FAQ A to Z

Advice? A list of books on creative writing I have found helpful is included under Recommended Resources.
Balance? You don’t have to be selfish to be a writer, but you do have to be dedicated and disciplined. “To the
extent that your writing harms those you love, your writing has become corrupt.” ~Bruce Jorgensen.
Copyright? Copyright is a complex issue, and often those who worry the most have the least to worry about.
Done? A piece may never be really done, but when you have done all the revising you can and both you and
others find it moving and memorable quit. Yeats said, “a poem comes right with a click like a closing box.”
Education? Acadia offers advanced courses in poetry, fiction, play writing, and an honours thesis in creative
writing. And there are many fine Masters programs in Creative Writing across the country.
Format? If submitting to a journal, avoid fancy fonts or anything smaller than 12 point, print on one side of
paper only, double space for fiction, single for poetry. Follow submission guidelines precisely.
Genre? We don’t begin with genre fiction like horror, romance, or sci-fi because like artists practice life
drawing before branching out, we begin with the fundamentals, but what you learn here is transferrable.
Help? Writers are among the most generous people I know, but they tend also to be very private and very busy,
so it’s best to go to someone who gets paid for helping. Mentorships are available.
Information? In addition to websites of writer’s organizations like http://www.writers.ns.ca, helpful
resources online are included in Recommended Resources.
Journals? Getting published in literary journals is the most common route to publishing success and authors
often start with campus publications.
Kleptomania? You will inevitably be influenced by other writers but resist the urge to steal what is not your
own. Plagiarism is not only illegal, it’s downright tragic when it comes to creative work.
Libraries? All sorts of wonderful resources including collections of poetry, short stories, author interviews and
memoirs, guides to creative writing, essays and videos on writers and craft and creative writing journals.
Money? There are fiction writers with skill and discipline who do very well but most writers in Canada (poets
especially) keep a day job to pay the bills. There are grants for writers but you do it because you love it.
Notes? Find a way to keep notes of your experiences that works for you, so that when you have time to focus
on writing, you have raw material to draw on. A dollar-store notebook, index cards. sound bites, pictures.
Organizations? There are many wonderful ones (some with student memberships) including provincial writers’
federations, e.g. www.writers.ns.ca or League of Canadian Poets www.poets.ca or Writers Union of Canada.
Prizes? Legitimate contests include the CBC literary awards and those run by journals (often with subscription
costs as an entry fee), but there are also scams.
Query letters? These letters ask if a journal or publisher might be interested in your work. Be courteous and
concise without being cutesy or clever. They usually want a brief bio, publication history, and proposal.
Rejection? A journal such as the Fiddlehead has a 98% rejection rate, so don’t take it personally (they’re may
be reasons other than quality) and don’t be discouraged. Keep improving your writing and sending it out.
Submission? Follow guidelines (in the front of journals or online) carefully. Do not send email or multiple
submissions (the same piece to many places) unless ok. SASE is a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Textbooks? Jazz musician Stan Getz says, “You can read all the textbooks and listen to all the records
but you have to play with musicians that are better than you.” Some helpful texts are listed below.
Understand? Your main job as a writer is to try and understand and express your world. Pay attention and as
Henry James put it, “Try to be one of the people on whom nothing is lost!"
Vanity Publishing? Ideally, a journal or publisher will believe in your work enough to invest the time and
money to bring it to press, but some now famous works were first self published (paid for by the author).
Web? The web is your friend for research but remember not all you find is reliable.
Xeriscaping? You can guard against drought by following suggestions for Writer’s Block that follow.
You? You are the key to this apprenticeship. “You learn best by reading a lot and writing a lot, and the most
valuable lessons of all are the ones you teach yourself. ~Stephen King.
Zines? The trouble with some e-zines and online poetry postings is the threshold can be so low anyone can leap
over it which might affect how your work is perceived. Once it’s out there your work is fair game.
 Writer’s Block
1. ROUTINE. Some writers find a regular quiet place, and a regular quiet time without distractions can be
conducive to writing. If you find it hard to write on the computer, experiment with writing by hand, or
vice versa. Establish a routine that works for you. Setting specific goals can be productive, but set them
in tasks, not time.

2. REWARD. Some find establishing a system of rewards and punishments can be a good motivator. If I
finish this poem I’ll go out for dinner. If I don’t finish my story, I won’t watch Netflix on the weekend.
Make a list of your favourite time wasters and avoid your avoidance techniques. “Don’t get it right, get
it written.” James Thurber

3. RELAX. Perfection is the Enemy of Completion. Think of your piece as a work in progress that you
can always come back to. Don’t think about creating the perfect title or the perfect first sentence. Jump
in where you feel inspired. The creative experience can and must be guided but it cannot be controlled.
Daydream. Though you need a disciplined work ethic to succeed as a writer, you also need to recognize
that some pieces can’t be rushed. Gestation, the passively creative period where ideas and images are
gathering in your mind, is not the same as writer’s block. Procrastination can undermine productivity
but so can undue pressure or guilt. Take writing seriously, but remember the times of joy. Have faith.

4. REVIEW. Sometimes going over what you’ve already written or reviewing your file of raw material
(journals, etc.) can trigger the motivation you need to keep going.
Hemingway always stopped when he still knew what would happen next so he’d have a starting place
the next day. Sometimes developing an overview or outline can help you know where you’re going and
how to get there. Be interested in everything.

5. REFRESH. If they’re at a standstill, some people find that doing something else creative (listening to
music, going for a walk of observation, cooking a meal, reading another poet’s work) can refresh them
for the task at hand. Or maybe you have been thinking about sunsets or love and you need, for a change,
to think about DNA or what the parts of a sea urchin are called. Others have more than one writing
project on the go, so that if one isn’t progressing they can work on another.

Xeriscaping is the process of landscaping or