Writing Workshops:
Tailored to the Next Generation
Written By Curtis McRae
For this year’s 20th anniversary, Blue Metropolis has procured events for the emerging and established writers alike. Whether you’ve been published or are entering the scene with little to no experience, this year’s festival will host workshops ranging from the initial stages of the creative process to the publishing process in Canada and beyond.
Fashioned for the novice writers and veterans alike, internationally anthologized author Licia Canton will host the ‘Healing, One Word at a Time’ workshop Sunday April 29th at 10:30 in the Executive Room of Hotel 10. In partnership with the ‘Istituto Italiano Di Cultura’ and Longbridge Books, this 90-minute workshop will focus on commencing to tell the story which you have struggled to get down for so long. Moreover, this workshop will provide perspective on how the creative process can become a cathartic and healing one through creating and revealing your own difficult stories one word at a time. Space will be limited, and tickets may be purchased online for 15$.
For those looking to learn about or brush up on the core elements of every story, the ‘Workshop: Fiction-Writing Techniques’ explores the basic elements of a story, with a particular focus on the short story. This Quebec Writers Federation workshop will be hosted by Tom Koyves, the Canadian poet, pioneer of Videopoetry, and figure head of the Montreal-based collective ‘The Vehicle Poets’. Tom Will explore and discuss the importance of elements such as character, plot, conflict, point of view, and the function of setting. The workshop takes place on Saturday April 28th at 10h in the Atwater Library and finishes at 16h; so make sure to bring your notebooks and lunches as there will be 6 hours of workshopping to be done. Registration costs are 80 dollars for current members of the Quebec Writers Federations, and 100 dollars for non-members (QWF memberships are 35$). Register online at workshops@qwf.org, or by phone at (514) 933-0878.
You now have a firm understanding of the core elements of fiction at last, and you have finally written down your story – But what now? Klara Du Plessis, editor-in-chief of Carte Blanche literary journal, alongside a panel of other editors and writers such as Dr. Bronwyn Averett, will discuss the submissions process in Canada and Beyond in the ‘Literary Journal Confessions’. This 60-minute discussion will be hosted in conjunction with the Carte Blanche literary magazine on Saturday April 28th at 17h in the ‘Articule’ Art Gallery located at 262 Fairmount O. The submissions process is a lengthy one, and requires perseverance and will – so allow yourself to alleviate some of the stress by receiving the insider information on the tricks of the trade that only such an experienced panel can provide.