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Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Writing With Style workshop, Saturday, Sept 24, in Toronto

Writing with Style
Saturday, September 24, 2016
10:15 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Glenview Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem Room,
1 Glenview Ave, Toronto, Ontario (Map here)
(After, Sept 24, 2016, see upcoming Writing With Style workshops here. See all upcoming workshops and classes here.)

If you do any kind of creative writing, fiction or nonfiction, this workshop is for you. We’ll tackle the nitty-gritty of putting words on paper in a way that will grip the reader’s imagination. You'll learn how to avoid common errors that drain the life from your prose. And you'll discover how to make your writing more vivid, more elegant and more powerful.

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 Saint John. But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published.

Fee: 43.36 + 13% hst = 49 paid in advance by mail or Interac
or 46.90 + 13% hst = 53 if you wait to pay at the door

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

See Brian’s full schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, 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.

Monday, May 30, 2016

Seven literary agents at Inklings all looking for authors

Inklings Literary Agency
3419 Virginia Beach Blvd
#183
Virginia Beach, VA 23452

In April, I went to the Windsor International Writers’ Conference. The writers in attendance enjoyed lots of  face time time with agents and editors, plus 20 lucky attendees left with irresistible query letters re-written with help from yours truly. While there, I took the opportunity to find out what various agents are looking for right now so I could share this info with you, dear reader, and also to pitch the agents on behalf of my students who have manuscripts almost ready to go. One agent in attendance was Michelle Johnson of Inklings.…. ~Brian

Inklings Literary Agency is a new agency, established just four years ago, staffed by seven relatively new agents all seeking authors – both established authors and talented new-comers. The agency represents a broad range of commercial and literary fiction, plus memoirs, true crime and some narrative nonfiction, and young adult and middle grade fiction.

Michelle Johnson is the founder and lead agent of Inklings. After a lifelong obsession with books, a career in business management/ownership including bookstores and community writing centers, and a few years with small presses in an editorial capacity, Michelle Johnson is now in her fourth year as a literary agent, where she represents many New York Times bestsellers, debut authors, and indie authors alike. 

“As for the one manuscript I’d love to see right now ... it's always the one I'm least expecting that grabs me,” says Michelle. “But what I'm actively seeking are diverse works, written by authors with diverse backgrounds and fictionalized accounts of current controversial subjects. Make me love a character and take me on their journey. Plus, I have a particular interest in First Nations subject matter.

“I guess that's not really one manuscript... sorry!”

More generally, in adult, New Adult and Young Adult, Michelle is looking for Contemporary, Suspense, Thriller, Mystery, Romance, Horror, Fantasy, and light Sci-Fi. She also will look at the occasional Middle Grade manuscript if it has a phenomenal hook and voice. 

She loves books that are like watching something so compelling that you can't look away; characters who leave you feeling like a friend’s left the room when the book’s over, and plots she can't predict. She especially loves books that make her think about something in a new way, but without preaching. Michelle also loves to laugh and adores dark, smart humor.

Query Michele at: query@inklingsliterary.com
Put “Query, Michelle Johnson,” plus the title of your novel in the subject line. Also paste the first 10 pages of your manuscript and a brief synopsis (1-2 pages) into to email (no attachments).
Full submission guidelines here.

Readers should also especially take note of Amanda Jain, the newest member of the team at Inklings, because like all new agents, Amanda needs authors. Amanda has loved books for as long as she can remember. When she was a kid, Amanda always had her head in a book. In her room, in the car, in the bathtub – wherever. She probably would have brought a book to the dinner table every evening if that were allowed.

After earning a BA in English, she worked in the trade department at W. W. Norton for seven years before leaving to pursue graduate studies. She graduated in 2011 with a MA in the history of decorative arts. Amanda then joined Inklings in 2014, first as an intern and then as Michelle Johnson’s assistant.

Amanda is primarily interested in adult fiction in the following categories: historical fiction (in all genres), women’s / book club / upmarket fiction, romance (particularly historical, suspenseful, or with a comedic bent), mysteries (particularly historical or cozy, or historical cozies).

She’s looking for narrative nonfiction in the areas of social history, archaeology, art history, material culture, etc.

She is also interested in select young adult and middle grade projects with unique hooks and a strong voice. 

In all cases, what Amanda is most looking for is a story that completely immerses the reader in the world of the book. She wants to feel the sun on her shoulders, smell the smoke of the battlefield, and hear the horses galloping in the distance.

Query Amanda at: query@inklingsliterary.com
Put “Query, Amanda Jain,” plus the title of your novel in the subject line. Also paste the first 10 pages of your manuscript and a brief synopsis (1-2 pages) into to email (no attachments).
Full submission guidelines here.

Literary agent, Barbara Berson
For those who love great food and a beautiful setting with their writing, Brian Henry has two Writer’s Retreats coming up at Arowhon Pines Resort in Algonquin Park: Friday, June 10 – Sunday, June 12 (see here) and Friday, Sept 16 – Sunday, Sept 18 (see here).

Brian hosts From the Horse's Mouth ~ Strategies for Getting Published on Saturday, June 18, with Barbara Berson of Helen Heller Agency, Michael Mirolla, publisher Guernica Editions, and Bhavna Chauhan, editor, Penguin Random House Canada, at Ryerson University in Toronto (see here).

Other upcoming workshops include  “Writing a Page-turner,” July 9, in Burlington (see here), “How to Build Your Story,” Saturday, July 16, in Midland (see here), and “Writing and Revising,” Saturday, July 23 in Kitchener (see here).

For more information or to register, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Finally, this summer, Brian will offer a variety of classes:
“Welcome to Creative Writing,” Tuesday afternoons, Tuesday afternoons, July 5 – Aug 23, in Burlington (see here)
“Intensive Creative Writing,” Wednesday afternoons, July 6 – Aug 24, in Burlington (see here)
“Intensive Creative Writing,” Wednesday evenings, July 6 – Aug 24, in Burlington (see here) 
See details of all three classes here
To reserve a spot, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Read reviews of Brian’s courses and workshops here.
To register or for more information for any class or workshop, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca

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. Also, if you’re not yet on my newsletter, send me an email, including your locale, to: brianhenry@sympatico.ca ~ Brian


See Brian’s full schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, 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.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

“Airport Angst,” Kathy Dupuis



Wait for it … wait for it … it’s my favourite part of waiting to board my plane. My blood pressure rises in righteous indignation, but I love it! It is the pre-boarding announcement. I could almost rub my hands together with glee.

Now, I travel a lot for business so I spend a lot of time at airport boarding gates. I settle down as much as one can settle down in those monstrosities that pass for chairs. Scan left … scan right … yup: same cast members every time. There are the nail-biters, comforting themselves with reassuring reports of airline safety records, the kids, jazzed up on sugar and excitement, the newlyweds, dripping honeyed kisses and bits of confetti.

But my favourites are the ones who respond to the pre-boarding call. (I know, I know: how can you board the plane before you board the plane? With apologies to George Carlin, we’ll let that one go for the moment.) The pre-boarding announcement aims to herd all those whining toddlers and limping grannies on board ahead of the rest of us. It allows the flight attendants to assist with rounding up the acting-out little ones and the slow-to-act old ones, and stuffing them into their seats so they’re out of the way. Then  the onslaught of those of us responding to the general boarding call can assault the aisle, and each other, as we battle over prime real estate holdings in the overhead bins.

However, inevitably … wait for it … wait for it … there go the parents with their tiny little … teenagers! Are these people deaf? Are they stupid? I realize that those intercom announcements can be garbled, but seriously? They and the gangly six-foot creatures beside them do not need pre-boarding assistance! 

They aren’t juggling sippy cups and bouncy seats and withered teething biscuits. There are no diaper bags or cute little ‘Grandma Loves Me’ T-shirts. Slouching gum-gnashing adolescents with eco-friendly hydration devices and two-hundred-dollar airlift sneakers just don’t qualify. Giant backpacks and Legalize Pot hoodies won’t cut it. These people simply won’t be allowed to pre-board. At least, that’s what I used to think.

Now I just sit, with my mouth gaping, as the kindly ladies and gentlemen at the boarding desk wave them onto the plane. It’s at this point that my small portion of the universe becomes unhinged. How dare these important airline employees allow these deceitful beings to flaunt the rules which the employees are meant to enforce? 

This simply cannot be allowed to continue! In the little world in my head, where rules are meant to be followed, I would urge the airlines to hire me to oversee the pre-boarding process. I’d sure as hell get it done with both a large dose of efficiency and fairness. I will concede that I might be somewhat lacking in the finesse department but, oh well, we can’t have it all now, can we?

I’d take only a moment to set my machine gun on its tripod, aim it menacingly at any passengers who looked like potential illegal pre-boarders, and smile sweetly as I made the announcement. I think they’d get the point. For the first offence, a small rubber bullet, aimed perhaps at some fleshy part of the anatomy, would probably get the message across, while demonstrating kindness and leniency.

For those passengers demonstrating diminished perceptions of subtlety, enhanced ammunition might need to be brought into play. But once an internationally circulated pre-boarding list was compiled, and the tripods were installed at each boarding gate, I’m fairly certain the problem could be brought under control.

Those trustworthy souls who never committed the crime could, for a small fee, apply for a speed pass. Why, marketing professionals could create ad campaigns, urging upright citizens to turn in neighbourhood offenders! Pre-boarding offender profiles could be supplied to airline personnel at team-building workshops to assure front-line compliance! Oh my, the possibilities are endless! And it would have all been MY idea!

So the next time you consider jumping to the head of the boarding line without the proper qualifications, just banish the thought! Picture the gun, complete with official airline logo, mounted on its matching tripod. Is it worth the risk just for a few more moments of onboard togetherness with your teen?  Well, seriously, is it?

Kathy Dupuis is an English teacher who decided to use some retirement time to try to master the kind of writing assignments she used to give to her students.


See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including writing workshops 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.

Saturday, May 28, 2016

The long, twisted path to getting a novel published


From idea to published novel, is a long, twisted path, but you can do it. On June 2, HarperCollins will release Hannah McKinnon’s first novel, Time After Time, a heartwarming story of second chances imbued with humour. In a series of blog posts, Hannah tells how she got here…

Feb 26, 2016. Earlier this week I signed a contract with Avon UK (HarperCollins) for my debut novel Time After Time and I am beyond ecstatic.

Within seconds of posting the news on Facebook I had more ‘Likes’ than fingers and toes – and that show of support pretty much sums up my writing journey thus far. People – family, friends, tutors, classmates, acquaintances and even complete strangers have been incredibly supportive and encouraging. Over the next few blog entries I’ll share my writing journey thus far in the hope it’ll inspire other writers to keep going, to never, never, never give up.

So let’s go back around three decades, and start there…

In the beginning…

Like so many aspiring authors I loved writing essays at school and bugged my teachers when I felt too many days had passed without an assignment. I can still hear the groans of despair from some of my classmates. One of them even threw a pen and a glue stick at me. 

But I couldn’t help it. The teacher would give us a sentence or even just a word and that was it – my head would be down for the next hour, my pen moving furiously across my page.

While I loved writing I didn’t make it a priority after I left school. In my twenties I was too focused on studies and then building my career. I joined an IT recruitment company when I was twenty-four and over the next fifteen years climbed to the top of the corporate ladder, got married and had three kids within 16 months – twins the second time around; I'm not some baby-making alien. 

I felt I barely had time to breathe, let alone write. I am in awe of those who rise at 4 am and knock out a few pages before dawn, but I was incapable of formulating an idea for a short story, let alone writing one.

But then things changed … more

Note: everyone (including you) is invited to Hannah’s launch party on June 3 (see here). In the meanwhile, you can pre-order a Kindle copy of Time After Time for just $2 on pretty much all the Amazon sites. Check it out on Amazon.ca here. I’ve already ordered mine ~Brian

See 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.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Secrets of Writing a Page-turner workshop, Saturday, Sept 10, in Guelph

Secrets of Writing a Page-turner
~ Techniques for making any story more compelling ~
Saturday, September 10, 2016
10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Harcourt United Church, 87 Dean Ave, Guelph, Ontario (Map here.)

Ever stayed up all night reading a book?In this workshop, you’ll learn you how to build that kind of tension.  And we'll help you put into practice the techniques professionals use – on every page and in every kind of story – to create drama and tension.

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 Saint John. But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published.

Fee: 43.36 + 13% hst = 49 paid in advance by mail or Interac
or 46.90 + 13% hst = 53 if you wait to pay at the door

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

See Brian’s full schedule here, including writing workshops 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.

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Free seminar: Writing Query Letters That Get a Yes, Monday, Sept 26, in Kitchener

From Inky Girl
The Canadian Authors Association, Waterloo-Wellington presents…
Writing Query Letters That Get a Yes
Monday, September 26, 2016
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Country Hills Community Library, 1500 Block Line Road, Kitchener, Ontario (Map here)

If you want to get the attention of an agent or a publisher, you need to craft a good query letter. Using real life examples, this seminar shows you how to do it. There isn’t just one way to write a successful query, and your query doesn’t have to be perfect; but it does need to persuade an agent that you’ve got a book that they can successfully pitch to a publisher.

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. But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published.
Read reviews of Brian's weekly courses and Saturday workshops see here.

Attendance is free, but please let me know you’re coming so I know how many handouts to bring. Email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See Brian’s full 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.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Christopher Rhodes of The Stuart literary agency seeks literary fiction and nonfiction, including connected stories / essays, thrillers, horror, memoir, and more

The Stuart Agency
260 W. 52 St., #25C
New York, NY 10019

I recently attended the Windsor International Writers’ Conference. The writers in attendance enjoyed plenty of face time with agents and editors, plus 20lucky attendees left with irresistible query letters re-written with help from yours truly. While there, I took the opportunity to find out what various agents are looking for right now so I could share this info with you, dear reader, and sometimes also to pitch the agents on behalf of my students who have a manuscript almost ready to go. One of the agents in attendance was Christopher Rhodes of the Stuart Agency. …. ~ Brian

The Stuart Agency was founded in 2002 by Andrew Stuart, who had previously worked as an editor at Random House and Simon & Schuster. The agency has three agents, including... 

Christopher Rhodes has been involved in the publishing business and agenting for years, but only recently joined The Stuart Agency. Prior to that, he was an agent at The James Fitzgerald Agency. Previous to that, he worked at The Carol Mann Agency and in the sales and marketing departments at Simon and Schuster.

Christopher specializes in literary fiction and nonfiction. He’s actively seeking queries in the following areas: literary fiction (including thriller and horror); connected stories/essays (humorous and serious); memoir; creative/narrative nonfiction; history; religion; pop culture; and art & design. 

“What would I dearly like to see right now?” says Christopher. “Horror. I really want to read and advocate for a smart and literary horror novel. I don’t get many submissions in this area. 

You can read an interview with Christopher here.

Query Christopher at: christopher@stuartagency.com
For fiction, include the first 50 pages; for nonfiction, include a proposal. A Word document or a PDF is fine.

Bhavna Chauchan, editor with
Penguin Random House Canada
Brian Henry will lead a Writing for Children & for Young Adults workshop on Sunday, May 29, in Ottawa with acclaimed author Alan Cumyn (see here).

Also, Brian hosts From the Horse's Mouth ~ Strategies for Getting Published on Saturday, June 18, with Barbara Berson of Helen Heller Agency, Michael Mirolla, publisher Guernica Editions, and Bhavna Chauhan, editor, Penguin Random House Canada, at Ryerson University in Toronto (see here).

Other upcoming workshops include  How to Write Great Characters, Saturday, May 14 in Toronto (see here) and Sunday, June 5 in Georgetown (see here), and Writing and Revising, May 28, in Mississauga (see here).

For those who love great food and a beautiful setting with their writing, Brian has two Writer’s Retreats coming up at Arowhon Pines Resort in Algonquin Park: Friday, June 10 – Sunday, June 12 (see here) and Friday, Sept 16 – Sunday, Sept 18 (see here).

For more information or to register, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Canoeing at Arowhon Pines Resort
Finally, this summer, Brian will offer a variety of classes:
“Welcome to Creative Writing,” Tuesday afternoons, Tuesday afternoons, July 5 – Aug 23, in Burlington
“Intensive Creative Writing,” Wednesday afternoons, July 6 – Aug 24, in Burlington
“Intensive Creative Writing,” Wednesday evenings, July 6 – Aug 24, in Burlington 
See details of all three classes here. 
To reserve a spot, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Read reviews of Brian’s courses and workshops here.
To register or for more information for any class or workshop, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca


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. Also, if you’re not yet on my newsletter, send me an email, including your locale, to: brianhenry@sympatico.ca ~ Brian

See Brian’s full 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.