I can’t speak for every writer, but for me, at least, when I’m working on a manuscript, the mention of another work that shares some of the key elements of my story gives me super mixed feelings. On one hand, I’m writing this story because, damn, I love those elements!…
*** This blog entry discusses thoughts about the possibility of becoming pregnant. Please consider this a friendly content warning so you can make your own decision about whether to read further!*** So because Husband and I are of a certain age and have to consider what we want out of…
Make fun of amateur improv performances as you will, but one of the most important ideas I’ve learned came from improv training: “Yes, and…” I competed in the Canadian Improv Games as a high-school student, and that’s when I learned a lot of standard improv concepts and exercises. “Yes, and…”…
As a writer, I love how Tamsyn Muir’s Harrow the Ninth (Locked Tomb Trilogy #2) is a genius masterclass in writing stories with heavy elements of grief. (There were a lot of other things I love about that book/series, of course, but that’s not what I’m rambling about today.) (no…
I haven’t added one of these blocks in a while, because it seems ineffective to repeat what I’m doing each post. That’s because addressing anti-Black racism as a white person requires not a couple one-time changes but long-term shifts in practice and thinking. I’m still working hard on making my…
Whether we wanted to or not, we all learned a lot in the past 12 months — about ourselves, about how we react to unprecedented events, about the strengths and faults of the communities we live in, about epidemiology for laypersons — like, SO much. And that’s on top of…
We’re in the home stretch of 2020! As with my previous entries this year, I’ve tried to focus on things that are available to anyone, not people or circumstances I’m lucky to have in my life. Hope you’re all hanging in there too! This quarter, I’ve enjoyed: 1. routine At…
As a university instructor, I’ve struggled with a lot of professional challenges during the pandemic, but the biggest one has been setting boundaries. I know that many throughout the education sector — from preschool teachers to postgraduate supervisors — face a similar dilemma. We want to do our best for…
I’ve decided that finding out my idols have feet of clay is a good thing. In part, I’m deciding this out of necessity. With the direct contact between celebrities and fans facilitated by the Internet and 24-hour entertainment news, it’s easy to learn that J. K. Rowling is transphobic, that…
I was disappointed to get The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening as my very first video game. I’d never played anything but platformers and Tetris, and this weird top-down adventure was completely new. It had never occurred to me that a video game would let you explore a map, play…