A thank you from Sue Williams

With a story to tell, I needed to learn how to tell it. My first creative writing class ever was with Brian Henry in 2010. The subject was memoir.

I was nervous stepping out into the writing world, but was quickly put at ease with Brian’s warm personality and his accessible teaching style.

What’s more, I learned a lot that day. Most importantly, Brian emphasized that, in memoir, not only does the story have to be real, it also has to be emotionally accurate, written from your true self, not how you’d like others to see you. Crucial to keep in mind.

On my writing journey, I subsequently attended many of Brian’s other workshops (e.g. on character development, dialogue, how to write with style, etc.) and every single one was packed with invaluable information.

And, several years and many writing courses later, I’m ecstatic to say that my debut memoir, Ready to Come About, has garnered rave reviews from authors such has Miriam Toews, Barbara Kyle, and Adam Lindsay Honsinger, and will be released by Dundurn Press, one of the largest independent publishers in Canada, May 18,2019.

So, thank you Brian!

Sue Williams

Note: This piece was originally posted in 2019. Since then, Ready to Come About has gone through several printings. It’s been translated into Portuguese, been made into an audiobook and is still selling,

You can read more about Ready to Come About at Dundurn Press here.

For information about submitting to Dundurn Press, see here

For information about our upcoming “Writing Personal Stories and Other Nonfiction” class, see here.

And see all my upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and four-day  retreats here. ~Brian