Join us for five days of online learning from Nov 17 to 21, 2025.
Presentations will be recorded and available to registrants for 45 days after the intensive. Socials and quiet writing times will not be recorded.
ABOUT
Calling all romance-curious writers! Join us for five days of learning focused on the craft of romance stories, the do's and don'ts of the romance author life, and reader expectations for this diverse genre of fiction!
EVENT SCHEDULE
*All times are in Pacific (Vancouver) time*
MONDAY
9:30 AM: Introduction and Tech Help (30 minutes)
Join the FBCW events team for an intro to the week's schedule and a chance to ask questions about using Zoom.
11:00 AM: "Romance 101: Getting to First Base" with Jennifer Sommersby
Romance is the best-selling fiction genre worldwide, but crafting a compelling love story takes more than swoon-worthy characters and steamy scenes. Writer, editor, and head of novel acquisitions at Pulp Literature Press, Jenn Sommersby, will introduce the key elements of writing romance, including character chemistry, emotional arcs, pacing, steam level, and satisfying resolutions.
2:00 PM: Meet-cute: Icebreaker Social
Chat all things romance with your fellow writers! This is a great opportunity to learn from each other and make new friends writing in the genre.
TUESDAY
9:00 AM: Quiet writing time
Warm up for the day's sessions with some silent writing time. You can bring your current project, do some journalling, or start something new! A prompt based on the previous day's workshops will be provided for those who need a little inspiration.
11:00 AM: "YA, NA, and Adult: Writing Romance Stories for Different Readerships" with Jacqueline Firkins
Jacqueline Firkins, writer, costume designer, and lover of beautiful things, gives an introduction to some of the differences in writing romance for YA, NA, and adult markets, such as protagonist goals and conflicts, settings and supporting casts, age-appropriate narrative voices, and spice & language.
2:00 PM: "Romance as a Radical Act of Self-Healing" with Danika Bloom
Discover how writing romance can be a powerful tool for personal healing, empowerment, and connection. USA Today bestselling author Danika Bloom will guide participants on an exploration of how this genre challenges societal norms, redefines what it means to be worthy of love, and creates safe spaces for readers to explore their identities and desires.
WEDNESDAY
9:00 AM: Quiet writing time
Warm up for the day's sessions with some silent writing time. You can bring your current project, do some journalling, or start something new! A prompt based on the previous day's workshops will be provided for those who need a little inspiration to get going.
11:00 AM: "Nailing the Middle Build of Your Romance Story" with Lisa Hislop
Struggling with your middle build? It's no wonder! The middle build of a story spans fifty percent or more of the words on the page. In this session, editor Lisa Hislop teaches how to fill that space with tension-building plot points that lead to a satisfying climax (pun intended).
2:00 PM: Hump Day Social: Mid-Week Check-In
Gather with your fellow writers to chat about what you've learned so far this week, and what you hope to hear about during the rest of the intensive.
3:00 PM: BONUS EVENT! "A Conversation about Publishing Queer Romance, with Salem West of Bywater Books"
The FBCW's Jenn Sommersby will lead this interview-style presentation with Salem West, who is the publisher and executive editor of Bywater Books and its Amble Press imprint.
THURSDAY
9:00 AM: Quiet writing time
Warm up for the day's sessions with some silent writing time. You can bring your current project, do some journalling, or start something new! A prompt based on the previous day's workshops will be provided for those who need a little inspiration to get going.
11:00 AM: "Beginner's Guide to a Successful Series" with Elizabeth Kelly
Author Elizabeth Kelly shares tips for world-building, character creation, story arcs, the importance of tropes, and successful hooks to engage readers throughout a romance series. Learn how to create a cohesive series with tricks for tracking timelines and characters, and discover marketing tips to help your series stand out.
2:00PM: "Q&A with the Love & Murder Book Club"
Join Hala Elgammal and Liz Frick, organizers of the Love & Murder Book Club at the Fraser Valley Regional Library (Abbotsford branch), for a moderated Q&A about genre trends in romantic suspense and beyond! With decades of combined experience reading and discussing romance in a public library setting, Hala and Liz are sure to have insights you can use to make your romance writing connect with readers. Bring your curiosity and your questions.
FRIDAY
9:00 AM: Quiet writing time
Warm up for the day's sessions with some silent writing time. You can bring your current project, do some journalling, or start something new! A prompt based on the previous day's workshops will be provided for those who need a little inspiration to get going.
11:00 AM: "Maple Flavoured Small Town Romance: Using Setting as Your Strongest Character" with Keay Francis
In this webinar, Keay Francis teaches writers how to move beyond generic tropes and infuse their stories with genuine Canadian flavour. Focusing on the 'Setting as Character' approach, we will explore how unique Canadian environments provide authentic colour, and high emotional stakes.
2:00 PM: Happily Every After: Wrap-Up Social
Parting is such sweet sorrow! Here's one last chance to check in with your new friends and fellow romance writers about your experience this week, and how you plan to apply what you've learned about romance to your writing moving forward.
ZOOM LINK
- The Zoom link will be included in your registration confirmation and in follow-up reminders.
- We will be using the same zoom link for the duration of the event.
- Please watch your email for a confirmation of registration email.
- If you do not receive it within 24 hours of registration, please check you spam folders.
- Contact us at hello@bcwriters.ca if you have not received your confirmation by Thursday November 13 to ensure we can get you the needed information.
RECORDINGS
- Sessions (except social/discussion-based events) will be recorded and made available for 45 days after the last session.
WHAT TO EXPECT
- Sessions will be a combination of talks, activities, and workshops.
- This intensive's focus will likely lead to discussions of and presentations on mature themes, as they relate to romance writing. The FBCW's statement of participant expectations still applies in these settings. Please help us make this intensive a fun, safe experience for our presenters and community members by being respectful and considerate in your participation.
- Most sessions will be 1 hour in length. Q&A may extend the session longer, but participants are not required to stay.
- Participants are encouraged to have a pen and paper handy for all sessions.
RATES
- FBCW MEMBERS: $60
- GUEST: $75
- SCHOLARSHIP: Limited scholarship-based discounts are available for those experiencing financial difficulties. Please email us at hello@bcwriters.ca to inquire.
POLICIES
RECORDINGS
- Our presenters are provided with contracts that stipulate the length of time that recordings are available. We are obligated to respect these contracts. No extensions are possible.
- Reach out if you have any tech challenges related to access of the recordings by December 10th so that we can help you in the timeframe available.
REFUND POLICY
- Full refunds will be issued up to November 7th.
- Refunds for half of registration fees will be be issued until November, 14th 11:59pm.
- No refunds are possible after November 14th at 11:59pm except in the case of severe illness, death, or other urgent situations determined on a case-by-case basis.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
- We are an organization that cherishes the work of writers and artists. To that end, we ask that all participants respect the intellectual property of our presenters, recordings, and material shared. Do not reproduce or distribute Writing Intensive materials without written permission.
- Similarly, if other participants share information or excerpts from their projects, please respect their intellectual property.
LIABILITY
- In registering, participants understand and agree that the Federation of BC Writers (FBCW), its board, staff, presenters, and members are not liable for any damages or losses arising and waive any of the above from any and all liability.
- The FBCW provides a space for presenters to share their experiences and insights with participants. The writing industry is a complex and ever-changing environment. As such, the FBCW does not endorse any specific information shared in our programming as being complete or accurate in all scenarios. Participants have a responsibility to research and make informed decisions on any information given or implied.
- Difficult and triggering topics can arise as part of artistic practices that are unforeseeable for staff, volunteers, and other participants. The FBCW is not liable for any damages or harms caused by participating in our programming.
PARTICIPANT EXPECTATIONS
- The FBCW is an organisation that celebrates diversity and inclusion and that taking part in the program means that participants are expected to be respectful, inclusive, and support the dignity of all people regardless of age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, ancestry, language, ability, nationality, ability, health status, religion, and socioeconomic status. All people have identities that intersect the categories above. Examples of behaviour that undermine the above are: crude jokes, unwanted communication, statements minimising others’ experiences/histories, and threats.
- Participants are expected to arrive a few minutes before sessions start. This allows for any technical issues to be resolved without the group being disrupted.
- If a participant is late, we ask that they refrain from asking “what did I miss” type questions so that the event can proceed smoothly. Staff and facilitators will do the best they can to assist if vital information has been shared, but the recording should be able to resolve any questions of this nature.
- We ask that participants be mindful of the amount of time they speak at events. All participants should have the ability to join in. Participants are expected to keep comments on topic and under a minute so that as many people as possible can participate.
- Participants understand that if they are muted, it is not an intentional slight to them, but is needed to keep the session moving forward. Participants can be muted at the discretion of the FBCW facilitators.
- Difficult topics can arise participants understand that we cannot always know or understand other people’s histories. To help make the space as welcoming and safe as possible, if a participant’s is to share information or read excerpts from works that contain certain themes (outlined below), they will identify this prior to reading it to the group. (e.g. sexual assault, extreme violence, self-harm/eating disorders/suicide ideation, abortion/miscarriage, mental illness, graphic adult content).
- Participants are expected to understand, be sensitive to, and respect the fact that the work of writers, and their opportunity to read their work may be triggering and/or therapeutic to them. Artistic works require vulnerability and the safety to be vulnerable, especially with sensitive topics. Participants agree to do their best to maintain a safe and supportive space for the sharing of the work, regardless of its nature.
ACCOMMODATIONS AND ACCESSIBILITY
- The Federation of BC Writers strives to make our events accessible to folks across ability and neurodivergence. We will do what we can to make our programming available to all people.
- Our programming is based on zoom which means there are some limitations on what can be accomplished, but also advantages such as closed captioning and the ability to join from anywhere.
- Accommodations are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
- Accommodations that would significantly hinder the ability of other participants to be involved or participate are not possible.
- Some accommodations may be beyond our financial and administrative capabilities. In such cases, we will seek funding or alternatives if possible.
- Sessions normally last for an hour. Participants are welcome to step way from their computers if they need to while turning off their camera and microphone, but we will not be able to fill people in on what they missed. Participants are asked to return to the recording in such instances.
