SuperCanucks co-editor Matthew Del Papa: Don't wait to begin if you want to write

SuperCanucks: An anthology of Canadian small-town superheroes, edited by Matthew D. Del Papa and Andy W. Taylor and published by Latitude 46 Publishing in 2026.

Matthew D. Del Papa and Andy W. Taylor are the editors of SuperCanucks: An anthology of Canadian small-town superheroes, published by Latitude 46 Publishing in 2026. SuperCanucks features eleven stories that explore the usual superhero tropes while shining a spotlight on the unique corners of Canada. Not your typical big city superhero, but those who live in and around Canada’s more often overlooked locales—isolated small towns and rural outposts. These heroes battle unique Canadian dangers, including government bureaucracy and the overreaching neighbours in the south.

Matthew spent every Tuesday of his youth crisscrossing his hometown of Capreol, Ontario, in search of newly arrived comic books.

Writer and editor Matthew D. Del Papa

He wore superhero-themed Underoos to a truly worrying age and still has his Batman (and Robin) lunchbox, backpack, and wristwatch.  

A graduate of Laurentian University, Matthew is a writer, editor, and self-publisher, and has released ten titles to some modest local acclaim. He joined the Sudbury Writers’ Guild in 2009 and his writing has appeared in Spooky Sudbury, Nothing Without Us Too, Mighty, and Sudbury Superstack: A Changing Skyline.  His first book, a collection of humorous essays titled Jerry Lewis Told Me I Was Going to Die, was released in 2023 through Latitude 46 Publishing.

Andy has been a reader and writer of speculative fiction from an early age thanks in no small part to his mother’s frequent trips to the public library with her kids.

Writer and editor Andy Taylor

Andy has been a reader and writer of speculative fiction from an early age thanks in no small part to his mother’s frequent trips to the public library with her kids. He is a member of The Writers’ Union of Canada, past president and member of the Sudbury Writers’ Guild, a graduate of the Viable Paradise writing workshop and Playwright’s Junction workshop, and a member of CODEX. Originally from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Andy currently resides in Sudbury, Ontario with his family. His fiction has appeared in Nature: Futures, Polar Borealis, On Spec, FictionVale and on the streets of Sudbury. Andy is also on BlueSky.

Thanks to Matthew for answering the questions for this interview. He explores fitting in with a visible disability, advice to would-be writers—don't wait to begin if you want to write—and his views on AI and its impact on creativity.

Fitting in and finding community

OCW: Can you trace any common themes across your writing?

MDDP: All of my writing ultimately revolves around one thing: fitting it. Living with a visible disability, I have been in a wheelchair since I was eight, which means I’ve always felt like an outsider. Sure, people make accommodations but that is never quite the same thing as just blending in. I think this feeling is why I prefer collaborative projects.

Prior to SuperCanucks I self-published a number of anthologies focusing on my hometown. Merry Capreol (2022) celebrated Christmas while I delved into the spookier side of small towns with Creepy Capreol (2014) and two Creepy Capreol, Jr. releases (2016 & 2019)…the latter being aimed at younger readers. My most recent short story collection, Danni Fundy: Occult Babysitter (2025), was co-written. Emily Andrews and I created several linked tales involving the titular character and her best friend, Kaitlyn, neither of whom ‘fit in’ but, because of that, were accepting of others’ differences…even the monstrous ones.

OCW: Which authors and/or types of books do you like to read?

MDDP: I read mostly for pleasure and focus on science fiction/fantasy. Those genres hold a whole host of options ranging from the hard sci-fi of Andy Weir to the sometimes silly sci-fi of John Scalzi. I have about thirty authors whose books I buy on sight: Robert J. Sawyer, Dennis E. Taylor, and Spider Robinson are some of sf favourites. In fantasy, there are Raymond E. Feist, Robin Hobb, and Scott Lynch. Some others cross-genres or write in both (not to mention others, like historical fiction), including L.E. Modesitt, Jr., Harry Turtledove, and Lois McMaster Bujold. Some friends from my writing group, the Sudbury Writers’ Guild, have been published and I make a point to read their stuff. Scott Overton (sci-fi) and A.L. Jensen (cozy mystery) have written novels I liked and several of the poets have impressed me, including Vera Constantineu, Thomas Leduc, and Melanie Martilla.

Don't wait to begin if you want to write

OCW: What advice/guidance would you give to writers?

MDDP: Don’t wait. You’re never going to feel ready. There is no perfect idea or prerequisites to writing. Quit putting it off and just start. Use scrap paper and an old pencil if that’s all you have. Take the time you’re scrolling on your phone while waiting at the dentist or eating lunch at your cubicle and just create. Routines and schedules are helpful but any free moment can be writing time if you work at it. And don’t forget to read. Reading is vital to would-be writers. Find opportunities to read, on the commute to work or before going to bed. Pop an audiobook on your phone and listen while at the gym or when doing chores.

OCW: Do you see generative AI as a benefit or a threat to writers?

MDDP: I’d say AI is the devil if I believed in that sort of thing. It might have its uses but there’s no place for AI in creative endeavours. I don’t even use it to summarize documents.

AI is a slippery slope and the fact that software companies and appliance manufacturers are forcing it down our throats, unasked, is a travesty. It is fostering bad habits, flooding the market with slop, and discouraging a lot of beginners from ever taking the clumsy first steps needed before getting good.

I read a survey where a majority of elementary students identified several famous artworks, masterpieces one and all, as AI because “people aren’t that good at painting”. Hearing that saddened me no end. It is a sign of the times, kids losing interest in life/the arts because of AI competition/dominance.

Taking the workman-like approach to writing

OCW: Do you edit as you write, or write and edit later?

MDDP: I try not to edit while I write but often can’t help myself. When I’m really hitting my stride I reread the previous day’s work, editing while I go, to remember where I left off and get back into the flow before launching into writing new stuff. Unfortunately, I’m seldom able to maintain that rhythm for long. A few weeks or a month, two tops. Then life interrupts. I never let that distract me for long. Writing is something I enjoy. It is a freeing creative outlet and a great stress reliever. But it is also a job, one I labour at daily. I refuse to wait for the muse to come to me. Instead, I take a workman-like approach and put in the hours needed.