Dear faithful readers,

I’ve been on and on about this course lately, haven’t I? No need to be polite and say, “No! It’s fine!” I have, and I know it. And I’ll tell you why in the most open-hearted, honest way I possibly can. I think that what we put out there would benefit from resembling the truth of our lives in some way. And this is the truth of my life.

I’m a good editor. I make mistakes, but sometimes I hit it. Once in a while, an author I work with lands a year later on the GG literary awards shortlist (‘Once in a while’? What the hell am I talking about? That’s happened exactly twice, but I’ll take it). Occasionally, I do a copy edit on a book that wins national and international awards.

Do I love this? YES. I’d have to be bonkers if I didn’t. I know first-hand that editing is invaluable. Aside from my reciprocal beta readers around the country, I’ve been SERIOUSLY FORTUNATE with my editors on my own books so far. I won’t name them because I’m sure to miss someone. Beta readers, Turnstone, and UAP, you know who you are: all of you.

So, I thank you for being on my side, readers, whatever that means to you.

The course is the product of a thought I had years ago when it became crystal clear that nobody is getting any younger. I don’t mind trading hours for money, but I also don’t mind telling you I’m a bit tired, and I’ve been thinking about new ways that I can help writers and still make a living.

I am a mentor at heart and this course is my way of giving back to the writing community that has been so good to me over the past twenty-five years or so. I was looking for a positive way to contribute to the CanLit world that seems so fraught lately, and this seemed to be it.

I’ve had so much fun putting this course together. I even rose to the technology/filming/recording/linking challenges with aplomb, if I may say so myself! I have a tenuous relationship with technology, and if I can set up something electronic with all the buttons and whistles doing what they’re supposed to be doing, I rejoice! I’m rejoicing now, because it works! I’ve had several testers, and they all say it’s doing its thing.

I’ve also had a stellar endorsement from a beta tester who said, “It's like back-door access to all the industry secrets. Like, shut up and sign up. Just take it. No. Just. No, stop talking and take the course. Right now. Shush. Go sign up. The class breaks things down and reframes the process as, ‘Sure, yeah, there's WORK to this. Don't delude yourself. It's going to be work. But you can DO the work. Here's how... Step one - Can you open a Word doc? Yeah? Cool. Alright, let's move to step two. And then, before you even know you're there, all of a sudden you're at, ‘Step 18.. Show not tell’ and you didn't even realize you've covered ALL THIS GROUND already.”

I’m so grateful to that tester. They reminded me that there’s room out there for a course on how to do a good first edit on your own work before you start sending it out.

I hope you’ll think about jumping on board, and whatever you decide, I’m cool.

Stu and I watched Terminator 2 last night in preparation for the new Terminator movie with Arnold and Linda that opens in a few weeks. I COULD DIE. But I won’t. Not before that movie opens. I’ve got the shaky, you’re-in-the-movie! seats and the enormo-screen tickets for this one, so it’s a really expensive way to watch Arnold being a terminator three decades after he was first a Terminator. But better yet, Linda Freaking Hamilton! Some day, I’ll write an essay about how the Terminator is us. We are the Terminator.

I’ll leave you with that thought.

In the meantime, the Shop link appears above in the main navigation menu. Click away!

My e-course is here!