EXPANDING MY HORIZONS

A few catchy titles on display at Ada's Technical Books & Café

Okay, so this post doesn't have anything to do with being gay or dealing with mental health issues. But then, the main reason I keep a blog is to have a forum for writing and to get feedback from readers either in the comments section or, as is more often the case, on Twitter. Writing can feel like a lonely, even foolish endeavor. What's it all for? Self-doubt often creeps in. I have several--six, I believe--first draft novel manuscripts awaiting revision, but trying to get an agent or an editor can seem far away and next to impossible.

So, yes, I blog.

And lately, I've started to think about essays and other articles I can pitch to newspapers and magazines. Getting a shorter piece published, helps refuel when my confidence as a writer sags. Last October, UNESCO designated Seattle as a "creative city", specifically a City of Literature. Interesting. I had just gotten out of hospital, so I could only file that piece of information in the back of my brain. I just wasn't ready. In March, I began preparing a trip to Seattle that would be entirely focused on literary destinations. Then, over the Easter weekend, I drove down and crammed in twenty-seven places and events in order to decide which ones should be included in the ultimate literary travel vacation.

Returning on the  ferry from Bainbridge Island to Seattle 

After writing the article, I submitted it to The Globe and Mail, arguably Canada's most respected newspaper and today the article has been published. A bit of short-term validation. I'm thrilled and honored as this is my first travel piece.

In case you're interested, here's the link:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article-seattle-by-the-book/


Now I've got to come up with another pitch...