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| Event Schedule |
Most meetings are held at the North York Central Library, Meeting Room 1 or 2/3. For location changes, please see individual listings.
DECEMBER 2008 JANUARY 2009 FEBRUARY 2009 MARCH 2009 APRIL 2009
MAY 2009 JUNE 2009 JULY 2009 AUGUST 2009 SEPTEMBER 2009 OCTOBER 2009
NOVEMBER 2009 DECEMBER 2009
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ANNUAL CHRISTMAS SOCIAL : Join TRW to celebrate a wonderful year for our members, share some yummy finger foods, and exchange stories from the trenches of romance writing.
This meeting will take place at our North York location.
New this year: A panel of our PAN members, talking about the challenges of writing holiday-themed stories.
Members with last names beginning A through M, please bring savory munchies, while N through Z members please bring sweets.
Bring your gently-used romances for our brown bag sale. Bundle, bag, or wrap three romances of a similar genre (historical, paranormal, etc.) and label the genre on the outside. Then bring a pocketful of twonies to restock your own shelves.
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ROMANCE 101: FALLING FOR THE ROMANCE GENRE
Morning Session: 9 a.m. to Noon
Introduction and Flirtation: Falling in Love with the Genre
Join multi-published romance author Claire Delacroix - who also writes as
Deborah Cooke and as Claire Cross - for a crash course in selling your
romance novels. This full day workshop will teach you about the facets
of the business beyond your work itself, and help you to formulate a
plan for structuring and marketing your work.
The key to success in any endeavor is understanding the expectations of the
other parties. In our morning session - Falling in Love with the Genre
- we'll discuss what readers want from romance novels, what publishers
expect of romance authors and how agents fit into an author's plan.
We'll close with some common pitfalls new authors can easily avoid.
Afternoon Session: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Practicality and Passion: The Business of Writing Romance Novels
The afternoon session will focus on how publishing works, what the
numbers mean, how books are sold and how authors get paid. We'll review
the life cycle of a mass market paperback, then draw some conclusions
about marketing yourself and your work in this competitive and
constantly-changing business.
Come ready to take notes!
Bestselling author Claire Delacroix always loved stories, both telling them and hearing them. She sold her first romance novel - a medieval, THE ROMANCE OF THE ROSE - in 1992 and has been happily writing romances ever since. THE BEAUTY, part of Claire's bestselling 'Bride Quest' series, was her first title to land on the New York Times Extended List of Bestselling Books. Claire makes her home with her family, a number of incomplete knitting projects and a lot of overgrown houseplants. She loves to travel, to cook, to ride her bike and to read. She frequently teaches workshops to writers' groups. Claire also writes romances as Claire Cross and as Deborah Cooke.
Location: Gold Room – Memorial Hall – North York Public Library |
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MEET THE AUTHORS ON VALENTINE'S DAY
Location: North York Public Library
What do you want to know about the publishing industry, but were afraid to ask? Panel members Kelley Armstrong, Eve Silver, Amy Ruttan, Christine D'Abo, Stephanie Bedwell-Grime, Mary Sullivan, JK Coi, Robin Matheson, Michelle Rowen, Kimber Chin, Margaret Moore, and Morgan Ashbury, all authors from TRW, will answer your questions from a variety of perspectives - from small press to New York houses.
The session will be followed by a book signing and we will also celebrate TRW's birthday with cake.
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CRITIQUE SESSIONS
Note: This session is open to TRW members ONLY
Bring five pages of your manuscript to be critiqued by one of our published authors.
The categories are as follows (all genres will be discussed in the same group):
- Opening Scene
- Sex Scene
- Action Scene
- Dialogue Scene
- Synopsis
- Brainstorming GMC (Goal, Motivation, and Conflict)
Location: North York Public Library
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CRISIS, CLIMAX, RESOLUTION: WRITING TO THE END
A book is more than a great idea or even a first chapter with a terrific hook. Reaching those two gratifying words—The End—can be daunting.
The key is understanding 2 crucial psychological factors that influence the protagonist.
Introducing an easy to use 5 Point Plot Structure, this workshop then examines the direct correlation between the Inciting Incident and both the Crisis and Climax points within a story. Using Fairy Tale motifs, the impact of the protagonist’s choices and actions are reviewed in light of possible Resolutions.
Photograph by Robert Barnstaple
Robin Matheson has published 7 books and is the recipient of a 2006 Dream Realm Award. She holds an honors specialist degree in Classical Civilization and English and a Master of Education. She’s taught numerous courses at college and overseas. Since 2004 she has taught online courses on writing through Kiss of Death, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Low County Romance Writers, Passionate Ink…
Her specialist knowledge of mythical structures combined with her dynamic presentation style, have made courses such as The Journey Cycle and the more recent Crisis, Climax, Resolution: Writing to the End popular.
One of Robin's passions is traveling. In addition to their home base, she and her family have also lived in South East Asia and South Africa. Visit her at www.rematheson.com and www.robiemadison.com.
Location: Fairview Public Library |
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WRITING THE SHORT STORY TO BOOST YOUR CAREER
Short stories are becoming more important as a career booster. Publishers like Harlequin now expect some of their authors to participate in short e-book programs to promote full-length works. For established authors a request to participate in a Christmas Anthology will get your name in the public eye. And for those just starting out, a short story with small press, either as a novella or as part of an anthology is a writing credit when approaching larger houses.
A short story is just a shorter version of a long one, right. This workshop looks at that statement in detail:
We will look at potential publishers, at the elements of a short story compared to a full-length book, at plotting the short story from beginning to end, and dealing with conflict. It will also provide some do's and don't's and maybe's as well as some hands on exercises.
Michèle Young has sold three award winning novels to small and medium size press over the past two years, including her American Title II novel “No Regrets” and four books to Harlequin Historicals to be published over the next two years under the name Ann Lethbridge. She’s an active member of Toronto Romance Writers, RWA-online, and Hearts Through History, and a full-time writer.
Location: Fairview Public Library |
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LAURIE SCHNEBLY CAMPBELL: Psychology for Creating Characters and Creating your Hero's Fatal Flaw
PSYCHOLOGY FOR CREATING CHARACTERS Tools for determining naturally lovable (and intriguingly flawed) personality types include Adlerian birth order, Jungian thought/feeling scales, the Dewey priorities, and other theories of temperament. Learn from a counselor which ones will offer the best opportunities for conflict between your realistic characters... whose "inborn" personalities will both oppose and attract.
CREATING YOUR HERO'S FATAL FLAW Giving likable, plausible characters a compelling conflict is easier with Enneagrams. Counselors and HR managers use this tool to identify the nine personality types: Perfectionist, Nurturer, Achiever, Romantic, Observer, Skeptic, Adventurer, Leader and Peacemaker. Each one has its own uniquely heroic and distinctive traits -- as well as a troublesome flaw -- that will naturally bring them into conflict with other people... AND with themselves.
Laurie Schnebly Campbell loves speaking to writers about issues that draw on her background as an advertising copywriter, a counseling therapist and a romance novelist who beat out Nora Roberts for Best Special Edition of the Year.
Along with romance and how-to books for writers, Laurie writes scripts for videos and commercials (some of which feature her voice) at a Phoenix ad agency. She also enjoys teaching a catechism class, playing with her husband and son, vacationing in Sedona (the red-rock town named for her great-grandmother), and working with other writers.
"People ask how I find time to do all that," Laurie says, "and I tell them it's easy. I never clean my house!"
Location: North York Public Library
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DEEP POINT OF VIEW
If you’ve received a rejection letter or your entries have scored low in a writing contests or reviewers are not taken with your published books there is a strong likelihood that the culprit is a shallow point of view.
Join Black Velvet Seductions founder and Editor-in-Chief Laurie Sanders for an in depth look at deep point of view. Laurie will share insights about what readers (and editors) really want when they buy fiction and will show you through examples, exercises and feedback how to incorporate this important element into your work. In this workshop we will look beyond the basics of viewpoint and examine why it is such an important tool and how to use the deeper nuances of viewpoint to add emotion, texture, motivation, conflict, and drama to a manuscript.
At the end of this hands on workshop you will know what deep point of view is, why it is important to editors and readers. You will be able to spot shallow point of view in your own manuscript and will have the knowledge and skills necessary to deepen the point of view in your own work. This knowledge and skill will inoculate you against one of the most common reasons editors reject manuscripts and readers abandon authors.
Topics covered will include:
- What readers want from fiction and how deep point of view gives it to them
- How to recognize passages that are in shallow viewpoint and how to revise them so that they will be deeper, and more meaningful
- How to decide whose point of view to use for key scenes
- How to make the most of the viewpoint you choose
- How to use deep point of view to show the thoughts, feelings, and emotions of a character who is not the viewpoint character
- How to use deep point of view to make your readers empathize with your character even if he or she has done a bad, bad thing
Laurie Sanders is the founder and Editor-in-Chief at Black Velvet Seductions Publishing. She writes and lectures frequently on the use of deep point of view as the lack of a deep point of view in the manuscripts she receives is the most common reason for rejections at her firm. Contact her at LaurieSanders@blackvelvetseductions.com.
Location: North York Public Library
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PERSONAL BRANDING EXPRESS
This 1-2 hour presentation reviews the importance of identifying and refining a personal Brand to assist authors in marketing their books. Attendees will go through worksheets to establish where they are in the marketing process, and create working Author Brands and Slogans. I'm available for as much Q/A as needed after the presentation. (note, this is a working session, and there is just a brief amount of pre-work, suggesting that writers check out the sites of their favorite authors to help identify what they like/dislike about them)
Jenn Stark brings a practical, accessible approach to Personal Branding to help authors at every level present themselves for maximum impact. A former vice president of marketing with sixteen years' experience and a published freelance business writer, Jenn has served as president of the Ohio Valley Romance Writers of America, and also as the chapter's publicity director, promoting chapter and author events. She is an invited speaker and instructor on Personal Branding and public relations topics, and has worked with several authors one-on-one to help develop their Personal Brands and publicity materials. Her articles on Personal Branding have been featured in the newsletters and online loops of more than 30 writing chapters in the U.S., Canada and Australia. She can be reached at jenn@knowyourbrand.com
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HAPPY HOOKERS! ENGAGING YOUR READER FROM START TO FINISH
Slow starts and sleepy endings to scenes and chapters can ruin a manuscript's chance of being published. Conversely, solid hooks can make the sale - as workshop instructor Terry Spear demonstrates, with four of her Wolf series out this year, two young adults and another medieval historical on its way. Setting such practical matters aside, what author wouldn't be thrilled to hear someone say, "I couldn't put the book down"? Strong hooks are a vital ingredient in strong writing. In this workshop, which features lectures, discussion, practical exercises, and handouts, she'll teach students how to captivate readers with great openings, scene hooks, chapter cliff hangers, and intriguing back cover blurbs. Participants will master the hook in all its environments, from the query letter through the novel.
Terry Spear has published in many genres, including romantic suspense, contemporary, paranormal, and under the name Terry Lee Wilde, young adult paranormal and fantasy romances. She's the author of Heart of the Wolf (Sourcebooks), Don't Cry Wolf (Sourcebooks, coming Spr '09), Betrayal of the Wolf, Allure of the Wolf (Sourcebooks, both Fall releases)Winning The Highlander's Heart (Vintage), The Vampire...In My Dreams, Deadly Liaisons (Samhain), Deidre's Secret, Relative Danger (Wild Rose Press), and Accidental Highland Hero (coming soon) . She also writes nonfiction for numerous genealogy, WWII, teen, and family magazines, and has had romantic fiction published in magazines. She has an MBA from Monmouth University and is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the USAR.
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STORY GLUE: PLOTTING AND DEEP PLOTTING TO INCREASE THE POWER AND DRAMA OF YOUR STORY
In this interactive workshop, we'll explore first the fundamentals of plotting - motivation, journey, and conflict - and how to use dramatic structure to develop those into a plot. Then we'll discuss deep plotting - theme, motif, scene, and subtext - to devise ways of adding depth and drama to the plot. This workshop will include both multimedia and guided exercises to help you apply these ideas to your own story.
Alicia Rasley is an award-winning novelist and a well-known writing workshop leader. Her many articles on writing are archived at www.rasley.com. She teaches composition at two state colleges, and tutors graduate students in writing at another. Her writing book, The Power of Point of View, was released in 2008 by Writers' Digest Books.
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CHASING THE MUSE
What is this thing called voice that editors are always looking for? How do you "find" it, how do you protect and cherish it, and most of all how do you use it as a driving force to get past plotting problems, writers' block or any other obstacles in your way to a finished manuscript?
If you're interested in the answers to any of these questions, join bestselling author CJ Lyons as she discusses all of the above with an emphasis on how to find your own unique style and individual voice. She'll share with you her three keys to success as well as tips from many outstanding authors and screenwriters. With CHASING THE MUSE, she'll give you the tools you need to go from blank page to a finished work of fiction, including ways to pitch, to market, to avoid writers' block and to deepen plot and character through the use of theme.
As a pediatric ER doctor, CJ Lyons has lived the life she writes about. In addition to being an award-winning medical suspense author, CJ is a nationally known presenter and keynote speaker. She has been invited all over the country to present her workshops and speak to audiences ranging from physicians to first responders to romance and thriller authors including: Colorado Fiction Writers, Oklahoma Writers Federation, the University of South Carolina at Beaufort, RWA National, MWA's Sleuthfest, Lowcountry RWA's Master Class, Left Coast Crime, and PennWriters, among others.
Her first novel, LIFELINES (Berkley, March 2008), received praise as a "breathtakingly fast-paced medical thriller" from Publishers Weekly, was reviewed favorably by the Baltimore Sun and Newsday, named a Top Pick by Romantic Times Book Review Magazine, and became a National Bestseller. Her second novel, WARNING SIGNS, will be published by Berkley in January, 2009. To learn more about CJ and her work, go to www.cjlyons.net.
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SUBWAY: Take the Yonge Subway to North York Centre. Follow the signs to the Civic Centre or Library or Novotel.
DRIVING: North York Civic Centre is on the west side of Yonge St., just north of Sheppard Ave. (From 401, go north at Yonge exit)
PARKING: Underground parking at the Civic Centre is $3.00 on Saturdays. Entrance is off Beecroft (1 block west of Yonge), just south of Park Home, beneath Mel Lastman Square or there is a surface lot (pricier) on the west side of Beecroft
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