Sudbury teacher turns novel struggles into short story success

Greater Sudbury teacher Ryan Langlois, after previous failed novel attempts, has published 'The Berry Love Chronicles'.

A high school teacher in Greater Sudbury, Ont., who long struggled to write his first book, has found success by compiling a series of short stories.

Ryan Langlois says he tried so many times to put together his thoughts on a computer but took so many wrong turns before finally succeeding with The Berrylove Chronicles.

“I tried writing novels so many times before and they crumbled on me,” he told CTV News.

“I lost track of what I was trying to do with them and lost faith in what I was doing with them – however, a series of short stories allowed me to kind of break them into more manageable increments.”

Finding momentum in smaller pieces

The educator said he discovered that writing a short tale proved more achievable than a 320-page novel.

“I discovered that the 20-page story was able to lead into the next one, and then the next one,” said Langlois.

“It’s kind of naturally, by my shortcomings, kind of found its way to being a series of short stories.”

Cartoonish version of Sudbury

Langlois said the story takes place in Berrylove, which he describes as a satirical exaggeration of Sudbury.

“If you think of all the peculiarities of our city and then ratchet them up to the power of four into a Lampoonish type of thing,” he said.

The teacher added those peculiarities have allowed him to create all kinds of silly and comical things that would be recognizable to northern Ontario readers.

“It’s a cartoonish version of Sudbury where anything is possible and nothing is to be taken too, too, seriously,” Langlois said.

Teaching profession aids writing process

The high school teacher told CTV News that his profession has certainly helped him in his writing process, which happens when he is not marking English papers.