My Writing Story
about Me
I entered the busy world of writing workshops when I retired in 2019 and settled in as a member of the Pinewood Table, a weekly critique workshop facilitated by mentors. I was a Fellow for two years at Atheneum, the masters level writing program at The Attic Institute in Portland, OR. I am co-founder of the Stepping Stones Fiction Writing Retreat as well as the Afterneum, a tight group of writers critiquing, learning craft, and building community.
I love to start with an odd detail or experience when I write and let my mind rock from there. I often have no idea what my characters will do. This is where I feel the creativity inching up out of a blank interior, almost like a good dream forgotten, then remembered.
I create stories that bring small voices into the world. I like to draw on irony and humor, the unexpected, and life's courageous moments. I sometimes bring the culture and times of my home, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, into my writing. Most of all, I learn with every word I write. And then comes growth. And that's what I'm after.