I have been stuck for quite a long time in the writing of the third installment of the trilogy based on my father-in-law’s life, Walking Out of War. Until I pulled a little slip of paper out of a tattered, old wallet and broke the logjam by putting the subject of my story, Maurice Bury, […]
Last week, someone wrote racist comments under a story on the Ottawa Citizen’s online edition, about the death of Inuk artist Annie Pootoogook. Charles Bordeleau, Ottawa’s Chief of Police, called the comments “inappropriate.” “I can tell you that the comments are inappropriate. They don’t reflect the values of the members of the Ottawa Police Service, […]
This week, Written Words turns the tables on book reviewers by asking them few questions about what they’re looking for in the books they review. Today, we have two avid readers whose have carved out a broad platform on Amazon and Goodreads: Sue Alexander Devers and Anima Giraldez. What genres do you review? Sue Devers: […]
If you follow my communication on Facebook, you’ll know that last week, I injured my knee pretty severely in a mundane household accident. (My older son, The Blond Ravin’, says that’s proof that no one should undertake home improvements, but that’s another post I’ll have to figure out how to connect with “communication.”) I ended […]
A guest post by Scott Justin About a month ago, a young writer named Scott Justin sent me an email, offering a guest essay for Written Words. Here is his observation on a tool that writers can use to bring audiences into their stories and bond with the characters. What do you think? Leave a […]
Some communications pack a lot of information into a very few words. A skit on the CBC comedy program The Irrelevant Show last weekend is the best example I have heard in a long time. A sketch started with a narrator explaining that in about the year 2050 (or maybe it was 2030—I’m not sure), […]
For my first post of 2016, I’m going to ask all of you to subscribe to get the Written Words blog by mail. All you have to do is fill in the box to the right with your email address. Why subscribe? You’ll still be able to read it in your Web browser, but with […]