Fall 2013 Courses
The Fraser Valley Writers' School is excited to offer the following courses for the Fall of 2013. Register for a course by contacting David Blinkhorn at fvwschool@gmail.com
A. Introductory
Classes:
The
Creative Process:
Have you ever wanted to unlock your creativity? Uncover ways to unleash
your imagination or find your path to your own great storytelling? This eight week
course looks at
techniques and tools to help you find your storytelling passion and silence the
forces in your life that stop you from writing your novel, short story, poetry,
magazine article, or play while providing an introduction to plot, characterization,
setting, and dialogue.
Cost:$170
Instructor:
David Blinkhorn
Time and
dates: 8 Thursdays 6:30 – 8:30 pm, September 19 – November 14, 2013 (no class on October 31, 2013)
Introduction to Creative Writing:
It’s time to start writing: your life story, the novel you’ve dreamed about,
the poetry and songs that are in your heart, the article you want to write, or
perhaps a stage play. No more excuses. Learn the techniques to conquer
your inner critic. Now is the time.
The subjects covered will include: ways to unleash your creativity,
character, plot, poetry, article writing, novels, short stories, marketing, and
the rules of writing. Student work will occupy one half of class time.
Cost: Contact
Ed Griffin at ed@edgriffin.net to discuss cost and to arrange your fee. Course manual required and available from the instructor for $18.00.
Instructor: Ed Griffin
Time and date: 6 Mondays 10:00 am – Noon, September 16 – October 28 (no
class on October 14)Place: The Phoenix Building, 13686 94A Avenue, Surrey, BC
Limit: 15 students
B. The Writing Craft:
Fiction Workshop
This workshop is a combination of lecture,
discussion, and exercises for the first hour followed by work-shopping of your
writing with your peers and instructor over the final one and one half hours.
Topics for lecture and discussion are theme and premise, scene transition,
suspense, tension and conflict, imagery, and foreshadowing. Students are
expected to submit work and critique other students’ writing each week.
Included in this workshop is a 60 minute one on one with the instructor to
discuss issues of concern in your writing.
Instructor: David Blinkhorn
Cost: $235.00
Dates: Wednesdays, September 25, 2013 – November 13, 2013 10:00 am
to 12:30 pmPlace: Mel Edwards Center, Centennial Park, White Rock, BC
Plotting Workshop Dates to be rescheduled for October or November, 2013
Plot is one of the cornerstones of
great fiction. This two day workshop covers the following topics through
lecture, discussion,,
and in-class exercises: plotting techniques and story generation, tools for keeping your reader
spellbound with your story, scene creation, prologues, epilogues,
cliff-hangers, scene thrusters, epiphanies and revelations. Each day includes
lunch.
Instructor: David Blinkhorn
Cost: $125.00
Dates: Sundays, September 15 and 22, 2013 10:00 am to 4:00 pmPlace: Mel Edwards Center, Centennial Park, White Rock, BC
Memoir, from the French memoire meaning memory or reminiscence, is
a genre narrowed in focus from the autobiography. It is a story told from life.
According to Gore Vidal, a memoir is how one remembers their own life. Join us
for an intimate class as we look at the art of memoir through poetry and
creative non-fiction. This six week class will be split equally between the two
methods of story-telling and taught by two instructors specializing in each
form. The class consists of lecture, discussion, exercises and critiquing weekly
writing projects. Students will be expected to submit work each week for
comment and evaluation.
Cost: $135
Instructors: Prose portion: Lois Peterson Poetry: Ben Nuttall-Smith
Dates and times: 6 Wednesdays, 7:00 – 9:00
pm September 25 - October 30, 2013 Place: Mel Edwards Center, Centennial Park, White Rock, BC
Take your
writing to the next level in this unique course where students workshop their
works in progress with each other and the instructor. Each week, there will be
instruction and discussion about some aspect of the writing craft.
Instructor:
Ed Griffin
Dates and
times: 6 Mondays 10:00 am – Noon, November 4 – December 16, 2013 (no class on
November 11, 2013)Place: The Phoenix Building, 13686 94A Avenue, Surrey, BC
Limit: 15 students
Exploring Ekphrastic Poetry
Ekphrastic Poetry is the technical term for poems
that have been inspired by other art forms. This six-week session will see
writers creating work from various inspirations and workshopping these new
poems in a supportive atmosphere. While the first weeks will focus on writings
inspired by a range of arts, including music, the last half of the course will
see writers working from paintings on exhibit at Semiahmoo Arts. Final sessions
will shift to preparing for a celebratory reading in the midst of a gallery
full of the art that has inspired the evening’s poems.
Cost: $145.00
Instructor: Heidi GrecoDates: Mondays, September 30 – November 4, 2013 with the exception of Tuesday October 16 in lieu of Thanksgiving class on October 14, 2013), 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Place: Mel Edwards Center, Centennial Park, White Rock, BC
Character is
one of the cornerstones of great writing. Characters reveal themselves in the
way they act, speak, think and look. In this twelve hour course learn how to
bring your characters alive, create believable and interesting actors for your
story through the uses of senses and emotions. Topics will include credibility,
purpose, complexity, methods of character presentation, and development of
secondary and minor characters. This course consists of lecture, discussion,
writing and critiquing.
Instructor: David Blinkhorn
Dates and Times: Four Mondays, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm September 16 – October 7, 2013
Place: Mel Edwards Center, Centennial Park, White Rock, BC
C. Publishing Courses
E-Book Publishing:
Cost: $65
Instructor: George Opacic
Date: October 6, 2013, 10:00 am – 4:00 pmPlace: Mel Edwards Center, Centennial Park, White Rock, BC
Do you want to earn money as a freelance writer?
In just six
weeks, full-time freelance writer and editor Leslie Dyson will take you through
all the steps you need to become a paid writer. By the end of this class,
you will have a submission-ready article.
Course Description:
Getting your
magazine or newspaper article published can be the first step in being able to
make a living as a writer. Getting your work out there is not as difficult as
you think. All you need is a few basic skills and to know a few tricks of the
trade.
This
fast-paced class, will cover:
Effective
interviewing skills—how to get thoughtful, insightful information from people
and still make your deadline!
Finding
credible sources—the research skills necessary to find trusted information.
Putting the
“creative” in your non-fiction—techniques to turn your article into an engaging
story.
What editors
want and expect and what drives editors crazy—what makes them want to work with
you.
Where to
publish—there are many places looking for good copy. Find your niche.
This course
will be a combination of lecture, exercises, and workshop. By the end of this
class, the students will submit an article for publication to a magazine or
newspaper of their choosing.
Cost: $135.00
Instructor:
Leslie Dyson
Dates and
Times: Saturdays, 10 a.m. – noon, October 5 to Nov. 16, 2013 (no class on October 12)Place: Mel Edwards Centre, Centennial Park, 14600 North Bluff Road, White Rock, BC
No classes until the Spring
program
Manuscript
Workshop:
Work with one of the school’s instructors one on one with your manuscript. This class includes one 30 minute introductory meeting where you’ll discuss your work with your instructor and four 60 minute sessions where you will discuss one on one your pages that you’ve submitted for review. The student will be required to submit her work (maximum of twenty-five pages, typed, 1.5 spaced) one week prior to the date arranged for the session between the instructor and student. All sessions must be completed by December 15, 2013.
Cost: $250
Dates and
times to be arranged by the student and instructor
F. Performance and Readings
The Dynamic Presentor: Engaging a *Listening*
Audience with Your Written Words:
This voice and
performance skills workshop for writers and poets is divided into two parts.
You will be taught techniques and enjoyable exercises that will allow you to relax,
develop your voice and increase your power of projection making you a more
dynamic speaker.
The
second part of this two week workshop
will focus on how to read your written words in an engaging way to transform
your poetry/book reading into an event to be remembered. The workshop will
present many different strategies and practical advice on: selecting the best
poems/stories to read out loud, breaking through nerves/anxiety and
knowing/targeting your audience. There will be an opportunity for everyone to
practice, and share their readings with the group.
Cost: $ 60
Instructor: Ben Nuttall-Smith
Date: Saturdays, September 28 and October 5, 2013, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
