Novelist Susan Wadds presents an audio essay for this episode of On Creative Writing. She discusses her debut novel, What the Living Do. The title is from a poem by Marie Howe, which addresses someone who has passed away, and tells what the living is doing with their day.

Susan's novel centers on Brett Catlin, a woman navigating the complex terrain of grief, guilt, and a cancer diagnosis, all while coming to terms with a haunting childhood tragedy. The story looks at how the past continues to shape the present, and how healing can emerge from even the deepest wounds.

Many years ago, Susan had cancer and felt that there was a psychological underpinning to the disease. She shares her experiences with illness and how it informed both the emotional landscape of her protagonist, Brett Catlin, and the broader themes of her novel. She describes the challenges of writing authentically about pain and vulnerability, and how drawing from her personal journey allowed her to create a character who feels both real and relatable. Susan also discusses the cathartic power of storytelling, and how writing became a means of processing her own grief and uncertainty.

A significant part of Susan’s writing journey involved participating in supportive writing workshops. She shares how these creative communities provided not only technical guidance but also much-needed encouragement and camaraderie.

She wrote What the Living Do after years of not writing, even though she had been writing since before her teenage years. But after spending a lot of time in India and raising a family, she had stepped away from writing seriously. She had lost her confidence in being able to write a story, but was introduced to a woman named Sue Reynolds, who uses the Amherst Writers and Artists method of writing and workshop facilitation to help writers write what they need to write. Susan went to Sue's workshops and with the support of other writers and celebrating one another's successes, she found her voice and the confidence to complete her novel.

When it came to the creation of the novel's protagonist, Susan listened to Sherry Coalman, a writer and theatre person, who talks about a sacred image in writing. This can be can epicenter of what it is you're going to write about. For Susan, the sacred image was noticing women on roads, crews who actually weren't down in the ditches with the men, but just holding stop slow signs. And as most writers do, she asked the question, what if, what if what? What kind of person would she be if she was down there, scraping roadkill and filling potholes and taking down trees? Who would that be? Well, she'd be a little bit tough, able to hold her own in a misogynistic landscape or job. Susan flipped the script and gave Brett a younger lover. She has a work partner named Mel, who's indigenous, and Brett projects all of this wise Indigenous wisdom onto Mel.

Susan reflects on the role of positive feedback in a writer’s development. She recounts moments when a kind word or thoughtful critique made all the difference, motivating her to keep going during periods of self-doubt. She encourages aspiring writers to seek out communities that foster growth and to be generous with their own encouragement.

Listeners will come away with insights into the intersection of life experience and fiction, the value of creative support networks, and the transformative potential of writing through pain. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, Susan’s story is about the resilience of the creative spirit and the healing power of narrative.

Susan is based in Sebright, Ontario, Canada. Find on Substack and Instagram.