Finnian Burnett

Five Questions with Tara Avery

Finnian Burnett

November 25, 2024

Welcome to the 5 Questions Series. Each week, I’ll ask five questions of some of my favorite authors, editors, publishers, and other industry professionals. This week, I’m talking with Tara Avery.

I’m not surprised to know you have an acting background. (You brought ALL THE DRAMA with your goth and glam outfit at the Surrey International Writers’ Conference). But I am curious about that journey and how it led to writing.

I’ve always been a storyteller. For the most part, I share stories by writing them down. But from childhood, I’ve also gotten a kick out of performing stories. As a child, this meant I often corralled my siblings and the neighborhood kids into participating in whatever story I came up with. Sometimes, they were the co-performers (in the most depressing plays I could think up and/or in melodramatic enactments of Chris de Burgh songs); other times, they were the audience (usually while I convinced them that ghosts 100% lived in our house or on our street). Fortunately, I had some teachers early on who supported (enabled?) this, so I acted in as many stories as I created myself.
My junior high and high school had an oddly robust writing program, including an annual young author’s conference that attracted some pretty well-known authors. I also took as many theatre classes as the school offered.
Although I’d written novels all through my school years, at the end of high school I experienced what I now consider my first real bout of writer’s block. I started the Honours English program at UBC and stuffed my extra credits full of theatre classes. At the end of my second year, I decided I would audition for the theatre program. Looking back, I think I desperately wanted to find a way to remain a storyteller, even if my own words weren’t working. (If you can’t make your own stories, store-bought is fine?) And talking about stories wasn’t quite cutting it. (I’m still proud of the way I managed to mention Pride and Prejudice in almost every paper I wrote, though.)
I loved acting; I loved performing. But (in what will likely emerge as a theme throughout these answers) I didn’t love abdicating so much control over the entirety of the story. As a novelist, after all, you get to design all the sets, play all the characters, and control all the action. As an actor, your slice of the creative pie is much smaller, even when you’re absolutely enjoying the collaboration integral to theatre.
That said, everything I learned as an actor enriched the way I approach storytelling as both an author and an editor.
And I will still drop everything if given the opportunity to put on a costume (and a character).

You’re part of the Federation of BC Writers. What brought you to the board?

To answer this, I have to first explain that I’m an editor as well as a writer, and that I’ve been a member of the National Executive Council of Editors Canada for about two and a half years; I’m the treasurer. I’ve also held several positions in my local Editors Canada branch, Editors BC (formerly: co-chair of communications and social media and treasurer; currently: chair). Last year, I co-chaired the national Editors Canada conference in Vancouver with one of my Editors BC partners in crime, Kyle Hawke.
Through these positions, I’ve ended up working with the FBCW (and with Bryan Mortenson, their executive director) frequently. A few months ago, their board had shifted a bit—a board member took on a staff role, etc.—so they needed some fresh ~~meat blood~~ faces. I was absolutely not supposed to take on any more volunteering (insert side-eye emoji), but … well. Here we are. And I will say this: the stuff I do with the FBCW feels a whole lot more like having fun with my pals than work, so I don’t regret the decision.
I still, um, haven’t told my husband (the person to whom I made the promise that I’d cut back my volunteer hours insert side-eye emoji again) that I’m not just on the board, I’m vice-chair of the board, though. Oops. I slipped.(Ed. Note. Your secret is safe with me.)

Whenever I urge people to join the organization, I always feel like I have to say, “I’m not encouraging you to join the org because I’m on the board! I’m on the board because I love the org.”

Why would you tell people to join FBCW?

Because in the next question, you’re going to ask me about the importance of writing community, and the FBCW has community in abundance.
The FBCW’s membership has grown enormously in the past four years, and the programming reflects that. Even if one thing doesn’t resonate for you, chances are the next event will! The organization is also incredibly open to suggestions, so if there’s something the members want to see? They really just have to propose it.
The Fed is genuinely welcoming. It is genuinely warm. And it is genuinely enthusiastic about supporting its members. I’m one of those way-too-intuitive, way-too-sensitive types who can spot disingenuousness a mile off, and no one I’ve met or worked with at the FBCW has ever sent that red flag up the pole. I’m not sure if I can put into words how rare that is.

Real talk: my drug of choice is enthusiasm. I am addicted to enthusiasm. And I’m not sure if I can put into words just how vibrantly enthusiastic the organization and its members are. Finding peers who match and feed your energy is just such a gift. I hope—and believe—that the FBCW is that for many writers, not just myself.

How important is writing community to you and where do you find it?

Writing community isn’t just important, it’s necessary. Vital, even. When I look back at my life, I see that nine times out of ten when I didn’t have a community? I made one. Or I was absolutely miserable without one. Not to be melodramatic, but my writing community(ies) have saved my life.

In grade five, I founded The Children’s Monthly News (titles are the WORST; that never changes) at my school; we wrote about thrilling topics like the first iteration of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Leonardo5eva) and Sweet Valley High and Babysitter’s Club books, because that’s how old I am.

When I was eleven, I tried to get my best friend/next door neighbor to write a dual-POV novel with me. She wrote a chapter and gave up. I wrote a trilogy.
In junior high, I started a Dragonlance club; several “members” were also writers. One of my best friends actually recorded baby’s first audiobook (i.e., read my whole book out loud onto cassette tapes). I moved to the other side of the country and although it took a year, I also ended up with a group of writer friends there, too. We made up a world, populated it with our characters, and then wrote stories set in it. I was the High Queen. Because I’m humble like that. That group carried on through high school. Most people wrote a story or two. I wrote a trilogy. And then some.

Toward the end of high school, the internet became a Thing, and I discovered fandom before I had any idea what fandom really was. Since then, I’ve more or less always been actively involved with one online fandom space or another—as a writer, yes, but also as an organizer of kindred spirits and the friendly neighborhood writer/editor/coach folks can come to with their questions. Fandom is where I met my current best friend and co-writer. We wrote an embarrassingly long fanfic and then I said, “Hey, want to try something that might one day get us paid?” (She said yes.)

This past SiWC was my fifth in a row, and I don’t see myself skipping it unless it’s for reasons absolutely out of my control. As conferences go, it’s stellar, and I also find it tends to attract a disproportionate number of kindred spirits, as it were. Its vibe probably isn’t for everyone, but damn, it’s definitely one that resonates with me.
And then there’s the FBCW, which is becoming nearer and dearer to me every passing day. (They’ll need a High Queen eventually, right?) (Ed. Note. I support this ambition.)

What are you working on now?

I spent most of my writing time in the last couple of years ghostwriting/heavily rewriting three and a half books of a series. Ghostwriting is a weird gig because even though you’re working with someone else’s idea and mimicking someone else’s style, you still put a ton of yourself into the work. The plus side, of course, is that you get a guaranteed paycheck. The minus is that while you know how much writing you’ve done, no one else does. And it doesn’t get your name on it. When the first book in the series went live, I imagined it felt a little like giving up a kid for adoption. I can look in to see how it’s doing, but I no longer have any relationship with it.
Between freelance editing and freelance (ghost)writing, I’ve been devoting a disproportionate amount of time to the words of others. So, my goal for the next little bit is to return to my own. It’s … really hard, actually.
As for the work itself, I’ve got a list. I’m starting a new sci-fi novel that’s, um, becoming more relevant by the day. My best friend and I are working on a series of books (we wrote a book! Yay! And then we realized we’d written the second book. All that stuff we kept handwaving came back to bite us. So, we’re working on the first one now). I’ve been writing a little poetry; I’m nursing the idea for a play; I have about four or five novels—or beginnings of novels—with good bones that need reworking.
The aforementioned best friend and I are also trying to start some kind of online community for writers. Oh, and I’m working on an in-person “Acting for Writers” series of workshops. Not because I want to terrify the introverts into performing—I am an introvert!—but because writers can learn so, so much from approaching characters and storytelling the way actors do. And there’s always fanfiction.
(Why yes, I do have ADHD and constantly feel like I’m doing nothing… until I actually stop and write down what I’m doing. And then I just feel TIRED.)

Bonus question: Have you ever taken a picture of a weird bird?

I took a pretty horrifying picture of an eagle, um, eating a duck. While the duck was still alive. It was a real circle of life moment, but without the cute talking lions. Unfortunately (fortunately?), I can’t find it. Instead, here’s one of me getting to hold a raven on my arm in Edinburgh. One step closer to my witchy dream of having a raven familiar. (I would also like a fox.)

Tara can be found on the web here.

Five Questions with Chanel M. Sutherland

Finnian Burnett

no comments

November 18, 2024

First, I’m so very excited about your book! Can you tell me about it—what it’s about, your path to publication?

Thank you. Layaway Child is a collection of short stories that I’ve been writing in some form since I was 18. The title itself is deeply personal—a phrase I coined as a teenager when I first learned what layaway meant. It felt like the perfect metaphor for my own experiences and the stories I wanted to tell. The book explores the Vincentian immigrant experience in Montreal, Quebec, touching on themes like girlhood, racism, microaggressions, motherhood, and violence. These loosely connected stories weave a narrative about identity, belonging, and the complexities of living between two cultures.
My path to publication has been a long one. I’ve wanted to write stories for as long as I can remember—so long, in fact, that I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything else. My big break came with the CBC Nonfiction Prize win. Suddenly, after years of dreaming about becoming a writer, I was one. It felt surreal, and honestly, I felt like an imposter. Then, a year later, I won the CBC Short Story Prize, and even I had to admit that maybe it wasn’t a fluke. Maybe there was something there after all—something worth pursuing.
Now, after all these years, it feels surreal to say that Layaway Child will be released in spring 2026 with House of Anansi. This collection has been part of my life for so long, and I’m thrilled that it will finally find its way into the hands of readers.

You recently made a transition to full-time writer. I know so many writers would love to do that. Can you talk about your journey and any advice you have for others?

I’ve been working since I was 15, and for most of those years, I was doing everything but writing. I worked in retail, athletics, youth centers, and later in marketing—because at least there, I could flex my writing muscles a little. But I wasn’t writing the stories that were living inside me. Well, I was writing them, but they ended up stashed away, collecting metaphorical dust. Unfortunately, you don’t graduate from university and apply for a job as an author. I had to make a living, and that living ended up taking over for 20 years.
Eventually, I reached a point where I realized my soul was begging for me to stop ignoring my writing. The universe has a funny way of nudging you at just the right moment, and without diving into all the details, I finally decided it was time to step away from my corporate job and try writing full-time. It wasn’t an easy decision—and it still isn’t. I had to weigh what I was giving up: a steady paycheck, benefits, security. I had to make sure the timing was right, that I had a plan in place, and, most importantly, that I had the support of my family and partner.
Even now, I’m adjusting. There are days when I wake up terrified, questioning everything. But those days are fewer and fewer now. What I’ve learned is that it’s never the perfect time to take a leap like this—you just have to decide if the risk is worth it for you.
My advice to other writers dreaming of this transition? First, give yourself permission to want it. Then, start planning for it. Build a financial cushion, test the waters with your writing, and find your support system. And most importantly, keep writing. Even if it’s in stolen moments, even if it feels impossible, keep going. You owe that to yourself and your stories.

You run a marketing service for authors. What’s that about?

Dragonfly is deeply personal to me—it’s my way of giving back to the writing community and helping authors navigate what can feel like an overwhelming world of book marketing. As writers, we pour our hearts and souls into our work, but when it comes time to get our stories into readers’ hands, so many of us feel lost.
I wanted to empower authors to take control of their marketing with confidence and a personalized approach. Whether you’re self-published or traditionally published, marketing is something you can’t escape—but it doesn’t have to be stressful or confusing. At Dragonfly, we help authors discover and amplify their unique voice, building a brand that reflects who they are and what their stories stand for.
Through one-on-one consultations and personalized marketing plans, we work together to create strategies that fit your goals, budget, and time. Whether it’s planning a book launch, growing your online presence, or connecting with readers, my goal is to make marketing feel achievable and, dare I say, even enjoyable.
The name ‘Dragonfly’ means a lot to me. It’s a symbol of transformation, resilience, and finding beauty in the in-between. Growing up in the Caribbean, dragonflies were a constant in my childhood, and later in life, one appeared to me during a tough time, reminding me of home and giving me hope. That’s what I want Dragonfly to be for writers—a source of guidance, encouragement, and the push they need to soar with their stories.
Helping writers share their words with the world is a privilege, and I take it to heart. Every author I work with has a story worth telling, and my mission is simple: to help them tell it in a way that resonates far and wide.

What are you working on now?

Right now, I’m working on my first novel, and I’m so excited about it. It’s set during the Black Carib Wars in the Caribbean and will be a blend of historical fiction and sci-fi. I’m diving deep into the history and culture of the time, and layering in speculative elements to reimagine what could have been. It’s a project that feels both challenging and thrilling—it’s pushing me to explore new ways of storytelling, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.
At the same time, I’m also writing a dystopian fantasy novella, which I like to think of as my pet project. It’s definitely a little more out there—fringe, chaotic, and unapologetically wild. I’m not ready to say too much about it just yet, but let’s just say it might ruffle a few feathers. And honestly, I kind of love that about it. Writing these two very different projects side by side has been such a creative rush, and I’m excited to see how they evolve.

If you could offer one small piece of advice for other writers, what would it be?

Be unapologetically bold and brave. The world needs your stories—your way. There’s never a shortage of things to write about, so whatever your story is, trust me, someone out there wants to read it. Someone out there needs it. It’s easy to second-guess yourself, to wonder if your voice is enough, or if your story matters. But it does. It always does.
Writing isn’t just about putting words on a page—it’s about making connections, offering glimpses of hope, understanding, or even just a moment of escape. So, don’t hold back. Be fearless in telling the stories only you can tell. They’re yours for a reason.
And remember, it’s okay to stumble along the way. Writing is messy, vulnerable, and often uncomfortable. But that’s where the magic happens. Keep going. Be bold. Be brave. The world is waiting.

Bonus question: Have you ever taken a picture of a weird bird?

Weird no. I did recently take this photo of what I believe is a woodpecker, but his beak looks broken. He was still pecking away at our apple tree though so I named him Trooper.

Chanel can be found at her website here and for Dragonfly here

Five Questions with Kate MacIntosh

Finnian Burnett

4 comments

November 11, 2024

Welcome, Kate! You have a new book coming out in December. Can you tell me all about it?

It’s nice of you to ask me about my book because even if you hadn’t, I likely would have found some way to casually slip it into the conversation.
My novel, The Champagne Letters, is a dual timeline story. Half of the book is based on the real-life woman, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot, who founded the premier champagne house Veuve Clicquot. Vueve means widow, at that time in history the only way a woman could run/own a business in France was if her husband had passed away. Barbe-Nicole dealt with business competitors, the Napoleonic wars, motherhood, and the occasional pirate.
The other half of the book tells the tale of Natalie, who after her divorce runs off to Paris. When she’s checking into her boutique hotel there’s some confusion and she’s mistaken for a widow. As a result, she learns about the great champagne widows of France and their struggles. She finds a book of letters from Barbe-Nicole and uses the advice within to begin her new life. And she’s going to need that advice, because it will turn out not every aspect of her French vacation goes according to plan.
It’s a book about learning to trust yourself, the power in starting over, and telling your own story before someone else does it for you. And it’s also about wine, art, and amazing food. It is France after all.

The main character running off to France sounds so specific. What was the inspiration for that?

A few years ago, my marriage blew up. It was right before my 50th birthday and our 25th wedding anniversary. He clearly gets extra points for timing. We had already booked, and pre-paid, for a big anniversary trip to France. Unexpectedly, I’d lost the person I thought was my best friend, my home, and half the belongings we’d spent our lives collecting. I was sure as hell not going to lose that trip. So, I went without him. Unlike the character in my book who ends up in several adventures, including one with a dashing Frenchmen, I spent a lot of time walking around Paris and eating my body weight in cheese. But I left that trip with an idea for a novel and the reminder that I’m a capable and strong person.

Historical fiction takes so much research. Is that your jam? Do you over-research and then wish you could put in everything you know?

Saying I enjoy research sounds better than: “Are you one of those weirdos who goes down research rabbit holes and likes to spout off random facts you’ve learned?” There were details I found fascinating and tried to squish into the corner of chapters where my wise editor would suggest that perhaps…just perhaps….we didn’t need quite so much detail. Someday there will be a question on the evolution of pockets in women’s clothing and I’ll be ready.
I’ve always been a bit of a history nerd and have read historical novels for years, but never thought I could write one. I was afraid that I would get things wrong, which of course would result in some type of official public shaming, possibly with overly ripe vegetables being hurled at me. One of the lessons I’ve learned in the past couple of years is that not doing things because I’m afraid I may fail, or others may not like what I do, is a huge mistake. This is the one great and glorious life I’m going to get, the only one. There aren’t do overs. This is the story I wanted to tell. If I didn’t because I was afraid to get it wrong, then no one would hear it. I did the best I could with the research and if I discover that I made mistakes (let’s just go ahead and say I almost certainly did somewhere) then I’ll apologize and keep moving forward.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a new novel, also a dual timeline story based in part on another real woman in history. I’ve become obsessed by these women that may have been forgotten and whose stories have been shuffled aside. It’s a story that looks at early photography in the late 1800’s, what it means to be beautiful, and the importance of art.
My office is currently buried under stacks of index cards, research books with various tabs sticking out, and empty mugs of half consumed tea. I’m still in the stage where I wander around my condo mumbling to myself, but I have high hopes it will shape into something.

What do you do to unwind when you’re not working?

Some people have an inner child. I have an inner 80-year-old. I love all the Golden Girl activities- reading of course, watercolour painting, grumbling at the TV as if people on there can hear me, enjoying a nice glass of wine, and watching the occasional period drama on PBS, or trashy reality show on TLC. It is a mystery how I can love both any Lucy Worsley historical documentary and Below Deck scandals of various yacht crews. What can I say? I am a complex woman. I’m fortunate enough to have an amazing group of friends and when in doubt, spending time with them is always a good thing.

Bonus question: Have you ever taken a picture of a weird bird?

It’s not the bird that is weird, it’s me. This is where I admit I am a weird crow lady. I started giving dog kibble to a local crow a few years ago. Now he brings me various gifts, including gum wrappers, some aquarium gravel, an empty Tim Hortons bag, and a broken rhinestone barrette. So far, no luck scoring diamonds or hard cash, but it’s a work in progress. I call my crow Edgar as a homage to Edgar Allen Poe. Once I was walking along, and Edgar hopped along behind me. A small kid watched very interested and then asked if I was a witch. Hell yes.

(Ed. Note. I am in love with Edgar.)

Five Questions With Authors From the Surrey International Writers’ Con

Finnian Burnett

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November 7, 2024

At the end of October, I had the great joy of capping off my summer and fall of travel with a trip to the Surrey International Writers’ Conference. This was a delightful experience full of learning, connecting, teaching, podcast recording, and so much Tim Horton’s steeped tea with my bestie.

I taught three workshops, including one a collaborative workshop with my best friend, Andrew Buckley. I gave the closing keynote. And I met so many authors who are putting out incredible work. I’ll be showcasing a lot of these authors in the next couple of months starting with Kate MacIntosh this Monday. Tune in to help me celebrate some amazing Canadian authors!

Five Questions with Tyner Gillies

Finnian Burnett

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September 9, 2024

Tell me about your most recent book? What’s it about and what do you want readers to get from it

My most recent published work, ‘The Black Door’, is the conclusion to a trilogy (including ‘The Watch’ and ‘Dark Resolution’) I wrote about Quinn Sullivan and the members of the Resolution Cove RCMP detachment (a made up place). The whole series really boils down to Mounties fighting the things that go bump in the night. It was a lot of fun to write, and I really fell in love with all the characters as I learned more about them over three books.

When I sat down to write ‘The Black Door’ I really wanted the book to be about love. Love of family, love of friends, love of community. The theme of love and friendship run deep throughout the book, even with the main antagonist. What I hope readers take from the story is that no challenge or circumstance, no matter how dark, is insurmountable with the support of those that love you. Love really does conquer all, and shines a light into the dark.

You have the cutest cats. Do they ever show up in your writing?

Hahaha, thank you. I have given several cats minor roles in a few of my short stories, and in my first couple of novels, but I cannot say that any of my three cats (Logan, Jonah and Floki) have ever actually made an appearance. I will have to see if I can fix that.

(Ed. Note. We interrupt this blog post for pictures of all of Tyner’s cats)

We met at a writing conference and we’ll see each other at the Surrey International Writing Conference this fall. How important are writing conferences in your career and why should writers go to them?

The first conference I ever attended was the Surrey International Writing Conference (SiWC), in 2007, and I have been every year since. In that first attendance, I was working on this long, rollicking, ridiculous high fantasy novel, filled with bad cliches and terrible writing (It current sits in a desk drawer and will remain there forever). At most well-organized conferences they have “blue pencil” appointments, where attendees have an opportunity to present an excerpt from their work to an established writer and solicit feedback.

My first blue pencil was with Jack Whyte, Scots/Canadian historical fiction author. I was sure that Jack would be floored by the absolute brilliance of my work and immediately sing my praises to the world. Instead, he read the first page, looked up at me, then back down at the page in his hand, and let out a long sigh. He put the pages on the table between us, folded his hands on them, and asked me to tell me about my story.

Resisting the urge to get out of my chair and act out the more exciting parts, I gave him an explanation of the concept almost as long and rambling as the story was. He told me, in his Scottish brogue, “You’ve got a great idea for a story, but no idea how to tell it.” He gave me a moment to be dejected, then said, “You can get there, but you’ve got some work to do.” Then he spent the rest of our time together giving me a long list of books to read and writing exercises to complete.

That, really, was the beginning of my storyteller’s education. I spent three years in university before I ran off and joined the Mounties, studying English Literature, but no creative writing. All of my lessons on the craft have been in writer’s workshops in conferences and festivals.

I have been returning to SiWC every year since then, as well as other conferences and festivals. From each one I have taken something away that improved my craft. It’s a slow build, but it is a build indeed.

I have also found some of my life’s dearest friends in the halls of writers festivals. I cannot overstate the value of the community you can find among like-minded creatives.

I whole-heartedly encourage any writer, at any stage in their career, to attend a conference. You won’t regret it.

What are you working on now?

My agent (the esteemed Stacey Kondla) is currently querying a newly completed novel about a big city cop who goes back to his tiny hometown where his father was once the detachment commander (chief of police), and discovers he has an illegitimate half-sister. I am very hopeful this will be my ‘breakout’ novel, so my chief occupation is trying not to check my phone every twenty-three seconds, to see if there is any response.

My current work in progress is a crime novel about a contract killer who takes on a terrible job for a ridiculous amount of money and (hopefully) learns a few lessons through his experience. I’m only about 15k words into the first draft and I haven’t even landed on a working title yet. I had one, but my writing group told me it sucked, so I’m waiting to be struck by a bolt of inspiration.

If you could offer one piece of advice to emerging writers, what would it be?

The best piece of advice I could share is this: Don’t Quit. Don’t Ever Quit. Don’t You Dare Fucking Quit.

I have amassed an impressive collection of rejection letters from both agents and publishing houses. I completed seven novels, started and abandoned several more, and published four novels with an indy press before I finally wrote a story that landed with an agent.

There are those among us who see success with their first story. Others, like me, have to labour long and hard before our craft really starts to come together and we find our authentic voice. If you persevere, work, read, practice, fail, and start all over again, you will eventually get to where you need to be. The one thing I can tell you for certain is that quitting won’t speed up this process.

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received in my life came from one of my policing colleagues; “If you don’t try, the answer is automatically no.”

It’s up to you to try.

Bonus question: Have you ever taken a picture of a weird bird?

Yes. I was working an OT shift and this distinguished gentleman landed on a fence as I was driving by, so I stopped to take a pic. It’s a vulture. And I’m also obsessed with taking pictures of clouds.