FBCW upcoming events

Seasonal Spark Writing Sessions: Autumn (21 Sep 2026)

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Seasonal Spark Writing Sessions

Free to all!

Event Description:

Join author and editor Christina Myers near the start of each season—summer, fall, winter, and spring—for a creative boost through fun prompts based on each season's themes. Spend 45 minutes writing in a lighthearted session that will help get those creative wheels turning! Great for all genres of writing; prompts will be wide open to interpretation.

All events are online via Zoom. These sessions will not be recorded.

It's almost time to pull out the cozy sweaters and brew up a pumpkin spice latte!

Join us each season for more Seasonal Spark Writing Sessions.

Intended Audience:

Writers of all skill levels welcome.

Bio:

Christina Myers is a writer, editor, former journalist, and the author of two books and the editor of two anthologies. She has been longlisted for the Leacock medal, twice shortlisted for the Fred Kerner Book Prize, and is a two-time winner with the Canadian Book Club Awards. She teaches creative writing at SFU's Continuing Studies Department. Find her online at https://linktr.ee/christinamyers.

Writer Talk: With Rosey Kaur Hwang (23 Sep 2026)

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Writer Talk: With Rosey Kaur Hwang

Free or by donation

Event Description

WRITER TALK is our live interview series designed to pull back the magical curtain on the publishing world. Join us for a casual chitchat—not a workshop or webinar—just a low-key Q&A between host and guest where you can bring your writing and publishing questions.

Digital doors open at 6:55 pm.

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

About Rosey:

Rosey Hwang writes addictive, binge-worthy contemporary romance novels that are all heart yet unconventional, taking women deeper into the places within themselves that prevent them from living their own fairy tale. Her debut novel, Everything She Wanted, will be available in bookstores this October from Sugar Shack Books!

Off the page, she is a Digital Marketing Expert and Story Acceleration Coach helping authors share their work with confidence and build communities that genuinely love their offers.

When she isn’t writing or supporting her global clients, you’ll find her tucked inside a local coffee shop sipping a chai latte, curating dreamy playlists for her books, or savouring time with her family.

Connect with her on Instagram, @xoroseyhwang, or visit her website, roseyhwang.com, to learn more.

PREORDER Rosey's new book here:

After the initial Q&A, attendees will have the opportunity to ask their own questions and join the discussion. If you’ve ever wanted to sit in on the kinds of conversations that usually happen behind closed doors, then we shall save you a spot!

If you have a WRITER TALK topic or guest idea, drop us an email at hello@bcwriters.ca!

Sunday Webinar: Character Agency and Conflict, with Renée Gendron (27 Sep 2026)

Sun, 27 Sep 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Sunday Webinar: Character Agency and Conflict

Sunday, September 27, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. (Pacific/Vancouver)

Member Price: $18

Non-Member Price is $28

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

Workshop/event description:

Come prepared to analyze your story idea or current work in progress. Participants will learn about character agency and types of conflicts that propel the plot forward. Part presentation, part guided exercise on strengthening character development and plot, students will have plenty of opportunities to interact, reflect, and sharpen their writing skills.

Takeaways:

how conflict drives the plot
how conflict drives character development
types of conflict and how to layer them
how characters can approach conflict

Intended audience:

Writers of any skill level

Presenter bio:

Renée Gendron is a multi-genre romance author. She writes romcoms, Canadian western historicals, and romantasies. She's the former president of the Ottawa Romance Writers and founder of the Canadian Romance Writers ~ Écrivains et écrivaines de livres romantiques du Canada. When she's not writing, she's exploring historical sites.

Follow Renée online and via social media:

Website

Bluesky

Facebook

Instagram

Buy Renée's books:

~ On Kobo

~ On Amazon

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

Writer Talk: With Darren Groth (29 Sep 2026)

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Writer Talk: With Darren Groth, author of Marooned and Boy in the Blue Hammock (among others!)

Free or by donation

Event Description

Digital doors open at 6:55 pm.

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

About Darren:

Described as a “masterful writer” and “brilliant storyteller," Darren Groth is the internationally published author of works including Are You Seeing Me?, Munro vs. the Coyote, Boy in the Blue Hammock, and his recently released collection of personal essays, Marooned: A Memoir of Fandom, Fatherhood and the Far Side of the World.

He is an Adelaide Festival Award for Literature winner and has been nominated for numerous other prestigious prizes, among them the Governor General’s Literary Awards, the BC & Yukon Book Prizes, the OLA White Pine Award, the CBCA Book of the Year (Australia), and the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards (Australia).

Darren is a passionate advocate for the intellectual disability community, and is the proud father of a son with life-long cognitive and communication challenges. When he’s not watching American Ninja Warrior with his beautiful wife, he’s eating Fatburger with his wondrous twins.

Connect with Darren via his website at https://darrengroth.com/. Learn more about his latest book and order here:

And as always, if you have a WRITER TALK topic or guest idea, drop us an email at hello@bcwriters.ca!

Evening Webinar: Crime & Mystery Writing 101, with Jonathan Whitelaw (1 Oct 2026)

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Thursday Evening Webinar: Crime & Mystery Writing 101, with Jonathan Whitelaw

Member Price: $18

Non-Member Price is $28

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

Workshop/Event Description

Have you ever wanted to get away with fictional murder? Do you know the difference between an alibi and a red herring? These questions and more will be answered in this whistle-stop tour of all things mystery fiction.

From crafting the perfect detective and villain to looking at the difference between cozy crime and police procedural and everything in between, this session will answer all your crime-solving (and causing) questions.

This introductory webinar stands on its own, but if you want to dive deeper into crime and mystery writing, Jonathan's four-week ENROLLED Crime & Mystery Writing course begins Tuesday, October 6. Sign up here: https://bcwriters.ca/event-6790705

Key Takeaways

Basics of what goes into a mystery/crime fiction plot
Basics of what goes into mystery/crime fiction characters
Differences in the sub-genres of mystery/crime fiction
An overview of the publishing industry's wants and expectations of mystery writers

Intended audience:

Writers of any skill level who are interested in crime and mystery!

Bio:

Jonathan Whitelaw is an award-winning author, journalist and broadcaster. After working on the frontline of Scottish politics, he moved into journalism. Subjects he’s covered have varied from breaking news, the arts, culture and sport to fashion, music and even radioactive waste—with everything in between. Jonathan’s work has appeared in The Sun, Daily Mail, Scotsman, STV, and The Scots Magazine as well as numerous international newspapers and websites. He is also a regular contributor to both BBC and CBC.

Jonathan is the author of the best-selling Bingo Hall Detectives series, and his latest novel, All At Sea, released April 28, 2026. Grab it here or from your preferred retailer:

For more info about Jonathan, follow him on Instagram at www.instagram.com/jdwhitelaw13 or visit www.northbanktalent.com/clients/jonathan-whitelaw

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

Sunday Webinar: StoryWork: Writing for Transformation, Evolution + Growth (4 Oct 2026)

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Sunday Webinar: StoryWork: Writing for Transformation, Evolution + Growth

Sunday, October 4, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. (Pacific/Vancouver)

Member Price: $18

Non-Member Price is $28

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

Workshop/event description:

Do you have a personal story you feel called to write but get stuck every time you try? StoryWork is all about you, your life, and the stories that shaped you, but this isn’t a memoir workshop. Together we’ll explore storying as a transformative practice that supports your ongoing journey of self-discovery, healing, personal growth, authentic self-expression, creative expansion and/or career development (including publication).

StoryWork empowers us to become fully expressed authors of our stories and our lives. Through storying, we uncover the roots of our deepest fears, beliefs, and desires—the fuel that ignites the stories we most urgently feel called to write. When we rewrite old narratives, we rewire our brains and step into exciting new possibilities.

In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn:

a framework to unlock the transformative power contained in your stories
how to write the hard stuff without triggering you or your reader
what makes StoryWork such an effective approach to crafting powerful personal narratives
how to craft a breakthrough personal essay by practicing Nicole’s StoryWork principles

Intended audience:

Writers of any skill level

About the presenter

Nicole Breit (she/her) is an award-winning essayist, bestselling author and founder of the R/evolution Story Lab, a writing collective for creators, authors + seekers ready to claim their voices, expand their creative power, and evolve together through storying.

She is the co-author of Bloom: Letters on Girlhood, a memoir described by readers as “hilarious, intimate, heartbreaking, authentic, evocative and tender.” Bloom was included in CBC’s Fall 2025 round up of must-read nonfiction books and in BC Living’s 25 BC Books to read in the bathtub.

Nicole has been widely published in literary journals and anthologies including Swelling with Pride: Queer Conception and Adoption Stories, Awfully Hilarious: Pillow Talk, and Getting to the Truth: The Craft and Practice of Creative Nonfiction. Her mixed time-lapse essay about the death of her first love was selected as a Notable by Leslie Jamison, editor of Best American Essays 2017.

Over the past decade she has helped thousands of writers sidestep blocks, improve their craft, get published, and win awards. Nicole is a sought-after speaker on how storying allows us to shape the future by healing the past and how breaking the rules of traditional memoir can produce powerful (and publishable!) stories. She is at work on a multimedia memoir about a digital romance that explores the intersections of queerness, polyamory, neurodivergence, kink, and attachment theory.

Nicole lives on the Sunshine Coast. Follow @the.nicole.breit on Instagram where you might catch her reading in the tub or lip syncing to Lola Young.

Follow Nicole online:

Website (https://nicolebreit.com)

Instagram

Learn more about her books here!

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

Enrolled: Crime and Mystery Writing (4-week course), with Jonathan Whitelaw (6 Oct 2026)

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 02:00:00 GMT

FBCW Enrolled: CRIME AND MYSTERY WRITING: A DEEP DIVE, with Jonathan Whitelaw

Member price: $120 CAD (That's just $30 a session!)

Non-member price: $170 CAD

**This series will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants each week after the session. The recordings will be available for 45 days.

If you signed up after week one and are missing any recordings, please email hello@bcwriters.ca and let us know which sessions you are missing.

NOTE: Because this is a series of ongoing sessions, there will not be reminder emails about the individual sessions. This series uses the same Zoom link each week. We suggest saving the Zoom link in a calendar event, a Word Document, or the Notes app.

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

Every great crime novel starts with a question: What really happened? Over four weeks, award-winning crime and mystery author Jonathan Whitelaw guides students through the essential craft of mystery and crime writing, from finding your voice and building a compelling detective to plotting a twist-filled case and laying the red herrings that keep readers guessing. Along the way, we'll explore how setting and time period shape a mystery's atmosphere, and close with an insider's look at the publishing side of the genre, including what agents and editors want and where crime fiction is headed next.

Each week includes optional writing prompts, giving students the chance to put new techniques into practice and get feedback from the group. Whether you're starting your first manuscript or refining a work in progress, this course offers a practical, supportive introduction to writing mysteries that hook readers from the first page.

Join us on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m., October 6 to October 27, for this fun, fast-paced series on how to take your crime and mystery writing to the next level.

Dates and time, all via Zoom:

Tuesdays, October 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2026, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Weekly topics may include:

Week 1: We'll discuss: What makes a mystery and crime novel? What are the sub-genres? How to find your voice as a crime and mystery writer. And finally, what makes the perfect detective? There's also the first completely noncompulsory assignment for the class, usually a prompt relating to what we've talked about and a chance for people to have a go at some writing between sessions.

Week 2: We'll talk about where to get ideas for murder/mystery plots and how to develop these from the first spark to putting something down on the page. Students will also have a chance to reflect on the different subgenres of crime and we will discuss how your plots, characters, setting, etc., have to fit the "style." Week two is also the first chance to discuss week 1's assignment.

Week 3: We'll talk about what a "red herring" is in mystery fiction and how it's an important aspect of any and every crime plot. We'll dive into the importance of location to mystery stories, whether that's literal location (city vs. rural) or the time period.

Week 4: A look at the "mystery writer's mentality," which is a recap of everything we've talked about. Jonathan will also examine and share the professional and industry side of mystery writing: what agents do, what publishers are looking for, what the industry is expecting/looking for, as well as expected trends in mystery writing in 2027 and beyond.

Bio:

Jonathan Whitelaw is an award-winning author, journalist and broadcaster. After working on the frontline of Scottish politics, he moved into journalism. Subjects he’s covered have varied from breaking news, the arts, culture and sport to fashion, music and even radioactive waste—with everything in between. Jonathan’s work has appeared in The Sun, Daily Mail, Scotsman, STV, and The Scots Magazine as well as numerous international newspapers and websites. He is also a regular contributor to both BBC and CBC. He is a multi-published author of the Bingo Hall Detectives series as well as his latest release, All At Sea, available now from HarperCollins.

For more info about Jonathan, follow him on Instagram, @jdwhitelaw13, or visit www.northbanktalent.com/clients/jonathan-whitelaw.

Evening Webinar: The Power of a Song with Jill Barber (8 Oct 2026)

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Thursday Evening Webinar: The Power of a Song, with Juno-nominated singer-songwriter and children's author Jill Barber

Member Price: $18

Non-Member Price is $28

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

Workshop/Event Description

This 60-minute presentation interweaves stories about my songwriting practice with intimate acoustic versions of my songs. It's meant to inspire, entertain and demystify the songwriting genre and world of live performance. Like poetry, memoir, and prose, I have come to believe that songwriting is another form of creative self-expression that deserves a spotlight in the literary world.

Participants are invited to explore my musical catalogue, available on all music streaming platforms, and/or my children's picture books, available at the Vancouver Public Library.

Takeaways:

• Songwriting is an important literary form.

• Why fewer words matter more and how the personal becomes universal.

• Anyone can write a song.

• Music is one of the most immediate ways to connect to an audience.

• Process is as important as outcome.

About the Presenter

Jill Barber is a three-time Juno Award–nominated singer-songwriter, certified Gold recording artist, and published author (Nimbus). Her critically acclaimed musical repertoire spans a transformative spectrum from folk to vocal jazz to pop, and includes songs in both French and English.

Her evocative and timeless songs have been featured in film and TV, scoring shows such as Orange Is the New Black, The L Word, and Heartland, as well as powering a global advertising campaign for Chrysler with the track “Never Quit Loving You.”

Named Sirius XM’s Jazz Artist of the Year, Barber has over a million monthly listeners on Spotify and Apple Music and has scores of fans, including Blue Rodeo, Ron Sexsmith, and the late Kris Kristofferson, who called Jill “a real songwriter, and a damn good songwriter.”

An unforgettable, enchanting performer, Jill has headlined iconic venues such as Toronto’s Massey Hall, Ottawa’s National Arts Centre, Vancouver’s Vogue Theatre, and Tokyo’s Blue Note, and appeared at notable festivals including the Montreal Jazz Festival, Woodford Folk Festival in Australia, Green Man Festival in Wales, and at World Expo Dubai in 2021 and World Expo Osaka in 2025.

In 2026 she is on a national Symphony Orchestra tour, presenting Under Paris Skies, a celebration of French chanson, where she will be commanding a 60-piece orchestra as a vocalist. In 2027 she will publish her third children’s picture book, That Time of Year, with Nimbus Publishing.

Follow Jill online:

Website: www.jillbarber.com

Instagram: www.instagram/jillbarber

Substack: https://jillbarber.substack.com

Purchase Jill's music and books here.

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

Enrolled: Crime and Mystery Writing (4-week course), with Jonathan Whitelaw (13 Oct 2026)

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 02:00:00 GMT

FBCW Enrolled: CRIME AND MYSTERY WRITING: A DEEP DIVE, with Jonathan Whitelaw

Member price: $120 CAD (That's just $30 a session!)

Non-member price: $170 CAD

**This series will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants each week after the session. The recordings will be available for 45 days.

If you signed up after week one and are missing any recordings, please email hello@bcwriters.ca and let us know which sessions you are missing.

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

Join us on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m., October 6 to October 27, for this fun, fast-paced series on how to take your crime and mystery writing to the next level.

Dates and time, all via Zoom:

Tuesdays, October 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2026, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Weekly topics may include:

Bio:

For more info about Jonathan, follow him on Instagram, @jdwhitelaw13, or visit www.northbanktalent.com/clients/jonathan-whitelaw.

October Writers' Social (13 Oct 2026)

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Join us on Tuesday, October 13, from 7:00 - 8:30 PM Pacific for our monthly Writers' Social.

Many of us strive for connection with other writers. This monthly members-only event is designed to help bring us together for casual chats, with breakout rooms for specific topics, genres, and niches. Join us for craft, career, and connection talk, with the chance to meet new people and get the most out of being a part of the FBCW.

Below are the proposed discussion groups for this month's meeting (subject to change). Email hello@bcwriters.ca to suggest a discussion topic for an upcoming Writers' Social.

Discussion Groups:

All about poetry
Editing and revision
Children's books / picture books
What are you reading? Current reads, favourite books
Memoir writers connect
Non-fiction writers connect (travel writing, journalism/reporting, research, etc.)
Connecting writers with chronic illnesses
Romance writers
Traditional publishing chat (publishers, queries, finding an agent, etc.)
Self-publishing chat
Writing and visual arts (film, theatre, photo essays)
General writing discussion

This event is exclusive to FBCW members. If you’re not a member yet, we would love to have you join us. You can find out more about membership on our benefits page. Email hello@bcwriters.ca with any questions about joining.

Digital doors open at 6:55 PM. Event starts at 7:00 PM Pacific.

Thursday Evening Webinar: Picture Book Workshop, with Gabrielle Prendergast (15 Oct 2026)

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Thursday Evening Webinar: Picture Book Workshop with award-winning author and Orca Books Editor Gabrielle Prendergast

Member Price: $18

Non-Member Price is $28

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.**

Workshop/event description:

This seminar will cover the “Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How” of picture books for children. With instruction and optional homework exploring types of picture books, literary devices in picture books, and where to find inspiration for picture books, we will discuss examples and analyze different techniques and styles.

We will also discuss the picture book publishing process, including querying publishers and working with illustrators. Attendees will leave with the tools to try their hand at writing picture book manuscripts suited to today’s market.

Gabrielle has provided a Reading List for this workshop for registrants who want to familiarize themselves with the concepts and techniques to be discussed. List is included below.

About the presenter:

G. S. (Gabrielle) Prendergast is the bestselling author of numerous books for children and teens. Her books have received nominations for the White Pine Award, the Silver Birch Award, the Canadian Library Association Award, the Vancouver Book Prize, and several other honours. She won the BC Book Prize for her YA sci-fi Zero Repeat Forever and the Westchester Award for her YA novel in verse Audacious.

Born in the UK and both an Australian and New Zealand citizen, Gabrielle now writes and works as a children’s book editor and lives in East Vancouver in a permanent state of “under-construction."

She can be found online at gsprendergast.com.

Pick up Gabrielle's latest book, The Anxious Exile of Sara Salt

**Digital doors open at 6:55 p.m. Event starts at 7:00 p.m.**

READING LIST:

Picture Book Workshop with Gabrielle Prendergast

Reading List

The Ugly Dumpling by Stephanie Campisi

Thumbelina by Hans Christian Andersen

The Big Honey Hunt (Berenstain Bears) by Stan and Jan Berenstain

The Book with No Pictures by B. J. Novak

Press Here by Hervé Tullet

Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell

The Paperbag Princess by Robert Munsch

Sheep in Wolves' Clothing by Satoshi Kitamura

This Story Is Not About a Kitten by Randall de Sève

Ish by Peter H. Reynolds

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

If Pluto Was a Pea by Gabrielle Prendergast

Say Goodnight by Helen Oxenbury

I Want To Be An Astronaut by Byron Barton

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Go Sloth Go by Gabrielle Prendergast

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

The Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

How My Parents Learned to Eat by Ina R. Friedman

The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier

Blackout by John Rocco

When Isaac Hears the Rain by Julie Thompson

I’m Here by Peter H. Reynolds

Dear Polar Bears by Gabrielle Prendergast

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French

Sienna’s Scrapbook by Toni Trent Parker

Extra! Extra! Fairy-Tale News From Hidden Forest by Alma Flor Ada

Simone Biles: Who HQ Illustrated Biography by Crystal Hubbard

Meet the Cephalopods by Celia Svedhem

Little Volcano by Johanna Wagstaffe

One, Two, I Love You by Julie Thompson

123 Counting on Community by Annemarie Guertin

ABC Who Can She Be? by Sugar Snap Studio

Four Furious Flamingos by Kelly Bourne

ABC of Equality by Channa Giselle Ewing

One Tiny Treefrog by Tony Piedra and Mackenzie Joy

The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith

Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss

Dreamers by Yuyi Morales

Nature’s Partners by Eugenia Perrella

Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss

Go, Dog. Go! by P. D. Eastman

The Ugly Pumpkin by Dave Horowitz

Saturday Webinar: Author Newsletters: Platforms and Practical Tips to Build Your Subscriber List, with Elizabeth Oldham (17 Oct 2026)

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Saturday Morning Webinar: Author Newsletters: Platforms and Practical Tips to Build Your Subscriber List, with Elizabeth Oldham

Member Price: $18

Non-Member Price is $28

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.**

Workshop/event description:

An author newsletter is a necessary component in any author’s writing platform. But how do authors start, and how do they gain readers?

This workshop will review several successful author newsletters and discuss the different platforms and approaches they use. Attendees will learn about tools to gain new readers, how to ensure that they are delivering what the reader expects, and how to use the newsletter as a marketing tool. We will dive into the challenges of maintaining a newsletter, and attendees will participate in an exercise designed to plan a newsletter launch, including: 1) which platform is right for them; 2) what messages they want to convey in their newsletter (aside from, “Buy my books!”); and 3) what value they can offer their readers.

Attendees will learn:

1. Advantages and disadvantages of different newsletter platforms;

2. The importance of motivation in determining an individual's approach to newsletters;

3. The definition of success is up to the author;

4. How to use tools to increase subscribers; and

5. How to find the right audience.

About the presenter

Elizabeth Oldham, a lifelong writer, resides in Castlegar with her husband, assorted chickens, and a crazed rescue dog. She has published two novels with unique narrators: a dog, for example, and a woman with dementia. Her first novel, Tail of Humanity, published in 2023, was a finalist for the 2023 Best Book Awards and shortlisted for the 2024 Whistler Independent Book Award. Her second novel, Shadows on the Heart, came out in March 2025.

Follow Elizabeth online:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Substack

Buy her books:

**Digital doors open at 9:55 a.m. Event starts at 10:00 a.m.**

October 2026 Member Orientation (19 Oct 2026)

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Whether you’re a new FBCW member or a seasoned member who wants a refresher, join us for Member Orientation! We’ll be discussing member benefits, focusing on ways that FBCW members can Learn, Write, Connect, and Promote. Find out about the latest events, writing sprints, how to get involved, and where to get the information you seek.

The orientation overview will take about 20 minutes, and then there will be 10 minutes for questions at the end (30 minutes total).

Digital Doors Open at 1:55 PM, Event Starts at 2:00 PM Pacific Time

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

Have a question that can't wait for orientation? Email hello@bcwriters.ca

Enrolled: Crime and Mystery Writing (4-week course), with Jonathan Whitelaw (20 Oct 2026)

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 02:00:00 GMT

FBCW Enrolled: CRIME AND MYSTERY WRITING: A DEEP DIVE, with Jonathan Whitelaw

Member price: $120 CAD (That's just $30 a session!)

Non-member price: $170 CAD

**This series will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants each week after the session. The recordings will be available for 45 days.

If you signed up after week one and are missing any recordings, please email hello@bcwriters.ca and let us know which sessions you are missing.

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

Join us on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m., October 6 to October 27, for this fun, fast-paced series on how to take your crime and mystery writing to the next level.

Dates and time, all via Zoom:

Tuesdays, October 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2026, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Weekly topics may include:

Bio:

For more info about Jonathan, follow him on Instagram, @jdwhitelaw13, or visit www.northbanktalent.com/clients/jonathan-whitelaw.

Enrolled: Crime and Mystery Writing (4-week course), with Jonathan Whitelaw (27 Oct 2026)

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 02:00:00 GMT

FBCW Enrolled: CRIME AND MYSTERY WRITING: A DEEP DIVE, with Jonathan Whitelaw

Member price: $120 CAD (That's just $30 a session!)

Non-member price: $170 CAD

**This series will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants each week after the session. The recordings will be available for 45 days.

If you signed up after week one and are missing any recordings, please email hello@bcwriters.ca and let us know which sessions you are missing.

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

Join us on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m., October 6 to October 27, for this fun, fast-paced series on how to take your crime and mystery writing to the next level.

Dates and time, all via Zoom:

Tuesdays, October 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2026, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Weekly topics may include:

Bio:

For more info about Jonathan, follow him on Instagram, @jdwhitelaw13, or visit www.northbanktalent.com/clients/jonathan-whitelaw.

Writer Talk: With Angela Douglas (29 Oct 2026)

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Writer Talk: With Angela Douglas, award-winning thriller author and founder of Eyes on Books

Tonight's event will celebrate the launch of Angela's latest book, The Mentor. One dollar of the sale of each book will go toward the efforts to rebuild Summerland after this summer's devastating wildfires. For more info about the book and Angela's fundraising campaign, visit https://www.angeladouglasbooks.com/.

Event is free to the public. (Donations to FBCW always welcome and so appreciated.)

Event Description

WRITER TALK is our live interview series designed to pull back the Curtain of Mystery on the publishing world. Join us for a casual chitchat—not a workshop or webinar—just a low-key Q&A between host and guest where you can bring your writing and publishing questions.

Digital doors open at 6:55 pm.

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

About Angela:

Angela Douglas is an award-winning Canadian author of psychological thrillers, based in the Okanagan. Her debut novel, EVERY FALL, has been recognized by the Crime Writers of Canada Excellence Awards, the Canadian Book Club Awards, the Pen Craft Awards, and the National Indie Excellence Awards. She is a member of International Thriller Writers, Crime Writers of Canada, the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and Sisters in Crime.

She is also the founder of Eyes on Books, a Book Marketing Hub. When she isn’t working or hanging out with her family, she hides in her studio, writing. Her latest psychological thriller, THE MENTOR, released September 15, 2026.

Learn more about THE MENTOR and grab your copy here!

And as always, if you have a WRITER TALK topic or guest idea, drop us an email at hello@bcwriters.ca!

Marketing Writing Intensive: Books That Sell (16 Nov 2026)

Mon, 16 Nov 2026 17:30:00 GMT

Join us for five days of online learning from Monday, November 16 to Friday, November 20, 2026.

ABOUT THIS INTENSIVE:

Marketing a book can feel like a second full-time job—one for which most writers never received the training manual. The Federation of BC Writers’ weeklong Marketing Intensive is designed to replace the guesswork with practical information, realistic strategies, and a clearer understanding of how readers discover and choose books.

Running online from November 16 to 20, 2026, this expanded intensive will feature multiple sessions each day covering different aspects of author and book marketing. Participants will learn from writers and publishing professionals working across the industry, with sessions designed to address both the larger marketing picture and the specific tools authors can put to work.

Whether you are preparing to publish, launching a new release, reviving a backlist, or trying to build a sustainable author career, the intensive will help you identify which marketing activities serve your books, your readers, and your available time. The emphasis will remain firmly on useful, achievable approaches—not the exhausting fiction that every author must be everywhere, doing everything, all at once.

The week will conclude with a panel Q&A and online social, giving participants an opportunity to ask questions, compare approaches, and connect with other writers navigating the same complicated terrain.

A complete schedule of sessions and presenters will be announced soon, so check back here often.

EVENT SCHEDULE OVERVIEW: We are offering THREE instructional sessions per day!

All the sessions are one hour long, except for the panel Q&A discussion which is 1.5 hours.

Featuring ...

~ Erin Alladin, publicist and author: Marketing Your Book: Proven Strategies from a Publishing Professional

~ Suzanne Jolly of JollyGood MultiMedia: Marketing Specifically for Writers

~ Eliana West, bestselling author and founder of Writers for Diversity: Branding Yourself and Your Books

~ Evan Parrott, multi-published author and entrepreneur: Selling Techniques for In-Person and Online Sales

~ Angela Douglas, author and founder of Eyes on Books: Marketing Campaign Planning - From Overwhelmed to Organized

~ Darren Groth, bestselling author and educator: Postmortem on Working with a Publicist

and more! Presenter times will be confirmed shortly.

All times are in Pacific (Vancouver) time.

Presentations will be recorded and available to registrants for 45 days after the intensive. The recordings will all be emailed at once, within a week of the end of the intensive. Writing sprints will not be recorded.

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 your confirmation within 24 hours of registration, please check your spam folders.

Contact us at hello@bcwriters.ca if you have not received your confirmation by Monday, November 9, 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.

The FBCW's statement of participant expectations applies in all 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, but participants are not required to stay.

Participants are encouraged to have a pen and paper handy for all sessions.

RATES

FBCW MEMBERS: $69.50
GUEST: $89
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 so that we can help you in the timeframe available.

REFUND POLICY

Full refunds will be issued up to October 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

Refunds for half of registration fees will be issued until November 13, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

No refunds are possible after November 14, 2026, at 12:00 a.m., 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 organization that celebrates diversity and inclusion; 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 minimizing 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, and 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 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.