Genevieve Scott, MFA 2015
Genevieve Scott is a Canadian writer and writing teacher based in Southern California.
Genevieve’s first novel, Catch My Drift, was published in 2018 with Goose Lane Editions. Her second novel, The Damages, which examines the widespread and varied impacts of a single sexual assault, was published by Random House Canada in July 2023 as part of a two-book deal. The the third book is forthcoming in 2025.
Her short fiction has been published in literary journals in Canada and the UK, and her short films have screened at festivals worldwide. She was Story Editor for the indie feature film Jump, Darling, starring Oscar-winner Cloris Leachman, which has screened at over three dozen film festivals worldwide.
Genevieve currently teaches writing at the Laguna College of Art + Design in Laguna Beach, California, and in the limited-residency MFA in fiction program at the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
As a volunteer, Genevieve mentors at-risk teen writers through the LA-based nonprofit, WriteGirl.
How did your time in the Creative Writing Program influence your work?
Before I took classes in creative writing, I spent years thinking about writing, which is not writing. After trying a few night school workshops, I developed the confidence to apply to the MFA program at UBC. The combination of accountability, deadlines, peer feedback and professor mentorship at UBC really excited me, challenged and pushed me to get work done.
To make writing a priority like that was the best choice I’ve ever made. Being in the opt-res program meant I could develop the skills to balance writing with the rest of my life straight away. I truly appreciated the opportunity to experiment with different writing genres at UBC as I learned techniques and ways of thinking that have shaped my own writing and the way that I mentor and teach creative writing today.