Two writing workshops in cottage country and a writing for children and young adults workshop in Toronto with a senior editor of children’s books

Image from MEMYSELFANDELA

The Huronia Foundation for the Arts presents…

Writing your life and other personal stories

Saturday, August 15, 2015

12:30 – 3:45 p.m.
Midland Public Library, 320 King Street, Midland, Ontario (In cottage country. Map here)

Have you ever considered writing your memoirs or family history? This workshop will introduce you to the tricks and conventions of telling true stories and will show you how to use the techniques of the novel to recount actual events. Whether you want to write for your family or for a wider public, don't miss this workshop.

Fee:  34.51 + hst = 39 in advance or 37.17 + hst = 42 if you wait to pay at the door

To reserve a spot now, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

The Muskoka Authors’ Association presents…

How to Build Your Story

Plotting novels and Writing short stories

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Registration and coffee: 9:00 – 9:30
Workshop: 9:30 – 12:30
St. Thomas Anglican Church, 4 Mary Street, Bracebridge, Ontario (Map here.) 

This workshop will show you how writers plot a novel and will give you the best tips on writing short stories. We’ll also look at where to get your stories published and how to win contests. Best yet, you’ll see how to apply the story-building techniques you’ve learned to your own writing
Fee: 45 

Please reserve your spot in advance. Email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Payment may be made in advance via cheque to Muskoka Authors Association, 3 Manitoba Street, Bracebridge, ON P1L 1S4, or payment by cheque or cash at the door.

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong,
a New York Times #1 bestselling author
and one of Brian's students

Writing for Children & for Young Adults ~ the world’s hottest market

With guest speakers Yasemin Uçar, Senior Editor at Kids Can Press

& author Jennifer Mook-Sang

Saturday, September 12

10:15 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Glenview Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem Room, 1 Glenview Ave, Toronto (Just off Yonge St, a couple blocks south of Lawrence Ave. Map here)

If you want to write the next best-selling children’s books or just want to create stories for your own kids, this workshop is for you. Learn how to write stories kids and young adults will love and find out what you need to know to sell your book.
Special option: You may, but don't have to, bring 3 copies of the opening couple pages (first 500 words) of your children’s book or young adult novel (or 1,000 words if that will get you to the end of your picture book or to the end of your first chapter.) If you’re not currently working on a children’s story, don’t worry, we’ll get you started on the spot!

Guest speaker Yasemin Ucar is a Senior Editor at Kids Can Press. Altogether, she’s been a children’s book editor for seventeen years. She worked at Scholastic Canada before moving to the UK in 2001, where she worked as a Senior Editor at Piccadilly Press in London, managing a list of about 25 titles a year. 

She moved back to Toronto in 2006 and worked as a freelance editor for six years for several publishers, including Scholastic, Second Story Press, Madison Press Books, and HarperCollins. She joined Kids Can Press in 2012.

Yasemin has worked with many popular and award-winning authors and illustrators, including international bestselling author Louise Rennison, Barbara Coloroso, Anne Velleneuve, Pierre Pratt, Caroline Adderson, and Ashley Spires.

We will also have author Jennifer Mook-Sang as a guest speaker. Jennifer lives and writes  in Burlington. She’s as amazed as anyone to find she’s a published author. Her humorous middle grade novel Speechless was started in one of Brian Henry’s classes and will be released by Scholastic Canada in September. At the workshop, Jennifer will speak about her experience as an author and how she got her first book published.

Fee: 40.71+ 13% hst = 46 paid in advance 
or 43.36 + 13% hst = 49 if you wait to pay at the door

To reserve a spot now, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Workshop leader Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada’s most popular blog for writers, teaches creative writing at Ryerson University and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Charlottetown. He is the author of a children’s version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Tribute Publishing Inc) and, along with Cecilia-Anca Popescu, the co-author with of Bloody Christmas, a memoir of love and revolution, which is currently under consideration with a literary agent. But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published.

Note: Don't ever miss a post on Quick Brown Fox. Fill in your email in the box to the right under my bio, and get each post delivered to your Inbox. ~ Brian

See Brian's full schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Barrie, Bracebridge, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Ingersoll, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.