This is Writing

Writing doesn’t always look the way we think it should. Most writing takes place while engaging in other activities away from the desk.

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A woman with red hair and a summer dress sits and writes at a wooden table along the oceanfront.

On Writing Newsletters

I don’t have a book to promote (reader, I’m working on it) and while I have some publications, I wasn’t sure they were particularly newsworthy – in other words, I wasn’t celebrating my accomplishments as a writer.

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Front Cover - A woman detective in an overcoat with a magnifying glass on a purple background

Crime Wave 2: Women of a Certain Age – A Review

One of the many things I love about writing is reading the work of my peers and occasionally being asked to review it. It is a pleasure to review Crime Wave: Women of a Certain Age, the second anthology from the Canada West Chapter of Sisters in Crime. This anthology is a delight to read….

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A table with a computer, some books and a cup of coffee on a deck overlooking a lush tropical garden.

Writing is Hard: Celebrate the Small Victories

Celebrate that first draft of a novel. Celebrate finishing that short story. Celebrate that poem. Most of all, celebrate the time and the courage it took to sit down at the desk and do the work.

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A copy of Event Magazine 51/1 - cover shows people standing at the helm of a ferry.

Event Magazine 51/1: The Curtain Rises

Event Magazine is produced from one of our local institutions, Douglas College. My poem, The Curtain Rises is about my great-grandmother and her life on the stage in the early 1900’s. I studied theatre at Douglas College after high school, so this poem in this magazine feels like the perfect match. You might even call it destiny.

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A deck overlooking a lush tropical garden with a pool

Changing Your Point Of View

You don’t have to travel halfway around the world for a change of scene. Take your writing space to a local park, beach, or lake. Take time to absorb the space around you. The idea is to change your point of view by taking yourself out of a familiar space. Give yourself the time to just be in the moment and see what you can discover about yourself and your work.

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Go On a Writing Retreat: Anytime You Want

A writing retreat isn’t about where I am. It’s about the time I give myself.

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J.G. Chayko in a long blue dress, masked, holding her contributor's copy of a new literary magazine.

The Literary Life: !HASTINGS! Journal Launch

I was always afraid the call for submissions were rare beasts that would only cross my path when the sun, moon and stars had properly aligned, and if I didn’t jump on it in that moment, I would have forever lost my opportunity. This is far from true – in reality, the writing world is not so much a world as it is a huge universe teeming with opportunities for submissions. It really comes down to timing – having the right piece at the right time.

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A Quiet Space

Sometimes a writer needs a quiet space, a place to escape the constant barrage of technology and uproar that make up a big part of our lives. It’s a chance to break away from the toxic blocks that sabotage us when the work isn’t going well. As much as we love our work, (most of…

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If You Like What You See

Some people have inquired if there’s a place to donate on my blog. This is for those who would like to offer extra support for my work and I thank you for this.

A bigger thank you to all my readers who offer ongoing support simply by stopping by for a visit. I enjoy writing and interacting with you.

About me

J.G. Chayko is a writer, actress, and international arthritis advocate who’s been involved in theatre for more than 30 years and has published poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction.