Good times, gin and tonics, and gossip in the graveyard
Last month, WCEA partners gathered for a long-overdue celebration of former partner Frances Peck’s retirement.
New novel by a WCEA alumna
Congratulations to WCEA partner alumna Frances Peck on the publication of her debut novel, The Broken Places, officially out in April 2022 from NeWest Press and available for preorder in bookstores now. Frances is part of the lineup at the…
Frances Peck, novelist
Writing informational prose, training others how to write and edit, and working with other people’s words is a great way to make a living, as most writers and editors will agree. But for some of us, like our recently “retired”…
Toasting Frances Peck
After more than 15 years as a partner in West Coast Editorial Associates, Frances Peck is “retiring” from the partnership. The quotation marks here have a double meaning: First, she will continue teaching and training as a WCEA affiliate. And…
Behind the scenes with Canadian publishers
Some months ago, an unexpected and flattering invitation came my way: to be the keynote speaker at the Association of Canadian Publishers’ 2020 Mid-Winter Meeting, January 28–29, in Toronto. The ACP organizers asked me to talk about the value of…
Work-life balance: Five resolutions
Even though I don’t have kids, September always arrives with that sparkly back-to-school feeling. As my relaxed summer schedule of less teaching and fewer contracts winds down, I wonder about the new work year ahead. What will I learn? What…
Three decades of usage
In 1989 things seemed fresh. The Berlin Wall came down. Reagan finally left the White House. Seinfeld hit TV screens; so did The Simpsons. New Kids on the Block were actually new. For me 1989 marked a fresh start. At…
Story and structure: Opening our minds
At an October 2017 seminar in Vancouver, Greg Younging treated editors and other publishing folk to a sneak peek at his forthcoming book, Elements of Indigenous Style. Since the book hit stores in February 2018, it’s been sailing off the…
Words and play
When I was a kid, I was certain I’d be a writer. I wrote constantly: poems, stories, plays, cartoons, newspapers, magazines (including the cover and fake ads), and novel beginnings—many, many beginnings. I didn’t care about quality or completion. I…
Remembering John
All of us at West Coast Editorial Associates grieve the loss of Victoria editor John Eerkes-Medrano, who died unexpectedly on June 15, 2015. I delivered these remarks at his memorial on June 26. Thank you to his family for including us in the…