Dianah Smith

Revisiting personal experiences for the purpose of fictionalizing them was painful at times. I had to pace myself in writing some of the heavier sections of the novel. I realized that my ideal of “writing everyday” had to be set aside sometimes.

My writing process depended on where I was at in the novel. When I was constructing the story, I tried to write every day or as frequently as possible juggling employment and other commitments. The revision process was more fluid (for better or for worse). It was also good to put the manuscript away for a while and come back to it with fresh eyes.

An imperfect world seems like the best world for a writer. If we didn’t struggle or have any challenges what would we write about? Too much struggle however means no energy remains to imagine, dream or create.

Ten years from now I hope to feel more confident in my craft. I will have a strong community of colleagues and others in the writing community. I will continue to facilitate writing workshops for communities who do not have many opportunities to share their stories. The lowest point will be the familiar low point of balancing earning an income with living a creative life. The high point will be more opportunities to share my stories with those who see their lives reflected in my words.

Zany fact about me: I love puppets! Probably one of my favourite shows (still) is Sesame Street. I own several puppets and hope to incorporate this quirk into my writing/teaching and or some other area of my life.