How do we write through this time?

Like all of you, I’ve been trying to make sense of this time we’re living through. In the age of the pandemic, how is one to write? 

I don’t know about you, but the past few weeks have made it pretty difficult to concentrate! 

When I can, I turn to meditation and yoga. In these practises, the goal is not to get anywherebut to simply be with whatever is happening. These anchors have taught me that in times of turmoil, when my mind is racing, it’s okay to simply breathe deeply into the moment. In the big picture, there are few things we are able to control.

Writing as a practise can help create a stable, safe container for us to explore what is happening in our lives and in our world. As writers, we’re blessed with a set of tools that allow us to tap more deeply into the moment, even if that means finding time to sit still at our desk and daydream. 

What does our writing practise look like during this time?

For some, it may mean writing as an anchor point to the day--setting aside fifteen minutes, a half hour or even several hours each morning to simply write without expectation. How can you let your writing into the curious, mysterious, scary part of this experience? What arises when you simply let your pen move across the page, without the pressure to create? 

Perhaps your simply name your fears. Perhaps you focus on the sun streaming through your window, or the ladybug on the glass, and see where it leads you. 

Or maybe you need a prompt. Here’s one for you.

On New Year’s Eve, I thought 2020 would be the best year ever. And now…

For others, it may be a time to hunker into your current project. Can the work itself be a healthy buffer? Can you treat your practise space as a place of ritual, a safe space to recharge? 

And for others still, the tumult of the time will offer itself up as material. Some of the great writers of the English language—George Eliot, Virginia Woolf, James Baldwin, Hemingway, Joan Didion—used the upheaval and social disruption of their eras as an opportunity to see more clearly the world not as they had believed it to be, but as it was unfolding around them. We are living through such a time now. Read Virginia Woolf’s diaries of the Second World War and you’ll get a sense of how the world of the ordinary can be replaced by upheaval and the unknown seemingly overnight. 

How can you use the time we’re living in to probe your own experience of living through it? What would a reader a hundred years from now want to know about this time? 

Perhaps your own writing will provide the clues.

Announcing the Hideout Residency Program

Are you a writer, artist, yoga instructor, or self-care practitioner looking for some quiet time to work on your craft, dive deep into a project, or nourish your own practise? Hoping to get away for some dedicated quiet time free of distraction?

We’ve created the Hideout Residencies just for folks like you.

Here’s how it works. The Hideout is our vacation and retreat rental on the gorgeous south shore of Prince Edward Island. Both the Hideout Cottage and The Tryon Suite are available for select dates in the shoulder season each spring and fall for low-cost, self-directed residencies. Writers and other residents should plan to work on a project or engage in practise for a minimum of one week (6 nights). Residents will arrive on a Saturday afternoon and depart the following Friday morning. Both units feature queen-sized beds and bedding, self-catering kitchens, wifi access, yoga mats and props, space to write and practise, outdoor space, and access to trails and bicycles. Because of the rural nature of The Hideout, residents should normally plan to have their own vehicle for the duration of their stay. In exceptional circumstances, transportation may be arranged for an additional fee.

To apply for a residency, get in touch to tell us about yourself, your project, and your preferred residency time slot. You may wish to indicate an alternate date. We’ll follow up with more information, and you’ll then have ten days to secure your spot with a non-refundable $150 deposit. The remainder of your fees will be due 30 days before your arrival.

If money is an issue, we offer one full scholarship to an emerging or established writer or practitioners. Scholarship recipients will still be responsible for travel and food costs. We welcome applications from all, and folks who identify as Indigenous, LGBTQ, or as people of colour are especially encouraged to apply. Be in touch to discuss accessibility questions and concerns.

The scholarship deadline for 2020 is March 31. Please send us a short (up to five-page) writing sample (preferably related to your project), a short (250 word) synopsis of your project, and why being selected as a Hideout resident is important to you. Please include Hideout Residency in the subject line of your email.

Have more questions? Check out our handy FAQ page, or be in touch for more information.

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RESIDENCY DATES 2020

The Hideout Cottage ($575 per week + HST)

May 16-22 (booked)
May 23-29
June 13-19
Sept 19-25
Sept 26-Oct 2
Oct 3-9
Oct 10-16
Oct 17-23
Oct 24-30

The Tryon Suite ($450 per week + HST)
June 13-19
Sept 12-18
Sept 19-25
Sept 26-Oct 2

Learning from an inspiring group of fellow authors

Behind the scenes at Write by the Sea!

Yolande Essiembre attended last year’s Write by the Sea retreat from Shediac, New Brunswick. Yolande generously agreed to answer a few questions about her experience writing, sharing, and learning in a warm community of fellow writers.

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CATCHING UP with Write by the Sea Participant Yolande Essiembre

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Yolande, why did you first decide to attend the Write by the Sea retreat? 

I felt called to attend as soon as I read the title. I love to write, I love being by the sea and I love retreats! It sounded like it could meet all my needs.

What were some of the lessons you learned from the writing workshops at the retreat? What were the benefits to your writing?

I am writing my first book so I had a lot to learn. I learned about the technicalities of writing, about structure, process and prompts. But I mostly learned through conversations, and sharing with a wonderful and inspiring group of authors. Trevor asked questions that brought conversations to a level much deeper than thought. I appreciated the discussions about perseverance, intuition and creativity. I loved listening to the inner wisdom of the participants as they shared their work. 

In terms of benefits, I understood that I was not to compare myself or my writing to other people. I finally grasped the concept that all books are written in stages… first draft, second draft, third draft and so on until it is ready to be released. I now understand more fully the process of writing a book and the amount of time it may require to have it completed. This helped me to assess where I am presently in my project, where I want to go with my book and the kind of help I would need to move forward. Consequently, I have hired Trevor as a writing coach. My book and my writing has greatly improved, along with my confidence.
  

I finally grasped the concept that all books are written in stages… first draft, second draft, third draft and so on until it is ready to be released.

Apart from writing, what were some of the highlights of the retreat and your time on PEI?

One of the things I truly enjoyed was meal times. At noon, healthy lunches were prepared and brought to us at the little school house by Joshua Lewis. He also led us through meditation and yoga session during the week which was a bonus. Both Trevor and Joshua made themselves very available to us, also sharing the evening meals (most of which were included) with the group. It was a great time for socializing and sharing tips with other authors. The last meal together at The Hideout —where authors shared their work — was truly a gift. 

Any advice for those who might be considering Write by the Sea this year?

I believe that we get from the retreat what we invest in the retreat. Participate in events, enjoy your alone time to move forward with your writing. Appreciate the new friends with their knowledge and wisdom and you will have a week to remember. 

What are you working on currently, Yolande? 

I am working on a memoir. Long Lost Mom is my story as a mother who gave a child up for adoption. It is also the story of an adult child searching for and finding his long lost mom after 46 years of being separated.  

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Yolande is the mother to four adult children and grandmother to two wonderful grand daughters. In addition to accreditation in various types of counselling and coaching, Yolande Essiembre holds a master of theology degree from Université de Sherbrooke (Quebec), a certificate in social work and a certificate in religious sciences from the Université de Moncton (New Brunswick).  During the last 15 years of her career, she worked in organizational development and as a wellness counsellor in the human relations field. Since her retirement, she has created and facilitated sessions in personal and spiritual development and is now in the process of writing her book. She is a member of WFNB (Writer’s Federation New Brunswick).  You can find Yolande’s website here.

Thoughts about writing contests

One of the questions I often receive from students and writers I work with is whether or not there’s value in submitting work to literary contests.

I get it. You’ve worked hard to polish a great piece of fiction or memoir, and you want to send it out somewhere that offers the best chance at publication.

Here’s my perspective. My first publications (both fiction and nonfiction) came about as a result of writing contests sponsored by literary magazines. Contests have a couple of advantages. Generally, the pool of submissions for a literary contest is lower than for general submissions. There’s the advantage of sometimes knowing the judges in advance, and so choosing a piece that may appeal to his or her tastes (although really, any good juror will be reading outside his or her own comfort zone and looking for the strongest writing). There’s also a very fixed timeline for learning about whether or not your piece is accepted.

Most contests sponsored by magazines also offer a one-year subscription to the magazine, so there’s the added bonus of all that free reading. Finally, the cash prize for winning will generally be much higher than for regular publication (some publications will also pay you the prize money PLUS regular publication fees). 

The downside? Contest guidelines may not permit you to enter the piece to another contest (ie. no simultaneous submissions). Also, there’s the contest fee, which is typically in the $20-$25 range. 

Check out literary contests with notable Canadian magazines like The Malahat Review, Fiddlehead, The New Quarterly, Prairie Fire, The Puritan, and more. 

If you’re looking for contests outside of the literary journals, there’s the lauded CBC Literary Prizes, which offer contests in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry. If you’re a student, The Bridge Prize out of the University of Lethbridge offers a fiction prize in alternating years for Canadian postsecondary students.

Further afield, check out the prestigious Commonwealth Short Story Prize, the Bristol Short Story Prize, and the Manchester Fiction Prize.

Know about a contest not mentioned here? Let me know, and I’ll share it with the One Life community. 

Also be sure to check out this great list of resources for writers (including sample submission letters) on writer Kevin Hardcastle’s website.

“You Were Loved” published in Russian

Very excited to announce that my short story “You Were Loved” has been published in one of Russia’s leading literary journals, Inostrannaya Literatura (Foreign Literature). 

Last May, Inostrannaya Literatura dedicated an issue to Canadian writing. This is my first Russian publication, and a huge honour. Inostrannaya Literatura has published some fine writers over its long history, including Samuel Beckett, William Goldin, John Updike, Jerome J. Salinger, Kenzaburo Oe, Tennessee Williams, Jean-Paul Sartre, Franz Kafka, Evelyn Waugh, Umberto Eco, and Julio Cortazar. 

“You Were Loved” was first published in The Malahat Review, and reprinted in Journey Prize Stories 24. JP Stories 24 features great work by writers like Kris Bertin, Kevin Hardcastle, Shashi Bhat, and more. You can order a copy here.