Professional Associations
Here are a few organizations that can link you to a world of books, publishers, and advice.
- The Writers’ Union of Canada (Advocacy, support, news, and big thoughts on literature.)
- Quebec Writers’ Federation (News, support, and mostly Montreal-based events. All provinces have a similar organization.)
- The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (For readers, writers and everyone who supports Canadian books for young readers.)
- The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (Advice, information, and networking for writers of all levels of experience.)
- Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators, and Performers (News, advice and information for professionals.)
Books on Craft
Oodles of books exist to help writers at all stages of their careers. Ursula Le Guin’s Steering the Craft, Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, Stephen King’s On Writing, and anything by Donald Maas (literary agent) are most often recommended. Here are a few others worth reading:
- Becoming a Writer by Dorothy Brande (Yes, it’s eighty years old but still good. Not a nuts-and-bolts guide.)
- Alone with all that could Happen by David Jauss (Practical guidance and theory too. Hard to find — check your library.)
- A Story is a Promise by Bill Johnson (Don’t judge it until you read it. Get past the typos. There’s something moving here.)
Websites and Articles
Many writers, agents, and editors offer tips on craft and marketing. Here are a few online sources to explore.
- 50+ Golden Writing Tips is a handy collection of advice from great authors, compiled by journalist Eetika Kapoor.
- The Purple Crayon is rich in advice on writing and publishing childrens’ books. (Get past the dated look; there’s a gold mine of info here.)
- Daily Writing Tips offers just that, with archives of kazillions of tips for improving your writing skills regardless of what you intend to do with them.
Best advice: Read good books!
Go to your local library and browse the shelves. Take out a bunch of books for free. Read them. Reread the ones you like best and ponder how they do it. Learn by example. (But don’t plagiarize. Obvi.)
And talk to the librarians – they can refer you to “best of” lists, tell you about the current favourites among their clientele, and connect you to local book clubs and writers’ groups.
Catherine Austen 