Rita Bailey wins $1,000 CANSCAIP prize for best middle grade manuscript, Kimberley Howe lands two-book deal, plus other love letters and a writer looking for a beta reader

Jennifer Mook-Sang's recently published
novel, Speechless, was a finalist in the 
2014 CANSCAIP / Writer's Union 
contest

Hi, Brian.

I'm doing a happy dance this morning and wanted to share this good news with you. Thanks for critiquing my work over the years; you have made me a better writer. I would never have finished this novel without you and all the writers from your classes. 

Never stop writing, never give up.

Rita Bailey...

CANSCAIP (Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers), in partnership with The Writers' Union of Canada, is pleased to announce the winners and finalists of the 18th annual Writing for Children Competition.  A cash prize of $1,000 will be presented to two winners: for a Picture Book / Early Reader and for a Chapter Book / Middle Grade / Young Adult.  Eight additional finalists have also been selected. CANSCAIP will submit the winning entries and the finalists to three Canadian children’s book publishers for their consideration. Some of the previous finalists and winners of the Writing for Children Competition have had their entries published.  

... 

 WINNER CHAPTER BOOK / MIDDLE GRADE / YOUNG ADULT:   Rita Bailey – Rebel Moon A teen boy fends for himself and tries to save his father from the gallows during Ontario’s Rebellion of 1837. Rita Bailey is a teacher, and began Rebel Moon in a novel-writing class. She continues to take courses, attend conferences and work with a critiquing group.

Yay, Rita! Note: Besides winning $1,000 for the best middle grade manuscript in Canada by an unpublished author, Rita’s manuscript – and the manuscripts of all the runners-up – will be presented to three Canadian publishers. That’s what’s so great about this contest: really there’s no better way to submit a manuscript than having CANCAIP and the Writers’ Union say, “Hey, here are the ten best manuscripts in Canada … whada ya think?”  

Read more about the contest here.

Note that I'll be leading Writing for Children & for Young Adults workshops on Saturday, April 2, in Barrie, with literary agent Rachel Letofsky (see here), on Saturday, April 30, in Guelph, with Yasemin Uçar, senior editor, Kids Can Press and authors Jennifer Mook-Sang and Kira Vermond (see here), and Sunday, May 29, in Ottawa with acclaimed author Alan Cumyn (see here).

And if you’re interested in joining the “novel-writing class,” where Rita started Rebel Moon (which in fact also includes lots of short story writers, memoir writers and all sorts of other writers), there are still spaces available in most class. Details here.

Hi, Brian.

I'm on CommuterLit this week!

Shauna

Read Shauna’s story, “I Can’t Open My Legs” here. And find links to all four stories Shauna has on CommuterLit here.

For information on submitting to CommuterLit, see here.

Hi, Brian.  

I boiled down a 900-word story that I work-shopped in your class and came up with a 91-word entry for the Gotham 91-word Memoir Contest. They’ve just informed me I’m a finalist. Thanks for the original assignment!

“Quite an achievement, considering there were many wonderful entries,” says Alex Steele, President of Gotham Writers. “Your piece will be proudly displayed on our website, right here, alongside the winner and other finalists: 91-word Memoir. Beautiful work!”

Sally B

Hi, Brian.

It has been a while since I took your writing class at George Brown College and some of your Saturday workshops, but I thought of you today when a friend of mine was asking about writing classes. I recommended she go to one of yours.

Also, I wanted to thank you for the inspiration, as I’ve worked hard, and my agent recently secured a two-book deal in the US, Canada, and the UK for my kidnap series (found my home in thrillers), and they will be coming out in February 2017.

I also run ThrillerFest now, the annual conference for the International Thriller Writers in NYC every July. Kelley Armstrong comes down to join us, and it’s great to see how her career has taken off. So, thank you for being such a wonderful foray into writing, and I’ll send my friend your way, as I know she will thoroughly enjoy your workshop. 

I hope you are happy and well. Wishing you all the best.

Warmest,

Kimberley Howe
Executive Director, ThrillerFest
www.thrillerfest.com

Writer to Writer

Dear Brian,

I am looking for a beta reader who could give me some feedback on my 82,000 word novel, “The Care and Feeding of Harry.” The story begins with tales of Harry’s eccentric grandfather, Grandpa Flapper, who builds his house “between a bog and a swamp.” As an afterthought he builds a second floor for the bedrooms, forgetting that he needs stairs to get there. He also needs a kitchen, a bathroom and a source of heat.

Next we meet Harry’s father, nicknamed Bull, not after the animals that frolic about in the fields chasing cows, but after the bullfrogs in the swamp, either because he looks like them or he sounds like them. Victoria, Harry’s mother arrives on the scene just in time to prevent Bull from drowning. We follow Bull’s adventures to his college acceptance. He eventually manages pass. Harry arrives during Bull’s convocation exercises. We proceed from there to chronicle Harry’s life through a series of anecdotes most of which involve his eccentric family or Harry’s equally eccentric pets.

I would be happy to trade with someone who might enjoy reading a humorous novel. I would appreciate your help in finding a reader for me. If you’re interested, please email me at: r.findlay@ieee.org

Thanks

Ray

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