Upcoming Events and Workshops
Where We Meet
ANNOUNCMENT: Our monthly meetings starting September 18, 2008 will be held at our new location above The World’s Biggest Bookstore at 20 Edward Street (near Dundas and Yonge subway line—one block north of Dundas, half a block west of Yonge).
The meetings will take place in the meeting room on the second floor of the store, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. every third Thursday of the month. Signs will be posted.
Questions?
If you have questions about our events or workshops, please e-mail .
Events: Sorted by Date
Upcoming events are sorted chronologically by date. Archived events are sorted by reverse date order (oldest at the bottom).
Upcoming Meetings
Information for events starting in September 2009 will be announced here when available.
More Events to Come
Information for the events after this date will be added when details become available.
Past Meetings
Archived events are sorted by reverse date order (oldest at the bottom).
As information becomes available for the new year, the agenda and bios for meetings held in prior years are moved to the Past Events and Workshops page.
May 21, 2009
Publisher, Mike O'Connor: Insomniac Press
Mike O'Connor will speak on how to get published. He will also discuss the enormous technological changes the publishing industry is going through today. www.insomniacpress.com.
April 16, 2009
Paul Lima: How to Write a Non-fiction Book in 60 Days
Itching to write a non-fiction book? Successful freelance writer and trainer Paul Lima explains "How to Write a Non-Fiction Book in 60 Days." No matter what you want to write about, you'll learn how to take your book from inspiration to completion in days, not years.
Complete with practical writing exercises, Lima helps you define your purpose and spells out the process required to move from idea to a detailed chapter-by-chapter outline to a solid first draft—in 60 days. The seminar is based on Paul Lima's book How to Write a Non-fiction Book in 60 Days, available online at www.paullima.com/books.
Presenter:
Paul Lima is the author of 8 non-fictions books, each one written in under 60 days. Three of his books are now used as University text books. Paul is also a freelance writer and writing instructor. You can read more about him online at www.paullima.com.
March 19, 2009
Robert Ward, author, travel lover with a penchant for pilgrimages
Presenter:
Robert's first book, Virgin Trails (Key Porter, 2002), chronicles a non-believer's pursuit of the protean, ever-elusive figure of the Virgin Mary. In All the Good Pilgrims (Thomas Allen, 2007), Ward takes on Spain's Camino de Santiago, telling tales gathered over the course of five walks totalling some three thousand kilometres.
Ward holds degrees in English Lit and Religious Studies from the University of Western Ontario and the University of Toronto. His writing has appeared in Canadian journals, including Queen's Quarterly, and newspapers across North America. He lives in Toronto with his wife, Michiko. www.robertward.ca.
February 19, 2009
Sharon Crawford: Both Sides of the Fence—the author/editor relationship
You've polished up your manuscript and want it edited. In this seminar, freelance editor, Sharon Crawford will show you the bs (bizarre and serious) of the author/editor relationship. We'll look at: finding the right editor for your manuscript, the different types of editing and which one is best for your manuscript, pitfalls that can arise in the author/editor relationship, what the editor will and won't do, editing contracts and fees. We will also look at how to "editor-proof" your manuscript so that you submit your best rewrite. Bring pen and paper for related written exercises. There will also be handouts.
Presenter:
Sharon Crawford has over 20 years' writing and editing experience, including editing short stories, fiction and nonfiction books. Her goal is to make words sparkle. She's taught Copyediting at George Brown College, belongs to the Editors' Association of Canada, and runs the East End Writers' Group.
January 15, 2009
Shane Joseph: Crafting the Short Story Workshop
Shane will discuss his approach to crafting the short story using examples from his latest collection of short stories, Fringe Dwellers.
- Elements of the short story:
- Plot, Situation or Event
- Character—from quirky to realistic, how many, protagonists, antagonists, foils, cyphers etc. How detailed must characters be drawn in short fiction.
- POV—how to select what is most appropriate
- Narration vs. description—how much of the latter is required
- Style—does poetry play in short stories
- Setting—contemporary or historical
- The Arc—the beginning, middle and end - but where does one start?
- Resolution—is it needed?
- The length of the short story—from 1 500 to 12 000 words and what do you get for it?
- Editing the Short Story
- Is the short story dead or is it enjoying a renaissance?
Presenter:
Shane Joseph is a graduate of the Humber School for Writers. His first novel Redemption in Paradise was published in 2004. His short fiction has appeared in literary journals and anthologies in Canada, India and Sri Lanka. For details see www.shanejoseph.com.
December 18, 2008
Literary Reading & Holiday Cheer
Please join us for an evening of literary readings by our members. Please e-mail to place your name on the reading list. Each member may read for up to 10 minutes.
November 20, 2008
Ken McGoogan, Best-Selling Author & Creative Writing Instructor at U of T
Ken McGoogan's workshop will focus on the making of a nonfiction narrative—its genesis and development. Using his book, Race to the Polar Sea, he will talk about researching the book and then incorporating that research into the narrative.
Everyone should bring pen and paper and expect to do a bit of writing.
Presenter:
A best-selling Canadian author, Ken McGoogan has chased the ghost of Lady Franklin across Tasmania and lugged a memorial plaque to John Rae into the High Arctic. In September, while sailing in the Arctic with Adventure Canada, Ken celebrated the publication of his ninth book, Race to the Polar Sea.
Ken has won numerous awards for his work, among them the Writers'Trust of Canada Biography Prize, the Pierre Berton Award for History and the University of British Columbia Medal for Canadian Biography. His acclaimed works include Lady Franklin's Revenge, Ancient Mariner, and Fatal Passage. This last book has been turned into a docudrama that aired in Scotland on the BBC and in Toronto at HotDocs. Ken lives in Toronto.
October 18, 2008
Paul Butler: Novel Writing/Screenplays and Novels
Special One-Day Workshop
- Free to Toronto CAA members
- Non-members welcome (see the fee schedule, below)
An all-day workshop on Saturday, October 18, 2008 from 9:00 am. to 4:00 pm. comprised of two sessions.
1. Novel Writing Workshop
From 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
This workshop will explore techniques for growing a novel-length story from single scenes or ideas, ways of seeing loose ends as dramatic possibilities capable of adding dimension to the narrative: scope, unifying theme, plot, and imagery as a single organic piece of art.
2. Screenplays and Novels: differences and similarities
From 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
How can screenwriting techniques enhance your novel project? How can a screenwriting tool such as the one-page synopsis enliven the novelist's imagination, and get him or her into a place of "no return" and too excited about a story idea to leave it? It will explore both the extent and the limits of screenwriting techniques (such as the "inciting incident") for the novelist.
Presenter:
Paul Butler is the author of the critically acclaimed novels, 1892, NaGeira, Easton's Gold and Stoker's Shadow. His writing has won numerous awards. Paul is an engaging writing seminar leader who challenges participants to find the best in themselves.
Fee Schedule:
- Complimentary with CAA Toronto membership;
- $50.00 for non-members ($40.00 with WOTS Special Coupon below);
- $40.00 for non-member students ($30.00 with WOTS Special Coupon in the flyer) Must show valid student's card.
- $40.00 to all other CAA members-belonging to other CAA branches and PWAC members.
To register, .
Download a Printable Poster
Download the Paul Butler Workshop Poster (PDF–23k) which includes the WOTS coupon.
October 16, 2008
Paul Butler, Novelist, Editor, Freelance Journalist
The presentation will focus on crafting the novel: weaving two stories and the process of plotting, time transitions, etc….
Presenter:
Paul Butler is the author of the critically acclaimed novels, 1892, NaGeira, Easton's Gold and Stoker's Shadow. His writing has won numerous awards. Paul is an engaging writing seminar leader who challenges participants to find the best in themselves.
Be sure to register for Paul's special one-day workshop, Novel Writing/Screenplays and Novels, on Saturday, October 18!
Please note the corrected date for this event! Paul Butler was originally scheduled to present in March and his flight was cancelled due to a snow storm.
September 28, 2008
Word on the Street
The CAA Toronto Branch will have a booth at the annual WOTS Toronto festival on Sunday, September 28. Please join us.
September 18, 2008
Richard Grove, Publisher, Hidden Brook Press
Richard Grove, man of 7 Ps—Publisher, Poet, Painter, Potter, Photographer, Public speaker, Person—Find out who the real man is at www.poetsencyclopedia.com/richardgrove.shtml.
Earlier Meetings Archived
Meetings held before the archived events above have been moved to the Past Events and Workshops page.
www.canauthorstoronto.org/events.html
Updated: May 24, 2009