A new year, a new slate of exciting and educational events! Here’s what’s on deck for January and February 2025.
Plant Life: More Than a Setting with Bev McLeish
Plants are part of our everyday lives although they go unnoticed and overlooked by most writers. When plants are noted within a setting, they can provide deep, multifaceted information to the reader. Location, time of year, symbology, scent, sight, and sound are just some of the benefits to using plants in your writing. They are a source of food, medicine, shelter, tools, fuel, and magic–plants are much more than mere setting. In fact, they can provide answers to plot holes, add comedy or personality to fantastical stories, depict a character’s understanding of a locale, or inject unconscious, ancestral depth to a story. When a writer highlights a plant, there are multiple implications to the reader. This workshop will aid writers in understanding the depth of the natural world, and how to use plant life in a setting to enhance their story providing concrete ideas and solutions.
Members Only. Thursday, January 19, 7-9pm. Taylor’s Funeral Home, 524 Davis Dr, Newmarket.
Register here: https://wcyork.ca/event/plant-life-more-than-a-setting
Artist-Poet Gathering
A quarterly meetup between artists and poets in the Aurora Cultural Centre’s galleries in Aurora Town Square. Participants are invited to create spontaneous written and visual responses to the artworks on display within our current exhibitions.
Each gathering begins with 1.5 hours of viewing, social, and creation time, followed by a 30-minute sharing session with the option to present any work made. All writing/art materials are responsible of the participants. Please note that only dry media is permitted in this program.
This is an opportunity for our writers (poets, flash fiction writers) to meet with artists (some of whom have work currently on exbibit at the gallery), view the current gallery exhibits, and create new work inspired by both the exhibits and the shared interactions between these distinct members of the creative world.
Saturday, January 18, 11am to 1pm. Aurora Cultural Centre, Homeroom Galleries (Level 1).
Sign up here: Artist-Poet Gathering – Writers’ Community of York Region
The Importance of the Edit with Drea Cohen
In the Importance of the Edit workshop, participants will learn about the editorial process in publishing and how a developmental edit is crucial to strengthening a manuscript before publication. We’ll review and compare written samples, as well as discuss the editorial options that are right for each writer – whether that be a manuscript evaluation or full diagnostic edit. This workshop is especially geared towards debut writers, who are looking for guidance in how to navigate the traditional publishing process.
Sunday, February 2, 1pm. Virtual.
Sign up here: The Importance of the Edit – Writers’ Community of York Region
Book Club Meeting: Boss by Deborah Armstrong
Boss, Book One in the Game Changer series, tells the story of Dr. Jules Montgomery and Dane Andrews, a retired naval sniper, who found themselves in an unexpected situation that led to a night of passion. Five years later, their fling unexpectedly comes full circle when Dane’s housekeeper, Val, reunites with her estranged niece and grandniece. Needing to bring the child back to her employer’s ranch while her niece handles a medical emergency, Val sets the stage for a complex and emotional reunion, allowing the characters to reconcile their past and navigate the challenges of newfound family ties.
Jules lost her parents to a senseless shooting. Dane is a decorated hero known for his shooting abilities. He’s killed many and would do it again to save innocent lives. Jules struggles to reconcile the man of her dreams with the man of her nightmares.
Dane has a brain injury due to an accident. He needs his service dog, Lucky, to alert him of oncoming seizures. Dane and Lucky are a charming duo throughout the story. To add to the enjoyment of this book, Becca, a precocious four-almost-five-year-old redhead and Bates, Dane’s strong and silent wingman are also featured.
The WCYR Book Club is open to anyone. You do not need to be a member to participate, but you do need to purchase a copy of the book. This club is a coming together of authors and writers. It is a celebration of the written word, and an opportunity for us to learn more about the writings of our fellow members. There are no additional fees to participate, other than purchasing a copy of the book. The cost of the book may vary, depending on the format chosen.
Wednesday, February 19, 7 – 9pm. Virtual. Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfqDcNeIjL_YexP7KGwLdGUhhAcyt1ndF00YHY0MdOQ7jpN4g/viewform