I’m the award winning author of the debut contemporary literary short story collection Took You So Long, published by the Porcupine's Quill, Erin, Ontario August 2022. In May 2023, Took You So Long received an IPPY 🥇GOLD (Independent Publishers Book Award) Canada East—Regional Fiction category. In August, the book was awarded a SILVER eLit Award for short fiction.
Released February 2024 The Roach Family and Other Stories, publisher DarkWinter Press.
I am a multigenre creator. I write short stories, nonfiction, creative nonfiction and some poetry. I also create visual art using a variety of mediums: acrylic paint, alcohol and/or acrylic ink, collage techniques, mark-making tools, charcoal, watercolour.
If I can do it, so can you!
Two-pronged approach to this presentation
Part I: Author reading from Took You So Long / The Roach Family and Other Stories
Emphasize that the first book came from an author in her 65th year!
Examination of tools used in some of the stories to draw readers in with the first sentence/first paragraph
Q & A about the stories in this debut collection
Part II: Workshop component--Writing effective opening paragraphs for a short story
Presenter would facilitate a session in which the audience learns how and then writes an effective opening paragraph using a provided prompt (e.g., using think-pair-share, an obituary, an image, and / or word prompt)
Some volunteers will share their opening paragraphs. Presenter offers insight into what worked and why.
Readings from one / both of my short story collections
Q and A format about writing process, where ideas come from, how titles are derived, the benefit of writing groups
