Writing
Resources
Resources for Short Fiction Writing
Suggested Short Fiction Anthologies
If you are a UVic student, the McPherson Library has hundreds of short fiction books that you can loan, read, and learn from. UVic undergrads can loan up to 75 books at a time. Visit uvic.ca/library to search for titles.
- Best Canadian Short Stories 2020 edited by Paige Cooper.
- Best American Short Stories 2020 edited by Curtis Sittenfeld.
- The Penguin Book of the Modern American Short Story edited by John Freeman.
- The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction edited by Richard Bausch.
Essays, Lectures, and Readings
- David Kaplan's "Revising Your Prose for Power and Punch."
- Fiction Writing Basics by Purdue University Online Writing Lab.
- Lecture by John Dufresne "How To Write A Story"
- Victor Dwyer (Globe & Mail) and Charlotte Gill (Governor General Fiction Finalist) on How Editors Know if Your Writing is Good.
- Read Craft Essays in Craft.
- Read Fiction in The New Yorker.
- Read Fiction in The Atlantic.
- Read Fiction in The Paris Review.
Suggested Subscriptions
Reading magazines will help you get published in them! We recommend you subscribe to and read any/all of the following mags:
- The Malahat Review.
- The Walrus.
- Grain Magazine.
- Room.
- PRISM.
- The Fiddlehead.
- The New Yorker.
- The Atlantic.
- The Paris Review.
Publication Opportunities
In addition to submitting their work to This Side of West, UVic students can access hundreds of free-to-enter and pay-for-submission publication opportunities through Submittable.com.
Resources for Creative Nonfiction Writing
Suggested Creative Nonfiction Books
If you are a UVic student, the McPherson Library has hundreds of creative nonfiction books that you can loan, read, and learn from. UVic undergrads can loan up to 75 books at a time. Visit uvic.ca/library to search for titles.
- The Best Canadian Essays 2020 edited by Sarmishta Subramanian.
- The Art of the Personal Essay edited by Philip Lopate.
- The Best of Brevity edited by Zoë Bossiere and Dinty W. Moore.
- The Best American Essays 2020 edited by André Aciman.
Essays, Lectures, and Readings
- Creative Nonfiction Overview by Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL.)
- How to Write Creative Nonfiction interview with Lee Gutkind.
- Read Craft Essays in Creative Nonfiction Magazine.
- Read Nonfiction in The Globe and Mail.
- Read Nonfiction in Brevity.
- Read Nonfiction in The New Yorker.
- Read Nonfiction in the Paris Review.
Suggested Subscriptions
Reading magazines will help you get published in them! We recommend you subscribe to and read any/all of the following mags:
- The Malahat Review.
- The Walrus.
- Grain.
- PRISM.
- The Fiddlehead.
- BRICK.
- Creative Nonfiction Magazine.
- The New Yorker.
- The Atlantic.
- The Paris Review.
Publication Opportunities
In addition to submitting their work to This Side of West, UVic students are strongly encouraged to pitch their journalism and other nonfiction work to the University of Victoria’s student-run newspaper, The Martlet. Also, students can access hundreds of free-to-enter and pay-for-submission publication oppertunities through Submittable.com.
Resources for Poetry Writing
Suggested Poetry Books
If you are a UVic student, the McPherson Library has hundreds of poetry books that you can loan, read, and learn from. As a UVic undergrad, you can loan up to 75 books at a time. Visit uvic.ca/library to search for titles.
- The Best Canadian Poetry 2020 edited by Marilyn Dumont.
- The Best American Poetry 2020 edited by David Lehman.
Readings
Suggested Subscriptions
Reading magazines will help you get published in them! We recommend you subscribe to and read any/all of the following mags:
- The Malahat Review.
- PRISM.
- Grain.
- The Fiddlehead.
- The Walrus.
- The New Yorker.
- The Paris Review.
Publication Opportunities
In addition to submitting their work to This Side of West, UVic students can access hundreds of free-to-enter and pay-for-submission publication oppertunities through Submittable.com.