Writers' Weekend 2012

Most writing can benefit from a little research. Factual errors are jarring to readers whether the text is fiction or non-fiction and well-researched facts can help create a strong and believable tone, setting, and characters in writing of any genre.

Primary sources, secondary sources, fact-checking, interviewing people, separating authoritative information (the "good" stuff) from the rest (the "iffy" stuff, which is so easily available online)—for many people research can be a daunting task. Join researcher and blogger Christine Hayes, who works in the Community Heritage and Family History department of the library and specializes in the areas of family and local history, as she presents an introduction to historical research methods and resources.

Finding the Facts—Historical Research for Writers
Saturday, February 4, 2012
10:00 to 10:30 a.m.
Central Library 616 Macleod Trail SE
Click here to register or call 403-260-2620.

To get an idea of the wonderful work Christine does, check out the award-winning Community Heritage and Family History blog.

Writers' Weekend 2012

10.00–10.30 Finding the Facts: Historical Research for Writers
REGISTER NOW!
10.30–11.30 Ten Ways to Kill Your Writing
12.00–1.00 Publishing and Editing
1.00–2.00 Make it in Magazine
2.00–3.00 Mainlining the Language of Love
3.00–4.00 Sex Sells In Every Genre

Writers' Weekend 2012

Saturday, February 4
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Central Library

Join us at the Central Library on Saturday, February 4 for our fantastic Writers' Weekend lineup of programs:

FINDING THE FACTS – HISTORICAL RESEARCH FOR WRITERS

The art of historical research. Christine Hayes explores the best ways to research for any writing project.

10:00 to 10:30 a.m. Register.

10 WAYS TO KILL YOUR WRITING

Join Susan Toy of Alberta Books Canada as she examines the 10 vital elements of marketing and promotion.

10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Register.

PUBLISHING AND EDITING

An editor and two publishers from the Book Publishing Association of Alberta share their insights into the industry along with guidelines for submissions.

12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Register.

MAKE IT IN MAGAZINES

Join multiple award winning writer Marcello Di Cintio as he explores the world of magazine writing.

1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Register.

MAINLINING THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE

Poetry provides the most intense verbal expression of love and seduction. Discover what makes the best love poems so arousing with Rosemary Griebel and Julie Sedivy.

2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Register.

SEX SELLS IN EVERY GENRE

Join four multi-published romance authors for tips and tricks on the craft of writing sensual, emotional love scenes from sweet to scorching.

3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Register.

2012 Featured Contributors:

Alberta Books Canada

Alberta Playwrights' Network

Alexandra Writers' Centre Society

Book Publishers Association of Alberta

Calgary Association of Romance Writers of America

Crime Writers of Canada

Imaginative Fiction Writers Association (IFWA)

People's Poetry Festival

Society of Childrens' Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)

When Words Collide Conference

Writers' Guild of Alberta (WGA)

Writers' Weekend 2012

When I go away from you
The world beats dead
Like a slackened drum.
I call out for you against the jutted stars
And shout into the ridges of the wind.

~from The Taxi, Amy Lowell

•••••••••••••••••••

Poetry delivers the language of love straight to the bloodstream—no other literary form or controlled substance recreates the experience of love with the same intensity. Using their favourite poems to trace love’s line from blaze of desire to unbearable loss, Calgary-based poets Rosemary Griebel and Julie Sedivy will explore the elements that make for great love poetry.

Whether you’re preparing a poetic Valentine’s Day offering for your beloved or just want to warm yourself for an hour in the glow of love’s language, this session is sure to arouse, intoxicate and inspire.

Mainlining the Language of Love
Saturday, February 4, 2012
2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Central Library 616 Macleod Trail SE
Click here to register or call 403-260-2620.

Rosemary Griebel is a writer and librarian. She believes that “poetry is the shortest distance between two hearts” (to quote Canadian poet Wendy Morton). Rosemary’s debut collection of poetry, Yes., was published by Frontenac in 2011.

Julie Sedivy is currently working on her first manuscript of poetry in which she provokes questions about the collisions and intertwinings between the religious and the secular, between belief and science. Julie is also a language scientist, and teaches linguistics and psychology at the University of Calgary. She is the lead author of the nonfiction book Sold on Language: How Advertisers Talk to You and What This Says About You.

Writers' Weekend 2012

10.00–10.30 Finding the Facts: Historical Research for Writers
10.30–11.30 Ten Ways to Kill Your Writing
12.00–1.00 Publishing and Editing
1.00–2.00 Make it in Magazines
2.00–3.00 Mainlining the Language of Love. REGISTER NOW!
3.00–4.00 Sex Sells In Every Genre

• 10.00-10.30 Finding the Facts-Historical Research for Writers
• 10.30 -11.30 Ten Ways to Kill Your Writing. REGISTER NOW!
• 12.00-1.00 Publishing and Editing
• 1.00-2.00 Make it in Magazines
• 2.00-3.00 Mainlining the Language of Love
• 3.00-4.00 Sex Sells In Every Genre

Back by popular demand, Susan Toy of Alberta Books Canada will examine the 10 vital elements of marketing and promotion. After her appearance at our 2011 'Weekend' we had people begging for copies of her presentation, so it's no surprise that registration for this one is filling up quick. Here's a quick bio:

Susan Toy has been a bookseller, an award-winning publishing sales representative, a literacy teacher, and is now a writer and promoter of fellow authors and their books through her company, Alberta Books Canada.

Through Alberta Books Canada, Susan represents authors directly, helping them find promotion for themselves and their books, seeking out new readers, and assisting them in making wise career decisions.

Susan displays books for authors and publishers and speaks about Alberta authors at library conferences throughout the province.

She created the writing contest, Coffee Shop Author, has sat on the Board of Directors of the Fernie Writers' Conference, is a member of the Calgary Distinguished Writers Program steering committee, and a member of the board of directors for the Writers' Guild of Alberta.

Susan is in the process of setting up an ePublishing company called IslandcatEditions and will be publishing the first eBook this spring.

For learn more about Susan Toy's work, as described by herself, click here.

SEE YOU FEBRUARY 4th!

• 10.00-10.30 Finding the Facts-Historical Research for Writers
• 10.30-11.30 Ten Ways to Kill Your Writing
• 12.00-1.00 Publishing and Editing. REGISTER NOW!
• 1.00-2.00 Make it in Magazines
• 2.00-3.00 Mainlining the Language of Love
• 3.00-4.00 Sex Sells In Every Genre

At noon, our third presentation will come from an editor and two publishers from the Book Publishers Association of Alberta. Don’t miss this one. Manoj Khanna, John King, and Sandra McIntyre will share their insights into the industry along with guidelines for submissions.

Manoj Khanna, a techpreneur, began his career in book publishing by publishing open source technology books under his company rapidBOOKS, which was founded in 2007. In September 2011, rapidBOOKS merged with the Calgary-based literary publisher Frontenac House to form Frontenac House Media, Ltd. Manoj Khanna became President and CEO of the combined company.

John King is Senior Editor of the University of Calgary Press and Past President of the Book Publishers Association of Alberta. For over twenty-five years he has been involved in scholarly publishing and has experience in various aspects of the publishing field — from manuscript acquisition to copyediting and production.

Sandra McIntyre got her start in the book biz as an editor for regional trade publisher Nimbus Publishing after earning a master’s degree in English from Dalhousie University. She has helped bring to print hundreds of books in a variety of genres, including children’s literature, fiction and non-fiction in a wide array. Sandra’s “book recommendations” can be seen on Calgary’s Breakfast Television and she moderates the Calgary Book Club for Writers, which reads and discusses challenging works of fiction as a way of understanding how fiction works from a writer’s perspective. Sandra edits fiction primarily, on a freelance basis, and is currently at work on a historical novel. She will also be the editor of an anthology of short political fiction, forthcoming in Spring 2013.

See you FEBRUARY 4th!

• 10.00-10.30 Finding the Facts-Historical Research for Writers
• 10.30-11.30 Ten Ways to Kill Your Writing
• 12.00-1.00 Publishing and Editing
• 1.00-2.00 Make it in Magazines
• 2.00-3.00 Mainlining the Language of Love
• 3.00-4.00 Sex Sells In Every Genre

For an exploration of the world of magazines we are ecstatic to welcome back local author Marcello Di Cintio. There really isn’t any better man for the illumination of this topic - he is a mainstay atop the list of finalists for National Magazine Awards, Western Magazine Awards, as well as the Wilfred Eggleston Award for Non-Fiction. His second book, Poets and Pahlevans: A Journey Into the Heart Of Iran, was a finalist for the W. O. Mitchell City of Calgary Book Prize. This man has dozens of publications in an incredibly diverse range of magazines, from his regular contributions to Swerve Magazine, Enroute, and Westworld, to his thought-provoking pieces for Geist and The Walrus, all the way to The Globe and Mail and even Cairo Times.

For more information, go to Marcello's website, 'Elsewhere'.

Read one of his most popular magazine pieces, “Fatherhood”, from the November 2010 issue of Alberta Views.

Marcello is also the author three books:

• (forthcoming) In the Shadow of the Wall: Travels Along the Barricades, Goose Lane Editions, Fall 2012
• Poets and Pahlevans: A Journey Into the Heart of Iran
• Harmattan: Wind Across West Africa

See you February 4th!

• 10.00-10.30 Finding the Facts-Historical Research for Writers
• 10.30-11.30 Ten Ways to Kill Your Writing
• 12.00-1.00 Publishing and Editing
• 1.00-2.00 Make it in Magazines
• 2.00-3.00 Mainlining the Language of Love
• 3.00-4.00 Sex Sells In Every Genre

While all 6 presentations slated for February 4^th are going to be wonderful, our 3 o’clock event - ‘Sex Sells In Every Genre’ may draw a bit of extra attention. Not only because, well, sex sells, but also because writing a decent sex scene is one of biggest challenges for writers of, well, every genre. That’s why we’re bringing in some top notch romance authors to share the tips and tricks for creating sensual and emotional love scenes. Whether your writing projects require a sweet, tender touch or you’re going for a red-hot scorcher, don’t miss this chance to hear how some of the pros bring romance to life on the page.

Here are the four multi-published authors coming to impart their wisdom...

JADE BUCHANAN

LAUREN HAWKEYE

PAMELA YAYE

and hosted by DARA LEE SNOW

REGISTER NOW!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW COMPLETE LINEUP FOR WRITER'S WEEKEND 2012, AND SEE YOU FEBRUARY 4th.

Writer’s Weekend is coming.

January will blow by, then it's here.

Hard to imagine that we could top last year’s lineup of inspiring events and honored guest speakers, but of course we will. This all-day event gets better every year and the 2012 edition will be no exception as we strive to bring you highly informative presentations from professional authors, poets, publishers, and librarians. Whether you are just beginning to find your voice as a writer or you are looking for ways to take the next big step in refining your craft, mark Saturday, February 4 on your calendar for a full day of indispensable guidance and inspiration. Here’s the lineup:

“FINDING THE FACTS – HISTORICAL RESEARCH FOR WRITERS”

The art of historical research. Christine Hayes explores the best ways to research for any writing project.

10 – 10:30AM. Register.

“10 WAYS TO KILL YOUR WRITING”

Join Susan Toy of Alberta Books Canada as she examines the 10 vital elements of marketing and promotion.

10:30 – 11:30AM. Register.

“PUBLISHING AND EDITING”

An editor and two publishers from the Book Publishing Association of Alberta share their insights into the industry along with guidelines for submissions.

12 – 1PM. Register.

“MAKE IT IN MAGAZINES”

Join multiple award winning writer Marcello Di Cintio as he explores the world of magazine writing.

1 – 2PM. Register.

“MAINLINING THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE”

Poetry provides the most intense verbal expression of love and seduction. Discover what makes the best love poems so arousing with Rosemary Griebel and Julie Sedivy.

2 – 3PM. Register.

“SEX SELLS IN EVERY GENRE”

Join four multi-published romance authors for tips and tricks on the craft of writing sensual, emotional love scenes from sweet to scorching.

3 – 4PM. Register.

2012 Featured Contributors:

Alberta Books Canada

Alberta Playwrights' Network

Alexandra Writers' Centre Society

Book Publishers Association of Alberta

Calgary Association of Romance Writers of America

Crime Writers of Canada

Imaginative Fiction Writers Association (IFWA)

People's Poetry Festival

Society of Childrens' Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)

When Words Collide Conference

Writers' Guild of Alberta (WGA)