Lynn writes poems, essays, reviews, and freelance pieces, also poems and stories for children. Born in Moncton, N.B., her first paying job was working in her parent’s independent bookstore, The Bookmark. She graduated with a B.A. in English (Honours) from the University of King’s College in Halifax, N.S. She’s worked as a freelance magazine writer, tutored children with reading difficulties, and taught English as a Second Language. She’s also taught creative writing at the University of New Brunswick, the Maritime Writer’s Workshop, The Beaverbrook Art Gallery, and schools in N.B. and N.S. For 10 years Lynn worked part time at Westminster Books, Fredericton’s downtown independent bookstore where she spent most of her salary. She lives in Fredericton, N.B. with her partner, Dave Macfarlane, where she writes, bakes bread, folds little pieces of paper, and gardens.
A reading with lots of stops along the way to talk about the writing life - how I got started, how I find my ideas, how rewriting is a big part of writing. Regular journal writing has been a big part of my writing life, and I read a few pieces from my teenage journals. I discuss the challenges of finding a publisher and working with an editor. Props include drafts of a poem, journals, rejection letters, and a few surprises! I leave lots of time for questions and am happy to adapt a presentation to the specific needs of a group or classroom.
I give workshops that focus on creativity in general, on writing in particular. We might make a paper bag pocket book, then move on to writing that plays with details, verbs, and images. Participants leave with a book to be filled and writing to be pursued. Or we might make collages, a great kick-starting tool for generating ideas and getting words on the page. Both these workshops begin with making something with our hands, a process that relaxes the brain and beckons creativity. Another possibility is a one day workshop on writing and walking that celebrates curiousity, wonder, and observational skills - all necessary if we want to write with precision, clarity, and surprise. Please go to my website for more details.
Please go to my website for grade levels and details!
