Beyond the First Draft: Revising Your Work

Tri-City Wordsmiths presenter John Mavin described a method of rewriting which can take your manuscript from a first raw draft to a polished story, ready for sharing with the world. 

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John Mavin, is the author of Rage, a collection of short stories. He has taught creative writing at Capilano University, Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia, with New Shoots (an annual UBC creative writing program), and at the Learning Exchange in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. He has also been a nominee for both the Aurora Award and the Journey Prize. In this workshop, 

5 Top Ways to Avoid Looking like a Dork on Social Media

Barbara Drozdowich, author of 18 books, is an online course instructor and a technical trainer to writers. Her latest book, The Author’s Guide To Self-Publishing For Canadians, was released in 2018.

This workshop was aimed at writers who are new to social media and apprehensive about using it. The speaker  discussed 5 simple ways to make life easier, when navigating this technology. She answered such questions as: What are the top three social media platforms for authors, and who is using them? What are hash tags and why are they so powerful? How can writers create an effective social media bio?

Dreaming into Reality: Editing Your Writing

Rhea Rose, Writer, Poet, Artist, Teacher, Indie Publisher addressed the Tri-City Wordsmiths’ Annual Membership Renewal and Social Meeting  presenting her view as a professional editor about different types of editing and how to find reasonably priced help for polishing manuscripts.

Publishers, Libraries & Writers: An Evolving World

As Chief Executive Officer, Fraser Valley Regional Library Scott offered his insights as to how writers can work with their libraries, concentrating on three themes: recent trends in publishing, and what it means for you as an author; how to market your book, generally; and how to market your book specifically to libraries, given their changing role.

Dread, Horror and Gore: How to Write Effective Dark Fiction

Our speaker discussed the subject of dread, and the various techniques that can evoke it in your stories. Using examples from literature and movies, Tocher explained how to establish a horrifying mood, and provided miscellaneous tips for writing gore. Check out David's publishing website: Dark Dragon Publishing.

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Living the Past: Historical Fiction for Storytellers With Carol M. Cram

In this 2-hour workshop, Carol focussed on using the past as a vehicle for story, rather than as an end in itself. Participants were offered tips for writing historical fiction and completed some hands-on exercises. Please visit her website at CarolCram.com

Research Tips: Discovering Stories in 19th Century North America with Yvonne Harris

Yvonne Harris, local author of six books of historical fiction for adults and children, as well as several travel books on Canada's north. www.yvonneharris.com. 

Conflict & Young-Adult Fiction A writing workshop with Eileen Cook

Using YA novels as examples, Eileen will also explore how conflict can be increased, providing tips that are useful to writers of all genres.

How To Upload Your E-Book A writing workshop with Perry (P.A.) Wilson

Perry will teach the process of getting your books on Amazon and other online distributors. She will explore the steps needed for the uploading process, from preparing your work to clicking “publish”.

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A Crime Writers’ Panel with Owen Laukkanen, Derrick Carew, and Stefano Mazzega

Discover how these three writers started in the crime-writing genre, what they’ve learned along the way, and what tips and tricks they can share with those of us who hope to follow in their footsteps as crime writers.