Join the Writers’ Guild of Alberta, Get Publishing Communications Society, and the Editors’ Association of Canada Prairie Provinces Branch for our line-up of Pre-Conference Workshops at this year’s Words in 3 Dimensions Conference.
Morning Workshops
Friday, May 22, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Mucking About: Exploring Avenues of Creative Expression
with Margaret Macpherson
Stoke your creativity with a workshop dedicated to exploration, expression, and enjoyment. This active, art-creating workshop encourages participants to engage in different modalities—words, clay, paint, installation, and voice—as a way of strengthening and better understanding their creativity. Reflection and writing are required throughout. No artistic experience is necessary.
Writing and Editing Diverse Characters
with Minister Faust
Writing the Other challenges writers to appreciate, rather than appropriate, identities and cultures not their own. In this workshop, Minister Faust, the University of Alberta’s Writer-in-Residence, examines the differences between exploration and exploitation. He discusses the resources authors need to develop cultural authenticity, the market for diversity, and what publishers are looking for in diverse characters. Practise cultural sensitivity while learning to be culturally savvy.
Exploring the World with Words
with Jane Marshall
Everyone knows travel writing: you go somewhere fun and write about it. This workshop expands perceptions of what travel writing is. With a focus on the logistics, craft, and art of writing your journeys, Jane Marshall explores how to take notes, transform them into narrative, and how to bring a destination to life. Whether you’re writing for magazines, developing a creative non-fiction project, or creating a setting for your novel, this workshop provides the tools you need.
Afternoon Workshops
Friday May 22, 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.
From Monitor to Screen: Writing for TV and Film
with Scot Morison
Can any writer become a screenwriter? Can any written work become a compelling film or television show? Scot Morison sets the scene for potential screenwriters, focusing on writing for television, movies and documentaries. During this hands-on workshop, Scot touches on what makes a good script, what works best for adaptation, and the core elements of a good screenplay—whether your market is Canadian or international.
Pimp Your Literary Ride: Add Bling to Your Book with Substantive Editing
with Peter Midgley
That new manuscript you’re holding looks vintage: it has character and solid frame, but the leather is sagging and the bodywork is rusty. It needs a makeover. Would changing the structure help with murky exposition? Might some trimming reduce character flaws? Could an extra section address some ominous omission in the argument? Join Peter Midgley, winner of the Tom Fairley Award for Literary Excellence, for a discussion on how substantive editing can help soup up your book’s engine and make its inner bling shine.
Break through the Noise: Inventive Marketing
with Cory Beatty
In this workshop, HarperCollinsCanada’s Marketing Director, Cory Beatty, discusses the creative methods he has used to market his clients’ books and brands. With suggestions for how writers can adopt similar methods for their own marketing, Cory explores new mediums and strategies for increasing exposure, creating interest, and, ultimately, reaching readers.