Blue Pencil Mentoring Session

What is a “Blue Pencil” session? It’s an opportunity to work with a published author, in a small group setting (Zoom), to get feedback on a WIP (work in progress). 

We have gathered a fantastic group of WCYR Member-Authors & Friends who are eager to share what they have learned, and help guide you on your own writing journey.

Participation will require pre-registration before December 1^st.

You will be notified regarding which mentor you’ve been paired with (based on the form you complete after registering), what you need to submit, when it needs to be submitted by, and to whom. All novel excerpts and short stories need to be ready by December 3^rd in order to be shared with the mentors and fellow group participants.

You will have approximately 30 days to read and provide feedback on the excerpts or short stories you receive (up to 4 other participants). An outline with details will accompany the emailed link, where you will find copies of these stories so that you know what to expect and how to prepare for the sharing session in January.

Meet the Mentors

Deborah Armstrong: Romance/Thriller/Suspense

Deborah lives with her family on their large dairy farm. Her writing is a romantic blend of farming, family, and fantasy. When she’s not writing or working on the farm, Deborah enjoys reading, travelling, watching movies, and spending time with family and friends. She loves the writing process. Deborah’s characters decide when and how to tell their story. They talk to her at the strangest times. When driving, doing cardio, or trying to fall asleep, they whisper in her ear, “This is what needs to happen next.” Deborah proofreads professionally for Terrahill Publishing. Discover more at https://deboraharmstrong.ca. 

Diane Bator: Detective/Mystery/Crime/Cozy

Diane Bator is an Associate Publisher, Editor, and E-Commerce Co-Ordinator with BWL Publishing in Airdrie, Alberta. She has been a mystery writer for over ten years and has published nearly 20 novels. She is a Book Coach and editor as well as the host of Escape With a Writer, a blog she uses to promote fellow authors of all genres. Diane is a member of many writing groups such as WCYR, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and Crime Writers of Canada. She is represented by Creative Edge Publicity. Her website is https://dianebator.ca/

Patricia Keeney: General Fiction/Poetry

Patricia Keeney is an award-winning poet, novelist, theatre and literary critic, and the author of ten books of poetry and two novels. Her latest poetry volume, Orpheus in Our World (NeoPoiesis) connects ancient Greek lyrics with contemporary theatrical dialogue. Her latest novel One Man Dancing (Inanna) is a story of Africa, politics, art and personal survival set on the world stage. Her forthcoming novel, Emptiness and Angels: A story of the divine feminine combines Biblical mystery, feminist satire and spiritual quest. A longtime professor of Literature, Humanities and Creative Writing at Toronto’s York University, Keeney has conducted decades of workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. wapitiwords.ca

MJ Moores: YA/MG/Children’s

MJ is a hybrid author, both traditionally and self-published, with 20 publications (and growing). She writes mainly Young Adult/New Adult science fiction and fantasy, but has worked as a freelance editor and Indie Author Coach for over 5 years on a variety of projects. She has a minor in creative writing and taught high school English and Drama for 10 years. A long-time member of the WCYR, BWG, and Writers’ Ink, she enjoys giving practical workshops on the craft of writing and networking with authors and writers at all stages of their journey. You can find her at mjmoores.com.

Douglas Smith: Short Story (all genres)

Douglas Smith is a multi-award-winning Toronto author described by Library Journal as “one of Canada’s most original writers of speculative fiction (Library Journal) and “the finest short story writer Canada has ever produced in the SF and fantasy genre” (Order of Canada recipient and multi-award winner, Robert J. Sawyer. His work includes four novels, three short story collections, the writer’s guide Playing the Short Game: How to Market & Sell Short Fiction, as well as over 200 stories published in 27 languages. Doug is a 4-time winner of Canada’s Aurora Award, as well as a finalist for the Astounding Award, CBC’s Bookies Award, Canada’s Sunburst Award, the Alberta Magazine Award, and France’s Prix Masterson and Prix Bob Morane. 

​Roderick Turner: Science Fiction/Fantasy/The Strange

Roderick D. Turner has an educational background in Engineering and Science. He worked in a variety of Engineering roles within the industry for over 10 years, followed by a 27-year career as an Engineering Technology professor at Seneca College. He began writing short stories while working on his PhD Thesis in 1990, and has been writing ever since. He has now written more than 150 short stories, as well as 10 novels and 4 audio plays, overall classifiable as speculative fiction but ranging from sci-fi to general fiction, fantasy to space opera.

Deepam Wadds: Literary Fiction/Memoir/Creative Non-Fiction

Winner of The Writers’ Union of Canada’s 2016 short prose contest, Susan (Deepam) Wadds’ short fiction and poetry have been featured in literary journals and anthologies, including The Blood Pudding, Room, and carte blanche magazines. The first two chapters of her forthcoming novel, What the Living Do, won Lazuli Literary Group’s writing contest, published in Azure’s winter 2017 issue. What the Living Do is scheduled for release by Regal House Publishing in the Spring of 2024. A graduate of the Humber School for Writers, Susan is certified in the Amherst Writers and Artists (AWA) method of writing workshop facilitation. She is Past President of the Writers’ Community of  Simcoe County (WCSC).