A writer's side-hustles

Writing Life: 28

Any of you who understand the inexorable economics of the writing life will know that very few Canadian novelists can live off their book royalties alone. It took me 14 years and eight novels after my debut, The Best Laid Plans, hit bookstores back in 2008 before being able to retire from my day job to write full-time. It certainly helped that “I married well above my station”—a true and honest line I’ve used often in my nearly 36-year marriage. So writers often have side hustles to subsidize their writerly dream.

I do a few other things on the side including freelance writing for various publications, contract speaking/event “emceeing,” and teaching in the Creative Writing program at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies.

Freelancing

Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to write for various publications including the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, National Post, Reader’s Digest, Canadian Geographic, Maclean’s and Toronto Life. And for a year or so I was also the humour columnist for one of Canada’s largest circulation magazines, Legion Magazine, and still occasionally freelance for them. For the last nearly six years now, I’ve been—and still am—a monthly columnist for Leaside Life, the community newspaper serving the residents of the Toronto neighbourhood where I grew up. I’ve enjoyed these experiences and it certainly helps me hone my writing chops. Deadlines loom and you have to come up with something new to write about—not unlike the weekly (for now) imperative this Substack newsletter demands!

Here are few examples from the freelance side of my writing life.

Reader’s Digest (Click here or on the graphic below to read)

I wrote this for Reader’s Digest back in 2017 about my early aviation “career.”

National Post (Click here or on the graphic below to read)

A piece I wrote for the National Post about a road trip I took with four other good friends and Leacock Medal winners to scatter some of Paul Quarrington’s ashes on the land of W. P. Kinsella (another Leacock winner) in Yale, B.C.

Legion Magazine

An article I recently wrote for Legion Magazine about a long-forgotten border dispute between the U.S. and what was then British North America that dragged on for decades. (I don’t think the magazine has yet hit newsstands.)

Toronto Life

A short piece I was asked to write for Toronto Life.

Maclean’s (Click here or on the image below to read the story)

A fun piece—strictly fictitious—I wrote for Maclean’s speculating on how Donald Trump’s days as President might come to an end.

Leaside Life (Click here or on the graphic below to read more)

I’ve written over 60 columns for Leaside Life and you can find them here.

Speaking gigs

Speaking at book clubs, literary festivals, and libraries happens every week or at least a few times a month. But I’m also on the road doing speaking gigs that are not necessarily about my books. For instance, in the fall of 2022, I spoke to an international gathering of nuclear safety experts in Ottawa on behalf of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. My role was to introduce the idea of Canadian culture to the foreign delegates, many of whom had never been to Canada. I’ve also addressed many other organizations including Women in Nuclear Canada, the Canadian Public Relations Society, Mensa Canada (I asked for honorary membership but they declined), and the Ontario Media Development Corporation where for a few years running I was the emcee and moderator for the OMDC conference.

I have also given many luncheon or dinner speeches for organizations like the Canadian Club and various chambers of commerce. And, I’ve done contract speaking for various national conferences in different cities across Canada. For years I was included in several “speakers for hire” agency catalogues. I’m not even sure how that happened. For example, I’ve never heard of the agency below and have no recollection of ever speaking to them, yet there I am in their online roster. These kind of keynote luncheon addresses don’t happen very often, but they do pay well if they come your way.

I did even know I was “on offer” from this speaker agency, particularly since the organization is called All American Entertainment. Who knew? I didn’t.

Teaching

I’ve been teaching in the Creative Writing program at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies now for 13 years. I usually teach the Humour Writing course but I’ve also provided one-on-one mentoring to writers on their final projects. The teaching experience has been fun and fulfilling. I’m currently nearing the end of the Humour Writing course I started teaching in February. I’ll do it all again starting in May for the second running of the course.

An ad in the course catalogue. We don’t know if this helped or hurt enrolment.

I’ve also been fortunate enough to be on the faculties of some wonderful writers’ conferences and retreats including the Surrey International Writers Conference and the Iceland Writers Retreat (you can read about my Iceland adventure here in an earlier post). And on occasion, I’ve guest-lectured at schools and have led workshops at various festivals and conferences.

Giving the closing keynote at the Surrey International Writers’ Conference.

Opening night of the Iceland Writers Retreat back in 2018.

(l) Speaking to a class at Greenwood School in Toronto. (r) Leading a workshop at Lakehead University’s Orillia campus at the Ontario Writers Conference.

Wrapping up

So the writer’s life is usually a full life. There’s a lot more involved than just sequestering in the privacy of your own home and writing all day, every day. Oh if it were only that simple! But I welcome the variety. I think some public speaking, a little freelance writing, and a bit of teaching all help me become a better writer. At least, I’m hoping that’s the case.

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