MY WHY

I'm here to help writers go deeper, grow and imagine. A big part of that is encouragement and empowerment. I started the Stardust and Courage podcast in 2024 after writing, editing, teaching and coaching for more than two decades in an industry that too often leaves writers dispirited, and overemphasizes rigid rules and conformity. I champion the quiet power of self-expression, experimentation and play in writing. Writing can be a challenging puzzle AND it can also be meaningful fun. Let's lean into the fun! 

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MY CREDENTIALS

WRITING

I'm the author of the novel Circle of Stones (Dundurn Press), which was named one of the best Canadian books of 2015 by 49th Shelf. I’m now completing two books-in-progress. As an arts journalist I interviewed luminaries including Andrea Martin, Frank Gehry, Will Arnett and Corey Hart. My writing has appeared in The Walrus, Hazlitt, Canadian Art, Toronto Star, Joyland, Taddle Creek and other publications.

 

EDITING, TEACHING AND COACHING

I bring over 20 years of editing experience. I was an editor for beloved Canadian literary magazine, Taddle Creek from 2015 to 2023. I’ve worked as a story director for award-winning digital TV and film co-productions and narrative games, and I now teach the art and soul of telling a good story. I've taught creative writing courses at the University of Toronto and workshops for the Writers' Union of Canada, the University of British Columbia Creative Writing, Guelph University and Toronto Metropolitan University. My instructor training is from the University of Toronto and my degrees (a Master's in English Literature and a Bachelor of Journalism) are from Carleton University. I adore teaching, editing and coaching writers independently.

I love to encourage writers like you to dream bigger, take your ideas further, and be more daring than you ever imagined. 

Take my course: The Sparkle Technique: A Glow-Up For Your Mind And Spirit
NEW: I studied via Eckhart Tolle's School of Awareness to be a teacher of presence. (Completed October, 2023.)

 

LIFE

I stand for courage and compassion. I've lived on Vancouver Island, in Ottawa, and in Toronto where I worked, wrote, played bass in fun indie bands and travelled often to Montreal and New York City. After years of exploring I returned home to the west coast at the end of 2018. I now live, write and teach in Vancouver with a view of the North Shore mountains.

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I acknowledge I work on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples–Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations. I pay my respects to these nations and the histories of those who have cared for the land.

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Interested in my editing or book coaching services? Join the wait list!

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For other inquiries, email me at suzannealyssaandrew at gmail dot com.

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