Best Writing Books
What are your favourite writing books?
Most writers I know went through a time in their professional development when they were reading more about writing than actually doing any writing.
On Assignment
Burger King and Writers
There will be no more professional writers in the future. That was the headline for a Globe and Mail story last week, mainly about how free content, e-books and self-publishing are making it almost impossible for authors to make a living. You can read it here.
The power of not knowing
The other day I interviewed Reg Bibby, one of Canada’s leading sociologists. It was for a story on why youth leave the Church and why they sometimes stay. What made the interview so remarkable to me wasn’t what Bibby knew, which was a lot, but what he didn’t know, which was only a little.
A funny thing happened
A funny thing happened to me on the way to this website. When I left for my assignment in South Sudan, this site was well on its way to being complete. When I returned, after six days of touring refugee camps and interviewing the people whose lives have been torn apart by a conflict they didn’t make or choose, I lost the ability to write pithy descriptions of the work I do as a writer.
My Big Writing Challenge
This week, I am off on a writing assignment like I have never had before.
I have accepted an invitation to travel to two refugee camps in South Sudan with Samaritan’s Purse, a charity probably best known for encouraging ordinary Canadians to fill shoe-boxes at Christmas for children in need around the world.