Podcast appearances and mentions of kate inglis

HOST: Anne HillmanGUESTS:Rachel Bernhardt and Julie Raymond-Yakoubian, Alaska End of Life AllianceKris Green, Death CafeLINKS:Death Cafe, Anchorage Alaska End of Life Alliance:Death DoulasFuneral HomesAlaska Laws and RegulationsHospice and Palliative CareAdvanced DirectivesGrief and Bereavement SupportHome FuneralsOther Alaska End of Life Alliance resourcesFive WishesGUEST SUGGESTED READING:"Notes for the Everlost: A field guide to grief" by Kate Inglis"The Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion]]>

Hard to believe that me and Kate have had our fifth and final conversation [well. For this season of the pod, not forever. We will continue to have conversations, I guarantee it. But perhaps not as often. Perhaps not as long. And not recorded for a pod.]. And what a conversation we had! “I don't want to be stone cold sober for the rest of my life, so I'm on a bit of an exploration, like Huey Lewis and the News, to find my new drug.” ~ Kate We ventured into territory neither of us had on our radar, which is part of the magic and beauty of these meandering conversations. A testament to the wonder of allowing what want's to happen to happen. “What's going to be my altered state? How am I going to manage it so that I feel okay, how do I lose just enough control, just a little, so that I can play in that space of being more free than I feel in my brain?” ~ Kate Oh, how this resonates with me! I've been harping on about the mental vice, which might not be the correct term for it, unless you watch me as I speak of it, taking a firm grip of the top of my head with both hands, holding tight, very tight. Like a band of metal keeping me/my brain tightly in check, under control, not able to venture out into the unknown… “Music provides an alibi where I am allowed, by my brain, by that mental vice keeping me very tightly controlled, to let go. If there's music, no problem, I'll dance and sing on the streets, on the bike and the bus, on the train. I'll go up on the dance floor without a care if there's nobody there, dancing and singing and loving it. Theatre, acting, role-playing, that type of thing, all of a sudden, no alibi in place, so there my mental vice is very tightly screwed on.” ~ Helena Except when there's music around. Music provides the alibi I need, to let loose, let go, relax, and dance like no one is watching, which my friend and one-time-coach Dave shared on Facebook just as I was getting ready to write this episode description: “dance like there's no one watching…” Especially if ‘the watcher' is you.. Yes. The watcher is me. A part of me. A part that is watching, and judging, other parts of me. Sometimes, the watcher just laughs, and says carry on. Other times… “If it was me and a partner and I wanted to do the sexy striptease dance? Holy fuck, no! Music would not be enough of an alibi there. It's that audience aspect: here's the one person I do not want to think ‘She's just dumb, ugly, silly. What the fuck is she doing? Does she really think that would turn me on?'. Boom, self-consciousness hits me hard!” ~ Helena My watcher has different quirks and pet-peeves compared to Kate's, as we discovered throughout this conversation. But we share the experience, the feeling of not having the bandwidth, for one reason or another, of being generous in our self-consciousness. “How generous people are when they are unselfconscious. When we're not focused on the self, that's when we're able to be generous. And that applies all the time.” ~ Kate Such a rich conversation, filled with tankespjärn. For us, and also for you, precisely because we were able to be generous!

A failure of curiosity is what it is, Kate said towards the end of our fourth conversation… and what she's not pointing to is us, as I am sure there's never been a Tankespjärn-episode with as many questions, ever. Questions on curating life: “I curate my life. It's on me to make. What do I want my life to be? How do I want it to be, where do I want it to be, and with whom do I want it to be? How can I set it up in such a way? Do I dare dream? And what are those dreams? Am I making inroads on some of those dreams?” ~ Helena In life, friendships play an important part. So, there are questions on friendship: “What is a friend? What am I looking for from a friend? What do I require from a friend versus what do I enjoy from a friend? And what kind of food do I need? What nourishment do I need from friendship? Because I'm feeling like it's changed.” ~ Kate And to curate my life, becoming conscious about ‘the system that is me', body and mind alike, is a factor. So yeah, questions about that too: “How little we are trained to consciously sense into: Where am I right now? What does my body need right now? What's my state? We don't do that.” ~ Helena Now… I profess, I do love questions. And yet, all questions aren't necessarily of service all the time. How they are worded and asked, the energy of them, as well as current circumstances, including my state of mind, all impact and influence the level of service I might, or might not, gain from a question asked. But to a large part, I still say that if you are curiously exploring life with the help of openly asked questions, chances are you live a life filled with life, and don't run the risk of suffering from a failure of curiosity. …and I promise, there's even more questions in the episode, so press play and tag along for even more tankespjärn. Links: Kate Inglis, most easily found through herwebsite Twilight retreat with@wildherbarista and@whentheblackbirdsings_ Me and Özlem on anarchy in episode 62 andon improv in episode 67 Ishmael and two more books by Daniel Quinn Jocko Willink author of the book Extreme Ownership and host of the Jocko podcast

Season three, round three of meandering conversations means we're at the midway point, and somehow it always catches me by surprise. As always, me and Kate meander quite significantly, and if you've been counting Kate-rants, there's a couple in this episode too. Her rants don't really feel like rants to me though, they are more musings that are allowed to meander and take form. Like her sharing the story of celebrating Canada Day on July 1st, prompting her to the following question: ‘What is the notion of a nation? What's it for? What is this container's purpose? In my vision, it's a container that helps us test ideas about how best to live.' ~ Kate Questions matter. They carry weight. Can have a huge impact. On individuals, groups, countries and even on a global scale. We speak about this. About the time I was told by a teacher that I was not allowed to ask the question #WhySchool, because, in her view, schools are inevitable. Me questioning what she deemed inevitable, obviously shook her quite significantly. Not surprisingly, I disagreed with her. Schools aren't inevitable, they are a human construct. Learning though, is inevitable. It comes with the territory of being human (which is a way to narrow framing as well. Does it comes with being alive? All animals learn as well, don't they? Do plants? Fungi? Microbes?). About how just asking someone to tell you more about a belief of theirs can be met with the same response as the teacher I encountered. How we are demonizing answers to certain questions, for sure, but even worse–and this scares me–we're demonizing the asking of the question in the first place. And that's not a road I want us–culturally, together–to venture further down on. ‘How can I share what I know, what I see, what I experience, what I fear, what I'm concerned about in such a way that you can have a better chance at receiving it?' ~ Helena Which brings us to the ability to have sticky conversations. Those that are preferably had in person, face-to-face, in the flesh. The one's where I am not even sure that I know my own stance, and thus perhaps shy away from even more. Even though what's needed, from where I stand, is more of them. About what's important to me, to us. How we are to live together. What we do when there's strife and angst and disagreement and perhaps even aggression. Sticky! And important. Join me and Kate as we meander past a number of sticky topics, with curiosity, openness, and quite a bit of playfulness thrown in too. I think that helps, especially when encountering a hard-to-swallow piece of tankespjärn or two.

When me and Kate hook up for our second conversation of five, she's just come home after a week off the grid in a tiny cabin on Windhorse Farm. There she practiced self-care, but don't tell her I said that as she positively hates that word/concept… both of which she professes to in this conversation. “It was […] wonderful just to spend time with myself. We don't often think of ourselves as the friends that we are to ourselves.” ~ Kate Inglis Besides the self-care-thing she was there for a writing retreat, which gives me a kick in the behind to book a couple of writing retreats for myself. There's something special to treating yourself to (however long) a time of focus, where the distractions of every-day life at least are minimized. Just a shift of scenery makes a huge difference. I don't know much of the novel Kate's writing (and finished writing during the retreat, which, possibly, might have been the 25th time she's exclaimed Done! To this particular novel, so who knows!) but I know grief plays a part, and as such, grief, trauma, pain, suffering and feelings all were part of our two-hour+ meandering conversation. What we fill our lives with, both on an emotional level, but also physically, matter greatly. The food I eat. The clothes I wear. The schampoo I use (or not), the shoes I stuff my feet in (or not…), how much sleep I get, if I ever stick my fingers in the soil, get outside in the sun… all of this impacts the quality of our lives. “What else might I not need to be doing? How else can I edit and curate my experience so that I can get closer to the source of what is healthy for a human being?” ~ Kate Inglis And the question is, or rather, one question is, what can I pare down? What can I remove from my life that makes it richer, healthier, less toxic? How can I empower myself, take the agency that is mine, by birth, by entitlement (oh how that word is one I have a contentious relationship with. But I am re-shaping my beliefs about it, about entitlement. Choosing to see the positives in it, how it can and should serve. Because yes, for me entitlement has negative connotations, or have had…). “…to see people who are empowered to swim against the current of where the culture is pushing us. And I don't care how they do it and I don't care why they do it, it is just awesome.” ~ Kate Inglis It is my hope and desire that you will find at least one piece of tankespjärn here, that will have you noodling something or other for a day or two. Have fun! Links: Kate Inglis is most easily found through her website Windhorse farm, Nova Scotia Banff Center for art and creativity Kate's tweet about feeling everything, or too much Matthew Word Bain on Patreon

Season three is upon us, and thus I get to introduce five new people to you! First up is Kate Inglis. A lovely woman I connected with on Twitter after she reached out a hand. And you've experienced it yourself, I am sure, when you first connect with someone and you just know that there's something there, haven't you? A liking, an affinity, a knowing that if we were to commence walking alongside each other, we'd find a lot of value and enjoyment from it. No wonder then that she popped into my mind when I started to invite people for season three. I could go into a long song and dance about Kate, where she's from, what she does for a living, what experiences has shaped her and the trajectory of her life… but I won't. Partly because I far from know enough of it, but also, mostly, because I want you to get to meet Kate. Period. Not meet who I perceive her to be, not meet who you'll perceive her to be based on descriptors and label I put on her here. Just meet her. The first of a series of five conversations, by the end of which I am fairly sure, both you, me and her, will individually have a knowing of Kate that is unique to us all. Which reminds me of bits in this meandering conversation, where we touch upon houses (have you ever had a house look down its nose at you, for instance?) and character, but also history. A lot about history honestly, touching on the big events that we read about in textbooks. But more specifically, pointing to the import of the tiny stories, the unremarkable lives, the everyday reality of all those that came before us. Do you know your history? Prepare for a few rants too, at least some of which I am certain will shower your day with some (possibly sought-after) tankespjärn! Links: Kate Inglis is most easily found through her website Sex and the City 
A Discovery of Witches Colonial Williamsburg Malmö, Sweden Riverport, Nova Scotia 1884 Buddhas by the Roadside Bob Newhart Stop it! Notes for the everlost by Kate Inglis Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb The Tankespjärn community where this type of conversation takes place in a monthly meet-up – you are more than welcome to join! The Glass Bead Game by Herman Hesse FB-group for announcement for upcoming Glass Bead Games Michael Sillion aka Captain Future Judgment and discernment in reflection, episode 47 with Steve Emery, season two Process-oriented therapy with Dominic Bosman Venter

In this episode I share 3 Dharma tools for working with the arising of grief; the prescription for dukkha, compassion, and equanimity. I quote from Kate Inglis's book Notes for The Everlost. Here is guided compassion meditation by Andrea Fella and a guided equanimity meditation from Jesse Maceo Vega-Frey

Author of Notes for the Everlost: A Field Guide to Grief, Kate Inglis and host Estelle Thomson continue a 3-part conversation on grief, body, triggers and creativity. The final of this epic conversation on grief! We start by speaking about connecting with your physical and the nourishment that can be found in nature. We speak about all our YIN & YANG channels- the physical and more internal aspect of our being. We widen our lens on creativity, searching for your personal creative outlet and what creativity has to do with grief and trauma. A special thank you to Kate Inglis for her time. Go get her book!

Author of Notes for the Everlost: A Field Guide to Grief, Kate Inglis and host Estelle Thomson continue a 3-part conversation on grief, body, triggers and creativity. We are back in Kate's bedroom closet widening our lens on the nuances of grief with a stream of consciousness musings on cultivating fragility in an unjust world, the dark side of motherhood, shame and trauma triggers. In this episode, we explore rage, the dualities in triggers, the “search” for equanimity. A fresh look on PTSD, the treasure chest that is scared and the sweetness of wounds. A must-listen!

Author of Notes for the Everlost: A Field Guide to Grief, Kate Inglis and host Estelle Thomson kick-off a 3-part conversation on grief, body, triggers and creativity. Almost 14 years ago Kate was pregnant with identical twin boys and gave birth 3 months early. Ben survived, Liam didn’t. A radically honest conversation on the wild west that his NICU, the bereaved motherhood recovery (physical, emotional and spiritual) journey (“the luckiest most unlucky mother”) and musings on the tragic magic of grief.

And interview with Kate Inglis, author of 5 books for all ages, including the middle-grade novels The Dread Crew and Flight of the Griffons; the non-fiction memoir for adults, Notes for the Everlost, and the picture books, If I were a Zombie and A Great Big Night. Hear about her addiction to endless revision, the companionship she finds in fictional characters, and how her first novel began with a story she told her child just to pass the time. 25 minutes. All ages. A full interview transcript is available at CabinTales.ca. Show Notes [0:00] Intro [1:10] Interview with Kate Inglis   CA: Are you a planner? Do you know the ending of your story when you begin? KI: No, I never do. …I feel like the act of writing is how I find the shape. My brain will kind of spit me out somewhere in the middle, a scene that just grabs me. … And then my thinking has to sort of spray outwards in every direction… And so sometimes I have a loose sense of what kind of a story it might be, but I don't know for certain until I give the characters a chance to tell me.   [2:15] CA: Do you have any favorite fictional characters from children's fiction? KI: I love all of Roald Dahl's characters…He was never afraid of letting stories be truly disorienting …And I remember loving Girl of the Limberlost when I was a kid. … a very sort of unusual, very smart, very nature-oriented girl….   [3:15] CA: …. How do you feel about tormenting your characters? KI: Oh, like giving a dog a good bone to chew on. … The stuff that really fortifies you and turns you into the person you're meant to be is the tough stuff. … The stories that I love to write the most are always going to be the ones where people, you can see the gravity of whatever it is they're carrying…. Because we all have that on us, right? [4:20] CA: Have you ever written a series? You have…. Did you did you know you were going to write a sequel? KI: No. … I didn't start writing The Dread Crew thinking I was writing a book. I just told a story to a 6-year-old in the woods because he was bored and we had a long way to walk. … And eventually it became a book. … I think by the time I was finished writing it, I knew that I would want to write another one.   [6:00] CA: How do you feel about sad endings? KI: Well I mean, that's life, isn't it? … I think there is absolutely such a thing as a sad ending done really beautifully, that still leaves the reader feeling enriched …It's not so much about Was the ending quote good or bad? It's, Was it done well? … A story with an ending that some people might consider sad, those are some of the best stories we have.   [6:55] CA: Is there a typical amount of time… that you would spend … drafting vs revising? KI: I would love to kind of chart that when I write my next novel… I actually love the process of editing. But the process of filling empty pages has always been more of a challenge for me. … I guess it might be 50/50. … The last novel that I wrote, that's with my agent now, I was probably working on it in earnest for about a year and a half… And then editing has been a very intense probably 8 months. But then that first year and a half was a ton of editing as well. … And as it turns out, I ended up re-sending her 6 drafts. …   [10:00] CA: What would you say is the hardest thing about writing a good story? … KI: … Getting over yourself. Just getting through to the point where you can keep sitting your butt down in the chair and keep cranking on the word count …. Even when you think you're no good, even when you think that probably the story isn't coming together, step away from it for a bit and then come back. Drop yourself somewhere else in the story. But whatever you do, just keep going. …   [11:30] CA: Excellent Do you have a favorite POV to write from? … KI: I always write it as kind of the observing narrator. I've never written in first person. … As the narrator, I'll kind of jump in here and then out again and then over there in terms of time. …You can sort of reach in with his giant hand and kind of move things around and adjust the pacing and the flow so that it just feels like it's balanced. And I guess that's me. I'm the hand, the giant hand.   [13:00] CA: And do you keep a regular writing practice? … KI: … I'm kind of a plodder. …I write when the spirit moves. … sometimes it's quite late into the night…I have a hard time sleeping. All I can hear in my head is [my characters'] voices. … And now that I've finished writing that book … I miss them. …A lot of people I think would find the process of writing a book perhaps to be really lonely … But I find myself very much kept company by my characters. …There is sort of this long stretch in the middle when you're creating, when I think we're most vulnerable to self-doubt, which is I think our sort of zone of abandonment as writers. …. All of us hit that point. … And that's okay. I just need to keep going through the fog.   [17:05] CA: What scared you as a kid? KI: …Not fitting in. … And at the same time… I didn't particularly want to fit in. … I didn't want to be like everyone else. …The older you get, the more you can make that possible for yourself. You can absolutely fit in and … not have to be like everyone else….   [18:40] CA: How important is setting to you when you write? … KI: Settings are crazy important. Settings are like another character for me. When I'm developing setting, I feel like a photographer when I write. …The setting of the novel that I just wrote is an abandoned house… so it's a very evocative place to write in. … It's a very useful tool to use setting and place as a way of showing and not telling what a character is driven by, what scares them, how they react to the world. … So place is absolutely elemental for me.   [20:45] CA: Are there setting or character exercises that you recommend to young writers? KI: … I don't do a whole lot of exercises. I'll just be in a project and I'll kind of keep going in the project. …Just start something. … Once you have the bones of a story…  do a little bit of freeform… journaling. … almost like you're being interviewed about the character. … I'm a big journaler, so I'm a big believer in that.   [21:55] CA: Do you have recommendations to young writers for getting or organizing ideas? KI: … I love having a big journal… And doodling and kind of free association and lists. I only just started writing with Scrivener, and that has been really useful for me in writing … novels. …Another thing that I do is I have a Pinterest, almost like it's my bulletin board. … So I'll often kind of clip and save stuff from online that feel evocative to me, somebody's smile or someone's boots, pictures of a setting, or maps, or other descriptions, or quotes that inspire me. …. I can kind of go there and tap into those warm mushy feelings about the project. It helps me remember to why I'm doing it, because I'm moved by this vision, by this idea.   [24:05] CA: Very cool. … Thank you so much… KI: It's been so fun to chat. … Bye   [24:20] Kate Inglis introduces herself KI: I'm Kate Inglis. And I'm an author. I've dabbled in kids' picture books and middle-grade adventures and adult nonfiction and adult novels as well. And I've been writing ever since I was a kid. And I always knew that I wanted to be an author but I wasn't always certain what I would say, what stories I would tell. And so much of my adult life has been keeping an eye out for those stories and sort of listening, like through a tin-can telephone, very very quietly for those characters that pop up, and learning how to chase them when I hear that call. So that's me.   [25:20] Find out more about Kate Inglis You can hear more creative writing advice from Kate Inglis on Cabin Tales Episode 5.5, “Author interviews about Plotting; and on Episode 6, “Begin in the Darkness,” about Beginnings; and on Episode 8, “The Never-ending Story,” about Revision.  You can find out more about Kate Inglis and her books from her website at KateInglis.com.   [26:10] Thanks and coming up on the podcast  I'll be back next week with leftovers from my interview with Don Cummer, author of historical fiction for young readers. Thanks for listening. Credits Music on the podcast is from “Stories of the Old Mansion” by Akashic Records, provided by Jamendo (Standard license for online use). Host: Catherine Austen writes books for children, short stories for adults, and reports for corporate clients. Visit her at www.catherineausten.com. Guest Author: Kate Inglis is an award-winning author for adults and children. Her novels, non-fiction, and poetic picture books are infused with the salt, woodsmoke, and fresh air of the North Atlantic coast. Kate is also a photographer and a corporate writer. Find her online at www.kateinglis.com.  

An interview with Farida Zaman, author-illustrator of I Want to Be: A Gutsy Girl's ABC, and illustrator of more than a dozen picture books and early readers. Hear about her love of fractured fairy tales, her dedication to creating a signature style, and her own experience of being a gutsy girl when she chose a life in the arts. 20 minutes. All ages. A full interview transcript is available at CabinTales.ca. Show Notes [0:00] Intro [1:10] Interview with Farida Zaman FZ: I illustrate and write now. I used to only illustrate. … my debut author-illustrator project with Second Story Press came out in spring 2020 called I Want to Be: A Gutsy Girl's ABC. CA: … Do you have projects that you're writing and illustrating both right now? FZ: Yes. … I'm illustrating a picture book written by my daughter, Layla Ahmad. …And I'm … finished a manuscript that I'm fleshing into a book dummy. …   [2:10] CA: …Do you work on more than one book at a time? FZ: Very much so. … I also do educational work … schoolbooks and book covers …. I used to do much more editorial and design and advertising…. I'm working on a collection of jigsaw puzzles … I wear a couple of different hats.   [2:50] CA: …. Is there a place where you get your best ideas from? FZ: My best ideas come from what I see around me. I take a lot of notes. …. I like trying out new things. … So my audience will see something different in my work. But I try and keep my look as unique as possible.   [3:40] CA: Are there some favorite projects? FZ: …Years ago I did a … on Moghul emperors, and the author was Rina Singh. [The book is The Foolish Men of Agra.] And it was really really exciting to research the history of these people. I'm drawn to textures, textiles, and cultures…it kind of gave me the opportunity to study and to decorate the book. …   [4:15] CA: Have you ever based a story or illustration on your own childhood? FZ: … Emotions perhaps. The Gutsy Girl came out from a place of shooting for the stars. …That was always my goal growing up. … My parents originally wanted me to study something way more academic. … I wanted to show the family thatyou can make a living doing what you love. …   [5:30] CA: …Have you ever been inspired by another artist's work? FZ: … Jane Ray -- she's a British writer -- she's always inspired me. …She has a great knack of retellings … her work just looks like tapestry to me. …   [6:30] CA: Have you illustrated fairy tales or classic myths or anything like that yourself? FZ: … Jack and the Beanstalk…. It's sort of like a fractured fairy tale…. It can be really exciting that way.   [6:55] CA: Have you ever written or illustrated anything spooky, scary? FZ: I've done things about anxiety…. Like monsters … versus a little girl. … But nothing really kind of out of the box scary….   [7:15] CA: Do you do school visits? FZ: I do. I illustrated up book on yoga…by Kathy Beliveau. … that was a very fun book to work with students … The art component is really fun, drawing your favorite pose.   [8:00] CA: … What would your journal look like? Like, is it messy? Is it organized? FZ: … I'd like to be the person that shows it on Instagram page by page and it looks so delicious and beautiful. Not my sketchbook. … I have a sketchbook for picture book ideas, where I do storyboarding, …stick figures and …notes. I think that's really important. …When you get stuck with the words, it really helps that you can draw because then you see where the gap might be and how melds together ….   [9:30] CA: Do you have any recommendations to young artists or young writers for getting or keeping or organizing ideas? FZ: I think keeping a sketchbook is crucial. … Find inspiration in where you are and, you know, what you like to do also.   [9:50] CA:... Are you a planner? Or do you just see what you're going to come up with? FZ: … I'm not a planner. I do things spontaneously. … And then I start tweaking. … When you plan too much, you can lose certain components of the story. …It's really interesting to look at the older version of a story that may be becoming a book… It's so exciting when you see that happen.   [11:30] CA: Do you have any favorite plot twists… or surprises? FZ: I like a good giggle. … something different, something that changes something old to something new.   [12:15] CA: Do you have any techniques for making an interesting middle? FZ: The pacing of the story is so important. …. Sometimes we tend to come to a climax a little sooner in the book…. It's like a jigsaw puzzle … And sometimes the clicking takes a long longer than you think it might. … It really helps if there's some kind of twist in the middle … It is important to look at the story in different ways….   [13:45] CA: …Do you have a favorite first line…? FZ: I like a direct beginning and something that takes you straight into the story. …introduce your character. … who is it and what does she want? …. I like going straight to the point.   [14:30] CA: Nice. Do you have a favourite … ending? FZ: For picture books, I think circular stories work the best… For a child, it's a nice warm cozy feeling.   [15:05] CA: Do you have a favorite POV to write from? FZ: A child's point of view. I tend to work … in present tense… I find that kids relate to that. It's happening when they're listening to it. …   [15:30] CA: And what scared you as a kid? FZ: The dark. As a kid, I was a very anxious child …. People are more open to talking about it now. … In the past, people like myself growing up, it wasn't easily dealt with….   [16:30] CA: Did you tell stories around the campfire as a kid? FZ: … Later on maybe, as a teenager…. But not as a child. CA: You don't like scary stories. FZ: Not particularly. …. I think monster stories are really cute, but I like friendly characters. I'm not into developing mean personalities. CA: Do you have a favorite sweet monster or funny monster? FZ: I love Cookie Monster. I love Grover. Sesame Street. I like that kind of monster. … Maurice Sendak's monsters. The classic. CA: Yes, he said he based those on his relatives who ruined every Sunday dinner. FZ: I can relate to that.   [17:30] CA: Do you collect anything? FZ: I love collecting things. I collect bowls. … I collect toys. … that are little retro. … I love collecting children's picture books. … CA:I think it's a shame that so many people never touch a picture book once their kid's over 5. …   [18:10] CA: What would you say is the hardest thing about illustrating or writing a good book? FZ: I think word count can be quite challenging. …How do you make that work within 500 words or, tops, 700 words? How do you make it really interesting and stylized and rich, visually?   [18:45] CA: … What do you do to prepare to make a setting? … FZ: … I'll go online and look at furniture and … what she should wear, her neighborhood….. I think layouts are really important. … And the perspective …. To create drama, I think it's really important. And creating a sense of contrast. Big and small. I think you can do that in your illustrations and you can do it in your words as well.   [20:05] CA: Do you have any favorite fictional characters? FZ: … The Big Red Lollipop. … by Rukhsana Khan. It's illustrated by Sophie Blackall. It's a lovely book. Personality really shines through. …. The eyes just tell you a story…   [20:50] CA: Do you have any exercises you would recommend for developing the character? FZ: I think it's important to know what your style is… have a sketchbook filled with sketches of realistic, and then pare it down to something more simple. … it's good to have different styles, but there should be a limit to it. Otherwise people will never know you. …   [22:00] CA: That's great. … Thanks so much. …   [22:15] Farida Zaman introduces herself FZ: Hi. I'm Farida Zaman. I'm an author and an illustrator. I illustrate picture books. And I'm writing picture books as well now. I've been doing this for the past three decades now, and I just love what I do. In my early years, I used to do a lot of editorial work as well, and I used to print and design. In between writing and illustrating, I also run workshops and art classes, too, for mainly adults.   [23:00] Find out more about Farida Zaman You can hear more creative writing advice from Farida Zaman on Cabin Tales Special Episode X: “Picture a Story.” You can find out more about Farida Zaman and her books from her website at FaridaZaman.com.   [23:45] Thanks and coming up on the podcast I'll be back next week with leftovers from my interview with Kate Inglis, author for all ages. Thanks for listening. Credits Music on the podcast is from “Stories of the Old Mansion” by Akashic Records, provided by Jamendo (Standard license for online use). Host: Catherine Austen writes books for children, short stories for adults, and reports for corporate clients. Visit her at www.catherineausten.com. Guest Author: Farida Zaman is a Toronto-based illustrator, author, and educator known for her upbeat, sophisticated, and whimsical style. She has worked with clients including the Latin Grammy Awards, The New York Times, UNICEF, London Underground, Toronto Transit Commission and many more. Farida has illustrated more than a dozen picture books. Her first authored and illustrated picture book – I Want to Be: A Gutsy Girl's ABC – was published in 2020. She is currently an instructor at Toronto's Avenue Road Art School, where she runs art workshops and illustration classes for adults and children. Find her online at www.FaridaZaman.com, on Twitter @fzamanart, and on Instagram @fzamanart.  

The final fall episode of Cabin Tales is about the final stage of creative writing: revision. You'll hear 26 Canadian authors talk about their revision process, and their recommendations to young writers who want to improve their first draft. 45 minutes all ages. A transcript of this episode is available at CabinTales.ca. Show Notes [0:00] Intro [1:30] Commentary on Revision If you don't want other people to read your work, you don't have to revise it. But if you do want others to read it and enjoy it, and if you want someone to publish it, then you must revise.   [3:55] Author Interviews I asked my guest authors about their revision process, how much time they spend revising vs drafting and which process they prefer. [4:00] Monique Polak envies writers who love revising [5:07] Lori Weber separates drafting from revising [6:15] Karen Krossing uses her intuition [7:35] Caroline Pignat separates creation and evaluation [9:00] Kari-Lynn Winters tries to resist editing while drafting [10:20] Philippa Dowding does not edit while she drafts [11:20] Tim Wynne-Jones usually revises along the way [12:50] Amanda West Lewis discovers more with each revision   [14:40] Commentary on revising for young writers For kids,  it would be crazy and boring to revise 20 times. Focus on the joy of creating, the passion of storytelling, the fun of it. But do try to revise at least once.   [16:00] Interviews on revising while young [16:00] Cary Fagan on the chore of revising while young [17:15] Sarah Raughley on taking your time while young   [18:45] Commentary on how to revise One of the first steps in revision is evaluating your work.   [19:15] Revision Recommendations One good practice in revision is to simply cut the word count by 10%.  [19:45] Jan Coates reads aloud and uses a thesaurus [20:45] Jeff Szpirglas saves his drafts to combine and revise [21:45] Rachel Eugster is looking for ways to lessen revision [22:25] Robin Stevenson has learned to revise wisely [24:00] Ishta Mercurio starts revisions with a blank page [24:50] Wendy McLeod MacKnight drafts very quickly [26:05] Amelinda Bérubé finds the drafting a slog   [28:15] Commentary on getting help with revision If you're ready, get feedback from a reader – your friend, other writers, your parents, your English teacher. All of the above. But don't let critiquing crush your creativity.             [29:55] Interviews about critiques [30:00] David McArthur encourages critiques [30:55] Lena Coakley spent 10 years on her first great book [31:45] Raquel Rivera revises with help from friends and editors [32:55] Marty Chan advises critique group [35:00] Lisa Dalrymple offers critiquing advice [36:10] Don Cummer is grateful for critique groups [37:20] Frieda Wishinsky says critiquing is a life skill [38:50] Kate Inglis likes the support of other writers [40:05] Karen Bass has learned to put story over ego   [42:05] Caveats  Creativity is always a good thing, even if your latest creation is not awesome. Maybe you can make it awesome with one more revision.   [43:40] Thanks and coming up on the podcast I'll be sharing my full interviews with all the Cabin Tales guest authors this winter, beginning on January 8th and continuing every Friday through the 2021 school year.  If you were hoping for a final story, I will be doing a national public reading  in January featuring an original Cabin Tale with multiple endings. More info in January. If you are a youth in Ottawa, the Ottawa Public Library's Awesome Authors Youth Writing Contest is on. I am a judge of fiction in the 9-12 age category and I want to read your story. But please don't make me read your first draft.  Have a creative December and a wonderful holiday break. Thanks for listening. Credits: Music on the podcast is from “Stories of the Old Mansion” by Akashic Records, provided by Jamendo (Standard license for online use). Art: The B&W image for this episode is from a wood engraving by Frederick Sandys from Reproductions of Woodcuts by F. Sandys, 1860-1866. Host: Catherine Austen writes books for children, short stories for adults, and reports for corporate clients. Visit her at www.catherineausten.com. Guest Authors Karen Bass loves writing action and adventure, and she likes to slide in some history when she can. She has twice won the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction. Karen lived most of her life in rural Alberta but now lives in southern Ontario. Karen loves having a whole new part of Canada to explore and use as inspiration for new stories. Find her online at www.karenbass.ca.   Amelinda Bérubé is a freelance writer and the author of the YA novels The Dark Beneath the Ice and Here There Are Monsters. A mother of two and a passionate gardener, she lives in Ottawa, Ontario, in a perpetual whirlwind of unfinished projects and cat hair. Find her online at www.metuiteme.com.   Marty Chan writes books for kids, plays for adults, and tweets for fun. He's best known for Mystery of the Graffiti Ghoul, which won the 2007 Diamond Willow Award. His newest book, Haunted Hospital, launched October 29th. He works and lives in Edmonton with his wife Michelle and their cat Buddy. Find him online at MartyChan.com.   Lena Coakley was born in Milford, Connecticut. In high school, creative writing was the only class she ever failed—nothing was ever good enough to hand in! She has since published two YA novels, Worlds of Ink and Shadow and Witchlanders. Wicked Nix, her first book for middle-grade readers, was nominated for numerous awards. Find her online at www.lenacoakley.com.   Jan Coates grew up in Truro, Nova Scotia, and has lived in Wolfville for most of her adult life. She has published six picture books, six middle grade novels, and 18 levelled chapter books for emergent readers. Her first novel, A Hare in the Elephant's Trunk, was a finalist for the 2011 Governor General's Literary Awards. Find her online at www.jancoates.ca.   Don Cummer is the author of the “Jake and Eli” stories published by Scholastic, set during the War of 1812. The first book, Brothers at War, was short-listed for the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young Readers. Don spends his time between Canada and Ireland – where he's finding many more stories to tell. Find him online at www.doncummer.com .   Lisa Dalrymple has written 11 books for young readers, including Fierce: Women who Shaped Canada, and Skink on the Brink. She now lives in Fergus, Ontario with her husband and their 3 highly-energetic children. Find her online at lisadalrymple.com.   Philippa Dowding is an award-winning children's author, poet, musician, and marketing copywriter.  Her 2017 middle-grade novel, Myles and the Monster Outside, won the OLA Silver Birch Express Honour Book award. Philippa lives in Toronto with her family. Find her on her website at http://pdowding.com.   Rachel Eugster is the author of the picture book The Pocket Mommy and the "Ingredients of a Balanced Diet" series. A theatre artist, singer, and choral conductor, Rachel premiered in her original play Whose Æmilia? at the Ottawa Fringe Festival in 2015. Find her online at https://racheleugster.com/.    Photo by Mark Reynes Roberts Cary Fagan writes picture books and novels for children and adults. His many awards include the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, the IODE Jean Throop Award, the Betty Stuchner--Oy Vey!--Funniest Children's Book Award, and the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for his body of work. Cary lives in Toronto. Find him online at https://www.caryfagan.com.   Kate Inglis is an award-winning author for adults and children. Her novels, non-fiction, and poetic picture books are infused with the salt, woodsmoke, and fresh air of the North Atlantic coast. Kate is also a photographer and a corporate writer. Find her online at www.kateinglis.com.   Karen Krossing is the author of seven award-winning novels for kids and teens, including Punch Like a Girl, Bog, and Cut the Lights, plus two picture books on the way. Karen encourages new writers through workshops for kids, teens, and adults. She lives in Toronto. Find her online at www.karenkrossing.com.   David McArthur is a graphic designer and creative writer based in Victoria, BC. His “What Does…” picture book series started as a game that David played with his son as they were driving to daycare. Find him online at www.akidsauthor.com.   Wendy McLeod MacKnight is the author of three middle grade novels: It's a Mystery, Pig Face! , The Frame-Up and The Copycat. In her spare time, she gardens, hangs with her family and friends, and feeds raccoons. Visit Wendy online at wendymcleodmacknight.com .   Ishta Mercurio lives and writes in Brampton, Ontario, where she serves as the Chairman of the Board for The FOLD Foundation, a non-profit that promotes underrepresented voices in Canadian literature. Her picture book debut, Small World, illustrated by Jen Corace, won the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for the Canadian region. Find Ishta online at www.ishtamercurio.com.   Caroline Pignat is a two-time Governor Generalʼs Literary Award-winning author of novels, non-fiction, and poetry. With over 20 years' experience teaching in schools, workshops, and at conferences, Caroline loves helping young writers find and share their unique voices. Find her online at www.carolinepignat.com.   Monique Polak is the Montreal-based author of 29 books for young people and a two-time winner of the Quebec Writers' Federation Prize for Children's and YA Literature. She has been teaching English and Humanities at Marianopolis College in Montreal for over 30 years. Find her online at www.moniquepolak.com.   Dr. Sarah Raughley is the author of five YA fantasy novels, including the bestselling Effigies series and the forthcoming Bones of Ruin series. Her books have been nominated for the Aurora Award for Best Young Adult novel. Find her online at https://sarahraughley.com .    Photo by Katya Konioukhova Raquel Rivera is a writer, artist and performer based in Montreal. She has published five books for young readers. She also writes about books for Constellations, a library and online database of quality children's literature, for use by teachers, librarians, and the public. Visit her online at www.raquelriverawashere.com.   Robin Stevenson is the award-winning author of 29 books for all ages. She lives on the west coast of Canada. Robin is launching three new books in 2021: a picture book, PRIDE PUPPY, a middle-grade non-fiction book, KID INNOVATORS, and a young adult novel, WHEN YOU GET THE CHANCE. Find her online at https://robinstevenson.com .   Jeff Szpirglas is the author of over 20 books for young readers, including entries for Scholastic's “Countdown To Danger” series and Orca's “Tales From Beyond the Brain.” Jeff has worked at CTV and he was an editor at Chirp, chickaDEE, and Owl Magazines. He is a full-time parent and full-time teacher. Visit him online at jeffszpirglas.com .   Lori Weber is the author of ten books for young adults and middle-grade readers, including Yellow Mini, a novel in verse, and Deep Girls, a short-story collection. A native Montrealer, she taught at John Abbott College for decades before her recent retirement. Find her online at LoriWeberAuthor.wordpress.com.   Amanda West Lewis is a writer, theatre director and calligrapher. Her writing for children and youth ranges from historical YA fiction to craft books on the art of writing. She is the Artistic Director and Founder of The Ottawa Children's Theatre. Find her online at www.amandawestlewis.com.   Dr. Kari-Lynn Winters is an award-winning children's author, playwright, performer, and academic scholar. She is an Associate Professor at Brock University and the author of French Toast, Jeffrey and Sloth, On My Walk, Gift Days, and many other imaginative picture books. Find her online at http://kariwinters.com/   Frieda Wishinsky has written over 70 picture books, chapter books, novels and non-fiction books. Her books have won or been nominated for many prestigious awards, including the Governor General's Award, the Print Braille Book of the Year Award, the TD Literature Award and the Marilyn Baillie Picture book award.  Find her online at https://friedawishinsky.com.    Tim Wynne-Jones has written 35 books for adults and children of all ages. His books have been translated into a dozen languages and won multiple awards, including the Governor General's Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Arthur Ellis Award, and the Edgar Award. Tim was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2012. Find him online at  http://www.timwynne-jones.com/.  

An episode about how to begin a story, with guest authors Karen Bass, Kate Inglis, and Chris Jones. Featuring an original story, great first lines from classic fiction, and suggested writing exercises. PG. A full transcript is available at CabinTales.ca. Show Notes [0:00] Intro [1:15] Story Intro If a Labrador Retriever showed up on your porch barking, you'd think, “This dog is trying to tell me something.” You would never think, “This dog is trying to lure me to my death.” (If you want to share with very young listeners, download the “fright-free” version available at CabinTales.ca.)   [2:35] “The Barking Dog” by Manny   [12:20] Opening Stories you tell vs. write A listener at the campfire doesn't hear the first few lines, then say, ‘You know what? I'm actually going to go to that other campfire and check out that story.' But a reader has a thousand other books to choose from. That's why most advice on how to begin a story will tell you to plant a question in the reader's mind. Here are some gripping first lines that plant questions. [13:25] Excerpt from Charlotte's Web by E.B. White “‘Where's Papa going with that ax?' said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.” [14:05] Excerpt from Feed by M.T. Anderson We went to the moon to have fun, but the moon turned out to completely suck. [14:40] Excerpt from The Ritual by Adam Nevill And on the second day things did not get better. [15:20] Excerpt from The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier They murdered him. [16:10] Copy the technique: Opening Lines Write three opening lines: one in dialogue, like Charlotte's Web; one that begins in media res, like The Ritual; and one that suggests an unusual setting, like Feed.   [17:35] Openings that introduce a narrator You can open your story by directly introducing yourself to your reader, just as you might open any conversation. Excerpt from Charles Dickens' David Copperfield. Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show. Excerpt from The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. Excerpt from Mosquitoland by David Arnold. I am Mary Iris Malone, and I am not okay. [18:30] Copy the technique: Introduce yourself Write an opening that directly addresses the reader, acknowledging that they are about to read your story.   [19:15] Openings that make us care         One of my favourites is Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis. It begins: It was Sunday after church and all my chores were done. That's not especially riveting. But if you can make me enjoy spending time with your characters, I'll go a long way with them. [20:05] Copy the technique: Engage the reader If you're not sure how to begin, just give us a glimpse of your main character, what makes them unique and likeable. Like a scene of your heroine babysitting for the first time and changing a diaper. If it makes us like her and laugh with her, we'll follow her to the next scene.   [20:35] Interviews with Authors for kids and teens [20:55] Karen Bass on beginning with action [22:45] Kate Inglis on beginning with disorientation [24:50] Chris Jones on beginning with problems   [26:50] Authors' Advice for young writers on how to begin [27:05] Chris Jones on beginning with emotion [28:20] Kate Inglis on hopping around a book [30:35] Karen Bass on setting a tone   [31:55] How my guests began to write and illustrate [32:10] Kate Inglis on getting her 10,000 hours early [33:50] Karen Bass on making a great late entrance [35:05] Chris Jones on starting young and returning later   [43:20] Story Prompt: “Flowers in the Graveyard” Today I was walking my dog when I saw this girl, maybe 18 or so, cut through the cemetery. She walked right up to a headstone and took the flowers that were resting against it….   [39:20] Scary Movie Quote Try out various beginnings out on a trusted listener, like your mom. As a famous Hollywood character once said, “A boy's best friend is his mother.”   [39:50] Thanks and coming up on the podcast Next week I'll talk with five more great Canadian authors about their beginnings: Frieda Wishinsky; Sarah Raughley; Don Cummer; David McArthur; and Wendy McLeod MacKnight. Thanks for listening. Credits: Music on the podcast is from “Stories of the Old Mansion” by Akashic Records, provided by Jamendo (Standard license for online use). (The 80s music moment at 16:05 is from Yaz's "In my Room.") Host: Catherine Austen writes books for children, short stories for adults, and reports for corporate clients. Visit her at www.catherineausten.com. Art: The B&W image for this episode is from a wood engraving by Amédée Forestier from Wilkie Collin's Blind Love, 1890.   Guest Authors Karen Bass loves writing action and adventure, and she likes to slide in some history when she can to make the past come alive for young readers. She has twice won the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction and has received numerous other nominations and accolades for her stories, including one being named as a USBBY Outstanding International Book. Aside from finishing her degree in Victoria, BC, Karen lived most of her life in rural Alberta. When her husband retired, they decided to strike out on their own adventure, and now call southern Ontario home. Aside from writing, Karen works occasionally in a library, and so has a constantly growing pile of books waiting to be read. She loves having a whole new part of Canada to explore and use as inspiration for new stories. Find her online at www.karenbass.ca; on Facebook @karenbassYA on Twitter @karenbassYA and on Instagram @karenbassYA. Kate Inglis is an award-winning author for adults and children. She writes about pirates and giants and mermaids and all the ways we love each other. Kate's novels, non-fiction, and poetic picture books are infused with the salt, woodsmoke, and fresh air of the North Atlantic coast. Kate is also a photographer and a corporate writer. Find her online at www.kateinglis.com; on Instagram @kate_inglis, on Twitter @kate_inglis; and on Facebook @kateinglisbooks. Chris Jones is an illustrator with a passion for visual storytelling. He illustrates for picture books, graphic novels, magazines and educational materials. Chris has illustrated over 20 books for young readers, including Scholastic's Take Me Out to The Ice Rink, and This is The Rink Where Jack Plays. When not illustrating for clients, Chris spends his time writing and illustrating his own comic and picture book projects. Find Chris online at: www.mrjonesey.com; Instagram @mrjonesey; Twitter @mrJonesey    

Season 7, Episode 1 You can't please everyone. That's what three frog musicians discover when they pedal into the woods to play an impromptu concert for their furred and feathered friends. The grouse, though, can't stand the racket or the animals who like it! Then, a terrible storm provides an opportunity for a change of heart. Kate Inglis's "A Great Big Night" is a delightful parable about performers and their audiences finding each other. Josée Bisaillon's joyful and witty illustrations complete a book that will be loved by readers and young listeners alike.

The Post-Halloween Special Episode, featuring four student stories about: a monster that demands sacrifice; a historic Halloween; teens in the deep woods; and a supernatural Air B&B. From young writers Aleina Wang, Olivia Beauchamp, Lexi-Jade McCowan, and Olivia Li. PG. A transcript of this episode is available at CabinTales.ca.   Shownotes [0:00] Intro [1:15] Story One Intro Have you ever needed to get away for a while, maybe head to the coast and spend the night in an old Victorian mansion on a clifftop and finish your novel? [2:15] “Air B&B” by Olivia Li Michelle needed to get away. When she saw the photo of an old Victorian home in the country by the sea, and the price of just $50 a night, she transferred the money and headed straight over. … [10:50] About the Author Olivia Li doesn't want to believe in ghosts, but she does and they scare her. She likes ghost stories and goofy comedies, especially when they're combined.   [12:00] Story Two Intro Have you ever dared someone to do something unusual? Maybe it seemed bold but not really dangerous? You didn't think anyone could actually get hurt doing it. [12:45] “The Duskmire Forest” by Olivia Beauchamp “He went into the cavern and—Boo!—there in front of him stood a ten-foot—” “Caleb, don't scare the children!” said Lisa. Lisa didn't like scary stories…. [22:05] About the Author Olivia Beauchamp is a grade 7 student at Symmes Junior High School in Gatineau, Quebec. Her advice to other young writers is: “Keep a youthful imagination.”   [23:10] Story Three Intro Have you ever gone to a cottage in the deep woods with a few friends, and things just didn't feel right? [23:50] “Minutes to Sunrise” by Lexi-Jade McCowan Me and my friends, Jordan, Lucas, and Hayden, were all staying at my parents' old cottage for a week…. [31:25] About the Author Lexi-Jade McCowan is a 12-year-old student doesn't usually like writing. Her advice to other young writers is: “Keep working hard. Don't give up.” Special thanks also to the English Language Arts teachers at Symmes Junior High School in Gatineau -- teachers Sarah Legge and Alex Peach – who've been sharing this podcast with their students.   [32:50] Story Four Intro Have you ever heard of a monster that demanded a sacrifice? [33:30] “The Monster of Feyre” by Aleina Wang Feyre was a beautiful and tidy land. Sure, it was cold. You only saw the sun for one month a year. But the Fey were well-bred. They wore elegant furs, made interesting conversation, and were good businessmen and women. They were also good secret-keepers…. [40:45] About the Author “The Monster of Feyre” won an Honourable Mention in the Ottawa Public Library's Awesome Authors youth writing contest in 2019, in the 9-12 age category, and it was published in Pot-pourri 2019. Aleina says this is one of her weirder stories. She has lots of advice to young writers, like combining random words as a prompt to get you started, and writing an outline to keep you motivated. You can read all of Aleina's advice on CabinTales.ca. Special thanks to the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association, which publishes Pot-pourri, for permission to read the story on the podcast.  Pot-pourri is an annual anthology that features all the winning and honoured stories, poems, and graphic narratives from the Awesome Authors contest. This year's contest opens in December; check out the OPL website for more information. I will be a judge this year in the 9-12 age category. And I want to read your stories. (They don't have to be spooky.)   [43:05] Time to write your own tale Now that you've heard all these great student stories, it's time to write your own. Next week, I'm back to the regular format for Cabin Tales with Episode 6: “Begin in the Darkness.” You'll hear an original story from a fictional student, plus excerpts from David Copperfield, The Chocolate War, and Charlotte's Web, and interviews with guest authors Karen Bass, Kate Inglis, and Chris Jones. Thanks for listening. Credits: Music on the podcast is from “Stories of the Old Mansion” by Akashic Records, provided by Jamendo (Standard license for online use). Host: Catherine Austen writes books for children, short stories for adults, and reports for corporate clients. Visit her at www.catherineausten.com. Art: The B&W image for this episode is from a wood engraving by Gustave Doré from Milton's Paradise Lost, 1880.  

A special Halloween episode featuring 5 spooky stories written by students aged 11-17, including a terrifying musical awakening, a horrifying futuristic drug, a demonic yoga class, a pizza you don't want to order, and a phone call you don't want to answer. PG. Let the kids listen in. A transcript of this episode is available at CabinTales.ca. Show Notes [0:00] Episode intro [1:15] Story One Intro Have you ever been babysitting when there's a crazed killer on the loose? Whenever that happens to me, I make sure to lock all the doors and windows. But today you'll hear a story about a forgetful babysitter in a house with too many doors. And something is about to sneak inside. [3:20] “Bat, Axe, Racket” by Jacob Tremblay Maggie was out on her first babysitting job in the big house down the street. The house had a front door, a back door, and a side door. And Maggie forgot to lock all of them…. [5:55] About the Author Jacob Tremblay is 11 years old and he has never babysat, and he can't remember ever being babysat, but he has read scary stories about babysitting…   [7:00] Story Two Intro Have you ever fallen asleep standing up? Ever slept over at a friend's or relative's house or in a hotel and woken from a dream and you had no idea where you were? You're still half in the dream and all you know is that this is not your room. Well, today you'll hear a story about someone who wakes and has a very hard time figuring out where she is. And maybe she would rather not know. [7:45] “The Music Box” by Prisha Mehta Tick. Painted eyes flutter open. She's standing upright, balancing on the tips of her toes, one arm raised over her head and the other extended. Her left arm is caked with something—dirt? Dust? Where is she? Tick. Tick…. [14:10] About the Author Prisha Mehta is a high school senior from Millburn, New Jersey, with many publications to her credit. “The Music Box” was first published in Blue Marble Review. Prisha has known since the third grade that she wanted to be a writer. And she is fabulous.   [15:15] Story Three Intro Have you ever struggled with depression or anxiety or guilt? Maybe you did something you felt so bad over that you just couldn't bring yourself to face the world? Well, today you'll hear a story about someone in the future who tries a new experimental method for forcing herself to face the world. But maybe she shouldn't. Maybe she should just stay in the basement. [16:00] “Ear to Ear” by Owen Fitzpatrick When my inbox trilled like a sparrow, telling me I had mail, I had no idea what to expect. Practically no one emailed me anymore, after what I had done. I just stayed in the basement… [22:00] About the Author Owen Fitzpatrick is a 13-year-old student in grade nine at Lisgar Collegiate High School in Ottawa whose advice to any young writer is: “Don't be afraid to share your ideas. Just start writing.” “Ear to Ear” was a First Place Winner in the Ottawa Public Library's Awesome Authors youth writing contest in the 9-12 age category, and it was published in Pot-pourri 2019. Thanks to Owen and to the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association, which publishes Pot-pourri, for giving permission to feature the story on this show.   [23:50] Story Four Intro Have you ever taken a yoga class that was just a little beyond your flexibility? And you just couldn't wait for the end relaxation so that you could rest? Well, you're about to hear a story about a couple of very unusual creatures who take a yoga class. Thanks to yoga teacher Patricia Dickinson for the inspiration for the guided meditation in the background to this story, and thanks to the author, Kayleigh Williams, for allowing that liberty with her story. [24:45] “Demon Yoga” by Kayleigh Williams Lie down in a comfortable position. Let your arms rest by your side… Barbas and Furfur were two demons who'd been taking yoga together for a year. They'd started with an introductory session, then they moved on to Beginner One, Beginner Two, Beginner Three, and now they were just starting an Intermediate class…. [30:55] About the Author Kayleigh Williams went to a yoga class with her mother and “I could not lie still during the end relaxation and I still don't understand how anyone can relax lying down with their eyes closed in a dimly lit room full of total strangers who could be psycho killers or demons for all you know.”   [31:55] Story Five Intro Have you ever gone up to a stranger's door, maybe you were collecting bottles or selling lawn care services, and you ring the bell and you have no idea who's going to answer that door? You have no idea what you might be interrupting. Well, you're about to hear a story where the door is answered by someone in the middle of a summoning. [32:35] “Deliverance” by Sarah Ham Phil shuffled the pizza boxes, desperately trying to liberate one of his arms…. [38:35] About the Author That story won Second Prize in the Ottawa Public Library's Awesome Authors contest a couple of years ago in the 15-17 age category, and it was first published in Pot-pourri 2017. The author, Sarah Ham, is your average writerly ghost. Sarah's advice to young writers is to have fun with what you write. “If you enjoy it, so will your readers!” Thanks to the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association for permission to include this story.   [38:00] Time to write your own tale I'll be reading another four student stories next week in a special Post-Halloween episode of Cabin Tales. Let today's stories and the spirit of Halloween inspire you to write something to suit the season. Tune in next week for more. [40:30] Thanks and curses (monster movie quote); coming up on the podcast As a Hollywood monster hunter once said, “I'm drawing a line in the sand here. Do not read the Latin.” But who believes in curses?  Neewollah Ypaah, young writers, and Dna Sknaht Rof Gninestil. Tune in next week for Part Two of Spooky Student Stories. You'll hear about an Air B&B you don't want to book, a monster's lair you don't want to enter, and more great tales from young writers. On November 13th, it's Cabin Tales Episode 6: “Begin in the Darkness,” with stories, excerpts, creative writing commentary, prompts, and interviews with guest authors Karen Bass, Kate Inglis, and Chris Jones. Until then…. Post a link to today's episode on your social media and share it with all the young writers in your life. And write your own tale. Thanks for listening.   Credits: Music on the podcast is from “Stories of the Old Mansion” by Akashic Records, provided by Jamendo (Standard license for online use). Music in the background of "Demon Yoga" is a brief clip taken from the royalty-free music, "Quiet Time," by David Fesliyan, from https://www.fesliyanstudios.com. Thank you. Host: Catherine Austen writes books for children, short stories for adults, and reports for corporate clients. Visit her at www.catherineausten.com. Art: The B&W image for this episode is from a wood engraving by Edwin Austin Abbey from Selections from the Poetry of Robert Herrick, 1882. Publications mentioned in the show: Blue Marble Review is a quarterly online literary journal showcasing the creative work of young writers ages  13-22. They welcome poetry, fiction, personal essays, travel stories, and opinion pieces as well as art and photography. The goal of the journal is to assemble in each issue, a broad range of voices, perspectives, and life experiences. Pot-pouri: Since 2007, the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association (FOPLA) has been proud to publish pot-pourri, an anthology featuring the winning entries from the Ottawa Public Library's annual Awesome Authors Youth Writing Contest. Each volume includes bilingual poetry, short stories, and now comics from talented youth authors and artists from the Ottawa community. Buy past years of pot-pourri online.  

Interviews with Canadian children's and YA authors on the subject of tension and how to make a reader turn the page. With guest authors Kate Inglis, Lisa Dalrymple, David McArthur, Jeff Szpirglas, and Marty Chan. Hosted by Catherine Austen. 40 minutes. All ages.  A full transcript of this episode is available at CabinTales.ca. Shownotes: [0:00] Intro [1:15] Interviews on adding tension to fiction [2:10] Kate Inglis on showing characters [4:30] Jeff Szpirglas on creating a tense atmosphere [6:50] Lisa Dalrymple on asking your character questions [8:50] David McArthur on planting clues [10:55] Marty Chan on leaving answers hanging   [13:10] Commentary on tension as a balancing act Think of a story as a character facing a problem that's in the way of what they want. Envision a scale with the character on one side and the problem on the other. Increase tension by adding to the weight of the problem or reducing the weight of the character. Isolate or burden the protagonist. Move the danger closer in time or space.   [16:20] Interviews on drafting and revising for tension [16:45] Marty Chan on revising multiple times [19:10] Jeff Szpirglas on drafting quickly [20:50] David McArthur on editing as he drafts [22:30] Kate Inglis on irresistible revision [25:15] Lisa Dalrymple on over-editing   [27:30] Interviews on plot twist dos and don'ts [28:20] David McArthur doesn't twist fully [29:45] Lisa Dalrymple sticks to the rules of a story [30:40] Jeff Szpirglas builds up the danger [32:35] Kate Inglis's favourite plot twists from television [34:25] Marty Chan's favourite plot twist from film   [36:15] Write your own tale Outline or draft a scene, then ask how you might enhance the tension.   [37:30] Thanks and coming up on the podcast Thanks to today's guests. Next week's episode, “Picture a Story,” will feature interviews with great Canadian illustrators – Katherine Battersby, Farida Zaman, Peggy Collins, Christine Tripp, and Chris Jones. Then on October 30th, I'll have a special Halloween episode of Cabin Tales featuring weird tales from student writers. (Submission guidelines on the website at https://CabinTales.ca.) Thanks for listening. Music on the podcast is from “Stories of the Old Mansion” by Akashic Records, provided by Jamendo (Standard license for online use).  Host: Catherine Austen writes books for children, short stories for adults, and reports for corporate clients. Visit her at www.catherineausten.com.   Guest Authors: Marty Chan writes books for kids, plays for adults, and tweets for fun. He's best known for Mystery of the Graffiti Ghoul, which won the 2007 Diamond Willow Award. His newest book, Haunted Hospital, launched October 29th. He works and lives in Edmonton with his wife Michelle and their cat Buddy. Find him online at MartyChan.com, on Twitter @Marty_Chan; on YouTube MartyChanAuthor; on Instagram @MartyChanWriter; and on Facebook @MartyChanAuthor.   Lisa Dalrymple is a wandering, wondering, dabbling, babbling, addle-brained author and mind-muddled mum. She has written 11 books for young readers, including Fierce: Women who Shaped Canada, A Moose Goes A-Mummering and Skink on the Brink. Lisa has taught kindergarten in South Korea and Thailand, caught and eaten piranha in the Amazon jungle and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. She now lives in Fergus, Ontario with her husband and their 3 highly-energetic children. Find her online at lisadalrymple.com; on Facebook: @LisaDalrympleBooks; on Twitter: @DalrympleWrites; and on Instagram: @lisa_dalrymple.   Kate Inglis is an award-winning author for adults and children. She writes about pirates and giants and mermaids and all the ways we love each other. Kate's novels, non-fiction, and poetic picture books are infused with the salt, woodsmoke, and fresh air of the North Atlantic coast. Kate is also a photographer and a corporate writer. Find her online at www.kateinglis.com; on Instagram @kate_inglis, on Twitter @kate_inglis; and on Facebook @kateinglisbooks.   David McArthur is a graphic designer and creative writer based in Victoria, BC. He struggled with reading and writing as a child, and those struggles are part of the reason he created a series of books which give children confidence to read. The “What Does…” series started as a simple game that David played with his son as they were driving to daycare. Seeing the way his son joyfully reacted to the story was so wonderful that David turned the story into a book. The rest, as they say, is history! Find him online at www.akidsauthor.com.   Jeff Szpirglas is the author of over 20 books for young readers, both fiction and nonfiction, including entries for Scholastic's “Countdown To Danger” series and Orca's “Tales From Beyond the Brain.” He has co-authored two books about film soundtracks, and is a regular contributor to the award-winning horror magazine Rue Morgue. Jeff has worked at CTV and he was an editor at Chirp, chickaDEE, and Owl Magazines. These days, he spends his non-writing time as a full-time parent and full-time classroom teacher (and part-time werewolf). Visit him online at jeffszpirglas.com and find him on Twitter @jeffszpirglas or on Facebook.     

A "telling tales" episode about how to build tension in fiction, with stories, excerpts, and prompts. Featuring guest authors Lena Coakley, Sarah Raughley, and Don Cummer. 45 minutes. PG. A full transcript of this episode and  "fright-free" version with the opening story removed are available at CabinTales.ca.   Show Notes [0:00] Introduction: [1:15] Story Intro: Today you'll hear a story where a pair of sisters are alone on a swimming platform with their old blind dog and a container of worms. And everything starts to squirm. [1:35] Trigger warning: Fishing (animal cruelty); bullying; violence; accidental death. To skip the story, ahead 10 minutes when you hear the musical bar near the beginning. Or download the “fright-free” version from CabinTales.ca. [2:40] Story: “Sisters” [13:40] Commentary: Books worth rereading Work hard on your prose so that your story is a pleasure to read. [14:55] Excerpt from The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss [15:45] Copy the technique: write well.   [17:05] Commentary: Anticipation You create narrative tension by making the reader hope for things to resolve one way, and dread that they'll turn out another way. [20:15] Excerpt from Deltora Quest by Emily Rodda [19:45] Copy the technique: Build dread with foreshadowing and dramatic irony.   [22:40] Commentary: Stakes Make your reader care about your character and their goals. [24:15] Excerpt from Lost Boy by Christina Henry [25:05] Copy the technique: Add more obstacles on your character's path, and more need inside your character to overcome those obstacles.   [26:05] Interviews with guest authors [27:05] Lena Coakley on planting questions [28:15] Sarah Raughley on raising stakes [30:00] Don Cummer on looking for trouble   [31:30] Drafting and revising for tension. [31:45] Lena Coakley revises at every stage [32:45] Don Cummer revises to find the best pacing [34:00] Sarah Raughley adds tension to her outlines   [35:15] Anecdotes [35:15] Don Cummer on vulnerable characters [37:55] Lena Coakley on her agent's advice [37:15] Sarah Raughly on stakes in a series   [39:00] Story Prompt: “Simon and Woolly”   [41:35] Thanks and housekeeping Tune in next week for Episode 5.5, “Author Interviews about Pacing” with guest authors Kate Inglis, Lisa Dalrymple, David McArthur, Jeff Szpirglas, and Marty Chan.   [42:50] Monster Movie Quote:  “Why don't we just wait here for a little while, see what happens.” Thanks for listening.   Music on the podcast is from “Stories of the Old Mansion” by Akashic Records, provided by Jamendo (Standard license for online use).  Host: Catherine Austen writes books for children, short stories for adults, and reports for corporate clients. Visit her at www.catherineausten.com.   Guest Authors: Lena Coakley was born in Milford, Connecticut and grew up on Long Island. In high school, creative writing was the only class she ever failed—nothing was ever good enough to hand in!—but undeterred, she went on to study writing at Sarah Lawrence College. She has published two YA novels, Worlds of Ink and Shadow and Witchlanders. Wicked Nix, her first book for middle-grade readers, was nominated for the Silver Birch Express Award, the MYRCA Sundogs Award, and the Rocky Mountain Book Award. She now lives in Toronto with her two cats, Bonbon and Pirate Jenny. Find her online at www.lenacoakley.com; @lenacoakley   Don Cummer is the author of the “Jake and Eli” stories published by Scholastic – a series about two best friends growing up during the War of 1812. The first book, Brothers at War, was short-listed for the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young Readers. Don was born in Calgary and grew up on a ranch. He moved to Ottawa, where he wrote speeches for a living, and now spends his time between Canada and Ireland – where he's finding many more stories to tell. Find him online at www.doncummer.com and on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSJOMFDqjhk&t=2s   Dr. Sarah Raughley grew up in Southern Ontario. She is the author of five YA fantasy novels, including the bestselling Effigies series and the forthcoming Bones of Ruin series. Her books have been nominated for the Aurora Award for Best Young Adult novel. Her academic research concerns representations of race and gender in popular media culture, youth culture, and postcolonialism. Sarah is a fangirl of manga and sci-fi TV. Find her online at https://sarahraughley.com and on Twitter at ‎@s_raughley    

An introductory tour of the podcast, about the origin of the Cabin Tales stories, creative writing themes on fall episodes, upcoming guest authors; and a submission call for the Halloween Special Episode. 20 minutes. All ages.   A full transcript of this episode is available at CabinTales.ca. [1:15] What is Cabin Tales? Cabin Tales is a podcast with an unusual format—a mix of fiction, education, and interviews. It's really like having an author visit every week – only it's absolutely free. And I bring talented friends with me. You don't have to like spooky stories to enjoy this podcast. If you like books and author talks and encouragement to write your own tales, then this podcast is for you.   [1:50] The Origin of Cabin Tales Catherine Austen developed the Cabin Tales Podcast during COVID-19 to take the place of author visits in 2020. The stories in the podcast are from her draft novel, Cabin Tales, in which four young teens tell scary stories around a campfire (while their mothers disappear one by one).   [4:00] The Podcast Format Each episode of Cabin Tales focuses on one aspect of creative writing. Episode formats alternate thus: First is a full episode that opens with an original story, followed by excerpts from three books that exemplify the week's theme—one for adults, one for young adults, and one for children—and a final prompt, told as a story, that listeners are invited to finish. In between readings, you get writing tips, commentary, suggested exercises, and 3 author interviews. Then the next episode features interviews with five more guest authors talking about the same creative-writing subject. So you get two weeks on each creative writing theme. We'll alternate between these formats, “Telling Tales” and “Talking Tales,” all season.    [7:20] The Audience The Cabin Tales Podcast is for readers and writers of all levels of experience, but especially teen writers. The kids whose schools I won't be visiting this year. Stories told on the podcast are the sort that young people might tell around a campfire to spook their friends. Some are serious; some are silly; and some are a little scary. Consider them PG-13. For younger listeners, “fright-free” versions of episodes are available on the website at CabinTales.ca – all the good educational stuff with no scary bits.   [9:00] Where to Listen The Cabin Tales Podcast is available through iTunes, Google Podcast, Spotify, SoundCloud, Stitcher, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, Learning out Loud, and through its host, Podbean. (Those platforms stream the original episodes only. For the fright-free versions, go to CabinTales.ca.) To be notified by email of every new episode when it comes out, follow the CabinTales.ca blog or follow Catherine on Facebook. Or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or from any other streaming platform.   [10:20] The Interviews All episodes of Cabin Tales feature excerpts from interviews with great Canadian authors for young people. Guest authors featured in August were Caroline Pignat, Lori Weber, Tim Wynne-Jones, Karen Krossing, Jan Coates, Rachel Eugster, Amanda West Lewis, and Monique Polak. Guests featured in September include Philippa Dowding, Ishta Mercurio, Wendy MacKnight, Amelinda Berube, Robin Stevenson, Raquel Rivera, and Kari-Lynn Winters. Guests coming up in the fall include Cary Fagan, Don Cummer, Sarah Raughley, Kate Inglis, Farida Zaman, Katherine Battersby, Christine Tripp, Peggy Collins, and many more.  You'll hear little bits and pieces from all of these interviews this fall, and you can hear complete, edited interviews with each featured author in the winter, starting January 2021.   [11:35] The Excerpts The podcast follows guidelines of Fair Dealing with the brief excerpts of copyrighted material used to illustrate fine writing. Episode shownotes link to the sources for all of these books.   [12:30] Write your own Tale The Cabin Tales Podcast encourages listeners to write their own tales. Episodes include suggested writing activities, and each full episode ends with a story prompt that listeners are invited to finish. Some episodes also link to creative writing mini-lessons and templates that teachers can use straight out of the box.   [14:25] The Halloween Episode Submissions are being accepted for a special Halloween episode of Cabin Tales, which will feature just student stories. Original spooky stories of up to 2000 words. Send your story, along with a few words about yourself and when and why you wrote this story, in the body of an email to cabin(at)catherineausten(dot)com or use the form on the contact page at CabinTales.ca. Sadly, we pay you nothing but respect.    [16:45] The Cabin Tales Host, Catherine Austen I'm an author of short stories for adults, novels for children, and reports for corporate clients. I've won some awards. I've had stories published in great literary journals. I've given writing workshops at schools and libraries across Canada. I live in Gatineau, Quebec.   [17:25] The Music Music on the podcast is from “Stories of the Old Mansion” by Akashic Records, provided by Jamendo under Standard license for online use.   [17:50] What's coming up this season September 11: Episode 3, “Spooky Stories are all Around Us,” about getting ideas for stories. September 18th: Episode 3.5, “Author Interviews about Ideas.” Episodes 4 and 4.5 are about Plotting. Episodes 5 and 5.5 are about creating tension. October 23rd: “There's More than One Way to Tell a Story,” interviews with Canadian illustrators. October 30th, “Spooky Stories by Student Writers.” November and December episodes about Beginnings and Endings; Narrative Voice; and Revision A final December episode about the creative process and how to develop a writing practice. In January we'll begin a season of author interviews. (Monster-movie line: “I got a goddamned plan!”)   [19:35] Thanks for listening If you like the show, please link to it on your social media, and share it with your writer-friends and reader-friends and teacher-friends, and together we'll get it into the ears of young writers and say to them: Write your own tale. Here's how.  

Today's conversation is with one of my closest friends Jess Southwood. Unlike my other guests who work in the realm of spirituality, Jess is a Business consultant and facilitator, with a particular focus on leadership development, team dynamics and creativity in business. But honestly, I didn't invite her to talk to me about her work, though it is fascinating and has taken her all over the world. I didn't invite Jess to talk because she loves yoga and writing and poetry. I invited Jess here because we share something in common—we are both bereaved mothers. We “met” in 2009, after our second daughters were stillborn. I wanted to talk to Jess about sisterhood, spiritual bonding, emotional intimacy, grieving publicly, and you know, dead babies. We say that quite a bit in this episode. We talk about it bluntly, like you find in the community of grieving women on the internet. There is a whole community. Most people who have never lost a child have no idea there is a corner of the internet where women talk about the death of their baby—over and over again. We write stories and exchange emails and have an entire community of bereaved mothers and fathers. Jess is an extraordinary woman. I feel so blessed to have her as one of my best friends. As you can hear from our conversation, she is deeply thoughtful, funny, intelligent, self-aware and interesting. Jess' s first collection of poetry can be found at littlelosses.com. She has a Masters degree in Shakespeare Studies from the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon. She lives in Birmingham, UK, with her husband, three children, two cats, one dog, and too many books. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Jess Southwood. My grief blog: http://stilllifewithcircles.blogspot.com Jess's first poetry collection: https://littlelosses.com/ Glow in the Woods: http://www.glowinthewoods.com/ We mentioned a few things in this podcast including the Right Where I Am Project. First year: http://stilllifewithcircles.blogspot.com/p/right-where-i-am-project.html Last year I did this: http://stilllifewithcircles.blogspot.com/2014/07/right-where-i-am-five-years-and-almost.html The Mutter Museum http://muttermuseum.org/ Kate Inglis who coined the term Babyloss's writing: http://www.kateinglis.com/ Kara Chipoletti Jones https://linktr.ee/griefandcreativity Niobe and Dead Baby Jokes: her blog Niobe's GITW posts: http://www.glowinthewoods.com/blog/tag/Niobe Angie's GITW posts: http://www.glowinthewoods.com/blog/tag/Angie Jess's GITW posts: http://www.glowinthewoods.com/blog/tag/Jess --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/angie-yingst/message

·Kate Inglis is a Halifax, Nova Scotia native. She is an award winning writer, a brand strategist, a photographer and an old soul. In 2007, with life cruising along nicely - no major trials to speak of, no significant hardships, her world came crashing down. She gave birth to twin boys prematurely, at 28 weeks into the pregnancy. Ben and Liam, identical twins, each weighed under 3 pounds. After 2 months, Liam died, sending Kate into a journey unlike any she had ever faced. She has inspired millions with her books, a Ted Talk, and her attitude about her loss. She formed Glow in the Woods, the world's first online community for bereaved parents, and continues to write novels and children's books, and her approach to grief and life and death is refreshing and thought-provoking. This interview with Kate will provide comfort, and warm your heart.. Parallelism is a word that you will now use in your vocabulary after you listen to our discussion. You can learn more about this amazing woman at http://www.kateinglis.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/fromthehart/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/fromthehart/support

Kate Inglis is a photographer and author living in Nova Scotia. She writes children's fiction, including award-nominated novels and picture books. Kate's writing through the premature birth of her twins, the subsequent loss of one, and life beyond eventually led to her internationally recognized book, Notes for the Everlost. In 2008, she founded Glow in the Woods, an online community for bereaved parents and headlined the annual Walk to Remember in Edmonton, Alberta. Inglis' 2012 TEDx talk, Parallelism, explored the similarities between the often solitary journeys of creative work and healing from grief. Connect with Kate Inglis: http://www.kateinglis.com/about https://www.shambhala.com/notes-for-the-everlost.html http://www.kateinglis.com/the-dread-crew http://www.kateinglis.com/flight-of-the-griffons http://www.kateinglis.com/zombie Connect with Nick Holderbaum: Website and Coaching: https://www.primalosophy.com/ (T): @primalosophy (IG): @primalosophy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBn7jiHxx2jzXydzDqrJT2A iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-primalosophy-podcast/id1462578947 Nick Holderbaum's Weekly Newsletter: Sunday Goods

Kate Inglis (http://www.kateinglis.com/) writes children’s fiction, including award-nominated novels and picture books. Kate's writing through the premature birth of her twins, the subsequent loss of one, and life beyond eventually led to her internationally recognized book, Notes for the Everlost (https://amzn.to/2KVNKzp). In today’s expansive conversion, we dive into the peak moments, both highs and lows, from profound loss to revelation, creation, community and celebration, the stories that have shaped her path, the unexpected universality of her experience, her creative lens, voice and commitment to a life of creativity and service.Check out our offerings & partners: Skinsei: Visit Skinsei.com/GOODLIFE for a free diagnostic & get 20% off your first order with code GOODLIFEPerfect Bar: Get 15% off your online order. Just go to Perf.Bar/GOODLIFE

In episode ten, Tim and Tuesday talk to author and collaborator Kate Inglis on the parallels of how we can be light-keepers despite impossible loss as human beings, and impossible odds as change leaders.1.10 —— SHOW NOTESAuthor and collaborator Kate Inglis reads a short excerpt from her new book Notes for the Everlost, reflecting on the randomness we confront when trauma or loss occurs in our lives. How does the shock of it all translate into wisdom for living?The green light of finding meaning exactly where we are, as we are. How this drives change and banishes cynicism. When problems—grief, trauma, challenges—feel too big, we can feel too small to have an effect. All we can do is recognize how precious all our efforts are—even in small ways. The inherent value of life is in the trying.Tim paraphrases a quote by Thomas Merton - ‘forgo all hope of results.’ Surrender and get to the real work, and build relationships that sustain your ability to be in the work. The arc of change is long, flowing over multiple generations—and we stand on the shoulders of multiple generations of change leaders.Tuesday: The future we won’t realize, but that we work towards. Very present in the indigenous and black community: We may not bear the fruits now, but we plant them now.“I am the hope and the dream of the slave.” — Maya Angelou”The arc of history is long but it bends towards justice.” —MLKKate reflects on nihilism as a freeing mindset, especially in regards to systems change work: “We think we know what the results need to be, but we don’t. My take on nihilism isn’t so much ‘nothing matters’, but ‘so what’—how do we move forward if everything is dust? How do we want to conduct ourselves in our lives to drop seeds? We make a difference by trying.”Tuesday: Our structures say, What did you get done in six months? We constantly need to quantify our results. We are in structures that do not tolerate anything other than immediate impact. We can shift our mindset, but we are in structures that will not support that mindset.Kate: In my writing about grief, I talk a lot about normalizing where you are—even in despair, we are where we need to be. The same goes for those moments of despair in our work. It’s normal to feel blocked. The trick is, how do we keep trying when we are in that despairing space?Tim: The role of faith—not religious faith, but the faith to leap despite uncertainty, dysfunction of dominant systems, persistent failures, or the collapse of relationships. In that moment, do we retreat, to protect what matters (turf protection), or when everything’s gone crazy, is it faith that helps us muster up a more movement-enabling response? Leaping into the void is our job. How can we better sell that leap to the dominant system? And how do we evaluate the success of that leap?Tuesday: I just realized why we like working with Kate—you work in the emergent at a cellular level. You speak to it and language it in a really unique way.Tim recommends checking out the seminal piece that Kate helped us write: The Big Bang of Equity + Systems Change. Representing a collaborative effort to find new language to put down the root system of The Outside. This new language we have found positions us differently. Global organizations have reached out to us now because of how we show up, and we’re only six months old. And we’ve been doing this work for many years.Kate: I was the Outsider. I am an ally and a cheerleader, but I am not in the work you’re doing. I am not connected to what you are connected to. I’m an island. In other organizations I’ve worked with, I’ve seen a paralysis of enthusiasm—everyone echoing each other but ultimately saying nothing meaningful to anyone outside that circle. But you’re so immersed, you can’t understand anyone being deaf to it. My job, as a writer, is to be an outsider. I don’t want to be immersed. I need the words I surface to bring in people who aren’t already bought-in. You’ve got to resonate to someone who really doesn’t get it. The words that feel comfortable to you, as the organization, are not enough.Tuesday: Our field is known for being a bit woo-woo. How do we bridge between what is deeply emergent, evocative, experiential work and make it possible for people who haven’t yet been in the work with us get it?Kate: Question the pull towards what feels like ‘authoritative’ language. What you think you need to sound like. What you think ‘success’ sounds like. When you get go of the façade of knowing everything as a brand or organization, you start edging towards your team’s human voice.Tim: A professional presentation and story imbues what you’re doing with trust. They need to see the humanity behind your work, and only presenting well can deliver the clarity that sets up that humanity.Kate: We need to balance the presentation of radical competence with the presence of heart.Kate reads another short book excerpt on the metaphor of photographic composition—how white space makes room for clarity in our personal life stories as much as our movements.Song of the day: Get Up, Stand Up by Bob MarleySubscribe to the podcast now—in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or anywhere else you find podcasts. New episodes will be available every second Tuesday. If you’d like to get in touch with us about something you heard on the show, reach us at podcast@findtheoutside.com. Find the song we played in today’s show—and every song we’ve played in previous shows—on the playlist. Just search ‘Find the Outside’ on Spotify.Duration: 45:41Produced by: Mark Coffin @ Sound Good StudiosTheme music: Gary BlakemoreEpisode cover image: Kate Inglis See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode of Spawned, we chat with author Kate Inglis about her new book: Notes for the Everlost: A Field Guide to Grief, where she provides a roadmap of the grieving process through her personal experience of losing her young on Liam. This topic is of a sensitive nature, so please be advised before listening, though we hope you do as we feel it's such an important discussion. You can reach out to us at spawned@coolmompicks.com, as well as on Twitter and Facebook. And, for more information about Kate's new book, visit our Cool Mom Picks podcast page.

In this special episode of This is the Author we asked, "What’s your recipe for a good story?" Hear Markus Zusak, Kate Inglis, Tyler Reagin, Khalida Brohi, George Packer, Sam Anderson, Ryan North, Beth Comstock, and Glory Edimshare their vital ingredients for a good story.

In this episode of THIS IS THE AUTHOR meet performer Dessa, author and photographer Kate Inglis, and innovation leader Beth Comstock. Hear the incredibly intimate and true stories of love and loss that brought each writer to the mic and find encouragement and support in facing grief and fear. Plus, discover why recording an audiobook is a delicate balance between narrator and listener. Enjoy. My Own Devices by Dessa: http://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/561615/my-own-devices/ Notes for the Everlost by Kate Inglis: http://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/561748/notes-for-the-everlost/ Imagine it Forward by Beth Comstock: http://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/548754/imagine-it-forward/

My friend Kate Inglis lives the kind of life you imagine all talented writers of fantastical children’s books live: in an old sea captain’s house on a wild, windy coast with a history of rumrunners. And that’s where Kate joins me to today,