Teaching to Learn Speaker: Mahrie Reid. ARWA teaches people to write. Multi-published author, Mahrie G. Reid, shares one of the best ways to learn the craft of writing. It’s a method she’s used for over thirty years with excellent results. Workshop from March 26, 2020.
What is Dialogue? Speaker: Tammy Lyn Carbol. What makes for great dialogue? She’ll discuss what needs to be said, and how to say it (as well as what should be left unsaid) to increase tension and make your novel sparkle. Workshop from April 23, 2020. Powerpoint presentation.
Estate Planning & Copyright for Authors Speaker: Emily Varga. Lawyer and author Emily Varga will lead us through important aspects of Canadian Estate and Copyright law as it affects writers. A vital workshop for our writing life. Workshop from May 9, 2020.
Estate Planning & Copyright for Authors – Question & Answer Session. Speaker: Emily Varga. Questions for Emily after the Estate Planning & Copyright Workshop from May 9, 2020.
Murder Mystery Writing, Design Effective Clues – Speaker: Mahrie G. Reid. Mysteries end with the killer caught and the protagonist surviving personal danger. The trail to this ending is developed with layers of clues. Clues gives mysteries substance, suspense, action, and more. Additionally, this process lends itself to foreshadowing. Mahrie G. Reid walks us through types, categories, and methods of using clues in a mystery. Be ready with a “clues tool” when you it down to write your mystery. Workshop from May 28, 2020.
Murder Mystery Writing, Design Effective Clues: Q & A Session – Speaker: Mahrie G. Reid. Discussion from the May 28 Workshop.
Pride & Prejudice Discussion – Leader: Jessica Jackson. Why is Pride and Prejudice still so popular over 200 years after it was published? Cliffnotes states that “Austen displays a masterful use of irony, dialogue, and realism that support the character development and heighten the experience of reading the novel.” Jessica Jackson leads us in a discussion of the book and of the myriad offshoots and rewrites in our June ARWA workshop. There are many opportunities to listen, read, or watch the original or versions of the original through the internet or through television on-demand. Part 1 of the Workshop from June 13, 2020.
Pride & Prejudice Discussion Part 2 – Leader: Jessica Jackson. From Workshop on June 13, 2020.
Virtual Awesomeness, Making the Most of Your Digital Presentation, Panel or Participation – Leader: Allison Gorner and Sarah Kades Graham. With the global pandemic halting in-person events, the world has gone online, including WWC 2020. However, live events and online are two very different mediums. How do you translate an in-person presentation or panel to a digital one? As an attendee, what can you expect? Join us as we go over tips on making your digital presentations shine, WWC guidelines and opportunities, and how to make the most of this year’s very different annual festival. Workshop from June 25, 2020.
Genres.Leaders: Sarah Kades Graham, Mahrie G. Reid, B.G. Cousins. Four videos describing different genres and what is required for writing in them. From the July 11, 2020 Workshop. Part 1. Romance/Non-Fiction, Sarah Kades Graham. Part 2. Non-Fiction, Mahrie G. Reid. Part 3. Historical Fiction, B.G. Cousins. Part 4. Mysteries, Mahrie G. Reid.
Memoir: The Stories of Our Lives. Leader: Sue LeBreton. Sue leads us on a deeper dive into this genre which uses all the creative writing techniques you use in your fiction and why you might be enticed to turn your life experiences into a memoir. From August 27, 2020
Character Development. Leader: Bret Cousins. When a character does something totally outside of his/her motivations, it confuses the reader and weakens the narrative. Characters must be kept consistent with the skills and personalities you start them with. They can evolve and grow like real people, learning as they grow, but not sudden without a reason. In this workshop, I will take you through establishing a back story for a character to create the personality and abilities they to create a map on how they will react under each circumstance in your plot. From September 12, 2020
Tone and Voice. Leader: Tammy Lyn Carbol. The tone in a story indicates a particular feeling. Your tone in writing will reflective of your mood as you are writing. Learn what feelings tone can give your reader and how it can draw them in deeper to your story. From September 24, 2020
Plotting in 5 Acts. Leader: Allison Gorner. As an author, you want your readers to be so engrossed they can’t put your book down – to binge-read your story. Designing a short story in 5 acts, like a television show, engages and captivates your readers. In this workshop we will explore the 5 act structure and how to design and lay out the blueprint of a compelling, binge-worthy read. From Oct 10, 2020.
Setting. Leader: Diana Cranstoun. IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT… We all know setting is important in our writing, but what – exactly – defines setting and what value does it bring to our stories? Join Diana Cranstoun for this workshop – and please make sure you have a pen and paper handy. Yes, there will be a couple of writing exercises, but no, you won’t have to share. From Oct 22, 2020.
POV. A critical choice for your story. Leader: Sue LeBreton. As an author, you make many choices to ensure your reader is captivated, including the point of view you choose to tell your story. Each choice has its benefits and limitations. We will review the options and tips for writing in deep point of view as well as avoiding some point of view no no’s such as head hopping. From Nov 14, 2020.
Conflict. Leader: Grace Panko. Conflict is essential to plotting. It creates tension, and tension is what keeps those pages turning. But what exactly is conflict? This riveting presentation will discuss how conflict is structured, its external and internal components, the motivation needed to support it, and the steps needed to ensure its satisfactory resolution. From Nov 26, 2020.
Pacing. Leader: Liz Grotkowski. Pacing is often identified as an issue in writing, but how do you actually fix it? This presentation will give you the tools you need to up your pacing game by drilling down into pacing issues at the story structure, scene, paragraph, sentence, and even word choice level. You will leave with practical examples and step-by- step strategies to remedy pacing issues in your writing. From December 12, 2020