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Write on Bowen Event Descriptions
Events
Contemplative Walk in the Lieben Lands
Time: Friday, July 8 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at the Leiben Lands hosted by Bernice Lever
Location: The sign to the Leiben lands is posted on Scarborough Road, 2 miles from the ferry dock. Catch the Eaglecliffe - #10 bus by the Library.
Admission: Free
Join us for an inspirational walk and picnic on the Leiben Lands, a heritage site that once hosted a Who's Who of Canadiana. Earle Birney, Alice Munro, Dorothy Livesay, Margaret Laurence, A.J.M. Smith, Jack Shadbolt, Eric Nicol all spent time on the Leiben Lands. Participate in Open Mic readings and singing after 3 pm (5 minutes each) and get inspired! Bring your camera, paints, paper and pen, and get inspired.
Opening Night
Time: Friday, July 8, the Gallery @ Artisan Square at 7:30 pm
Admission: $20.00 or included with the Full Festival Pass
Join renowned authors Timothy Taylor and Annabel Lyon for a wonderful evening of literary wit and wisdom. Annabel Lyon will read from The Golden Mean, her award winning novel about Aristotle, and give us a sneak peak of her new kids' book Encore Edie. Timothy Taylor will read from his latest novel The Blue Light Project.
Writing with Dinner
Time: Saturday, July 9, The Gallery @ Artisan Square from 5:30 to 8:00 pm
Admission: Admission: $30 or included with the Full Festival Pass or the Saturday Pass
Write to the Island: Adventures in Social Writing: Tide charts, ferry timetables, seasonal population flux: how do these and other aspects of island life contribute to a literary conceptualization of Island? In this two-hour evening of social writing that includes dinner, Elee Kraljii-Gardiner and Michael Turner will lead you in an exploration of writing prompts related to insularity, nature and self-containment. You will have the opportunity to share your written responses to the prompts and contribute your piece to a log of the event.
Saturday Sessions
Workshop 1: Research: Get It! Write.
Time: Saturday, July 9 from 10:00 to Noon
Location: Montessori School in Artisan Square
Presenter: Anthony Dalton
Research is the gathering of information, or facts. In our roles as writers, research is the all-important activity that supplies the background information to our stories – both fiction and non-fiction. In some cases, research can be the catalyst for a new story. Despite its suggested dustiness, research does not have to be tedious, dull or dry. Research is, in itself, a creative process and it can be exciting. This workshop will guide writers through the various steps required to effectively research material for a non-fiction article or book, as well as fictional tales.
Workshop 2: Incorporating Humor into Your Writing
Time: Saturday, July 9 from 10:00 to Noon
Location: Dance Studio in Artisan Square
Presenter: Neil McKinnon
What makes something humorous? Join author Neil McKinnon as he leads you through a series of examples, exercises, humorous devices and some do's & don'ts, all designed to put the fun into funny. This workshop is for you if you want to write humour or use some humour in your writing.
Workshop 4: Beginnings
Time: Saturday, July 9 from 10:00 to Noon
Location: Yoga Studio in Artisan Square
Presenter: Timothy Taylor
Getting started can be the most difficult part of writing and yet great beginnings are a critical part of great fiction. Join award-winning author (and one of our Write on Bowen headliners!) Timothy Taylor as he uses a series of short writing and imagination exercises to help you navigate those early stages of the fiction writing process. Learn about the early building blocks of story, the development of characters and the initial opening up of themes, along with the narrative voice, points of view, plot openings, and research and writing plans.
Saturday Lunch Session
Time: Saturday, July 9, the Gallery @ Artisan Square from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Admission: Included with Full Festival Pass or Saturday Festival Pass
Publishers' Panel: Learn about the publishing business from the inside out! Panelists include Susanne Martin, Eric Brown, an author who shares his experience finding an agent, and David Stephens from Tradewind Books.
Workshop 5: Writing Daily
Time: Saturday, July 9 from 2:15 to 4:15 pm
Location: Montessori School in Artisan Square
Presenter: Michael Turner
What to write? How many words? A healthy writing practice is concerned as much with these questions as when to write, and for how long. This session will focus on finding and maintaining writing time, as well as tips and exercises on how to get started (and keep going!).
Workshop 6: Toolbox for Re-approaching Your Manuscript
Time: Saturday, July 9 from 2:15 to 4:15 pm
Location: Dance Studio in Artisan Square
Presenter: David Stephens
Second Draft - A Writer's Tool Box
You've finished the first draft of your novel, short story or memoir... so now what? Learn the art of creating a publication-ready draft from R. David Stephens, the Senior Editor of Tradewind books. Prior to the workshop, you'll receive a comprehensive set of Editing Tools to help you identify the Theme, the Main Problem, the Inciting Incident, and the Conflicts and Obstacles facing your protagonist. During the workshop, you will discuss these tools in terms of the Three Act Structure, plot points, climaxes and reversals. By the time the workshop is finished, you'll be excited about starting your second draft.
Workshop 7: Creative Memoir
Time: Saturday, July 9 from 2:15 to 4:15 pm
Location: TBA
Presenter: Madeline Sonik
Creative Memoir
Learn the art of writing literary memoir. In a supportive environment, you will experiment with writing techniques designed to enhance and enliven autobiographical narrative. You will also discuss thematic considerations related to the construction of memoir while exploring ways to make your autobiographical material the most engaging to readers.
Sunday Sessions
Workshop 9: Unbuilding the Blocks: Strategies for Writing Without Restraint
Time: Sunday, July 10 from 10:00 to Noon
Location: Montessori Preschool in Artisan Square
Presenter: Elee Kraljii Gardiner
What prevents you from writing as much as you would like, in the way that you would like? In this interactive two-hour workshop for all levels and genres, you'll explore common blocks to writing such as fear, inhibition and concern about reaction. Armed with several writing exercises to loosen apprehension and get the pen moving, you'll identify the idiosyncrasies of your Inner Critic. Come prepared to write, laugh and discuss tactics for generating new work. Participants will receive handouts of strategies and prompts to take home.
Workshop 10: Growing the Poem
Time: Sunday, July 10 from 10:00 to Noon
Location: Yoga Studio in Artisan Square
Presenter: Betsy Warland
Often a poem is considered to be full grown before it has reached its potential. Join Betsy Warland, author of Breathing the Page - Reading the Act of Writing as she leads you through the process of using one of your existing poems as a source poem to grow additional poems. You will write one or two of the following: a Negative Space poem (which writes into what has been left out), a suite of poems extending your source poem, and a poem that evokes the unsaid by using the layout of the poem on the page.
Workshop 11: Get Going with E-books, E-readers, and E-publishing
Time: Sunday, July 10 from 10:00 to Noon
Location: Dance Studio in Artisan Square
Presenter: Julie Ferguson
Over the past year, e-books, e-readers, and e-publishing have seen an explosion of demand. Writers aren't quite sure how deep to dip their toes into this new format, and publishers are scrambling to convert print titles to electronic. Join Julie H. Ferguson as she demystifies the exciting world of electronic publishing. Discover the world of e-books, compare e-readers, and learn your e-publishing options.
Sunday Lunch Session
Time: Sunday, July 10, the Gallery @ Artisan Square from 1:00 to 2:00 pm
Admission: Included with Full Festival Pass or Sunday Festival Pass
Location: The Gallery @ Artisan Square
Panelists: Betsy Warland, Dennis Bolen and Soressa Gardner, Ben Nuttal-Smith
Accessing the Spoken Word: Enjoy three very different spoken word performances by Betsy Warland, Ben Nuttall-Smith, and Dennis E. Bolen with Soressa Gardner followed by a question and answer session about the spoken word.
Workshop 13: Nature Journal - A Resource for Descriptive and Metaphoric Writing
Time: Sunday, July 10 from 2:15 to 4:15 pm
Location: TBA
Presenter: Jennifer Getsinger
Learn how to use the nature journal as a valuable primary resource for writing non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. After a brief introduction to nature writing and the use of true-to-life details as metaphor in literature, you will take a silent 15-20 minute meditative and observational walk along the trails on beautiful Bowen Island. On your return to our writing place, you will write your observations and feelings from the nature walk, share your writing, and discuss the usefulness of the nature journals as a resource for other writing.
Workshop 14: Voice and Performance Skills for Writers and Poets
Time: Sunday, July 10 from 2:15 to 4:15 pm
Location: Yoga Studio in Artisan Square
Presenter: Ben Nuttall-Smith
Reading well is an art form and Ben Nuttall-Smith has the tools you need to learn to maximize your performance skills. Through a proven set of simple, enjoyable exercises, you'll learn to relax, develop your voice and increase your power of projection. You also learn how to present your written words in an engaging way that transforms your reading into an event to be remembered. You'll have an opportunity to practice and share your reading. You will also be given handouts for further work at home. Participants should bring a poem or other piece of writing for presentation.
Workshop 15: Writing for Young People: How to Build Powerful Scenes
Time: Sunday, July 10 from 2:15 to 4:15 pm
Location: Dance Studio in Artisan Square
Presenters: Ainslie Manson, Norma Charles, and Cynthia Nicolson
Scenes are the elements of drama that propel a story. Join three experienced writers of fiction for children and young adults as they share the tools they use to create dramatic scenes. You will have an opportunity to try out these tools in your writing as you are guided through the process of creating a short and effective scene.
Workshop 16: Beyond the First Draft
Time: Sunday, July 10 from 2:15 to 4:15 pm
Location: Montessori Preschool in Artisan Square
Presenter: April Bosshard
Revision can be a daunting process. But once you've poured your blood, sweat and tears into your first draft, the process of rewriting begins. Writing is rewriting. And it helps to have a plan. If you have a short story, novel, or novella with a beginning, middle and end (even if you're not 100% happy with it) then you are ready to go beyond the first draft. After reviewing basic story structure and fiction elements, this session will focus on techniques for tackling the rewrite so that you can turn your diamond in the rough into a polished gem. Bring a 500 word excerpt from your manuscript and a notebook for exercises.
Blue Pencil Editing for Pass Holders
If you are a Full Festival or One-Day Festival Pass Holder, you can get immediate feedback on your writing! Bring up to three pages (600 words) of your writing (double spaced and typed) to share with one of our workshop facilitators. Each session is fifteen minutes long and provides you with the opportunity to get valuable feedback about your writing.
Booking a Session
Here's how to book your session:
- Select the facilitator you would like to see based on the type of writing you do (check their bios for information about their specialties). The following facilitators are available: Eric Brown, April Bosshard, Julie Ferguson, Shelley Harrison Rae, Ben Nuttall-Smith, Michael Turner, Betsy Warland, Dennis Bolen, and Soressa Gardner.
- Email to book your session. Maureen will assign you a time to meet with the facilitator. Note that most times are scheduled during workshops so if you are signed up for a workshop, you can slip out for your session at the appointed time and then return.
NOTE: Available sessions are limited so book early!
- About ten minutes before your appointed time, check in with the Blue Pencil Session Coordinator in the Gallery @ Artisan Square and be directed to the location of your blue pencil editing session.
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