From the desk of the executive director

Well, hi there!

As many of you know, Ursula Vaira, our Managing Editor extraordinaire, retired after our last issue. We at the Federation of BC Writers are so happy for her but miss her dearly. We are so excited that her protégé, Jessica Cole, has taken on the role and has put her own spin on the amazing work our team has accomplished in past issues.

With COVID-19 continuing to linger, our new editor had the amazing idea of focusing this issue on mental health for writers. In preparing my letter for this volume of WordWorks, I spent a great deal of time thinking about what methods have helped me maintain a creative practice during these difficult times and why I am a part of this organization. When I am struggling with my own writing, I often think of what my fitness instructor friend tells me about exercise: just putting on gym clothes eliminates one barrier to success. Exercise is that much easier to do after you take that first small step. The same is true for writing. If I just open my Word file, I inevitably will get something written, even if it is just one sentence.

As much as the gym clothes approach has helped me, as a writer I sometimes need more support than a quick tip. That is why I joined the Federation of BC Writers, and I suspect the same is true for many of you. It is the reason the Federation of BC Writers and this magazine exist. Our organization has surpassed 1,000 members in our 45th year, and we all have unique needs that centre on our backgrounds and preferred writing genres.

The Federation of BC Writers made a hard pivot during the early months of the pandemic to Zoom-based programming. Despite it coming about as a direct result of the pandemic, it brought forward a significant realization that we now have tools to support people across the province in more meaningful, predictable ways. As such, I want you all to know that, for the Federation, digital gatherings are here to stay even as we work toward in-person events. We want to make certain that people who could not attend in the past stay connected.

To that end, we have several initiatives in the works. One of these is our new members-only Writing Circles initiative. All artists have their own methods and approaches. Some prefer to work solo like Stephen King describes in On Writing. (Spoiler: he’s not a big fan of writing groups.) Others thrive in the presence of others. For those who work best with a circle around, these new groups are for you.

Each group will be unique with its own norms and approaches, and each one will have a specific area of focus driven by participants. We want to support a diverse set of circles to meet the needs of groups around BC and Yukon that might not as easily gather because of geographical concerns. As such, you will see groups starting right away for LGBTQ2S+ Writers, Travel Writers, Grant Writers, Neurodiverse Writers, and more. If you have a group in mind, give us a shout, and we’ll see if we can form a circle.

On behalf of our team at the Federation of BC Writers, thank you for being members and readers of this magazine.

Bryan Mortensen, Executive Director