Canada Writes Blog
Katie Sanders (Nelson, BC)
Winner Canada Writes 09
(April 27, 2009) Canada Writes Finals! …It’s hard to know how to wrap this up. I’m having trouble remembering what it feels like to live without the constant stress and excitement of the Canada Writes competition. To be truthful, I know I’m going to miss it. I’m going to miss the random practice challenges from friends and family. I’m certainly going to miss the king size bed in my hotel room in Toronto…
The final round of competition was intense. The writing seemed to be a much greater struggle, the time allowed so much shorter, and my grasp of comedy so tenuous. The other competitors dropped gems of comic prose that left me reeling. And the music round…oh the music round. I like Queen as much as the next girl…but could there possibly be harder lyrics to re-write?!
I can’t thank the CBC enough for the opportunity they afforded so many burgeoning writers. It is a rare chance to step outside of the everyday and of what people expect from you to showcase a talent you didn’t even know you possessed. Also, a huge thank-you and round of applause to the other players. This game would have been like dry toast without you!
(April 6, 2009 ) “Six minutes?! Seriously, six minutes? You know I’ve had a lovely time with you , and I’m thankful for the muffins, the pizza, the coffee and the laughs…but still, after all we’ve been through, you’re giving me six minutes to complete this challenge?!”
I was appalled. I was sweaty. I was terrified. It was great. I realize that sounds ridiculous, but in all seriousness, I had an amazing time at the Western finals in Vancouver. It isn’t everyday I am allowed to sing and dance, and believe me, I enjoy a good dance party. The other finalists were a treat; the producers were encouraging and clearly a collection of those ‘excess of serotonin’ kind of people. Through pre-show challenges, rehearsal, green room quiet time and the actual recording of the show, we were all made to feel at home within the CBC. I feel inspired and terrified in equal measures. My performance anxiety is wrestling with the fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants side of my personality. Moving on in the competition is at once thrilling and terrifying. What can possibly be left for us to write about? Surely, after all we’ve been through, we’ll be given more than six minutes….
(March 6, 2009) I was having a bad day. There were three feet of snow in the yard, my car was buried, there was wood to be chopped and the dogs were going berserk from being cooped up all day. I needed to escape. To have something to do that didn’t involve shoveling, wielding an axe or winter boots. So, on a whim, I entered the Canada Writes contest. It was a desperate move. I hadn’t given any thought to what might happen if anyone liked my story.
Having survived the first round of elimination, a giddy interview over the phone and a second writing challenge, I still have trouble believing that I’m in the game. I’ve been bombarded with practice rounds from friends, writing rants about the state of tomatoes in the produce department and essays on the mating habits of the 40 year old urban male. I create song and dance routines for the pets and wake up in the middle of the night with stories in mind I try blindly to capture before they escape.
Mysteries abound at this point…What will the other semi-finalists be like? What kind of fools will we make of ourselves on live radio? Am I supposed to get dressed up to go on the radio? Will breakfast be included?
