Tag: advice
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Speak Up! Page to Stage with Charlene Jones
Don’t Be Afraid! The end of January had Charlene Jones leading a group of unsuspecting WCYR members in one of the most interactive workshops I have ever attended. We began by warming up our voices, because we would all be speaking this evening. We recited poems in a circle, practicing tone and volume. We read from…
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Holiday Writing Tips for 2018
The Gift We Can Give Ourselves – Focus on our Writing By Loni Cameron It’s mid-December, and the holiday revels have started. More and more events are demanding your time. Then there is the planning, the shopping, the wrapping, the decorating, and …just getting the usual stuff done in amongst it all. And all you…
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The Pliant Writer with Craig Hodgins
Be Flexible, Find Balance By: Loni Cameron This month’s member-run workshop had Craig Hodgins speaking to us about how to make the best use of our time. The problem of many people is that we often have too many choices – too many things to do, with too little time in which to do them.…
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Creating an Author Platform
Lift Yourself Up! By: Loni Cameron This month, Elaine Cougler brought us Writing and Author Platform Go Hand In Hand. Elaine reminded us that everything we write needs a place to sell, everything we write has an audience. We must find that audience. If possible, we must approach that audience. Visit groups. Do podcasts. Writers…
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Both Sides of the Publishing Coin
By MJ Moores As a writer working toward finding an agent and getting that all-elusive contract with a large (or even medium-size) publishing house, I have felt the burn of futility. At the same time, now that I’m an Acquisitions Editor for a small publishing house, that burn is leaving a surprising mark on the…
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Membership Perks: Leading a Workshop
By: Linda Francis Did you ever wonder why it’s a great idea to join the Writers’ Community of York Region (WCYR)? Well, there’s a whole list of reasons! How about running a workshop and sharing your expertise and talents, and helping out your fellow authors? Many of us have a unique talent or skill or…
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World Building with Heather O’Connor
Where Are We Now? By: Loni Cameron Did you know world-building is not just for the science-fiction/fantasy genres? Writers must build the world for any story they create. This October, Heather O’Connor taught the WCYR members how to do just that. The first point she emphasized was the difference between building a SFF world and…
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Dynamic Villains: The Characters You Love To Hate
How to Create Those Villains We Hate (But Still Want to Love) By: Loni Cameron Last week, MJ Moores,our Board Director, hosted a free members-only workshop on creating Dynamic Villains. A Dynamic Villain is multi-faceted: one with back story used in just the right way. They are villains we might empathize with, who might not be entirely…
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Membership Perks: Belonging to a Larger World
By: Linda Francis Did you ever wonder why it’s a great idea to join the Writers’ Community of York Region (WCYR)? Well, there’s a whole list of reasons! How about: Knowing that you are not alone and that you do belong to a larger world! We all know what it’s like to be a writer.…
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Member Spotlight – Craig Hodgins
By: Loni Cameron Today we are happy to have the spotlight on WCYR member, Craig Hodgins. Craig has held many interesting positions in his life and traveled to distant places. Craig encourages and inspires others and looks forward to the future of writing. Tell Us About Yourself Do you have another job besides writing?…
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September Open House 2018 at the WCYR!
Respect, Encourage and Inspire By: Loni Cameron The September open house welcomed Gwynn Scheltema and Ruth Walker to celebrate the WCYR’s new season. The ladies of Writescape were here to “kindle our creative fires”, taking us through different exercises to stretch our minds and imaginations. Beyond the writing, they also reminded us that we are…
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10 Suggestions For Getting Back Into Your Writing Routine
Getting Back into the Groove of Our Fall Routine By: Loni Cameron Summer has wound down. There are no more barbecues or pool parties coming up. No more picnics and camping. We’re getting ready for school to start. Which means re-established routines, or maybe new routines. Life will be returning to its regularly scheduled program.…
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Fixing the Sagging Middle with Mary Sullivan and Wanda Ottewell
What’s Weighing You Down? By Loni Cameron For the May seminar, author Mary Sullivan and editor Wanda Ottewell took us through how to fix the “Sagging Middle” – the place in the middle of a novel where the author’s wheels are spinning, the part they’re just trying to get through to reach the end. Mary…
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Poetry Workshop with Janette Platana
Going with the flow… By Loni Cameron Many words flowed at Sunday’s poetry workshop with Janette Platana. After getting to know each other a bit, Janette shared a little about herself – her work, life as a Queen St. Rockstar – and then invited us to ask her any question. Nothing was off limits! Though…
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Writing with Humour
And the Punchline Is… By: Loni Cameron November’s member-led workshop was Writing with Humour, presented by author Willie Handler. The workshop was filled with writers eager to inject a little humour into their work, not just those who want to write a humorous novel. Willie started the evening focusing on what humour is and why…