Tag: Canada

Posted on

Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Magic: Why I Write Romcoms

When I first became a published poet, I never imagined I’d end up writing romantic comedies. But somehow, poetry led me to screenplay writing, and that led me to prose, and prose led me to falling head over heels… for writing stories about people who fall head over heels.

These days, my romcoms explore all kinds of love: contemporary stories grounded in real-life awkwardness and joy, and magical ones where enchantment sneaks into everyday life.

What do they all share?

✨ Swoonworthy heroes who make your heart skip.

✨ Feisty heroines who say what they mean and know how to kick some serious butt

✨ And love that shows up in the oddest circumstances: free round-the-world plane tickets, accidental double bookings, piglets leaping out of transport trucks, surprise leaps back in time.

I write romance with main characters in their late 20s to early 40s, because that’s when many of us are still figuring ourselves out. I want to remind readers that love doesn’t have a timeline.

Love just happens, usually when you least expect it, and more often than not, it arrives with a touch of comedy, like a wink from the universe.

And yes, there’s still poetry. I can’t help myself. It’s tucked into the rhythm of my sentences, the way my characters see the world, shaping my metaphors, the rhythm of my prose and the way my characters speak and feel.

But through it all, there’s been a constant magic: you.

To my WordPress family, my Goodreads friends, my Insta family, my Facebook readers, and the Threaders I chat with on a daily basis—thank you!

Your comments, reviews, DMs, email notes, and hugs (so glad we can do that again!) at book events make this writing life feel less like a job and more like a shared adventure.

You cheer me on when finding the right words feels tricky, and you celebrate with me when the characters finally kiss (or leap back in time!).

I write these books to make you laugh, swoon, and help you to believe that love can crash into your life in the oddest—and most wonderful—ways.

So if you’ve ever picked up The Ticket, Good Nights, Lauren from Last Night, Lucky, The Love Leap, or any of my other books, this is a hug from me to you.

With love and gratitude,

Heather 💖

Posted on

Expert Writing Advice I’m Glad I Followed

Author Heather Grace Stewart
Love Again Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DYF8YKD?searchxofy=true&binding=kindle_edition&ref_=dbs_s_aps_series_rwt_tkin&qid=1643837124&sr=8-1

From my high school English teacher to Oscar winner Aaron Sorkin, these conversations with writers have helped me succeed

I’ve received a lot of valuable writing advice over the years, and it was all free. Yup. Free! These kind people graciously gave of their time and expertise to help this Canadian writer from small-town-Ontario get to where she is now. Where am I again?

But I jest. I’m grateful to have Amazon bestselling novels, audiobooks and scripts after 26 years of working as a professional writer, and I have these and other writers to thank. Unless I’ve added quotes because I got the advice in writing, these are memories from our conversations—some of which took place 35 years ago! and not direct quotes.

Sally Smith, former editor of The Kanata Kourier and my first writing mentor (I was 15!)

Write with your heart, edit with your mind.

Frances Connolly, my amazing high school English and creative writing teacher

Don’t forget to add in taste as a description. We often read about the sense: vision, sound, even feel, sometimes we get scents, but authors often forget to describe flavours. Cover the whole spectrum of senses for maximum emotional impact in your reader.

Aaron Sorkin, Oscar-winning Screenwriter, Playwright and Film Director (The West Wing, The Social Network, Being the Ricardos)

I asked him what to do when a sub-character won’t shut up:

“Strictly speaking if you’re writing page after page that doesn’t have anything to do with your story, you might be writing a different story than you think. Intention and obstacle. Forward motion. You have to make your words do something.”

I asked him his thoughts on recycling our own material:

“Some things are just always sexy, and some things are just always funny.”

When I pressed him: what’s always funny? I got “Cheese.” Me: “But not Gouda! That’s smelly.” Him: “Not actual cheese. The word cheese.”

You might notice I make a reference to cheese in nearly every single work I’ve written since 2010. I always will. Maybe it’s not funny anymore, but you can all look for this Easter egg in my work and smile now, knowing where it came from, and that it’s my way of saying thanks.

Michael J. Weithorn, award-winning writer-producer-director (King of Queen’s, A Little Help, The Sidekick, Weird Loners)

You can always increase the tension. Tear your character’s world apart dramatically. It makes for the falling back together at the end more powerful. 

 Ken Cuthbertson, award-winning author and former editor, Queen’s Alumni Review magazine

Every time you write, make sure you teach the reader something. When they’re finished the article, they should always have new information and hopefully a new perspective.

We’re a helpful bunch, because we know the struggle is real.

The moral of my story is: if you don’t ask, you don’t get! So, don’t be shy. Ask a writer you admire a question. Maybe you can find them on social media, or if you’re lucky, in line at registration at a writers conference. But buy them a book, not a drink. Times have changed.

Writers are usually willing to help those who remind them of where they started. I know I am -but please let’s pretend I’m still 26.

Posted on

Celebrating Nine Blogging Years!

This weekend, WordPress informed me that my blog is now nine years old.

I look back over the years, and realize that I owe so much to this blog, this space, this WordPress, and to you readers. I remember the day I decided to start a blog. A friend I’d met on one of the first social media groups, Yuwie, had suddenly died. Yuwie was buzzing with people discussing my friend’s death. It was like my Facebook newsfeed today, when a celebrity dies, only, it mattered more. I’d corresponded with this guy. Spent time laughing about life with him. I went inline skating, trying to shake off my grief.

I’d been posting lots of poems to Yuwie, and had gained a loyal following, but I’d heard about “blogs” and wanted to try one. I wanted to be at the forefront of social media (and now I’m scared to try SnapChat – but that’s another story ;D ) Something kept nagging at me as I skated – my own voice? a ghost? – to this day, I don’t know. The voice said, “Start a blog.”

When I hear voices, and trust me, it’s not a rare occurrence, I listen. I skated home and started a blog. I titled it Where the Butterflies Go, after one of my early poems. I wrote many more poems over many months, and in the spring of 2008, my first poetry collection was born, mostly out of poems first published on this blog.

355 blog posts, four more poetry collections, a children’s book of poems illustrated by our daughter Kayla, then 5, a screenplay written because Aaron Sorkin visited and signed this blog, and I joined his online discussion group with the most remarkable people, who inspired me to write it; a name change to HeatherGraceStewart.com, three romantic comedy novels, and a fifth poetry collection later…that’s nine years enjoying the sheer joy and excitement that is Bloggyland.

But what means more than realizing all of those posts and publications is YOU taking the time to sign in and comment, to let me know that you’re reading and enjoying. YOU encouraging me. YOU telling me you wanted a sequel to my first novel, and asking me to go back to my poetry for at least one more collection. YOU sharing my poetry and telling others about this blog and my books. YOU reminding me what my roots are, why I started writing in the first place, and how grateful I am to still be here, with you.

Thanks for being here.

Love, Heather

Posted on

So, You Want to Be An Author?

Here’s my Thursday Q&A video that I did on my Facebook Author Page today. I’ll be offering up these vidcasts every Thursday at 3 p.m. for a half hour for the next few weeks. I’ll try to remind you that morning via Facebook or here. Thanks for tuning in when you can! We had lots of fun today.

Heather 🙂

Posted on

Top 10 Awkward Moments At My Bookstore Signing

Yesterday was a fantastic day, meeting & greeting loyal and new readers of Strangely, Incredibly Good & Remarkably Great.

However, if you think being an author is all glam and perks like sipping free lattes while you sign your books, I have proof of the exact opposite right here in my Top 10 Awkward Moments At My Bookstore Signing List:

10 Heard in one of the busiest bookstores in North America (Chapters Indigo Pointe Claire Quebec)
Me: Are you here for a particular book or could I interest you in mine?

Several customers: Nope. I’m not much of a reader.

9 There were gorgeous, soft, faux fur mittens being sold behind me. People were trying them on all day behind me, and even asking me what I thought. Authors, beware: you’ll spend three years sweating over creating your book series, and end up selling mittens at a high-traffic bookstore.

8 “OMG! It’s Heather Grace Stewart!” My friend screamed this every time she re-entered the store, which she did several times, and ran up to me, arms waving madly in the air. People stopped and stared. I do think it sold a few books, though.

7 My table was decorated in a read-your-book-in-the-bath theme. To the kid who ate my soap: You owe me $2.50.

6 To the guy who took my photo-business-card and then told his buddy, right in front of me, “I’m going to *use* this later tonight.” Ew. Just, ew. I told you to “Just go,” and pointed you to the door, but I wish I’d thrown hardcover books at you. Or my latte down your pants.

5 Facebook Mentions has an option to try Live Video. Facebook, you should call it Can’t Get A Complete Sentence Out Video Because The Connection Is Too Weak. Neat that 2,000 people liked me saying next to nothing while riding an escalator.

4 No, I don’t know where the washrooms are! Well, I do, but I’m sick of telling people because I DON’T WORK HERE!

3 Heard while a line-up formed late afternoon for me to sign box-sets:

Lady at back of line: Is she famous?

Other lady in line: She’s locally famous.

Me: Huh. So now I’m locally famous. Like cheese. Or a small deli. I’m right up there with cheese and smoked meat.

2 I sold out! I sold out! 33 books in three hours! I sold out!

Except, someone who assured me they wanted a signed box set left it unsigned, in Starbucks. Okay, I *almost* sold out.

1 Two female fans licked my face for a photo opp with me.

Yes. Licked. My. Face. Okay, they happen to be wonderful friends as well as fans, so maybe it wasn’t as creepy as it sounds.

Just plain weird.

If this is what being “locally famous” is going to bring, I’m not sure I’m up for it…but I do love cheese. Mmm, cheese.

Heather 🙂

12218164_10153600167925071_1581989894_o