Tag Archives: books

by | December 6, 2025 · 9:21 am

Do you DIY?

(names changed to protect the innocent)

Recently, my niece, Holly, made a black cat pinata from scratch for Halloween. Did you read that? A pinata FROM SCRATCH! She didn’t buy it at the Bulk Barn or Party City. She handmade it. What the?!

Of course, she captured and shared the step-by-step magic on Instagram. I marveled at it – her ingenuity, her patience. Hundreds and hundreds of confetti-like squares of black tissue paper individually glued to a perfectly carved cardboard cat frame. Her two seven-year old twin girls proudly helped along the way, gluing on the eyes, preparing the whiskers. Then they reveled in the moment they got to smash it with their friends – scrambling and shrieking for candy.

“Damn,” I thought. “She’s so talented, thoughtful and creative.”

Last June, when my daughter was graduating from high school, her friend’s mom, Leah, printed out pictures from each year of her daughter’s school life, hung them one by one down the hall from her daughter’s bedroom with streamers, so when she woke up that morning, she opened her door to a celebration of her life so far – all leading to a balloon and flower shrine in the living room adorned around her grade 12 graduation photo as her family stood around and cheered.

When my kid told me about it, I’m pretty sure I caught a sense of longing and sadness in her eyes, wishing she had such a mom.

And once again, I thought, “Damn. She’s so talented, thoughtful and creative.”

I tried crafts with my kids as they grew up. Mostly, I bought them kits and paints from Michaels or the Dollar store and let them do their thing. If you’ve seen my past attempts at painting or crafts, you’d understand. I just don’t have the DIY DNA.

But then, after I gave my daughter her graduation present, I realized I was being too hard on myself.

Poems for my daughter
My DIY book cover

I gave her a book of personal poems I had written about her to mark this significant transition in her life out of high school into university. Each piece was inspired by words I had collected about her from loved ones. At my request, they had sent me three words they think of when the think of her. I took them all and wrote some musings in hopes they would encourage, inspire, comfort or even spur a giggle from my youngest.

None of these poems came from a kit at Michaels or the Dollar Store. All of them came from me.

Tears ran down her cheeks as she read the pages. My heart filled.

That’s when I realized writing is my DIY, and damn, I am talented, thoughtful and creative!

I had created similar books for her two older sisters when they graduated. Each with their own twist, and their reactions equally filled my heart.

Over the years, I’ve written random poems and musings for many life moments for people I love: retirements, goodbyes, thoughts for a dying friend, my dad’s 90th birthday. I even did one for National Donut Day once. So fun! I do it because I love it and it means something to me. In turn, I also hope my words might mean something to others too – at the best of times, maybe they even get a laugh. (I’m no joke teller in real life, but sometimes I’m funny on paper 😊)

So, as it turns out, my DIY DNA isn’t half bad and I can hold my own against the likes of Holly and Leah.

Tell us how you DIY your writing and what it means to you.

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by | August 1, 2025 · 6:32 pm

No research, no outline, no problems

Confession: When Maria and Beckie first invited me to be part of Restless Writers, I put them off. I was working full time. My kids were young. I wouldn’t be able to fit in one more thing…

I had no shortage of excuses to cover up the truth which was, I was scared I wasn’t good enough. I had very specific things in my mind about what a writer should be. They are someone who carefully crafts an outline, mapping out their entire novel before ever putting a word on a page. More than likely, they are someone who hops on a plane to learn more about a locale central to their story. Or one who interviews a veteran detective to get inside the mind of their main character. These were not things I was doing. I was just winging it.

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

While I eventually took the leap and joined our merry band of RWs, that annoying doubt that I didn’t have the discipline to be a true writer lived on. It’s firmly planted on my shoulder, in a tiny little critic who begins chirping any time I sit down to draft a new chapter or consider a new project. “This is not going to work. Do you think a real published author would write a book without knowing where the story is going?” And on it goes.

So, you can imagine my satisfaction, and delight, when I recently discovered, that yes — yes, they absolutely would.

Earlier this summer, I took part in an author talk featuring the New York Times best-selling author Lisa Jewell. The webinar, Explore the Unexpected Twists and Turns with Lisa Jewell, was hosted by the Library Speakers Consortium, in partnership with my local library. The Consortium livestreams events every month featuring best-selling authors. Each event includes an interactive Q&A session and is recorded.

Throughout the hour-long webinar, Lisa shared a lot of valuable behind-the-scenes insights about her work and writing process, but two things really stood out and had me feeling freed of my own writerly expectations.

No research

During the event, Lisa explained she doesn’t choose subjects for her books where research is needed. Fans of the 23 psychological thrillers she’s written will know many of her books tend to focus on domestic drama. This is intentional:

I’m a very domestic person. I live in a tiny bubble, and I like to only kind of know about things that are close to me. My home, my children, my animals, my friends, my plans, my life. Obviously, I co-exist in the world with all the big things that are happening, but when it comes to my main focus… I want to understand about the small things happening to small people, small lives that are blown apart by tiny events that nobody could have foreseen happening.

Did you hear that little critic?!

I don’t like researching, so the idea of writing about like… financial markets, or police procedure, or espionage… I don’t know how those things work, and I don’t really have any interest in learning about how those things work. So, I like to stick to the territory that I’m familiar with and fascinated by.

While she has respect for authors that ground their writing in research, it is not part of her process.

… There are so many authors who are just so different to me, and they consider that to be part of their job. They can’t start writing a novel until they’ve spent weeks, months making phone calls, doing site visits, reading books… whereas me, literally, ‘okay, I’ve got to start writing my book today’ and I just start typing…

No outline

And guess what? She skips the outlining stage too!

While she has a very clear image of the first chapter, Lisa says she typically has no plan of where the story will go, from chapter to chapter:

I can’t write a book, or can’t plot a book, or think about a book, or do anything about a book anywhere apart from inside my head or inside the manuscript… Post-it Notes, white boards – those things don’t work for me. I wouldn’t know what to do with them.

🤯

No problems

With every passing minute of the webinar, I could feel the little critic on my shoulder getting quieter. Am I a functioning adult who fully understands there is more than one way to approach most things in life? Absolutely. But was it still incredibly validating to hear a beloved writer say that a no-research, no-outline process can not only work but also lead to real success? Heck, yes! It was a much-needed reminder that writing is an art, not a science—and that I need to trust my instincts more and care less about how others may perceive my process.

If you’re curious to hear more of Lisa’s insights—including her thoughts on leap-frogging genres and why she believes the epilogue is the most important part of a novel—you can catch her full webinar through Library Speakers. You can also check out upcoming events.

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by | January 26, 2025 · 11:20 am

A meditation in three words

I have some big creative plans for 2025.

I’m working on a short story collection, with a goal of drafting one story every month. The Restless Writers are working on a collaborative project – which Beckie mentioned a few months ago – that will have a lot of moving parts and ambitious deadlines. I have a new non-fiction project waiting in the wings, as well as some non-writing related plans too.

I’m excited to work towards my goals, and they’re important to me. But like a lot of the world, I feel like I’m teetering on the edge of chaos. How can I intentionally create space for pursuing my writing when it feels like I’m losing control? How can I keep moving forward when the work feels like I’m swimming through molasses? How can I support my creative and mental health in an already full and hectic life?

What helps me is a three-word mantra: Discipline. Patience. Joy.

Here’s what these words mean to me.

Discipline

I’ve come to accept that, for me, a daily writing habit isn’t realistic. I have a full-time job and do freelance work on the side, so it’s not feasible to find an hour to write every single day. What I can do is plan writing blocks in my weekly schedule when it makes sense for me. Sunday mornings, for example, work very well. Mini-DIY writing retreats are another tool I use. The discipline part kicks in when I commit to those writing blocks or retreats and use my writing time effectively.

(Not a write-every-day person? Feel better about it with the idea of “binge writing,” which I learned from Allison K Williams in this blog post.)

Showing up for other people is another part of my creative discipline. The monthly(ish) Restless Writers meetings are a big part of that. I also offer support to a small circle of people who are working towards creative goals and need the help of an accountability partner. When I show up to co-work with them, I’m also showing up for myself.

Most days, I struggle with focus. And there’s nothing like the fidgets to disrupt one’s creative efforts. So, this year, I’m banning the disruptors – those things that pull me out of creative flow. I’ve deleted TikTok (which I should have done eons ago, honestly). I’ve muted social media notifications. I’ve silenced the siren call of books to be read and jigsaw puzzles to be completed by moving them to a different room. Out of sight, out of temptation, right?

I’ve also taken steps to make it as easy as possible to transition into writing mode. Check out my previous posts about creative readiness (part 1 and part 2) if you want to hear how I’m setting myself up for creative success.

Patience

Where the word discipline feels somewhat sterile and harsh, patience feels like grace.

Creative work takes time, especially if you’re pursuing bigger goals, like a novel. With generative AI all around us, promising instant creative gratification, it can be hard to pull on the reins and settle into a rhythm of doing the time-consuming work. I have to remind myself that my writing goals won’t be achieved in one day – or heck, even in one week – and that’s okay. My slow and bumbling human brain is creating worlds, inventing people, and imagining love and disaster. Isn’t that beautiful?

Patience is also about knowing that my creative work will be there even if I have to step away from it. Life happens, and you might experience things that throw you off your creative game. I’ve had some setbacks already this year. Work got busy early. I had a monster freelance project that never seemed to end. The US election results gave me creeping, swirling, can’t-sleep-at-night anxiety. And last week, I said goodbye to my darling tortoiseshell cat, Mary Piper, who had been my companion for the last 14 years. Today was the first day I’ve felt like getting back to my writing. And you know what? The creative spark and the drive were still there. The story still called to me. So, I poured a coffee, put on some focus music, and got back to it.

This is Mary Piper, and one of her gazillion toys.

Joy

The third facet of my mantra is a gift to my creative self, a way of refilling my well and helping me feel connected to people and beauty around me. Frankly, joy has been hard to come by recently. There’s a lot going on – in my life, in the world – that makes joy seem elusive, like a shy fox in winter, or a sunrise hiding behind the morning fog. It can also be hard to recognize joy when you crash into it.

For me, joy feels like the hum of creative connection, the quiet of being immersed in nature, the exhilaration of moving my body, and the pleasure of interacting with art.

This year, I’m making the experience of joy a proactive exercise.

I’m seeking out and attending events, like an author reading at the library or an Alice in Wonderful exhibit at the Royal Botanical Gardens. I’m waking up early and walking to the frozen and glorious lake. Those books and puzzles I relegated to another room for the sake of discipline? I’m savouring them when I’ve finished my writing for the day. These moments are me welcoming and pursuing joy in my everyday life.

Discipline. Patience. Joy.

I breathe deeply and hold these words in my consciousness as I get ready in the morning. I contemplate them, written on the whiteboard in my study, throughout the day. I whisper them to myself when I get frustrated or depleted or sad. I re-visit them at night, to remind myself that I’m nurturing my creative self in ways that work best for me.

Do you have a mantra or a special word for 2025? I’d love to hear what it is and what it means to you.

Maria

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