I recently had the honour (and thrill!) of being long-listed for the 2025 CBC Non-Fiction Prize. For someone like myself who has no formal training in writing, entering this contest felt like dropping a stone into a well not knowing if I would hear a sound to acknowledge my action. I think that may have been the point. I have been so reticent about telling others about my writing, I think I needed it to be a shot in the dark. If I hit the mark it would be a sign to continue. It appears I was in the general vicinity of the mark as my submission Day Shift, Night Shift was one of 28 chosen out of over 1300 for the longlist. My congratulations to the five finalists! You can read their submissions here: 5 writers make the 2025 CBC Nonfiction Prize shortlist | CBC Books

Though Day Shift, Night Shift did not move forward to the final round, this has been a catalyst for me to speak publicly about my writing practice. My social media skills are such that I accidentally crossed over platforms (Instagram and Facebook) and ended up also announcing, one year later, that I have written and published a novel.

When I shared this exciting news on my personal Facebook page, people were genuinely and understandably surprised. Not like the surprise I felt to be recognized like this so soon after I began sharing my writing but because I had been hiding my practice from pretty much everyone, though many of my friends did know that I am an avid reader. I credit the thousands of books I have read and the many more thousands of hours spent reading them for having the temerity to believe that I can create this experience for others.

As a child, I lived many lives and had many adventures while reading.  The highlight of my week was the day the bookmobile came to our neighbourhood. English and art were my two favourite subjects at school. As I got older, the Regina Public Library became my sanctuary. As a young mom, I read. As a night shift worker, I read. I also wrote sporadically in journals, describing my travels or the current state of the world. I wrote short essays for a writer’s group or two that I became involved with over the years. Much of my professional life also involved writing, speeches when I ran for election, persuasive arguments to gather support for resolutions as a member of the local health authority board, and grant applications, training sessions, and conference presentations during my 10 years at PATHS.

During the pandemic, life got harder for everyone. Rates of violence against women increased, and our workload at PATHS exploded. I was balancing grief and horror at the global events with the need to focus on work. When the Nova Scotia mass casualty incident took place, like many others who work(ed) in the violence-against-women sector, I was gutted. One man, with a long history of violence against women known to police, had begun by assaulting his long-time partner and went on a killing spree that resulted in the deaths of twenty-two individuals and injuries to three others. The world seemed a very dark place.

 Ironically, at this time, and for most of my decade at PATHS, I couldn’t seem to find the energy to read, but somehow, I found the energy to write. I took an online memoir writing course (thanks, Bernadette Wagner!). I started writing for 15 minutes every morning before work, but my memoir writing was a little grim. I needed something lighter and brighter.

My self-published novel, Plain Jane Brown (PJB), began with a 15-minute session on a writing prompt, “at the airport”. Fifteen minutes a day turned into hours, then days. Jane took on a life of her own. She often surprised me with her resourcefulness. It took more than a year to complete the first draft and another year for the editing and self-publishing process. Because I worked in a serious profession, I was reluctant to go public with this rather silly, I hope entertaining, and potentially inspiring beach read. PJB was published over a year ago in August 2024. In my last year at PATHS, I had neither the time nor the energy (or self-confidence!) to promote it. I am beginning to do that now. You won’t find PJB to be great literature, but you may get a chuckle out of it. It will help pass the time on a plane or train and maybe even transport you mentally to the warmer clime of Cuba during a cold Canadian winter. If you like it, you may be interested to know that I am working on a sequel which will feature the further adventures of Jane Brown.

Though PJB is intended to be light escapist reading, I do have some thoughts about more serious topics rattling around in my head. Day Shift, Night Shift is a small part of that. The beauty of writing is that you don’t always know where your thoughts will take you. Stay tuned!