Hi. My name is Amy Atwell. I am a teller of stories. You might have seen Part 1 of this blog two weeks ago, where I discussed my journey to publication and my realization that while the format of books may change, the concept of story remains the same. That realization had a big impact [...]

A year ago, I nearly gave up writing. I’d fallen prey to the negativity surrounding the tectonic shifts in the publishing industry, and at the time, I was sure there would never be a way to earn a living as an author. Who was I kidding? I would be far better off out of the [...]

Yes, we’re writers, but we’re readers first. Part of the reason I wanted to write was to give others the transporting experience I’ve had, reading a wonderful book, and ‘waking up’ hours later, unaware of my surroundings. Or consciously slowing down, toward the end of a book, just so I won’t be done. Yes, I [...]

Publish or perish, the anthem of academia is also the bane of our existence. Today, I want to play with the juxtaposition of words. Doubt and worry for instance, or if you prefer … worry and doubt. I do these two very well and can extemporaneously drop a few hundred words defining my particular flavors [...]

When I learned that the first RWA-WF critique training would take place during my son’s season-ending baseball tournament in Orlando, Florida, I considered waiting until the next one came along to participate. However, as the emails to join the training kept arriving in my inbox, I decided to carve out some “me” time during our [...]

Every writer dreams of getting The Call. I can’t think of a single writing friend immune to this phenomenon. When it happens, it IS great. But what comes next? This is the one question I never thought to ask. After I received The Call on April 21, I expected to be bombarded by emails and [...]

I was doing my version of a walkabout. Yeah, I know the Queen of England does walkabouts, so what makes me think I’m so special? I’m not. It’s simply how I describe those few moments I grab with gusto, moments away from writing, family stuff or people stuff. Anyway, I was in the grocery store, [...]

My summer home is a cottage on the east coast of Georgian Bay. Weather permitting, I swim laps across our small bay for an hour. Before I hit the water, I don my wetsuit. That’s right, a wetsuit. Why should a tough Canadian need a wussy wetsuit? We’re all polar bears, right? Um, not so [...]

Sift the following ingredients into a large round bowl, preferably one with expandable hips and waistline: 30+ years of writing for pleasure 16 years of formal education, including degree programs A generous handful of writing workshops (note in margin: For best results, include Barbara Samuel’s Voice, Deb Dixon’s GMC, and Stephanie Bond’s POV) RWA Membership [...]

I can’t speak for you, but the writing world I live in is filled to overflowing with all sorts of impediments to my writing. Ah! How I love them….and hate them! Speaking of love. Let’s start with my husband, Garry, who, sweet and loving as he may be, thinks the open door to my office [...]