Reflections on writing with Susan LeBlanc

Reading time: About 1 minute

Susan LeBlanc says that having a deadline is the most useful strategy for helping her to write….

Susan LeBlanc was born in Halifax, N.S., and worked as a print journalist for twenty years. She later taught journalism at the University of King’s College. Turning to fiction, she enrolled in various in-person and online courses. She studied at the Humber School for Writers, under David Bergen, and was selected for the Alistair MacLeod Mentorship Program. The Nowhere Places is her first novel.

I was excited to talk to Susan about how she approaches writing.

Q. Roughly how much time do you spend writing every day?

Two hours is ideal. When I occasionally extend to three hours, my brain is fried afterwards.

Q. What’s a simple activity or habit that makes you a better writer?

Read!

Q. What interferes with your writing?

Life. Letting other people take you away from it. Also, fear of the task ahead.

Q. How do you persuade yourself to sit down to write on days when you really, really DON’T feel like doing it?

I used to be a journalist, so having a deadline – even if it’s self-imposed – helps tremendously.

Q. Is there a particular motto or saying that you’ve found helpful for writing?

Just get the first draft down. You can fix it later.

Q. Which stage of the writing process do you enjoy the most: researching, writing or editing/rewriting and why?

I enjoy the writing most, especially when things are flowing well.

Q. What’s the best book you’ve read (either fiction or non) in the last five years?

I read Ordinary Human Failings, by the young Irish writer Megan Nolan, earlier this year. She blew me away, her ability to see into people and what makes them who they are.

Q. What book are you reading right now?

Held, by Anne Michaels. So beautiful. 

Q. What do you think is the biggest misperception that new writers have about the act of writing?

That you should know everything when you sit down to begin.

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