The BAR*D Newsletter

September 2025

* BAR’D: a lighthearted combination of my initials, BAR, and a nod to the bards, those gifted with writing and delivering fine prose.

At Brimstone Head, Fogo Island

The day Brenda and I climbed the stairs to Brimstone Head, the sun was out in full force but no match for the wind.

As we say in Newfoundland, it was “blowin’ a gale.”

Welcome

Thanks for joining me on this journey of writing and storytelling. Don’t hesitate to reach out with feedback, questions, or to simply say ‘Hello.’

Those of you who have been subscribers for a while know my newsletter is structured as follows.

1. Status of My Manuscript.

2. The Writing Life + Facts & Curiosities.

3. Writer in the Wild.

Status of My Manuscript

Last month, I asked which title you preferred: The Grandest Falls, or Exploits. Thanks to so many of you who replied. I’m a little surprised how evenly split the responses were. Maybe I’ll combine the two: Grand Exploits. 🙂 Oh well, a good problem to ponder in the future. First, I must secure a literary agent and publisher.

I spent September reading and self-editing my manuscript again, tightening the screws. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve been through it but I’m not tired of it yet (as I hear often occurs).

One trick of the trade is to read it aloud. It’s amazing how the ear picks up things the eye misses, especially repeated words and awkward phrases.

I discovered I have a bad habit of writing, “Eli is sitting by the fire…” when “Eli sits by the fire…” is more present, active, and concise. I also use the word “that” far too often. Most times, it can be eliminated.

Paragraphs and scenes which weren’t advancing the plot or heightening tension were deleted.

By the end of this exercise, my word count decreased from 89,200 to 85,900. For my fellow accountants, that’s a 3.7% efficiency gain. While there isn’t a magic number, it’s often suggested debut authors aim for between 80k and 90k words.

I’ve chosen a freelance editor to provide a thorough developmental review of my manuscript. I’m fortunate to have connected with someone who has worked with nationally recognized authors and is respected amongst senior literary agents. She had a slot open up in mid-October—perfect timing.

Depending on her feedback, I hope to (finally) send my manuscript to literary agents by year’s end.

The Writing Life + Facts & Curiosities

Great writing begins with voracious reading.

Writers are often asked if they still enjoy reading for reading sake or whether learning the craft of writing spoils the experience. In my relatively short writing life, my enjoyment for reading has grown. I value and devour quality writing and set aside the opposite.

It’s like any skill or art—perfecting a chip shot from the bunker or making a pie crust as flaky as your grandmother—when you try it, and realize how challenging it is, you admire when you encounter it well executed.

When I read a scene, paragraph, or even a turn of phrase that is well-written, I often stop, re-read it, note what makes it compelling, and consider how I can deploy it in my writing. My daughter asked whether this is cheating. Is it cheating to learn to play an instrument by observing what your favourite musician does well?

Reading also unearths nuggets to polish and consider. Sometimes, these are precious finds you didn’t know you needed.

For example, while at this year’s Writers at Woody Point Festival, I enjoyed listening to guest author, Shelley Wood, read from her novel, The Leap Year Gene. Her novel deals with the controversial topic of eugenics—not a topic I was familiar with nor felt had a connection to my manuscript.

Being inquisitive, I researched the topic and found a connection between my manuscript and the history of eugenics in Newfoundland in the 1920s and 1930s. Renowned missionary doctor, Sir Wilfred Grenfell, along with his American colleague J.H. Kellogg (yes, that Kellogg) supported eugenics and several young women under Grenfell’s care in northern Newfoundland and Labrador were sterilized for being deemed “feeble-minded,” “hysterical,” or being of mixed race (often having an Anglo-Saxon father and an indigenous mother). While these details do not change the core of my story, a reference to this topic adds texture and context to the arc of one of my characters.

Writer in the Wild

With age comes wisdom.

Podcast hosts often ask writers why they write. Familiar answers are “I have to” or “That’s what I do best.” I don’t believe either is true for me.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this question and, at present, my answer is “It’s about the experiences.” Yes, I truly love the research and the craft of writing, but for me it’s the new experiences and connections that mean the most. I love how more than 100 of you reading this newsletter were unknown to me three years ago.

Two of my dreams (beyond being published) are to be interviewed on the stage at Writers at Woody Point, and to have my novel in the library at the Fogo Island Inn (pictured below); experiences I’d treasure.