Featured Writer: Patricia Westerhof
On creating space to write and writing advice.
Hello all,
Welcome to the 50th edition of Women Writing!
and I hosted our Mini Memoir Retreat last week and had a wonderful time working with the writers.A successful workshop or retreat is dependent on the planning and organization of the hosts, including the venue, schedule, writing prompts, snacks (you need snacks!) and coffee (don’t forget the coffee), but also on the attendees. Generous writers who share their work, ask thoughtful questions, and support one another make everyone feel comfortable in what can feel like a very vulnerable undertaking. Listening, sharing, and encouraging other writers lets them know their work is important. It is worthy of attention. It is to be taken seriously. Thank you to all the writers who did just that and more. We appreciate you and your words.
Prepare to be inspired by this week’s featured author Patricia Westerhof. Enjoy!
About the author…
Patricia Westerhof is an author, speaker, and writing coach. Along with her most recent book, The Canadian Guide to Creative Writing and Publishing, she’s written an award-winning novel, The Dove in Bathurst Station, as well as a collection of short stories, Catch Me When I Fall. Her most recent work-in-progress is a social satire novel about an ardent environmental activist who wants to save the planet and find true love. Patricia teaches creative writing at University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies.
“Building community with readers and writers can sustain you through all the highs and lows of the writing life.”
On a writing routine …
Early mornings are the most productive writing time for me, but my schedule is haphazard, and I don't have a fixed writing routine. Since I do a lot of teaching and coaching, I sometimes have to spend a few days in a row planning lessons and writing comments on student work. On those days, I end up writing in the cracks left over, fitting my writing into the late afternoon or evening. In the last stages of revising a manuscript, I hole myself up in my study and write for hours and hours in a row, obsessed with getting it right. For four to six weeks, I spend at least twelve hours a day revising and editing. Sometimes, when I'm close to the end of a book, the work will tug me so much that I'll get up in the night and go to my desk, writing through the wee hours until the sun comes up. When it's a fiction project I'm working on, the world of the novel becomes more real to me than my own world, and I move through my routines and interactions with people in a daze, as if there's a translucent film between me and the real world. Luckily, I have longsuffering family and friends!
On writing spaces …
Now that my kids are grown, I have a beautiful writing room. It's just big enough for bookshelves, filing cabinet and a desk, but it overlooks the backyard, and it's filled with plants, books, and framed photographs. My cat usually sleeps on the desk to my right as I work. Writing at home is ideal, except on the tricky days when diversion beckons. The laundry room is just steps away, and when words come haltingly or not at all, house chores beckon with the allure of easier labour and more tangible results. (Do you need to be a writer to understand how cleaning and folding things can be a temptation?) And then there’s the kitchen just down the stairs, with a coffee and, depending on the time of day, a family member to chat with. So I keep two quotations on my desk to help keep me focused. One is a note I wrote to myself while I was composing my first novel: “Keep Going.” The second is a quotation by Honoré de Balzac: “If the artist does not fling himself, without reflecting, into his work...,if he contemplates difficulties instead of overcoming them one by one ... he is simply looking on at the suicide of his own talent.”
On writing communities …
I'm blessed to be part of trio of critique partners--two authors I've worked with for years. We meet once a month, sending our drafts in advance. Along with editing help, we support one another through the ups and downs of the publishing life, empathizing with disappointments and celebrating successes. We also keep one another abreast of what's going on in the industry, sharing whatever news we've gleaned. Over the years, my two critique partners have been my cheerleaders, my discerning editors, my resources on where to send submissions, my sounding board, and more. They've also become dear friends!
On challenges …
I wrote my first book, Catch Me When I Fall, in my head during my kids’ swimming classes, piano lessons and play dates. Now, I have more time to write, but I'm always balancing the work of writing with the work of teaching. In my downtime, my thoughts can wander to the manuscripts of the people I'm teaching or coaching, and I find myself addressing the challenges in their drafts instead of my own. Although I love teaching writing, I think my own writing would progress faster if I had a job that required no creativity and little interaction with people. Unfortunately, I would hate that kind of job!
On the best writing advice …
Many wise writers have helped me along the way. I quoted some of them in The Canadian Guide to Creative Writing and Publishing. Maybe the earliest powerful piece of advice I read came from an essay by Annie Dillard, in which she argues that the vast majority of us are not natural wonders; instead, we achieve impressive things through hard work. I like to remind my students that every novel they admire, every novel that they find brilliant and beautiful, started with a very imperfect draft. And I need to remind myself of this every time I start a new project as well. Even though I've gone through the process of drafting, revising, and editing a book several times now, self-doubt can still choke me, and I'll feel worried that I won't get there this time. I'll believe that other writers type away as if God is singing in their ear, while I have to build a scene one idea, one sentence, sometimes one word at a time. Dillard says, "It’s hard work, doing something with your life. The very thought of hard work makes me queasy. I’d rather die in peace. Here we are, all equal and alike and none of us much to write home about—and some people choose to make themselves into physicists or thinkers or major-league pitchers, knowing perfectly well that it will be nothing but hard work. But I want to tell you that it’s not as bad as it sounds. Doing something does not require discipline; it creates its own discipline." I find this to be true with each writing project I tackle.
On the worst writing advice …
I was once in a writing critique group where one member's favourite comment was "Dig deeper." I would ask her to explain more specifically what she meant, or to point in the manuscript to where she thought the narrative needed more depth, but she'd just repeat, "You just need to dig deeper." After a few weeks, I bowed out of that critique group and found more articulate and insightful editors.
On advice from personal experiences …
I'm going to quote from my latest book in answer to this question. "Building community with readers and writers can sustain you through all the highs and lows of the writing life ... Published authors can interact with their books’ readers at festivals, reading series, book clubs, and online. Though writers have degrees of comfort with making themselves accessible to readers, publishers these days expect authors to converse with readers as part of the marketing process, and this can be very rewarding. The relationship between reader and text is often deeply personal, and for the author to hear that someone found their book informative, side-splittingly funny, comforting, inspiring, or thought-provoking can make even the grimmest of writing processes feel like it was worthwhile.
Perhaps an even better way to enrich your writing life is by building community with other writers. When you feel blocked or discouraged, when rejections arrive in your inbox, when you get a bad review, friends who understand the hurtles of the writing life can commiserate and encourage. When you reach a goal, like finishing a project or getting something published, your writer friends will understand more than nonwriters what you’ve achieved and will rejoice in your success.
Fellow writers can also help you to hone your skills, whether that’s by reading your drafts and providing honest feedback, or by talking about the craft of writing over coffee or beer. They’ll chat with you about books and the publishing business, they’ll expand your repertoire of skills, and they’ll be a sounding board as you talk through your ideas for writing. They’ll attend your readings, sometimes being the only people besides your mom or your best friend in the audience. They’ll introduce you to other writers, and perhaps to industry people, and they’ll draw your attention to opportunities that could advance your career."
(All of this is true in my own experience!)
On a recent publication …
My most recent book is The Canadian Guide to Creative Writing and Publishing. My latest project is a novel about an ardent environmental activist who wants to save the planet and find true love
Patricia’s online spaces …
UPCOMING OFFERINGS…
Rekindle Creativity Women’s Writing Retreat
Registrations are now open for Rekindle Creativity Women’s Writing Retreat from October 2-6, 2024 in Gore Bay on beautiful Manitoulin Island, Ontario.
What you can expect:
Supported time to work on your manuscript
A one-on-one coaching session with a certified book coach (Dinah or Liisa)
Group coaching sessions focused on writing
Feedback and encouragement from group members who identify with your struggles
Planning time to identify your next steps to move your project forward
A supportive community and a chance to talk about your book with like-minded peers
Opportunities to tap into your senses and rekindle your creativity
Time away from the obligations and interruptions of everyday life
Time to connect with the natural wilderness on beautiful Manitoulin Island or visit the shops in Gore Bay
Cedar Canoe Books, Muskoka Retreat, January 2024
""Dinah and Liisa created a completely welcoming environment, sparked great conversations and had incredible book and publishing knowledge to convey. I especially enjoyed the 1:1 sessions. They were able to assess where I am at in my writing and publishing journey and meet me there. I feel seen." ~ Daphne Gordon
Please visit our website for more details. (Early bird prices until September 1, 2024.)
If you have any questions, please contact us at rekindlecreativity@gmail.com.
Group Book Coaching Fall Session
It’s never too early to start planning! This program is ideal for individuals who have an idea for a novel or memoir and need guidance to get started, or who have a draft and need a plan for revision. Ideal for teachers, retirees, and other busy professionals, the fall session is the right time to get started. We meet weekly via Zoom to check in, participate in writing prompts, discuss craft and weekly writing tasks. Participants will set weekly goals and submit writing tasks for individualized feedback. By the end of the 12 weeks, you will have a solid foundation for your book idea or work-in-progress.
Dates: Sundays, September 15-December 8, 2024 (12 Weeks)
Times: 7:00-8:30 PM EST via Zoom
What you can expect:
Clarify your book idea and goals
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Create a plan to move your project forward
Get honest and compassionate feedback from a certified book coach
Stay motivated and accountable to your deadlines
Find the joy in your writing practice
Investment: $499 + tax
Please note, class sizes are limited. Contact me to save your spot for September.
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!
Liisa Kovala is an Author Accelerator certified book coach. She is the author of Sisu’s Winter War (Latitude 46, 2022) and Surviving Stutthof: My Father’s Memories Behind the Death Gate (Latitude 46, 2017). Her short stories and creative non-fiction have been published in a variety of anthologies and literary magazines. Liisa is a member of The Writers’ Union of Canada, Canadian Authors Association, and past-president of Sudbury Writers’ Guild. Visit liisakovala.com.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Patricia's The Canadian Guide to Creative Writing and Publishing for both writers and writing teachers. SO useful!!
Thank you, Patricia and Liisa, for this helpful and interesting piece!