Merilyn Simonds - Writing From Life / From Desk to Book

Merilyn Simonds has published 13 books, including the narrative nonfiction classic The Convict Lover, which was a finalist for the Governor General's Award and named one of the 10 Best Books of the Year by The Globe and Mail, Quill & Quire, Maclean's, and Elm Street magazine. Her collection of nonfiction stories, The Lion in the Room Next Door, was published internationally to critical acclaim, and her recent novel, The Holding, was selected a New York Times Editors' Choice. She has published journalism and short fiction in various magazines in Canada and Europe, and in 2005-6, travelled across Canada presenting professional development workshops for The Writers Union of Canada on "How To Get Published and Survive as an Author."

Teaching Philosophy

I believe the role of a mentor is similar to that of a good editor: to help a writer develop and articulate his or her own vision of a work. Craft is vital — the deep mechanics of sentences that sing — but just as important is learning to sit in stillness with a story, probing its meanings and implications with both heart and mind.

Course Descriptions

Writing from Life

This course is for writers working on manuscripts in the genre of narrative nonfiction, particularly travel and personal history. As in all literary writing, voice and point of view are of primary importance. One of the most difficult tasks for a nonfiction writer, particulary one dealing with personal material, is the selection and organization of material. In four sessions, I will deal progressively with voice, narrative arc, character development (including dialogue), and the ethics involved in writing from life.

From Desk to Book

This course is for writers who have a finished manuscript, or a well-developed book idea, who need guidance preparing a book proposal for submission to publishers or agents. In four sessions, I will workshop the components of a successful proposal: the covering letter, synopsis and chapter outline, author biography and marketing strategy sheet and short writing sample. The course will include discussions on how to select the right publisher or agent for the work.