Saturday Details
(Oct 20, 2007)

Interviews & Blue Pencil Cafe

You are entitled to an editor-agent-publisher appointment and a Blue Pencil appointment with your registration. Additional appointments may be made at the conference, subject to availability. Not sure what it's all about? Check out the FAQ entries for Blue Pencil and Editor/Agent/Publisher Interviews.

Editor/Agent/Publisher Interviews

The following presenters are available for Saturday interviews. Please note that this availability is a guideline only, and slots are filled on a first-come first-served basis as registrations are received.

Blue Pencil Cafe

The following presenters are available for Saturday appointments. Please note that this availability is a guideline only, and slots are filled on a first-come first-served basis as registrations are received.

Workshops

While the SiWC will make every effort to offer the conference program as presented, it reserves the right to make changes to the program if circumstances warrant.

1. Beginnings: From First Word to First Draft
   Presenter: Don McQuinn
   Join a true conference favourite as he helps you work your way into your novel. Where to start? And once you’ve started, where to go from there? McQuinn has all the answers.
2. Creation of the Amateur Sleuth
   Presenter: Patricia Smiley
   Crime fiction is replete with police officers or private investigators as crime-solving protagonists, but how can writers create a civilian main character and not challenge the readers’ willing suspension of disbelief? Examine the limitations and opportunities in the case of an amateur sleuth as a hero.
3. History as a Platform for Contemporary Issues
   Presenters: Diana Gabaldon, Cecelia Holland, Eric Walters, Anne Perry, Jack Whyte, kc dyer
   Join best selling historical fiction authors as they discuss how modern issues creep into books about the past.
4. Suspense in Romance
   Presenter:
   Award-winning author Karen Robards discusses how to use romance and suspense to best effect in writing your novel.
5. The Colour of Words
   Presenter: Bernice Lever
   Examine the role of grammar in writing from poetry to non-fiction to biography and romance. Add colour to your writing and learn to use the essential building blocks of the English language.
6. Youth on Spec
   Presenter: Diane Duane
   Speculative and Science Fiction is among the most popular genres for teens and young adults today. Explore the intricacies of writing in this genre for the most demanding of audiences.
7. How to Write Effectively for Young Readers
   Presenter: Maggie de Vries
   Author and editor Maggie de Vries will talk about creating exciting, strong and accessible books for young readers and will give attendees an opportunity to practice writing at a Grade two reading level.
8. Know Thyself: The Power of Revision
   Presenter: Jan Burke
   Do you think of revision as the great dental appointment of writing? This session will change your mind. Revision is an essential part of the writing process, and of coming to know oneself as a writer. Learn when to revise, what to look for and when to stop.
9. Writing Non-fiction that Sells - From Book and Magazine Proposals to Publication
   Presenters: Daniel Wood, Elizabeth Lyon
   What makes one proposal stand head and shoulders above the rest? Learn how to find good story ideas and put together magazine query letters and non-fiction book proposals that appeal to acquisitions editors and agents throughout North America.
10. Theatre for Young Audiences - Plays and Pitfalls
    Presenter: Dennis Foon
    How has theatre for young adults evolved? Look at the pitfalls and joys of the genre, the differences between writing for young people and adults, what directors and producers want to see in scripts, and how to get a toehold in the world of playwriting.

1. Putting The Fear into Contemporary Fantasy
   Presenters: Michael Slade, Kelley Armstrong, Vicki Pettersson
   Three writers of popular fiction address the ups and downs of writing to frighten people. How do they put the fear into their fiction? Learn the tried and true techniques from experts in the genre.
2. SiWC Idol
   Presenters: Kristin Nelson, Cricket Pechstein Freeman, Jack Whyte, Nephele Tempest, Jenoyne Adams, Rachel Vater
   How’s your pitch? Bring in the first 2-3 pages of your manuscript to this panel of agents and find out what the experts really think when they see your work, and if they can separate a published opening from the slush. All selections are read anonymously.
3. The Delicate Art of the Love Scene
   Presenter: Nancy Warren
   Writing about sex is a lot like having sex. If you’re going to put all that effort into doing it, you might as well have fun. Learn the techniques that can help you craft love scenes that not only sizzle, they move the story forward, reveal character and emphasize conflict. A fun and frank class suitable for adult writers at every level.
4. Writing to Appeal to Boys
   Presenter: Eric Walters
   The specifics of story-telling to capture that market, why it is worth capturing and how to go about it.
5. Speculative Fiction on Television & Screen
   Presenter: Peter Morwood
   A discussion of the similarities and differences of writing the genre within these different formats with a writer who has done both – and novels, too.
6. When to Stop - Ending a Story with Grace
   Presenter: Jacquelyn Mitchard
   Too many books just stop – how can you avoid doing just that? A discussion of the dreaded conclusion and how to end your novel with style; on a grace note readers will always remember.
7. Building a Mystery
   Presenter: Anne Perry
   One of the world’s foremost mistresses of mystery tackles the arc of the mystery story. How does it develop? What is a red herring, anyway? And how can the writer maintain tension throughout the course of the story? Bring your questions and be prepared to plumb the depths of the makings of a mystery.
8. Having Your Say: Writing Personal Narratives for Newspaper and Magazines
   Presenter: Lois Peterson
   Personal narrative (sometimes called personal essays or op-ed pieces) can be a great way to break into print - if you know how. This workshop provides a step-by-step approach to defining your idea, writing a piece that engages the reader, finding a paying home for your opinion, and submitting your work. You’ll leave this session with new ideas, useful writing strategies, and a list of at least 50 markets to explore.
9. Sarin on Film
   Presenter: Vic Sarin

   Join filmmaker Vic Sarin as he outlines his passion for working in film. He will examine a number of elements of his craft:

   • the importance of marrying visuals and writing: using each to enhance the other
   • writing dialogue that feels honest; not contrived, and examining how much dialogue one ultimately needs in film
   • avoiding flat scenes -- using writing to create drama.

1. Basics: Point of view: What's the Big Deal?
   Presenter: Hallie Ephron
   The questions start with your first words on the page. Whose story is this? First person or third? Can I use omniscient? What about multiple points of view? How does POV relate to narrative voice? This basic level workshop explores answers to all these questions and more.
2. Genre Bending
   Presenters: Kelley Armstrong, Diana Gabaldon, Wendy Roberts, Don McQuinn
   Cross-genre fiction is rapidly gaining in popularity. What are the advantages and disadvantages to combining different genres in your fiction?
3. Literary Novels - where are they headed in Canada?
   Presenters: Timothy Taylor, Steven Galloway, Bernice Lever
   Join a discussion of the status of this genre in the country and the world today with a literary fiction editor and two of Canada’s literary lights.
4. Using Art & Photography to Inspire
   Presenters: Lee Edward Fodi, Michael DeFreitas
   Art and photography can be wonderful tools to shine the light of creativity and inspiration on writing. Join a leading writer-photographer and writer- illustrator as they discuss how they use these other creative elements to inform their writing.
5. Eternal Triangle: Writer, agent and editor
   Presenter: Barbara Rogan
   This is a hands-on, role-playing workshop that aims at demystifying the submission process and convincing participants that agents and editors are not petulant gods but ordinary working stiffs. Barbara Rogan leads this workshop from experience, as she has played each of these roles at one time over the course of her career.
6. The Joy of Failure: How to Turn Rejection Letters Into Fan Letters
   Presenter: Bruce Hale
   Thomas Edison found 2,000 ways NOT to create the light bulb before he hit upon the way that worked. When asked about his failures, he said they weren't failures -- creating the light bulb was just a 2,001-step process. Whether it's struggling with the storyline or dealing with editors' rejections, we all face failure. Gain tips on how to adjust your attitude, persevere, and get from rejection letter to fan letter.
7. Adding Creativity to Non-Fiction
   Presenter: Anthony Dalton
   Creative non-fiction is the literary art of bending traditional non-fiction rules by employing fiction skills, without straying too far from the non-fiction path. Non-fiction doesn’t have to be dull and two-dimensional; learn techniques including using diary entries, interview transcripts, personal letters and subjective commentary to add sparkle to your work.
8. The Nuts and Bolts of the Writer's Life
   Presenter: John Brady
   Learn how find the balance needed to sustain a writing career; to manage the daily work of being a writer and avoid the over-thinking that hobbles so many writers.
9. Dr. Jaykll and Mr. Slade
   Presenter: Michael Slade
   Join Michael Slade as he shares chilling tales of an alter ego loose in the publishing world.
10. Everything You Wanted To Know About Film Making in Canada*
    Presenter: Tina Pehme

    * but didn't know who to ask....

    Join Sepia Producer Tina Pehme as she talks about her experiences making films in Canada and abroad. What is the criteria for getting a film produced in this country? What sort of material do film makers look for? How can you get noticed as a writer?

    Tina has the answers to these questions and many more... Bring your ideas and questions to this provocative workshop.