltlines – an anthology of writerly advice and stories from over 50 Nova Scotian writers. The anthology was a fund raising project organized by the Nova Scotia Writers’ Federation. If you’re a writer looking for inspiration or know one, pick up a copy and check out my story and many others.

Many years later I got my first job as a staff writer with the Annapolis Royal Spectator – a local, weekly newspaper published in my old home town of Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. The opportunity to write full time and work with a great editor – Sandra Meers – helped to develop a more concise writing style that would certainly serve me well in the years to come.

L-R – Ryan Matthew Kennedy as Maurian, Angie Campbell as Ettina and Donna Holmes as Auntie Doloris. The girl in the background (long blond hair with her hand over her face) played a customer in the restaurant where this scene took place and her name escapes me. If you know who she is, leave a comment and I’ll add it.

A few years later, I became involved in theatre and began writing plays that were produced by our theatre company – The Original Cast Theatre Company Co-op. Although our first play was This Old Stage (a fund raiser for Kings Theatre in Annapolis Royal staged in 1989), our first real success was in the summer of 1990 with a musical comedy called Auntie Doloris. What this play might have lacked in complexity or dramatic depth, it more than made up for as a magical, musical romp with a story full of amorous witches and unsuspecting warlocks.

In 1993 I left the theatre company to pursue higher education and enrolled in Acadia University’s BA English program. In 1995 I wrote a one-act play called The Telling and submitted it as my entry in the Acadia University Mini-Festival of Plays. My play, along with five others, was selected to be produced by the Acadia Theatre Company that year. The following year I wrote another one act play – this one called Two Toots Past Moose River. That was also selected and produced in the 1996 festival.

A page from the program for the 1995 Mini Festival of Plays at Acadia University.

Following my graduation with my BA in English I stayed on at Acadia and completed a Master’s Degree in Education (specialization in Counselling). My writing was predominantly academic for many years to come however my training as a counselor has afforded me a very focused insight into the workings of the human mind. This insight, combined with my experiences working as a counselor, has helped me develop the skills a writer needs to accurately and believably create the human condition.