Some big news to share:

I’m joining the crew at the Writer’s Studio at SFU starting with the January 2027 cohort. I was a student in this program more than ten years ago so this is a really exciting full-circle moment for me to be able to return in a mentor seat.

The Studio is a one-year creative writing certificate program that runs under Simon Fraser University’s continuing studies department. And a heap of very cool Canadian writers have come through its doors as students or mentors (or like me, as both!)

It’s a workshop-based format - you have a workshop group that you work with for the year, giving and receiving feedback on your work, along with taking part in various classes on craft, publishing and more. There are author readings, opportunities for making connections and community, and the folks in charge are some of my favourite people in the writing universe.

The Writer’s Studio was the catalyst for everything that happened in my writing career over the last dozen years, so I am just a tiny bit biased but even with my bias mostly tucked aside: it’s good people and good learning.

Applications open September 1 and close October 31. That means right now is a great time to start looking at the details and getting your application together.

Check out all the program details (including upcoming info session) and, if you’re interested in applying for my group in particular, take a gander at my advice for applicants.

See you in class, maybe!

What’s New

No big super-splashy updates to share but it has been a really great spring, all in all. And there’s lots on the docket coming up: some fun workshops in the next month or two (check out the listing at the end of this newsletter to get the details) and various festivals and events already lining up for autumn and beyond.

I am counting down the days until mid-August, when I’ll be taking part in an immersive writing retreat to do some learning, writing, thinking, and resting. I am SO excited (I’m already making the mental packing list … how many floaty sundresses does one require for several days of sunshine and writing in notebooks by the seashore? Several, obviously!) I will be ready to unplug for a few days by the time August rolls around.

What I’m Reading

With so much editing this spring, particularly of large full-length manuscripts, I have not had as much time (or, more correctly, brain capacity) for much personal reading after I leave the desk. But I have a few things stacked on the bedside or loaded in audiobook format on my Libby that I’m slowly enjoying (yes I usually have more than one thing going at a time), including:

• Bloom: Letters on Girlhood, by Claire Sicherman and Nicole Breit

• Pillow Talk, anthology, edited by Heather Hendrie

• Crown of War and Shadow, JR Ward

• Widow’s Guide to Dead Bastards, by Jessica Waite (I have already finished this one a while back but I’m re-reading a few sections - it’s the July selection for my book club so I have to refresh my memory of it before we meet!)

A couple books I’m looking forward to from the bestseller lists are the new Carley Fortune book, Our Perfect Storm, which is set here in BC, and Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (yes I have been sucked in by the online discourse and want to see which of the various camps of opinion are correct. But it’s a long wait at the library already!)

What I’m Writing

I’ve been outlining a new something-or-other … and another thing … and I have this other idea …

In other words, I’m in that stage where I can’t seem to settle on what the “next thing” should be. This is my method, it seems: finish a project and send it down the publishing pipeline, then immediately have three to six ideas of varying and uncertain quality, and jump between them for a few months before one surges to the inspirational forefront and becomes, officially, the “next thing.”

That’s a long way of saying I’m writing a fair bit, but intermittently, and without anywhere near enough diligence and commitment. It’s not writer’s block, more like writer’s “why do today what I could do tomorrow.” Hopefully the “writing like I’m on fire and the keyboard is full of water” stage will hit me soon!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Coming soon

Lots of fun things coming up. All the details are up at my linktree which is always the best spot for the most recent updates on all events.

June 18 - a just-for-fun prompt session with a summer and solstice theme with the Federation of BC Writers

June 22 to 26 - a weeklong editing intensive hosted by the Federation of BC Writers (I’ll be doing a workshop and a panel session on the Friday)

July 7 - (details are not yet posted) a session on mindset, visualization and tools to help writers stay the course in the face of discouragement. Event will be held by zoom. Stay tuned for registration information.

Sept 19 - Word Vancouver returns for its annual free festival. I’ll be taking part in a panel, details to come!

More events coming soon. I keep my linktree updated weekly.

MISCELLANEOUS

Learning Opportunities & Consulting

In the fall, my CNF1 course and my Fiction2 course will both be running again through SFU’s continuing studies so if you’re looking for something to get you learning and writing, those may be right up your alley.

This will be my last time teaching the CNF1 course. But I have something new and reallllly exciting coming up that I’ll share at some point soon over the summer.

If you’re curious about working with me as an editor or coach, I’ve got a page on my website with information that outlines the work I do. Availability varies from season to season, and depends on what’s needed for the project in question.

As always, big thanks to folks who have recommended me to their friends or colleagues. Though many people “find me” through events at festivals or workshops, I think most new clients come by word of mouth recommendations. It means a great deal to me.

Stay cool this summer and I hope to cross paths with you all over the coming year!

xo Christina

What’s New

What’s new? Well, not too much. Or, to be more accurate, not too much that I can share just yet. I have a few fun things brewing behind the scenes but I have to be patient. On a personal note, I celebrated a milestone birthday and took a trip overseas with a good friend of mine as celebration and I’m still in the “coming back to reality, what do you mean I’m not on holiday every day forever” mode!

What I’m Reading

I recently finished The Dutch House by Ann Patchett and, like Tom Lake, I adored it but I think that was 50% the story and 50% the narration, on both counts. Tom Hanks narrated The Dutch House and Meryl Streep did Tom Lake, and both are masters at storytelling. The small intonations, the chuckle, the pauses, the speed … it all made the stories so much more, and they’re already beautiful stories.

I’m about halfway through Hello Beautiful by Ann Neapolitano, also doing it by audiobook. This one is a book club pick and again I’m enjoying it very much but in good part because of the narration. In the case of all three books, I’m not sure if I would have continued them in paper form. Obviously, that’s no critique of the writers or those books, which were all best-sellers for a reason, but an observation on two things: first, that my attention span over the last few years, starting in covid, has dropped dramatically; and second, I’m probably more of a plot-based girlie than I realized before this. Character driven novels are beautiful but it seems my brain is craving more plot-focused (maybe it helps my attention span?) This would explain the fact I’ve really enjoyed books in genres I don’t normally read in the last few years, and that I’ve returned to reading more romance as well. Romance in particular often has neat twists on familiar plot lines, offering our reality-battered brains some stability and familiarity. I’ve read almost all of Carley Fortune’s books this year and just recommended her newest one coming in May as a pick for my book club in the coming year.

What I’m Writing

Here’s what I wrote in my last newsletter, repeated because it’s still true: my most recent novel is done, revised, and hopefully will be out on submission soon. I’ve started work on a new novel and am slowly plunking away at a non-fiction proposal. But of course, as is the way, something shiny popped into my brain and now it seems far more exciting than the dreary old ideas that were already in progress. I am too easily distracted by the new things, and I spread myself out over too many projects at once. I envy the writers who work on one novel, from start to finish, before beginning the next thing. Someday I may get that organized and dedicated, but not yet!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Coming soon

Lots of fun things coming up. All the details are up at my linktree which is always the best spot for the most recent updates on all events.

March 24 - FBCW panel by zoom with Wiley Ho, talking all about memoirs (her debut memoir was just released and is already on the BC Bestseller list!)

March 25 - Workshop on dialogue at the North Vancouver library with the North Shore Writers Association

March 31 - our grand finale for the Words in the Burbs series will be happening at Western Sky Books in PoCo

April 2 - FBCW workshop by zoom on the Power of Punctuation, an opportunity to get a refresher on the basics of punctuation

More events coming soon. I keep my linktree updated weekly.

BOOK NEWS

Awards Updates

Halfway Home won the memoir category in the 2025 Canadian Book Club Awards earlier this month! It was also previously shortlisted for the Fred Kerner Book Prize.

Our anthology, Beyond Blue was a finalist in the anthology/collection category for the Canadian Book Club Awards and though it didn’t win in the end, I’m thrilled it was named as one of the top three finalists!

MISCELLANEOUS

Learning Opportunities & Consulting

Next fall, my CNF1 course and my Fiction2 course will both be running again through SFU’s continuing studies so if you’re looking for something to get you learning and writing, those may be right up your alley.

I’ve been doing a ton of editing and manuscript consults this last year, ranging from quick copy edits on short fiction and essays, to book-length manuscripts, along with zoom consultations to chat about all manner of writerly challenges and topics. If you’re curious about working with me, I’ve got a page on my website with information that outlines the work I do. Availability varies from season to season, and depends on what’s needed for the project in question. For example, there are limited spots for full manuscript consults (and right now I’m booked up fully) as they take a good deal of time and attention, but it’s pretty easy to fit in an AMA session (I think of these as the “pick my brain” consultation - an hour to talk about a project you’re working on, ask questions about some part of the publishing process, or whatever you need.)

I’ve had a few queries lately about taking a look at short pieces before they’re sent off for a writing competition. So to answer that question: YES, I do a “quick last look” edit. These are not substantive in nature (in other words, they’re not making big suggestions about the content, structure, etc) but they’re a final polish.

Thank you so much to everyone who has recommended me to their friends or colleagues. Though many people “find me” through events at festivals or workshops, I think most new clients come by word of mouth recommendations. It means a great deal to me.

Here’s to a cheerful spring and a long, warm summer ahead.

xo Christina

I do a big update newsletter four times a year but in between I sometimes share a short note when there are timely events that will come and go before the next season! I’ve got a few of those to share today …

Beyond Blue Reading at Iron Dog Books

On Thursday, February 5, we’ll be at Iron Dog Books in East Vancouver to do a reading with myself, my co-editor Oga Nwobosi and Jenn Wint, one of our contributors. We’re so excited to share from Beyond Blue and have a conversation with folks about this topic! RSVP (free to attend, helps to organize) here https://irondogbooks.com/events/4175920260205

Fiction Course at SFU Starting Soon

My fiction level 2 course kicks off soon. If you’ve got some fiction basics under your belt and want to learn some more, this might be a good option. *Note: there may be a slight date change for the start date - feel free to reach out to me if you’d like to know more about that in making your plans. Registration is here: https://www.sfu.ca/continuing-studies/courses/twsa/fiction-2.html

Workshop with the Tri-Cities Wordsmiths

I’ll be teaching my Resilient Writers workshop - it looks at dealing with negativity, rejection, and the loud inner critic. It’s taking place on February 7 at Terry Fox Library. Details here: https://www.tri-citywordsmiths.ca/events

Goals Workshop Redux?

I taught two rounds of my goal-setting workshop at the start of January. I had only planned to run the first one but there were enough people asking if it would happen again that I did a repeat a week later for those who couldn’t make the first one. If I hear from enough folks that they’d be interested, I may run it again in the coming month or two. I know we all like to set goals in January but there’s no reason we can’t do so in March … or July … or any time at all! If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, let me know!

Fingers Crossed

In the next few weeks, I’ll know the results of the Canadian Book Club Awards. Halfway Home is a finalist in the non-fiction/memoir category and Beyond Blue in the collection/anthology category. Keep your fingers crossed!

That’s all for now, folks. Thank you for being here with me!

Yesterday, I led the 2026 writer goals workshop session for a big group. It was great fun and I’ve heard back already from several participants that it was helpful not just in identifying their goals (or starting to, as the pondering will continue in the coming days) but also expanding their IDEA of what goals can and should be for creative folks.

There were a few people who wanted to attend that session but they weren’t free that day. So I’m thinking about adding an extra session this coming Sunday, January 11, at 10 am pacific by zoom.

It’s short notice but if there’s enough interest (minimum five to six people), I’ll go ahead with it … so if you’re keen and missed the first one, let me know asap!

Here’s a reminder of what that session was about:

My quarterly newsletter is coming to you a few days shy of the winter solstice. As I type this, it’s about 5:30 pm. Dinner has already been made and eaten, the dishes washed, laundry going, and the only lights in the living room are the ones on the tree. It feels like it ought to be bedtime.

I think I am not the only one with the impression that it is even darker than usual lately with the foggy days and wild rainstorms. Sometimes I look out the window mid-afternoon and realize that the sun is—somehow—already setting when surely it only rose just a few hours ago. Like most people, I’m missing the warmth, the sun, the gardens and beaches. But like so many things in life, there is no way out but through—one day at a time. So I am trying to remember to slow down and be restful. Everything else in nature seems to understand this is the way to survive the winter. It’s not so easy for us humans it seems. At least, it never seems like there is time to slow down. I hope that each of you will find the time to in the coming weeks.

What’s New

This fall, my co-editor Oga Nwobosi and I released Beyond Blue: Stories of Heartbreak, Healing and Hope. We had a launch in Vancouver that was full of tears, laughter, hugs, and many glasses of punch (I think we poured out an entire carafe of unwanted coffee - thank you, Carmen, for managing my sudden panic about the coffee that night!)

Speaking of the punch, there were a bajillionty requests for the recipe so here it is … this is from an old Company’s Coming cookbook (can you ever go wrong with Company’s Company? No, no you cannot.)

Holiday Cranberry Punch

1/2 of a container of frozen orange juice concentrate

1.5 litres cranberry juice

540 ml pineapple juice

2 litres of ginger ale

frozen cranberries

Mix together the frozen OJ, the cranberry juice and the pineapple juice. Just before you’re ready to serve it, add the ginger ale and the frozen cranberries.

I have, a few times, made an ice ring for this using my bundt cake pan. Water, orange slices, cranberries, let it freeze and plunk it in the bowl right before serving. It does help keep it very cold.

The most important thing about the launch was not, of course, the punch. It was getting to hear the contributor’s stories, see and meet so many people involved in this project (we had contributor’s come from Toronto, Victoria, Revelstoke, Kelowna, etc) and to see my own original now-18-year-old postpartum support group members come out to cheer us on. Thank you to everyone who took part.

There are more Beyond Blue events upcoming. All events, as always, are updated regularly on my linktree.

There are a few new things in the pipeline for 2026 and beyond, but nothing that can yet be shared. That’s the thing about the writing pipeline: it’s long, circuitous, has a lot of pitstops along the way, and it’s hard to see the end of it. But things do, eventually, work their way through and then all of a sudden a new project or position or development is ready to be shared. The pipeline makes invisible much of the work of the writer.

What I’m Reading

So beyond that … what’s new in books?

I’m currently reading my writing pal Faye Arcand’s debut novel Inside Outside (check it out here) which has been on my bedside for MONTHS but kept getting bumped (I belong to a monthly book club and have to read the selections before the meeting so between that, the manuscripts I’m editing or consulting on, plus teaching, my solo reading time shrinks down to almost nothing!) It’s a wild ride already; I’ll report back after I’m through.

I’m a little bit faster on audiobooks, thanks to all the mom-chauffering that I do because I can listen in the car. I’ve been listening to The Last One by Rachel Howzell Hall, which is a quirky fantasy romance mystery-ish novel - and a lot of fun. I also did Recursion by Blake Crouch on audio recently, for an upcoming book club meeting, and my brain is STILL trying to wrap itself around the timeline. It’s a time travel-ish story with a really interesting concept and a very complex story (okay, okay, it’s probably not that complex, it’s just that my brain has a hard time wrapping around time jumps!)

What I’m Writing

My most recent novel is done, revised, and hopefully will be out on submission in the new year - fingers crossed it finds a home quickly. I’ve started work on a new novel and am slowly plunking away at a non-fiction proposal. But of course, as is the way, something shiny just popped into my brain last week and now it seems far more exciting than the dreary old ideas already in progress. (I promise to keep working on the first ones, too!)

None of these are far enough into their creation to share much about them yet, except to say that my habit of jumping from genre to genre, theme to theme, has not disappeared yet. Each new thing is very different than the last thing.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Coming soon

It was a wonderfully hectic autumn full of festivals, readings, a writer’s retreat, workshops, consults and much more.

The winter season will be much more quiet, which is probably a good thing (that winter hibernation and all.)

But there are a few fun upcoming things on the calendar:

On January 4, I’m running a workshop on setting goals for 2026. In mid-January, I’ll be at Pages and Passages at Albany Books in Tsawwassen, and in early February I’ll be teaching a session with the Tri-Cities Writers in Coquitlam and holding a reading for Beyond Blue at Iron Dog Books. All the details are up (or will be up as soon as they are posted) at my linktree. This is always the best spot for the most recent updates for events and news!

BOOK NEWS

Awards Updates

Halfway Home was recently shortlisted for the Fred Kerner Book Prize from the Canadian Authors Association. The winner was announced this last Saturday: Jen Currin with her short story collection Disembark. Jen is a fellow BC writer and her book was from the same publisher as Halfway Home, so I was pleased to see her win!

Halfway Home is also a finalist for the 2025 Canadian Book Club Awards, in the memoir cateogry. Beyond Blue is, too, in the anthology category. Winners will be announced come February. I am thrilled to have both of these books in the running. The List of Last Chances won the fiction category in 2023 and that was a wonderful experience.

MISCELLANEOUS

Learning Opportunities & Consulting

This winter my CNF1 course and my Fiction2 course will both be running again through SFU’s continuing studies so if you’re looking for something to get you learning and writing, those may be right up your alley.

I’ve been doing a ton of editing and manuscript consults this fall, ranging from quick copy edits on short fiction and essays, to book-length manuscripts, along with zoom consultations to chat about all manner of writerly challenges and topics. If you’re curious about working with me, I’ve got a page on my website with information that outlines the work I do. Availability varies from season to season, and depends on what’s needed for the project in question. For example, there are limited spots for full manuscript consults, as they take a good deal of time and attention, but it’s pretty easy to fit in an AMA session (I think of these as the “pick my brain” consultation - an hour to talk about a project you’re working on, ask questions about some part of the publishing process, or whatever you need.)

I’ve had a few queries lately about taking a look at short pieces before they’re sent off for a writing competition. I suspect this has come up lately because there are so many deadlines approaching this time of year (like the CBC non fiction award). So to answer that question: YES, I do a “quick last look” edit. These are not substantive in nature (in other words, they’re not making big suggestions about the content, structure, etc) but they’re a final polish.

Thank you so much to everyone who has recommended me to their friends or colleagues. Though many people “find me” through events at festivals or workshops, I think most new clients come by word of mouth recommendations. It means a great deal to me.

Here’s to a wonderful holiday season ahead and a fabulous new year.

xo Christina

A quick note to let you know about two workshops coming up in November and January (yes, in 2026 … yes, we’re almost there … no, it does not seem possible! 2026?!)

Both of these sessions are applicable to any genre. My experience is rooted in fiction, non-fiction, journalism and even academic/technical at times (aka all the stuff except poetry … and children’s books, I suppose!) but these sessions are not pinned to the specifics of any one genre. The first is all about what happens AFTER you’ve finished your manuscript … revisions, mindset, writer resiliency, thinking about publication, etc. This will be useful for anyone who is close to or has finished a manuscript - or frankly, anyone who is just curious about what they’ll do when they get there!

The second session is at the very start of the new year - and quite intentionally so: it’ll be a session to brainstorm and set down your writerly goals for the coming year (and no, word counts are not our only goals!) We’ll be creating something fun to help us keep track through the year. I did this for myself in 2025 and it was a great way to expand my idea of goals and to remind me of what I’ve accomplished as I move through the year. I’ve kept it on the wall next to my desk and marked it up as I’ve hit some of those goals and milestones (and no, I didn’t get all of them and I am perfectly okay with that!)

Email me at christinamyerswrites@gmail.com if you’d like to register for one or both. Invoices will go out the week prior to the workshops. Both are by zoom.

More details below.

PS while I have you: keep an ear open this coming weekend to your local CBC weekend shows … you may hear a familiar voice ;)

It’s a few weeks yet till we officially dive into the autumn season and it’s still warm and summery, but it kinda feels like autumn already … school is back, events are gearing up for the season, and my to-do list includes “get the winter jackets out.” So, for all intents and purposes, it’s fall, right?

I find myself thinking “oh THIS is my favourite season” at the start of every season but autumn is particularly special.

If you aren’t a fan of the season, I highly recommend excessive quantities of cozy light. I learned many years ago that the best ward to the winter humdrums was making things feel bright and lovely. Candles, every single night. Strings of little white lights in the windows. And I run the fire channel almost every morning in the fall and winter (hey, when you don’t have an actual fire place, it’s a lovely alternative!)

What’s New

My next book is in official revision mode! My agent took a read in early summer and sent it back with some notes and ideas - all of which I agreed with. It would be lovely if a manuscript came back with “10/10, no notes, this is the perfect-est novel of all time” but that doesn’t happen, to anyone, ever. It would also be lovely if I could do revisions in a single week but my brain insists on pondering and simmering. So this part takes time, alas. But it’s in the pipeline, which is great.

What I’m Reading

So beyond that … what’s new in books?

I’m just about to finish Autokrator by my fellow Canadian author, Emily Weedon. It’s the September pick for my book club and our meeting is on Thursday so I’m just in time to be ready to talk about it! Weedon has a new book coming this fall with a twist on the vampire theme, Hemo Sapiens.

Currently on audiobook for when I’m in the car, I’ve got Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson. Yes, it’s very long and it’s a lot of world building. I’m about two and a half hours in and I think the book is 16 hours in total. It’s not my usual genre and I wasn’t sure if I would continue but at a certain point it started to get into my brain. (And it’s been interesting listening to it at the same time as I’m reading Autokrator, because both deal with inequality - in Mistborn, it’s two classes of humans and in Autokrator, it’s gender based.)

I’m also audiobooking the Paradise Problem, which is a fake relationship trope romance book. It’s great fun so far and I just picked up the print copy. My favourite is having the audiobook and print book at the same time so I can carry on in the car and at home.

What I’m Writing

As mentioned above, the next novel is in revisions. I’m hoping we’ll have it ready to send out later this fall. Fingers crossed.

Over summer, I was invited to participate in two (unrelated) anthologies - one in non-fiction, the other in fiction. The latter is due in October, and the former closer to the new year. So I’m in the process of writing those (aka more pondering and simmering.) I am really excited to see both of these projects come to the shelf.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Coming soon

It’s a hectic fall, in the best way. I’ll be at Write on Bowen this coming Sunday, at Word Vancouver on September 20, at a Richmond Public Library author event in early October, speaking at the Tsawwassen University Women’s Club in late October, and then in November, there’s the UFV Writer’s Fest and near the end of the month I’ll be the special guest at the Fall Into Writing retreat with the Federation of BC Writers. For more information on all of these, there’s a full list with links and details on my linktree. I update this page frequently as new events crop up.

I am also scheduling a handful of independent workshops, like the ones I hosted in late spring and early summer. I’m still selecting dates and topics for the full line-up, but the first one is open now for registration, scheduled for two weeks from now! Note: you do not need to have your manuscript complete - you can be mid-project but curious and looking ahead! We’ll need minimum of six registrations to run the session but I’ll have room for at least 20.

Other likely themes for sessions will be learning about the process of editing, creating anthologies, being resilient in the face of rejection, and I’m 99% certain I’ll be setting something up in the first few days of 2026 on goal setting so we can kick off a new year of writing together!

As the rest of the fall/winter sessions are organized, I’ll be posting information on my linktree, on fb and ig, and I’ll send out a short and sweet note through the newsletter list, so stay tuned for those!

Again, bookmark https://linktr.ee/christinamyers for up-to-date details on events!

BOOK NEWS

Beyond Blue

We will be launching this new anthology on October 18. We’re pretty damn excited to share this with the world and to highlight some of our amazing contributors at this event. Details here:

On October 23, we’ll be having a special edition of Words in the Burbs (the reading series I co-host) at Western Sky Books in Port Coquitlam with a full lineup of readers from the book.

MISCELLANEOUS

Learning Opportunities & Consulting

For those who’ve asked about working with me, I’ve got a page on my website with information that outlines the work I do. Availability varies from season to season, and depends on what’s needed - there are always limited spots for full manuscript consults, for example, as they take a good deal of time and attention, but it’s pretty easy to fit in an AMA session (I think of these as the “pick my brain” consultation - an hour to talk about a project you’re working on, ask questions about some part of the publishing process, whatever you need.)

I recently collected some feedback from clients over the past year. Here are a few of their thoughts:

Thank you so much to everyone who has recommended me to their friends or colleagues. Though many people “find me” through events at festivals or workshops I carry out, I think most come by word of mouth recommendations. It means a great deal to me.

Enjoy the cooler weather (when it arrives) and thanks for reading!

xo Christina

First: If you’re in the Vancouver region, please put October 18 on the calendar. My co-editor Oga Nwobosi and I will be holding the book launch for Beyond Blue that evening. This book is a collection of 26 Canadian writers on the topic of postpartum depression/anxiety and maternal mental health. More details to come in September! And while your calendar is out, here’s another event that may be of interest: Write On Bowen Festival of Readers and Writers is happening September 12 to 14. Registration is now open and there’s a lovely lineup of events, readings, workshops and more. I’ll be leading a workshop session called Resilient Writers, taking a dive into dealing with rejection, negativity and critics (including inner critics!)

Second: I’ve wrapped up my spring manuscript consults, and will be on hiatus for a good chunk of the summer. Come fall, I will have a few slots open again for new bookings alongside folks who are already on the schedule. Please reach out if you have a project you’d like to work on. Check out my Work With Me page for more information on what I do, fees, and timing. It’s important to me to be sure I’m going to be a good match for your work so I usually request a sample of the work; if I think the theme/genre/style is better suited to a different editor, or simply that the timeline isn’t soon enough for you, I will do my best to recommend a colleague to you!

Third: I’m hosting two more workshops this month on July 13 and July 20 and there is room available in both for more participants! First up, one week from now, is Submission Success (details below) and then the following week will be a repeat of last month’s Non-Fiction Book Proposal workshop.

Session #1: Submission Success

Topic: Tips and advice for submitting your writing to anthologies, contests/competitions, journals and more. This will be focused on short work (single essays, short stories, poetry etc) as of course the submission process for book-length projects to agents or publishers is a very different thing. My experience in this zone: I've been the editor of two anthologies, and been a contributor in about a dozen more, so I've seen that process from both sides. I've also been a judge for several contests or been involved in selection committees in recent years, and in the past I submitted to a fair number of competitions and won or longlisted in a number of them. So I've been the editor and the contributor, the judge and the entrant - both sides of the submitting coin.

Time: July 13 at 10 am pacific (1 pm eastern)

Session length: 1 hour plus 20 to 30 minutes for Q&A (block off 90 minutes unless you know you won't stay for the questions)

Place: By zoom

Cost: $45 plus GST (payable by etransfer or credit; if necessary, cheque is also possible)

Session #2: Non-fiction Book Proposals

Topic: What is a non-fiction book proposal? How do you write one? Do you even need one? This seems to be one of the topics that people find the most confusing - and for good reason, because there's no one single answer to any of the questions related to proposals. I'll show you some examples of recent Canadian books that were sold on proposal and how/to who along with other non-fiction books that were written before pitching. I'll also share some of my own proposals and we'll go into each category/section of the proposal to understand what it can/should look like. And we'll talk about why I think writing a proposal is one of the most helpful things you can do, even if you decide you don't "need" one!

Time: July 20 at 10 am pacific (1 pm eastern)

Session length: 1 hour plus 20 to 30 minutes for Q&A (block off 90 minutes unless you know you won't stay for the questions)

Place: By Zoom

Cost: $45 plus GST (payable by etransfer or credit; if necessary, cheque is also possible)

Want to book your spot in either or both of these sessions?

Email me at christinamyerswrites@gmail.com

Let me know:

1) your full name
2) preferred option for payment
3) If you already have a big burning question about the topic you're registering for, send it along!
4) are there other topics you would love to do a workshop on in future?

That’s all for now! Have a wonderful July and August and I’ll send out my autumn newsletter update in September.

x Christina

Just a few days till the wheel of the year clicks over into a new quarter. The longest day of the year is nearly upon us and, as always, I’m taken by surprise at how fast everything goes. Wasn’t it just a few days ago we were preparing for winter holidays?

This summer I’m heading out on the road for three-plus weeks mid-July - but this isn’t book related. There won’t be a single reading or library visit. It seems perhaps foolhardy for a writer to travel far from home and not set up some author-ly activities along the ways. But I’ll be focused on other stuff: watching sunsets in random small times, showing my teenagers places from my own childhood, stopping at roadside fruit stands for morning snacks. And that all sounds pretty idyllic, eh? I’m quite sure it will also include plenty of sibling squabbles, frustration, terrible coffee and trying not to get lost. I’ve got maps (yes paper ones!), bathing suits, coolers, and a minivan rental reservation … that’s all we need surely?

Wish me luck - and I hope that you all will have summers full of adventure and not too many squabbles or cups of bad coffee!

What’s New

This week I ran a workshop on non-fiction book proposals. Quite a few people wanted to attend but the timing didn’t work out (I accidentally scheduled it on Father’s Day without realizing!) So I’m running that one again in a month’s time, on July 20. I’m also going to offer a session called Submission Success, looking at tips and tricks for submitting to anthologies and contests. I have been the editor of two anthologies and contributor to about a dozen; I’ve also been a judge in quite a few writing contests, and used to submit (and often place) in these same contests when I was starting out. So I’ve been on both sides of this coin and have some thoughts that I hope will be helpful to others. Click here for full registration details.

What I’m Reading

So beyond that … what’s new in books?

Not a lot, actually! Most of my reading the last couple months have been other writers’ manuscripts as I do some editing and consulting. That’s a very different kind of reading - the sort where you’re focused, and not really disappearing in the same way.

But I’ve got a stack ready for the summer - a romance book, a non-fiction, a literary fiction. A mix of things, to keep my brain busy.

What I’m Writing

The novel manuscript is DONE!

Okay, not quite, but nearly there and I’m telling myself I can manifest it into being by talking about it in the present tense. I am down to some final chapters so I’m close to being able to actually say, for real, IT IS DONE.

Beyond that, my brain is making notes for the outline of a different project (a project that includes more than one book in a series).

I am at the stage of the current project where every other idea looks so much more appealing than the current thing, and the temptation to “just do something else for a little while” is very high. But I’m going to wrap it up THIS MONTH. Right?

UPCOMING EVENTS

Coming soon

I listed the workshops above. Other than that, not much scheduled for the summer but I will have details soon on two events happening in September - one is a workshop event at a writer’s festival, the other a panel event at another writer’s festival. All my events info is updated regularly on my linktree.

BOOK NEWS

Beyond Blue

The marathon is in the home stretches. The book will be out in early October and we’re already pondering details for a Vancouver launch event. Pre-orders are available now through the publisher, or at your local independent bookstore or major online retailers.

If you’re in Canada and not sure who your local independent bookstore is, check out this handy link - just put in your own postal code and it will show you where you can pre-order (or later buy) the book.

MISCELLANEOUS

Learning Opportunities/Consulting

I’ve had the good fortune to do some manuscript consultations with fabulous writers and very cool projects over the last few months. I am not on new things over summer (see earlier notes about crazy road trip plans!) But I do now have page on my website with information for people who are interested in working with me down the road.

Thank you so much to everyone who has recommended me to their friends or colleagues. Though many people “find me” through events at festivals or workshops I carry out, I think most come by “word of mouth” recommendations. It means a great deal to me.

Enjoy the dog days of summer - here’s to swimming, popsicles, and late warm nights.

xo Christina

I would normally send something like this in my quarterly round-up, but this event will have come and gone before it’s time for my next newsletter. (While I’m here, an unrelated side note: I’ll be doing an author talk and reading and Q&A with the Tri-Cities Writers Festival on May 31. I would love to see some familiar faces!)

On to today’s update: One of the most frequent questions I get from people in various writing classes or at writing events is about non-fiction book proposals. It's one of those things that feels kind of shrouded in mystery, like people are talking another language and you're not quite sure if you understand. Sometimes I'll be teaching a fiction-related topic or doing a simple reading, and after it's over, someone will come up and say: I know you've done a lot of non-fiction, can I ask you about book proposals? What are they? How do you write one? Should you pitch a project with a proposal or after the whole thing is written? What do publishers prefer?

It seems to be a confounding topic. And these are questions that don't have one single, simple answer. (As I always say, writing ain't math, alas!)

You could google it and you'd get tons of results back.

But if you're anything like me, hearing about it from another human is helpful.

So I'm going to run a session on it. All of my non-fiction books - solo and anthologies - were born out of book proposals (and I have two more book proposals in very slow drafting mode).

I am FULLY CONVINCED that even if you aren't going to pitch the project on a proposal, writing one is the best way to plan and execute the writing, and helps you front-load work you'll have to do later in terms of figuring out reader demographics, comps, etc.

I'll run this workshop regardless of final numbers, so it could be three people or thirty!

For more information on how to register, cost, and more, check out my website.

When I started this newsletter, one of my goals was to be conservative in frequency so as not to fill up inboxes with heaps of stuff that no one would have time to read. So I started out on a monthly schedule. But I think I’ve discovered that quarterly is plenty … I didn’t do one last month at all and nothing major was missed in that decision.

If there’s big-deal stuff to share, I’ll send a one-off (and there are a few big-deal things coming down the tubes, fingers crossed, knock on wood) but in the meantime, I think a seasonal round-up is plenty.

All that to say: welcome to the spring newsletter! And, as always, thank you for being here!

What’s New

If you are friends with me on my private facebook or on my public instagram, I’ve unplugged from social media for the time being - a week? two? a month? Who knows. But as a lifelong news-hound, it is hard for me to control my intake of news … and there is a LOT OF NEWS right now, much of it overwhelming. So I’ve logged out of everything (not deleted the accounts, just logged out and removed apps.)

In lieu of the doom-scroll (and the exhaustive hours it was sucking up), I’ve been trying to carry out small actions that feel productive: connecting with my local MP and MLA offices over issues like Canadian sovereignty, figuring out some direct-from-farmer purchasing, and just being outside in nature moving my body or doing more calming activities (like a new yoga class). I recognize that all of these things are a reflection of some degree of privilege in terms of time capacity, finances, and physical ability; they are not suggestions to anyone else about “what to do right now.” But I will say that forcing myself offline this last while has been much harder than I expected (and feels risky, as a writer who connects with readers through online spaces) but also much more rewarding than I had realized it might be.

What I’m Reading

So beyond that … what’s new in books?

I’ve been reading a few different things. I just finished Rough Trade by Katrina Carrasco (a book club choice that was a blend of historical fiction, mystery and drug smuggling with a host of LGBTQ+ characters in 1880s Washington State … Victoria, BC made an appearance too) and sort of finished Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (I wanted to love it, but found myself skipping ahead).

A lot of my usual audiobook time this month (I spend a fair bit of time in my car getting kids to various activities) was spent listening to a few different podcasts - probably my favourite was one with Dr. Vonda Wright talking about bodies and aging and movement and how to work WITH our bodies instead of against them, to maintain strength and mobility into later years. It was very inspiring! But hopefully a new audiobook soon - I’ve got a few on hold.

What I’m Writing

Much of my time in 2025 thus far has been devoted to freelance editing work and to teaching my two courses through SFU.

But writing is always in the background, somewhere, when it can’t be in the foreground. My current manuscript is almost done (like … a hair’s breadth away from being finished) and outlines for a new project are coming together (yes I jump back and forth between things, I can’t help it!) And am I actually thinking about an idea for another anthology? Noooooo … okay, maybe. It’s just so fun to work with so many writers!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Coming soon

I’ve got a library visit coming up in Coquitlam at the end of May but no details are yet posted. I’ll update on my linktree when they are!

This is the best place to get current what’s what: https://linktr.ee/christinamyers

BOOK NEWS

Beyond Blue

Our labour of love is on to its next steps - the manuscript is complete, from the individual essays to the table of contents to the list of amazing contributors at the back of the book. It’s off to the publishers for typesetting and proofreading and all the things that make it beautiful. We’re slated for October release. More news as it comes - and hopefully a cover reveal before long!

Halfway Home: Thoughts From Midlife

Interested in picking up a copy? Check my information page about where and how to order in Canada and the US. Or, as always, please do ask your local library to bring in a copy so you can borrow it instead!

MISCELLANEOUS

Learning Opportunities/Consulting

I’m about to wrap up a few final freelance edits for spring and will be taking very limited spots for summer (due to a lengthy road trip that’s in the works) but I do now have a page on my website with information for people who are interested in working with me.

Thank you so much to everyone who has recommended me to their friends or colleagues. Though many people “find me” through events at festivals or workshops I carry out, I think most come by “word of mouth” recommendations. It means a great deal to me.

Enjoy the spring sunshine and the long, lovely slide into summer.

xo Christina

It may have worked too well! I think I relaxed so much in those weeks over Christmas and New Year’s that I forgot how time works … because I usually send this newsletter out mid-month and here it is the END of the month, and I’ve only just realized it. How did we get this far into 2025 already?

But better late than never, and today seems like a good day to send a hello - it’s Lunar New Year today, and the start of the Year of the Snake. I won’t pretend to know very much about the Lunar calendar, its traditions, or meanings. But new beginnings of all kinds are sacred to me, whatever may lie ahead. This is a time to celebrate, and to think about what we want to bring forward into the new season––and what we might need to leave behind.

For me, my mind immediately goes to the ideas of calm and chaos. I’ve spent a lot of time the last year figuring out what works well for me and what does not, in terms of my work life and my personal life (which, for a lot of writers, can sometimes feel almost entirely wound up together in a single braid.) So this year, what am I bringing forward? More of the calm that I have been fostering. What am I leaving behind? As much of the chaos as possible. It’s a work in progress, because life always delivers a little chaos amidst the calm, right?

There are other new beginnings ahead - imbolc/groundhog day/St Brigid’s day is this coming weekend. It marks the midpoint between winter solstice and spring equinox. It’s the day where the spark inside the seeds far down in the ground flare to life. Spring is coming. The light and new growth of another season is at our doorsteps.

I often think this day is better suited to resolutions than new year’s … who can think about change and transition when we’re still in our winter cocoons, resting and hibernating? But imbolc … the possibilities for growth now are laid out ahead of us, literally and figuratively.

All that to say: what do you want to grow in the coming season? In the coming year? Now is a good time to think about which seeds to plant, when the ground thaws and the soil is ready.

As always, I’ve got updates, event info and more below. My next newsletter will be headed your way in mid-February In the meantime, I keep everything updated with the most current information here: https://linktr.ee/christinamyers

What’s New

As of the start of January, I have new literary representation! I’ve been with Westwood Creative Artists for a couple years and I’m THRILLED (ALL CAPS, LOUD SHOUTING, CHEERLEADER BACKWARD FLIP) to now be under the wing of literary agent Meg Wheeler, one of Westwood’s stellar team. I am sitting here trying to find the right words and all that keeps coming back to me is “so lucky” and “so grateful” and “how am I so lucky” and so on and so forth. So I won’t try to verbalize it, and just send up another note of deep thanks to the universe.

What I’m Reading

I was invited to join an amazing book club this month - a group of smart, funny, insightful women. I am joining mid-year, with the full reading agenda already planned; by chance the book for this month is Parable of the Sower, which I had somehow never read before.

I don’t want to dive deeply into any analysis but I will say that reading a book that was written 25 years ago, but is set in 2024-2027, in California, in a dystopian, slow-then-fast-collapse-of-empire kind of setting with fires, a new president that people are split on, etc … is, well, a LOT right now. At first I wondered if I’d be ABLE to keep reading it, given where we are in the world right now. It felt too much like a glimpse into a very-near-future possibility. But I finished it last night and I’m so glad I did. I will be thinking about it for a long time.

I just started A Well Trained Wife, written by a woman who escaped an abusive fundamentalist christian marriage. It, too, is heavy material. In between, I’ve been reading snippets of The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer (author of Braiding Sweetgrass) and it is providing soft landing spots for my brain as needed. I picked up a few books at my local book store now that list, describe and include photos, of fifty “keystone” flora and fifty “keystone” fauna in my particular region. This is welcome diversion, too - but also informative and interesting.

Last but not least, I should be reading Onyx Storm - the third book in the Fourth Wing series - but I am still waiting for it to arrive at my library! I’m number 9 on the hold list, with 30 copies incoming (I think 30) so that means once it does arrive I’ll be in the first round of lenders to get it. It’s very tempting to just go buy it but I have limited shelf space and it is a BIG book. So, I’ll wait. If I disappear on every platform for five to six days, it’s because the book has arrived (I would love to binge it in a single 24-hour window but my life only affords wee pockets of reading time!)

What I’m Writing

Dare I say, for the umpteenth newsletter in a row, that I’m “just about to finish the current manuscript?” But I really am this time! I thought it was about 7000 words away from done, but then I did 7000 words this week and … that was not enough. But it’s THAT close. Another 7k? Maybe 10? SOON.

And then … a project that’s been brewing in my mind for a while (and which I’ve already outlined) will get underway. I’m so excited… (yes it is very easy to be excited about the new-shiny when the old-undone is still nipping at your heels lol!)

UPCOMING EVENTS

Coming soon

Nothing specific to post here right now - I’ve got some author visits coming up in the spring but it’s quiet right now. As those get closer, I’ll post specifics on my linktree. In the meantime, I have a few closed events (like a visit to a creative writing club at a local high school, swoon!) that I’m looking forward to.

Events are updated regularly here: https://linktr.ee/christinamyers

BOOK NEWS

Beyond Blue

Closer closer closer. At this point, the only hold-up is me, I think. I’ve yet to finalize my own contribution to this collection, and we need to wrap up a few edits. Other than that, it’s in one piece and oh, it’s good. Funny and heartbreaking and honest and vulnerable and sad and everything in between. This will not be a one-sitting read. Even editing it has been a “one-at-a-time” process because each story is full of so much … humanness. I can’t wait to be able to announce more with my co-editor as we approach eventual publication.

Halfway Home: Thoughts From Midlife

Interested in picking up a copy? Check my information page about where and how to order in Canada and the US. Or, as always, please do ask your local library to bring in a copy so you can borrow it instead!

MISCELLANEOUS

Learning Opportunities/Consulting

I’m pretty much all booked up at the moment between big editing jobs and teaching, so I’m not taking anything new right now. But if you have something you’d like to work on with me, reach out. Sometimes space opens up unexpectedly, or schedules align down the road. If I can’t help, I’m always happy to try to connect you with someone who can!

My next newsletter will be coming in mid-February.

I hope 2025 has started off smashingly - and thank you for reading xo

It’s a full and busy time of year for most, so I’m going to skip the monthly chatter and the updates this month. Just a short and sweet hello (hello!) and a note of appreciation for your time, readership, friendship, support, camaraderie and all the other best kinds of words that one might use for the best kinds of people. Thank you.

I hope you will have time this month to relax and watch one or two of the most necessary holiday classics: Muppets Christmas Carol, or Scrooged, or Little Women (the one with Winona, naturally), or Last Holiday, or The Night They Saved Christmas (a made-for-TV special my aunt recorded on VHS in the early ’80s that features Jaclyn Smith, Art Carney, June Lockhart, a very very young Scott Grimes that basically no one knows exists, except my family. It’s about resource/mining exploration that gets too close to the North Pole so it’s basically environmentalism meets Santa Claus. It’s genuinely amazing. It has a Charlie’s Angel in it, for heaven’s sake!)

Anyway, a small thing to share: I’m a fan of vintage holiday cards, and from time to time I’ll come across a few at antique or junk shops. I love the art, the messages, and I adore the fonts (yes, I’m a sucker for a great font.) On a recent day trip to the island, I had some time to kill before a ferry and stopped in at the Highway Antique Barn in Chemainus, where I came across a big stash of cards. They were all random single cards, none had envelopes, all were unused, and they had been separated into sealed bags of a dozen each. I took a chance on two sets. Oh, I got so lucky!! They were full of beautiful cards, likely from the ’20s through to the late ’60s, give or take. It will take me a few years to use them all here and there, attached to a gift or sent in the mail.

I took photos of two of my favourites, front and interior. And I’m including those here, because they say the kinds of things I would like to say to everyone at this time of year …

See you all in the new year, when the days will be getting longer once again.

xoxo

Christina

This afternoon, I ran a session with the Federation of BC Writers about editing: the kinds of editing that take place at various steps of the process to publication, the tools of the trade, some advice on working with editors.

When I was done, I opened my newsletter platform and wrote the November update that went out a short time ago.

A few minutes after that, I opened the copy of the newsletter that goes to my own email … and promptly spotted a spelling error in the first few lines!

There’s some irony (and comedy) in having spent a couple hours talking about the importance of editing, to then make an error that would have been avoided with a little extra, oh, maybe … editing.

I had a chuckle about it with my husband, who suggested I ought to wait to see who might point it out first, then give them a gift card to a local bookstore.

Good idea, except for the fact I’m quite sure no one would call me out on this small error.

So why send this note and point it out at all? Well, aside from easing my mild embarrassment to point out that I did see it (albeit too late), it’s a great and timely example of a few key points:

1. Let your work sit - at least for a little while - before re-reading it. In the case of a whole book, at least a few weeks. An essay, for a few days. And a newsletter? Maybe 15 minutes. I didn’t wait 15 minutes. I wanted to run an errand, so I scanned, and then I hit send. Time is your friend in revising and editing.

2. Editing works best as a collaborative affair. More eyes, the better. A book passes through the hands of an editor, a copy editor, a proofreader, at a minimum. Even with all of that, it’s not unheard of to get the final product in your hand and … bam … spot a missing comma, a mis-spelled word, or some other mistake that now seems so obvious that one can’t imagine how it was missed. Just one set of eyes - like mine on a small newsletter - leaves more room for obvious things to be missed.

3. There’s no such thing as perfect. Most authors have a few highlighted spots in their books of small flubs or wrong words that never got caught till books were printed. Even with lots of time and effort, sometimes stuff happens.

4. When you make a mistake, there’s always something to learn - or to share. In this case, it seemed worth the time to send this note. A small mistake, yes, but one that highlights some good insights about writing, editing, and all that good stuff.

Enjoy the rest of November and the start of December!

:) Christina

Did I make it? Not quite. But I’m very close.

And I’m truly sorry for that. Why? Becauase I hadn’t expected that this small comment would elicit several emails to blast me (tongue in cheek, of course.) I realize now that pointing out my hyper-early-organization was perhaps a stress-inducing event for those who prefer a more … well, last-minute approach. So thank you for the laughs in those messages and I will do my best not to suggest that others are behind schedule in my future newsletters.

Soooo, is now a good time to talk about planning spring gardens? Summer trips? Next Halloween’s costume? I kid, I kid. Even I am not that organized. (Okay, it’s possible I’ve pondered the gardens already.)

Anyway, all that to say: thank you for the comedy, to those who sent me a note.

It doesn’t seem like a month has passed since that last newsletter, but here we are … and December closing in soon! As always, I’ve got updates, event info and more below. My next newsletter will be headed your way in mid-November. In the meantime, I keep everything updated with the most current information here: https://linktr.ee/christinamyers

What’s New

I’ve been doing a lot of freelance editing this month - and in fact just wrapped up a session with the Federation of BC Writers on editing a half hour ago. I think I may run that session again independently; it’s a lot of information and demystifying the process is valuable.

I’ve been chatting with some organizations about workshops and events they’d like to do in 2025 so stay tuned for more on that. And, as is always the case with writers, there’s stuff brewing and bubbling away on the stove, not quite ready to share yet … but I will when I can!

What I’m Reading

As readers may recall, I tend to have a few things in rotation at any given time - something in the car on audiobook, an ebook on the tablet, and a book (or two) by the bedside.

This month, I read Indians on Vacation by Thomas King. It was a fast read, and I loved the story - though I suppose it’s more accurate to say I loved the characters, and the characters ARE the story. It’s hard sometimes to turn off one’s writer brain and just read, for the pleasure of reading, without trying to watch, learn, see how a writer did what they did, what works, what doesn’t, and why. I caught myself really noting King’s use of humour, his style, the small details. He makes it seem so easy and seamless! The only problem is: it ended too soon, and I flipped the page thinking “there must be more! What happens next!” Maybe a sequel so I can find out what Bird will do next.

The bedside book is Every Summer After by Carley Fortune, which is a lovely, light (but also not light), deliciously well-written book. It’s perfect bedtime reading, or Sunday morning reading. (I say that like I’m not guilty of bedtime and Sunday morning scrolling, but I’m TRYING to spend as much time off the phone as possible these days.)

Finally, in the car I’ve been listening to Jen Sookfong Lee’s SUPERFAN and loving it. I’ve cried, I’ve laughed out loud, I’ve nodded, I’ve raged. I had to release it back to the library midway through my listen, as my borrowing time ran out and others had put it on hold. But I finally got it back a few days ago so I can finish the last few essays. It’s a great read.

My reading time has also been impacted by getting sucked into a new TV show: The Diplomat on Netflix. I find international diplomacy a tad dry in real life, but this show has a few actors I really enjoy and an engaging story line (and just enough fashion, here and there, to satisfy.)

What I’m Writing

Same as last month, still! Edits continue on our upcoming anthology about postpartum depression and I’m in the home stretch for my next novel. But I’ve been in the home stretch for a while. But that seems to be my thing: sit on a project for a few months, then write 25,000 words in a few days … repeat a few times …

For motivation, I’m telling myself about all the other fun, shiny, new ideas I’ve got that I can start working on once it’s done. Because nobody loves a fun, shiny, new idea more than a writer who is in the middle of an unfinished project that no longer seems fun, shiny and new!

UPCOMING EVENTS

November 23

Join us at the North Delta Arts Centre for Ink Well Told, where I’ll be moderating a conversation with two fab authors. Details here:

Coming in 2025

Check out this three-session series I’ll be doing by zoom with SFU Community Workshops on organizing your writing life. Full details at the link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/tws-community-workshop-organizing-your-writing-life-tickets-965352995797

Events are updated regularly here: https://linktr.ee/christinamyers

BOOK NEWS

Beyond Blue

This title is likely sticking around, so I’m going to use it - though things could change before we hit the shelves. This non-fiction anthology will feature the writing of more than twenty Canadian authors on the topic of postpartum depression/anxiety and maternal mental health. No details yet on publication date but stay tuned!

Halfway Home: Thoughts From Midlife

Interested in picking up a copy? Check my information page about where and how to order in Canada and the US. Or, as always, please do ask your local library to bring in a copy so you can borrow it instead!

MISCELLANEOUS

Learning Opportunities/Consulting

I’ve taken on a few big editing projects this last month, so the slots are full at the moment. But if you have something you’d like to work on with me, reach out. Sometimes space opens up unexpectedly, or schedules align down the road. If I can’t help, I’m always happy to try to connect you with someone who can.

My next newsletter will be coming in mid-December, give or take (because I’ve got some holiday movie watching to keep up to, so I might be a little distracted and forget to write the newsletter. Priorities!)

I hope everyone has a wonderful final weeks of 2024.

But, mega upshot: that means Halloween is almost here. I still (and probably always will) miss wandering the neighbourhood with my kids. But a while back I decided that rather than simmering on all the things that have been “lost” as my kids get older, I will relish in the things I have gained in the wake of their growing independence … in the case of Halloween, this means making the night as much fun as possible, while the kids are off with their friends. Last year, my husband and I set up a firepit, a speaker with a spooky playlist, about eight gazillion pumpkins (most from my husband’s garden), candles, decorations and lights … and then we sat in camp chairs in the driveway and welcomed all the little (and big) kids rather than sitting tucked away behind the front door. We chatted with so many neighbours we’d not met before, got to high five the little ones and admire their costumes, and gave piles of candy to the teenagers who were, you could tell by their wary approaches, uncertain of the welcome they might get. The rule at my house: if you’re out having fun, I don’t care if you’re 7 or 37, three feet tall or six-foot-three, you get some candy and a warm Happy Halloween greeting. This year, we might add hot chocolate - another house in our area hosted a hot chocolate table for years and years but with their own kids presumably now into adulthood, they seem to have gone into hot cocoa retirement, so I’m thinking it might be a good idea to pick up their torch and carry on. Perhaps I’ll watch the forecast and see if we’ve got rain before deciding either way.

All that to say, I hope you all are having some fun this month. Thank you to everyone who has newly subscribed, and double thanks for everyone who has been here a while and keeps reading!

I’ve got updates, event info and more below. My next newsletter will be headed your way in mid-November. In the meantime, I keep everything updated with the most current information here: https://linktr.ee/christinamyers

What’s New

This coming Saturday, I’ve got tickets for Killer Verse at the North Delta Arts Centre. This spooky theatre production is the annual fundraiser for the Delta Literary Arts Society, an organization that does so much for local artists well beyond Delta’s borders. One of the dramatized stories being performed at this event is based on a short story I wrote a while back. It involves owls and a tent and the woods in the middle of the night. I think it’s the first time anything I’ve written has been turned into a performance of any kind and I’m pretty excited.

Other than that, plugging away on various projects - editing a book for a client, attempting to finish the last few bits of my own manuscript, teaching my CNF class at SFU, and getting ready for some fun workshops in November and the new year.

What I’m Reading

I have three audiobooks on rotation in the car right now: Save the Cat (a book about writing), Helen Knott’s Becoming a Matriarch (just named a finalist for the GG awards this year) and the Honey Witch (I borrowed it previously but it was a short-term loan and the time ran out before I got very far.) All three are fabulous so far, though obviously in very very different ways.

Last month I read 4,000 Weeks and I know it will sound like a massive cliche, but it has to be said: this book was a life-changing read, truly. I have actually started it a second time. I find myself re-visiting various thoughts and ideas from it all the time in my head. It has shifted my brain and thinking in interesting ways. I am embarrassed to admit I picked it up because the subtitle was about productivity and I am a little bit of a productivity and organizer geek … I have lists of my lists, and always think I’m one good agenda away from really figuring out my life. But it’s not really another book about how to be more productive or a system or hack to organize your to-do list. It’s about TIME, yes, that’s true … but also about our sense of time, the philosophy of time, the relationship of time to what’s most valuable in our lives, and how trying to wrestle and manage time is rather like herding cats. I highly recommend it on audiobook, narrated by the author - it’s very compelling out loud, in his own voice and intonation. I’m doing the second read by paper book.

What I’m Writing

I think I’ve written the same thing in this spot the last few months: finishing up the novel manuscript (the last few thousand words feels SO HARD … oddly, I’ve got the ending written, so I’m just writing the bridge between where I’m at and the end, but still … it’s coming in short bursts!)

Editing has begun on the Beyond Blue anthology which I’m co-editing with my friend and colleague Oga Nwobosi. Stay tuned for updates on this as we move through publication and hopefully pin down a launch day before too long!

UPCOMING EVENTS

October 16 (tomorrow night) - Words in the Burbs - in person!

Our first in-person event since March 2020! We’ll be back to Western Sky Books for a reading with a really lovely lineup of some of our WIB friends reading from new or upcoming works. Check out the details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/518476427465662

October 19 - Victoria Festival of Authors - virtual

Join moderator Chelene Knight, Helen Knott, Jen Sookfong Lee and myself for Beyond the Page: Redefining the Modern Writer’s Journey as part of the Victoria Festival of Authors. We’ll be talking about all the nitty gritty reality of being a writer, a behind-the-scenes chat about all the stuff we don’t always get the chance to talk about.

More events upcomding and listed here: https://linktr.ee/christinamyers

BOOK NEWS

Halfway Home: Thoughts From Midlife

Interested in picking up a copy? Check my information page about where and how to order in Canada and the US. Or, as always, please do ask your local library to bring in a copy so you can borrow it instead!

MISCELLANEOUS

Learning Opportunities/Consulting

I’ve been taking limited editing or manuscript consults the last few month as I was busy with the new book coming out. Slots will be opening in the coming months. If you have something you’d like work on with me, reach out. If I can’t help, I’m always happy to try to connect you with someone who can.

My next newsletter will be coming in mid-November … by which time I hope I am 100% ready for Christmas (yes, I’m one of those people but I will do almost anything to avoid going places in December!) Have a great Halloween/Samhain and keep writing and reading and having fun!

Keep reading for updates on events, workshops, and more. My next newsletter will be headed your way in mid-October. In the meantime, I keep everything updated with the most current information here: https://linktr.ee/christinamyers

What’s New

I wish I had some dramatic and exciting news to share this month but things are pretty quiet around these parts - which is, in fact, how most months go when you’re a writer. The big flashy things, like winning an award or announcing a new book, are loud and fun but very very infrequent, and the in-between stuff is real life: slowly chipping away at some new project, a few hundred words at a time, in your quiet basement office. So, nothing splashy to share for September - and probably nothing next month either. But I’ll keep working away at new projects and ideas and dreams in the meantime, until there is something exciting to drop in this spot.

What I’m Reading

I’m halfway through Meet Me at the Lake, by Carley Fortune - partly on audiobook in the car when I’m driving here and there, and partly on paperback when I’m at home. It’s lovely - Canadian settings and musical references, and all the good feels. I will absolutely be getting her other book (and then waiting for the forthcoming book) once I’m done with this one. I’m also reading Matt Bell’s Refuse to be Done, about writing. I confessed on instagram earlier this month that I picked the book up in large part because I thought the subtitle said How to Write and Re-Write a Novel in Three Days but in fact it says “in Three DRAFTS.” So, three drafts is also very good but I was quite excited to discover what magical techniques were going to be proposed to create a novel in three days and now will have to live with not knowing, forever, because it only existed in my mind!

What I’m Writing

Knock on wood, but I’m coming into the final bit of my current manuscript. This is the part that’s like those videos you see of athletes at the end of a marathon: legs are giving out, things are getting wobbly, and sometimes we need a little help to get across that finish line. But it’s in sight. A few more chapters and the draft will be done. I’m looking forward to setting it aside for a few weeks then coming back to the revisions with fresh eyes (and hopefully I’ll conclude it’s decent enough to DO something with!) Stay tuned …

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 27 to 29 - Wine Country Writers Festival

I’ll be leading a few learning sessions and taking part in some panels and reading events at the 2024 WCWF in Penticton next week. I believe there’s still spaces to register. Check out details here: https://wcwfestival.com/

October 5 - reading and author talk, Kelowna library

I’ll be at Kelowna’s downtown library for a reading and visit from 11 am to noon on Saturday, October 5. No rsvp required, just show up and join. Details here: https://orl.libcal.com/event/3826366

October 16 - Words in the Burbs - in person!

Our first in-person event since March 2020! We’ll be back to Western Sky Books for a reading with a really lovely lineup of some of our WIB friends reading from new or upcoming works. Check out the details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/518476427465662

October 19 - Victoria Festival of Authors - virtual

Join moderator Chelene Knight, Helen Knott, Jen Sookfong Lee and myself for Beyond the Page: Redefining the Modern Writer’s Journey as part of the Victoria Festival of Authors. We’ll be talking about all the nitty gritty reality of being a writer, a behind-the-scenes chat about all the stuff we don’t always get the chance to talk about.

There’s more coming in November and beyond, which I’ll update in my next newsletter. I’ve already got them posted here: https://linktr.ee/christinamyers

BOOK NEWS

Halfway Home: Thoughts From Midlife

Interested in picking up a copy? Check my information page about where and how to order in Canada and the US. Or, as always, please do ask your local library to bring in a copy so you can borrow it instead!

MISCELLANEOUS

Learning Opportunities/Consulting

I’ve been taking limited editing or manuscript consults the last few month as I was busy with the new book. But slots will be opening in the coming months. If you have something you’d like work on with me, reach out. If I can’t help, I’m always happy to try to connect you with someone who can.

My next newsletter will be coming in mid-October … until then, I’ll be over here with the fireplace channel turned on, several candles going at all times, and seeing how long I can hold out before I turn on the furnace!

What’s New

I’ve been thinking about putting together a workshop session on writing/creating non-fiction book proposals, using some of mine as examples to walk through the process and components. If you think you’d be interested in something like this, drop me a note so I can see if there’s an appetite for it. It is one of the big questions I get asked about the most - twice this week alone!

In my last newsletter, I shared that I had received a rejection for a Canada Council grant - I was surprised and moved by how many people reached out to say thanks for sharing that tidbit, because it helped them feel better about their own rejections (in some cases, also Canada Council items!) Thanks for your notes. We all see the “highlight reel” of other people’s successes on social media or out in the world, but there are always rejections, challenges, and bumps in the road - for writing, and life.

What I’m Reading

Not much! There’s a big old stack of books next to my bed, and on my desk, and in my libby app … but August has a way of pulling the carpet out from routines. Is it the heat? Mentally already preparing for back-to-school time? The garden that suddenly needs daily harvesting? I’m not sure. But August always

What I’m Writing

See above! Not much progess this month. But projects are moving forward - the new novel is approaching completion, and a proposal for a new non-fiction book is coming together. And I’ve been reading submissions for a new anthology, slowly and carefully. My co-editor and I will be making some decisions soon, which is such a hard part of this process.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday, August 28 - Author talk at Massy with Paylor and Rosario

Join Loghan Paylor, Tania de Rosario, and myself for a reading, author discussion and more at Massy Arts Society. Full details here: https://massyarts.com/event/unchartered-paths-an-evening-of-new-works-by-christina-myers-loghan-paylor-tania-de-rosario/

September 12 - Book Club for Writers with FBCW

Eileen Cook and I will be joining the FBCW book club on September 12 to talk about Resonance, by editors Andrew Chesham and Laura Farina. Eileen and I are among the many writers who contributed to this anthology, which is all about writing.

September 27 to 29 - Wine Country Writers Festival

I’ll be leading a few learning sessions and taking part in some panels and reading events at the 2024 WCWF in Penticton this fall! Registration has just opened. Check out details here: https://wcwfestival.com/

October 5 - reading event in Kelowna, details TBA

Stay tuned! Though I’ve got no specifics to share just yet, I’m including this to give friends and readers in the Okanagan the heads up to save the date!

October 16 - Words in the Burbs - in person!

Our first in-person event since March 2020! We’ll be back to Western Sky Books for a reading with a really lovely lineup of some of our WIB friends reading from new or upcoming works. Stay tuned for playbill and registration details.

There’s more coming in November and beyond, which I’ll update in my next newsletter. I’ve already got them posted here: https://linktr.ee/christinamyers

BOOK NEWS

Halfway Home: Thoughts From Midlife

Interested in picking up a copy? Check my information page about where and how to order in Canada and the US. Or, as always, please do ask your local library to bring in a copy so you can borrow it instead!

Beyond Blue (Anthology - forthcoming)

My co-editor and I are still the submissions for this project. I posted a video on instagram a little while ago about this process - in short, just blown away by the bravery and courage of the submitters, many of whom are writing about their PPD experiences for the first time. We are taking our time to read, absorb and make careful decision.

MISCELLANEOUS

Learning Opportunities/Consulting

I’ve been taking limited editing or manuscript consults the last few month as I was busy with the new book. But slots will be opening in the coming months. If you have something you’d like work on with me, reach out. If I can’t help, I’m always happy to try to connect you with someone who can.

That’s all, folks! I’ll be back in mid-August - stay cool and safe, friends.

What’s New

The newest new thing this week is that Halfway Home: Thoughts from Midlife has been named a finalist in the SCWES book awards, which is open to writers in BC. Winners will be named in late August, so fingers crossed.

Another new thing: a Canada Council grant I’d applied for was not successful. Why do I mention this? Because we usually only talk about the things that worked out, and the rejections stay behind the closed door. It’s part of the job of writing though and important to talk about. Grants in particular can be a tough business. I’ve been very lucky a few times - and unlucky more times. And that’s just how it goes. So, if you got a rejection this month, we can keep each other company! And … there’s always next time.

What I’m Reading

• finished the rest of the ACOTAR series, a mix of audio and ebook and print (which is a strange way to read a book but it worked for me!) I think Silver Flame might have been my fave, actually, now that I’m through it all!

• Anne of Green Gables on audio, during a road trip with one of my teens (his first time reading/hearing it.) I subsequently borrowed the 1985 movie version from the library on DVD, and then sobbed my way through the first half of it. Matthew! Puff sleeves! Diana! I’m not sure I can make it through part 2 now.

• Peacocks of Instagram by Deepa Rajagopalan - collection of short stories and I’m slowly savouring them one at a time. Quirky, engaging little slices of life.

• Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar, on audio. I didn’t watch the Duggar tv show and I’m not huge on reality TV to begin with. I don’t really know what made me borrow this from the library other than it was shorter than the average and it was available right away. I ended up really enjoying it, an odd and fascinating insight into her experiences and into the religious movement her family is/was part of it.

What I’m Writing

The same things as last month, and the month before. Some days are very productive and other days … well, not so much. So nothing new to report here! Of course, I had five or six fun new ideas this month, because that’s what happens when you’re trying to finish something you’ve been working on for a while - a sparkly idea comes along to draw you away. But I avoided temptation; instead, I wrote down the new ideas and promised myself I’d look at them AFTER this current manuscript is done, and tidied up, and ready.

UPCOMING EVENTS

August 25 - Sunday webinar with the FBCW

Join me by zoom on Sunday, August 25, for a session all about dealing with rejection, negativity and critics (including our own inner critic) with the Federation of BC Writers. Open to both members and non-members. Registration and more information here: https://www.bcwriters.ca/event-5748254

August 28 - Author talk at Massy with Paylor and Rosario

The details for this one were just posted within the last hour or two! Join Loghan Paylor, Tania de Rosario, and myself for a reading, author discussion and more at Massy Arts Society. Full details here: https://massyarts.com/event/unchartered-paths-an-evening-of-new-works-by-christina-myers-loghan-paylor-tania-de-rosario/

September 12 - Book Club for Writers with FBCW

Eileen Cook and I will be joining the FBCW book club on September 12 to talk about Resonance, by editors Andrew Chesham and Laura Farina. Eileen and I are among the many writers who contributed to this anthology, which is all about writing.

September 27 to 29 - Wine Country Writers Festival

I’ll be leading a few learning sessions and taking part in some panels and reading events at the 2024 WCWF in Penticton this fall! Registration has just opened. Check out details here: https://wcwfestival.com/

October 5 - reading event in Kelowna, details TBA

Stay tuned! Though I’ve got no specifics to share just yet, I included this now to give friends and readers in the Okanagan the heads up to save the date!

BOOK NEWS

Halfway Home: Thoughts From Midlife

Interested in picking up a copy? Check my information page about where and how to order in Canada and the US. Or, as always, please do ask your local library to bring in a copy so you can borrow it instead!

Beyond Blue (Anthology - forthcoming)

My co-editor and I are now reading the submissions for this project. I posted a video on instagram a little while ago about this process - in short, just blown away by the bravery and courage of the submitters, many of whom are writing about their PPD experiences for the first time. We are taking our time to read, absorb and make careful decision.

MISCELLANEOUS

Learning Opportunities/Consulting

I’ve been taking limited editing or manuscript consults the last few month as I was busy with the new book. But slots will be opening in the coming months. If you have something you’d like work on with me, reach out. If I can’t help, I’m always happy to try to connect you with someone who can.

That’s all, folks! I’ll be back in mid-August - stay cool and safe, friends.