Next Step in Creative Writing course, Sept 24 – Dec 11, in Burlington

Next Step in Creative Writing

10 weeks of growth as a writer

Tuesday afternoons, 12:30 – 2:45

Sept 24 – Dec 10. (no class Oct 8 or Nov 5)

First readings emailed Sept 17

St. Elizabeth's Anglican Church, 5324 Bromley Rd, Burlington, Ontario (Map here.)

Other Creative Writing courses – Introductory, Personal Stories, and Intensive – are also offered this fall. See the details here.

The Next Step in Creative Writing is for people who have been writing for a while or who have done a course or two before and are working on their own projects. Over the ten weeks of classes, you’ll be asked to bring in five pieces of your writing for detailed feedback. All your pieces may be from the same work, such as a novel in progress, or they may be stand alone pieces. You bring whatever you want to work on. 

Besides critiquing pieces, the instructor will give short lectures addressing the needs of the group, and in addition to learning how to critique your own work and receiving constructive suggestions about your writing, you’ll discover that the greatest benefits come from seeing how your classmates approach and critique a piece of writing and how they write and re-write. This is a challenging course, but extremely rewarding.

Fee: $184.96 + 13% hst = $209

To reserve your spot, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Instructor 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’s has helped many of his students get published. 

Read a review of Brian's various courses and workshops here (and scroll down).

See Brian’s complete current schedule here, including writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Cambridge, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Hamilton, Jackson’s Point, Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Saint John, NB, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

10 places to send your novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, essays, travel writing, and more (Most of them pay)

Quick Brown Fox always welcomes your book reviews – or any kind of review. If you want to review your favourite coffee shops or libraries, babysitters or lovers (no real names please), go for it. You can read an essay about how to write a book review here and see guidelines about submitting reviews of any kind to Quick Brown Fox here. 

QBF also welcomes essays about a favourite book or about your experience of reading or writing. Read a few essays on the blog to get a taste of what other writers have done (see here and scroll down), write your own, and submit it to me at brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Fireside Press is looking for novels and novellas (20,000 – 120,000 words). Fantasy publishes speculative fiction and mystery. They are open to all genres as long as the writing is good.  They don’t pay advances, but Fireside offers royalties on sales of all books.

Deadline: August 31, 2019. Guidelines here.

Nowhere is on online magazine that also publishes a yearly print annual of its best stories. It publishes literary travel writing – narrative with a strong sense of place, character and time. They want “stories that didn’t just tell you where to stay and what to do in a place, but made you feel, smell, taste and hear it.”

Doesn’t pay but promises to make your piece look gorgeous.

Guidelines here.

Animal Wellness magazine of Peterborough, Ontario, is a natural health magazine for pets, embracing the entire holistic spectrum, from physical health to the emotional and spiritual well-being of your pet.

Welcomes unsolicited articles and story outlines. If submitting an outline, also send samples of your work. Articles should be 500 – 1,500 words. Pays, but rate not specified.

Guidelines here.

Gay is a new publication partnership between Roxane Gay and Medium. “We will be publishing work weekly, covering a wide variety of topics. We will also assemble ambitious, compelling quarterly themed issues. We are now accepting submissions, on a rolling basis, and look forward to hearing from new and established writers who possess original voices. 

Seeks cultural criticism; thoughtful, clever and beautiful personal essays; short fiction; original artwork and photography. See themes. 

Pays $1 a word for work up to 3,500 words in length. Prefers essays in the 1,200-word range, rather then 3,500 words.  

Deadline: August 17, 2019. Guidelines here.

Ruminate is a prestigious, reader-supported, contemplative literary arts magazine. “We invite slowing down and paying attention. We love laughter. And we delight in deep reading, telling stoties, staying astonished, and doing ‘small things with great love’ (Mother Teresa).” Seeks fiction under 5,000 words (Deadline: August 14, 2019); visual art general submission only between Sept 19 – April 14, but currently accepting submissions to their Kaolos Visual Art Prize; poetry, up to 5 poems and maximum of 10 pages (deadline Jan 15, 2020). 

Pays $20/page for poetry and visual art pieces and $20/400 words for prose. Guidelines here.

Ruminate’s Broadside Poetry Prize is also open to submissions: Two poems per entry, 10 to 30 lines each, $12 entry fee, Aug 18 deadline, prize $500. Details here.

Ruminate’s VanderMey Nonfiction Prize is also open: Essay or short memoir 5,500 words or less, $20 entry fee, deadline Nov 18, 2019, prize $1,500. Details here.

Ruminate is also looking for guest bloggers for Ruminate Blog. Entries are accepted year-round. Guidelines here.  

Third Flatiron Publishing, based in Boulder Colorado, and Ayr, Scotland, publishes digital science fiction and fantasy anthologies, with accompanying print editions. They are currently looking for short stories, 1,500 – 3,000 words on the theme of Longevity.  Pays 6 cents/word. 

Deadline: August 3, 2019. Guidelines here.

Climbers on top of one of the 3 flat irons near Boulder

Signal Horizon seeks horror and science fiction with a dark or weird edge. 

Pays up to 3 cents/word, capped at $90. 

Deadline: August 21, 2019. Guidelines here.

Luna Station Quarterly publishes speculative fiction written by women-identified authors. Men not welcome. Pays $5. 

Deadline: August 15, 2019. Guidelines here.

Apparition Literary Magazine publishes speculative fiction For the next issue it’s seeking poetry and fiction on theme of Euphoria. 

Pays $0.01 per word, minimum of $10.

Reading periods: Aug 15 – 31; Nov 15 – 30; Feb 15 – 28; May 15 - 31. Guidelines here.

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

Also, you can hang out and chat with Quick Brown Foxes (and vixens) on my Facebook page (here). Just send a friend request to Brian Henry

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

See Brian Henry’s schedule here,  including writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Alliston, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Hamilton, Jackson’s Point, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, New Tecumseth, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Writing Conflict: Fight Scenes, Dialogue Scenes & Love Scenes workshop, Saturday, Nov 30, in London

Writing Conflict: Fight scenes, Dialogue scenes & Love scenes

Saturday, November 30, 2019
1 – 4 p.m.
London Central Library, Stevenson & Hunt Room B, 251 Dundas St, London, Ontario (Map here).

This workshop is geared to both beginners and more experienced writers. We'll look at how to create the most difficult scenes of all: the fight scene, the dialogue scene, and the love scene.  You’ll learn how to use great dialogue and how to mix it with your narrative so that the interaction between your characters comes alive, and you'll go home with some of the best tricks of the trade so that you'll never write a lifeless scene again.

  

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 their first book published and launch their careers as authors. 

See reviews of Brian's classes and workshops here.

Fee: $37.17 + hst = $42 paid in advance or $39.82 + hst = $45 if you wait to pay at the door

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

See Brian’s complete current schedule here,  including writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Alliston, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Hamilton, Jackson’s Point, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, New Tecumseth, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

New book: Across a Narrow Strait by Sharon McInnes

Hi Brian,

I would be delighted if you would tell your readers about my novel Across a Narrow Strait.

Thanks Brian!

Sharon McInnes

sharonmcinnes.com

Across a Narrow Strait by Sharon McInnes

Life can change in the blink of an eye – a sister is born with disabilities, a plane crashes into a mountain, long-dormant cancer cells awaken. Is it chance – or destiny? At fifty, Anna begins to wonder. Then, nine months after her much-loved husband dies, she takes things into her own hands, leaves behind the sister she’s always felt responsible for and moves from downtown Vancouver to Kingfisher, a supposedly tranquil island in the Salish Sea.

On Kingfisher, under the influence of her new friend Sam, Anna becomes fascinated with birds. Soon she finds herself in the middle of a volatile community controversy over the Black-tailed Deer that threaten native species, including ground-nesting birds. Later, wanting to support her environmentally conscious teenage grandson, Anna is drawn into an even bigger battle – against the GreenGate Pipeline – one that takes her life in a direction she never could have predicted.

Available on Amazon here, on Kobo here, and on Kindle here.

5-star Amazon reviews:

Deeply human characters and experiences – The book is set primarily on a fictitious Gulf Island off the BC coast and explores a few years in the life of Anna, a widow who moves there. The characters are beautifully constructed, the events very life-like, and the challenges both familiar and complex. The changes Anna undergoes in her new location are beautifully described and moving. A fast read, yet thoughtful and filled with unexpected turns. I loved this book. (Gary D. Prideaux)

Sharon

Highly recommended to anyone who has a heart – This is a delightful story, beautifully crafted. In much the same way that Anne Tyler has captivated millions of readers over so many years, Sharon McInnes’ heart-warming tale of the ordinary lives of ordinary people shows that no-one is really ordinary and everyone’s life is entirely their own, in big and small ways that create pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow and a multitude of other emotions that make our so-called ‘ordinary’ lives unique. 

The human frailties which complicate our relationships with family and friends is clearly on display here and I was surprised at how the author’s honest re-counting of things not said or done that should have been, and things said and done that should not, often brought an unexpected upswell of emotion that reminded me that I was still very much alive and had a heart. (Paul Ryan)

Complex characters with real-life issues – After the death of her husband, Anna suddenly moves to a small island in the "Salish Sea." She may be alone but she brings her complicated relationships with her family and friends in Vancouver with her and finds that her new island friends aren't any easier. Each character in this book is unique -- no stereotypes here! -- and every relationship rings true. The changes that Anna goes through and the insights she gains along the way make this book a real page turner. I really liked it! (Patricia Macdonald)

Note: If you’ve had a story or a book published, if you’ve won or placed in a writing contest, if you’ve gotten yourself an agent, or if you have any other news, send me an email so I can share your success. And be sure to let know if you're looking for a writers' group or beta readers; a notice in Quick Brown Fox, will help you find them. Email me at brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See Brian’s complete current schedule here,  including writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Alliston, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Hamilton, Jackson’s Point, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, New Tecumseth, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Secrets of Writing a Page-turner workshop, Saturday, Aug 10, in Mississauga

Secrets of Writing a Page-turner

Techniques for making any story more compelling

Saturday, August 10, 2019
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Unity Church, Unit 8, 3075 Ridgeway Drive, Mississauga, 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 Charlottetown. But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get their first book published and launch their careers as authors. 

See reviews of Brian's classes and workshops here.

Fee: $37.17 + hst = $42 paid in advance 

or $39.82 + hst = $45 if you wait to pay at the door

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

See Brian’s complete current schedule here,  including writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Alliston, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Hamilton, Jackson’s Point, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, New Tecumseth, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

5 literary agents at Prospect seek adult fiction and nonfiction and kid lit, books for babies to young adults and everything in between

Duck Sock Hop
by Jand Kohuth, illustrated by Jane Porter
represented by Prospect Agency

Prospect Agency

551 Valley Road, PMB 377 
Upper Montclair, NJ 07043
http://www.prospectagency.com/

Note: Don't ever miss a post on Quick Brown Fox. Fill in the Follow Brian by Email box in the right-hand column under my bio and get each post delivered to your Inbox. ~Brian

Emily Sylvan Kim founded Prospect Agency in 2005. Currently, the agency has five agents, all looking for clients. The agency handles adult fiction and nonfiction, and all types of children’s books: board books, picture books – including rhyming books – easy readers, chapter books, middle grade and young adult.

Ann Rose is Prospect Agency's newest agent, but she isn't new to publishing. Over the last few years she has been exploring this field by working and mentoring with literary agents in various capacities. Everything she has experienced from editorial work to the magic of finding the perfect match between author and editor has hardened her resolve to join this wonderful profession. 

Now Ann is thrilled to be building her own list and is actively seeking clients ready to grow amazing careers with her. 

Ann's perfect manuscript is a character-driven story that isn't afraid to push boundaries. She loves an unlikeable character. “I’m looking for characters who aren't afraid to stand up for their convictions and beliefs – whether they fight with their fists or their words, says Ann.

She is open to all young adult and middle grade genres. She especially loves stories that push the MG boundary by exploring topics that affect middle graders but aren't always broached in stories written for them.

In the adult fiction, Ann adores swoony romances, light sci-fi or fantasy, commercial fiction, and heartwarming – or heart wrenching – contemporaries.

I'm always looking for unique voices, diverse perspectives, vivid settings, and stories that explore tough topics,” she says. “Dark and edgy is totally okay too. Above all I'm looking for compelling characters who make me think in new ways, and laugh and cry, hopefully in the same story!”

What is she not looking for? “Stories that start with a character waking up.”

Query Ann through the agency’s submission form here.

Charlotte Wenger was born and raised in Pennsylvania and Virginia. She worked for a publishing services company in Philadelphia until shipping up to Boston to earn her MA in Children's Literature from Simmons College. After gaining editorial, sales, and agency experience, she became an associate editor for Page Street Kids, where she loved working with debut talent and building relationships with authors and illustrators. 

She brings the same mindset to agenting, valuing the developmental and relational work that goes into creating successful stories and fostering long-lasting collaborations.

Charlotte is interested in working with authors and illustrators of children's books – board books through YA, but especially picture books.

Charlotte is also seeking adult nonfiction, particularly biographies and memoirs.

Query Charlotte through the agency’s submission form here.

Emma Sector specializes in children’s books. She started her career with Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, where she worked in the marketing department before joining the Aladdin editorial team. After leaving S&S, she continued to do editorial work on a freelance basis and become acquainted, as a publicist, with the bookstore landscape. 

Having approached publishing from so many different angles, Emma has developed a comprehensive view of the children's literature market, as well as an appreciation of all the hard work it takes to get a book from author to reader. She is looking to create long lasting relationships with authors, working with them to polish their work and find the right editorial match.

Emma seeks quirky, character driven chapter books, literary and commercial middle grade and young adult novels, picture book authors and illustrators, middle grade graphic novels, and middle grade nonfiction.  

“I love picture books with big ideas and few words,” she says, “and chapter books with quirky, vibrant characters.”

Query Emma through the agency’s submission form here.

Rachel Orr specializes in children’s lit. joined Prospect Agency in 2007, so she is one of this young agency’s more experienced agents. Before that, she was an editor at HarperCollins Children's Books, where she had the pleasure of working with such successful novelists as Dan Gutman and Suzanne Williams. 

Because of her editorial background, Rachel continues to do a lot of hands-on work with her clients before sending their projects out on submission. Rachel loves working with clients who come from diverse backgrounds and have fresh perspectives to offer readers.

Rachel is looking for short, punchy picture books (either in prose or rhyme) that are humorous and have a strong marketing hook. She also wants nonfiction picture books (especially biographies or stories with a historical angle), and she’s looking for Illustrators.

In middle grade and young adult, Rachel is interested in both literary and commercial fiction, in all time periods and all genres.

Query Rachel through the agency’s submission form here.

Emily Sylvan Kim is the president of Prospect Agency. As an agent, she aims to excel at identifying and nurturing each author's unique strengths and helping to grow long, sustainable publishing careers. Emily is a member in good standing at the AAR. She is also a founding member of the breakout literary production company, et al Creative.

In adult fiction, Emily is looking for Commercial and upmarket women's fiction, self-published authors looking to explore a hybrid career, established romance authors and strong debut authors writing mainstream romance.

Emily is also seeking memoir and high interest nonfiction.

In the children’s market, she wants literary and commercial YA fiction and select middle grade and early reader fiction with strong commercial appeal.

Query Emily through the agency’s submission form here.

Children's author Jennifer Mook-Sang

If you’re interested in getting published, now or sometime in the future, don’t miss our upcoming How to Get Published workshop with literary agent Meg Wheeler of Westwood Creative Artists, Saturday, Sept 21, in Barrie (see here).  

Also, don’t miss Writing for Children and for Young Adults with Kids Can Press senior editor Yasemin Uçar and children's author Jennifer Mook-Sang at the Burlington Central Library, Saturday, Oct 5. Details here.

To help get you write your best possible manuscript check out these workshops coming soon: How to Write a Page-Turner, Saturday, Aug 10, in Mississauga (see here), and Plotting Novels & Writing Short Stories, Saturday, Sept 14, in Toronto (see here). 

But the best way to grow as a writer may be with a weekly course. This fall, there will be a full range of courses on offer, beginner to advanced:

Oakville Central Library: Welcome to Creative Writing, Thursday evenings, Sept 26 – Nov 28 (no class Oct 31). Details here. 

Toronto: Writing Personal Stories, Friday afternoons, Sept 27 – Nov 29 (no class Nov 1). Details here.

Burlington: Writing Personal Stories, Thursday afternoons, Sept 26 – November 28 (no class Oct 31).  Details here.

Burlington: Next Step in Creative Writing, Tuesday afternoons, Sept 24 – Dec 11 (no class Oct 8 or Nov 5). First readings emailed Sept 17. Details here.

Toronto: Intensive Creative Writing, Friday mornings, Sept 20 – Nov 8. First readings emailed  Sept 13. Details here.

Georgetown: Intensive Creative Writing, Wednesday evenings, Sept 18 – Dec 11 (no class Oct 9). First readings emailed Sept 11.  Details here. 

See details of all the fall courses here.

And don’t miss …

“You can write great dialogue,” Sunday, Oct 20, in Sudbury (see here) and How to Write a Bestseller with New York Times #1 bestselling author Kelley Armstrong, Saturday, Oct 26, in Waterloo (see here).

 

The Briars

Plus…

November at the Briars Writing Retreat

Friday, November 1 – Monday, November 4; four days of creativity in a setting that provides the warmth of a country estate steeped in history while providing all the benefits of an extensive, modern lakeside resort. Details here.

To reserve a spot in any upcoming weekly course, weekend retreat, or Saturday workshop, email Brian at: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Read reviews of Brian’s courses, retreats, and workshops here.

See Brian’s complete current schedule here, including Saturday writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Alliston, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Jackson’s Point, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, New Tecumseth, Oakville, Ottawa, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Navigation tips: Always check out the Labels underneath a post; they’ll lead you to various distinct collections of postings. If you're searching for more interviews with literary agents or a literary agent who represents a particular type of book, check out this post.