New Courses for Fall 2015

With the new school year fast upon us, it's time to let you know about our new courses for this fall.


The school is offering the following:


Plotting Workshop:


Learn techniques for effective idea generation, plot and scene creation through a series of individual and group exercises. As well, participants will examine story structure, generation of conflict and tension, and techniques in collaborative plotting. This is a highly interactive workshop. Each participant will be asked to bring a germ of an idea for development during this two day workshop. There will be orphan ideas available for those that don’t generate that germ in the days leading up to the workshop. The use of myth and everyday life will be examined as sources that will help the writer find new ideas for fresh work.


This workshop is appropriate for writers of all levels.


Dates: November 28 and December 5, 2015
Times: 10:00 am - 4:30 pm
Location: 618 Columbia Street, New Westminster, BC
Instructor: David Blinkhorn
Cost: $110.00




In the Pursuit of Creativity:


In this five part workshop, participants will learn new and interesting ideas that will help them find their way to fulfilling artistic and creative lives. Over time, the workshop attendees will learn about:

1. What creativity is and how our brain operates when being creative,
2. The various successful processes to becoming more creative,
3. Ways to maximize your creative potential,
4. Techniques for defeating your inner critic,
5. Methods to maintaining a creative life in the face of the ordinary one,
6. Ways to work collaboratively with other writers and artists, and
7. Creative techniques to find and mine your personal creative gold.

Each workshop will focus on exercises to help the participant develop the skills in the various topics discussed each week. It is interactive and participants will be expected to work as individuals and in groups each week. There will be a weekly homework assignment. Notes of the discussion/lecture will be provided each week as well.

This workshop is appropriate for writers and other artists of all levels.


Dates: Thursday evenings starting September 17 and continuing until October 15, 2015
Times: 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: 618 Columbia Street, New Westminster, BC
Instructor: David Blinkhorn
Cost: $125.00 


Fiction Writers' Bootcamp:

In this weekend intensive, the writer will cover such topics as Story and Idea Generation, Story Structure, the Use of Tension and Conflict, Pacing, Setting, Dialogue, Character Development and Techniques for Revising Your First Draft.


The workshop will utilize lecture, discussion and individual and group exercises and is appropriate for the emerging and intermediate writer.


Dates: October 3 - 4, 2015
Times: 10:00 am - 4:30 pm
Location: 618 Columbia Street, New Westminster, BC
Instructor: David Blinkhorn
Cost: $110.00




About the Instructor: David Blinkhorn is the founder and director of the Fraser Valley Writers School and an accomplished instructor in the areas of creativity, avoiding writer's block and fiction writing. He is an award-winning poet and writer who is a graduate of SFU's Writers' Studio (Fiction) in 2011. A former executive director of the Federation of British Columbia Writers, David finds his passion in creating unique and varied stories and helping other writers to find their voice in their chosen genre. In 2014, David organized a successful writers retreat in the Mediterranean and is currently organizing the plans for Euro2016.


To register for these courses, please email us at fvwschool@gmail.com.


Look for our winter courses on October 1, 2015.