2024 Webinar Series

Canadian Authors partnership with SF Canada continues into 2024, and we’re excited to present yet another year of engaging and informative webinars. Keep watching this space, as we’ll post each webinar as soon as the details are finalized.

 

 

Wednesday Webinar Series: How My First Kickstarter Funded Over 900% and How Yours Can Too

In this month’s webinar, Stephen Kotowych provides a step-by-step walkthrough of how he built, ran, promoted, and fulfilled his very first Kickstarter and funded 900%+ of his funding goal for the Year’s Best Canadian Fantasy and Science Fiction: Volume One anthology. Stephen will walk authors through the process he followed, highlight the resources, mentors, and strategies that helped him succeed from a zero follower/fan/community base, and offer lessons on what he learned and what he would do differently next time.

 

Presenter: Stephen Kotowych
Date: Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm Eastern Time
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic +
Type: Informational

 

About Stephen Kotowych

Stephen Kotowych is a winner of the Writers of the Future Grand Prize and Spain’s Ictineu Award and is a four-time finalist for Canada’s Aurora Award. His stories have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies in Canada, the UK, and the US and have been translated into a dozen languages. He is the series editor and publisher of the Year’s Best Canadian Fantasy and Science Fiction. His first collection of short stories, Seven Against Tomorrow, is available now. He lives near Toronto with his family and enjoys guitar, tropical fish, and writing about himself in the third person.

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org.

 

Available Past Webinars

Missed some of our past webinars? No problem! A selection of our previous webinar recordings are available for non-members and affiliates, and CAA members can access them directly by logging in to their online account and going to the Webinars pages in the Members Only section of our website. If you aren’t a member, check out the webinars listed below and send an email request to admin(at)canadianauthors.org advising which webinars you are interested in viewing. We’ll send you a link to the webinar recording as well as a copy of the presentation slides.

 

 

Wednesday Webinar Series: What You Can Say Instead

Some authors over-use specific words and phrases, or choose ones they are accustomed to using, even when better choices may be available. This webinar will be an introduction to things an author might say instead of words and phrases that are over-worked, or that can be stated more effectively. This webinar will focus on things too commonly said, things said incorrectly, and resources for finding more effective words and phrases that may be little known and under-used, including some resources most people are not familiar with.

 

Presenter: Wayne Cusack, B.A., LL.B., M.B.A.
Date: Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm Eastern Time
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic +
Type: Informational

 

About Wayne Cusack

Wayne is a retired lawyer who has turned his hand to writing speculative fiction. He has written a number of short stories of which half a dozen have been published. In 2023 he was a finalist for the best short story award in the Aurora Awards. His first novel, Half A Memory, One Quarter Feeling, Ten Percent Intuition, is a time-travel murder mystery set in England. It is historically accurate (except for the made up parts), and covers the period from 1645 to 2139.  As of February, 2024, that novel is being prepared to go into print. In addition, Wayne is working on an anthology of some of his short stories. He also has one other novel in progress, The Chocolate Cake World, and one short story, “A Wager”, that he is considering developing into a novel, or possibly a series of novels. He also has plans for a series of anthologies, some of which have already been written or are in progress – “Damn, they’d all be done if I could convince the world to stop interrupting me …”

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org.

 

 

 

Wednesday Webinar Series: Essential Resources for Writers of Speculative Fiction

This webinar is designed to help writers of speculative fiction find tools to help them to improve their craft, perfect their work, and get published, all while receiving the support they need. I will also offer tips on how to best use these tools. The presentation, including Power Point slides, will be followed by a question and answer period.

 

Presenter: Su J. Sokol
Date: Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm Eastern Time
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic +
Type: Informational

 

About Su J. Sokol

Su J  Sokol (xe/xyr) is a social rights advocate, a freelance editor, and a writer of speculative and interstitial fiction. A former legal services lawyer from New York City, xe has made Montréal xyr home for twenty years. Sokol is the author of three novels: Cycling to Asylum (2014), which was long-listed for the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic and optioned for a film, Run J Run (2019), and Zee (2020), a finalist for the Janet Savage Blachford Prize for Children’s and Young Adult Literature. Sokol’s short fiction and essays have appeared in various magazines and anthologies including in The Future Fire, Spark: A Creative Anthology, Glittership: an LGBTQ Science Fiction and Fantasy Podcast, After the Orange: Ruin and Recovery (B Cubed Press), Chronicling the Days, Amazing Stories, and Solaris. Les lignes invisibles, the French translation of Cycling to Asylum, was published in August 2022 by VLB Imaginaire. When xe is not writing, battling slumlords, bringing evil bureaucracies to their knees, and smashing borders, Sokol curates and participates in readings and literary events in Canada and abroad.

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org.

 

 

Wednesday Webinar Series: Important Jobs for ‘Unimportant’ Characters

Minor characters are far from unimportant. Just as in real life, each one of them is the protagonist of their own life story. What makes them “minor” is not who or what they are but rather how large a role they play in someone else’s life story, and depending on how effectively they are employed by the author of the story, that role can be very significant, indeed. In fact, if stories were cars, minor characters would be the lubrication that keeps all the parts of the engine running smoothly. Participants in this writing workshop will learn and practice a set of proven techniques for developing and using minor characters to their fullest: to deepen and sharpen the major characters, facilitate or complicate the plot, adjust the mood, and deliver the theme.

 

Presenter: Arlene F. Marks

Date: Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm Eastern Time
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic +
Type: Informational

 

About Arlene F. Marks

Born and raised in Toronto, Arlene F. Marks is the acclaimed author of the Sic Transit Terra series, the recently-launched Nash’terel series, and the first Holmes & Watt paranormal mystery, among other published works. She is also a veteran editor and teacher of the craft, presenting workshops both in the classroom and at conferences such as KeyCon, Ad Astra, and When Words Collide. Now writing full time after a twenty year career as a high school educator, Arlene lives with her husband on the shore of Nottawasaga Bay, where she is currently at work on her 23^rd book.

 

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org.

 

 

Wednesday Webinar Series: Pushing the Boundaries of Urban Fantasy

Join author Jes Battis as they discuss how urban fantasy blossoms within cities, towns, and communities, and how we can build fantastic “otherwheres” that address inequalities within our own world. Jes will discuss the history of the genre, developing queer and trans characters (and worlds), and intersecting experiences and how the magic of urban fantasy allows us to portray those complexities.

 

Presenter: Jes Battis
Date: Wednesday, August 30, 2023
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm (ET)
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic +
Type: Informational

 

About Jes Battis

Jes Battis is the author of the Occult Special Investigator series (shortlisted for the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic), as well as the Parallel Parks series.  They’ve written nonfiction for The Los Angeles Review of Books and Strange Horizons, and published poetry in The Malahat Review, The Capilano Review, and Poetry is Dead, among other journals.  Their latest book, The Winter Knight, is a queer Arthurian murder mystery set in Vancouver (released by ECW Press in April of 2023).

 

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org.

 

Wednesday Webinar Series: Polar Borealis Magazine, A Paying Market for Canadian SF&F Authors

Are you a beginning writer tired of collecting rejection slips? Don’t you wish there was a market aimed specifically at writers yet to make a first sale? Turns out there is such a market. Let R. Graeme Cameron, editor of Polar Borealis, an Aurora Award-winning online magazine read in 106 countries, reveal what sort of genre fiction he is most likely to publish. Though free for readers to download, contributors are paid a token amount which, while below SFWA rates, nevertheless constitutes a bona fide sale.

Find out what makes the submission process to Polar Borealis unique and how it compares to that of other magazines. In general, discover how to give magazine editors what they want and, in particular, how to sell to the editor of Polar Borealis. Though open to all Canadian writers regardless of how many times they’ve sold short stories, the editor is particularly keen on acquiring stories by authors never before published. This could be your best chance to make your first sale!

 

Presenter: R. Graeme Cameron
Date: Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm (ET)
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic +
Type: Informational

 

About R. Graeme Cameron

Born 1951. First SF Convention 1967. Joined BC SF Association 1970. Attended VCON since 1971. Chaired VCON 2000 & 2016. Presented VCON “Elron Awards” and writers workshops for 20 years. Published 200+ SF Newsletters & Fanzines. Canadian Unity Fan Fund Winner 1997. Member of FAPA. Researched & published The Canadian Fancyclopedia. Founded & ran “Faned Awards” 2014 to 2018. Won 5 Aurora Awards. Inducted into CSFFA Science Fiction Hall of Fame 2019. Currently writes book reviews for Amazing Stories and publishes Polar Borealis & Polar Starlight magazines. Mission? Promote Canadian SpecFic.

 

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org.

 

 

The #ActuallyAutistic Author

Are you a neurodiverse (ND) creator or do you support one? Have you suspected that you or someone you love may be ND? After a lifetime of writing (and masking), Melanie Marttila was diagnosed as autistic in 2021. Speaking from personal experience, she will cover various issues faced by autistics and how to mitigate them in a creative context. Other ND creatives can experience many of these issues. Packed with actionable information and resources, The #ActuallyAutistic Author will introduce you to creative life on the spectrum, with all its benefits and challenges.

 

Presenter: Melanie Marttila
Date: Wednesday, June 28, 2023
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm (ET)
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic +
Type: Informational

About Melanie Marttila

Always looking up, eyes on the skies, head in the clouds, #actuallyautistic author Melanie Marttila writes poetry and speculative tales of hope in the face of adversity. She lives and writes in Sudbury, Ontario, in the house where three generations of her family have lived, on the street that bears her surname, with her spouse and their dog. Her first poetry collection will be published in 2024 by Latitude 46. Her poetry has appeared in Polar Borealis, Polar Starlight, and Sulphur. Her short fiction has appeared in Pulp Literature, On Spec, Pirating Pups, and Home for the Howlidays.

 

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org.

 

 

To Enter the Writing Multiverse

Writers often focus on a single form or genre. While there are rewards to be reaped by achieving sustained excellence in one medium, the advantages of diversification should not be dismissed.  The practical ones are clear, from access to additional sources of income to skills gained by tackling new literary challenges. The personal benefits may be more variable, from the relief of monotony to the revival of a dwindling passion. The Multiverse of writing possibilities is large. That is why it’s worth examining possible keys to switching from novels to short stories, from prose to poetry, from an adult readership to a younger one, from fiction to non-fiction or translation, even from a preferred genre to a less familiar one, among other examples. Such strategies will improve the chances of a successful shift.

 

Presenter: Jean-Louis Trudel
Date: Wednesday, May 31, 2023
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm (ET)
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic +
Type: Informational

About Jean-Louis Trudel

Born in Toronto, Jean-Louis Trudel is a part-time writer (and occasional translator) who has been actively writing, selling, and publishing since 1984.  He is the author, writing either alone or in collaboration with Yves Meynard as Laurent McAllister, of three novels, twenty-six YA books, four fiction collections, and an essay on the history of science fiction in Quebec, all of these in French. He has also penned over a hundred short stories, both in French and in English, and half a dozen poems in English.  His non-fiction includes book reviews in both languages, historical essays, and works of science fiction criticism.

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org.

Hacking the Future – Working with Emerging Technologies

JE Solo has been working with emerging technologies throughout their career, mostly so that they can use these technologies as tools to build and present new performance, music, media art, and writing. From creating networked performances for virtual spaces, to using webcams and game controllers to connect performer and avatar, to intervening in video game narratives, JE likes to push technology to see where the boundaries lie—and then to challenge those boundaries.

In 2022 JE created a Virtual Reality based entity that wrote poetry using multiple technologies including GPT-3 and Quantum Computers. The entity was trained to write poetry that resembled the style of JE’s song lyrics. JE will discuss their experiences and share insights on the benefits and the pitfalls of working with Artificial Intelligence. This webinar encourages participants to explore AI and new technologies so that they can: contribute to the development of technology; be a voice in the evolving conversations around technology; explore manipulating or hacking the technology and using it towards their own purposes.

As a result of this session attendees will be able to discuss some of the complications around using Artificial Intelligence in writing and art; approach new technologies with a critical eye; have confidence in experimenting with new technologies.

 

Presenter: JE Solo
Date: Wednesday, April 26, 2023
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm (ET)
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic +
Type: Informational

About JE Solo

JE Solo is an author, performance and media artist, and musician best known for their work in East Coast music, and as a trailblazer in machinima, hybrid-reality, and live and networked performance art. JE’s first novel, Phreak (House of Zolo, 2020), was short-listed for the Writer’s Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Fresh Fish Award, and is the Write Project’s 2020 Book of the Year. JE’s ten story collection, Nature, Human was published in February 2023 by House of Zolo. Currently, JE is working on presenting their latest short stories inside of Virtual Reality spaces, and collaborating with Artificial Intelligence to create poetry and artwork.

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org.

 

 

Going Solo: A Beginner’s Guide to Finding Readers with Indie Publishing

This guide to self-publishing one’s work combines an up-to-date guide with tried-and-tested advice on publishing your work and finding your audience. This webinar will cover many of the basics of getting started, along with practical, beginner advice on increasing visibility, mailing lists, ad placements, and more. Special considerations for hybrid authors and small press authors will also be included.

Presenter: Krista D. Ball
Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2022
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm (ET)
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic +
Type: Informational

About Krista D. Ball

Krista D. Ball is apparently an award-winning author, something that shocked her mother who went to her grave believing it was a lie. After all, Krista writes lies for a living. Born and raised in Newfoundland, Canada, the quickest way to get on Krista’s nerves is to pronounce it New-Found-Lund. After obtaining a degree in British History, Krista needed to justify her student loans. Twenty-five books later, including three non-fictions, the loans are finally paid off, but now she’s not qualified to do anything else but write books. Expect more in the future. That wasn’t meant to sound like a threat.

 

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org.

 

 

A Quick and Easy Guide to Book and Publishing Contracts

A whirlwind tour through the terrifying intersection where law and business meet writing. At breakneck pace, D.G. Valdron guides you through the basics of contract law and copyright, explains what publishing contracts are, what to look out for, what to be afraid of, and how to swim with misguided confidence in shark infested waters. Featuring a soliloquy explaining the way book and magazine contracts used to work, and an exploration of the rapidly shifting landscape brought about by new tools and technologies which turn the industry on its head, finishing with an overview of how to read a contract, establishing priorities and avoiding pitfalls. Bonus – a heaping helping of resource materials, including sample contracts and links. All this plus singing and dancing. This will be either the best or most traumatic workshop you’ll receive. Possibly both. Remember to keep your arms inside at all times, and lost children will not be returned but will be sold for parts.

Presenter: D.G. Valdron
Date: Wednesday, August 17, 2022
Time: 7:00–8:30 pm ET | 4:00 pm PT | 5:00 pm MT | 6:00 pm CT | 8:00 pm AT
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic and Intermediate
Type: Informational

About D.G. Valdron

D.G. Valdron is a practicing aboriginal rights lawyer, carrying on a secret life as a prolific writer of speculative fiction, including fantasy, horror, science fiction and alternate history. Titles include The Mermaid’s Tale, Axis of Andes, and Giant Monsters Sing Sad Songs. Nonfiction works include books about LEXX and Doctor Who, as well as a multitude of essays on esoteric topics. Valdron has given numerous workshops and panels on various subjects, including copyright and intellectual property, contracts and publishing, and many other subjects. Bites are not contagious.

Website: https://denvaldron.com/

 

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org.

 

 

Integrating Place in Fiction to Deepen Meaning

This webinar will show you how to use place and setting to increase the richness and meaning of story. Place is best described as a character, defining, and interacting with all other characters related to the theme. Learning to integrate setting and place with plot, theme, and character will provide story depth. It will also ground the reader in context and meaning. All too often settings are either too vague or not enmeshed in story. This webinar uses examples from great literature to demonstrate how place is used to draw readers into story through metaphor, sensual description, integration and interaction with character and plot.

By the end of the session, participants will have learned aspects of the following key tools:

1. Recognize the role of place in a story’s meaning (theme) and character journey
2. Approach setting and place as an integral part to storytelling to increase depth and impact
3. Recognize and use metaphor to link place and character on a journey
4. Apply psychology of place to their own writing

Presenter: Nina Munteanu, UofT Writing Instructor/author of A Diary in the Age of Water
Date: Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Time: 7:00–8:30 pm ET | 4:00 pm PT | 5:00 pm MT | 6:00 pm CT | 8:00 pm AT
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic and Intermediate
Type: Informational

About Nina Munteanu

Nina Munteanu is a Canadian limnologist / ecologist, novelist and award-winning short story author of eco-fiction, science fiction and fantasy. Nina also writes articles on science and writing. She has authored nine novels, four non-fiction books and a collection of short stories. Her book Water Is… (Pixl Press, 2016)—a scientific study and personal journey as limnologist, mother, and teacher—was Margaret Atwood’s pick in 2016 in the New York Times ‘The Year in Reading.’ Her latest eco-novel A Diary in the Age of Water (Inanna Publications, 2020) explores four generations of women and their relationship with water during catastrophic environmental change. Nina teaches writing at The University of Toronto and George Brown College and coaches writers to publication.

Twitter handle: @AlienNextDoor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninamunteanu/
Websites: www.NinaMunteanu.me; www.NinaMunteanu.ca; www.TheMeaningOfWater.com

 

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording,
please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org.

 

 

How to Land That Writer’s Grant!

Join A.M. Todd for an information-packed session on successful grant writing. Adrienne will outline what grants are available at the municipal, provincial, and federal level, as well as specific grants for project creation and professional development. You’ll learn how to write winning proposals that describe your project concisely and compellingly, and get tips on how to tackle application budgets. Best of all, we’ll get to see examples of winning applications.

After attending this session, you will have the information and tools to:

• Explain the different types of grants available in Canada
• Write winning grant proposals
• Complete budget applications

Presenter: A.M. Todd, author of City of Sensors
Date: Wednesday, April 13, 2022
Time: 7:00–8:30 pm ET | 4:00 pm PT | 5:00 pm MT | 6:00 pm CT | 8:00 pm AT
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic and Intermediate
Type: Informational

About A.M. Todd

A.M. Todd is a Toronto-based author of science fiction and crime fiction. Her science fiction novel, City of Sensors, is being published by a Canadian indie press and has been specially selected by the Toronto International Festival of Authors program, Toronto Lit Up, as one of their featured books for Spring of 2022. Her work has been awarded a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts and two grants from the Toronto Arts Council. She completed a Ph.D. in English literature at the University of Toronto. Her short fiction has been awarded honourable mention in the Writers of the Future Contest and has appeared in journals such as Scare Street, Breath and Shadow, and Kaleidoscope.

Twitter: @Todd_A_M
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-todd-067051156/
Website: amtoddauthor.com

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording,
please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org.

 

A Writer’s Guide to Making an Audiobook

In this practical overview of the steps involved in making an audiobook, professional author and broadcaster Joe Mahoney will cover the nitty gritty specifics, including what kind of equipment and preparation is required, how to go about recording audiobooks, what’s involved in editing and mastering audiobooks, and what distributors like Audible are looking for in terms of quality control.

Presenter: Joe Mahoney
Date: Thursday, May 12, 2022
Time: 7:00–8:30 pm EST | 4:00 pm PST | 5:00 pm MST | 6:00 pm CST | 8:00 AST
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic
Type: Informational

 

About Joe Mahoney

Joe Mahoney is a Canadian writer/broadcaster. He’s the author of the time travel fantasy adventure novel A Time and a Place, originally published by Five Rivers Press. Joe’s short fiction has been published in Canada, Australia and Greece, and he’s been nominated three times for an Aurora Award, Canada’s top award for science fiction and fantasy, for his work on CBC Radio. He is a member of SF Canada, Canada’s National Association of Speculative Fiction Professionals.

Joe has also worked as a story editor on multiple radio, television and film projects including CBC Radio’s Steve the First and Steve the Second, both seasons of Canadia: 2056, Canadian author and filmmaker Susan Rodger’s feature film Still the Water, and more.

Twitter handle: @ilanderz
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ilanderz
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-mahoney-534a913b/ 
Website: www.assortednonsense.com

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording,
please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org.

 

 

Writing Modern Gothic Horror: Canadian Edition

Gothic horror literature was born of the Dark Romanticism movement of the late eighteenth century and, like all literature, has adapted and evolved to reflect changing times and cultures. The constant elements include dread, isolation, insanity, decay, the grotesque and the speculative. Gothic stories rely heavily on atmosphere and setting; they delve into the shadows and uncover horrors. KT Wagner will provide an overview of modern gothic writing, including the growing subgenre of Northern Gothic (further defined by our vast and varied Canadian landscapes, peoples, histories, and traditions) as well as ideas and tools for writing your own gothic tale.

As a result of participating in this webinar, attendees will have an overview of the modern gothic horror genre and some tools and ideas for creating their own gothic horror stories.

 

Presenter: KT Wagner
Date: Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Time: 7:00–8:30 pm EST | 4:00 pm PST | 5:00 pm MST | 6:00 pm CST | 8:00 AST
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic and Intermediate
Type: Informational

COST: This series is free due to COVID-19’s impact on the writing community.

About KT Wagner

Surrounded by gnomes, gargoyles and poisonous plants, KT Wagner writes Gothic horror and op/ed pieces in the garden of her Maple Ridge home. She teaches writing-related workshops and helps create literary community including write-ins, an annual ghost story writing retreat and co-organizing Golden Ears Writers. KT graduated from Simon Fraser University’s Writers Studio in 2015 (Southbank 2013). She is an active member of The Horror Writers Association of America (HWA) and SF Canada and is on the Federation of BC and Yukon Writers (FBCW) board. Her short stories are published and podcast in magazines and anthologies. She is currently working on a novel.

Twitter: @KT_Wagner
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northernlightsgothic
Website: https://northernlightsgothic.com/

 

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org

 

 

Folk Narrative for Writers: An Introduction

Myths, legends, fairy tales, and fables are distinct folk narrative types with specific characteristics, but the terms are often conflated in common usage, and the genres themselves are sometimes muddied in contemporary storytelling. Many writers and readers also believe they are inflexible categories of established tales, when in reality they are dynamic tools we can use to weave familiar narrative patterns into new tales.

With this in mind, I invite you to join me for an introduction to folk narrative and a discussion of its applicability to fiction writing. You’ll learn what folklorists mean when we use the term “genre” to describe narrative types, and you’ll learn how we understand myths, legends, fairy tales, and fables.

At the end of the webinar, you’ll be able to distinguish between these genres yourself, and you’ll have a few guiding principles for utilizing them in your writing.

 

Presenter: Ceallaigh S. MacCath-Moran
Date: Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Time: 7:00–8:30 pm EST | 4:00 pm PST | 5:00 pm MST | 6:00 pm CST | 8:00 AST
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic and Intermediate
Type: Informational

COST: This series is free due to COVID-19’s impact on the writing community.

About Ceallaigh S. MacCath-Moran

Ceallaigh S. MacCath-Moran (C.S. MacCath) is a PhD candidate in Folklore at Memorial University of Newfoundland and a writer of fiction, nonfiction and poetry whose work has been shortlisted for the Washington Science Fiction Association Small Press Award, nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and nominated for the Rhysling Award. She is the producer and host of the Folklore & Fiction podcast, and her contemporary retelling of “The Belt and the Necklace” fairy tale is currently in development with the Odyssey Theatre in Ottawa. She lives in Atlantic Canada.

 

Twitter: @csmaccath
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/csmaccathpage
Website: https://csmaccath.com

 

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org

 

4 Fun Ways to Nail That Indescribable Character

Including different types of personalities in our writing can brighten a story, make it memorable, and help readers emotionally connect to our fictional characters.

The Insights Discovery® is a system that is partly based on Carl Jung’s theory of introverts and extroverts. It’s also similar to the Myers-Briggs personality indicator system. These types of theories try to help us understand human behaviour and to see if a pattern is discernible.

My favorite way to analyze human behavior is the Insights Discovery® system because of its eye-catching colour-coded methodology (by the way, this reason is why my main Insights colour is yellow).

A good article on how this system works can be found here (for the blues among us who have a need to prepare ahead for the workshop): https://www.mudamasters.com/en/personal-growth-personality/insights-discovery-part-1-4-colors

As a result of attending this session, attendees will have fun analyzing human behaviour patterns. This in turn will hopefully help them shape their characters’ belief systems, which can flow into writing believable actions and reactions with which readers can empathize.

Presenter: Shereen Vedam
Date: Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Time: 7:00–8:30 pm EST |  4:00 pm PST | 5:00 pm MST | 6:00 pm CST | 8:00 AST
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic and Intermediate
Type: Informational

About Shereen Vedam

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org

 

 

Marketing Strategy for Authors: An Overview

A marketing plan for authors is a requirement if you intend to make writing a career. Even a basic understanding of the various sections of marketing will help an author understand both the needs of a publisher and the necessities in promoting themselves to develop a long-lasting career. The webinar will focus on the basic portions of a marketing plan and how that relates to author careers and the series they write.

As a result of attending this session, participants will be able to

• Understand how career and marketing goals and objectives work together to build a lasting career for an author
• Understand how the marketing mix chosen can influence the acquisition of new readers and the development of existing readers into fans

Presenter: Tao Wong
Date: Wednesday, June 9, 2021
Time: 7:00–8:30 pm EST |  4:00 pm PST | 5:00 pm MST | 6:00 pm CST | 8:00 AST
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic and Intermediate
Type: Informational

About Tao Wong

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org

 

15 Easy Ways to Market Your Book During a Pandemic

Whether you are hoping to get your book published by an established publishing house or doing it on your own, this webinar will help you avoid expensive and time-wasting pitfalls in getting publicity. It will offer excellent ideas on how to build word-of-mouth. No need to leave the house or travel anywhere as these valuable suggestions can be used locally, nationally, and internationally. Marketing does not have to be drudgery. You can harness your creativity for the marketing itself. You will be surprised to learn how it can even be easier during a pandemic to target the marketing of your book before it is even written, during the writing process itself and once it has been published.  

As a result of attending this session, attendees will be able to immediately implement ideas to promote their work. They will also have more confidence in their ability to harness their creativity to do the marketing instead of seeing it as drudgery.

 

Presenter: Tommy Schnurmacher
Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2021
Time: 7:00–8:30 pm EST |  4:00 pm PST | 5:00 pm MST | 6:00 pm CST | 8:00 AST
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic and Intermediate
Type: Informational

 About Tommy Schnurmacher

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org

 

Backstory Secrets

Backstory is tricky to interweave into your story effectively. Often, our mistake is to introduce it too soon, or all at once in one large infodump. When and how can it be feathered in effectively? Think of your backstory as a series of secrets your protagonist does not want to reveal. Make your audience hungry for backstory and deliver it at just the right moment!

As a result of attending this session, attendees will be able to:

• distinguish between character biography and backstory
• identify places in their own fiction where the power of backstory is lost because it is introduced too soon, in the wrong place, or too much is given at once;
• recognize the importance of backstory for their own understanding of their characters;
• recognize the power of backstory to deepen character, to provide motivation to a character who has been defeated to keep going at all costs, and to heighten the drama of a story
• use multiple techniques to introduce backstory effectively

Presenter: Susan Forest
Date: Wednesday, May 19, 2021
Time: 7:00–8:30 pm EST

About Susan Forest

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org

 

PLAYING THE SHORT GAME: How to Market and Sell Short Fiction

Learn how short stories can form a crucial part of any fiction writer’s career. This session will help you understand the basics of licensing rights for short fiction, why you should always target the top markets, key clauses to look for in short fiction contracts, and much more.

Most importantly, you will learn the many ways a successful short fiction writer can leverage their backlist of published stories far beyond that first sale, including reprints, foreign language sales, audio markets, and collections.

Presenter: Douglas Smith
Date: Thursday, April 29, 2021
Time: 7:00–8:30 pm EST

About the Presenter

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org

 

How to Build Worlds Without Boring Your Reader

You can’t write fantasy or science fiction without creating a new world, whether you’re imagining a new planet or reinventing the minotaur. How much research should you do? Often writers fall into the trap of too little research, risking the ire of readers and critics–or overwhelming them with pages of “As you know, Bob,” which risks putting readers and critics to sleep.

This webinar will focus on tips for efficient research and how to write your world in a way that entertains your readers, which makes writing more fun for you. As a result of attending this session, you will have a better understanding of how to:

• streamline your research (i.e., delve into real or virtual shelves without getting stuck there)
• improve your information flow and avoid overwhelming your reader with details

Presenter: Melissa Yi (Yuan-Innes), MD author of speculative fiction and mysteries
Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm EDT
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic and Intermediate
Type: Informational

Cost: This series is free due to COVID-19’s impact on the writing community; space is limited.

 

About the Presenter

Melissa Yuan-Innes immediately fell in love with fairy tales, and one day, she started writing them. She was a Writers of the Future winner in her final year of medical school and went on to publish in Nature, the Aurora-winning anthology The Dragon and the Stars, and The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2017. She writes the Hope Sze medical mysteries under the pseudonym Melissa Yi, for which she has been recognized by CBC’s The Current, The Next Chapter’s Mystery Panel, and The Globe and Mail. She enjoys eating, laughing, and playing with her kids.

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org

 

 

Characterization and Character-driven Conflicts

Conflicts have stood at the heart of storytelling since the dawn of Humankind. Learn how the latest discoveries in brain science and human behaviour can help you grow three dimensional characters motivated by different world views in complex societies that confront each other a in a believable manner. Eliminate the BS factor. Make your conflicts shine.

During this webinar, you will learn a simple psychological model that can help you as a writer to understand human behaviour and utilize this model in your writing to create reliable characters that readers can relate to and understand their motives.

You will also learn a few philosophical worldviews and how to combine those views with the above model to spark believable character driven conflicts.

Then we will analyze several characters from known stories and see how this model applies.

Presenter: Ron S. Friedman

Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm (ET)
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic and Intermediate
Type: Informational

Cost: This series is free due to COVID-19’s impact on the writing community; space is limited.

About the Presenter

Ron S. Friedman is an award-winning science fiction author from Calgary. His novel, Typhoon Time, is an Amazon.ca #1 Best Seller in Time-Travel; his collection, Escape Velocity, is a Calgary Herald #1 Best Seller, and his story, Game Not Over, is a Best Short Fiction finalist in the 2016 Aurora Awards, Canada’s premier Science-Fiction and Fantasy awards.

Ron’s short stories have appeared in Galaxy’s Edge, Daily Science Fiction, Neo-Opsis, Polar Borealis, Enigma Front and in other magazines and anthologies. Ron co-edited three anthologies and he received ten Honorable Mentions in Writers of the Future Contest.

Originally from Israel, Ron is living with his loving wife and two children in Calgary, Alberta. Ron is currently working on his second novel.

 

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org

 

 

Going Solo: Self-Publishing Tips and Tricks for Those First Starting Out

This guide to self-publishing one’s work combines an up-to-date guide with tried-and-tested advice on publishing your work and finding your audience. This webinar will cover both the basics (cover design, harnessing digital retailers, editing, and formatting guidance), along with practical advice on social media, increasing visibility, and the basics of mailing lists.

Presenter: Krista D. Ball
Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm (ET)
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic +
Type: Informational

Cost: This series is free due to COVID-19’s impact on the writing community; space is limited.

About the Presenter

Krista D. Ball is a Canadian science fiction and fantasy author. She was born and raised in Newfoundland, Canada where she learned how to use a chainsaw, chop wood, and make raspberry jam. After obtaining a B.A. in British History from Mount Allison University, Krista moved to Edmonton, Alberta where she currently lives.

Like any good writer, Krista has had an eclectic array of jobs throughout her life, including strawberry picker, pub bathroom cleaner, oil spill cleaner upper, and soup kitchen coordinator. These days, Krista can be found causing trouble on Reddit when she’s not writing in her very messy, cat-filled office.

 

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org

 

 

Leveraging Your IP and Maximizing Income in a Digital World

Writers have never had more options than ever in the history of publishing. The digital marketplace has expanded opportunities for print books, eBooks, and audiobooks. But navigating the vast oceans of opportunity, determining what path is best for each particular writing project, and avoiding the treacherous seas, uncharted waters, and the industry sharks that swim these waters preying on the hopes and dreams of authors can be tricky.

This overview of the platforms, the players, and the alternatives available for writers to be able to maximize their readership and their opportunities for multiple streams of revenue will provide you with the background you need to keep from drowning and to chart your own unique course as an author.

As a result of attending this session, attendees will:

• Understand the plethora of choices available to them within traditional publishing and self-publishing/indie-publishing
• Be aware of a number of free services available to them for licensing/selling their work or taking a more DIY and indie publishing approach
• Realize that there is no single path for any writer, or any specific writing project, and the benefits of applying a hybrid approach
• Know where to get started publishing their work in print, eBook and audiobook, and how to make decisions on the choices that exist for listing their work on the major book platforms for retail and library markets
• Have an understanding of what to look out for in order to spot the scheming demons masquerading as “publishers” or “self-publishing support”
• Be inspired to look for new ways to maximize their opportunities for growing their readership and their streams of writing revenue

Presenter: Mark Leslie Lefebvre, Author, Editor, and Book Nerd; Stark Publishing
Date: Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm (ET)
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic and Intermediate
Type: Informational

Cost: This series is free due to COVID-19’s impact on the writing community; space is limited.

About the Presenter

Mark Leslie Lefebvre had his first story published in 1992, the same year he began in the book industry. A former President of the Canadian Booksellers Association, Mark is a current Professional Advisor to Sheridan College’s Degree program in Writing & Publishing, the founder of Kobo Writing Life, Kobo’s DIY platform for writers and a freelance publishing consultant.

Mark has more than twenty full length fiction and non-fiction books available via both traditional and self-publishing, his writing has been translated to Italian and Spanish, and his eBooks have sold in more than 82 countries.

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org

 

 

Writing for Children and Young Adults

Examine the art of writing for children and young adults. Explore research, planning, pacing your story, developing characters, connecting with the reader, choosing settings, the role of adults in children’s stories, and more.

After attending this session, participants will be able to understand the fundamentals of writing for children and young adults, how to turn your ideas into stories, understand the need for outlines, planning, editing, and revision, understand the importance of research, create great beginnings and pace your story, and be able to research ways in which to submit your work to publishers.

Presenter: Simon Rose
Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm (ET)
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic and Intermediate
Type: Informational

Cost: This series is free due to COVID-19’s impact on the writing community; space is limited.

About the Presenter

Simon Rose is a Calgary author of sixteen novels, eight guides for writers, and more than 100 nonfiction books for children and young adults. Simon served as the Writer-in Residence with the Canadian Authors Association and is a member of the Calgary Association of Freelance Editors. Simon also provides services for writers, including editing, coaching, and ghostwriting and offers programs for schools. He is an instructor for adults with the University of Calgary, Mount Royal University, and Chinook Learning Services and offers online workshops and courses for children and adults.

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org

 

 

 

We are always looking for new webinar topics! If you are an engaging presenter with expertise to share with writers, let’s talk! Send an email with a brief pitch to apurcell (at) canadianauthors.org.

 

The End Is Just the Beginning

Congratulations! After months (years?) of diligent effort, you have finally completed your manuscript. You celebrate briefly before it sinks in—you have no idea what to do next. Should you hire an editor? Should you approach an agent? How do you find a publisher? What is hybrid publishing anyway? And how much is all of this going to cost?

This workshop will provide an overview of the publishing process and a suggested process to follow to navigate it successfully. Participants will leave with information that will help them chart the path that is right for them.

 

Presenter: Lynn Duncan
Date of Original Webinar: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm (ET)
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic and Intermediate
Type: Informational

Cost: This webinar was part of a series available at no charge due to COVID-19’s impact on the writing community

About the Presenter

In 2010, Lynn founded Vivalogue Publishing with business partner Kilmeny Denny. Drawing upon Lynn’s many years of business and sales experience and Kilmeny’s background in journalism and editing, Vivalogue helps self-published authors achieve creative and financial success. As part of its commitment to the self-publishing community, Vivalogue founded and continues to administer The Whistler Independent Book Awards.

Vivalogue also partnered with Heritage House Publishing to develop and launch their young adult imprint, Wandering Fox Books. This experience inspired Lynn and Kilmeny to found their own trade-publishing company, Tidewater Press, in 2017. Now with five titles in print, and four more scheduled for release in 2020, Tidewater Press publishes real and imagined stories of identity and belonging.

 

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org

 

 

Developing Voice in Your Manuscript

One of the most important skills for a writer to have is the ability to craft clear and strong voices in their manuscript. Sounding inauthentic or unrealistic can be the difference between a pass or an offer of representation. In this webinar, we’ll target common mishaps and approach creating strong narratives on three levels: dialogue, prose, and characters.

As a result of attending this session, attendees will gain valuable tips and expert advice on writing realistic and engaging dialogue that is both informative and essential.

You’ll leave the webinar with the tools to self-edit your characters in order to render more believable and captivating voices.

Presenter: Stephanie Winter
Date of Original Webinar: March 18, 2020
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic and Intermediate
Type: Informational

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org

 

 

About Stephanie Winter
Stephanie is an associate agent at P.S. Literary. She first joined the agency as an intern before becoming the agency’s relations assistant. Stephanie is a dedicated bookseller who holds a B.A. from the University of Toronto in English Literature and a M.A. in English: Issues in Modern Culture from University College London. She is actively looking for diverse and inclusive voices in fiction and nonfiction spaces who make new worlds and perspectives come alive. Stephanie particularly appreciates strong characters who bend stereotypes, genders, and more.

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org 

 

 

Previous Webinars

Taxes for Writers: Keeping CRA happy while doing what you love

Taxes will always be an important part of running a business, and the earlier you learn the basics, the fewer headaches you’ll have down the road. Everyone wants to do the right thing when it comes to taxes, but not everyone knows what the right thing is. That goes double for self-employed or freelance earners, who have more choices and responsibilities when it comes to taxes than regular employees do — and seemingly less information available. With the tips in this webinar you can keep yourself out of hot water. That means more time and mind space to devote to your writing!

Led by the owner of Personal Tax Advisors, this down-to-earth and ‘plain speak’ webinar will cover:

• GST/HST: How it works and why, when, and how to register
• Business-use-of-home expenses: What’s eligible and what’s not
• Other eligible expenses
• Record keeping and tracking your expenses
• What to do about out of country publishers and sales

Presenter: Sunny Widerman
Date of Original Webinar: February 12, 2020
Length: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Level: Basic and Intermediate
Type: Informational

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org

About Sunny Widerman
Sunny Widerman has been a tax preparer and advisor since 2002, with a growing clientele of freelancers, business owners and professionals. Through her firm Personal Tax Advisors, Sunny specializes in helping clients take control of their tax planning by explaining the tax issues that affect them. She focuses on a gentle, non-threatening approach to financial issues and clear, jargon-free language.

 

 

Go Global: Taking your self-publishing to the next level with Kobo Writing Life

 

In this webinar, Kobo Writing Life’s Christine Munroe will share everything you need to know about self-publishing with KWL. Are you just getting started? Already self-publishing but looking for strategies to reach more readers? This will be the perfect learning opportunity for you! Christine will share insights about the benefits of publishing to multiple retailers, how to ensure you’re putting your most professional foot forward with each book, and how KWL can help you reach readers in 190 countries.

 

About Christine Munroe

Christine Munroe is the Senior Manager of Author Performance at Rakuten Kobo Inc., where she helps authors and small publishers succeed on Kobo’s self-publishing platform, Kobo Writing Life. She brings a decade of industry experience, including as a literary agent and foreign book scout, to her work as a digital and self-publishing expert.

Originally held November 21, 2017

 

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org

 

 

How to Land That Literary Agent!

Are you an author with a manuscript you’re using as a doorstop? Or perhaps you have your own company and a wonderful story or idea but no idea what to do with it. Or you’re an artist and illustrator with a picture book thinking… what now?!

That’s where Megan Beadle comes in: This workshop will teach you the techniques of writing the perfect query letter.

 

YOU WILL LEARN

• The do’s and don’ts of writing a query letter
• What makes a submission stand out among thousands of others in the slush pile
• What an editor or agent looks for in a literary novel, a genre book, a non-fiction pitch, or a picture book pitch and does it differ? Psst… YES!
• What the number one complaint about submissions is according to a survey of thousands of agents and editors in North America
• What the benefits of getting an agent and publishing traditionally are
• The number one most important secret when reaching out to agents
• And last, but not least, how to get that agent and book deal!

About Megan Beadle

Megan Beadle is the founder of the Beadle Literary Agency, a boutique agency in Toronto with a growing list of authors. With a background in book sales, a publishing degree from Ryerson University, and a passion for stories and editorial, she is uniquely situated within the industry.

After working at the Canadian Manda Group for three years selling books for publishers such as the Hachette Book Group, Abrams Books, Sterling Publishing, the Literary Press Group (a conglomerate of Canadian Publishers), Diamond Book Distributors, Independent Publishers Group, and more, she started combining her editorial work and connecting authors with publishers by using her contacts. It quickly became clear that being an agent was not just a passion, but a talent.

To learn more about being an agent, Megan set up a learning program where she shadowed agents around the world to learn from them: David Camus at the Anna Jarota Agency in France, Andrew Leonie of the Leonie agency in London, and all of the wonderful agents at the McDermid Agency in Toronto, all taught her what they look for in an author. She’s looking forward to sharing what she knows with you!

 

Originally held June 7, 2017

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org

 

 

Social Media for Authors

In this session, Frances Caballo will review the elements of an ideal social media profile. She’ll look at successful examples, review what authors should never do, share examples of poor and correct messaging, and discuss best practices. Whether you’re new to social media or have been using it a while, Frances promises that you’ll learn how to improve your online branding after attending this webinar.

About Frances Caballo

Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She’s a regular speaker at the San Francisco Writers Conference and a contributing writer at TheBookDesigner.com. She’s written several books including The Author’s Guide to Goodreads, Avoid Social Media Time Suck, and Twitter Just for Writers. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online, building their platform, finding new readers, and selling more books. Her clients include authors of every genre and writer conferences.

 

Originally held June 2, 2016

This webinar has already been held. If you missed it and wish to have access to the recording, please contact us at admin(at)canadianauthors.org