For the next few weeks, as we approach the April 8th release of A Family by Any Other Name, I’d like to introduce you to some of the book’s contributors.
Nancy Newcomb is a writer based in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. She is the author of “More Than a Donor.”
Why did you decide to contribute? How did you decide what to write about?
Shortly after our donor dad was here for a visit, a friend from my writer’s group sent me Bruce’s call for submissions. I didn’t give much thought to what I would write about or if I would actually submit it; I just started to write. With the visit so fresh in my mind, I had a starting point and within an hour I was finished a draft of the essay appearing in this anthology.
Tell us a bit about yourself, both your life and your writing experience.
Originally from New Brunswick, I came to Nova Scotia in 1997 to study journalism at the University of King’s College. After realizing that was not the type of writing I was passionate about, I spent several years working at a not for profit that helped women going through the justice system.
During my pregnancy, we moved to the Annapolis Valley where I chose to stay home and raise my daughter. I now spend my time writing, ski boarding, volunteering for school events, squandering time on the internet and wondering if I should go get a “real job.”
What did you get out of writing an essay for this collection?
Writing this essay gave me a chance to reflect on the big picture of the creation of our family. It also allowed me to really appreciate how all the pieces came together.
Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like readers to know about?
I am currently collecting rejection letters for my first novel and doing final edits on a second. If anyone out there would like to solicit my manuscript for rejection (or publication), please do!