Featured Writer: Elizabeth Urso
On creating space to write and writing advice.
Welcome to Women Writing! It’s my pleasure to feature Elizabeth Urso in today’s issue of Women Writing.
About the author…
Elizabeth Urso is a graduate of Laurentian University, the University of New Brunswick Faculty of Law, and the Humber School for Writers. Born and raised in Sudbury, Ontario, she now lives wherever her partner—a member of the Canadian Armed Forces—is posted, along with their dog Harriet (the Spy). HAIL MARY is her debut novel, and it releases on September 22, 2026.
On a writing routine …
Ah, I wish I had more of a writing routine! As an author with another full time job, I fit writing in when and where I can. That tends to mean (very) early mornings, late evenings, or weekends. I find scheduling editing sessions much easier than drafting sessions. Drafting is like pulling teeth for me, so I tend to do that on the weekends or on time off from work. I need large chunks of uninterrupted time (and brain space) for drafting. I need to immerse myself, and that's difficult for me to do when I'm otherwise occupied during the work week. I'm always thinking about writing though, even if I'm not actively doing it. My subconscious is constantly working overtime, which I am very thankful for!
On writing spaces …
For short writing sessions, I tend to work at my kitchen table or in my living room. For weekend sessions (or if I've taken time off work to write), I write in the space that's otherwise used as my office during the work week. That's where my bookshelves are. They inspire me! Regardless of where I am, though, I am always listening to music. 99.9% of the time, it's a Hans Zimmer soundtrack. Likely Interstellar. It is his best work. I will die on this hill. I'm also very likely over-caffeinated, but what can you do!
On writing communities …
I do! I am a member of the Writers' Union of Canada and Crime Writers of Canada. I haven't participated in a writing group in a long time, and I'd love to do that again. Writing community is so, so important. Writing may be isolating/a solitary endeavour, but you need people to see you through all the hard parts of publishing. Be a good literary citizen! You won't regret that.
“I am a better person when I’m writing. If you feel that way, too, make time for yourself and your craft. Your writing matters. You matter. You deserve it.”
On challenges …
Oh, yes. It's a constant struggle. But it's possible to balance writing with another career (if that's what you want to do, of course!). The best thing I did for myself was find mentors that were balancing all the things I wanted to balance, too. In my final year of law school, I also enrolled in the Humber School for Writers Creative Writing by Correspondence Program. My mentor was Robert Rotenberg (a practising lawyer). Working with Robert not only elevated my craft, but also proved to me that I could, in fact, "do both". I am so thankful to him for that. There were others I looked up to in this respect, too, particularly Catherine McKenzie (who also writes under Catherine Mack). Big fan of her work!
On the best advice …
Two things. First: every word counts. I try not to think too much about this when I'm drafting, but I really lean into the "red pen" when I'm editing. Putting every word on trial for its life may seem a bit dramatic (it is!) but it's a necessary part of my process. I want every word that makes it into the final product to feel earned. Second: drafting is just shovelling sand into the sandbox, so that you can build the sandcastle later. I always need to remind myself of this one. Drafts are allowed to suck. Drafts should suck. You're finding your way in/through the story; you're discovering who your characters are. You can make it shine later. But it needs to exist first.
On the worst advice …
Don’t set your book in Canada. And so I did!
On advice from personal experiences …
I am a better person when I’m writing. If you feel that way, too, make time for yourself and your craft. Your writing matters. You matter. You deserve it.
On rekindling creativity …
I have two go-tos when I’m feeling stuck: colouring (yes, like with pencil crayons in a colouring book for children) or outdoor walks. The latter is a bit difficult in our Canadian winters, but both get the gears turning. Sometimes, there’s nothing better for the creative soul than touching grass. I’ve also started running and I hate that everyone who said it was good for the mind was, well, correct.
On a recent publication …
Hail Mary, my debut novel, releases on September 22. I like to think of it as Six Feet Under by way of Rebecca. It follows Mary Foreman, who returns to her hometown to help her estranged family during a scandal-plagued election. But when the opening of a decades-old time capsule at her alma mater (a Catholic school for girls where she now teaches) draws her into a criminal investigation tied to her family’s funeral empire, she must fight to prove her innocence. Not only of recent crimes, put past ones, too. For this is the North Shore of Lake Huron, and the past is always present where the dead don’t die. Right now, I’m working on edits for my sophomore novel, Confession. It’s set in the same “universe” as Hail Mary. It releases in 2027.
Elizabeth’s online spaces …
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Happy writing!
Haha 😂😂😂 “On the worst advice …
Don’t set your book in Canada. And so I did!”