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Monday, November 14, 2016

Two great workshops soon: Writing Kid Lit with Anne Shone of Scholastic Books & Writing Your Life with author Ross Pennie, plus free get-togethers and reading nights

The marvelous
Anne Shone,
Writing for Children & for Young Adults ~ the world’s hottest market
With Anne Shone, senior editor, Scholastic Books
Saturday, November 19, 2016
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Unity Church, 3075 Ridegeway Drive, Unit 8, Mississauga, Ontario (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 2 or 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 
Anne Shone is a Senior Editor at Scholastic Canada. Anne has worked in book publishing for close to twenty years, concentrating on children’s books for the last fifteen. In that time, she has worked with many of Canada’s top children’s book authors and illustrators. 
Fee: 43.36 + 13% hst = 49 paid in advance or 46.90 + 13% hst = 53  at the door
To reserve a spot now, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Writing Your Life and Other True Stories
Saturday, December 3, 2016
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Oakville Central Library, 120 Navy Street, Oakville, Ontario (All-day parking is around the back of the library and then up the hill a bit on Water Street, across from the Canoe Club . 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.
Ross Pennie is the author of The Unforgiving Tides, a doctor’s memoir of Papua New Guinea (Manor House Publishing). Ross also writes medical mystery novels, published by ECW Press. The first of these, Tainted, came out in 2010 and won Arts Hamilton Literary Award for Fiction. He’s followed up with two more medical mysteries: Tampered and Up in Smoke. (Ross's mysteries are available for sale here). 
At the workshop, Ross will speak on how to turn ordinary life into dramatic material and will answer questions about how he wrote his memoir and got it published.
Fee: 40.71 + 13% hst = 46 paid in advance or 43.36 + 13% hst = 53  at the door
To reserve a spot now, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Also don’t forget our free meet-ups and author reading nights…

Meet-Ups for Writers
Update: We've added an additional session. The meet-ups are now Wednesdays, November 16, 23, and 30 2016
3:30 – 5: 30 p.m.
Holland Room, Burlington Central Library, 2331 New Street,
 Burlington, Ontario (Map here)
I’m hosting four writing support sessions at the Burlington Central Library. When you get a warren of writers all writing together, the room buzzes with energy and it’s a great motivational boost. So we’ve booked the Holland Room at the library where we can all write tighter for a couple hours each week. Or join your fellow writers at the Café in the library’s foyer, where we’ll be chatting about writing and the projects we’ve got on the go (leaving the Holland Room quiet for those getting words on paper).
This event coincides with National Novel Writing Month, but you don’t have to be taking part in NaNoWriMo to participate in our meet-ups. All you need is an urge to hang out with some fellow writers. 
This event is free, but phone the library and tell them which days you plan to attend so that we know how many to expect. Call: 905-639-3611 ext 1321
(Though if you decide to come at the last minute, that’s fine with me. Just show up with your laptop or pad and pen. If by chance the Holland Room overflows, there will always be room at the café.) ~Brian

Author Reading Nights at the Jitterbug Cafe
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
And 
Thursday, December 15, 2016
5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Jitterbug Cafe, 35 Main Street North, Waterdown, Ontario (Map here.)
This is the night that graduates of Brian Henry’s writing classes strut their stuff. We’ll have a line-up of the most amazing emerging writers west of Toronto, and they’ll be reading some of the best work you’ll hear this year. This will be a wonderful evening and everyone’s invited Don’t miss it!
Arrive for dinner by 5:30, or if you’re just having a drink or coffee and a snack, please arrive by 6:00. But because they’re opening especially for us, you can’t order just a coffee (or they’ll lose money by hosting us). They have a great menu; check it out here.
The actual readings will start at about 6:30. I look forward to seeing you all there! ~Brian

Note: come the new year, a full slate of classes will be offered (Details of all six here): 
Exploring Creative Writing, Thursday afternoons, Jan 26 – March 30, Burlington. Details here.
Writing Personal Stories, Tuesday mornings, Feb 9 – March 30, Oakville. Details here.
Intermediate Creative Writing, Wednesday evenings, Jan 18 - March 22, Burlington. Details here.
Intermediate Creative Writing, Thursday evenings, Jan 19 – March 23, Georgetown. Details here.
Intensive Creative Writing, Tuesday afternoons, Jan 25 – March 28, Burlington. .
Extreme Creative Writing, Wednesday afternoons,Jan 25 - March 15, Burlington
See details of all six courses here.
To reserve a spot, 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 and is the author of a children’s version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Tribute Publishing Inc). But his proudest boast is that he’s has helped many of his students get published. 

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

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