Great creative writing courses offered this summer

The Next Step in Creative Writing

 ~ Time to take a step up!

 Wednesday evenings, 6:45 – 9:00 p.m.

July 2 – August 19, 2014 
First readings emailed June 25

Appleby United Church, 4407 Spruce Ave, Burlington, Ontario (Map here.)

The Next Step in Creative Writing will challenge you to take a step up in your writing.  Over the eight weeks of classes, you’ll be asked to bring in three or four 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 at the start of each class, addressing the needs of the group.

Fee:  140.71 plus 13% hst = 159 Advance payment only, by mail or Interac

Note: These courses fill up, so enroll early to avoid disappointment.

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

Intensive Creative Writing

~ An adventure in creative growth ~

Wednesday afternoons, 12:15 – 2:45 p.m.

July 2 – August 19, 2014 
First readings emailed June 25

Appleby United Church, 4407 Spruce Ave, Burlington, Ontario (Map here.)

Intensive Creative Writing is for people who have done a course or two before and are working on their own writing. Over the eight classes, you’ll be asked to bring in four 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. 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:  140.71 plus 13% hst = 159 Advance payment only, by mail or Interac

Note: These courses fill up, so enroll early to avoid disappointment.

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

Writing Your Life & Other Personal Stories

~ A six-week adventure in writing ~

 Tuesday afternoons, 1 – 3 p.m.

July 8 – Aug 12, 2014

Unity Church, Unit 8, 3075 Ridgeway Drive, Mississauga, Ontario

(Don’t look for a steeple. Unity Church is a unit in a business mall and looks nothing like a church. Map here.)

If you've ever considered writing your memoirs, your family history or just getting your thoughts down on paper, this weekly course will get you going. We'll reveal the tricks and conventions of telling true stories, and we’ll show you how to use the techniques of the novel to recount actual events. Weekly writing exercises and friendly feedback from the instructor will help you move forward on this writing adventure. Whether you want to write for your family or for a wider public, don't miss this course.

Fee: 105.31 + 13% hst = 119

Number of attendees strictly limited.

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

Instructor Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing teacher for more than 25 years. He teaches at Ryerson University and has led writing workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Charlottetown. But his proudest boast is that he's helped many of his students get published.

See Brian's full schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Barrie, Brampton, Bolton, Burlington, Caledon, Cambridge, Collingwood, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Toronto, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Ottawa Independent Writers invites new members, sponsors How to Get Published workshop with Brian Henry and literary agent Maria Vicente

The Ottawa Independent Writers was created in 1986 as a gathering place for people with a passion to weave fiction and non-fiction stories, write poetry and plays and string words together in a variety of other formats.

OIW provides a venue where writers can share experiences and learn new aspects of their craft. It empathizes with writers having trouble getting started and celebrates those whose works are published. Along the way, OIW provides the tools necessary to improve their work.

On June 22, the OIW presents "How to Get Published"
with Brian Henry and Maria Vicente of P.S. Literary Agency.
Details here.

Although the emphasis is on writing, the organization also focuses on the business of writing, which includes finding a publisher, editing, cover design, promotion and marketing, networking and keeping track of finances. Writers who need help in any of these areas will be connected with members who can offer advice or linked with outside experts.

OIW meets monthly from September to June and serves the interests of all writers, from novice to seasoned scribe. It organizes an annual book fair as well as regular workshops.

On June 22, 2014, the OIW is sponsoring a workshop with Brian Henry: “How to Get Published,” with guest speaker literary agent Maria Vicente, the only literary agent working out of Ottawa. Full details here.

Members are involved in advertising, biography, business communications, children's literature, literary publicity, memoirs, translation, freelance writing, consumer affairs, drama, education, fiction and non-fiction, government, health, high technology, humour, magazines, music, mystery, journalism, novels, poetry, science, short stories, speculative fiction, speeches, screenwriting, travel and more!

For more information or to join OIW, please visit: www.oiw.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. ~ Brian

See Brian's full schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Barrie, Brampton, Bolton, Burlington, Caledon, Cambridge, Collingwood, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Toronto, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

New books by Julia Ariss, Linda Thorn, and Sandra J Smale

Hello, Brian.

Thanks for the newsletters.  I would like to attend your workshop when you’re next in Kingston.  I have recently self-published a novel – Fannie Bower Puts Herself Out There. It’s light women’s fiction/romantic satire/chick lit. Check it out on Amazon here.

Best wishes,

Julia Ariss 

Hello, Brian.
I am so excited to announce that my self-publish book, Beautiful Joe – a true dog rescue story, is now available on Amazon Kindle here.

I also sell my re-told Beautiful Joe story as a hard copy book at festivals dressed in the book's 1890’s theme.  I donate a portion of sales for every book sold to maintain Joe's grave site and park.

Huge thanks.

Linda Thorn
Wiarton, Ontario
www.beautifuljoepoembook.com

Hello, Brian.

I just thought you might like to check out the new book I've self-published, Spirit of Murder. It’s available in both Kindle and paperback at Amazon here or from Trafford Publishing here.

Have a great day

Sandra J. Smale

See Brian Henry's schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Barrie, Brampton, Bolton, Burlington, Caledon, Cambridge, Collingwood, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Toronto, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Fat Vampire Series by Johnny B. Truant, reviewed by Rob Laman

When it comes to story, we like to connect - we need to be able to insert ourselves into it.  And though we are all heroes in our own stories, only the most egotistical of us sees him or herself as a perfect archetype.  Chiseled chest glistening in the setting sun with long locks flowing in the breeze as the smashing blonde runs doe-eyed down the beach, arms out prepared for your strong embrace?  Not so much. 

The reality is that we all have our warts, and it is often these flaws that are the most relatable in a good story.  They draw us in, helping us to empathize with the characters.  There is a beautiful passage in Rich Man, Poor Man by Irwin Shaw where Gretchen, a main character, has misplaced her reading glasses.  She employs her husband’s glasses, which happen to be handy, noting the matched imperfections she and he share.

Reginald Baskin is an everyman, a relatable anti-hero, lacking in confidence, relying on wit, sarcasm and self-effacement to survive in a world that rewards bigger, better, stronger, faster.  The Fat Vampire Series by Johnny B. Truant, consists of six novella length books that explore the life of Reginald, who, as the title so adroitly suggests, is an overweight vampire. 

He’d rather plant himself on the couch with a bag of Cheetos and a bottle of pop than stalk humans for blood.  In fact, he doesn’t really even like blood, finding it gross.  Clearly he’s missing some of the key attributes required for good vampiring. 

Before being turned, most vampires train extensively, working themselves into peak physical condition before embracing immortality.  It’s boot camp for biters and there is a waiting list.  As a human Reginald was always weak and slow; as an incidental immortal, the improvement is marginal. 

However, over time Reginald discovers some strengths of his own, primarily as the beneficiary of the greatest vampire mind in history.  And he’s going to need it because the end of the world just may be nigh.

Brilliant mind or not, his sudden inability to stroll along the beach at midday hasn’t removed any of the stigma that accompanied his size whilst human.  Now instead of merely being subject to the ridicule of his fellow humans, he is subject to the scorn of humans and vampires alike.  The early forecasts for eternity indicate perpetual mockery and feelings of inadequacy. 

The series follows Reginald through his adjustment to life as a night stalker and his ensuing adventures as he comes to grips with his place in this new world and ultimately his role in the fate of the planet, humanity and vampirekind.  Along the way the reader experiences a transformation of both Reginald and the world in which he lives. 

Beyond the obvious jokes and self-loathing, the Fat Vampire series is an adventure that dabbles in philosophy, includes political intrigue and even a love story, albeit vampire love.

The characters are presented as regular people.  Well, regular vampire people.  They have doubts.  They make mistakes.  Some explode into clouds of vampire dust.  The author toys with the prevalent vampire mythology popularized by iconic writers like Bram Stoker and Anne Rice and more recently via the success of Twilight, True Blood, and the like, though the series is more Buffy than Dracula. 

Mostly, though, readers will see bits of themselves in these tales of blood, spotting their own fears, desires and short-comings.  But if you’re looking for another throw down between Teams Edward and Jacob this is not the series for you.  Oh, there is an incubus who plays a role in the story and an appearance by an angel, but no werewolves.  Mostly because they’re not real.

It is clever read that both advances and sends up the genre, digging into ideas that are seldom explored in tales of the undead.  What do vampires think about child vampires?  Creepy and frowned upon.  Why does garlic repel vampires?  It’s mostly just about bad breath; garlic is actually quite useless for anything other than seasoning.  Are vampires really immortal?  This requires a longer discussion, preferably over a pint of beer at a university pub or atop some dusty desert mesa with a handful of peyote buttons.

For all of it’s fun, the Fat Vampire series contains lots of swearing and some of the content is not for the faint of heart - or the kiddies.  If you enjoy inverting tropes and can stomach the occasional fat-guy joke, the series takes a novel approach to some highly leveraged subject matter.  This is not high art, but it is fun story with characters you will cheer for, mostly because but for a bite on the neck, there go you.

Rob Laman crafts contracts by day and sporadically writes a variety of short stories, blog posts, fraudulent insect facts and unfinished novels by night.  As a boy he won a trip to Disney for enlisting new customers on his paper route.  In his spare time he cans salsa that would make the food scientists at Old El Paso^TM weep, enjoys travel, softball and reading.  He hates writing about himself in third person because, “it feels as if I’m presenting my own eulogy which would, of course, make me dead.  I hope I’m not dead.”  You can find some of his writing here.

See Brian Henry's schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Barrie, Brampton, Bolton, Burlington, Caledon, Cambridge, Collingwood, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Toronto, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Writing and Revising workshop, Saturday, September 20, in Toronto

“Writing and Revising”

Saturday, September 20, 2014
10:15 – 3:45 p.m.
Glenview Presbyterian Church, 1 Glenview Ave, Toronto (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: Participants are invited to bring a piece of their own writing (though you don’t have to!) If you do bring a piece, bring 3 copies of something short (1,000 words absolute maximum, though 750 words works better).

Workshop leader Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing teacher for more than 25 years. He 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.

Fee: 40.71+ 13% hst = 46 paid in advance by mail or Interac
or 43.36 + 13% hst = 49 if you wait to pay at the door

Reserve a spot now. Email brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See Brian's full schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Barrie, Brampton, Bolton, Burlington, Caledon, Cambridge, Collingwood, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Toronto, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Free poetry contest, writing wanted re Dreams & Reality, Water or Nautical related," short mysteries, and good writing of all sorts

From Diana's Blography, a photography blog

Free contest for virgin writers; The Aspiring Canadian Poets Contest invites entries from Canadian poets (19+) who have not published any original creative writing (poems or prose). Prize: Online publication and private online mentoring sessions with the contest judge (valued at $1,000). No entry fee.

Deadline:June 1, 2014. Guidelines here.

Highbrau Magazine (Ontario) seeks submissions for their issue #12: “Dreams and Reality.” Looking for written submissions of any sort — poetry, fiction, researched argument, conjecture. Length: 900-1,500 words. Send to: highbraumagazine@gmail.com 

Deadline: June 1, 2014.

Online literature/arts magazine The Broken City (Toronto) is currently accepting submissions for its summer 2014 edition: Avast! Looking for water/nautical-related poetry, fiction, essays, comics, illustrations, photography, reviews.

Deadline: June 1, 2014. Guidelines here. 

Entries are invited for the third annual Arizona Mystery Writers Story Contest. First prize $200. Open to mystery, suspense, and thriller. Length: 2500 words max. Open to everyone. Entry fee: $10.

Deadline: June 1, 2014. Guidelines here. 

Good afternoon, Brian.

I was writing you to see if we could update the information for Jelly Bucket Literary Journal on Quick Brown Fox.

Best,
Joseph Nichols
Editor-in-Chief

Jelly Bucket [jel-ee buhk-it] – noun

         1) archaic slang for a lunch pail, formerly used by coal miners and other laborers residing in Appalachia.

         2) Bluegrass Writers Studio's annual graduate-student-produced literary journal.

Jelly Bucket is published annually by Bluegrass Writers Studio, the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Eastern Kentucky University. Founded in 2009, Jelly Bucket features established and new writers. We accept works of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, as well as visual art that incorporates text and/or features an aspect of the book arts (for this year's reading period, we are especially interested in street or graffiti art). 

Submitting Your Work

Only one submission per person per reading period please.

Poetry: Please send us no more than five poems at a time. One poem per page. Format poems on the page as you would have them printed.

Nonfiction: Nonfiction pieces of up to 5,500 words are welcome.

Fiction: Fiction pieces of up to 5,500 words are welcome. For short fiction (less than 1,000 words), up to 3 pieces may be included in one submission.

Text as Art: Each issue features a text-as-art or book arts project. Project images can involve any media, but must incorporate text or font design, calligraphy, tattoos, book design, crossword puzzles, or other aspects of text as art or the book arts. For the 2014 reading period, we are especially interested in street or graffiti art, but please feel free to submit anything that falls within the above guidelines.  You may query first, send us a CD, direct us to a web site to review your work, or submit low-res samples of your project through the submissions portal. To inquire by email: art@jellybucket.org

Deadline: June 1, 2014. Full submission guidelines here.

See Brian's full schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Barrie, Brampton, Bolton, Burlington, Caledon, Cambridge, Collingwood, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Toronto, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

How to Make Yourself Write workshop, Saturday, Sept 13, in Brampton

The Brampton Writers' Guild presents...
“How to Make Yourself Write”

~ A creativity workout ~

Saturday, September 13, 2014
10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Four Corners Library, 65 Queen Street East, Brampton, 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 learn the five keys to beating procrastination. Then give yourself a kick-start and discover how to keep going. This creativity workout will get your words flowing and help you make the breakthrough into the next level of writing.

Workshop leader Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing teacher for more than 25 years. He 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.

Fee: 40.71+ 13% hst = 46 paid in advance by mail or Interac
or 43.36 + 13% hst = 49 if you wait to pay at the door

Don’t put this off. Reserve a spot now. Email brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See Brian's full schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Barrie, Brampton, Bolton, Burlington, Caledon, Cambridge, Collingwood, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Toronto, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Love letters ~ Where your fellow writers are getting published

Brian,

This is to let you know that I’ve self-published my new book, What I Believe – But You Don’t Have To, with WestBow Press (a division of Thomas Nelson).

 “A brief discussion of religious ideas from a non-traditional viewpoint that should be of interest for all those questioning what life is all about.”

I shall be giving a short reading from it:

Tuesday, 27 May,  7-9 p.m. 

at Novel Idea

156 Princess Street, Kingston

Everyone’s invited to attend.

Cheers,

A Colin Wright

If you miss Colin’s reading, his book may be ordered on line from Amazon here  in paperback for $10.90 or $4.20 in Kindle. It will also be available on Colin's websites: www.acolinwright.ca and www.whatibelieve.com

Nancy Kay Clark, editor of CommuterLit

Brian:

Hello!  Well, I’ve been editing and editing and ... Commuterlit has published my short story titled “Surprise.”  I’m so excited – it’s wonderful validation!  Thanks for all your help and guidance!!!

 Sincerely,

 Michelle Boomer

Note: You can read Michele’s story “Surprise” here.

Hi, Brian.

Just wanted to let you know that CommuterLit ran my short story, “Slamming Doors.”

All the best,

Leanne Beattie

Note: You can read Leanne’s story “Slamming Doors” here.

For information about submitting to CommuterLit, see here, and to read about their new contest, see here.

Hi, Brian.

Check out the video for my medical thriller Without Consent here.

Also, someone, no idea who, nominated my book for the Killer Nashville Silver Falcon Award. How amazing. I hadn’t even heard of Killer Nashville.

Bev 

http://bevirwin.com/?page_id=35

See Brian Henry's schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Barrie, Brampton, Bolton, Burlington, Caledon, Cambridge, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Toronto, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.