Cindy Shantz writes in a variety of genres – essays, stories, poetry and drama. She has been published in Canada in several newspapers including The Globe and Mail, The Vancouver Sun, and The Times Colonist, and in Switzerland where she lived for nine years. She has written and produced a play, “Cat Tales: What’s in a Name?” and has performed spoken word at several venues, including The Banff Centre, where she was part of the Banff Spoken Word Program. Cindy is co-founder of WordStorm, Nanaimo’s monthly reading event, which enables her to indulge another of her passions – encouraging people to display their talents.

I’m a “whoosher”. I write in a big “whoosh” until I have finished a piece. Most ideas pop into my mind when I can’t write them down: in the shower, while I’m driving, when I’m swimming. I think this is because they can escape “Ed,” the editor, who lives in my mind. The moment I start clicking away on my computer Ed yells things like: “That won’t work!” or “What a stupid sentence!”

I often finish in the wee hours of the morning when Ed is exhausted and has gone to bed. Then “Crea,” my creator, thinks my writing is brilliant. The next day Ed shakes his head, shifts into high gear and starts fine-tuning. He deletes contrived “darlings,” adds new images, and changes sentence structure until he feels everything is humming along. Then he hangs up his tool belt and waits for Crea to rev her engines and create something new. It’s a good partnership – but definitely volatile!

Sandstone Rocks in Our Bay

Starfish in Our Bay

Cindy's Backyard