Other Stories - Marie-Claude Arnott

In earlier years, I contributed to Orato.com, a citizen journalism site with the motto True Stories from Real People. I then wrote content for Suite101.com, a collaborative digital site with shared revenues from advertising. It was a novel opportunity for freelance writers, who had to maximize the concept of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in their articles. It was very successful until that concept overpowered quality and accuracy. I did my best to write according to my principles.

A few of these multi-topic 'vintage' articles are republished here. They have retained their informative value, if only as a perspective. I also post original articles, including a few book reviews.

The Broken Places – by Frances Peck

I wasn’t sure I was ready for a book about the ‘Big One’ — you know, the long-feared earthquake said to be looming along the West Coast, but Peck had a way of getting me to turn the pages.Intrigued by the characters, I almost couldn’t wait for the Vancouver ground I live on to shake,.. →

A Time of Light and Shadow — by Ella Harvey

A Time of Light and Shadow by Ella Harvey is a page-turner book. It is the physical, visual, and romantic account of a female solo traveler back then. It is also the emotional account of a nurse who doesn’t hesitate to veer from serene sceneries to humanitarian devastation. The book is an escape.. →

Work in (Endless) Progress

“Thirty drafts? In how many years did you say?” It was my reaction more than my questions to a memoir instructor. After five years, I, too, have completed many drafts, not as quantifiable as those of the instructor since I write digitally and not longhand.

Today, my 80,000-word manuscript.. →

Interview of a Memoirist

In her eighties, American-born Susan Tiberghien’s demeanor is both endearing and engaging. She doesn’t just smile, she glows. Her eyes connect intently as she listens, or replies in a modulated voice, her hands often reaching for yours or holding your shoulders.

After my email, a few years.. →

A Traveller’s Notebook— by Grant Eustace—Review

The Timeless Good and Bad of Decades of Trips

British author Grant Eustace will tell you that he is a traveling writer and not a travel writer. Nobody makes a writer write, yet writers keep writing because they can’t help it. A professional writer in the field of communication (audio,.. →

Back to Baking – Review

The ABCs of Cookbook Writing

“Eighty percent of being a pastry chef is to save a disaster from happening,” Anna Olson says. I have known of such scientific disasters. I hope Back to Baking will help me avoid future ones.

At a fundraiser of the KidSafe Project Society, “Writing.. →

Ladurée’s French Macarons

From Paris to New York

It was only a matter of time until the Parisian institution and its prized French macarons would delight the gourmet New Yorkers’ sweet tooth. With its distinctive wood-paneled exterior in an almond green, Ladurée has opened at 864, Madison Avenue. The sweet confections.. →

Women in Film and Television: Breakfast at the Grind

Facts and Fiction About Women in the Film Industry

The place is The Grind and Gallery Coffee Bar in Vancouver, BC. The event, a networking session organized by Women in Film and Television (WIFTV) and held on the third Tuesday of every month—no pre-registration necessary.
Hosted by.. →

The Future of Fashion

Outlook on the 2011-2021 Trends

I wrote the article below in 2011. As 2021 comes to an end, let’s consider how the last decade turned out.

Luxury fashion designers expand to emerging markets while western fashion culture tends to introspect. The best might yet to come.
Halfway.. →

Of Genres and Gender

The Film Industry Conundrum

Unless women direct action films, there is a slim chance they win the Best Director Award. No one knows this better than the accomplished filmmaker Nancy Meyers. At the base of this conundrum is a greater demand for action films than for chick flicks. The reason.. →