Online workshop: Writing Great Characters, this Saturday, Oct 16

How to Write Great Characters

This Saturday, October 16, 2021
1:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Offered on Zoom and accessible wherever there's Internet.

Whatever you're writing ~ fiction or nonfiction ~ readers will care about your story only if they care about your people. In this workshop, you'll learn techniques for creating fictional characters and depicting real people. You’ll learn how to breathe life into the page so that your characters start telling you how the story should go.

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 their first book published and launch their careers as authors.

Read reviews of Brian's workshops, classes, and writing retreats here (and scroll down).

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

This workshop will be offered on Zoom. Orientation provided, but you will need a computer, tablet or smartphone with a mic and, preferably, a camera {i.e. a webcam}. 

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

See all of Brian’s upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend retreats here.

Mid-pandemic schedule for writing workshops and retreats continues to develop

December

Happy Hanukkah! Sunset on Dec 10 to Dec 18

Merry Christmas! Friday, December 25

2021

January

Happy New Year! May 2021 bring you health, happiness
     and all good things.

Online: How to Get Published with Barbara Berson
    of the Helen Heller literary agency, Sunday, January 24.
    Details here.

Online: Writing for Children and for Young Adults with
     Scholastic Books editor Anne Shone, Saturday, January 30. Details here. 

January ~ Weekly courses

Online: Exploring Creative Writing, an introductory, low pressure course to get the creative

  juices flowing. Offered at two times: Thursday evenings, Jan 21 – Apr 1 {no class Feb 25} and

 Friday afternoons, Jan 22 – Apr 2 {no class Feb 26}. Details of both here.

Online: Writing Personal Stories, nine weeks of creativity and fellowship. Thursday

  afternoons, Jan 28 – Apr1 {no class Feb 25}. Details here.  

Online: Writing Kid Lit, Picture Books, Chapter Books, Middle Grade books, and Young Adult
 novels, with enormously talented and experienced authors as guest speakers for two of the classes,
 Tuesday evenings, Feb 2 – March 30. Details here.

Online: Writing Little Kid Lit, Picture Books, Chapter Books, and Middle Grade books, with

 enormously talented and experienced authors as guest speakers for two of the classes, 

  Wednesday evenings, Feb 3 – March 31. Details here.

February

Online: Writing and Revising, Saturday, February 6. Details here.

Online: Writing for Children and for Young Adults with Kids Can editor Kathleen Keenan.

  Saturday, February 27, Details here.

April

Online: How to Write a Bestseller, with New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong,
  Saturday, April 3.  Details here.

May

Algonquin Park: Writing Retreat at Arowhon Pines Resort, an island of luxury in the
     middle of a wilderness. Friday, May 28 – Monday, May 31. Details here.

For more information or to reserve your spot at any weekly class, weekend retreat or Saturday
     workshop, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Online workshop: How to Write Great Characters, Saturday, Oct 31

How to Write Great Characters   

Saturday, October 31, 2020
Come in costume!
1:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Offered online, so you can jon from wherever there's Internet
Note: This workshop was scheduled to be held at the London Central Library, but they've decided they can't host us this year.

Whatever you're writing ~ fiction or nonfiction ~ readers will care about your story only if they care about your people. In this workshop, you'll learn techniques for creating fictional characters and depicting real people. You’ll learn how to breathe life into the page so that your characters start telling you how the story should go.

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 their first book published and launch their careers as authors.

Read reviews of Brian's workshops, classes, and writing retreats here (and scroll down).

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

This workshop will be offered on Zoom. Orientation provided, but you will need a computer, tablet or smartphone with a mic and, preferably, a camera {i.e. a webcam}. 

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

 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, 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.

This July, join me for the first in-person writing workshops since the beginning of March ....

Raising the Stakes

How to increase your story's tension 

Saturday, July 18, 2020
1:00 – 4:30 p.m.

St. Elizabeth Anglican Church, 5324 Bromley Rd, Burlington, 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 raise the tension in each scene they write.

Note: To allow physical distancing, we will of necessity be a small group and enjoy ample opportunity for interaction. Participants are asked to wear a mask, and I'll bring the hand sanitizer.

Fee: $40.71+ hst = $46 paid in advance 

or $44.25 + hst = $50 if you wait to pay at the door

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

Come join me this July in a lovely beach town on Lake Huron for a pair of writing workshops:

How to Build Your Story

Plotting novels and Writing short stories

Saturday, July 25, 2020

1:00–4:30 p.m.
Southampton Arts Centre, 3 – 201 High Street, Southampton, 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: $50

Register through Southampton Arts here.

How to Write Great Characters
Sunday, July 26, 2020

1:00–4:30 p.m.
Southampton Arts Centre, 3 – 201 High Street  Southampton, Ontario (Map here)

Whatever you're writing ~ fiction or nonfiction ~ readers will care about your story only if they care about your people. In this workshop, you'll learn techniques for creating fictional characters and depicting real people. You’ll learn how to breathe life into the page so that your characters start telling you how the story should go.

Fee: $50

Register through Southampton Arts here.

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.

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.

How to Build Your Story and How to Write Great Characters, Saturday and Sunday, July 25 and 26, in Southampton

Come join me this July in a lovely beach town on Lake Huron for a pair of writing workshops:

How to Build Your Story

Plotting novels and Writing short stories

Saturday, July 25, 2020

1:00–4:30 p.m.
Southampton Arts Centre, 3 – 201 High Street, Southampton, 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: $50

Register through Southampton Arts here.

How to Write Great Characters
Sunday, July 26, 2020

1:00–4:30 p.m.
Southampton Arts Centre, 3 – 201 High Street  Southampton, Ontario (Map here)

Whatever you're writing ~ fiction or nonfiction ~ readers will care about your story only if they care about your people. In this workshop, you'll learn techniques for creating fictional characters and depicting real people. You’ll learn how to breathe life into the page so that your characters start telling you how the story should go.

Fee: $50

Register through Southampton Arts here.

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 their first book published and launch their careers as authors.

Read reviews of Brian's workshops, classes, and writing retreats 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, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Hamilton, Jackson’s Point, Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Southampton, udbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Great workshops soon: Finding Your Voice, in Burlington, How to Make Yourself Write, in St Catharines, and How to Write Great Characters, in London

Finding Your Voice

Saturday, March 7, 2020
1:00 – 4:30 p.m.

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

If you do any kind of creative writing, fiction or nonfiction, this workshop is for you. What do publishers and agents all look for? Voice. We’ll tackle the nitty-gritty of creating a voice that’s all you while avoiding common errors that the drain life from your prose.

You’ll see how to put words on paper in a way that will grip the reader’s imagination, and you'll discover how to make your writing more vivid, more elegant and more powerful.

Fee: $37.17 + hst = $42 paid in advance or $39.82 + hst = $45 at the door

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

How to Make Yourself Write

A Creativity Workout

Saturday, March 14, 2020

1:00 – 4:30 p.m.

St. Catharines Central Library, Mills Room, 54 Church Street, St. Catharines, Ontario (Map here.)

Let's get motivated! This workshop is designed to help you find the time and the inspiration to write. No more staring at a blank screen. Come to this workshop and give yourself a kick-start, and then learn how to keep going. This creativity workout will get your words flowing and help you make the breakthrough into the next level of writing.

Fee: $37.17 + 13% hst = $42  in advance or 39.82 + 13% hst = $45  at the door

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

How to Write Great Characters   

Saturday, March 28, 2020
1:00 – 4:30 p.m.

London Central Library, Stevenson & Hunt Room B

251 Dundas St, London, Ontario. (Map here).

Whatever you're writing ~ fiction or nonfiction ~ readers will care about your story only if they care about your people. In this workshop, you'll learn techniques for creating fictional characters and depicting real people. You’ll learn how to breathe life into the page so that your characters start telling you how the story should go.

Fee: $37.17 + hst = $42  in advance or $39.82 + hst = $45  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. 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.

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