In Person, Virtual, and Recorded The landscape of self-publishing has completely transformed since Laura Bradbury began writing and publishing her own books a decade ago. Many are lamenting the gravy train is now behind us, but Laura believes that self-publishing has in fact reached a new renaissanc
In Person NOT Recorded As writers, our job is to connect with our readers and transport them into the world of our stories, and the quickest way to break that connection and jolt the reader out of that world is by confusing them. That’s why one of the most important tools in the writer’s toolbox
In Person NOT Recorded When first embarking in nonfiction, a writer may assume they can be themselves and that narrator on the page is actually the writer. In JJ’s workshop, you find out this is both true and NOT true. The voice in nonfiction work needs as much development as fictional charact
In Person, Virtual, and Recorded Noir is more than trench coats and shoulder pads–it’s a diverse and contemporary genre drawing on everything from Classical tragedy to the social novel of Dickens and Zola, to the bleeding edge of today’s hottest issues. In this workshop we’ll
In Person NOT Recorded How do you structure a mystery novel? How many suspects do you include? To outline, or not? This workshop will discuss story structure, applying it to mystery and detective fiction, though the concepts will be applicable to any genre of fiction.
Virtual and Recorded No doubt about it, you’re a writer—but writing a synopsis is an art form unto itself. It’s the heart of your query letter and your best chance to catch the eye of an agent or editor. Learn what industry professionals look for in a synopsis and how to put your novel in [&he
Virtual and Recorded Publishing can be an inscrutable business, and book-to-film can seem even more confusing. What happens when your book is sold and it’s time to explore your options for the film rights? This workshop will provide an overview of the steps from start to finish, as well as provide
Virtual and Recorded Kendrick Lamar said, “If I’m gonna tell a real story, I’m gonna start with a name.” Twenty-first century audiences demand deep, emotional connections with characters. Authors have learned how to use writing techniques to foster these emotional connections
Virtual and Recorded Robert Frost once said how “poetry is what gets lost in translation,” that it is the specific properties of words and the sounds of speech which meld together to create a memorable experience. In this class, we’ll explore the linguistic properties of the English langua
Virtual and Recorded To be a writer is to be bombarded with advice. Omit the needless words! To never split infinitives! That the passive voice must be avoided! Goodness. Where did all these grammar rules even come from? I’ll take you through some of the most common writerly aphorisms and expl
Virtual and Recorded You’ve wanted to write for as long as you remember but you don’t know where to start. Or maybe you’ve been writing for a long time but you’ve lost that old enthusiasm. You’re not writing, even though it’s what you know you want to do, what you
Virtual and Recorded Do you have a manuscript in dire need of fixing, but don’t know how to start or continue? Does it just all feel too hard? In this workshop, Rachael Herron will give you all the tools you need to move your first draft from absolute chaos to satisfying order. You’ll ge
Virtual and Recorded Two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, Terry Fallis, will lead a discussion on humour writing covering a range of topics, including why funny writing is hard, how to transfer humour to the page, humour techniques, accepting that not every reader will “get
Virtual and Recorded Memory is a malleable, unreliable narrator, yet is integral to creating impactful personal essays and memoir. In this craft discussion, we’ll discuss techniques to connect memory to the page and how to lean into memory gaps, as opposed to becoming blocked. We’ll also examine
Virtual and Recorded While there may not be such a thing as an original idea (because Shakespeare wrote them all), there ARE ways to keep those ideas fresh, original and free from stereotypes. During this session, learn the difference between archetype and stereotype, uncover tried and true techniqu
Virtual and Recorded In this hands-on session, Melanie will share her experiences on creating and writing the middle-grade graphic novel trilogy, Amazing Ash and Superhero Ah Ma, including pitching the series, collaborating with the artist, and adapting one’s writing for this unique visual med
Virtual and Recorded Every story lives in a moment, but that moment doesn’t stand alone. We refer back to the past to explain character motivation and story context, and project forward to the future when we foreshadow or set expectations. In this workshop, we’ll examine ways to use the past and
Virtual and Recorded For many authors, sales are lost on the final stage of the book buying process: the Amazon sales page. We will go section by section of the busy Amazon book page, and dive into what we can do (and can’t do) to make the best impression on book shoppers, giving them that [&h
Virtual and Recorded Brief as they are, it is easy to get lost writing a short story. How do you find your way again? Award-winning author John Wiswell shares his tools for orienting yourself in a short story to tell more satisfying stories to your readers and, should the worst happen, to get unstuc
Virtual and Recorded This generative class will be filled with strategies to break through writer’s block, commit to a journaling practice that works for you, and tips to finding joy in artmaking even when the process is hard. Attendees will leave with a new appreciation for their own potential an