Creative writing began for me when I volunteered
to keep organizational minutes and discovered that I had to creatively fill in
the gaps when my attention left the room for long periods. A friend, a member
of a mystery writers’ critiquing group, suggested I should join them and also
become a member of Capital Crime Writers. I can’t emphasize how important the
critiquing group was to me. Without their carefully considered comments and
encouragement I would not have grown as a writer.
The critiquing group morphed into the Ladies’
Killing Circle, six women eventually responsible for editing seven collections
of Canadian women’s mystery short stories.
This past summer at Scene of the Crime on Wolfe
Island, the Ladies’ Killing Circle received the Derrick Murdock award honouring
their contribution to Canadian women’s mystery writing. My first published
story, ‘One Cold Cookie’, appeared in 1995 in the first volume, The Ladies’ Killing Circle.
Later I co-edited the last four anthologies.
Reading submissions provided excellent training in recognizing good writing and
pin pointing why some stories didn’t make the cut. Applying this to my own
writing was very helpful. I also had short stories published in each anthology
and in many other magazines and anthologies. In 2000 I won the $10,000 Toronto
Star Short Story prize. This story in on my web site Joanboswell.ca
As our group matured as writers some of us tried
our hand at novels. My first, Cut Off His Tale, was published in 2005 by
Napoleon RendezVous as were the next two, Cut to the Quick and Cut tothe Chase. The fourth book in the series, Cut to the Bone, is
published by Dundurn.
I spent many years in university earning a BA,
MA and PhD before returning and completing the course work for a Fine Arts
Degree. I have had more than 10 solo shows and continue to paint and to work
with textiles although for the last few years writing has taken more of my
time.
For a few years I worked for the Department of
Indian and Northern Affairs as a researcher but once I returned to university
to study fine arts I focussed on being creative.
I am a very visually oriented person and I see
the scenes in my stories and books before I write them. In each of my books I
deal with different social issues. In the most recent book the plight of
Aboriginal women and their marginalization concerns me. Mysteries give me the
opportunity to deal with social issues while always trying to entertain.
Cut to the Bone
