I began work on a new memoir essay over the past winter. Cold dark mornings are conducive to introspection. I’d make my 6 am cup of hot water and lemon, then pad downstairs and start the fireplace. Cozied up on the sofa with an artist pad and an assortment of colourful pens, I’d stare into space and take a deep breath. What did I need unearth and grow from? Continue reading “Writing Memoir”
Book Talk (online): July 13, 2020, 7pm
The Last Hoffman is a tale of sacrifice, betrayal and desolation rooted in a floundering papermill town where an awkward widower and a young mother band together to overcome their tragic pasts.
Gwen Tuinman will speak about the inspiration for the small-town setting of her debut novel, The Last Hoffman, and the characters that populate it. She’ll discuss her artistic process as well as the surprising mental and physical aspects of writing life. Join Gwen for a reveal of the interesting link between The Last Hoffman book cover design and The Lynde House Museum in Whitby, Ontario.
Click here for tickets. Purchase The Last Hoffman here.
Memoir Workshop (online): July 14 2020, 7 pm
There’s a story inside each one of us waiting to be written. Join Gwen Tuinman, local novelist and memoir essayist, for a discussion of storytelling techniques that can shift the recounting of unique life experiences from a documenting of facts to a riveting tale. Learn about various forms of memoir and how to structure your memories into compelling memoir that readers can’t put down.
Click here for tickets.
Writer in Residence: July 15 & 16, 11:00 am to 2:00 PM
Meet with Gwen online to discuss the details of your writing in a more personal setting. Do you need help starting your first novel? Not sure how to present a particular event in your memoir? Gwen is here to answer all of your questions! Book a session one-to-one or for a small group. Each consultation lasts up to 25 minutes.
Click here for tickets.
“When you plan a journey, it belongs to you. When you begin a journey, you belong to it.” After reading this African proverb in a friend’s Facebook post, I drew a quick breath and my heart opened up. Words that resonate carry such power.
So often, we engineer plans to orchestrate a project or life event according to our vision how things should go. Sometimes the universe has bigger ideas. Our creation expands beyond what we imagined, and unexpectedly carries us forward on its own energy. We cling, wide-eyed and uncertain, to its sweeping tail. The horizon is obscured by fog and around every corner is a new corner we can’t see around. Continue reading “Belonging to the Journey”
Gwen Tuinman 