How I Made Literary Magazine Rejections Into a Game
About a year ago I was at the best sushi restaurant in Toronto. It was my birthday. I was there with my family, and the unagi was so good my mouth is watering as I write this sentence, and I…
Craft Essays
How My Terrible Photoblog made me a better writer
When I first moved to Canada, long before Instagram existed, I started a photoblog. I went out every Saturday with my digital camera, and I took photos of the pigeons fluttering around Bathurst station, the ice waves on the shore…
Dallas Won Because Its Characters Had More Than Hairspray in Common
I love watching terrible 80s TV, so recently I sat down to watch Dynasty for the first time. It’s a show about rich oil barons and their families. Like Succession, if Succession was set in Denver (DENVER) and everyone was…
Unlock Better Plots with Tricks from Musical Improv
I was so excited when I saw a poster for a new musical on the subway. I’ve loved musicals all my life, and the recent crop of “based on a movie” and “jukebox” musicals have been a massive disappointment. But…
Five Ingredients for Writing Meaningful Memoir
I’ve been telling true stories on stage for ten years, all over the world. I’ve taught workshops in India and spun tales in New York City. Won story slams, been on the radio, even on television. And when stages vanished…