How to Write Great Characters workshop, Saturday, March 28, in Brampton

How to Write Great Characters     
An author & an editor give you all the best tips

Saturday, March 28, 2015
10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Cyril Clark Branch, Brampton Library

20 Loafer’s Lake Lane, Brampton, 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.

For his segment of the workshop, Andrew will speak on “From Fact to Fiction: Writing What You Know” and will discuss how he worked his experiences growing up in Toronto’s Polish Community into award-winning short fiction.

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.

Andrew J. Borkowski is the author of the critically acclaimed debut short story collection, Copernicus Avenue. Published by Cormorant Books, Copernicus Avenue won the Toronto Book Award and was shortlisted for the Danuta Gleed Literary Award for short fiction. 

His work has been published in Grain, The New Quarterly, and in Storyteller magazine. His short story “Twelve Versions of Lech” was a selection for the Writer’s Trust/McClelland and Stewart Journey Prize.

You can read more about Andrew at his website here.

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

To 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, Niagara on the Lake, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Litaerary agent Heather Flaherty joins The Bent Agency, seeks children's Middle Grade, YA, New Adult and nonfiction

Heather Flaherty

The Bent Agency

159 Twentieth Street
#1B
Brooklyn, NY 11232

And

21 Melliss Avenue

Kew, Richmond TW9 4BQ

http://www.thebentagency.com/

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

Heather Flaherty joined the Bent Agency as an agent on February 1, and like all new agents, she needs authors. A children's/YA scout for years, she will focus on authors who write children’s middle grade and young adult fiction. She’s also looking for nonfiction and select new adult fiction, and pop-culture or humorous nonfiction.

Query Heather at: FlahertyQueries@thebentagency.com

Paste the first ten pages of your book in the body of the email. (No attachments.)  If you’re submitting a picture book, please include the complete text; for illustrations, please include a link to your website or two or three PDFs or JPEGs of your work.

Full submission guidelines here.

Olga Filina

Brian Henry will lead "How to Get Published" workshops in Niagara on the Lake on Saturday, March 7, with literary agent Olga Filina of The Rights Factory (see here) and in Windsor on Sunday, May 31, with Martha Magor Webb of the Anne McDermid Agency (see here). 

Also, Brian will lead a “Writing for Children & for Young Adults” workshop with Anne Shone, Senior Editor at Scholastic Canada, on Saturday, May 2, in Oakville (see here).

For more information or to register for a workshop or class, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Other upcoming workshops, include “How to Make Your Stories Sizzle,” Saturday, February 21 in Mississauga (here) and  “How to Build Your Story,”  Saturday, February 28 in Collingwood (here), Saturday, March 14 in Burlington (here), Saturday, May 9 in London (here) and Saturday, May 30 in Guelph (here).

Anne Shone, senior editor,
Ssholastic Books

The spring session of Brian’s Weekly creative writing courses begins in April See details of all five weekly courses for beginners to advanced writers here.

Welcome to Creative Writing” will be offered Wednesday evenings in Burlington (see here), “Writing Personal Stories” on Tuesday afternoons in Georgetown (here), “The Next Step in Creative Writing” on Thursday afternoons in Mississauga (here) and on Thursday evenings in Georgetown (here). and “Intensive Creative Writing” on Wednesday afternoons in Burlington (here).

Read reviews of Brian’s courses and workshops here.

For more information or to reserve a spot, 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, Niagara on the Lake, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Happy Family Day

Stay warm!

Three poems by Charlene Jones

Here

This quiet, mist drift

already rising from lake face,

this moment here

holds mind delicately.

Elsewhere the mind

finds dreams less tolerable

less soluble in the heart,

but here, this moment

in the grace of morning,

one second upon the next,

a sense takes a step

in imagination

inspiration flows

from the chest.

We seek divine in rare

but nothing more spare

than this moment

this moment dear

the one here.

Communicates

While the full heart tears

at the ragged sleeve

pulling like a dog in heat

the mind pretends it does not hear

you walk yourself down to the dock

or along the city street

humming the latest jingle

hating yourself for doing that

so you text someone

to keep the noise down

inside the head noise

to distract and you hear

under the waves

your heart

tearing at your ragged sleeve

its teeth fully engorged

with your own blood

but you're checking the computer

and by now so linked up

not a thought alone occurs

you keep typing tapping and

thumbing yourself

into a word addiction

a slush of communication

meant to replace that

beating of the heart

beneath your sleeve

Daydream

If all my dreams came flying through my window

landing on this newly carpeted floor,

bandying about on their skinny legs,

bulging bellies all soft and saggy

the big wishes and the little, the secret

ones and those wearing an open face,

I’d fall on my face

laughing.

Maybe I will,

anyway.

Charlene Jones’ poetry has most recently appeared on Commuterlit. This, poem, “Visitors to the ROM” was a runner up in the Ontario Poetry Society’s annual Arborealis poetry contest. Charlene also writes for her radio program Off the Top with Whistle Radio, 102.7 fm, aired every second Tuesday from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m. (Note: Whistle Radio and CommuterLit have recently teamed up to run a monthly contest. Details here.) You can see Charlene perform her poetry and prose at Portobello Restaurant and Bar the first Saturday every month in Toronto. Finally,  Chalene’s first novel, The Stain was released in September.

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, Niagara on the Lake, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Our First Kiss by Sharon De Rose

I met David on Senior People Meet.com.  Nightly Skype chats, countless emails and hundreds of flirty text messages raced between us over two months. 

 Embracing our 60s, we were both looking for a suitable partner with whom we could navigate  the next 30+ years.  We shared a passion for oldies music, practiced a healthy lifestyle, enjoyed the outdoors, and loved making each other laugh. 

While neither of us was looking for a long distance relationship, somehow the stars lined us up.  From up there I guess it didn’t seem like such a long stretch from Campbell River, British Columbia, to Burlington, Ontario. 

He was now on his way to me.  A few nights before his arrival, he asked me if I thought we would kiss at the airport when we met for the first time.    

 My response: “Life’s short. Sometimes you should just eat dessert first!  If  it feels right David, why not?”

Finally, it was Airport Day!  And already 4:15 p.m.   The damn plane had landed 43 minutes ago.   I had to pee, but couldn't leave now!  He’d be here any minute.   I was anxious, pacing, and second-guessing the sign I'd made the night before.   Would he be embarrassed?   Bright purple letters saying, “Looking for My Last Date” the edges outlined with the words: "Shazza 315 finally meets Islander 6892."

OMG, there he was.  Silver streaks gracing his temples, dark chocolate puppy dog eyes searching for me in the crowd.  He found me, grinning from ear to ear when he saw my sign. 

“There she is. There’s my dream girl,” he said, as he gathered me into his arms for a warm delicious hug.   Then he held me out, taking a long ... slow look.

  Relief! His smile of approval told me he wasn't disappointed either.

 I was speechless!  All I could do was smile and try to hold down a tidal wave of emotion.

His hands moved down to hold mine.   I felt a singe of heat as our skin met for the first time.   

   He saw that I was overwhelmed and tenderly kissed the tears off the tips of my eyelashes, first one side, then the other.   His arms drawing me into him, he said, “I know, I know, I’ve been waiting for you, too, for a long, long time!” 

His voice wanting, his warm breath now dancing a slow waltz with  my earlobe, his lime scented skin .... Ahhhhhhh!

With his fingers now twirled into the back of my hair, he gently drew my head back. Searching my face with hungry eyes, he brought his mouth down on mine.  No asking.   

 He started with a slow, delicate brush of my lips, followed by a more urgent exploration.  Tasting ... savouring me like I was a delicious foam topping on a cinnamon sprinkled latte.  Oblivious to those around us, our pheromones were shamelessly engaging, passion building by the second with every sweep of his tongue. He was taking my breath away! 

Feeling weak in the knees, I leaned into him.  He supported me, sensing I was about to faint.  I didn’t know a kiss could do that to a girl! 

 “It’s okay, Sweetheart,” he said, “I’ve got you!” And he held me upright and very tight against him.

Whoa!  Feeling the need to make light of a now rather awkward situation, I  drew away from him  and asked  in my best Mae West, “ Is that a 747 in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?

No doubt we had great chemistry, but we had to get out of the airport before we set it on fire. 

“C’mon, you silly goose,” he said, laughing, “Let’s get out of here.” 

As he led me away, a cheer went up from a few onlookers.  Guess it's not every day you see a love story unfold at the airport.

 “You know, tonight’s your last first date,” he said, as we hit the escalator.  His arm embracing my waist, he added, “I think we should practice kissing tonight.”

Sharon De Rose is the proud mother of two curious delightful adults and enjoys sharing stories about the trials and tribulations of single parenting, the joys of aging, and handling the  ups and downs of daily living.  She also  loves sharing her passion for natural health care, working, teaching and writing as a Wellness Consultant and Coach encouraging people to build their health through a holistic approach. She now carries her pen, sense of humour and notebook everywhere since taking Brian Henry's Introduction to Creative Writing. 

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, Niagara on the Lake, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Wanted: writing about mental health, poetry dedicated to the Milky Way, gutsy narratives, and booklength manuscripts for e-publisher

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

The 13th Annual BrainStorm Poetry Contest for mental health consumers & survivors

Northern Initiative for Social Action and Open Minds Quarterly are pleased to announce the opening of our 13th Annual BrainStorm Poetry Contest. The contest is open to poets worldwide who have personally experienced mental health issues or mental illness (‘consumer/survivors’ or ‘people with lived experience’). The entry fee is $15 for up to three poems, and only $12 if you submit them online. All poems must arrive by 4 p.m. Friday, March 13, 2015 to be considered by the judges.  Winning poems and honourable mentions will be published in Open Minds Quarterly in 2015, and the top three poems are awarded as follows: First Place, $250; Second Place, $150; and Third Place, $75.

Deadline: March 13, 2015. Guidelines here.

Open Minds also accepts regular submissions and encourage first time writers. The magazine is looking for:

First-Person Accounts: True stories about living with, surviving, or overcoming a mental illness. 1,000-3,000 words. Published in Open Minds’ Face to Face section. Send 1 story per submission.

Essays: New perspectives on living with mental illness. 1,000-3,000 words. Published in Open Minds’ Perspectives section. Send 1 per submission.

Poetry & Short Fiction: Literary explorations of life. Short stories: 1,000-3,000 words. Both published in Open Minds’ Emanations section. Send up to 4 poems and 1 short story per submission.

Book & Movie Reviews: Reviews of books and movies, from the perspective of a mental health consumer/survivor. 350-750 words. Books & movies should be widely available. Published in Open Minds Quarterly. Send up to 2 reviews per submission.

Open Letters: Letters to someone, about an issue that you desperately feel you need to address and relating to mental illness. Should be relatable to the general public. 550 words. Published in the Open Letters section of Open Minds Quarterly. Send up to 2 open letters per submission. For an example of an open letter, read Hannah Baggot’s letter published in our summer 2014 issue here.

Full submission guidelines here.

Writing wanted for an international print collection and mix tape dedicated to our universe: Art / Poetry / Sounds From the Milky Way. Seeking sound pieces (4-5 minutes max.), poetry (4 max.) and art (comics/zines/doodles welcome). “Looking for things that are kinda weird; kinda remixed; definitely underground. Collaborations encouraged. 

Deadline: March 31, 2015. Guidelines here.  

Monthly online journal Pithead Chapel (US) seeks gutsy narratives (literary fiction and nonfiction). Length: 4000 words max. Particularly interested in essays (personal, memoir, lyric, travel, experimental, etc.). Reads year-round.

Deadline: Ongoing. Guidelines here.   

Collaborative publisher Elephantine Publishing (US) is accepting manuscript submissions for the following genres: YA and NA paranormal urban fantasy, and contemporary. Likes commercial women’s fiction, ecolit, sci-fi, romance, erotica, and particularly, coming of age stories.

Query first. Guidelines 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, Niagara on the Lake, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Exploring Creative Writing class, April 15 – June 17, in Burlignton

Exploring Creative Writing

10 weeks of discovering your creative side

Wednesday evenings, April 15 – June 17, 2015

7 – 9 p.m.

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

This is your chance to take up writing in a warm, supportive environment. We’ll visit writing fictional stories and writing true stories, writing technique and creativity technique, getting down your very best writing and just for fun writing. 

The class has the same format as "Welcome to Creative Writing," but we look at different aspects of writing. With either course, you get a shot of inspiration every week and an assignment to keep you going till the next class. Best of all, this class will provide a zero-pressure, totally safe setting, where your words will grow and flower.

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 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 details of all five courses, from introductory to advanced, starting this spring here.

Read reviews of Brian's courses here.

Fee: 149.56 plus 13% hst = 169

To reserve your spot, 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, Niagara on the Lake, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.