Posts by Lana Cullis
The Wandering Writer in Residence Newsletter – Spring 2026 Edition
Just last week, Heidi Klaassen, the Executive Director of the Creative Nonfiction Collective, informed Set L. Shuter and me that “Chronic Courage: Staying True to Writing & Wellness” will be on their 2026 fall festival lineup. We are thrilled to be presenting on the first day of the 2026 Creative Nonfiction Collective Festival: Courage…
Read MoreThe Wandering Writer in Residence Newsletter – Winter 2026 Edition
January 24th & 25th. I will be co-facilitating an online spiritual life writing retreat with Susan Scott, Sharon S. Hines and special guest author Traci Skuce. Yes, you are invited, and yes, you can still register. Discover your why for writing in the SLW genre and learn craft techniques for writing about interiority. Feb 17…
Read MoreThe Stable Dog Blessing
I was already in bed asleep when my phone rang. I did not recognize the number on my call display but answered the call anyway. When the speaker identified himself as a police officer, the little hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Calls from law enforcement are never good, especially when they…
Read MoreThe Truth About Our Stories
Recently, I had the honour of being interviewed by Brian Carwana. Nearly a decade ago, I met Brian at an Encounter World Religion Retreat held in Vancouver, BC. Over the weekend, we visited several religious communities, attended services with them, and/or engaged in dialogue with leaders and members. The purpose? To promote understanding between persons…
Read MoreThe War on Dishes
I clean this teapot with the kind of attention I would have, were I giving the baby Buddha or Jesus a bath. Nothing should be treated more carefully than anything else. In mindfulness, compassion, irritation, mustard green plant, and teapot are all sacred. -Tich Nhat Hanh My daughter and I were in a…
Read MoreDo Dogs Have Souls?
When I answered the phone, my heart dropped. Upon hearing it was not Mom, but Dad, my first thought was “Who died?” I noticed the time, too. Mid-afternoon is the most expensive time for long-distance calling in my father’s mind. Despite a decade of phone companies offering free long-distance calling anytime anywhere in Canada, Dad…
Read MoreSubmitting to Story
Be careful that you do not write or paint anything that is not your own, that you don’t know in your own soul. — Emily Carr My writing instructor’s comment landed the kind of blow that knocks the wind right out of you, leaves you sucking for air, and a suitable response. Regardless of the…
Read MoreYoga, Buddhism, and Literary Citizenship
Literary citizenship is a term that has been around for at least a decade or so. I first encountered the term within The Business of Being a Writer by Jane Friedman, although Jane credits Rod Spillman, a cofounder of the literary magazine Tin House, for coining the term. No matter who originated the term, I…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between people who have spiritual experiences and writers who have spiritual experiences?
What is the difference between people who have spiritual experiences and writers who have spiritual experiences? This is a question often mulled upon by those who seek to write about events that fall into the categories of spirituality, faith, religion, and the sacred. How is it that writers translate lived spiritual experience into understandable text,…
Read MoreMusic and Writing Craft
What becomes possible when music infuses your writing craft? “An ordinary life is full of musical rhythms, episodes, and cadences. The themes of our work, play, families, and geographies are like melodies that come and go as though in an elaborate fugue” (Thomas Moore). Why do so many writers forget to include musical references in…
Read More