Tag Archives: TWUC

In February 2016, I officially became a member of The Writers' Union of Canada.

“Making It” in the Writing World – Becoming a member of The Writers’ Union of Canada

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In February 2016, I officially became a member of The Writers' Union of Canada.

In February 2016, I officially became a member of The Writers’ Union of Canada.

Hey all, as of February 2016, I officially became a member of The Writers’ Union of Canada. My profile can be found online here.

Becoming a member of The Writers’ Union has been on my bucket list since I first attended a Writers’ Union conference five years ago. I received a complimentary pass to attend as a Humber College School for Writers student and, at that time, learned that becoming a TWUC member is application based and dependent on having a published book that is recognized as successfully demonstrating commercial intent and professionalism. There are many organizations for writers that allow you to sign up for a fee and require no previously published work, but TWUC is not that kind of organization.  In other words, at that time, I saw membership to the Writers’ Union as a sign that you had “made it” as a writer. To join the Union, you had to be recognized by your peers as a professional writer – exactly what I always wanted to be.

It’s still mind-boggling for me to think that now, five years later, I am a Writers’ Union member – a professional writer with a book on its way – and I will actually even be presenting at the next Writers’ Union conference this summer (more on that later)! By my past self’s definition, it feels like I’ve “made it.” From this vantage, I’m not too sure what “making it” in the writing world really is anymore. Perhaps it’s seeing my first book do really well. If that happens, then perhaps it will be publishing a second book, and then a third, and then a fourth… And on and on it goes. I love to set milestones and see if I can meet them. I recognize now that “making it” – in writing and in life – will always be elusive and changing in definition. Needless to say, I was pretty much jumping for joy (clichéd, but true!) when my membership package arrived. I was able to look back on myself and say I’ve achieved at least one of the definitions of “making it” – at least in my little world.

Looking forward to sharing more news with everyone soon!

Readings Made Simple: A workshop with Andrew J Borokowski

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Last month I attended the Readings Made Simple workshop hosted jointly by The Writers Union of Canada and Diaspora Dialogues and led by Andrew J Borokowski. The event was a fun one, held in four parts:

  1. Andrew asking us about our public reading experience and sharing insights from his own experience
  2. An opportunity for us to read our work in a circle and get feedback
  3. A brief break followed by general stage/mic set up information and stretching
  4. An opportunity for us to read our work on stage through a mic

The workshop was insightful – an afternoon well spent. Key takeaways from the event for me included the following pointers from Andrew:

  • “The challenge [with readings] can be how to get the poet out of the way – to let the words sing themselves” (so true!)
  • A reading is intended to convey the gist or flavour of a story, chapter, or book, and hopefully encourage your audience to buy what you are reading. As a result, material needs to be…
    • Introduced (think about how you will do this/think about your introduction in advance)
    • Bridged (if you are reading from separate sections of the work)
    • Relative (think of how separate components of the reading relate to one another)
  • Control your gestures. Let your voice speak. Deliver your reading with honesty and conviction and “lift it up” (look up at the audience to bring your work to life)
  • If you’re extra nervous, invite a friend to be part of the audience and tell them the story
  • Ultimately “it’s telling the story, not giving a reading“

My absolute favourite part of the workshop: the gentle reminder that readings are often central to an author’s promotional strategy and, though many authors may dread the public speaking aspect of it, the reading is not about the author – it’s about the work.

Thanks to Andrew, TWUC and DD for hosting a great event!

TWUC 2011 Recap

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On Friday, May 27 I was one of the lucky students from the Humber School for Writers to attend the Writers Union of Canada’s Annual General Meeting.

I live-Tweeted the panels I attended, so feel free to check those out on my Twitter account. Other than that, following is a brief recap of the day.

Having been under the weather most of the week and knowing absolutely no one at the conference, I woke up feeling sick and apprehensive to attend. Lucky for me, I expressed these feelings on Twitter and was met with welcoming tweets from others like Anita Daher and Nicole McGill.

I’m glad I didn’t let my shyness get the best of me. The day was fun and educational. Below is a recap of what I learned:

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