Ann Douglas

Feel like you’re ready to take a mental vacation from the world of 2020? Hey, that’s how I’ve been feeling lately, too! And while I’m not about to stop reading books about the social change that so urgently needs to happen, I’m also not about to pass up the opportunity to lose myself in a wildly entertaining and escapist novel. Because it’s possible to do both, right? Maybe you’re feeling much the same way. Maybe you’d welcome the opportunity to step into an alternative reali...tya world where multigenerational family get-togethers are still possible, hugs and all. Kate Hilton’s latest book delivers all that and more. It’s a lot of fun and it delivers the mental vacation are craving right now. Bottom line? It’s pretty much the perfect book to enjoy over the holidays. After devouring the book last weekend, I reached out to Kate to see if she might be willing to do a quick Q&A about her book. (What can I say? When I finish reading a novel, I always have questions.) And Kate was only too happy to answer those questions. You can read our conversation on my blog. http://www.anndouglas.net//q-amp-a-with-kate-hilton-author cc Kate Hilton Author

A blog post reflecting on what it means to me to be one of this year's inductees into the Peterborough Pathway of Fame. This started out as a speech for the induction ceremony (which had been scheduled to take place yesterday), but then it evolved into a blog post and video about that speech. (The ceremony has been postponed indefinitely, so I figured I might as well go ahead and share this via social media.) The speech is short and sweet (I was supposed to keep it under two... minutes, but it ended up being more like three minutes in length) and it is both personal and political (because I'm simply not capable of writing any other type of speech). I hope you enjoy it. http://www.anndouglas.net//it-takes-a-village-to-raise-a-w

Thank you, 49th Shelf, for including my most recent book -- HAPPY PARENTS, HAPPY KIDS -- in this thought-provoking and inspiring list.

Today is the first-ever "I Read Canadian Day" -- a day to celebrate the importance of Canadian books in the lives of young readers. I'm celebrating by reflecting on the books that meant everything to me as a young reader and that set me on my path to becoming a writer. I'm sharing this photo of a tiny rug that was made by one of my grandmothers: the very same grandmother who first sparked my love of books and who supported my dream of becoming a writer. She bought me a ...subscription to WRITER'S DIGEST magazine when I was in Grade Four; and, when she died, she left me all the books she had lovingly accumulated over the course of a lifetime. We're talking 13 cartons worth of books. So here's to raising up the next generation of Canadian readers and writers. Because Canadian stories matter. #ireadcanadian #iwritecanadian #canadianbookstagram #canadianauthors #readthenorth #canadianbookstores #canadianbooks

Feel like it's getting harder and harder to find books by Canadian authors? It's not your imagination, writes Susan Swan in this really thought-provoking piece for NOW Magazine. "In 2005...27 per cent of the books bought by English Canadians were by Canadians. Today the figure is only 13 per cent a shocking drop of 50 per cent. No wonder professional authors have seen their incomes decline by 27 per cent since 1998!" ... The good news is that there are things we can do to make the situation better. And it all comes down to making it easier for Canadian readers/booksellers/libraries to actually find Canadian books. What we're talking about is a book distribution problem, not a book quality problem. Canadian readers continue to love Canadian books -- and they're super-supportive of Canadian authors. (Hey, I should know.) Fixing this problem is going to require a lot of hard work by book publishers/distributors and cultural policy makers. In the meantime, while we're waiting for things to get better, why not make a conscious effort to stay in the loop about Canadian books? A great starting point is 49th Shelf. And if you'd like some carefully curated book picks, follow BrinyBooks too. Then, once you've compiled that long list of Canadian books you can't wait to buy, purchase them from an indie bookseller. Indie booksellers do so much to contribute to the health of the Canadian book publishing industry. They deserve our support. https://nowtoronto.com//why-arent-canadians-reading-canad/ (Thanks for sharing this article, Anita Daher Books and The Writers' Union of Canada.)

It's easy to think that the writing process is magical and effortless. Sometimes it can be for a while -- but that's not the whole picture. Not by a long shot.... As novelist Jessica Westhead told me in a recent interview for my blog, "The hardest part [of writing WORRY] was when the rose-coloured glasses fell off, after I'd finished that draft in an exultant haze, and I realized it wasn’t remotely close to being done." More here: http://www.anndouglas.net//book-pairing-3-if-you-loved-hap

Ann Douglas is answering questions about HOW TO TRICK YOURSELF INTO WRITING A BOOK (her six-month course and community for writers which launches on October 1).

Have any questions about HOW TO TRICK YOURSELF INTO WRITING A BOOK -- my online/course and community for non-fiction book authors that launches on October 1st? Ask away! I'll be answering your questions via Facebook Live next week.

The online version of my workshop How to Trick Yourself into Writing a Book is finally available. It’s taken me the better part of a year to research online course platforms, settle on a platform I like, and figure out a way to make the online version of the course even better than the face-to-face version of the workshop. The result? What started out as a two-hour face-to-face workshop has now morphed into a six-month community of support and encouragement wrapped around... that two-hour workshop. "How to Trick Yourself into Writing a Book" will run from Oct. 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020. The cost for being part of this combined course and community for the full six-month period is $199. You can find out more via the link below -- and, of course, I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have. http://www.anndouglas.net/online-writing-courses-and-commun

I'm celebrating the arrival of Outdoor Writing Season and trying to make it a little more obvious that this page is all about writing. (If you're looking for posts about parenting, you should hop on over to Ann Douglas - Author of The Mother of All. That's where I talk about the joys and challenges of being a gloriously imperfect parent -- which, not coincidentally, is the very kind of parent I happen to be).

Ever wonder how a book comes together? Here are some photos illustrating my own personal approach to book writing.... I wrote this earlier this evening in celebration of the fact that my latest book, HAPPY PARENTS, HAPPY KIDS, was published today. #happyparentshappykids #amwriting

My latest update for #ProjectActiveFamily....

Ann Douglas is the author of numerous bestselling books about parenting. You can find her parenting posts over at Ann Douglas - Author of The Mother of All. (This page is Ann's page about writing.)

Is there a book in your plans for 2019? Here's a roadmap to guide you from book idea through book publication and beyond (because, trust me, an author's job is just getting started on the day the book hits the bookstore shelves). :-) This article, which was written by Rachel Sanders, editor of Story Board (a really helpful writing blog published by CMG Freelance), summarizes the key points I made in my presentation at the PWAC/CMG writing conference in Toronto back in September. http://www.thestoryboard.ca/ann-douglas-on-the-seven-stage/