Welcome to Manuel Erickson's Writing Room
Here, you will find ideas on writing as well as some of my concerns about the environment and photographs I have taken.

Creative Non-fiction is what I do, but what is it, you might ask? In my view, what is referred to as "creative" non-fiction is almost the same as other kinds of written prose. All writing is creative by nature. The essay and the memoir fall into this category of writing. (See http://www.class.uidaho.edu/druker/nonfic.html)

In my case, I have taken real things, real events or real people and woven stories around them. In the case of real events, for example, I create my characters and give them words to say. These characters drive the plot.

Creative non-fiction, then, means that the writer does not alter the truth, butâ uses story-telling, theme, dialogue and description to elevate the quality of non-fiction. (See Lee Gutkind at http://www.creativenonfiction.org/thejournal/whatiscnf.htm)

By definition, therefore, creative non-fiction is not strictly fiction, nor is it strictly non-fiction; there are elements of both in the genre.

You will discover writing links you might not know of and other links that will take you to environmental organizations. The latter include organizations that are trying to save the 52-acre, 100-year-old, second-growth forest called Echo Heights on the north side of the village of Chemainus in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island.

Please contact me at " "pilot80 at shaw.ca."" with any questions and especially your ideas and suggestions.

In addition, you will find a link to the Kinsol Trestle near the village of Shawnigan Lake in the Cowichan Valley. The Canadian National Railway started building the wooden Trestle in 1911 and finished it in 1921. Today, it is a neglected but historic structure that is the source of much controversy: should it be torn down and replaced with a footbridge or renovated and brought back to its former glory? It is reputed to be one of the largest edifices of its kind in North America and the largest timbered trestle in the Commonwealth, but it needs repairs. The Province of British Columbia seems to feel it would be better in demolished form. But hikers from around the world come to Vancouver Island to hike the Trans-Canada Trail. They spend tourist dollars here. If the Trestle were removed and replaced with, say, a metal walking bridge, this area could lose its appeal for international hikers who might ignore our Valley.