tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-325341912024-03-19T09:47:05.587-07:00The Writers' Trust Workshop BlogThe Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-30180810718143895262012-08-09T13:37:00.001-07:002012-08-09T13:39:55.768-07:00The Writers' Trust of Canada ran its Workshop Program from 2006 until 2009. Though the program is now defunct due to lack of funding, we feel the information contained on this blog is still useful to aspiring authors. If you'd like to learn more about the Writers' Trust and our programs to advance, nurture, and celebrate Canadian writers and writing, please visit our website: <a href="http://www.writerstrust.com/">http://www.writerstrust.com</a>. Thank you.<br />The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-42542210447483057892009-05-27T20:21:00.000-07:002009-05-27T20:39:30.940-07:00Excerts from a Workshop with Douglas Arthur Brown<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZB1bxIcVfBsqTNe5dvXYmuQ2IJU4qEGMEXt68_3qvBzQITUlyJIPx13OjZj1Fm_UtkPLZ2-9YvSlEmjZOL1Nx9_eFnpPrnTGWfgJfysRsGqv0R0WbM5dTDZ1W-bhPrbMFtJDP/s1600-h/Douglas.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340713507808920370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 148px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZB1bxIcVfBsqTNe5dvXYmuQ2IJU4qEGMEXt68_3qvBzQITUlyJIPx13OjZj1Fm_UtkPLZ2-9YvSlEmjZOL1Nx9_eFnpPrnTGWfgJfysRsGqv0R0WbM5dTDZ1W-bhPrbMFtJDP/s200/Douglas.jpg" border="0" /></a> Under the auspices of the National Writers' Workshop Program, I conducted a workshop for the Cape Breton Regional Library System in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. One of the topics we covered during the workshop was how readers approach a work of fiction. The following are excerpts from this discussion.<br /><br />In writing a short novel, there are several basic principles to keep always in mind. The best way to illustrate this is to consider how readers approach a book or story. Most readers have no expectations other than they hope the story will be good. However, readers make assumptions based on their experience of life and the general patterns of good writing they have read over the years.<br /><br />Two things quickly become apparent: people read expecting a naturalist unfolding of events and they are conservative in processing information. In other words, if you mention a bird, and the experience of a bird for the reader is a crow, then you should make sure the bird you are writing about is a crow. Otherwise, you confuse and frustrate the reader. Therefore, if you are writing about a stork, then let the writer know that it is a stork and not a crow. It is your obligation as a writer to provide enough information to ensure that they remain engaged and not frustrated.<br /><br />Writing should progress naturally, and not test the patience of your readers. Readers should never have to turn back in the course of their reading. Books do not come with an instruction manual! Misdirection involving the point of views of characters is fine. Someone may say in good faith that his sister stole the diamond, only to discover later that actually it was wicked cousin Mike. What is not fine is for a reader to make the natural assumption based on what has been provided thus far, that the wicked cousin is a man, only to find out subsequently that she is a woman. Readers, in the absence of directions from the writer, assume something about what a character is like their age, looks, where they are from, where they live now, and so forth. In the absence of directions from the writer, the reader is most likely to assume that the “normal” is in play - that a character called Mike is a man, that someone wearing an Armani suit is not farming, As I have said, the reader has to be assuming something, if the writer isn’t given sufficient direction from the writer.<br /><br />Here is another basic principle. Readers need to know why they should keep reading: what is coming, what may happen, what problems may be created and perhaps, resolved, what kinds of changes may occur in the characters, why the things that happen to the characters, and the changes that occur in them matter. There needs to be as emotional and thematic indication for readers, to keep them interested.<br /><br />There should also be reinforcement of information, especially if it is critical to the development of the story, especially a longer piece, to remind us what we are to expect. You might argue that if the reader turned back to page 75, the information is there. Remember, there is no manual. Novels are not written to be taught.<br /><br />Another basic principle in writing is the development of the protagonists. If the character does not change in the course of the writing, it is not fiction. It is information. In other words, the main character or characters will find themselves in a different place, emotionally or intellectually at the end of the story than from where they began. It is a journey and you ask the reader to join the characters on this journey.<br /><br />Lastly, you must provide sign-posting to help guide the assumptions and expectations of the reader. Readers must be compelled to continue, to want to know how the story ends. In sign-posting you are showing your ability as a writer, that you know more than the characters do, and if you signpost properly, you keep the reader on track.The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-68126794065941713092009-04-22T12:15:00.000-07:002009-04-22T13:51:38.810-07:00Notes from "Re-imagining the Past" by Mary Novik<strong>From Workshop to Writing Group</strong><br /><br />Leading a workshop for the Writers' Trust last night ("Re-imagining the Past," April 20, 2009) has made me reflect again about the struggle that emerging writers face.<br /><br />As new writers, we embark on a writing project full of enthusiasm and ideas, but soon discover that the path is strewn with hurdles that we aren't yet capable of jumping. Or we find ourselves at a crossroads with no clue which path to choose. We don't even know which metaphor to pick--cinder track or impenetrable forest. The whole process has ground to a halt. Why is writing so impossibly complicated? It was supposed to be fun, a real ego boost, but we are already confused and depressed. Dare we call this writer's block? No--we haven't even got enough guts to call ourselves "writers" yet.<br /><br />When I began writing fiction, I worked on one book for several years only to put it aside. Then I started <em>Conceit</em> , my novel about Pegge, the daughter of the 17th-century poet John Donne. I worked on it for a year until I was struck by the sheer enormity of what I had undertaken. I knew I needed help to keep going. In a workshop for new novelists, I was fortunate to meet Jen Sookfong Lee and June Hutton. Highly motivated, we made a commitment to stick together until we'd completed our debut novels. Over the years, we've helped one another evolve from unpublished to emerging to published novelists. Jen's <em>The End of East</em> (Knopf) and my <em>Conceit</em> (Doubleday) came out in 2007, and June's <em>Underground</em> (Cormorant Books) has just been published. After seven years, we are still together and working on sophomore novels. We now have agents and editors to guide us professionally, but we meet regularly to down a bottle of wine and buoy one another up.<br /><br />The trick to forming a writing group is to find writers working in the same genre who share the same commitment. Different ages and backgrounds don't seem to matter as much. Workshops, such as the ones offered by the Writers' Trust, are excellent places to network in the hope of finding writing partners. It might begin as easily as raising a glass together, as we did at the Subeez after our workshop last night. If you hit it off, you'll soon be encouraging one another to read at open mics, swapping manuscripts, and jumping hurdles together. <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMarmssroxoy6r05mXm83vek4Mp7uFpEp0Q9WDodAqjJsfI7q8XyJXlh0m0N4STDy3s6Kq-ay3IuCjgrbLzuEDL_aLGAnkBJgfkLe1SA05gm2jFmv7sQvya9lB6roeavsrCY7x/s1600-h/Mary+Novik.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327606110142523122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 158px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMarmssroxoy6r05mXm83vek4Mp7uFpEp0Q9WDodAqjJsfI7q8XyJXlh0m0N4STDy3s6Kq-ay3IuCjgrbLzuEDL_aLGAnkBJgfkLe1SA05gm2jFmv7sQvya9lB6roeavsrCY7x/s200/Mary+Novik.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></p><br /><p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQGzTcm2P_XnbEJzhaHqM3bYD37Qu8wAUbW8LMuERSQ9vRrVrZAm5S0xJRkNoToUGDcOYKB2vEUPD_t1gp_y7S-i1xl_tcCr2WRT4ZL-DumqS0vychhDtOUPs9BJZ21jFeeXuv/s1600-h/Mary+Novik.jpg"></a></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"></p><p align="left"></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:78%;">Mary Novik at Subeez in Vancouver<br /></span><span style="font-size:78%;">April 20, 2009<br /></span><span style="font-size:78%;">Photo Credit: Heidi Greco</span></p><strong><br />References:<br /></strong><br />Heidi Greco's <a href="http://outonthebiglimb.blogspot.com/2009/04/workshop-with-mary-novik-at-vpl.html">blog about last night's workshop</a> at Out on the Big Limb<br /><br />SPiN Writing Group websites: <a href="http://www.spinwrites.com/">http://www.spinwrites.com/</a>, <a href="http://www.marynovik.com/">http://www.marynovik.com/</a>, <a href="http://www.sookfong.com/">http://www.sookfong.com/</a>, <a href="http://www.junehutton.com/">http://www.junehutton.com/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090224.wbktuesdayessay24/BNStory/globebooks/home">"Raising gems, together: How three Canadian writers banded together to help each other bring their first novels into the world"</a>, by June Hutton, Jen Sookfong Lee, and Mary Novik, Tuesday Essay, The Globe and Mail on-line, February 24, 2009.<br /><br />"Writing Group Makes Good," article on SPiN writing group by Sarah Treleaven in Quill & Quire, March 2007, p. 7.<br /><br /><strong>Selected Resources:<br /><br /></strong>Writers' Trust of Canada, <a href="http://www.writerstrust.com/">http://www.writerstrust.com/</a> and <a href="http://writerstrust.blogspot.com/">http://writerstrust.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />Places for Writers, <a href="http://www.placesforwriters.com/">http://www.placesforwriters.com/</a><br /><br />The Writers' Union of Canada, <a href="http://www.writersunion.ca/">http://www.writersunion.ca/</a><br /><br />The Canadian Authors' Association, <a href="http://www.canauthors.org/links/courses.html">www.canauthors.org/links/courses.html</a><br /><br />Booming Ground, <a href="http://www.boomingground.com/">http://www.boomingground.com/</a><br /><p></p>The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-58578364512524442512009-04-21T06:23:00.000-07:002009-04-21T09:00:20.682-07:00Upcoming Workshop in London, Ontario<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGUZlUhKLAwIvwZgSCNuW8vX5-Uft4WLqNExWC_m7_d2dGJIFNnoaIIYo2Q-Vy5riI3027gK11QJRgI0ZmTC99pXaR9jhWUivkj9b2VgqgREI9yLqRfmmZtW-z4nu4zZqjWds/s1600-h/Headshot.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327137168703466050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 138px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGUZlUhKLAwIvwZgSCNuW8vX5-Uft4WLqNExWC_m7_d2dGJIFNnoaIIYo2Q-Vy5riI3027gK11QJRgI0ZmTC99pXaR9jhWUivkj9b2VgqgREI9yLqRfmmZtW-z4nu4zZqjWds/s200/Headshot.JPG" border="0" /></a> JOAN BARFOOT<br />“In the Beginning: Popping the Story, Seducing the Reader”<br />London Public Library – Central Branch<br />Tuesday, May 26, 2009<br />6pm – 8pm<br /><br />The first lines of a story tell a reader whether s/he is likely to be intrigued, repelled, or just bored - whether s/he will keep reading, or set the piece down and move on. Some openings - think Dickens, think Tolstoy - even become iconic. But whether yours reach those touchstone heights or not, they are vital not only to seducing the reader, but to setting out for yourself the tone, themes and sensibilities you're aiming for as a writer. In this workshop, we'll discuss why some story openings work (and some don't), with plenty of opportunity to analyze and hone participants' own kick-off words.<br /><br /><strong>Joan Barfoot</strong> has written 11 novels, from Abra, winner of the Books in Canada First Novel Award, to Exit Lines, published in 2008. Her tenth, Luck, was shortlisted for the 2005 Scotiabank Giller Prize and her ninth, Critical Injuries, was nominated for the 2002 Man Booker Prize. Her novel Dancing in the Dark became an award-winning film, and she received the Marian Engel Award in 1992. A former newspaper journalist, she lives in London, Ontario.<br /><br />REGISTRATION IS FREE BUT SPACE IS LIMITED<br /><br />To register, or for more information, please <a href="mailto:%20info@writerstrust.com">email</a> or call 416.504.8222 x 242The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-21107052085779965972009-04-20T12:21:00.000-07:002009-04-21T06:40:25.232-07:00Commentary from Ken McGooganRevolution, anyone? In praise of literary nonfiction<br />By Ken McGoogan<br />(Published in Globe and Mail, Nov. 10, 2008)<br /><br />Who knew that Edmonton would become a North Star? Certainly not this ex-Calgarian, his expectations diminished by subjection to years of inter-city rivalry. But a literary Polaris, I realized in the heat of a recent panel discussion, is precisely what the Alberta capital has turned into as a result of LitFest. That's the name of the only book festival in Canada devoted to nonfiction: LitFest.<br /><br />The theme this year was "Hot North." Three authors had said their pieces, and now audience members were rushing to the microphones, bursting with questions to ask and statements to make. The scene brought me back to a recent Melbourne Literary Festival. There, three panels treating history and biography inspired such enthusiastic skirmishing that I could hardly believe it. Audience members challenged speakers and presented arguments. By crikey, they had come to participate.<br /><br />Both events made the traditional Canadian festival look pallid. And at both I found myself reflecting that, in turning our backs on literary nonfiction, we in Canada have made a serious mistake. We have become a nation of spectators, detached from our own history, our own issues, happy to leave engagement to others while fawning over fiction writers, preferably come from away.<br /><br />Am I the only one grown tired of listening to fictioneers read to me from books I can read myself? A cabaret of six-minute readings can entertain if the drinks are flowing. But to the conventional, twenty-minute fiction writer's drone, I vastly prefer an on-stage conversation or interview, or better still a no-holds-barred panel discussion. And for that, nothing works better than fact-based literature.<br /><br />Yet a few days after LitFest ended, a Toronto newspaper reported that Geoffrey Taylor, the artistic director of the International Festival of Authors, was taking flak for opening up a tiny bit of space to nonfiction. And I found myself thinking: this problem is larger than I realized.<br /><br />October brought supporting evidence. The horse-race mentality pervading the Giller Prize is famously deplorable. But then came the announcement of the finalists for the Governor-General's Literary Awards – and here, again, you would swear that the only GG that matters is the one for fiction. Best illustration: <em>The National Post</em> devoted almost half a page to the fiction finalists, and for the rest, referred readers to a website.<br /><br />The disparity reminded me of CBC Radio's annual <em>Canada Reads </em>competition. Why, year after year, does it focus exclusively on fiction? In the real world, fiction accounts for less than 35 per cent of the Canadian book market, even if you throw in thrillers and Harlequin romances. Clearly, Canadian gate-keepers have bought into the notion that fiction is the Heavyweight Division and the literary novel is the Main Event.<br /><br />Sad, sad, sad. In the international arena, no less a figure than Nobel Prize-winner V.S. Naipaul has insisted repeatedly that nonfiction can be just as "literary" as fiction -- just as imaginative, just as important, just as profound. And I smile grimly at the unhappy precedent, from an adjacent realm, of English painter J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851), who created countless masterpieces yet received no commensurate recognition because "history painting" was the only high art, don't you know, and he painted merest landscapes.<br /><br />Quick now, list the ten most important Canadian books of the past twenty years. All done? If your list does not include <em>Frozen in Time: The Fate of the Franklin Expedition</em>, by Owen Beattie and John Geiger, you have proven my point. One hundred years from now, when most of today's prize-winning novels have been consigned to the dustbin of literary history, people will still be arguing about that book. And <em>Frozen in Time</em> is just one example from the field I know best.<br /><br />Again, if it's a body of work that counts, consider Charlotte Gray's: <em>Mrs. King</em>, <em>Sisters in the Wilderness</em>,<em> Flint & Feather</em>, <em>Reluctant Genius</em>. Few contemporary fiction writers have produced any comparable run. As for matters of literary craft, well, I refer you to a forthcoming book by Heather Robertson called <em>Measuring Mother Earth: How Joe the Kid Became Tyrrell of the North</em>. It's a narrative nonfiction that will stand, for sheer artistry, against any novel published this season.<br /><br />Where am I taking this? To be blunt, I am calling for a revolution. LitFest is a beginning. Going forward requires a slow-motion, two-step action plan. First step: we divide fact-based literature into two broad categories –narrative nonfiction and polemical nonfiction. The first includes biography, memoir, travel, popular history, true crime, you get the idea; the second comprises thesis-driven works, artful jeremiads – political, scientific, philosophical. Along these lines, we reorganize our book-world.<br /><br />Second step: we abandon "nonfiction." Yes, you read that correctly. We cease to define countless literary works by what they are not, and in relation to some other genre. As a corollary, recognize that, as a concept, "creative nonfiction" has taken us as far as it can. Let it go. End result: we will be left with two fact-based literary genres, Narrative and Polemic, both on par with Fiction.<br /><br />Again: where today we have two main categories, Fiction and Nonfiction, tomorrow we have three: Fiction, Narrative and Polemic. And that should translate into three GGs of equal prestige, three Giller Prizes, three Main Events – and ten times the engagement.<br /><br />What, am I dreaming? Have I gone mad? I know, I know: we face resistance. Vested interests abound -- entrenched, institutionalized, ubiquitous. Ah, but not omnipotent. Revolutions have to start somewhere. Anticipating a long struggle, I offer a battle cry: Viva Narrative! Viva Polemic! Viva LitFest!The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-45059082817264581432009-04-09T12:54:00.000-07:002009-04-09T13:08:27.528-07:00Notes from "The Art and Craft of Historical Fiction" with Fred Stenson<strong>ACCURACY, AUTHENTICITY, AND USING REAL PEOPLE IN FICTION<br /></strong><br /><strong>Is it necessary to be authentic? </strong><br /><br />Two good things to remember about historical fiction are that:<br />1. Historical fiction can only be written by people who weren’t there.<br />2. Historical fiction can only be read by people who weren’t there either.<br /><br />Theoretically this could mean to the writer that he or she is under little obligation to be correct about all the facts, and some writers of historical fiction are very loose with the facts. Whether you try to be very accurate or don’t worry about it is, in my opinion, a matter of choice, not moral duty.<br /><br />My own way of doing it is to try to stick close to historical fact, if I believe the facts, and to do my creating in the gaps between the historical facts. History is usually more gap than known fact anyway. And the more obscure your topic, the more gap relative to fact.<br /><br />The reason that I like to stick with the facts, to the extent that they are known and I believe them, is again not because I feel a more duty to be authentic, but that I fear the consequences of being inauthentic. That is, I fear for the success of the fiction I write.<br /><br />People have a spooky ability to smell that which is untrue, or poorly researched, or where the author doesn’t really know something and is covering up. It really does verge on the uncanny.<br /><br />I view history as being like a vast Rubik’s Cube. Everything is attached to everything else. You cannot move one thing without making all kinds of other things shift. So, if I decide to change a fact—say if I decide to put a railway where there wasn’t one across the Great Karoo Desert, because I want my men to get somewhere quickly and in a rested condition; or for that matter if there is a railway and I remove it so that I can make the journey more harrowing for them—that fact alters countless things most of which I won’t be aware of.<br /><br />The reverse is also true, I think. That is, if the writer sticks to known facts, leaves the railways where they were etcetera, a whole range of things attached to those facts also stay in their right places, and the whole is supported by all kinds of bits of information that the writer, again, may not ever know.<br /><br />So that’s what I want going for me, that Rubik’s Cube of unaltered information. I want that support when I try to make the reader believe what I write.<br /><br /><strong>What about using real people in your fiction?</strong><br /><br />First off I’m going to paraphrase something that Guy Vanderhaeghe said in an interview for a book by Herb Wyle called <em>Speaking the Past Tense: Contemporary Novelists writing Historical Fiction.</em> It refers to Guy’s novel <em>The Last Crossing</em>.<br /><br />One of the characters in <em>The Last Crossing</em> is a fictionalized Jerry Potts, the Scottish-Blackfoot mixed blood scout who led the Mounted Police to Ft. Whoop-up, the illegal whisky fort, in 1874. He makes the point that it’s easier to write fiction about Jerry Potts than it is to write fiction about John A. MacDonald, because so very much less is known about Potts. So when he did write historical fiction, he looked for areas that were not too well known, where there was room to roam.<br /><br />Most of the history-based characters I deal with are from the fringes of history, people who are well on their way to being forgotten, and it is helpful to have all those gaps to work with when creating their character. My own little rule is that I use what I find about them, unless I have reason to believe it is wrong, and if the existing information points in a certain direction as to their character, I go with that. I don’t try to bully them into being something else that might be more convenient for me.<br /><br />Why I mostly deal with people on the lower rungs of the various societies I’ve written about is another matter. It’s not that I’m raving Marxist, but rather that these are the people I find most interesting and have the most identification with. I was raised on a farm, is part of it.<br /><br />So my choice to write about fur trade clerks and boat builders as opposed to fur trade governors, cowboys rather than ranching aristocrats, and privates rather than generals, is a matter of instinct. But, having chosen that, I found I did like the idea that by pulling my characters off the forgotten fringes of history to the centre, I was perhaps changing history. Because history viewed through their eyes was a different thing than the usual history written by and about people in positions of power and control.<br /><br /><strong>But what about the morality of making a fictional character out of a real historical person?</strong><br /><br />Is it really okay to fill all those biographical gaps with made-up things, even if they are made-up things that fit? And, having written three large books of historical fiction, all of which contained fictionalized real people, I have to say I don’t know if it’s morally okay.<br /><br />Some people have said to me, why don’t you just take a little bit of this person, and a little of that person, mix their biographies together and call them something else? But it finally came to me that I think doing that would be the greater of two minor evils. I think if I am taking somebody’s biography and adding onto it to make a believable fictional character, the least I can do is call them by their name. A lot of these people are on their way to being forgotten even within their own families, and I think that if I build a fictional character out of them, they might hang on into the future.<br /><br />Consider Robin Hood. They say there was a fellow in England who led a gang of rebel thieves who robbed from the noblemen and shared their bounty with the poor. Somewhere along the line, someone took that fellow and made Robin Hood out of him. Without that act of fictionalization of a real person, we would not have the whole myth of Robin Hood.The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-69729745961126131912009-04-02T07:51:00.000-07:002009-04-02T08:15:04.982-07:00Winner Annouced for Emerging Writer Award<div align="left">WRITERS’ TRUST HERALDS NEW VOICE: </div><div align="left">Winner of RBC Bronwen Wallace Award For Emerging Writers Announced<br /><br />TORONTO – April 2, 2009 – A literary award with a track record for identifying some of this country’s finest developing writers has been presented to Emily McGiffin, a twenty-eight-year-old from Smithers, British Columbia.<br /><br />The RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers is given this year to a Canadian author under the age of thirty-five, not yet published in book form, for a sample of poetry. Supported by the RBC Foundation, the prize carries a cash value of $5,000. The prize was presented last night at an event at Toronto’s Royal Bank Plaza.<br /><br />Emily McGiffin studied biology and geography at the University of Victoria and is currently working toward an MSc in rural development through the University of London. McGiffin’s poetry has been twice shortlisted for the CBC Literary Awards and has appeared in The Malahat Review. Her non-fiction appears regularly in Small Farm Canada magazine.<br /><br />“This award attracts the attention of publishers and literary agents, and can often lead to a writer’s first book contract,” said Don Oravec, executive director of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. “We applaud the RBC Foundation for getting behind writers at this stage of their career. Support like this helps to develop and promote this country’s next generation of great writers.”<br /><br />Finalists were selected by a jury of Don Domanski, Jeanette Lynes, and Anne Simpson. They received 135 submissions. Of McGiffin’s poetry submission, “Wokkpash and Other Poems,” they wrote:<br /><br />"These deeply resonant poems are perceptive, visceral, and steeped in lyrical wisdom. The linguistic orchestrations of this work inhabit a fully engaged intelligence and sensibility. There is heart-seeing here, expressed with an authentic strength and a luminous eloquence. This is poetry linked firmly to the invisible labouring of a raw faith, which has grown out of body and mind. The vision here is one aesthetically grounded in the world, a world that in turn is replenished by these poems, by this poet’s beautifully cadenced work."<br /><br />Two finalists each received cash prizes of $1,000: Michael Johnson (Vancouver) for “The Minnow and Other Poems” and Jeff Latosik (Toronto) for “How the Tiktaalik Came onto Land and Other Poems.”<br /><br />This prize was presented for the first time in 1994 and alternates each year between poetry and short fiction. Past winners include Michael Crummey, Alissa York, and, most recently, Marjorie Celona.<br /><br />Bronwen Wallace was a mentor for many young writers as well as a creative writing teacher at St. Lawrence College and Queen’s University in Kingston. She was also the editor of Quarry Magazine, and during her editorship the magazine gave many writers their first publication. Wallace wrote four books of poetry and a collection of short stories before her death at age forty-four. She felt strongly that unpublished writers should receive recognition at an earlier age.<br /><br />The RBC Foundation invested $51.5 million in charities in hundreds of communities worldwide in 2008. Its support of this literary award is one of thirty partnerships that constitute the RBC Emerging Artists Project, supporting talented young adults in their development of professional careers in the arts.<br /><br />About the Writers’ Trust of Canada<br /><br />The Writers’ Trust of Canada is a charitable organization that supports Canadian writers and writing through various programs, including literary awards, financial grants, workshops, scholarships, and a writers’ retreat.<br /><br />For further information about the Writers’ Trust and to receive a booklet containing the submissions of this year’s finalists, please visit <a href="http://www.writerstrust.com/">http://www.writerstrust.com/</a>.<br /><br /></div><p align="left"></p><div align="center">-30-<br /><br /></div><p align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;">For further information, photo requests, or interview opportunities, contact James Davies at 416.504.8222, ext. 245, or </span><a href="mailto:jdavies@writerstrust.com"><span style="font-size:85%;">jdavies@writerstrust.com</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">.</span></p>The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-43067653249454777102009-03-11T07:10:00.000-07:002009-03-11T07:34:05.566-07:00April Workshops - Registration Now Open<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5j6_t83lr4C7jjDGRUCFYW4UdlrA6hxJGgQrtc7QIo4DKV_eiOBBh0rx7bI4HM2SOiT9RmuPUugwYAcHUYno45JokxKxxHe0cPXmWTwcwUSFmeiFIr_0Prgc_iHVS8LAtMXr9/s1600-h/Stenson+Head+Shot.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311936405565022050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 198px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5j6_t83lr4C7jjDGRUCFYW4UdlrA6hxJGgQrtc7QIo4DKV_eiOBBh0rx7bI4HM2SOiT9RmuPUugwYAcHUYno45JokxKxxHe0cPXmWTwcwUSFmeiFIr_0Prgc_iHVS8LAtMXr9/s200/Stenson+Head+Shot.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div><strong>FRED STENSON</strong><br />"The Art and Craft of Historical Fiction"<br />Saturday, April 4, 2009 1pm - 4pm<br />Memorial Park Library<br />Calgary, AB<br /><br />This three-hour workshop will look at several basics of historical fiction writing, such as creating historical characters and writing historical scenes that readers can watch and listen to, and be engaged by. The question of accuracy will be dealt with, particularly the issues surrounding the fictionalization of actual events and real people. Is historical fiction much different than writing contemporary fiction? Some small exercises will be used, so please bring pen and paper.<br /><br />FRED STENSON is the author of fifteen books (eight fiction and seven non-fiction). His three most recent novels, The Great Karoo, Lightning, and The Trade, are historical fictions: not a series in the sense of continuing one story, but related through geography, character and theme--and also through their approach to history. The Great Karoo was nominated for the Governor General's Award for Fiction in 2008. Lightning and The Trade both won Alberta's Grant MacEwan Book Prize. The Trade won the WGA's novel award and the Edmonton Book Prize, and was nominated for the Giller Prize. Stenson writes a regular column in Alberta Views Magazine and is director of the Wired Writing Studio at The Banff Centre.<br /><br />REGISTRATION IS FREE BUT SPACE IS LIMITED<br /><br />To register, or for more information, please <a href="mailto:%20info@writerstrust.com">email</a> or call 416.504.8222 x 242<br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGngX-3gm1ObHE1lCkR9T8D5sxcNLUX1WDLJy4CCJ4sKWy2peazfhuVJpmepOEchSqRPYwp95QxuxlZMPRrCQKAkiijm81VYIZjpcTtyRVCwJM4LPDkIPvDFAqX04UXc4QhogR/s1600-h/Head+shot.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311935275144407778" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGngX-3gm1ObHE1lCkR9T8D5sxcNLUX1WDLJy4CCJ4sKWy2peazfhuVJpmepOEchSqRPYwp95QxuxlZMPRrCQKAkiijm81VYIZjpcTtyRVCwJM4LPDkIPvDFAqX04UXc4QhogR/s200/Head+shot.jpg" border="0" /></a>KEN MCGOOGAN</strong><br />“Discovering Creative Non-Fiction”<br />Saturday, April 18, 2009 1pm – 3pm<br />Toronto Public Library – Beaches Branch<br />Toronto, ON<br /><br />What is Creative Non-fiction? How does it differ from academic writing? From short stories and novels? From journalism? After earning two degrees, working as a journalist for three Canadian dailies, and publishing three novels, author Ken McGoogan discovered Creative Non-Fiction and began winning awards.<br /><br />Starting with Fatal Passage, a national bestseller that won four prizes, Ken has applied CNF techniques to four acclaimed books. He will take you behind the scenes of his own work with a slide-show presentation that ranges from London, England to Orkney, and from Tasmania to the High Arctic.<br /><br />Does the non-fiction novel exist? What is immersion reporting? Should we try to distinguish between literary journalism, narrative non-fiction and polemical non-fiction? Ken will explore these questions while leading a dynamic workshop that gets people writing and sharing on the spot.<br /><br />KEN MCGOOGAN, whose books include Lady Franklin's Revenge and Race to the Polar Sea, teaches Creative Non-Fiction at University of Toronto. A recipient of the Pierre Berton Award for History, Ken is vice-chairman of the Public Lending Right Commission. He lives in the Beaches. For more information visit <a title="blocked::http://www.kenmcgoogan.com/" href="http://www.kenmcgoogan.com/">http://www.kenmcgoogan.com/</a>.<br /><br />REGISTRATION IS FREE BUT SPACE IS LIMITED<br /><br />To register, or for more information, please <a href="mailto:%20info@writerstrust.com">email</a> or call 416.504.8222 x 242<br /></div><div><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsP7JsWvobJOS8SFn8EbOpYEaX1zcuzkG3OrngIzN-wdYe5jLwKrB-yspk8qog84wKcPHi5NUxrgPoUyF6zwjj2OGUcM-QMsgsPGYMliS2fVfOFppc-NnyxX4DTeAUwfonJrLD/s1600-h/Headshot+resized.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311935566275131746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 162px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsP7JsWvobJOS8SFn8EbOpYEaX1zcuzkG3OrngIzN-wdYe5jLwKrB-yspk8qog84wKcPHi5NUxrgPoUyF6zwjj2OGUcM-QMsgsPGYMliS2fVfOFppc-NnyxX4DTeAUwfonJrLD/s200/Headshot+resized.jpg" border="0" /></a> MARY NOVIK</strong><br />“Re-imagining the Past”<br />Mon. Apr. 20, 2009, 6pm – 8pm<br />Vancouver Public Library - Central Library<br />Vancouver, BC<br /><br />Are you writing a short story or novel based on historical people or events? Pitch your story idea to the group (in two minutes or less) and join us in answering these questions: Are you writing for yourself, or for a specific market? Will this be literary fiction or straightforward narrative? How much research is enough? How much is too much? Which has priority in your story, truth or art?<br /><br />We will also discuss using facts as triggers to jumpstart fiction, seeing through a character's eyes to improve focus, dealing with readers' expectations, developing good work habits, and encouraging the subconscious to play its part.<br /><br />MARY NOVIK is the author of Conceit, called "a magnificent novel of 17th-century London" by The Globe and Mail, which chose it as a Book of the Year for 2007. Conceit was long-listed for the Scotiabank Giller and won BC's Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. For more information visit <a href="http://www.marynovik.com/">http://www.marynovik.com/</a>. </div><p>REGISTRATION IS FREE BUT SPACE IS LIMITED<br /><br />To register, or for more information, please <a href="mailto:%20info@writerstrust.com">email</a> or call 416.504.8222 x 242 </p></div>The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-44458626608097177042008-12-11T06:20:00.000-08:002008-12-11T06:23:49.535-08:00Notes from "When Memoir Inspires Fiction" Part 3<span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Promoting a book of memoir-based fiction:<br /></strong></span><br />1. If your book is historical, a good idea is to tie promotion in with big events, like the anniversary of Vimy Ridge, for example. You’ll have to work with your publisher on that, but it could help get you more media coverage outside of the Books section.<br /><br />2. Autobiographical fiction is something journalists and readers are really interested in, so you will be asked personal questions. As well, the reality of what book promotion has become is about the persona selling the book (we see this with how authors are using Facebook and other social networking tools). It’s about using your personality to publicize. My advice is to decide ahead of time what you’re willing to reveal and what you’re not. Some things are just off limits and there’s nothing at all wrong with this. But you will have to reveal something of yourself. You do want to seem personable and someone who really wants people to read their book.<br /><br />3. Easily the best thing I’ve learned in promoting is to tell stories or anecdotes when you’re doing a reading or in response to a question. If your story has to do with your life, or if there’s some touching story related to the book, use it. People are most drawn to stories and will respond well to them.<br /><br />4. Enjoy the promotion. Don’t get too stressed about it or it will show. Not too many people get a chance to be in the limelight once in a while, so allow yourself to have fun with it. We all like being recognized for our strengths after all.<br /></p>The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-10215338538298447702008-12-10T06:38:00.000-08:002008-12-10T06:40:51.446-08:00Notes from "When Memoir Inspires Fiction" Part 2<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Tips for making memoir-based fiction work:</span><br /></strong><br />1. The most valuable part of any fact or memory is not the material itself, but how much energy it gives you to write it. We talk about inspiration a lot as writers, but in order for inspiration to be truly valuable, it has to sustain you over the years and years you will be spending with this project<br /><br />2. When we write about characters that are like us or like people we know, we’re always afraid of exposing them too much or airing their dirty laundry out in public. What we should all strive for is to make our characters understood by our readers and we shouldn’t be afraid to lay out everything we know or create about them. Once you make the decision to write fiction, you have to be prepared to expose your characters totally, even if someone you love might recognize themselves, or even if you don’t want to reveal too much.<br /><br />3. That said, the ethical thing to do when you’re writing about someone you know is to tell them that you’re doing it. This is particularly important if you’re writing about events that are painful. I’ve been known to say that if you’re hanging out with a writer, you should know what you’re getting into, but the truth is that you don’t want your whole family to hate you.<br /><br />4. You never have to feel that you’re wedded to the facts. Fiction really takes off when we allow ourselves to compress events, or impose a structure to the plot that brings everything together, or increase the drama. Part of the reason we decide to make something fictional is because we want the freedom, so you should use it! Once the characters and events hit the page, they’re no longer real and we can manipulate them as we wish.<br /><br />5. Structure is easily something that can make or break a book and it’s the thing that most writers hate working on the most. When we’re writing stuff based on reality, our tendency is to follow events as they occurred. Remember though that the structure of your book doesn’t have to work that way. You want the structure to tie themes together and help the reader make sense of the story, and this may not be the way it actually occurred. No matter, just organize it properly and your story will sing.<br /><br />6. Many people who use fact as inspiration for their fiction have to set their novels in a historical context, war novels are a good example. This means that you really should get your details right--things like what kind of heating did people use, did mean wear boots or shoes. Research is key in these situations. My trick for this kind of research is to write one full draft using details that seem as if they would be right, then I go back through it and double check the facts. Of course, you still have to do some initial research to get the ball rolling, but for small details, this method works well and saves time.<br /><br />7. You have to be aware that no matter what you write, a certain portion of people will always read your life into the story and assume it’s all about you, even if it isn’t. You have to be comfortable with that if you’re going to show your book to the world. As well, if you’re writing something close to you or someone you know, you may scared to have your friends or family read it. You can’t keep it from them once it’s published (I know, I tried), so just brace yourself. They will say things that won’t make you feel good, or they’ll say things that will. Just know that their reactions are coming.<br /></p>The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-20012591303364446092008-12-09T11:37:00.000-08:002008-12-09T11:52:25.846-08:00Notes from "When Memoir Inspires Fiction" Part 1<span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;">List of novels with memoir elements:</span></strong><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>Little Women</em>, Louisa May Alcott</span><br /><br /><em>Turtle Valley</em>, Gail Anderson-Dargatz<br /><br /><em>The Jade Peony</em>, Wayson Choy<br /><br /><em>Little House series</em>, Laura Ingalls Wilder<br /><br /><em>Sons and Lovers</em>, D.H. Lawrence<br /><br /><em>To Kill a Mockingbird</em>, Harper Lee<br /><br /><em>The Way the Crow Flies</em>, Ann-Marie MacDonald<br /><br /><em>Difficulty at the Beginning</em>, Keith Maillard<br /><br /><em>The Bell Jar</em>, Sylvia Plath<br /><br /><em>Joshua Then and Now</em>, Mordechai Richler<br /><br /><em>Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas</em>, Hunter S. Thompson<br /><br /><em>Oranges are not the Only Fruit</em>, Jeannette Winterson<br /><p></p>The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-39177224430315559422008-11-05T08:25:00.000-08:002008-11-05T08:36:57.280-08:00Upcoming Workshop<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhciabBm0mmsfsgxRiq0qEHItXTYXpOP19Im2b46HWHUE6tmwC8nCrHxwwZGb3IWWdGR8XuBvNvlqJpw8JEgC9KEesmOtQsWmVzuNTMU_S07NNP07PDIMoUe47R-cyjJeGSgpq/s1600-h/Headshot.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265211355031287458" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 126px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhciabBm0mmsfsgxRiq0qEHItXTYXpOP19Im2b46HWHUE6tmwC8nCrHxwwZGb3IWWdGR8XuBvNvlqJpw8JEgC9KEesmOtQsWmVzuNTMU_S07NNP07PDIMoUe47R-cyjJeGSgpq/s200/Headshot.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mw8k6cTaMyfxDjtlK8Trz-BPObqHnhj2kFM1cE1AQeAKX0TwODWPbr_5E657-k8SvvudgT7gdD5AL5iDpyxXNKtpKGcZfbW1tzGNMrlL0t5oiqiEEzpNSknDGMKMFFQ3i7PG/s1600-h/Headshot.JPG"></a>JEN SOOKFONG LEE<br />“When Memoir Inspires Fiction”<br />Monday, December 8, 2008 6pm - 8pm<br />Vancouver Public Library - Central Library<br />Peter Kaye Room, Lower Level<br /><br /><p> </p>We’ve all heard the old adage, “Write what you know,” and many of us are taking that to heart, using our memoirs or the memoirs of those we’re close to as springboards for a novel or a collection of short stories. However, using personal experience as fodder for your fiction can be riddled with challenges that most of us never anticipate.<br /><p></p>Jen Sookfong Lee will lead a fiction workshop that explores the issues of using what you know to create something entirely new. We will be discussing novels and short stories by established writers who have been open about mining their own experiences for their work; a list of these titles will be distributed to participants during the workshop. As well, Jen will talk about the publishing process and how to manage promotion when your book is intimately connected to your personal life or the lives of people you’re close to. Participants are asked to submit 10 to 15 pages of their current fiction project, a portion of which will be read aloud and discussed during the workshop.<br /><br />REGISTRATION IS FREE BUT SPACE IS LIMITED<br /><br />To register, or for more information, please <a href="mailto:%20info@writerstrust.com">email</a> or call 416.504.8222 x 242The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-22079532761883068552008-09-26T14:12:00.000-07:002008-09-26T14:56:00.450-07:00Notes from "Step Over To The Dark Side: The Basics of Mystery Fiction"<span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong>Recommended Reading List</strong><br /></span></span><br /><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Compiled by Mary Jane Maffini and Barbara Fradkin with a little help from their friends.<br /><br /></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">Kenneth Atchity, <em>A Writer’s Time</em> (Norton, rev. ed. 1995)<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- Thought-provoking and demanding but well worth the read if you are serious about managing yourself and the writing process.<br /></span><br /></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">Larry Beinhart, <em>How to Write a Mystery</em> (Ballantine, 1996)<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- Readable and practical by the author of Wag the Dog.<br /></span><br /></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">Lawrence Block, <em>Writing the Novel From Plot to Print</em> (Writer’s Digest, 1979)<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- Solid advice from the master.<br /></span><br /></span></span><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong>Renni Browne and Dave King, <em>Self-Editing for Fiction Writers</em> (Harper-Collins, 1991)<br /></strong><span style="font-size:85%;">-- Editors give you the inside story. Listen to them. </span><br /><br /></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">Julia Cameron, <em>The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation in the Writing Life</em> (Putnam, 1998)<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- More of a lifestyle than a manual. Extremely useful approaches to writing and harvesting experience and emotion. Readable for itself.<br /></span><br /></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">Theodore A Rees Cheney, <em>Getting the Words Right: How to Revise, Edit and Rewrite</em> (Writer’s Digest Books, 1983)<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- Sound advice throughout.<br /></span><br /></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">Connie Emerson, <em>The 30-Minute Writer</em> (Writer’s Digest, 1993)<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- Many of these techniques can be adapted to breaking down the many steps of novel writing into bite-sized pieces. Very useful.<br /></span><br /></span></span><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong>Syd Field, <em>Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting</em> (expanded edition) (Dell, 1984)<br /></strong><span style="font-size:85%;">-- The structure of screenplays can form a solid backbone to apply to your novel</span>.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong>James N. Frey, <em>How to Write a Damn Good Mystery</em> (St. Martin’s Press, 2004)<br /></strong><span style="font-size:85%;">-- Kind of ‘Mystery Writing for Dummies’, practical, humorous and easy to read, but contains gems.</span><br /><br /></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">Bonnie Goldberg, <em>Room to Write: Daily Invitations to a Writer’s Life</em> (Tarcher/Putnam, 1996)<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- Lovely. Like having a friend visit.<br /></span><br /></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">Natalie Goldberg, <em>Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within</em> (Shambhala Pocket Classics 1998)<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- This is a goldmine, also available in audiotape.<br /></span><br /></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">Karen Elizabeth Gordon, T<em>he Transitive Vampire: A Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed</em> (Times Books, 1984)<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- We all need a grammar book, this one is fun.<br /></span><br /></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">Stephen King, <em>On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft</em> (Scribner, 2000)<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- Highly recommended by mystery writer Sue Pike.<br /></span><br /></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">Anne Lamott, <em>Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life</em> (Anchor, 1994)<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- Insightful and entertaining inside view of the writing process by one who lives it.<br /></span><br /></span></span><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong>Margaret Lucke, <em>Writing Mysteries</em> (Self-Counsel Writing Series, 1999)<br /></strong><span style="font-size:85%;">-- Easy to read, lays out the process as well as the business, and includes some worthwhile exercises.</span><br /><br /></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">Donald Maass, <em>The Career Novelist: A Literary Agent Offers Strategies for Success</em> (Heinemann, 1996)<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- Solid, practical advice, not always what we want to hear.<br /></span><br /></span></span><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong>Donald Maass, <em>Writing the Breakout Novel</em> (Writer’s Digest Books, 2001)<br /></strong><span style="font-size:85%;">-- This book has changed the way people write and structure novels and is well worth the purchase price and the investment of working through it. </span><br /><br /></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">Eric Maisel, <em>Living the Writer’s Life: A Complete Self-Help Guide</em> (Watson-Guptill, 1999)<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- Of course you’re crazy.<br /></span><br /></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">Dick Perry, <em>One Way to Write Your Novel</em> (Writer’s Digest Books, rev. ed 1972)<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- Forget the pub date. This book, if you can still find it, could change the way you approach writing and kickstart your first book.<br /></span><br /><strong>Gary Provost, <em>Beyond Style: Mastering the Finer Points of Writing </em>(Writer's Digest Books, 1988)</strong><br /></span></span><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- The subtitle says it all. This classic is out of print but well worth hunting for.<br /></span><br /></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">Gary Provost, <em>Make Your Words Work</em> (Writer’s Digest Books, 1990)<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- One of the best and the most readable overviews of writing the novel. Highly recommended.<br /></span><br /></span></span><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong>Sol Stein, <em>Stein on Writing</em> (St. Martin's Press, 1995)<br /></strong><span style="font-size:85%;">-- An excellent overview by a successful editor.</span><br /><br /></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">William Jr. Strunk and E.B. White, <em>The Elements of Style</em> (Macmillan, 1959)<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- Get the latest copy. It’s still immensely valuable and it all still makes sense.<br /></span><br /></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">Dwight V. Swain, <em>Techiques of the Selling Writer</em> (University of Oklahoma Press, 1965)<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- An old book and one that’s hard to find but it deals with matters few others do. Especially strong on character, conflict and underlying story. It is far more intellectually challenging than its title implies. It is out of date in many peripheral ways but not where it counts.<br /></span><br /></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">Wilson R. Thornley, <em>Short Story Writing</em> (Bantam 1976)<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- Unfortunately out of print. It is the best guide to writing short stories I have come across. Watch the secondhand stores.<br /></span><br /><strong>Christopher Vogler, <em>The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Storytellers and Screenwriters</em></strong> <strong>(Michael Wiese Productions, 1992)</strong><br /></span></span><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- Superb view of story structure.<br /></span><br /></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">Nigel Watts, <em>Writing a Novel</em> (McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. 2003)<br /></span></strong><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- Deceptively small, but packed with information and answers to practical questions. Part of the Teach Yourself series.<br /></span><br /><strong>Writer’s Digest, <em>Elements of Fiction Writing Series</em></strong><br /></span></span><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">-- There are many volumes in this collection of “how-to’s” I found Plot and Dialogue to be the most useful.<br /></span><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><span style="color:#333333;">Writer’s Digest, <em>Howdunnit Series</em><br /></span></strong><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#333333;">-- Everything from poisons to DNA testing to scene of the crime analysis. Check out</span><span style="color:#000000;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:85%;">http://www.writersdigest.com/</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;">for individual titles in both these series and others.<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color:#333333;"><strong>Recommended Reference Materials:<br /></strong>A good style manual<br />A good baby name book<br />As many dictionaries as you can get your mitts on (CAN, US, UK)<br />Current Market Guides: Writer’s Market, Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market, etc.<br /></span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span>The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-88571853882308616362008-09-25T06:57:00.000-07:002008-09-25T07:18:31.895-07:00Photos from "Follow the Yellow Brick Road"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGu9xxyoH4vQKxrOur0twrR2oa9zxRcA7WUUvP25yaksHT79q4hGgccBqJfmQ5MiLGldyf-pdH8aIKmDIYowwC364LRxaGRRAHQsfCjAqPYqcJPl8_z4wb-rXeg5SUkXdVQIVj/s1600-h/September+2008+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249960199732883330" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGu9xxyoH4vQKxrOur0twrR2oa9zxRcA7WUUvP25yaksHT79q4hGgccBqJfmQ5MiLGldyf-pdH8aIKmDIYowwC364LRxaGRRAHQsfCjAqPYqcJPl8_z4wb-rXeg5SUkXdVQIVj/s200/September+2008+009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Paulette Bourgeois, creator of Franklin the Turtle, gave a workshop on writing for children.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzYhqkDlB3sHzTLiiOeiN5WAeAIOYxHxTlqENTtEjiqTkh-JRhyphenhyphenIBi70-J9JsDfSIhbBIqtIbjJXI_bGKMIkOLrtfsKvBdbVO4YDhbFHIamOC5K_mAu-7qwyDuMKkXkQ0FyAB/s1600-h/September+2008+014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249960375077267634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzYhqkDlB3sHzTLiiOeiN5WAeAIOYxHxTlqENTtEjiqTkh-JRhyphenhyphenIBi70-J9JsDfSIhbBIqtIbjJXI_bGKMIkOLrtfsKvBdbVO4YDhbFHIamOC5K_mAu-7qwyDuMKkXkQ0FyAB/s200/September+2008+014.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0-WY5N7_S2EeD5SUFaFWj_h_6npudqTQ7QC0oI3EAsSbEgm4B1l6XKSfwIcCVEwCDXYeglrbJeH8RACam7tyUpRaVkr5XyvvOc535Sc3b0sw4KWxTLqq_jGr9rHDI8ILLSXP/s1600-h/September+2008+014.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Paulette reads from Katherine Paterson's <em>Bridge to Terabithia</em> to demontrate a classic three-act structure .</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span>The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-63784611968967184212008-09-23T07:24:00.000-07:002008-09-23T08:04:40.708-07:00Notes from "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" with Paulette Bourgeois<strong>Using screenwriting techniques to create children’s books</strong><br /><br />“But suppose, asks the student of the teacher, we follow all your structural rules for writing, what about that “something else” that brings the book alive? What is the formula for that? The formula for that is not included in the curriculum.” --Fannie Hurst<br /><br />There is no formula for writing good children’s books, or any books for that matter but there are tricks, tips and techniques that one can draw from the world of screenwriting that make facing a black screen and a blinking cursor just a little more manageable.<br /><br /><strong>Tell the story in one line.</strong><br />Most movies can be summed up in one line and it’s often helpful to do this for a book you plan to write as well.<br /><br />For example:<br /><ul><li>A young wizard must face his own death in order to save his world. </li><br /><li>A girl swept by a tornado into a foreign world must save her friends before she can return home. </li><br /><li>A businessman falls in love with a call girl he’s hired to be his date for the weekend. </li></ul>*WRITING TIP: Write down your one-line summary and post it where you can see it as you write. If you get “bogged” down check to see if your story still adheres to your own synopsis. If not, ask yourself why. Perhaps you’ve taken a more exciting direction for your story. Change the one-liner to fit the muse. But, if you are going way off-track check to see if you are still heading in the direction you set for yourself.<br /><br /><strong>A good movie, like a good story, explores the universal human condition.</strong><br />Powerful stories appeal to the most primal human needs. They are about survival, hunger, sex and love, good and evil. In one screenwriting guide, <em>Save the Cat</em>, author Blake Snyder writes that Titanic is not a story about a ship that hit an iceberg with disastrous consequences; it is about the need to survive. Sleepless in Seattle is about the need to be loved. Bridge to Terabithia is about loss and redemption.<br /><br />*WRITING TIP: Ask yourself, what is this story about? This is not a plot summary but a chance to discover which of the deepest human needs and wants will appear in your story.<br /><br /><strong>A good movie, like a good story, usually follows a classic three-act structure with a beginning, middle and end.</strong><br />This isn’t as formulaic as it sounds. There’s much room for imagination. Think of the structure as the building blocks of your writing. If you were building a house, whether it is a bungalow, a castle or a Tudor-style home the building blocks are always the same—a foundation, walls, roof and supports that hold everything together.<br /><br />A writer who learns to pace a written story like a thriller, action or adventure movie with three acts, each with its own twists, turns, conflicts and resolutions, will have a page-turner. Even character-driven stories can follow the same pattern—only the action is smaller and the conflicts and resolutions may be more internal.<br /><br />You might ask how movie structure differs from novel structure. Remember the graphs teachers used to show the structure of the novel? The line starts much like a road through the prairies that moves into the foothills, scales a coastal mountain and then drops precipitously into the ocean. Movie structure is more like driving through the prairies, riding a roller-coaster through the Rockies, scaling a mountain, falling off the ledge, being saved, crawling over the peak and finally, after a perilous descent, landing on a beach with a clear view of the horizon.<br /><br />In a typical three-act structure, <strong>Act One</strong> is the set-up. In most movies, the first fifteen minutes are devoted to learning about the setting, the characters, the direction and the theme of the story. Around 23-28 minutes into the story there is a turning point. Something important happens that changes the story and the plot starts moving. It’s important for the writer to ask a central question – will the boy get the girl, will Dorothy ever get home, will the bad guys be caught?<br /><br />Most children’s novels are about 120 pages long. Most movies run about 120 minutes long. I’ve noticed that many children’s books seem to follow the breakdown of acts, turning points, climax and resolution. Often, about a fifth of the way through a 120-page book (which is about 23 minutes into a movie) there is the first turning point.<br /><br /><strong>Act Two</strong> is the development of your story. In the next 40-65 minutes of screen time there will be twists, turns, conflicts, resolutions, obstacles and action. This is where the bulk of the story is told. Again, this is the same in many great children’s books. In a movie, around 75 minutes into the film, there is a second turning point that changes the direction of the story, raises the central question again and raises the stakes for the characters. This is often the darkest part of a story –where there is a death, or near-death or a sense for the hero that everything is hopeless.<br /><br /><strong>Act Three</strong> is usually past-faced and within five pages of the end, there is a climax to the tale. The big question has been answered, there is a sense of relief and the loose ends are being wrapped up.<br /><br />The next time you watch a movie, check your watch the first time you sense that something really big is happening. It’s usually 22-25 minutes into a typical 120 minute film. In page-turning books for children such as Harry Potter, Tuck Everlasting and The Tiger Rising, the turning point—where everything really starts happening is about a fifth of the way into the tale.<br /><br />*WRITING TIP: Divide a work board into three sections. Use index cards of different colours to represent the three acts of your story. Outline the set-up, development and resolution for your story in one-line jots on the cards. As you create your characters, determine the big question, decide upon the turning points, the conflicts, resolutions and obstacles write quick notes on index cards and post them in the appropriate Acts.<br /><br /><strong>The Hero’s Journey,</strong><br />In a good movie, as in a good story, there is a hero who is ripped from her ordinary world and thrust into a place with dangers and obstacles that must be overcome, often with the help of a mentor or wise-person, to discover some truth about herself or her world. The hero brings back this knowledge or treasure to the benefit of others. That’s it. A journey that is repeated over and over and over again in powerful, memorable movies and books.<br /><br />The journey is explored in depth by Joseph Campbell, in his seminal work, <em>The Hero with a Thousand Faces</em>. Christopher Vogler adapted Campbell’s ideas into the highly recommended, <em>The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Storytellers and Screenwriters</em>.<br /><br />With apologies to both authors for over-simplifying something as complex as universal myth, it can be helpful for the novice writer to go through a check-list before, or during writing.<br /><ul><li>What kind of world does your hero live in and what is his life like there? This can be a fantasy world, a small town in Saskatchewan, an urban centre, an office, a classroom, anyplace, anywhere.</li><br /><li>What happens to change this world? A flood? A divorce? A new girl in town. A letter? </li><br /><li>What does your hero want? Does he want to save the world, fall in love, find the treasure, revenge his tormentor? What happens that compels the hero to leave his ordinary world and embark upon an adventure? Are the flood waters rising to dangerous levels? Is his enemy after his girl? Is the quarterback too sick to play the big game? Is there a physical or psychological threat? </li><br /><li>What stops the hero from getting what he wants? Does the dam break? Is there a conspiracy? Does the rocket-ship fail to launch? Is there somebody bigger, stronger, and more competent who shows up? Does he sense that he lacks courage or compassion?</li><br /><li>Who helps the hero along the way? A witch, a teacher, a coach, a vagrant? How do they help—with a talisman, with words of encouragement, with physical support? </li><br /><li>What’s holding your hero back from getting what he wants? Are there physical, or emotional obstacles in his way?</li><br /><li>How can your hero manage the crisis or overcome the obstacles? Does his mentor help? Perhaps he used the magic sword, or found the treasured object, or discovered a courage he didn’t know he had. </li><br /><li>What really, really, really bad thing happens next ? Does it seem as if your hero might not make it? Does everything look bleak?</li><br /><li>What does your hero do to get out of the mess? </li><br /><li>Has your hero changed because of his journey? What new knowledge does he have to bring back to his “ordinary world”? </li></ul><p>*WRITING TIP: Start a writing prompts folder filled with images of places, people and things. Clip stories from magazines and newspapers that take you outside of your imaginary world. Listen to strangers and keep notes about their conversations and speaking style. When you’re struggling for a turning point in your story, or wondering how your characters might act, or searching for an obstacle to overcome, this idea folder can jumpstart your creative process.<br /><br /><strong>THE SAGGING MIDDLE</strong><br />So many writers get discouraged about half-way through writing their books. In my case, it is usually at this point that I realize that the book I have in my head is not the book I’m actually writing. The book in my head has well-rounded characters, a strong story, a compelling theme, beautifully crafted prose and page-turning drama. The book I find on my screen is, instead, wooden, predictable and dull. How to get over the hump? </p><p>Linda Seger writes in her book, <em>Making a Good Script Great</em>, this is the time for some cinematic techniques. Try a reversal in the storyline—have the good guy do something bad, have the crusty old guy show a soft side. Throw in a new complication, or add a new barrier that stops the hero from getting what she needs. Add a new character to a scene of dialogue to up the conflict. Remember that in every scene, an action needs a reaction. Try not to be predictable and you will gain momentum not only in the story, but also in your desire to write that story. </p><p>*WRITING TIP: Don’t give up. Write one sentence at a time. Keep on writing until you are finished your first draft. The best writing happens in the rewrite. </p><p><strong>Some last thoughts...</strong></p><p>Whether you are writing a picture book or a novel for children there is always a hero’s journey and three acts. Even my 32-page picture book, <em>Franklin in the Dark</em> uses the most basic elements of the hero’s journey and has three acts. We meet our hero, Franklin in his ordinary world of home with Mom. He is called to adventure when he realizes that he cannot continue to live with an overwhelming fear—monsters inside his own shell. He journeys through the land seeking advice and guidance and meeting obstacles. Finally his mother, acting as a wise sage, gives him the knowledge he needs to change. In the climax of the story, Franklin faces his greatest fear—crawling into his shell, but with a new awareness that allows for a resolution to the conflict. When Franklin turns on his night-light, the story ends. </p><p>Was I thinking of the hero’s journey as I wrote? Absolutely not. Was I thinking that a fifth of the way into the story, there should be a turning point? Absolutely not . And yet even in this little picture book there is a hero, a journey and a three-act structure and indeed, almost exactly one fifth of the way into the tale, there is a turning point that forces the hero out into a different world. As storytellers you will find that most of what you want to write and to say will find this form naturally—our brains are hard-wired for story, but if you run into a problem with the momentum of your story, it is helpful to know that there might be a “fix” by knowing where your hero is in his journey and where you are in your story. </p><p>*WRITING TIP—I’ll say it again. Just write your story. Just keep writing it until you have a first draft. It’s easier to see the problems and to find the solutions when you are looking at the “whole picture”. And if you’re really stuck? Get some popcorn, put up your feet and watch the Wizard of Oz...the perfect hero’s journey in three amazing acts.<br /><br /><em>Grateful acknowledgements to the classroom teachings of Sara Graefe, Gail Anderson-Dargantz, and to Linda Seger and Christopher Vogler whose books are a constant reference and resource.</em> </p>The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-42588352956516968942008-07-15T11:38:00.000-07:002008-08-26T09:44:24.488-07:00Fall 2008 Workshops<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mw8k6cTaMyfxDjtlK8Trz-BPObqHnhj2kFM1cE1AQeAKX0TwODWPbr_5E657-k8SvvudgT7gdD5AL5iDpyxXNKtpKGcZfbW1tzGNMrlL0t5oiqiEEzpNSknDGMKMFFQ3i7PG/s1600-h/Headshot.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226291865447043314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mw8k6cTaMyfxDjtlK8Trz-BPObqHnhj2kFM1cE1AQeAKX0TwODWPbr_5E657-k8SvvudgT7gdD5AL5iDpyxXNKtpKGcZfbW1tzGNMrlL0t5oiqiEEzpNSknDGMKMFFQ3i7PG/s200/Headshot.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong>SHARON POLLOCK</strong></div><div>“Plotting Character in Action”</div><div>Saturday, September 13, 2008</div><div>1pm - 3pm </div><div>Calgary Public Library - Memorial Park Branch</div><br /><div>“What happens next?” keeps a reader turning pages late into the night, and audiences glued to their theatre seats. This workshop will cover attributes of character and components of plot that together create conflict and complication fueling the dramatic engine that drives narrative forward, whether your play or fiction is event or character driven.<br /><br /><p></p>Participants are asked to provide, prior to the workshop, a sample (10 - 15 pages) of their writing. Participants’ work will provide the basis of discussion and dialogue, as well as illustrate specific aspects of the workshop topic.<br /></div><div>A brief written review of participants’ submitted work available, if requested.<br /><br />Deadline for submission: September 01, 2008 </div><div></div><br /><div>REGISTRATION IS FREE BUT SPACE IS LIMITED<br /></div><br /><div>To register, or for more information, please <a href="mailto:%20info@writerstrust.com">email</a> or call 416.504.8222 x 242 </div><div></div><div></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPcBqzhEZ_1oNBfC2TOkV1JznLDqO-Jz0rHcGphvRl7h3Abh2tSwZwmecm8xXiyYU9X5sT2nTvM62T9IeBUo5hfX5X4jAEQTWKQRDZvIiDmqM26MAedLyjiAAGzsTKHPocumy6/s1600-h/mj+fireplace+cropped+jan+07.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223313769597828866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPcBqzhEZ_1oNBfC2TOkV1JznLDqO-Jz0rHcGphvRl7h3Abh2tSwZwmecm8xXiyYU9X5sT2nTvM62T9IeBUo5hfX5X4jAEQTWKQRDZvIiDmqM26MAedLyjiAAGzsTKHPocumy6/s200/mj+fireplace+cropped+jan+07.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>MARY JANE MAFFINI</strong><br />"Step Over to the Dark Side: The Basics of Mystery Fiction"<br />Tuesday, September 16, 2008<br />6pm - 8pm<br />Ottawa Public Library - Main Branch<br /><br />Find a voice for your inner sleuth at this initiation to mystery writing. This two-hour session aims to answer the questions: Why does crime fiction matter? What makes a good mystery? What are the unwritten rules? You'll also discover the trends and opportunities in contemporary crime and mystery fiction in Canada and elsewhere. The workshop will explore the building blocks of mystery: character, plot and setting, as well as other tools you need to involve and captivate your readers. We'll talk about local and national crime writing groups, networking and support opportunities and current markets. You'll take away list of crime writing guides, reference materials, websites and next steps. Come for fun and leave with the essential tools to embark on your life of crime.<br /><br /><p></p>REGISTRATION IS FREE BUT SPACE IS LIMITED<br /><br /><p></p>To register, or for more information, please <a href="mailto:%20info@writerstrust.com">email</a> or call 416.504.8222 x 242<br /><br /><p></p><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dfDzN1sZGxvU3u-cb820w_CDg3Ukf_E6Gsho6DnV7JbTurBQe-w7d1I3Rluxse_6k7QvygSgE547Vf5fhyGQROYj1k5Hyp50cqC3eSxVI_0sC_QUJby7X8a1si5Rh0su79xz/s1600-h/headshot2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223316882648599266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="169" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dfDzN1sZGxvU3u-cb820w_CDg3Ukf_E6Gsho6DnV7JbTurBQe-w7d1I3Rluxse_6k7QvygSgE547Vf5fhyGQROYj1k5Hyp50cqC3eSxVI_0sC_QUJby7X8a1si5Rh0su79xz/s200/headshot2.JPG" width="142" border="0" /></a><strong>MARNIE WOODROW</strong></div><div>"Eventful Fiction"</div><div>Wednesday, September 17, 2008</div><div>7pm - 9pm</div><div>Books & Company Bookstore</div><div>Picton, ON</div><div></div><br /><div>'What happened? And THEN what happened?' Our insatiable curiosity about events keeps us reading newspapers. Events (and human reactions to actions) are also at the core of compelling stories and novels. An energetic, exercise-driven workshop geared to generate new fiction through creative exploration of personal, local and world events. <p>Marnie Woodrow is the author of two short fiction collections and a novel, <em>Spelling Mississippi</em>. A freelance writer, editor and researcher, she is also a recipient of the Excellence In Teaching Award at University of Toronto Continuing Studies. After 20 years in Toronto, she now lives and works in beautiful Prince Edward County. </p></div><br /><div></div><div>REGISTRATION IS FREE BUT SPACE IS LIMITED </div><div></div><br /><div>To register, or for more information, please <a href="mailto:%20storycoach@gmail.com">email</a> or call 416-504-8222 x 242</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrsS1vB1Y5Uie4aQvsaGHH0RBOxuzYyPKmvSzgjCYQfWzr8m2XIru5RLmaVgPRPC-pD2wKg1YKNWa56ViZB5thg1rY5bxOZJG8vGCcPgYHgvMqjrgZEq4aRAdX_BlMdlVxhht/s1600-h/Paulette-Bourgeois_bw.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236321536732223938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrsS1vB1Y5Uie4aQvsaGHH0RBOxuzYyPKmvSzgjCYQfWzr8m2XIru5RLmaVgPRPC-pD2wKg1YKNWa56ViZB5thg1rY5bxOZJG8vGCcPgYHgvMqjrgZEq4aRAdX_BlMdlVxhht/s200/Paulette-Bourgeois_bw.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong>PAULETTE BOURGEOIS</strong></div><div>"Follow the Yellow Brick Road: Writing for Children"</div><div>Sat. Sept. 20, 2008</div><div>1pm - 3pm</div><div>Toronto Public Library - Beaches Branch </div><div></div><br /><div>In this hands-on workshop we’ll explore how the screenwriting techniques that keep young viewers riveted to their seats from Kansas to Oz and home again can be applied to creating page-turning chapter books and novels for children. Participants will learn about the hero’s journey, the three-act structure and sagging middles. Most of the workshop will be devoted to short exercises designed to help the writer “see” a new way of writing. Participants are asked to come prepared with a one-paragraph synopsis of their favourite movie for children.<br /></div><br /><div>Paulette Bourgeois is best-known for creating Franklin the Turtle, the character who appears in picture books illustrated by Brenda Clark. The books have sold more than 50 million copies around the world and have been translated into 38 languages. She lives in Toronto. </div><div></div><br /><div>REGISTRATION IS FREE BUT SPACE IS LIMITED </div><div><br />To register, or for more information, please <a href="mailto:info@writerstrust.com">email</a> or call 416-504-8222 x 242</div></div>The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-66349760533764094202008-05-15T06:44:00.000-07:002008-05-29T11:12:19.833-07:00June/July 2008 Workshops<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxAQ5tr2-Qb4dT6onD2wvUa5_nYNpwgfjUKgBgJ-0SPrR-rStW_cSIQiqGz3x-dRbLZ9B5-Bw4gTMBnCvodsjoK4IufL9dPHPBAPSErTf2u2qjEJnAhNkCJ1YK-uuSi89s6JR/s1600-h/MarkFrutkinB&W-credit-SandraRussell.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205795526011329410" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxAQ5tr2-Qb4dT6onD2wvUa5_nYNpwgfjUKgBgJ-0SPrR-rStW_cSIQiqGz3x-dRbLZ9B5-Bw4gTMBnCvodsjoK4IufL9dPHPBAPSErTf2u2qjEJnAhNkCJ1YK-uuSi89s6JR/s200/MarkFrutkinB&W-credit-SandraRussell.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>MARK FRUTKIN<br /></strong>"The Alchemy of Fiction"<br />Saturday, June 7, 2008<br />1pm - 3pm<br />Library & Archives Canada<br />Ottawa, ON<br /><br />The workshop will focus on four main areas: How to Begin, Plot, Characters, and The Writing Itself. We will investigate the following: How do we transcend hesitation? Should the writer use a map or wander in the wilderness? How do we make characters come alive?<br /><br />Following this short discussion of the writing process, particularly in relation to fiction, the main portion of the workshop will involve an on-site short writing exercise that will be reviewed and analyzed during the workshop.<br /><br /><strong>Mark Frutkin</strong> has published seven books of fiction and three books of poetry. His work has appeared in Canada, the US, England, Russia, Poland, Holland, South Korea, Spain and India. In 2007, his novel, <em>Fabrizio’s Return</em>, won the Trillium Prize for Best Book and the Sunburst Award, and was nominated for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (Canada/Caribbean region). In 1988, his novel, <em>Atmospheres Apollinaire</em>, was short-listed for the Governor General's Award for fiction and for the Trillium Award. He has also written articles and reviews for The Globe & Mail, Harper's, the Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Amazon and numerous other publications.<br /><br /> This is a free workshop however space is limited. To register, or for more information, please <a href="mailto:%20info@writerstrust.com">email</a> or call 416.504.8222 x 243.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybyoPq8LMpGpiAPDyoUudiAjYjF-wM8TwQnFS6j6286wkXvqsi_oTbgkGJb_dzc8c6p2mN1EsD8b0XWs58fHc4vRppRJRsVjyLK2fo1qLbTyFnWCOaLOP20sQB22KAiDsiaA4/s1600-h/Photo-final.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205795676335184786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybyoPq8LMpGpiAPDyoUudiAjYjF-wM8TwQnFS6j6286wkXvqsi_oTbgkGJb_dzc8c6p2mN1EsD8b0XWs58fHc4vRppRJRsVjyLK2fo1qLbTyFnWCOaLOP20sQB22KAiDsiaA4/s200/Photo-final.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>EILEEN WHITFIELD<br /></strong>"Secrets of Biography"<br />Saturday, June 14, 2008<br />1pm – 3pm<br />Toronto Public Library - Beaches Branch<br />Toronto, ON<br /><br />A good biographer must combine the skills of an historian, investigative reporter, and researcher. He must have the imaginative empathy of an actor, and the narrative skills to endow historical facts with the pace and excitement of a novel.<br /><br />Workshop participants will learn how biographers choose a subject, research the life, articulate their point of view and shape the results into compelling narrative. They will learn such framing devices as epilogues, prologues and chapter titles. Research techniques will be examined, as well as accuracy, footnotes and bibliography. Finally, writing another's life will be discussed as an act of self-exploration, as every good biography tells us as much about the writer as it does about the subject.<br /><br /><strong>Eileen Whitfield</strong> is an actor, writer and editor whose work has appeared in Saturday<br />Night and Toronto Life. Her play, <em>Alice and Emily</em>, about artist Emily Carr, was produced at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton which was closely followed by her 1997 biography <em>Pickford: The Woman Who Made Hollywood</em> which inspired three documentaries, including PBS's “The American Experience.” Presently, Eileen lives in Toronto and is writing a biography about silent film clown and director Buster Keaton.<br /><br /> This is a free workshop however space is limited. To register, or for more information, please <a href="mailto:%20info@writerstrust.com">email</a> or call 416.504.8222 x 243.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPopeVbWc9aQ_vaUQVlrRPiO83dYUeEMIa914uUKO67ubFcPGxq2_Vt91AeqKQrYZbttMm0129zScmocRxq4-PEPyLRBRbMGWVcxN0l7IT3yeo_NiBE8fYZaAbGjsAdvUXIfj/s1600-h/71991_carter_anne_laurel+-+bw.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205795899673484194" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPopeVbWc9aQ_vaUQVlrRPiO83dYUeEMIa914uUKO67ubFcPGxq2_Vt91AeqKQrYZbttMm0129zScmocRxq4-PEPyLRBRbMGWVcxN0l7IT3yeo_NiBE8fYZaAbGjsAdvUXIfj/s200/71991_carter_anne_laurel+-+bw.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>ANNE LAUREL CARTER</strong><br />"Writing for Children"<br />Saturday, June 21, 2008<br />1pm – 3pm<br />Toronto Public Library - Lillian H. Smith Branch<br />Toronto, ON<br /><br />Mine your childhood memories and daydreams for story ideas. Could they become a picture book or Young Adult novel? Explore the elements of story and learn how to get published with the award-winning author of <em>Last Chance Bay</em> and <em>Under a Prairie Sky</em>.<br /><br /><strong>Anne Laurel Carter</strong> has an M.Ed and taught primary school in Ontario and Quebec before staying home to raise a family and write stories. With four active children she finds stories are always happening. Her published work includes six picture books, several juvenile and YA novels and a collection of YA short stories.<br /><br /> This is a free workshop however space is limited. To register, or for more information, please <a href="mailto:%20info@writerstrust.com">email </a>or call 416.504.8222 x 243.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgMGSNj1i6j_efpceXGg3Sh5YLdLj5TTeszhevLJxtOOHvAzaaLyx1gY8kC4CXVJXJhUwGXDUuyKsxgBADzi-eTt56pO2o-PxbL_-Bpq3VrXH_imI6FBt3sqKD00UnQ-fDzBGE/s1600-h/Smallman+Photo+-+bw+-+small.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205796088652045234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgMGSNj1i6j_efpceXGg3Sh5YLdLj5TTeszhevLJxtOOHvAzaaLyx1gY8kC4CXVJXJhUwGXDUuyKsxgBADzi-eTt56pO2o-PxbL_-Bpq3VrXH_imI6FBt3sqKD00UnQ-fDzBGE/s200/Smallman+Photo+-+bw+-+small.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>PHYLLIS SMALLMAN<br /></strong>“The Writing Workshop”<br />Saturday, June 28, 2008<br />1pm – 4pm<br />Salt Spring Island Public Library<br />Salt Spring Island, BC<br /><br />The award-winning author of <em>Margarita Nights</em> leads a lively discussion on what makes a great novel and other mechanics of writing (what are the easiest things to fix in a finished manuscript but the hardest to see?).<br /><br /><em>Margarita Nights</em> was short listed for the Debut Dagger in the UK and won the Arthur Ellis award for Unhanged Arthur in June 2007. <strong>Phyllis Smallman</strong> was a potter before moving to British Columbia and turning to a life of crime. Now, depending on the weather, she can be found on Salt Spring Island, B.C., Hamilton, Ontario or a beach in South Florida.<br /><br /> This is a free workshop however space is limited. To register, or for more information, please <a href="mailto:%20info@writerstrust.com">email</a> or call 416.504.8222 x 243.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDkNgmEa-nFXolreVoI0Vay9dru46c2ma4ZRfJtHiQGjhdd444k3u5x5sdl3g4fX3gcLXXiz6WLzRKlm4NuGUIWKKwfItuKtYTJaOj_kD8HHLaTwsSv_BdXLXwp4wGgCkxd4_/s1600-h/Headshot+-+bw+-+small.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205796204616162242" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDkNgmEa-nFXolreVoI0Vay9dru46c2ma4ZRfJtHiQGjhdd444k3u5x5sdl3g4fX3gcLXXiz6WLzRKlm4NuGUIWKKwfItuKtYTJaOj_kD8HHLaTwsSv_BdXLXwp4wGgCkxd4_/s200/Headshot+-+bw+-+small.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>LINDA GRIFFITHS</strong><br />"Overheard Conversations"<br />Saturday, July 5, 2008<br />2pm - 4pm<br />Toronto Public Library - Beaches Branch<br />Toronto, ON<br /><br />One of the major building blocks of theatre is the two person scene. How to move from dependence on monologues to the interactive dynamism necessary to keep a play alive. In this workshop, participants come having done the preliminary homework. They must come with an overheard conversation between two or more people. In this exercise the writer becomes a spy, but also hones skills in observation both of language and character. Participants will be asked to describe the characters they observe, the interaction between them, as well as what was said. Good spying places are coffee shops, malls, bus shelters, libraries...or a conversation may arrive in your lap. You may only get a snippet of the conversation, this is fine. Then we’ll work with the dialogue and characters in the workshop. Conversations in a language you don’t understand are fine, as long as there is a dynamic between characters.<br /><br /><strong>Linda Griffiths</strong> is a playwright and actor, the winner of five Dora Mavor Moore awards, a Gemini award, two Chalmer’s awards, the Quizanne International Festival Award for Jessica, and Los Angeles’ A.G.A. Award for her performance in John Sayles’ film <em>Liana</em>. She has twice been nominated for the Governor General’s Award for playwrighting (<em>The Darling Family</em>, 1992 <em>Alien Creature</em>, 2000). Best known for writing (in collaboration with Paul Thompson) and performing a triple role in the play <em>Maggie & Pierre</em>. She is an Adjunct Professor to the University of Toronto’s Masters Program in Creative Writing. New projects include two one-person-shows, <em>The Last Dog of War</em> and <em>Baby Finger</em> and a Victorian epic, <em>Age of Arousal</em>.<br /><br /> This is a free workshop however space is limited. To register, or for more information, please <a href="mailto:%20info@writerstrust.com">email</a> or call 416.504.8222 x 243.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxDLObeivyMTjTQZ_VxQrk24knCZfpl5q1l71oaUiLCl14estxubwTs3ft_B6RfZFvzW4s_NfWHmoWW8Q3XLn4bnSoBM87xUYjdFO0BgsDLEERa6X5bqcGrtGckTeR7Pjp2Ye/s1600-h/Headshot+-+small.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205796775846812626" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxDLObeivyMTjTQZ_VxQrk24knCZfpl5q1l71oaUiLCl14estxubwTs3ft_B6RfZFvzW4s_NfWHmoWW8Q3XLn4bnSoBM87xUYjdFO0BgsDLEERa6X5bqcGrtGckTeR7Pjp2Ye/s200/Headshot+-+small.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>BRAD CRAN<br /></strong>“My Story: From Life to Fiction”<br />Saturday, July 12, 2008<br />2pm – 5pm<br />Vancouver Public Library – Carnegie Branch<br />Vancouver, BC<br /><br />Brad Cran will lead a discussion and workshop on narrative writing in poetry and prose. Presenting a selection of successful narrative works to find out what makes them worthy of print with an emphasis on the music of language, structures of story telling and the simple sentence. We’ll end the day with a discussion on the publishing industry and what it takes to get published, with some advice on where to send your writing.<br /><br />A portion of the discussion will be dedicated to discussing participants’ own work and participants are encouraged to submit a sample of writing (no more than ten pages) of either poetry, fiction or non-fiction. A reading package to be read prior to the workshop will be distributed upon registration.<br /><br /><strong>Brad Cran</strong> is a poet, essayist and photographer. He is the publisher of Smoking Lung Press, a co-founder of the Vancouver based Stillworks photography collective, and a contributing editor at Geist magazine. He recently co-edited <em>Hope in Shadows</em>, a collection of stories and photographs of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. His book of poetry, <em>The Good Life</em>, was published in 2002.<br /><br /> This is a free workshop however space is limited. To register, or for more information, please <a href="mailto:%20info@writerstrust.com">email</a> or call 416.504.8222 x 243.The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-55810918555341076372008-04-30T05:54:00.000-07:002008-07-17T07:16:01.590-07:00Richard Scarsbrook @ the Palmerston Library in Toronto | The Story Starters Workshop <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOAPxjZUESlvdDOwQM-j8k5RLbLPscbihrLoivJhLoYvP2tlPVGrWfigfte-jPXi4NIaGvwe8vAqZkRyCkAGAPzTylUr9FoklGuDKyeQOdVOvLH1rtnPXSqoGWRLBtT260CQXi/s1600-h/2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223986462652616098" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOAPxjZUESlvdDOwQM-j8k5RLbLPscbihrLoivJhLoYvP2tlPVGrWfigfte-jPXi4NIaGvwe8vAqZkRyCkAGAPzTylUr9FoklGuDKyeQOdVOvLH1rtnPXSqoGWRLBtT260CQXi/s200/2.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wHptwzzDqY0l8YAC_zQAwOGohpgZ_yp4ApWC-3QX_8xXLA4YINCEa3hvKoXTNpo11vSZL9e4Z1VCo8ubPz8Mf4vybmeQyupYei0KnSfX2AVLWVvq_2BN7hWlz4qGBgwyvO4t/s1600-h/1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223986330744723234" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wHptwzzDqY0l8YAC_zQAwOGohpgZ_yp4ApWC-3QX_8xXLA4YINCEa3hvKoXTNpo11vSZL9e4Z1VCo8ubPz8Mf4vybmeQyupYei0KnSfX2AVLWVvq_2BN7hWlz4qGBgwyvO4t/s200/1.JPG" border="0" /></a>The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-28882862808899023612008-04-14T11:29:00.000-07:002008-04-14T11:25:34.466-07:00Notes from "Turning Fact Into Fiction" with Gail Anderson-Dargatz<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZytvPgRbARxdtkUMQF2Q90uW9BzmncrMDv9W6gGhbuaBIih4W2ScjzZz6V-msdMLVqJwxyPANIwtGfOQqu9iMHyTbKpQwkc6vnCPjjNf-FRN9lJYGJ1jxJiSAFkVTMG_L4RJ/s1600-h/Headshot.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZytvPgRbARxdtkUMQF2Q90uW9BzmncrMDv9W6gGhbuaBIih4W2ScjzZz6V-msdMLVqJwxyPANIwtGfOQqu9iMHyTbKpQwkc6vnCPjjNf-FRN9lJYGJ1jxJiSAFkVTMG_L4RJ/s200/Headshot.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189167749353204898" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">In </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.amazon.ca/Inside-memory-Pages-writers-workbook/dp/0006386199/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208197082&sr=1-2"><span style="font-style: italic;">Inside Memory</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Timothy Findley talked about how, as he was writing </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.amazon.ca/Modern-Classics-Not-Wanted-Voyage/dp/0143055070/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208197107&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Not Wanted on the Voyage</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> and trying to gain the perspective of one of the characters, who happened to be a cat, he was caught at the beach on his hands and knees sniffing the rocks. A family came by and assumed he was a drug addict on a binge and told their kids to stay away, then debated amongst themselves whether or not they should phone the police. "As soon as they were gone," he wrote, "I got to my feet and ran up into the trees. What if these people really do call the authorities? What will I say? I was just pretending to be a blind cat?"<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;color:black;" ><span style="color:black;">Like Timothy Findley, I believe a writer must be willing to embarrass himself in the pursuit of the world and everything it has to offer. If I, as a writer, can engage my senses and emotions, then I can engage my readers as well.</span></span><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;color:black;" ><span style="color:black;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;">The Blind Cat Exerc</span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;" name="exercise"></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;">ise*</span></span></span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:black;" ><span style="color:black;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />I try to get the writers in my workshops to engage their senses as much as possible. So, the exercise? Pretend, like Timothy Findley, to be a blind cat. Sniff everything in the spice rack. Run your hand over every piece of material you can find in your house. Take your socks off and walk over the bristly rug at your front door. Go squish your toes in the mud as you did as a child. Sit and really listen to the city sounds outside. Take in the news and allow your emotions to be truly engaged by the terrible, happy, boring, heart sobbing stories. The</span>n turn the radio off and sit with those emotions awhile. Go to the fridge and taste an olive. But really taste it. Let it fill your mind. Then take notes about each of these experiences. What is this experience? What does it bring to mind? What memory does it elicit? What else is it like? Where does this smell take you? Sit with the experience a while and allow it to inspire you. Allow the world to fully engage you, so you can fully engage your reader. Write down what you discover. You’ll be amazed at how authentic the writing that comes out of this simple exercise is. And if you find it useful, as I do, I suggest you make it a regular exercise. I do this every day.</span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;color:black;" ><span style=";font-size:12;color:black;" ><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >For more on writing and the writing life, visit Gail's <a href="http://www.gailanderson-dargatz.ca/">website</a>.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">*the Blind Cat Exercise originally appeared in <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Writers-Gym-Eliza-Clark/dp/0143054279/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3TGAV2NJ5WY6U&colid=9ZLCSSNV8WXV"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Writer's Gym</span></a> edited by Eliza Clark.<br /></p>The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-7847849217901389212008-04-12T11:26:00.000-07:002008-07-17T07:23:15.945-07:00Notes from "Cutting, Tweaking & Rehearsing" with Guillermo Verdecchia<span lang="EN-CA" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN RE-WRITING YOUR PLAY</span></span><br /><ul><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Does every line do some work for you?</span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Can it do more work?</span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Does every line move forward?</span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Are you telling too much?</span></span><br /></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Are you telling us enough?</span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Does the character need to say this or does your audience need to know it?</span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Are you walking us through the thoughts or allowing us to join the dots, make leaps of intellection?</span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Would a transition be better replaced by a pause or silence?</span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Are you showing SIGNIFICANT ACTION?</span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Is your inarticulate dialogue eloquent or simply inarticulate?</span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Is your spare dialogue rich or empty?</span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Is there a payoff?</span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Does the payoff work?</span></span></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Do these words belong to this speaker?<?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></span></span></li><br /><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Do these words belong in this play?<o:p></o:p></span></span></li><br /><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Has the play outgrown this idea, image, line, metaphor, scene? <o:p></o:p></span></span></li><br /><li><span lang="EN-CA" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Do actors thrive, grow, struggle productively with this text or do they wilt under it?</span></span></li></ul>The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-63845708855101980472008-04-09T07:34:00.000-07:002008-07-24T13:39:40.075-07:00Notes from "Putting It All Together" with Zoe Whittall<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6-MclQ1tOZOqrlRhhtFsN_J6ebWhA354EG_XS1f2mRs2oxV0PYfImIWKc_jUShEfvm63uiIHAFrhVzC8486ALhpUYkBeKL3UqgaEx0vXW-cCMtx9otowLMetdhbPHAiQyGHn/s1600-h/Headshot.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223988645968362834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6-MclQ1tOZOqrlRhhtFsN_J6ebWhA354EG_XS1f2mRs2oxV0PYfImIWKc_jUShEfvm63uiIHAFrhVzC8486ALhpUYkBeKL3UqgaEx0vXW-cCMtx9otowLMetdhbPHAiQyGHn/s200/Headshot.JPG" border="0" /></a><b>How to Get Funding for your Poetry Manuscript<?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></b><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p></o:p>Before applying, keep in mind the following:</b><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p></o:p>1. You will be rejected. </b>Lots. Even the most established writers have stories of being rejected and feeling terrible about themselves as a result. Accept it as part of the writing life. Once you’ve sent in your application, put it out of your mind. Never expect to get funding until you have that gold letter in your hand.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>2. Grants are like lotteries. </b>Your work may be excellent, but the people who happened to be judging this time didn’t like it. It often comes down to personal taste. You could just as easily have been the favourite of another juror had they been asked to adjudicate. If opinions of the jurors vary wildly, the writers who may end up getting funding might not even be the first choice of anyone on the jury - simply the ones that they could all agree on. If you do not get funding, do not take is as a sign that you work doesn’t cut it.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>3. Read all the application rules over and over again and use the check-list provided. </b>If you have any questions, call the grant officer and ask. Set aside an entire day to do the necessary assembling and proof-reading of materials. In an ideal world, you should always have a second person proof your application materials. Take special care to spell names correctly.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>4. Never, ever send in rough drafts. </b>If you were to place the original version of your poem on a table next to the poem you are sending in and they look at all similar, do not pass go. Edit, edit, edit.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>5. Update your CV regularly. </b>No one cares if your hobbies are unicorn-collecting and that you worked at a summer camp in the 80s. Keep it all writing-related, and as up-to-date as possible. If you are not design-savvy, ask an artist friend to format your CV to be concise and as pretty as possible. Presentation matters.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>6. Keep in mind when re-reading your materials that the person you are most interesting to is yourself. </b>To other people who have to read about 85 submissions, brevity is paramount. Short and concise, always. Keep cover letters to one page, no smaller than 12pt font and CVs to two pages maximum.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>7. Remember that you are competing</b>. Sell yourself. Use everything you have to make your submission look like they’d be ridiculous to turn you down. Highlight pull-quotes from reviews, get amazing letters of reference and send only the best of your very best work. Do not be humble or self-deprecating, as great as those qualities are in your every day life, in grant-writing land, they’re kind of annoying to people who have to read through the pile.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>8. Celebrate the day you get your grant</b>. Go out to dinner before squirreling it away, especially if you’ve spent a lot of time broke and struggling - take the time to feel it!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Types of Grants Available<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Municipal</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.torontoartscouncil.org/">The <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Toronto</st1:place></st1:city> Arts Council</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">WRITERS - Project Grants for Individual Artists - This program supports the creation of new works or works-in-progress in the genres of fiction, literary non-fiction, poetry and oral traditions such as storytelling, dub, rap and spoken-word poetry.The program provides two levels of grants for writers: LEVEL ONE: $2,000 – for new or emerging writers with little or no prior history of publication. LEVEL TWO: $7,500 – for mid-career or senior writers with a history of professional publication. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Provincial<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.arts.on.ca/">The <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Ontario</st1:place></st1:state> Arts Council</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal">1. Writers’ Reserve Program</p><p class="MsoNormal">This is a great way to start out applying for funding and to network with potential publishers and magazine editors.</p><p class="MsoNormal">This program is administered by third-party recommendations from the literary community. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Eligibility:<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>This program is open to published Ontario-based professional writers working on projects in fiction, poetry, literary criticism, commentary on the arts, graphic novels, history, biography, political or social issues, science or travel. Grant amounts range from $1500-$5000.</p><p class="MsoNormal">2. Writers Works In Progress</p><p class="MsoNormal">This program is excellent once you have a substantial amount of work done on a project or know exactly what you’d like to write but do not have the time to do the work.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Purpose: To assist professional writers to complete book-length works of literary merit.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Eligibility: Ontario-based professional writers may apply for support for the continuation of new work in poetry or prose, including graphic novels. Grant amount is $12,000. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Federal<o:p></o:p></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.canadacouncil.ca/"><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region> Council for the Arts</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">1. Grants for Professional Writers</p><p class="MsoNormal">The Grants for Professional Writers program covers subsistence, project and travel expenses. The Creative Writing Grants component gives Canadian authors (emerging, mid-career and established) time to write new literary works, including novels, short stories, poetry, children’s literature, graphic novels and literary non-fiction.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Deadline: October 1. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Eligibility: at least one literary book published by a professional publishing house, or 10 published poems. The grant amounts offered are from $3,000 to $12,000 for emerging artists. </p><p class="MsoNormal">2. Spoken Word & Storytelling Program</p><p class="MsoNormal">Deadline: April 15. </p><p class="MsoNormal">The Creation and Production component supports literary projects that are not based on conventional book or printed magazine formats. Grants are for the creation, production, performance, broadcast or promotion of spoken word and storytelling. Eligibility: professional spoken word artists or<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>professional storytellers who have been paid in the past for their public literary performances or are recognized, in writing, by two established spoken word artists or storytellers. Grants range from $1,000 to $25,000, depending on the nature of the project.</p><p class="MsoNormal">For more information on both programs above look <a href="http://www.canadacouncil.ca/grants/writing">here</a>. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Recommended places to submit your poetry</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.antigonishreview.com/">The Antigonish Review</a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.arcpoetry.ca/">ARC: Canada's National Poetry Magazine</a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.brokenpencil.com/">Broken Pencil</a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.bywords.ca/">Bywords.ca</a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.thecapilanoreview.ca/">The Capilano Review</a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.uoguelph.ca/~carousel/">Carousel</a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.chizine.com/">Chiaroscuro</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.contemporaryverse2.ca/home.html">ContemporaryVerse2</a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://dalhousiereview.dal.ca/index.html">Dalhousie Review</a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.dandelionmagazine.ca/">dANDelion</a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.descant.on.ca/">Descant</a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.eleventhtransmission.org/">Eleventh Transmission</a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://event.douglas.bc.ca/">Event</a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.exilequarterly.com/exilequarterlyis.html">Exile</a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.lib.unb.ca/Texts/Fiddlehead/">The Fiddlehead</a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://fillingstation.ca/">fillingstation</a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.forgetmagazine.com/">Forget Magazine</a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ardentdreams.com/blackbilepress/">Front & Centre</a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.grainmagazine.ca/">Grain</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><a href="http://www.kissmachine.org/">Kiss Machine</a></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://web.uvic.ca/malahat/">The Malahat Review</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.stthomasu.ca/publications/nashwaak/index.htm">Nashaak Review</a></span> </p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.tnq.ca/">The New Quarterly</a></span> </p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.othervoices.ab.ca/">Other Voices</a><br /></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.paperplates.org/">paperplates</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.aioku.com/pine/"><br />PINE</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.prairiefire.ca/"><br />Prairie Fire</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://prism.arts.ubc.ca/"><br />Prism International</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.cmpa.ca/consumer/magazine.php?id=300"><br /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://info.queensu.ca/quarterly/">Queen's Quarterly</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.lib.unb.ca/Texts/QWERTY/index.php"><br />QWERTY</a></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.roommagazine.com/">Room of One's Own</a></span></p><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.theshoremag.com/">The Shore</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><a href="http://stonestone.unbc.ca/">Stonestone</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> (online)<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.subterrain.ca/">sub-TERRAIN</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><a href="http://www.taddlecreekmag.com/">Taddle Creek</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><a href="http://www.cmpa.ca/consumer/magazine.php?id=319">Tickle Ace</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><a href="http://torkstar.com/">torkstar.com: underground fiction</a> </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><a href="http://www.uregina.ca/arts/english/wascana/wrhome.htm">Wascana Review</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><a href="http://www.westcoastline.ca/">West Coast Line</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><a href="http://www.cmpa.ca/consumer/magazine.php?id=190">The Windsor Review</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span>The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-19575031179047749432008-02-24T06:44:00.000-08:002008-09-25T09:26:25.369-07:00Notes from "Creating Memorable Mystery & Crime Fiction Characters" with John McFetridge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2tx0e-7SAB-4Ih7OANqaEFLFY1ml4g80tV8WwG1psi996aEZy_hLM67x8EwoHUyMVqt3Sxniv6JHOP2e6Cp2QQenUa14dUEYQqSt62uEDoSOc7-Qkj-nbP3KWNfjLGnSYDu7/s1600-h/jmcfet+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186871393612930178" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2tx0e-7SAB-4Ih7OANqaEFLFY1ml4g80tV8WwG1psi996aEZy_hLM67x8EwoHUyMVqt3Sxniv6JHOP2e6Cp2QQenUa14dUEYQqSt62uEDoSOc7-Qkj-nbP3KWNfjLGnSYDu7/s200/jmcfet+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><span lang="EN-CA">"We start with a theme, or a situation and then come up with the best characters to tell it." --David Simon, creator of "The Wire"</span><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span lang="EN-CA">"I start with a character and think about the kind of situations he can be in."<br />--Elmore Leonard</span><span lang="EN-CA"><br /><br />So, pretty much opposite approaches, they can’t both be right? And yet they both are. Because there is no right or wrong, only interesting or boring.</span><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><o:p></o:p><br />There are a lot of good books about writing fiction and specifically about creating characters. Right now the Donald Maass book, <i>Writing the Breakout Novel</i> is the hot one. He’s also got <i>Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook</i>. Rachel Ballon’s <em>Breathing Life Into Your Characters: How to Give Your Characters Emotional & Psychological Depth </em>has a lot of four star reviews at Amazon. Then there’s <i>45 Master Characters</i>, <i>Dynamic Characters</i>, <i>Character and Viewpoint</i>, <i>Writer’s Guide to Character Traits</i>, and on and on. They can’t possibly hurt.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal">Other things to think about: </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> Series character – the big dilemma.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span lang="EN-CA">Publishers (and maybe readers) want series characters. The dilemma? It’s hard enough to create a character interesting enough for one book, let alone a series. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span lang="EN-CA">As Ben Yagoda says in the enclosed article from Salon magazine: There are, “</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="color:black;">2 problems: The main character, who is invariably romanticized or sentimentalized and who is always a combination of three not especially interesting things: toughness, efficacy and sensitivity. (When the writer resists applying any or all of these traits, the character ends up being bland.) The second is the very formulaic quality that lets a book be part of a series. Similar things happen in similar ways, which is probably as apt a definition as you'll ever find of how not to make good literature."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Flat and Round. Still relevant?</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span lang="EN-CA">The James Wood article in the Guardian says, “</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="color:black;">In <i>Aspects of the Novel</i>, EM Forster used the now-famous term "flat" to describe the kind of character who is awarded a single, essential attribute, which is repeated without change as the person appears and reappears in a novel... Round characters "surprise" us each time they reappear; they are not flimsily theatrical.” He goes on to say Forster is wrong. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Character vs. Plot.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span lang="EN-CA">This is another discussion almost unique to crime fiction. Probably again because of the structure of crime fiction – usually there’s a mystery and a solution. So, people ask, which is more important, the mystery or the characters? Sometimes books are described as plot-driven or character-driven. In fact, they need to be both. (Bill Pronzini article)</span><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Setting as character.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span lang="EN-CA">In crime fiction we usually associate particular characters with the cities in which they work – Rebus is Edinburgh, Inpecter Gamache is Three Pines, Quebec, Kiney Milhone is Santa Teresa, California. They couldn’t just be moved around with no consequences because the way they interact with their setting is such an important part of their character and their stories. Still, we hear it often enough, don’t set your book in Canada. Even after the success of Louise Penny and Giles Blunt (and many others) we hear it. Is the problem the Canadian setting, or that not enough of the Canadian character is coming through? If you look at setting as something that can simply be changed, move it from Toronto to Buffalo, Muskoka to the Finger Lakes or Halifax to Boston without making any other changes then there’s something wrong with the story – not the setting.</span></p>--<br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">John McFetridge</span> is the author of the Toronto-set crime novel, <i>Dirty Sweet</i>, and the co-author (with Scott Albert) of the short story collection <i>Below the Line</i>. His latest crime novel, <i>Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere</i> (with many characters from <i>Dirty Sweet</i>) will be published in spring, 2008.<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> </span>Visit his <a href="http://www.johnmcfetridge.ca/index.htm">website</a> for more information.<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><br /></span></p><a href="http://www.johnmcfetridge.ca/index_files/Page410.htm"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"></span></a>The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-72322884056251466842008-01-16T07:24:00.000-08:002008-01-23T12:00:31.440-08:00The RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(35, 31, 32);"><span style="font-size:180%;">WRITERS’ TRUST REWARDS YOUNG WRITER!</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br /><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Winner of the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers Announced</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><o:p></o:p></span><br /></div> <h1 style="font-family: georgia;"> </h1> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color: rgb(35, 31, 32);font-size:100%;" >A literary award with a track-record for identifying some of thi</span><span style="color: rgb(35, 31, 32);font-size:100%;" >s country’s finest developing writers was presented last night to Marjorie Celona, a twenty-seven year old from <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Victoria</st1:place></st1:state>.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color: rgb(35, 31, 32);font-size:100%;" >The </span><span style="color: rgb(35, 31, 32);font-size:100%;" >RBC <span style="">Bronwen Wallace<b> </b>Award<b> </b></span>for</span><span style="color: rgb(35, 31, 32);font-size:100%;" > Emerging Writers is given to a Canadian author or landed immigrant under the age of thirty-five, not yet published in book form, for a sample </span><span style="color: rgb(35, 31, 32);font-size:100%;" >of short fiction. New prize supporter RBC Foundation raised the prize’s cash value to $5,000 (from $1,000).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color: rgb(35, 31, 32);font-size:100%;" >Celona has a degree in </span><span style="font-size:100%;">creative writing from the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Victoria</st1:placename></st1:place> and is currently completing an MFA at the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Her writing has appeared in <i style="">THIS magazine</i>, <i style="">The Indiana Review</i>, and <i style="">Best Canadian Stories '07</i>. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="color: rgb(35, 31, 32);font-size:100%;" ><o:p></o:p><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color: rgb(35, 31, 32);font-size:100%;" >Finalists were selected by a jury comprised of Michelle Berry, Natalee Caple, and Andrew Pyper. Of Celona’s short story, “Othello,” they wrote: <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;font-family:georgia;"><span style="color: rgb(35, 31, 32);font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:100%;">“Othello” has the mark of a mature and experienced writer. A teenage boy learns about loneliness and life’s misperceptions during a summer road trip stop at a convenience store in the town of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Othello</st1:place></st1:city>. An autistic boy and his depressed father create a powerful frame around this coming</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:100%;"> of age story, teaching us that suddenly, out of nowhere, perceptions can shift a little and in an instant the future is clear. The non-linear writing is bare and raw – an entire life summed up in so few pages. This story is a gift, a world created and presented perfectly. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color: rgb(35, 31, 32);font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p>Two finalists each received cash prizes of $1,000: </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Ben Lof for “When in the Field with Her at His Back” and Grace O'Connell for “The Bottlenecks.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p><b><span style="color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">Bronwen Wallace </span></b></span><span style="color: rgb(35, 31, 32);font-size:100%;" >was a mentor for many young writers as well as a creative writing teacher at St. Lawrence College and Queen’s University in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Kingston</st1:place></st1:city>. She was also the editor of <i>Quarry Magazine</i>, and during her editorship the magazine gave many writers their first publication. Wallace wrote four books of poetry and a collection of short stories before her death at age forty-four.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color: rgb(35, 31, 32);font-size:100%;" ><o:p></o:p>Bronwen Wallace felt strongly that unpublished writers should receive recognition at an earlier age. As a result, her close friend Carolyn Smart<b> </b>founded the award as a tribute to Wallace and younger writers. The award, presented for the first time in 1994, alternates each year between poetry and short fiction. Past</span><span style="color: rgb(35, 31, 32);font-size:100%;" > winners include Michael Crummey, Alissa York and, most recently, Jeramy Dodds.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eLwKhsfU5qyB0i-Jtd4eC9LKbKWDrTe2lIxWoEE6rZ6frloWuWvFkp9kPWLKE_WfRkLlp-ZTrnxTEopi1K6hLJ-24FCW4m49RaYrqxso3x__hPXU5PQhVzchd0XI6kVPfwl0/s1600-h/RBC+Bronwen+Wallace+Award+for+Emerging+Writers_2007-1.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eLwKhsfU5qyB0i-Jtd4eC9LKbKWDrTe2lIxWoEE6rZ6frloWuWvFkp9kPWLKE_WfRkLlp-ZTrnxTEopi1K6hLJ-24FCW4m49RaYrqxso3x__hPXU5PQhVzchd0XI6kVPfwl0/s200/RBC+Bronwen+Wallace+Award+for+Emerging+Writers_2007-1.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158695223305397346" border="0" /></a></span><span style="color: rgb(35, 31, 32);font-size:11;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >To celebrate the three finalists, the Writers' Trust has produced a book featuring all three stories. To receive a free, electronic version in PDF format, please send us an <a href="mailto:%20info@writerstrust.com">email</a> with "Bronwen Wallace Book Request" in the subject heading.</span><br /></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /><span style="color: rgb(35, 31, 32);font-size:11;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-56981231911007328472007-12-07T13:04:00.000-08:002008-02-08T06:42:17.723-08:002008 Spring Workshop Sessions Announced<table style="width: 515px; height: 141px;" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td width="254"><p class="style4"><span class="style31"><strong><img src="http://www.writerstrust.com/images/pww_mcfetride.jpg" alt="Telus" class="blackText" align="left" border="2" height="102" width="74" />JOHN MCFETRIDGE</strong><br /> <em>Creating Memorable Mystery & Crime Fiction Characters</em><br />Saturday, February 23, 2008<br />1pm – 3pm<br />Toronto Public Library</span> - <span class="style31">Beaches Branch</span></p><p class="style4"><br /></p><p class="style4">John Rebus, Stephanie Plum and Inspector Murdoch – in mystery and crime fiction it’s all about the characters. Police detectives, private eyes, or amateur sleuths, we keep coming back to find out more about them, watch them solve crimes and deal with their own lives. What makes a character so endearing, so interesting? How are they created and how do they develop and progress? In this workshop we will discuss the creation of great mystery and crime fiction series characters<span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span> </p></td> </tr> </tbody></table><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />This is a free workshop however space is limited. To register, or for more information, please </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="mailto:%20kgreenwood@writerstrust.com">email</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> or call 416.504.8222 x 243.<br /><br /></span><p class="style32"> </p> <table style="width: 515px; height: 128px;" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td width="254"><p class="style31"><strong><img src="http://www.writerstrust.com/images/pww_foon.jpg" alt="Telus" class="blackText" align="left" border="2" height="104" width="74" /><strong class="style4">DENNIS FOON</strong><br /> </strong><span class="style4"><em>Possible Worlds</em><br />Saturday, February 23, 2008<br />2pm – 4pm<br />Vancouver Public Library - Central Library</span></p><p class="style31"><br /></p><p class="style31">If the world as we know it collapsed tomorrow, how would it happen? What would you do? Where would you go? What would you become? In this workshop, we’ll examine how you create an imagined world – and the characters that live in it. Speculative fiction and fantasy make huge demands on the writer. We’ll be looking at some of the obstacles, exploring ways of overcoming – and exploiting them, and seeing how a seed of an idea can evolve into a fully realized world. </p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="style31"><span class="style32"><br />> This is a free workshop however space is limited. To register, or for more information, please <a href="mailto:%20kgreenwood@writerstrust.com">email</a> or call 416.504.8222 x 243.</span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="style31"><span class="style32"><br /></span></p> <table style="width: 514px; height: 127px;" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td width="254"><p class="style31"><strong><img src="http://www.writerstrust.com/images/pww_terry_jordan.jpg" alt="Telus" class="blackText" align="left" border="2" height="99" width="74" /><span class="style4"><strong>TERRY JORDAN</strong><br /></span></strong><span class="style4"><em>The Art & Craft of Fiction </em><br />Tuesday, February 23, 2008<br />7p m- 9pm<br />Refinery Arts & Spirit Centre</span><span class="style4"> - Jessie Miller Room<br /> Saskatoon, SK</span></p><p class="style31">A workshop to discuss the art and craft of writing fiction and aspects of the writerly life. Time will be allotted to meet the needs of the writers present; particular attention will be paid to the individual manuscripts of the participants. </p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p class="style31"><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="style31"><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;">> This is a free workshop however space is limited. To register, or for more information, please </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="mailto:%20kgreenwood@writerstrust.com">email</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> or call 416.504.8222 x 243.</span></span></p><p class="style31"><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span> </span></p> <table style="width: 514px; height: 143px;" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td width="254"><p class="style31"><strong><img src="http://www.writerstrust.com/images/pww_fertig.jpg" alt="Telus" class="blackText" align="left" border="2" height="108" width="74" /></strong><span class="style4"><strong>MONA FERTIG</strong><br /> <em>The Shape & Sound of Poetry</em><br />Saturday, March 8, 2008<br />1pm – 3pm<br />Salt Spring Island Public Library<br />Salt Spring Island, BC</span></p><p class="style31">Participants will experiment with the shape and sound of their poetry by playing with line breaks, and reading each others poems. In addition, participants will make a single-sheet, folded poembook for one of their poems. Participants must bring two to three poems-in-progress (one page in length maximum), one finished poem in 12 pt font (to cut up for the poembook), glue stick and scissors. Other materials will be supplied.</p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p class="style31"><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="style31"><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;">> This is a free workshop however space is limited. To register, or for more information, please </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="mailto:%20kgreenwood@writerstrust.com">email</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> or call 416.504.8222 x 243.</span></span></p><p class="style31"><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span> </span></p> <table style="width: 514px; height: 135px;" border="1"> <tbody><tr><td width="254"><p class="style31"><strong><img src="http://www.writerstrust.com/images/pww_hannah.jpg" alt="Telus" class="blackText" align="left" border="2" height="106" width="93" /></strong><span class="style4"><strong>DON HANNAH</strong><br /> <em>Economy & Depth: Writing & Revising a Scene</em><br />Saturday, March 8, 2008<br />1:30pm – 4:30pm<br />Toronto Public Library</span><span class="style4"> - Lillian H. Smith Branch</span></p><p class="style31"><br /></p><p class="style31">A workshop for dramatists, this workshop will focus on telling a story through dialogue and action; emphasizing ways that rewrites and revisions can help a writer delve deeper into their material. Each participant must submit a short scene for two to three characters involving a conflict. This conflict can be small or large; the only stipulations are that it be revealed (or arise) during the scene, and that it affect and change the relationships of the characters. More information to be provided upon registration. </p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p class="style31"><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="style31"><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;">> This is a free workshop however space is limited. To register, or for more information, please </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="mailto:%20kgreenwood@writerstrust.com">email</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> or call 416.504.8222 x 243.</span></span></p><p class="style31"><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span> </span></p> <table style="width: 512px; height: 118px;" border="1"> <tbody><tr><td width="254"><p class="style31"><strong><img src="http://www.writerstrust.com/images/pww_whittall.jpg" alt="Telus" class="blackText" align="left" border="2" height="94" width="74" /></strong><span class="style4"><strong>ZOE WHITTALL</strong><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Putting It All Together</span><br />Sunday, April 6, 2008<br />2pm – 4pm<br />Toronto Public Library</span><span class="style4"> - Lillian H. Smith Branch</span></p><p class="style31">How do you know when you're done your first book of poems? When is it good enough to try to get published? And most importantly, why are you writing it? Why poetry? Zoe will lead a discussion on how to know when you're finished, when to scrap the poems that aren't working, and offer practical advice about the poet life including tips on grant-writing, CV prep and how to promote your work. Participants are asked to bring 2 finished poems to read and a synopsis of their poetry project. Be prepared to receive feedback from both participants and the facilitator. </p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p class="style31"><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="style31"><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;">> This is a free workshop however space is limited. To register, or for more information, please </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="mailto:%20kgreenwood@writerstrust.com">email</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> or call 416.504.8222 x 243.</span></span></p><p class="style31"><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span> </span></p> <table style="width: 512px; height: 124px;" border="1"> <tbody><tr><td width="254"><p class="style31"><span class="style4"><strong><img src="http://www.writerstrust.com/images/pww_anderson-dargatz.jpg" alt="Telus" class="blackText" align="left" border="2" height="101" width="74" />GAIL ANDERSON-DARGATZ</strong><br /> <em>Turning Fact Into Fiction</em><br />Saturday, April 12, 2008<br />1pm – 3pm<br />Okanagan College - Salmon Arm Campus<br />Salmon Arm, BC</span></p><p class="style31">Most of us have remarkable family histories and many of us have lived fascinating lives. Working from personal and family stories is often tricky business and doing so inevitably raises a number of fears for a writer. But how to turn those real stories into fiction? Guiding participants through her process, Gail will offer ideas on how to move those true-life stories past the personal and into the universal, from fact into fiction. Be prepared to do at least one fun exercise (little or no writing involved!) during the afternoon.</p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="style31"><span class="style32"><br /></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="style31"><span class="style32">> This is a free workshop however space is limited. To register, or for more information, please <a href="mailto:%20kgreenwood@writerstrust.com">email</a> or call 416.504.8222 x 243.</span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="style31"><span class="style32"><br /></span></p> <table style="width: 513px; height: 120px;" border="1"> <tbody><tr><td width="254"><p class="style31"><strong><img src="http://www.writerstrust.com/images/pww_oliva.jpg" alt="Telus" class="blackText" align="left" border="2" height="91" width="74" /></strong><span class="style4"><strong>PETER OLIVA</strong><br /> <em>A (Very) Brief History of the Novella</em><br />Saturday, April 12, 2008<br />1pm – 3pm<br />Calgary Public Library</span><span class="style4"> - Memorial Park Branch</span></p><p class="style31">In this workshop, Peter Oliva will give a background of this misunderstood form of writing, describe what the novella does best, where it came from, what it's doing now, and suggest ways to begin writing your own novella.</p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p class="style31"><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="style31"><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;">> This is a free workshop however space is limited. To register, or for more information, please </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="mailto:%20kgreenwood@writerstrust.com">email</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> or call 416.504.8222 x 243.</span></span></p><p class="style31"><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span> </span></p> <table style="width: 514px; height: 122px;" border="1"> <tbody><tr><td width="254"><p class="style31"><strong><img src="http://www.writerstrust.com/images/pww_verdecchia.jpg" alt="Telus" class="blackText" align="left" border="2" height="95" width="74" /></strong><span class="style4"><strong>GUILLERMO VERDECCHIA</strong><br /> <em>Cutting, Tweaking, & Rehearsing</em><br />Saturday, April 12, 2008<br />1pm – 3pm<br />Toronto Public Library</span><span class="style4"> - Palmerston Branch</span></p><p class="style31"><br /></p><p class="style31">A lean script is often a better script. How can we tighten up our dialogue and scenes to make our plays communicate more effectively? We'll look at examples of scenes improved by editing and we'll discuss some of your work and the rehearsal process. How can playwrights make use of what happens in rehearsal to improve our scripts and how can we best contribute to the rehearsal process? </p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="style31"><span class="style32"><br /></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="style31"><span class="style32">> This is a free workshop however space is limited. To register, or for more information, please <a href="mailto:%20kgreenwood@writerstrust.com">email</a> or call 416.504.8222 x 243.</span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;" class="style31"><span class="style32"><br /></span></p> <table style="width: 515px; height: 130px;" border="1"> <tbody><tr><td width="254"><p class="style31"><strong><img src="http://www.writerstrust.com/images/pww_carley.jpg" alt="Telus" class="blackText" align="left" border="2" height="99" width="74" /></strong><span class="style4"><strong>DAVE CARLEY</strong><br /> <em>Writing Plays: Getting Started & Keeping Going</em><br />Saturday, April 19, 2008<br />2pm – 4pm<br />Peterborough Public Library</span><br /><span class="style4">Peterborough, ON</span></p><p class="style31">In this workshop, Dave Carley will outline the perils and joys of playwriting, as well as read briefly from his own work. </p> <p class="style31">Depending on workshop numbers, some short writing exercises will be included; designed to help writers turn up the heat on projects they’ve left too long on the back burner… </p><p class="style31"> </p></td> </tr> </tbody></table><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />> This is a free workshop however space is limited. To register, or for more information, please </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="mailto:%20kgreenwood@writerstrust.com">email</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> or call 416.504.8222 x 243.<br /><br /></span><p class="style31"><span class="style32"> </span></p> <table style="width: 510px; height: 130px;" border="1"> <tbody><tr><td width="254"><p class="style31"><strong><img src="http://www.writerstrust.com/images/pww_nalo_hopkinson.jpg" alt="Credit: David Findlay, 2007" class="blackText" align="left" border="2" height="103" width="74" /></strong><span class="style4"><strong>NALO HOPKINSON</strong><br /> <em>Practical Realities of a Career in Fiction </em><br />May 3, 2008<br />1pm – 3pm<br />Toronto Public Library</span><span class="style4"> - Beaches Branch</span></p><p class="style31"><br /></p><p class="style31">So you want to make a career writing fiction. But where do you submit your work? What should you do if you get an offer? What can you expect to be paid? Can you live off writing short stories? Do you need an agent? What does an editor really do? Will you have to give readings? How do you keep yourself fed while you're churning out pellucid prose? Will you need a day job as well? And what if you get sick? This workshop is about some of the practical realities of living as a working fiction writer. </p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;">> This is a free workshop however space is limited. To register, or for more information, please </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="mailto:%20kgreenwood@writerstrust.com">email</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> or call 416.504.8222 x 243.</span></span></p><p><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span> </span></p> <table style="width: 511px; height: 128px;" border="1"> <tbody><tr><td width="254"><p class="style31"><strong><img src="http://www.writerstrust.com/images/pww_livingston.jpg" alt="Credit: David Findlay, 2007" class="blackText" align="left" border="2" height="103" width="74" /></strong><span class="style4"><strong>BILLIE LIVINGSTON</strong><br /> <em>Fiction: The Devil in the Details</em><br />Saturday, May 10, 2008<br />1pm – 3pm<br />Vancouver Public Library</span><span class="style4"> - Central Library</span></p><p class="style31"><br /></p><p class="style31">A story with believable characters and situations is something a writer strives for. What makes you love or loathe a person? What makes a situation feel awkward or anxious? It has been said: “Write what you know.” But what does that mean? How do you find out what it is your subconscious is picking up on every day? Why don’t you trust your building manager or that cashier at Safeway? In this workshop we’ll discuss not only how to unearth the details but how to steal them to make compelling fiction.</p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p class="style31"><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="style31"><span class="style32"><span style="font-weight: bold;">> This is a free workshop however space is limited. To register, or for more information, please </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="mailto:%20kgreenwood@writerstrust.com">email</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> or call 416.504.8222 x 243.</span> </span></p>The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32534191.post-72635646682035535212007-12-01T12:43:00.000-08:002008-04-09T07:32:29.060-07:00Notes from "The Non-Fiction Book Proposal" with Derek Lundy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihc2siySuJDvjvgEBRR5TWeFRSP7oZGYPLz7zI7qt3dRbN9JfyQ-5Kq_EEhyphenhyphenvcXGzSRPw8OvZqq-P1Jka7cuFuwPOPfypXWre0LBMor4JUuuJll8JZbpYWU6ydCnphaiU0GkH4/s1600-h/DerekLundy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihc2siySuJDvjvgEBRR5TWeFRSP7oZGYPLz7zI7qt3dRbN9JfyQ-5Kq_EEhyphenhyphenvcXGzSRPw8OvZqq-P1Jka7cuFuwPOPfypXWre0LBMor4JUuuJll8JZbpYWU6ydCnphaiU0GkH4/s200/DerekLundy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186963567906069698" border="0" /></a>An Idiosyncratic Summary<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Opening </span><br />Get their attention anyway you can. You only have a few minutes, maybe less. You might simply state your intention with verve and economy; or you may use a killer quote; or you might make a funny, or outrageous, or provocative, statement. In any case, your purpose is to grab the jaded publisher/agent/editor reader and convince them they cannot possibly avoid reading on. Mug them right away with your unique and writerly voice. You’re staging a literary, metaphorical stickup to get their undivided attention.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Contents</span><br />Describe what you’re going to write about, the details of your story. Be succinct and make sure your tone is appropriate to the kind of story you propose to tell. This is the meat of the proposal. It must communicate the gist and import of your book. It should say why this is a worthy subject, or why it’s fascinating, funny, or profound. If you can suggest chapter titles, or a draft form of organization, do so. Describe the various themes you’ll discuss and explore. Try to give the reader no choice but to keep reading yet further.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Market </span><br />You must deal with this. Small Canadian presses which get big government subventions, and university presses, don’t necessarily have to make a profit. But all other publishers must try to do so on each book they produce. Acquisition decisions are made as much by marketing departments as by editors. You need to know, and to tell the publisher up front, what else is out there that’s similar to yours - and there’s almost bound to be something. In that case, how is your book distinct? Will the market bear yet another book in the same vein? “Of the making of books there is no end ...” says Ecclesiastes, and that’s certainly how publishers feel. Then you must identify the market for your book. Who is going to want to read it, and why? Does it have subsidiary rights possibilities, and why? Can it be sold in other countries, and why?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Research </span><br />Unless it’s straight memoir, non-fiction requires research, field work, travel, interviews. Tell the publisher what you think is required and how long it might take. How much it might cost, too, because that will bring up the subject of an advance on royalties. Even a first-time writer can ask for some up-front money to fund research.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Author </span><br />If you are, as yet, unpublished, this is the dicey part. Without a track record, you must convince the publisher to talk further with you on based entirely on the immediate appeal of your idea, and the quality of the thinking and writing in your proposal. If you’ve already had stories and journalism published, this isn’t as critical. If you’ve got a book out, you’re in a much stronger position, of course, and the proposal doesn’t have to bear the entire weight of your effort to be noticed and responded to. Make as much of yourself and your writerly skills as you reasonably and honestly can. Confront your lack of experience if you don’t have any; acknowledge it, and then tell the publisher it doesn’t matter in your case. As your superb proposal demonstrates, you’re a natural, and you can do the job.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sample Material </span><br />You don’t necessarily need to send this along with your proposal (check publishers’ web sites to find out what they want). But if you’re unpublished, and a publisher likes your proposal, they’ll want to see sample chapters right away. You must have these ready to go before you send out a proposal. If you delay in responding to a request for material, they’ll forget you, and you’ll have to mount another campaign for visibility and acceptance when you do get sample material written and ready to submit.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Details </span><br />Do not make grammatical or spelling errors. Do not assume the publisher knows a damn thing about the subject matter you’re proposing to write about, but don’t insult their intelligence either. This is a hard balance, especially with a new, young generation of editors who don’t necessarily share the cultural touchstones of preceding generations, and who may not, in fact, be particularly well-read. You’ll need a working title. One of the advantages of non-fiction is that you get to have a sub-title, too. Your idea of a good title will seldom be held by the publisher, and especially by the marketing department (who have an increasingly large say in title selection), and will almost certainly be screwed around with. Still, a good working title is helpful. Needless to say, the internet is the source of information about publishers, their publishing programs, and their submission requirements. Do your research before you contact them. Tailor your proposal for each publisher, or group of publishers. You may write one version of your idea and its execution for a small Canadian press and another for a multi-national branch plant.<br /><br />In case you’re interested, books about cats, diets, golf, Nazis, and terrorism always sell well. Keep trying.<br /><br />--<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Derek Lundy </span>is the author of <i style="">The Bloody Red Hand: A Journey Through Truth, Myth and Terror in Northern Ireland</i> and <i style="">The Way of a Ship: A Square-Rigger Voyage in the Last Days of Sai</i>l, which was a B.C. Book Prize finalist, and a Globe and Mail Best Book in 2002.<span style=""> </span>He has written a short biography, <i style="">Scott Turow: Meeting the Enemy</i>, and was General Editor of "Barristers and Solicitors in Practice" (Butterworths, 1998), a comprehensive text on the practice of law in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:place>. He has written for "Men’s Journal," "Canadian Lawyer," the London "Sunday Times," "Cruising World," "Books in Canada," the "National Post," the "Globe and Mail," and other Canadian dailies. He has degrees in history, international relations and law. He was born in <st1:city st="on">Belfast</st1:city>, N. Ireland, and lives with his wife and daughter on <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Salt</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Spring</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>, B.C.The Writers' Trust of Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15986660274876491697noreply@blogger.com0