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  • Book Club for Writers: "Resonance" feat. Eileen Cook & Christina Myers

    • 12 Sep 2024
    • 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM
    • Zoom
    Register

    Member Price: Free (with donation options)

    Non-Member Price: $10

    **Digital doors open at 6:55 pm; event starts at 7:00 pm

    **Portions of this event will be recorded and made available to registrants to view for 30 days. Breakout room discussions will not be recorded.


    The Federation of BC Writers invites you to participate in our newest programming initiative: Book Club for Writers! This online book club for writers offers an opportunity to read and discuss books related to the craft of writing. Book Club events are 75 minutes long and feature a combination of small group discussion using breakout rooms, large group discussion in the main room, as well as an opportunity to hear the author’s insights and ask questions.

    Our September pick is Resonance: Essays on the Craft & Life of Writing, edited by Andrew Chesham and Laura Farina (Anvil Press). Contributors Eileen Cook and Christina Myers will be joining us to answer audience questions and share their insights. Register here (bcwriters.ca/events-for-writers) to receive the event link, discussion questions, and reminders. Purchase the book, review the discussion questions, and when it's time for the event, click on the link to join the live Zoom event. We look forward to seeing you there!


    BOOK BLURB

    Through forty-three personal essays, Resonance: Essays on the Craft and Life of Writing brings together insights from writers and publishers across Canada on the practices that fuel their work, and invites readers to join the conversation through a series of engaging writing prompts. The essays collected here include strategies for pre-writing, writing and revision, as well as thoughts on the writing life and the world of writing. Resonance is for any writer of fiction, non-fiction or poetry who has ever wanted a helping hand, a quick chat, or a word of encouragement along the lonely road from blank page to published work. Resonance seeks to build community and extend the practice of creativity to writers everywhere. 


    PRESENTER BIOS:


    Eileen Cook is a multi-published, award winning author in both non-fiction and fiction. She's a popular speaker/instructor at conferences, with Simon Fraser University's The Writer's Studio, and with The Creative Academy for Writers. Her most recent non-fiction guide is Build Better Settings available now and she will have a historical novel out in 2024.


    Christina Myers is a writer, editor, and former journalist. Her latest book, Halfway Home: Thoughts from Midlife, was published by House of Anansi in spring 2024, and her debut novel The List of Last Chances (Caitlin Press, 2021) was longlisted for the Leacock Medal, shortlisted for the Fred Kerner prize, and won the 2023 Canadian Book Club Award in the fiction category. She is currently at work on her next few projects, including an anthology on postpartum depression. She is a member of Da’naxda’xw First Nation, grew up all over Canada, and lives in Surrey, BC, with her family: one spouse, two kids, and four (yes, four) cats. 


    STEPS:

    1. Register here to receive the discussion questions and event link.

    2. Purchase your print or electronic version of the book

    3. Read the book and consider the discussion questions (emailed two weeks before meeting)

    4. Join the Book Club meeting using the Zoom link to discuss your responses and hear from the author!

    Please email Meaghan@bcwriters.ca if you have any questions, or would like to suggest a book.

    Show details

  • Sunday Webinar: Create a Writing Routine that Boosts Your Confidence

    • 22 Sep 2024
    • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    • Zoom
    Register


    Create a Writing Routine that Boosts Your Confidence 

    Member Price: $15

    Non-Member Price is $25

    **This event will be recorded. Registrants can access the recording for 30 days.

    Description:

    Through journaling, a set pre-writing routine, and mindset work, build yourself into a more confident writer. Discover the routine that suits you best so you can enter each writing session feeling motivated and inspired.

    Outcomes: 

    Understand how to use journal prompts to boost your writing skills and confidence, create a 5-10 minute preparation routine to get you in the writing zone, and learn new techniques to keep you confident on your journey.

    Intended audience: 

    Writers feeling stuck, looking for ways to reignite their passion for writing and make more progress on their journey.

    Included:

    Attendees will receive a complimentary PDF workbook (in both fillable and print versions) to help them develop their own 3-Step Pre-Writing Confidence Ritual.

    Bio: 

    Kirsten McNeill is a Confidence & Writing Lifestyle Coach, Podcaster, and Self-Published Writer. She loves reading, listening to music, and playing board games in her spare time.

    Together, Kirsten and her mascot, Fred the Koala, share the Worthy Writers branding to align you with your creative sunshine. Connect to your sunflower confidence to publish and share your stories with empowered passion.

    Her mission with Worthy Writers Coaching is to help fiction & memoir writers find their identity, build a practical schedule, and confidently share stories!

    Digital doors open at 1:55 pm, event starts at 2:00 pm


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  • Regional Spotlight: Van Isle Sluggers

    • 24 Sep 2024
    • 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM
    • Zoom
    Register


    Join us Tuesday, September 24 at 7:00 pm Pacific for a Regional Spotlight featuring the Van Island Sluggers with host Meaghan Hackinen and readers Denelda Bendsen, Phyllis Chubb, D.D. Gillespie, Sandra A. Hunter, and Nicole Stillwater. Register here (bcwriters.ca/events-for-writers) and a link will be sent to you. When it's time for the event, click on the link to join the live Zoom event. We look forward to seeing you there!

    Digital Doors Open at 6:55 pm!

    *This event will be recorded.



    Denelda Bendsen    :     Another former high school teacher, Denelda has been writing since she gave up competitive athletics in 2019.

    She’s a member of Sooke Writer’s Collective, WIP (Writer’s in Progress), and the FBCW.

    She writes about time.

    Her latest series, KINDRED CHRONICLES, combines time travel and romance. The protagonists are strong women who rescue ancestors from peril.

    Book 5, Kindred Blade, launched August 2024, features a rescue from the throes of the French Revolution.

    Book 6, Kindred Legacy, wraps up the series. It comes out in 2025 and explains how these remarkable women gained their powers as we jump back to the days of the Vikings.

    Follow her at www.denelda.com.


    Born and raised in British Columbia, Phyllis Chubb now lives in Courtenay. She’s an eternal student of September, the month to start another semester, and it’s her favourite time of year.

    She studies both the conventional and the not-so-conventional, creating a rich life. Retirement has provided her the chance to write novels. She says, “Little did I know how much there was to learn. This eye-opening fact gives meaning to my daily life.”





    Dianne Gillespie, a retired high school teacher, lives on the West Coast on Vancouver Island. After over thirty years teaching in B. C., Dianne spent four years teaching English in northeastern China. Her passions are writing, reading, cooking, gardening and armchair politics. She also tutors on-line, teaching high school English and social studies. 

    Her first published book, Living Apart Together: A New Possibility for Loving Couples (2013), which she wrote with Linda Breault, is available on Kindle through Amazon.  This anthology collected stories of folks who had tried  living apart together in a committed relationship. 

    Dianne is currently working on the final book in a series about the missing and murdered women and girls of Western Canada. 

    The Lost Women Series (available from Amazon in Paperback and on Kindle) includes Wildwoods Child (2016) and Road to Ruin, (2020) Deadly Dark Dance (2022), East Side Easy (expected release date later in 2024), is set in the Downtown East Side neighbourhood of Vancouver. Nora continues to work undercover to target the abuse of the sex trade workers in an area where, as the 1980s unfold, more and more women go missing. 

    Her website: diannegillespie.com


    Sandra A. Hunter has always lived at the edges of ocean and forest in the Pacific Northwest, so it came naturally to have a sentient forest as a major character in her Elanraighseries (YA/Adult High Fantasy) beginning with The Guardian Forest (published 2019) and its sequel A Scourge of Shadows (coming 2024).

    Similarly, the Dragon Heir series, beginning with Daughter of Earth & Fire, The Fledgling (published 2020) takes place in the mountains and river valleys of the Pacific Northwest. Spinetingler’s and On Spechave published her short stories. Her poetry appears in Gaslight, Lynx, Women & Recovery and Polar Starlight.

    Sandra’s a member of SF Canada, and WIP (a Vancouver Island writers’ group). She lives in Parksville, BC, is a “fair weather” kayaker, and a lousy gardener with a ready sense of humour (a good thing, when you’re a writer). Sandra enjoys time spent on her patio, laptop at hand, with a view of either ocean or coastal mountains—and being spirited away by her characters. 





    Nicole Stillwater: Twenty-five years ago, a summer job writing short stories about treasure hunting planted the seed. Now, I hunt for nuggets of truth to spin into fiction.

    I have a lot of questions and I’m often not satisfied with the answers, or I just want to know more. That’s why I write Women’s Fiction and Prehistoric Fantasy. Some people just want an escape, a distraction, but I want to immerse you in a new-to-you experience that tickles the synapses; take you some place where you have the time to take a look around, notice things, ask questions and take nothing for granted. 

    At home on Vancouver Island, I live with my partner, two outdoor kids, and two dogs, exploring nature’s wonderland from sea to summit, and back again, on a path that rarely takes me where I expected to go. 



    Meaghan Hackinen (FBCW host): is a bike-obsessed bookworm on a lifelong hunt for exceptional cycling routes, both on and off the pavement. Her cross-continental bike race memoir,Shifting Gears, was released by NeWest Press in 2023. Meaghan is the 2024 women’s winner of the Tour Divide, a self-supported 4,400-kilometre mountain bike race down the Continental Divide from Banff, Alberta to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. Read her reflective essay on The Radavist.

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  • Author Photo Day: Vancouver

    • 28 Sep 2024
    • UBC Robson Square 800 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC, V5S 0G4
    Register


    Author Photo Day is back! (photos from graphic are from a past event and with permission form subjects)

    Marketing is a big part of being an author whether you are traditionally or self-published. The Federation of BC Writers (FBCW) has worked to put together a special event to help.

    The FBCW has teamed up with Word Vancouver Reader and Writer Festival on Saturday September 28th 2024 (taking place at UBC Robson Square 800 Robson Street, Vancouver) to offer a professional headshot service.

    Your purchase includes 4 professionally touched up photos. All registrants will be contacted to arrange a specific time for their photos to be taken at the venue. Please arrive 20 minutes before your session to check in.

    Spaces are limited and a waitlist has been enabled.

    Prices are $120 for members and $165 for guests

    This is an FBCW event, taking place at a partner venue running in Downtown Vancouver.  We encourage all of our participants to check out the amazing events offered by Word Vancouver before and after you get your photos taken.

    To learn more about our partners at Word Vancouver, visit their website at https://www.wordvancouver.ca/

    To learn more about our Photographer, visit his website at https://seanpullen.com/

    We welcome all who wish to join us. Follow up events in other communities are being planned to offer the same service to artists and authors from across the province.

    Policies:

    • All photos will be sent by Sean directly to the participants.  Touch-ups will take a few weeks.
    • All participants may ask for 1 edit on the photos. Sean will advise on feasibility.
    • While we do not offer refunds on photos shoots, we are happy to arrange a reshoot at our next author photo day for minimal cost.
    • We will send out an invite to pick a timeslot.  There will be many times available, so please do not panic.



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  • Sunday Webinar: Digging Deep: Research and Writing for Historical Fiction and Memoir

    • 29 Sep 2024
    • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    • Zoom
    Register


    Digging Deep: Research and Writing for Historical Fiction and Memoir

    Member Price: $15

    Non-Member Price: $25

    **This event will be recorded. Registrants can access the recording for 30 days.

    Digital doors open at 1:55 pm, event starts at 2:00 pm

    Description:

    In this webinar, we'll explore how to effectively research historical topics and weave them into compelling historical fiction, memoirs, or popular history. From understanding the pitfalls of anachronisms to mastering historical specificity, you'll learn how to enrich your writing with accurate, vivid details. You'll also discover effective techniques for organizing research and conducting thorough investigations into the past.

    Audience: 

    Novice to experienced writers of memoir and history-based narratives looking to improve their research techniques and integrate historical accuracy into their writing.

    Outcomes:

    1. Gain an understanding of the top eight anachronisms and how to avoid them in writing.

    2. Learn how to incorporate historical specificity to enhance authenticity.

    3. Develop strategies for efficiently organizing and conducting historical research.

    4. Understand the history and evolution of historical fiction to inspire your own writing.

    Presenter bio: 

    Claire Mulligan’s first novel of historical fiction, The Reckoning of Boston Jim (Touchwood Editions) was set during the Cariboo Gold Rush of 1863. Boston Jim was nominated for the Giller Prize as well as for the BC Book Prize. Her second historical novel, The Dark (Random House, Double Day), told the true-life story of the notorious Fox sisters on the rise of Spiritualism in the late 1800s and was nominated for the Canadian Author’s award. Claire’s award-winning short fiction has been published in Writer’s Magazine, The Hourglass, Canadian Author, The Tulane Review, The Dalhousie Review, Grain, The Antigonish Review, amongst others. She teaches a variety of creative writing courses through Uvic’s Continuing education dept and offers editing and monthly classes through her website: www.mulliganmethod.ca. 

    Writing History: 

    If you enjoyed this class, sign up for the six-part course Writing History by contacting Claire at claire@mulliganmethod.ca - online Saturdays, October 12th to November 16th, 10 AM to 12 PM Pacific


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  • October Writers' Social

    • 15 Oct 2024
    • 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM
    • Zoom
    Register

    Join us for a Writers' Social on Tuesday, October 15th from 7:00 - 8:15 PM Pacific by registering here (bcwriters.ca/events-for-writers) and a Zoom link for the event will be sent to you. When it’s time for the event you can click on the Zoom link to join the event.


    Many of us strive for a connection with our fellow writers. This members-only monthly event is designed to bring us together for casual chats with breakout rooms. Join us to talk craft, career, and connection for about 75 minutes over Zoom. Meet new people and get the most out of being a part of a provincial organization! Below are the proposed discussion groups for October's meeting (subject to change). Please consider which discussion group you would like to join before you arrive, and email meaghan@bcwriters.ca if you would like to suggest a future discussion topic. See you soon!


    Discussion Groups:

    • Writing routines to set you up for success

    • All about poetry

    • Memoir/CNF writers connect 

    • Summer Writing Challenge alumni

    • General writing discussion

    • Submit your discussion topics to meaghan@bcwriters.ca


    Digital Doors Open at 6:55, Event Starts at 7:00 PM Pacific

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  • November Writers' Social

    • 12 Nov 2024
    • 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM
    • Zoom
    Register

    Join us for a Writers' Social on Tuesday, November 12th from 7:00 - 8:15 PM Pacific by registering here (bcwriters.ca/events-for-writers) and a Zoom link for the event will be sent to you. When it’s time for the event you can click on the Zoom link to join the event.


    Many of us strive for a connection with our fellow writers. This members-only monthly event is designed to bring us together for casual chats with breakout rooms. Join us to talk craft, career, and connection for about 75 minutes over Zoom. Meet new people and get the most out of being a part of a provincial organization! Below are the proposed discussion groups for November's meeting (subject to change). Please consider which discussion group you would like to join before you arrive, and email meaghan@bcwriters.ca if you would like to suggest a future discussion topic. See you soon!


    Discussion Groups:

    • Writing strong scenes

    • All about poetry

    • Memoir writers connect 

    • Summer Writing Challenge alumni

    • General writing discussion

    • Submit your discussion topics to meaghan@bcwriters.ca


    Digital Doors Open at 6:55, Event Starts at 7:00 PM Pacific

    Show details

  • Book Club for Writers: "Immersion & Emotion" by Michelle Barker & David Griffin Brown

    • 14 Nov 2024
    • 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM
    • Zoom
    Register


    Member Price: Free (with donation options)

    Non-Member Price: $10

    **Digital doors open at 6:55 pm; event starts at 7:00 pm

    **Portions of this event will be recorded and made available to registrants to view for 30 days. Breakout room discussions willnotbe recorded.


    The Federation of BC Writers invites you to participate in our newest programming initiative: Book Club for Writers! This online book club for writers offers an opportunity to read and discuss books related to the craft of writing.Book Club events are 75 minutes long and feature a combination of small group discussion using breakout rooms, large group discussion in the main room, as well as an opportunity to hear the author’s insights and ask questions.


    Our November pick is Immersion & Emotion: The Two Pillars of Storytelling, by Michelle Barker and David Griffin Brown. We are thrilled that both Michelle and David will be joining us to answer audience questions and share their insights. Register here (bcwriters.ca/events-for-writers) to receive the event link, discussion questions, and reminders. Purchase the book, review the discussion questions, and when it's time for the event, click on the link to join the live Zoom event. We look forward to seeing you there!


    BOOK BLURB:

    There are two pillars to effective storytelling: immersion and emotional draw. Immersion is what transports readers into your story world. Emotional draw is what keeps them there. This book will take you deep into the craft workshop of the Darling Axe's two senior editors. Michelle and David's core editorial philosophy is simple: every element of a story must serve the reader's experience.


    PRESENTER BIOS:


    Michelle Barker is an award-winning author and a senior editor with The Darling Axe. Her most recent publication, co-authored with David Brown, is Immersion and Emotion: The Two Pillars of Storytelling. Her novel My Long List of Impossible Things was a Junior Library Guild gold standard selection. The House of One Thousand Eyes won numerous awards, including the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award, and was named a Kirkus Best Book of the Year. She is also the author of A Year of Borrowed Men, finalist for the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award. Her poetry, short fiction and non-fiction have been published in literary reviews around the world. Michelle holds a BA in English literature (UBC) and an MFA in creative writing (UBC) and lives in Vancouver on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations.


    David Griffin Brown is an award-winning short fiction writer and co-author of The Two Pillars of Storytelling. He holds a BA in anthropology from UVic and an MFA in creative writing from UBC, and his writing has been published in literary magazines such as the Malahat Review and Grain. In 2022, he was the recipient of a New Artist grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, which was awarded based on a proposal for his manuscript, Sleeping Cutie and the Destruction of Southgate Mall. As the founder and senior editor of the Darling Axe, David is committed to helping authors bring out the best in their work. He lives in Victoria on the traditional territory of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.


    STEPS:

    1. Register here to receive the discussion questions and event link

    2. Purchase your print or electronic version of the book

    3. Read the book and consider the discussion questions (emailed two weeks before meeting)

    • Find Immersion and Emotion in print on Amazon
    • Purchase the ebook on Kindle or Epub

    4. Join the Book Club meeting using the Zoom link to discuss your responses and hear from the authors!


    Please email Meaghan@bcwriters.caif you have any questions, or would like to suggest a book.

    Show details

  • Sunday Webinar: The Mighty (Red) Pen: An Overview of Editing

    • 17 Nov 2024
    • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    • Zoom
    Register


    Perfecting & Subverting Point of View

    Member Price: $15

    Non-Member Price is $25

    **This event will be recorded. Registrants can access the recording for 30 days.

    Description:

    What is editing, exactly? Most of us have an intuitive understanding that editing is the process of making our writing better. But it’s not one singular task or process, but several stages that happen over time. What are the types of editing – for example, what’s the difference between a developmental edit and a copy edit? What kinds of editors are out there to be hired, or that you might encounter at a publishing company in different stages of the publishing process?

    Outcomes:

    articipants will gain a more thorough understanding of the stages of editing, the lingo and language of editing, and get some practical ideas about when to consider hiring an editor (and how to go about choosing someone.) This session does not include instruction about how to edit, but rather is an overview of the role of editing, the types of editing, when they are needed in the writing process, and the definitions and terminology used in editing and by editors. Session will include an intro to a few important tools used by editors (reference books, etc.)

    Intended audience:

    All writers who are learning about writing and editing, anyone who has felt unsure about the jargon and shorthand of editing

    Bio:

    Christina Myers is a writer, editor, and former journalist. Her novel The List of Last Chances was longlisted for the Leacock Medal, shortlisted for the Fred Kerner prize, and won the 2023 Canadian Book Club Award in the fiction category. Her latest book, Halfway Home: Thoughts from Midlife, was published by House of Anansi in spring 2024. She teaches fiction and non-fiction through SFU's creative writing continuing studies, and was the 2023 Ambassador for the Federation of BC Writers. She is a member of Da'naxda'xw First Nation, and lives in Surrey, BC, with her rowdy family: one spouse, two kids and, at present count, four cats.


    Digital doors open at 1:55 pm, event starts at 2:00 pm


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  • Sunday Webinar: Perfecting & Subverting Point of View

    • 24 Nov 2024
    • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
    • Zoom
    Register


    Perfecting & Subverting Point of View

    Member Price: $15

    Non-Member Price is $25

    **This event will be recorded. Registrants can access the recording for 30 days.

    Description:

    What point of view to use is one of the most important decisions a writer has to make. Point of view helps readers connect with the story, changes the tone of the work, and can add depth and richness to a story. Experimenting with point of view can add new levels of skill to your writing. In this workshop, we'll go over the rules of point of view and learn when and how to break them, and practice the different ways to approach POV with guided generative writing exercises.

    Outcomes:

    Participants will leave the session with enhanced understanding of point of view and possibly two first drafts of stories

    Intended audience:

    Writers of every skill level

    Bio:

    Finnian Burnett is a writer whose work explores the intersections of the human body, mental health, and gender identity. They are a recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts grant, a finalist in the 2023 CBC nonfiction prize, and a 2024 Pushcart nominee.

    Their work appears in Blank Spaces Magazine, Reflex Press, The Daily Sci-Fi, and more. Their two novellas-in-flash, The Clothes Make the Man and The Price of Cookies, are available through Ad Hoc Fiction and Off Topic Publishing respectively.

    When not writing or teaching, Finnian enjoys cold weather hiking, Star Trek, and cat memes.

    Digital doors open at 1:55 pm, event starts at 2:00 pm


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  • December Writers' Social

    • 10 Dec 2024
    • 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM
    • Zoom
    Register


    Join us for a Writers' Social on Tuesday, December 10th from 7:00 - 8:15 PM Pacific by registering here (bcwriters.ca/events-for-writers) and a Zoom link for the event will be sent to you. When it’s time for the event you can click on the Zoom link to join the event.


    Many of us strive for a connection with our fellow writers. This members-only monthly event is designed to bring us together for casual chats with breakout rooms. Join us to talk craft, career, and connection for about 75 minutes over Zoom. Meet new people and get the most out of being a part of a provincial organization! Below are the proposed discussion groups for December's meeting (subject to change). Please consider which discussion group you would like to join before you arrive, and email meaghan@bcwriters.ca if you would like to suggest a future discussion topic. See you soon!


    Discussion Groups:

    • Editing and revision

    • All about poetry

    • Memoir/CNF writers connect 

    • Summer Writing Challenge alumni

    • General writing discussion

    • Submit your discussion topics to meaghan@bcwriters.ca


    Digital Doors Open at 6:55, Event Starts at 7:00 PM Pacific

    Show details

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