The Canadian Writer's Guide 11th ed

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

This latest edition of the Canadian Authors Association’s “Official
Handbook” provides more information for the dollar than any other work
of its type. Besides its nearly 100 how-to articles on writing, it
offers market lists, contests and awards information, and even telephone
numbers for reference inquiries such as the Grammar Hot Line.

The tone of this book is absolutely nonthreatening. The philosophy of
the CAA is “writers helping writers.” Every contributor is a
Canadian writer. (None are household names but many make their living
writing.) Also, the criteria for becoming a writer are wide open. Those
seeking information about the cartoon gag market find themselves
embraced with the same nurturing concern as those needing advice on how
to negotiate international rights on their first novel.

While this book is an excellent resource, more cross-checking could
have improved it. For example, one chapter on how to avoid clichés is
followed by another that begins with one: “If the people you write
about are not provocative . . . you might as well be whistling Dixie.”
There is also some repetition and occasionally contradiction; but this
is hardly surprising when there are so many contributors.

And further, for a “Canadian” writer’s handbook there is a
singular lack of Canadian authors held up as role models to emulate.
British and American authors completely dominate the CAA’s stock of
“great” writers, and most are male, white, and dead. This likely
says as much about Canadian society in general as it does the CAA in
particular.

Nonetheless, for the beginner, this book bears cover-to-cover reading.
For the advanced writer, the reference section alone makes it worth the
cover price.