Brian Rendell
Author
I grew up in Newfoundland, in a family of storytellers. Beginning at a young age, family members would pop into our house, or we would visit them. Sharing stories was always on the menu. While I didn’t realize it at the time, I now appreciate I was receiving a masterclass in how to spin a yarn.
I began retelling family stories, then included my own experiences in my roster. It’s rare that I don’t have a story to tell. The oral storytelling tradition of Newfoundland is in my bones.
In my writing, I often describe Newfoundland using adjectives such as mystical and curious. Why? To begin, it is an island. Like many islands, isolation, self-sufficiency, ruggedness, and humour form part of the identity of its people. Life is often dependent upon the waters surrounding the island, in the case of Newfoundland, the fierce North Atlantic. This way of life leads to superstitions and unique folklore. Many nations have claimed, settled, and explored Newfoundland, including indigenous Beothuk and Mi’kmaq peoples. Add to that Vikings, Portuguese, Spanish, Basques, French, and English explorers. Newfoundland also has a history of magical fairies, and some have suggested one of the four corners of the flat earth is in Newfoundland.
It was a natural evolution for me to shift from storytelling to writing fiction. The joy of writing fiction is not knowing where the story will take you; it changes as it’s being written. Characters take on a life of their own and the story meanders and twists in unexpected ways. I feel as if I’m writing and reading a story at the same time and I’m not entirely sure how it will end.
As Stephen King says, it’s magic.
I’ve combined the love of storytelling with skills I’ve learned in corporate finance; a keen eye for detail and understanding of the importance of accuracy. Because of my background, focusing my first manuscript on historical fiction felt right.
When not writing, reading or telling stories, I am usually listening to music from a wide variety of styles. Rudy, our five year-old double-doodle dog, also keeps me active. My wife and I, and our two adult kids, try to spend as much time as we can at our cottage, on the Northumberland shore of Nova Scotia, from spring through autumn. I also continue to provide financial and strategic consulting services relating to large utility infrastructure projects, two days per week
On Starting a New Career
With more than thirty years of experience in finance, my credentials were established and I was comfortable in my corporate skin. A practical person would have stayed in this profession for another ten years, then retired on a beach somewhere. But I felt a pull to try something entirely different and set out to start anew, as a writer.
I knew I needed building blocks to create a foundation for this new career so took the following actions.
I went back in to school as a graduate student in the MFA (Fiction) program at the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia; I’ll graduate in Spring 2025. The MFA program teaches me the craft and business of writing, provides great instructors and mentors, and nurtures a supportive network of past, present and future writing students.
I joined the board of directors of ABAS (Atlantic Book Awards Society). I bring experience serving on boards of other creative organizations such as Symphony Nova Scotia and the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra. The ABAS board work has introduced me to the wider writing community in Atlantic Canada and expands my understanding of how the industry operates.
I became a member of the following organizations which expands my network and provides further insight into topics ranging from craft to business:
- WFNS (Writers Federation of Nova Scotia)
- Writers NL (Writers Newfoundland and Labrador)
- Historical Novel Society
- WFWA (Women’s Fiction Writers Association) and the WFWA HistFic Affinity Group (dedicated to Historical Fiction)
- The History Quill
I’ve published essays on Jane Friedman’s site: 3 Suggestions for New Writers Navigating a Turbulent Industry | Jane Friedman as well as The Brevity blog: Left-Brain Right-Brain: A CPA Turns to Creative Writing, With His Dad’s Approval, and have more in the works, so stay tuned.
My unorthodox career shift was featured in an op-ed in the Globe and Mail
Contact Brian Rendell
I'd love to hear from you! If you have questions about my writing, the experiences I've had entering the writing world in my mid-fifties or anything about writing historical fiction, please reach out.
And please sign up for my monthly newsletter (by checking the box below). I'll be sharing what I've learned about writing, what it's like doing an MFA, some behind-the-scenes photos and facts gathered through my research, and updates on how my manuscript is progressing.
