Happy 4th From Your Canadian Cousin (list) by Leanne Dyck

photo by ldyck

Cross-legged on the carpet, elbows on knees, chin cupped in hands, two feet away from the screen, I was mesmerized. Get Smart. Bewitched. I Dream of Jeannie. Green Acres. The Beverly Hillbillies. Most of the TV shows I watched were from the USA. Watching the product of someone else's imagination encouraged me to continue to play with mine. 

When I started writing hand-knitting patterns, it was knitters from the United States who were the most supportive. I sent them patterns and they sent me emails that read, I love your pattern!

In appreciation and to celebrate Independence Day, I've collected short stories that I've written and that were inspired by the United States.

Independence

What's Bluegrass?

Marketing 101

Discovering Land

photo by ldyck

photo by ldyck

Next on this Blog

I'd like to spend the summer with you. And I have the perfect beach read.

I've shared the three-part version of Feeling Groovy.

Part one

Part two

Part three

This summer I'll treat you to the extended version--starting next Sunday, July 11. Seeking clarity, I've renamed the extended version The Other Side. I'll publish installments twice a week--Sunday and Wednesday at 4:40 PM PST. 

The Other Side

serialized

14 installments

inspired by a house my husband and I lived in on BC's Mainland, our move to a remote island, and my love of the 1960s.

My only question is, "Are you ready for the summer?"

photo by ldyck

Sharing my Author Journey...

Working on my current projects has required me to read much of my old writing and it's helped me realize something that I'd like to share with you...

Over the years, I've spent too much time worrying about and even being annoyed at the wrong people.

2020: My List of Accomplishments by Leanne Dyck

So much about 2020 sucked but still, as I look back on the year, I'm smiling. Here's why...

photo by ldyck

Virtual Author Readings

Last July, I was invited--by a company called Allears--to record my short stories for my blog. It was a generous offer but I was reluctant to accept. I'm dyslexic and so doing recordings of me reading... I'm not computer savvy and so learning to do something new on my computer... 

But I'm so glad that I did try because I've been having so much fun, challenging myself, and learning a lot.

So far, your most favourite reading has been...

A Stone Heart

The complete (so far) list of my virtual author readings.

Writing

Ever since I heard about The Fold Festival I've wanted to attend, but it's held in Brampton, Ontario--and I'm all the way over here on the west coast. So I... 

But in 2020--like many literary events--The Fold was held online. (Very good news for me!) I was especially interested in participating in a pitch session. For a fee of thirty dollars, participating authors sent excerpts from their manuscripts in hopes of--if selected--having their words read by either a literary agent or book publisher. 

You did read that I wasn't computer savvy, right? Well... I had some trouble completing the application form. Fortunately, thanks to the help I received from one of the members of The Fold team (much thanks to you, Ardo) my application was accepted.

On August 26, Fold sent me an email of congratulations--I had been chosen to participate. Well, I was over the moon.  Even better news, the fee of thirty dollars had been waived. 

I waited to be contacted by an agent or a publisher. 

On September 1, I was sent an email from one of the biggest publishing houses. I was blown away--and, of course, nervous. But it does help to know that a publisher has liked your work enough to want to speak with you about it. 

The publisher was warm and helpful. She gave me tons of notes regarding my manuscript. As it turns out, the manuscript I sent her was too short but... I mentioned another manuscript that I was thinking of starting to write and she expressed an interest in reading it.  That's the manuscript I've been working on ever since. 

 Blog

At 10:59 a.m. on Sunday, September 13, 2020, this blog received its 500,000-page view. 

Thank you for your continued support. Without you, these words would simply be sent into the atmosphere. A story isn't a story without a reader to read it.

And regarding next year, I have big plans...

'Abby taking her human for a walk' photo by ldyck

2021 on this blog...

How-to write short stories (list) by Leanne Dyck

photo by ldyck

I have dyslexia. Learning to read was a challenge. But my parents were avid readers. Before I could read they read to me and it was like they were opening a locked door and offering me glimpses of amazing worlds. When I learned to read I felt like I'd been given the key to that door. I write short stories so everyone regardless of ability can enter the worlds I've created.

On this blog, by my some what  careful calculations, I've written and published approximately 100 short stories.

15 of my short stories have been published in magazines, anthologies and online (other than on this blog). I've also self-published one short story collection. For more information, please read my Publishing History page.

The following links will take you to some interesting places. Have fun.

Video:  Stephen King on the Craft of Short Story Writing

Articles: Why write short stories by Leanne Dyck

How to Write a Short Story That Captivates Your Reader by Jerry Jenkins

Writers, how do you end your story? by Leanne Dyck

What do editors do and why you should care? by Leanne Dyck

Why edit? by the Editor's Association of Canada

No MFA? Submit to these literary magazines by Leanne Dyck

Guest Post:  Room Magazine

Guest Post:  Submitting Manuscripts--an interview with Jami Macarty

Sending manuscripts to publishers--a workshop by Jami Macarty

Guest Post: Oak Tree Press' Acquisition Editor Sunny Frazier

Video:  How to Make Money Writing Short Fiction with Douglas Smith

And stuff to dream about...

Bryan Washington wins the 
Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize 
for his debut short story collection, Lot

Calgary writer Brenda Damen wins 
2020 CBC Short Story Prize

Read Short Stories...

72 Canadian Short Stories available free online

Your Favourites:  a  free short story collection by Leanne Dyck

Free Short Story Collection:  the stories of my life by Leanne Dyck

The shortest short story

For sale:  Baby shoes, never worn --Ernest Hemingway

My attempts...

One sunny day a worm went for a wiggle. He met a robin.

Or

Lonely, she visited twitter; he commented

They meet face-to-face

Now he never leaves her

Or

He stepped off the curb.

Thinking quickly, she avoided hitting him.

Months later, they married.

Or 

He was born in the dark. He came to the light. He dwelled among the living. He died forgotten.

Or 

Starving, she searched the cupboards. All she found was an ax. So she chopped off her toe and ate it. She didn't stop until she was full--gone.

Next Sunday evening...

May 24th

short story

Discovery

inspired by cvoid 19

because sometimes in order to deal with a situation

 I have to write about it.

Are you following me?

Facebook
Twitter
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New Releases by Mayne Island authors...

Everyone on Mayne Island heard the pens clicking and computer keyboards tapping and we thought, maybe, hopefully... 

The stories of my life (free short story collection) by Leanne Dyck

Since 2010, I've been sharing short stories inspired by my life. This is a list of those stories that received the most page views. That's right,  your page views built this list.

These short stories are about my family and my friends and the music I love and writing and knitting and... 

Click the title the link will take you to the story. Except for Afi--that story is in two parts. So please click on part one and part two to read Afi. (He was always a little challenging. 😀 )

I hope you enjoy reading them.

'face in the trees' photo by ldyck
My husband sees a bear
What do you see?

2010

A Spark

who taught me to knit? 

2011

Knitted in Love (His Toque)

a neighbour told me that she wanted a new toque for her husband and I...

2012

What's Bluegrass?

who introduced me to Bluegrass music

2013

Remembering Them
I wrote a short story about my dad and my dad wrote a short story about his day and... I shared them both in this post.

2014

The Words Behind the Writing
I write about what writing gives me

2015

The Poem my Husband Inspired

2016

Lasting Love

about the final days in my mom's life and her relationship with my dad

2017

Rainbow Ice Cream

a childhood memory about crossing a highway to buy rainbow ice cream

2018

My Writer's Desk
what's my writing day like? Well...

2019

Afi
part one
part two

about sharing a short story about my afi (grandpa) with my amma (grandma)

2020

From Mom (2 stories)

Before You and After Me

photo by ldyck

On this blog in March...

March 1
short story
The Pitter-patter of Little Feet

What do you do when a dream dies?

March 8
book review
The Wife
Meg Wolitzer

A novel about being a successful author.

March 15
book review
My Canada Read choice

Canada Read March 16 - 19

March 22
guest post
Cozies and Me
by mystery author Benni Chisholm

What's a cozy? Benni will explain.

March 29
book review
Dual Citizens
Alix Ohlin

Does Lark's sister Robin inspire her or hamper her development?

Are you following me?

Facebook
Twitter
Linked In

Your favourite short stories of 2019 (list) by Leanne Dyck

In 2019, I clicked my pen and wrote humour, magical realism, women's fiction, metafiction, a narrative poem, historical fiction, and creative non-fiction. In total, I wrote 17 short stories and one poem for this blog. (I also wrote 25 manuscripts for young children. This includes finishing my middle grade novel. A project that--at times--I never thought I would finish. And at other times thought I was silly to have even started. But it's amazing how much pleasure I had writing it.) Here are the stories. If you click on the title it will take you to the story so you can re-read it. Under each title is a brief description of the story. At the end of the list, you'll find the three stories that earned the most page views. Thank you for your interest in my writing. Stories are listed in the order they were published on my blog.

"Sun" by ldyck

Short Stories

January

Island Artist

a humourous near-visit to a notorious fine artist who residences on a small island

February

Answering Machine

moving on from a failed romantic relationship

March

Authors in a Pub

three mid-list authors discuss how hard it is to write--inspired by Monty Phyton

Let the Sunshine in

in this magical realism narrative poem, a granddaughter journeys through the woods to visit her grandmother

April

Huldufolk

birth stories--some of us are given them; others of us have to find them

May

Baby Rescuer

An Early Childhood Educator gains employment at a Day Care Centre for young parents and gets an education.

Annie

driven by an overwhelming need for a baby, an Early Childhood Educator crafts plans to make her dreams reality.

June

Playing with Your Muse
part 1 
part 2

a muse gifts an author a story about a senior citizen who knits

July

Sharing Your Writing

a wife shares her writing with her non-writing husband and asks for his feedback

The Toy

an abandoned toy longs to find a child who will play with him

August

The Invisible Woman

a middle-aged woman confronts invisibility

September

Afi
part 1
part 2

inspired by true events, this is the story about sharing my story about my afi (grandfather) with my Amma (grandma)--one of the first times I shared my writing with my family

My First Writers' Group

the feelings that I confronted when attending my first writers' group meetings

October

The Craftsman

this story about a Settler meeting a Native American was inspired by my first published story--published when I was in elementary school

November

On Stage with the Island Storyteller

a silly fictitious story that provides a venue for me to thank all those who helped me grow as an author--including you

December

Christmas Secrets

about my mom's naughty kid

A Christmas Present

it's not the present. It's what you do with that counts.

Christmas with Family

in which I long to spend Christmas with family and my husband endeavours to make that happen

Your Favourite Stories

or at least the stories that received the most page views

(drum roll, please)

Authors in a Pub
Island Artist
Let the Sunshine in

Thank you for each and every clicked link.

"moon" by ldyck

In 2019, I reviewed 18 books. I read historical fiction, literary fiction, horror, a middle grade novel, and short story collections, short novels and a book of linked stories. Oh, how I love shorts. Publication dates for these books spanned the years from 1891 (not my copy, but the book) to 2019. That's 128 years. Wow! And I loved each and every one of them. And to think I was once a reluctant reader (many, many years ago). Not no more, sister. If you click on the title it will take you to my review. Under each title are the author's name, the genre, and a brief description of the book. Books are listed in the order the reviews were published on my blog.

Book Reviews

January

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and her Monster
Jonathan Auxier
(middle-grade historical fiction)

set in England, Sweep is about a girl, a chimney sweep and a lump of coal

February

The Saturday Night Ghost Club
Craig Davidson
(literary fiction)

a nephew discovers the dark secret that haunts his uncle

March

Washington Black
Esi Edugyan
(historical fiction)

born a slave, a boy grows up to be an adventure, an inventor

A Wake for the Dreamland
Laurel Deedrick-Mayne
(historical fiction)

about enduring friendship and surviving war

April

Bluebird's Egg
Margaret Atwood
(short story collection)

reflections on the relationships women have with the men in their lives

Something for Everyone
Lisa Moore
(short story collection)

all stories are connected in some way to Newfoundland

May

Bellevue Square
Michael Redhill
(literary fiction)

a woman hunts for her twin

Milkman
Anna Burns
(literary fiction)

set in Ireland during The Troubles, an adolescent girl is followed by the "milkman"

June

Fox 8
George Saunders
(short novel)

a fox learns to speak human

The Time I Loved You
Carrianne Leung
(linked stories collection)

about the Ontario suburb Scarborough

July

An Ocean of Minutes
Thea Lim
(fantasy/romance)

a time-travelling love story

August

The Quintland Sisters
Shelley Wood
(historical fiction)

set during the depression, a young woman learns about nursing and life as she cares for the Dionne quintuplets

The Princess Dolls
Ellen Schwartz
(middle-grade historical fiction)

during the Second World War, two girls--one Jewish and the other Japanese-Canadian--bond over their mutual adoration of Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret

September

Bunny:  A Novel
Mona Awad
(literary fiction)

a writer is bullied by a group of writers

The Pearl
John Steinbeck
(a short novel written as a parable)

a poor family's struggle to survive

October

The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde
(gothic horror classic)

explores what can happen to a man's life when he is manipulated by the wrong influence

November

Akin
Emma Donoghue
(literary fiction)

a son investigates what his mother did during the Second World War

The End of the Affair
Graham Greene
(romance)

set during and after World War Two, The End of the Affair is about three self-obsessed people and their struggle for love

December

The Little Paris Bookshop
Nina George
(romance)

after 20 years, a middle-aged man learns to live and love again


Your Favourite Book Reviews
or at least the reviews that received the most page views

A Wake for the Dreamland by Laurel Deedrick-Mayne
Bluebird's Egg by Margaret Atwood
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan


I know I'm a midge early but, I just can't wait.

Happy 2020!!

January on this blog will be positively

(January 5) 2020  Meditation 

wild

(January 12) Book review:

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

(January 26) Book review:

Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline

Let me list the ways

(January 19) List

2010s:  Your Favourite Books

😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄

Book Review: That Time I Loved You by Carrianne Leung

Set in the year 1979, That Time I Loved You:  Life is Never as Perfect as it Seems is a linked stories collection about the Ontario suburb Scarborough. Away from the wildness of downtown Toronto, Scarborough is a "safe" place. Neighbours don't lock their doors. Children play on the street.

But what goes on behind those unlocked doors?

Suicides. Infidelity. Physical and sexual abuse.

Yes, but also... Love. Healing. Acceptance.

Author Carriane Leung grew up in Scarborough and concludes her author acknowledgments with...

'Lastly, while this book refers to suicide, I hope it's also a testament to the resilience we share when faced with the often-difficult work of living.'

Buy this book

I purchased my copy from Amazon

Published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

Published in 2018

won the 22nd annual Daunta Gleed Literary Award 

Eleven years old Chinese-Canadian June Lee is the main character. She welcomes us to Scarborough and informs us that other things may be happening in other places around the world but for her, the most important thing is what is happening in her neighbourhood. Over a span of two years, we watch June change as her neighbourhood does. She seems to be always there waiting for us to catch up to her. She is the glue that holds this collection together. And at the end of the last story, June bids farewell to Scarborough...

'Everything that matters to me...was here...I had assumed I would always want to live here, but now I knew that was childish...There were other places in the world, and I knew I would go.' (p. 211)

More...

If you, like me, are new to linked stories you may be interested in these articles...

The Mysterious Case of Novel in Stories

What is a novel-in-stories?

The 10 Best Interlinked Short Story Collections

What You Need to Know about Writing (and Pitching) a Novel-in-Stories

'Mayne Island's big sister program'

photo by ldyck

July on this blog...

Two short stories

Sharing Your Writing (July 7)

A story about sharing writing with your spouse and a list of places you could share your writing--other than with your spouse.

Toy (July 21)

A story that will leave you wondering what happened to your favourite toy.

 Two book reviews

An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim (July 14)

Published by Viking

A love story about time travel

Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini (July 28)

Illustrated by Dan Williams

Published by Viking

Author proceeds from this book are donated to helping refugees around the world.

Happening this month on Mayne Island...

photo by ldyck

This church fair is one of the most affordable places I know to get must-reads.

Your Favourites: a free short story collection by Leanne Dyck

photo by ldyck

From 2010 to 2023, I've shared short fiction on this blog. Recently I hunted down the stories (for this collection I defined 'story' as works of fiction) that received the most page views to create this collection. They're short and diverse--from horror to humour. It's interesting to see how my writing has improved and changed over the years. I hope you enjoy reading Your Favourites...

2010

Whacked out Knitting
About those ugly sweaters, your aunt sends you
(knitting themed humour)

2011

A Slave to Her Muse
Even if you want to stop writing, can you?
(metafiction)

2012

It Was Nothing
What are childhood nightmares made of?
(horror)

2013

Eve's Other Children
based on Icelandic folklore

2014

Like Magic
a conversation influenced by St. Patrick's Day
between a child and an Early Childhood Educator
(fiction)

2015

Tame Your Bully
when the bully doesn't win
(fiction)

2016

Sarren's Curse 
claiming your writer's voice
(metafiction)
(part 1 of 2)
(you'll find a link to part 2 in the post)

2017

Awakening
valuing your writing
(metafiction)
(part 1 of 2)
(you'll find a link to part 2 in the post)

2018

Wanderlust
inspired by Tom Paxton's 1964 classic:  Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound
(fiction)

2019

Authors in a Pub
Three mid-list authors complain about hard it is to be an author as they drink beer in a pub. Inspired by Monty Python.

2020

Independence

How two brothers gained their independence.

2021

Neighbourly

Sometimes your childhood neighbours can influence--for your entire lifetime. 

2022

The Calling

a downpour becomes magical for one teenage girl when... 

2023

Going South

Older Rufous hummingbirds fly south in August. Younger hummingbirds migrate in September, but Pablo stays. Will he stay too long? 

More...

An Argument for Writing Short Stories by Emily Harstone

not only to publish but also to improve your craft

Next Post...

Sunday, April 14th at approximately 5 PM PT

Book Review:  Bluebeard's Egg (short story collection) by Margaret Atwood

Is your book club looking for its next book? Look no further...

My Writing Strategy for 2018

"Beyond the Fog" ldyck

I write in many different genres. To date, I've written...

37 picture books for children

1 YA novel

6 short story collections for adults (includes a composite  novel)

My goal is to break into traditional publishing. (I began my career as an indie author. And was also published by a small press.)

Picture books are reported to be hard to break into and this has held true for me. So in 2018, they will take a back seat to my other work. This doesn't mean I will stop writing them--never shut the door on inspiration. They simply won't be my focus.

You may know that I've been writing a middle grade novel (for children ages 9 to 12 years of age). This one of the first times I've attempted to write for this age group. (The second time was a short story that has potential to become something longer. Here's the link to read that story.) I will continue to work on this novel. Three short novels for adults round out my work for 2018.

This is my strategy for the new year. But my strategies like my plot lines are flexible--I remain open to inspiration and direction (provided by educated/experienced outside sources). 

"Hey, look over there" ldyck

Sharing my author journey...

Wasted Words? by Leanne Dyck

photo by LDyck

To date, I've written 35 picture books for children (5 for babies 0 to 24 months, 23 for children 3 to 7 years of age, 7 for children 6 to 9 years of age), 4 short story collections for adults, and a novel for young adults. I'm currently looking for the right publisher for these projects.

My autumn writing projects include a short story collection and a middle grade novel.

As you can see, I've mainly been working on short projects. But I have written--and will continue to write--longer pieces.

When working on longer pieces, I begin by developing a plot outline. However, this plot is only meant as a guide. I allow inspiration to direct my writing. Of course, it's very difficult to plan for inspiration. So this means I may craft scenes and conduct research that won't be used for the novel.

Wasted words?

Nope.

Scenes may become short stories. Research may become articles. The short stories may be woven into collections. The articles can be published on this blog to help promote the novel. Or I may choose to publish these short pieces in magazines.


Short stories may be submitted to these Canadian magazines...

The Fiddlehead

subTerrain

Room

PRISM international

Prairie Fire

The New Quarterly

Malahat Review

Grain

Geist (currently closed to submissions)

Antigonish Review



You may be able to use your research to write an article for Writer's Digest

In the past, I've developed presentations from the research I've conducted. For example, my first novel--Maynely A Mystery--required me to conduct research on the history of Mayne Island. To promote sales, I gave author readings. One of the on-island short talks I presented was called Fact or Fiction. I read short passages from my book and asked my audience, "Is this passage based on history or inspired by imagination?"  I was very pleased with how interested the participants were and how fun the talk turned out to be.

Never think of writing as being a waste. Every word you write brings you closer to the story you are driven to write.

2016-on-this-blog list

In many ways, 2016 was a unique year. You couldn't call this year 'Ann' or 'Mary'. You'd have to call it 'Pathan' or 'Sarren'. 

Snow on Mayne Island? Honestly? Snow on Mayne Island that lasts more than a couple of days? Really? But it sure does did  look pretty...

(LDyck 2017)

Okay, back on topic. 2016-on-this-blog list.

What did you like about this blog in 2016?

The 6 most popular posts...

1. (205 page views) Book review:  Shimmer by Paula Weston

2. (200 page views) Interview with Maggie de Vries
on being a multi-genre author

3. (174 page views) short story: Sarren's Curse:  part 1

4. (159 page views) workshop review:  Maggie de Vries' workshop

5. (149 page views) book review:  Burn by Paula Weston

6. (127 page views) article:  It's All Good
(127 page views) short story:  Lasting Love

What did I accomplish in 2016?

My skill level and confidence increased thanks to the input of my first readers and the information I gathered at workshops given by 

Maggie de Vries 

and

Jami Macarty

and from books such as Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul

For example, from Writing Picture Books, I learned to write short stories from the child's perceptive, that captures the reader's attention from the first paragraph.

My author journey is not always smooth. I get my fair share of rejection letters. Reading books such as Big Magic:  Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert helped me maintain a positive attitude.

If destiny didn't want me to be a writer, I figure then it shouldn't have made me one. But it did make me one, and I've decided to meet that destiny with as much good cheer and as little drama as I can--because how I choose to handle myself as a writer is entirely my own choice... My ultimate choice...is to always approach my work from a place of stubborn gladness. -Elizabeth Gilbert

But the star of my writing year was Bim...

Dear Reader,

Thank you for spending this year with me. Wishing you a cozy holiday. Looking forward to visiting with you in 2017.

Next post

Published on Sunday, January 1st (New Year's day) at approximately 5 PM PST
2017 a year of possibilities
A post that answers the question:  What one essential ingredient do make next year what could and should be?

Picture Books in Canada

The Next Chapter with Shelagh Rogers (a program on Canada's public radio station) makes 15 great book recommendations for young readers--including picture books.

Sharing my author journey...