OK Canada Write

Think it * Write it * Share it

In the Schoolhouse

Come in—take a seat.

There’s coffee on the counter and pop and juice in the fridge.  Those are fresh cookies you smell baking in the oven and should be ready shortly.

I’ve reserved a place at the work table just for you.

This is where you will receive a story starter. Each one will be archived, (once I figure out how to do that) so if you miss one, you can pick it up at a later time. Feel free to send me your own ideas for story starters.

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Many of you have ideas and stories running around in your head.  Some of you may have written great stories as school assignments, or just for the fun of it.  Some of those stories can be published if you have the energy to pursue that dream.  You wouldn’t be the first Canadian to be published before turning twenty years old.  You definitely won’t be the last one to publish your first one in your retirement years. And if you’re in between those times, what’s holding you back?  If you have a gift for words, use it.

This country needs writers like you. How many songs can you think of which praise this beautiful land we live in?  Where are the adventures about our early explorers and their families?

Oh yes.  It will require a bit of research on your part.  But there is an empty hole where Canadian historical fiction should be.  More and more writers are beginning to work on filling that hole.  You could be one of them.

Perhaps you don’t want to write historical fiction because you don’t enjoy doing the research and yet you want your story to be accurate.  That’s okay.  Make your time ‘real time’. Set your story in ‘your town’.  You can use real place names, real street names, but make up other places within your town, village or country setting just for fun and because you need a particular house or building in your story.  Use real highway names and numbers. Make some up.  Take your characters to real Canadian cities.  Try to talk about what you know.  If you’ve been to Toronto, or Ottawa, or Vancouver, or beautiful downtown Stirling, Ontario, write about the places you visited.  Use pictures you took or share pictures from friends to jog your memory.  Read back in your journal entries.

This site is all about writing.  I am here to give you some ideas–ideas that you studied in school but which may need some refining.  I can edit your work.  It is my hope that we can work together to give you a story or article that is ready to go to a book or magazine publisher.

When responding to an issue or idea, use your words. Take time to dig deep to articulate exactly what you mean. You have thoughts. You have feelings. Learn to put them into the best words you can. They don’t need to be excessive, they shouldn’t be too tight. As much as possible, use three and four syllable words sparingly. And don’t repeat yourself.

If you have something different that you would like to write about, please feel free to do so.

Please choose from ‘Bloomin’ Story Starters or the ‘Challenge’ page