HOW TO BE A WRITER IN FOUR STEPS: a handbook for anyone who wants to build a writing life

-

I am launching my book in Winnipeg on Saturday, October 3! Details below.

I am distributing the book myself; you can pre-order your copy here.  


Comments

Post a Comment

Comments are moderated. Please be respectful.

Popular posts from this blog

Book review: The Full Catastrophe: All I Ever Wanted, Everything I Feared

-
Image
The Full Catastrophe: All I Ever Wanted, Everything I Feared by Casey Mulligan Walsh Publisher: Motina Books Release date: February 18, 2025 Review by Amanda Le Rougetel Persistence is a survival strategy that many of us learn the hard way. Things happen in our life and to survive them means simply carrying on. No choice: Just. Keep. Going. Casey Mulligan Walsh learned this lesson at an early age and kept learning it as her life unfolded. She was orphaned at twelve; her only sibling died when she was twenty; her first-born child was killed in young adulthood; and her first marriage dissolved in an acrimonious divorce. To call Walsh a survivor is a bit of an understatement. Her memoir tells the tale—yes, of these huge personal losses, but more significantly, maybe, of her persistence in surviving them as a wholly loving woman and, over time and with great patience and faith in herself, growing into her own thriving person. In unflinching prose, Walsh lays down on the page the events of ...
Read more

My friend & colleague Cordt Euler: 1966-2025

-
Image
December 27, 1966-December 27, 2025 Cordt was my colleague and friend — and my mechanic on call. I met him when he began teaching at Red River College and I immediately liked his straightforward approach to everything — communication, teaching, friendship. When I needed something, he helped me out. Never made a fuss, was always present for me. When I had a question about something with my car, Cordt was my first call. When my mum was ready to give up driving and sell her car, Cordt gave advice on process and price. I had a question, he had an answer. He willingly lent me his car for errands at lunch. When I lost an election to be on the college’s board of governors, he brought me a “loser muffin” and we laughed together. He made my job as department schedule-maker so easy with his willingness to take on any new course, anytime. He gave me countless rides between our workplace and my home. When he wanted to try out the newly opened Jollibee restaurant, he asked me to go along; he loved ...
Read more

Happy Birthday, Mum: on grief and memories

-
Image
Amanda and Anne, June 2006, celebrating the completion of my Master's degree I am learning that the second year after a loved one dies is, in many ways, more challenging than the first. People have told me it might be, and it is proving so. There are no more 'firsts' to experience, only 'forevers' now. So, I am paying attention and I am writing...  Today, November 4th, would have been my mother's 97th birthday. Wherever she is now, I am certain she is happy not to be marking it on earth. She died last year on April 26th, ready to shuck her mortal coil with dignity and in peace. She was a role model for me in many ways, so, today, I celebrate my mother with three stories that illustrate her generosity, kindness and ingenuity.  Story One: The bucket of chicken We were having take-out for supper; I don’t remember the occasion, but I remember very clearly being in the car with my sister and brother, and Mum ordering our meal in the drive-through at our local Kentuck...
Read more