Two great workshops this month: How to Build Your Story and Writing and Revising

Her Secret Son, Hannah Mary McKinnon's
third novel, is due out in May

The Oakville Public Library presents…

How to Build Your Story

Plotting novels & Writing short stories

Saturday, January 19, 2019

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Oakville Central Library, Auditorium, 120 Navy Street Oakville, 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.

Guest speaker Hannah Mary McKinnon is the author of The Neighbors, a dark, suspenseful  woman’s fiction novel published in March 2018 by MIRA (HarperCollins USA) and Time After Time, published in June 2016 by AVON (HarperCollins UK), a novel about love, loss and second chances that’s full of humour. Hannah’s third book, Her Secret Son(MIRA), launches May 28, and her fourth book, The Other Sister (MIRA),will come out in 2020.

At the workshop, Hannah will speak about the different approaches she’s used to plot her novels and short stories. She’ll also be sharing her story of her writing career so far.

Visit Hannah’s website here.

Fee: $43.36 + 13% hst = $49  in advance or $46.90 + 13% hst = $53  at the door

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

Writing and Revising

Saturday, January 26, 2019

12:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Albion-Bolton Branch, Caledon Public Library, 150 Queen Street South, Bolton, Ontario (Map here)

If you want to refine your story-telling skills and cut the time you will need to spend editing, this workshop is for you. You'll learn how to step back from a manuscript in order to find, and fix, flaws in your plot, structure, characterization and style. You'll learn how to rethink, rework and rewrite so that your manuscript will live up to your vision.

Special Option: You’re invited to bring the first 500–1,000 words of one of your pieces of writing. You don’t need to bring anything, but if you do, three copies could be helpful.

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

To pay in advance, make your cheque out to the Caledon Public Library and mail it to:

Attention:  Megan Renkema , Caledon Public Library, Albion Bolton Branch, 150 Queen Street South, Bolton, ON, L7E 1E3

Or you can pay in advance in person at any Caledon Library branch. 

To reserve a spot now, sign up online 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 St. John. But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published, including guest speaker Hannah Mary McKinnon.

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

See Brian’s full schedule here, including writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, 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.

Two great workshops soon: Secrets of Writing a Page-turner in London & Guelph

Secrets of Writing a Page-turner

Techniques for making any story more compelling

Saturday, December 1

1:00 – 4:30 p.m.

London Public Library, Stevenson & Hunt Room B, 251 Dundas St, London, Ontario (Map here)

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

And

Saturday, December 8

10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Harcourt United Church, 87 Dean Avenue, Guelph, Ontario (Map here) 

Fee: $43.36 + 13% hst = $49 in advance or $46.90 + 13% hst = $53 at the door

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.

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

Workshop leader Brian Henry has been a book editor, author, and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years, and he publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada’s most popular blog for writers. But his proudest boast is that he’s has helped many of his students get published. 

Read reviews of Brian’s weekly classes, Saturday workshops, and weekend writing retreats 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, 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 workshop, Saturday, Jan 19, in Oakville

The Neighbors, by guest speaker
Hannah Mary McKinnon

The Oakville Public Library presents…

How to Build Your Story

Plotting novels & Writing short stories

Saturday, January 19, 2019

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Oakville Central Library, Auditorium, 120 Navy Street Oakville, 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.

Guest speaker Hannah Mary McKinnon is the author of The Neighbors, a dark, suspenseful  woman’s fiction novel published in March 2018 by MIRA (HarperCollins USA) and Time After Time, published in June 2016 by AVON (HarperCollins UK), a novel about love, loss and second chances that’s full of humour. Hannah’s third book, Her Secret Son (MIRA Books), launches next spring, and her fourth book, The Other Sister (MIRA Books), will come out in 2020.

Hannah

When she’s not writing novels for adults, Hannah’s three boys give her plenty of material for children’s books. 

At the workshop, Hannah will be speaking about the different trial and error approaches she’s used to plot her novels and short stories. She’ll also be sharing her story of her writing career so far.

Visit Hannah’s website 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.

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 current schedule here, including writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, 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.

How to Build Your Story workshop, Saturday, Oct 20, in Waterloo

How to Build Your Story

Plotting novels & Writing short stories

Saturday, October 20, 2018

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Waterloo Regional Police Station, Community Room, 45 Columbia St E, Waterloo, 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.

Guest speaker Hannah Mary McKinnon is the author of The Neighbors, a dark, suspenseful  woman’s fiction novel published in March 2018 by MIRA (HarperCollins USA) and Time After Time, published in June 2016 by AVON (HarperCollins UK), a novel about love, loss and second chances that’s full of humour. Hannah’s third book, Her Secret Son, was also acquired by MIRA and launches next spring.

When she’s not writing novels for adults, Hannah’s three boys give her plenty of material for children’s books. 

At the workshop, Hannah will be speaking about the different trial and error approaches she’s used to plot her novels and short stories. She’ll also be sharing her story of her writing career so far.

Visit Hannah’s website 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.

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 complete current schedule here, including writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Cambridge, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, 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.

How to Get Published, Saturday, March 3, in St. Catharines

The Neighbors by guest speaker
Hannah Mary McKinnon, coming from
MIRA books in March 2018

How to Get Published

With guests: 

HarperCollins editor Michelle Meade 

and author Hannah Mary McKinnon

Saturday, March 3, 2018

10:00 a.m. – 4:00

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

If you've ever dreamed of becoming a published author, this workshop is for you. We’ll cover everything from getting started to getting an agent, from getting your short pieces published to finding a book publisher, from writing a query letter to writing what the publishers want. Bring your questions. Come and get ready to be published!

Special Option: Participants are invited to bring a draft of a query letter you might use to interest an agent or publisher in your book. You don’t need to bring anything, but if you do, two copies would be helpful. 

Following the end of the formal workshop at about 3:45, Brian Henry will be staying for at least half an hour and helping interested attendees who didn’t have their queries critiqued earlier write query letters that will get a yes, and you'll also get a chance to approach Michelle Meade on a one-on-one basis.

Guest speaker Michelle Meade is an assistant editor with MIRA Books, a HarperCollins imprint head-quartered in New York and Toronto. MIRA publishes novels for a broad audience. They’re eager to acquire breakout and established commercial fiction with a strong narrative drive and complex characters across a wide spectrum, from multi-layered relationship and family dramas that make for good book club picks to voicy contemporary reads, thrillers and psychological suspense, sweeping historicals, speculative novels and more.

Last year 53 MIRA titles placed on bestseller lists (New York Times, USA TODAY and Publishers Weekly) for a total of 225 weeks. MIRA publishes approximately 100 books per year in all formats.

Michelle lives for the thrill of discovering new voices in commercial fiction and helping authors produce the best books possible for their readers. She’s most interested in complex, emotional reads, especially those with high-tension, suspenseful plots and engaging, authentic characters. She’s particularly looking for emotional, character-driven novels and speculative fiction and would love to find the next Liane Moriarty and Audrey Niffenegger.

At the workshop, Michelle will speak about what she does as an editor, what catches her eye when an agent pitches a manuscript to her (and what makes her give a manuscript a pass), and will answer all your questions.

Guest speaker Hannah McKinnon is the author of Time After Time (published by HarperCollins in Britain), a novel about love, loss and second chances that’s full of humour. 

Her second and third books have been acquired by MIRA. The first of these, The Neighbors, a novel about the implosion of two families, is scheduled to be published March 13, 2018, and her third book a year later. 

When she’s not writing novels for adults, Hannah’s three boys give her plenty of material for children’s books. You can read a review of Time After Time  here. 

At the workshop, Hannah will be sharing what she’s learned about being a writer, finding an agent, getting published, and making a career as a novelist.

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: 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 complete current 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, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Saint John, NB, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.