Carolyn Mills (BA '00) spends her days in the classroom, teaching听 grade seven. But she's also an award-winning writer and author of two books. Her picture book, , was published in 2017. And as of March 2021, you can find her debut novel, , on library and store bookshelves.
If you're an aspiring author, or just love reading fiction, watch the video for insights about Carolyn's听writing process, honing your craft and catching听a publisher's attention. Plus, keep scrolling for Carolyn's听10 tips for aspiring novelists and her favourite books on writing.
Carolyn's 10 tips for aspiring writers
Make time to write (commit to it, prioritize it, schedule it)
Study the craft (through workshops, books about writing, blogs, classes, podcasts)
Find other writers (Twitter and writing groups can offer motivation, support, advice, information, resources, community)
Set goals
Read!
Put your work out there (through听story competitions, workshops, etc.)
Learn about听the industry and publishing options (i.e. The Writers Union of Canada (TWUC))
Celebrate the mini-wins
Write the bad stuff and don't edit yourself as you go
Brace yourself for rejection, then keep going (perseverance, perseverance, perseverance)
Carolyn Mills (BA '00) spends her days in the classroom, teaching听 grade seven. But she's also an award-winning writer and author of two books. Her picture book, , was published in 2017. And as of March 2021, you can find her debut novel, , on library and store bookshelves.
