Hello all,
Welcome to the 11th edition of Women Writing! As some of you know, I’ve been a teacher for over twenty-five years and I’m passionate about teaching and learning. In my opinion, teaching is the toughest job in the world, and the most undervalued. Many teachers are struggling out there and need to explore creative outlets. I also know a lot of teachers have a book they want to write (and they should!). If that sounds like you, please find my free download (after the interview) to get you started on your writing journey. Plus, I have some special things in the works just for you coming this spring.
This week, I’m thrilled to feature author Kristen den Hartog in Women Writing. I’ve long admired Kristen’s work and I’m looking forward to her upcoming publication. Be prepared to be inspired.
Kristen den Hartog is a novelist and nonfiction writer. Her book The Roosting Box: Rebuilding the Body After the First World War is due out with Goose Lane Editions in 2024. She lives with her husband and their dear old beagle in Toronto, and in Lyndhurst, Ontario.
“Writing is a solitary experience, and it's easy for introverted people to hide away in that. Shade is lovely, but we all need a bit of sunshine too.”
On a writing routine …
My writing routine has changed over the years. As a young, single woman, living alone and working at a flower shop, I used to tuck my manuscript into my bag when I headed off to work on the streetcar, and I'd write the whole way, and then again the whole way home. In the evening, I'd write again. Then later when I had a family, I had to actively carve out my time. I remember editing my third novel "wearing" my baby in a sling. I was exhausted for several years because my writing time happened whenever she was sleeping. Later when she started school, I'd write as soon as she and my husband left the house. Now, my daughter is off at university and my husband has retired, so again I'm shifting my schedule, and finding a new routine. It hasn't truly taken shape yet, but I don't worry -- I know that my need to write is strong enough that I will always make time for it. It's part of who I am.
On writing spaces …
This too has changed over time. I used to always write at my desk in my office, but during COVID, both my husband and daughter were working/schooling at home, and I found the best and quietest place for me was the kitchen table. Even after they went back to work and school, I continued to work there, just out of habit. But to be honest the space doesn't matter so much to me once I'm immersed in my project. I can set up at a table outside on a nice day, or snuggle into the couch. As long as things are fairly quiet, it doesn't matter too much where I am, especially if the project is well underway. I quickly forget about my surroundings.
On writing communities …
Many years ago, when I first began writing seriously, I was part of a small writing group, and also attended the Sage Hill writing retreat in Saskatchewan. Both were excellent experiences for me and helped me grow and improve as a writer. I learned so much by reading and discussing other people's work, and having to articulate what I thought was working or not. Also, of course, hearing their criticisms was tremendously valuable. I can't speak highly enough of how much that time helped me as a writer. To be candid, I wish I had kept that sense of community going for myself. There are few people who will understand your working self better than other writers. I have always shied away from being part of a community of writers, I guess because I'm introverted by nature, but I see now that was a mistake on my part.
On challenges …
I always wanted to write so badly that I ensured it would happen. Really the biggest challenge was being the mother of a young child, but in retrospect that period flew by quickly. And I've been lucky to have a supportive husband who values my work and the space and time it requires.
On the best writing advice …
Years ago when I was at Sage Hill, the writer Bonnie Burnard was leading our fiction group. She suggested the stories I was working on were all part of one larger piece -- a novel. I had never considered writing a novel at that stage, and I told her, "I don't know how to write a novel." She just shrugged and said, "Why not just start thinking of it that way?" And those stories eventually shifted and grew into my first book, Water Wings. The advice I regularly call to mind, though, is actually my own: "It can be whatever you want it to be."
On the worst writing advice …
Hmm. I can't think of a bad piece of advice, but I can think of something that's always bothered me: many writers distance themselves from their own creations, saying an idea or a character comes to them as if by magic, and that the characters have their own ideas about how they wish to behave -- the writer can argue all she likes, but she won't win. I feel very strongly that my stories and characters are my creations. There is no magical other place -- well, no, that's not quite right: there is a magical place, but it's inside me.
On advice from personal experiences …
Find your community. Don't do it because you feel you need to "network" in order to get ahead, or build your platform, or any of that self-promotional stuff. Do it because there's so much to be gained from knowing others who love what you love. Do it because you have something to offer to them, too. Writing is a solitary experience, and it's easy for introverted people to hide away in that. Shade is lovely, but we all need a bit of sunshine too.
Kristen’s online spaces …
Website: kristendenhartog.com
An article published during Covid, about a WW1 veteran, is here: https://www.geist.com/fact/dispatches/solace/
The website for my nonfiction books with my sister, Tracy Kasaboski, is https://thecowkeeperswish.com/
I believe the world needs more women’s stories.
Are you ready to write yours?
If you've been dreaming of writing a novel or memoir but don't know how to get started, or you have a work-in-progress that needs attention, as an Author Accelerator Book Coach I can give you the tools to move forward. We all have a story within us, waiting to be shared. I can help you tell yours. Let me show you how.
Attention teachers!
If you’re a teacher, I have something special just for you. Download a free copy of my workbook, Beyond the Blackboard: Empowering Teachers to Write Fiction. Stay tuned for upcoming teacher offerings in 2024 to set you on the path to writing your novel.
Happy writing!
Women Writing is a weekly newsletter featuring women who are doing the difficult work of writing. If you enjoyed reading the newsletter, please share it with a fellow writer. Let’s inspire each other!
Dear Kristen, thank you for writing about Sage Hill and the wonderful way that Bonnie Burnard was able to see something in your project and suggest there was a novel there. Mentors like her are so wonderful. My mentor at Sage Hill was David Carpenter and he was equally encouraging and lovely.
So cinematic! “As a young, single woman, living alone and working at a flower shop, I used to tuck my manuscript into my bag when I headed off to work on the streetcar, and I'd write the whole way, and then again the whole way home. In the evening, I'd write again.” It’s always interesting to hear how writing practices change with time and life circumstances--thanks for sharing.