I would have to say The Studios of Key West, where the residency organizers would take us boating, parasailing and jet skiing. Where was your favourite place to do a residency?

The Woo-Woo was not a particularly enjoyable book to write, but I definitely found it necessary to make sense of some of the bizarre events and individuals that have shaped my life. I wouldn’t say I love nonfiction, especially writing memoir. Mary Schlendlinger’s nonfiction workshop was the first time that I began to investigate the genre, and at that time, I found it more organic to write profiles based on real-life interviews than to write short stories crafted from the imagination. I don’t think anyone makes the conscious decision to be a memoirist, but to be considered for the BFA program at UBC, the portfolio required proficiency in three genres, and writing nonfiction seemed far easier than learning to write libretto. These instructors recognized the raw potential in me, and I’m so grateful.ĭid you find your love for non-fiction during the BFA? Or before that? When you’re a student writer, any sort of feedback, no matter how seemingly insignificant, can shape your determination and motivation to continue. I’m so grateful for the multiple kindnesses and encouragement from Linda Svendsen, Mary Schlendlinger, Alison Acheson, Andreas Schroeder, Nancy Lee and Kevin Chong. The UBC Creative Writing program also introduced me to some amazing and very generous mentors.

UBC taught me how to prioritize writing over all else. When you’re placed in an intimate workshop environment and expected to produce semi-polished pieces in various genres with the sole purpose of receiving honest feedback from other writers, it makes you instantly understand that writing is both a profession and practice.

What was your experience in UBC Creative Writing program like? She is the author of The Woo-Woo (Arsenal Pulp Press, Oct 2018), which was shortlisted for 2018 Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction, and the forthcoming novel The Summer I Learned Chinese (Simon Pulse, Summer 2020). She holds a BFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia, and a MFA in Literary Nonfiction from Columbia University in New York City.

Lindsay wong the woo woo