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Post by Kathy Chung

Power and Physicality: Writing Our Bodies

In Person, Live-streamed, and Recorded A generative workshop on physical writing. Humans may feel out of control of our bodies sometimes. In healthcare, we may feel doctors tell us to take medicine we don’t want to take or have surgeries we don’t feel we need. In life, we face aging, illnesses,
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Post by Kathy Chung

In It for the Long Run

In Person Only, Not Recorded 2024 marks 40 years since Michael Slade published the 1st thriller in his Mountie Noir Series. The climactic novel is written and in production. In this workshop, Slade will discuss the tricks of the trade to keep a series fresh, original, and thrilling. Caution: Michael
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Post by Kathy Chung

Connecting to Our Questions Through Our Obsessions

In Person Only, Not Recorded Phenomenal novelist Ben Okri notes that it is the questions writers ask “about reality, about being alive, about being human” that not only drive our work but connect it to others in the world. In this workshop, we will begin with our current curiosities and, through
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Post by Kathy Chung

Endings

In Person Only, Not Recorded Diana Gabaldon has never read THE NEVER-ENDING STORY, because she thinks a good story really ought to have an end. But what’s a good ending? Can a story have more than one? Scenes, chapters, sections, books…a good story has multiple endings within itself, and
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Post by Kathy Chung

Walking the Line: Authenticity, Vulnerability & Privacy

In Person, Live-streamed, and Recorded Whether we are writing fiction or non-fiction, we put a lot of ourself into our work. How much of your own experience goes into your writing for others to see? And how do we walk that line between being authentic, and protecting our privacy? How do we stay vuln
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Post by Kathy Chung

The Horror Toolbox

In Person, Live-streamed, and Recorded Is horror a literary genre on its own, a set of tools that can be used to heighten other genres, or both? This talk will break down the diegetic structures of multiple horror subgenres, examine the usage of common tropes and techniques, and discuss the subversi
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Post by Kathy Chung

Have You Eaten Yet?

In Person, Live-streamed, and Recorded When people think about food and writing, they likely think of nonfiction, such as food memoirs, critical essays, and cookbooks. But the seemingly mundane act of eating can add so many layers to your story when done well. Just like sex scenes and fight scenes,
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Post by Kathy Chung

Three Building Blocks to Indie Publishing

In Person Only, Not Recorded This workshop will focus on how three building blocks – metadata, mailing lists, and author websites – can lay a strong foundation for your indie publishing career. Whether you’re just starting to write or polishing your finished manuscript, we’ll loo
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Post by Kathy Chung

Stalled Story Solutions

In Person, Live-streamed, and Recorded Stalled middles and stuck characters don’t have to stay that way. Whatever your type of story, learn how to turn suffering into seeking, along with the use of crisis, plans, schemes, gambles, enemies, prosecutors, jailers, agents of chaos and the propulsive p
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Post by Kathy Chung

Dying is Easy. Comedy is Hard.

In Person, Live-streamed, and Recorded “Dying is Easy. Comedy is hard.” That’s an adage that proves especially true for those of use who weave humor and murder together in our fiction. This lecture will look at the How’s and Why’s (and When’s) to include comedy in your crime
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Post by Kathy Chung

Queering Your Writing: Writing Queer Characters with Authenticity and Sensitivity

In Person Only, Not Recorded Queer is a huge spectrum and with changing language around gender identity and orientation and there are so many avenues to explore when it comes to writing queer characters. In this workshop, we will explore the divide between own voices and inclusive writing. Part gene
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Post by Kathy Chung

From Concept to Hero: Crafting Protagonists through the Hero’s Journey

Virtual Only, Recorded This class delves deep into the process of transforming a protagonist from a mere concept into a dynamic hero using techniques like free associating and mapping. Participants will learn how to craft engaging beginnings, navigate through impactful middles, build towards powerfu
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Post by Kathy Chung

Writing From the Inside Out

In Person Only, Not Recorded How to start with who your are and your family background, then move out in concentric circles to craft a novel with depth, believable characters, and non-stop nail-biting action through the elements of suspense, mystery, and horror. Caution: Michael Slade is a criminal
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Post by Kathy Chung

Two Collaborators Talk Collaborative Writing

In Person, Live-streamed, and Recorded Explore the fine art of collaborative writing, as taught by two collaborators – Finnian Burnett & Andrew Buckley. Writing with someone can bring forth powerful skills—As writers talk through changes, mash genres and styles, and absorb each other’s
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Post by Kathy Chung

Secrets of Series Characters

In Person, Live-streamed, and Recorded Series characters have qualities that keep readers coming back. Special abilities, secret weaknesses, origin tragedies, inner conflict, outcast status, high humanity, signature lines and more. Learn the secrets of their longevity in this hands-on workshop.
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Post by Kathy Chung

Identity

In Person Only, Not Recorded From Memoir to Suspense to Fantasy, the elements of character identity, such as race, religion, and family structure, can unlock every piece of your writing toolkit. How your character chooses to identify (and why) is a crucial building block for every story you tell. In
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Post by Kathy Chung

How to Write a Synopsis Without Crying

In Person, Live-streamed, and Recorded It doesn’t have to be the “Dreaded Synopsis”. It can be the efficient, well-written synopsis that highlights your premise and stand-out voice, all without making you want to give up writing. We’ll cover a Synopses Writing Recipe using Th
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Post by Kathy Chung

De- & Anti-Colonial Convergences: Literary, Critical, and Theoretical Conversations

In Person Only, Not Recorded In this workshop, we will consider the intersections between political theory, Indigenous studies, and critical writing. To do so, we will discuss a selection of short, diverse literary and cultural texts that engage with both critical theory and Indigenous thought and p
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Post by Kathy Chung

Practical Advice for Writers

Virtual Only, Recorded This workshop will guide you in transforming your ideas into published works. We will explore a range of topics, including overcoming perfectionism, crafting first drafts, revising manuscripts, and querying agents. We’ll also discuss the importance of building a supporti
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Post by Kathy Chung

Scene Writing for the Scene Avoidant

In Person, Live-streamed, and Recorded How do you transition from pre-writing to actually making progress in a scene? We’ll take a look at what scenes REALLY are, and why they can be so hard to craft. There are some common barriers and this workshop will give you the tools to overcome them.
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