For the first time, Fraser Valley Writers' School is offering manuscript consults. Your manuscript will be reviewed for issues of plot, character development and setting features. This is not a copy editing service but it is a substantive edit, one that will help your story sparkle as you get it ready to send it out into the world.
How does this work?
1. You provide your manuscript in Times Roman 12 point font double spaced via an attachment along with a one page or less synopsis of your story which will clearly identify your protagonist and antagonist.
2. Once your submission is received, you will receive an email from us as to the cost of your review. The cost shall be based on $0.75 per page as this fee reflects the double spacing and font size. You'll be required to pay in advance the cost of the review as invoiced by either an e-transfer or cheque payable to the school.
3. The review will take approximately two weeks ( plus or minus 2 days on either side) once the fee has been received by the school.
4. As part of the review, you will be provided written notes of suggestions to improve the story and for those participants within the Lower Mainland or Fraser Valley, you will meet in person with the instructor who reviewed your submission for anywhere from an hour to two hours depending on the time necessary to properly discuss the work. For those outside this geographic area, there will be an attempt to arrange a Skype meeting or telephone call generated from the school (No long distance charges for you)
5. It is preferable that you submit a completed transcript but for those with a work in progress, please have a detailed outline along with your synopsis. Your work should have been self-revised regardless of its state of completion before submitting the work so as to enable you to get the best value from the service.
If you are interested in this service, please contact us at fvwschool@gmail.com
Monday, 22 August 2016
Tuesday, 16 August 2016
2016 Fall Classes
Fiction
Writers' Bootcamp:
In two day weekend intensive over the course of two Saturdays, 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 29 and November 5, 2016
Times: 10:00 am - 4:30 pm
Location: 618 Columbia Street, New Westminster, BC
Instructor: David Blinkhorn and other guest presenters to be announced
Cost: $110.00 (lunch included each day)
Creative
Pursuits: A Playschool in Creativity:
Every
child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he
grows up.
Pablo
Picasso
Picasso's right. The hardest thing for an adult in any creative project is to bring a child's creative energy to their artistic pursuits. In this thirteen week workshop, participants will return to play as they 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:
- What creativity is and how our brain operates when being creative,
- The various successful processes to becoming more creative including the nine basic types of creative thought,
- Ways to maximize your creative potential,
- Techniques for defeating your inner critic,
- Methods to maintaining a creative life in the face of the ordinary one,
- Ways to work collaboratively with other writers and artists, and
- 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 project which focuses on
that week's creative technique. Notes of the discussion/lecture
will be provided each week as well. This workshop is appropriate for
writers and other artists of all levels.
Here's what attendees have said about David Blinkhorn's Creativity workshops:
“Take
this workshop. It's creative, thoughtful, encouraging. It'll loosen
up your brain, free it from its rut. You'll laugh and learn.”
“Take
David Blinkhorn's class: You'll learn handy and thoughtful tips for
writing (and living as a writer). The activities are fun and you get
some useful handouts to remind you of what you can do- because you
laugh so much, you might forget some 'nitty gritty' important
detail.”
“This
workshop was so much fun! We laughed and there even some tears as we
wrote about being certain objects. David Blinkhorn always presents
with so much fun and creativity of his own to help us with our own
“Creative Pursuits”! It is so helpful to know now that becoming
an object or what we see around us can open up our creativity and
help us write more openly and freely.”
Dates: Thursday evenings commencing September 22, 2016 and running to December 15, 2016
Times: 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: 331 – 22 East Royal Avenue, New Westminster, BC
Instructor: David Blinkhorn
Cost: $25 per session or you can purchase a card for classes in the following denominations: 4 workshops: $95, 6 workshops; $135, 8 workshops: $170, all thirteen workshops: $225 (cards are non-transferable)
Introduction to Creative Writing: Scene Creation
To
be an effective fiction or creative non-fiction writer today, you
need to write effective scenes. The vehicle for a writer to advance
their plot and reveal character, the scene is cinematic writing and
is defined by its continuous action regardless of that action's size,
shape or intensity. Without the "Walk" of the scene, the
reader is left with the "Talk" and the writer risks losing
their reader.
During this sixteen hour course, you'll examine:
1. story and scene structure;
2. techniques for bringing conflict and tension into the scene;
3. the purposes of a scene;
4. methods for beginning and ending a scene;
5. transitions between scenes; and
6. various writing tools that help advance your scene including but not limited to setting, dialogue, and character development
This course is a unique way of starting your writing education as it focuses on story-telling from day one. Students can expect to learn many techniques in a fluid fashion that are normally compartmentalized in most introductory courses. The course is presented as a series of talks, discussions, exercises and critiqued writing assignments.
During this sixteen hour course, you'll examine:
1. story and scene structure;
2. techniques for bringing conflict and tension into the scene;
3. the purposes of a scene;
4. methods for beginning and ending a scene;
5. transitions between scenes; and
6. various writing tools that help advance your scene including but not limited to setting, dialogue, and character development
This course is a unique way of starting your writing education as it focuses on story-telling from day one. Students can expect to learn many techniques in a fluid fashion that are normally compartmentalized in most introductory courses. The course is presented as a series of talks, discussions, exercises and critiqued writing assignments.
Dates:
Monday evenings commencing October 17, 2016 and running to November
28, 2016
Times: 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: 331 – 22 East Royal Avenue, New Westminster, BC
Times: 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: 331 – 22 East Royal Avenue, New Westminster, BC
Cost:
$125
Instructor: David Blinkhorn
Email fvwschool@gmail.com with your interest. For workshops to proceed, a minimum of four participants will be required to register one week ahead of the scheduled start date.
Instructor: David Blinkhorn
Email fvwschool@gmail.com with your interest. For workshops to proceed, a minimum of four participants will be required to register one week ahead of the scheduled start date.
Wednesday, 25 May 2016
Fraser Valley Writers' School Courses for the Late Spring and Summer, 2016
Playschool
For Adults:
Every
child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he
grows up.
Pablo
Picasso
Picasso's right. The hardest thing for an adult in any creative project is to bring a child's creative energy to their artistic pursuits. In this eight part workshop, participants will return to play as they 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:
- What creativity is and how our brain operates when being creative,
- The various successful processes to becoming more creative including the nine basic types of creative thought,
- Ways to maximize your creative potential,
- Techniques for defeating your inner critic,
- Methods to maintaining a creative life in the face of the ordinary one,
- Ways to work collaboratively with other writers and artists, and
- 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 play project. Notes of
the discussion/lecture will be provided each week as well. This
workshop is appropriate for writers and other artists of all levels.
What
have attendees said about David Blinkhorn's Creativity workshops:
“Take
this workshop. It's creative, thoughtful, encouraging. It'll loosen
up your brain, free it from its rut. You'll laugh and learn.”
“Take
David Blinkhorn's class: You'll learn handy and thoughtful tips for
writing (and living as a writer). The activities are fun and you get
some useful handouts to remind you of what you can do- because you
laugh so much, you might forget some 'nitty gritty' important
detail.”
“This
workshop was so much fun! We laughed and there even some tears as we
wrote about being certain objects. David Blinkhorn always presents
with so much fun and creativity of his own to help us with our own
“Creative Pursuits”! It is so helpful to know now that becoming
an object or what we see around us can open up our creativity and
help us write more openly and freely.”
Dates: Thursday evenings commencing June 16, 2016 ( schedule to be determined after consultation with participants, fee is based on six workshops to give participants flexibility over the course of the workshop but the fee will be the same whether you attend six or all eight)
Times: 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: 331 – 22 East Royal Avenue, New Westminster, BC
Instructor: David Blinkhorn
Cost: $125.00
Dates: Thursday evenings commencing June 16, 2016 ( schedule to be determined after consultation with participants, fee is based on six workshops to give participants flexibility over the course of the workshop but the fee will be the same whether you attend six or all eight)
Times: 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: 331 – 22 East Royal Avenue, New Westminster, BC
Instructor: David Blinkhorn
Cost: $125.00
Fiction
Writers' Bootcamp:
In two day weekend intensive over the course of two Saturdays, 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: June 18 and 25, 2016
Times: 10:00 am - 4:30 pm
Location: 618 Columbia Street, New Westminster, BC
Instructor: David Blinkhorn
Cost: $110.00
In two day weekend intensive over the course of two Saturdays, 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: June 18 and 25, 2016
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
Euro2017.
To register for these courses, please email us at fvwschool@gmail.com.
To register for these courses, please email us at fvwschool@gmail.com.
Saturday, 26 March 2016
Classes for the Spring and An On-line Opportunity
Fraser Valley Writer's School is pleased to offer the following courses for April to June, 2016:
For the first time we will be offering an on-line course for writers who want to look deeper into scene creation. Here's the description
In the Pursuit of Creativity:
In this 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:
This workshop is appropriate for writers and other artists of all levels.
This workshop will be offered on Monday evenings from 6:30 - 8:30 pm in Surrey, BC. It will start on April 11, 2016.
Fiction Writers' Bootcamp:
Each week, 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 final hour each week will be spent workshopping your various writing projects
The workshop will utilize lecture, discussion and individual and group exercises and is appropriate for the emerging and intermediate writer.
This workshop will be offered on Saturdays from 9:30 - 11:30 am in New Westminster, BC or Surrey, BC depending on the locale of the majority of the registrants. It will start on April 9, 2016
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.
For the first time we will be offering an on-line course for writers who want to look deeper into scene creation. Here's the description
Scene Creation
To be an effective fiction or creative non-fiction writer today, you need to write effective scenes. The vehicle for a writer to advance their plot and reveal character, the scene is cinematic writing and is defined by its continuous action regardless of that action's size, shape or intensity. Without the "Walk" of the scene, the reader is left with the "Talk" and the writer risks losing their reader.
During this eight session course, you'll examine:
1. story and scene structure;
2. techniques for bringing conflict and tension into the scene;
3. the purposes of a scene;
4. methods for beginning and ending a scene;
5. transitions between scenes; and
6. various writing tools that help advance your scene including but not limited to setting, dialogue, and character development
This course is a unique way of advancing your writing education as it focuses on story-telling from day one. Students can expect to learn many techniques in a fluid fashion that are normally compartmentalized in most introductory courses. The course will be presented as a series of videos, notes, exercises and critiqued writing assignments. You will have access to your instructor for questions via email.
The cost of this introductory on-line class is $100.
A Way of Looking at Your Writing Education:
We are also offering two regular courses taught in a classroom setting. There will be an experiment in pricing as each week of either course will be its own complete unit such that you can sign up for as many of the weeks as you would like and that meet your busy schedules. Each two hour class will cost $25. You must sign up for a minimum of four classes. The total fee for all eight is $150 meaning you get your final two classes for free if you sign up for all eight.
The courses for the Spring are:
During this eight session course, you'll examine:
1. story and scene structure;
2. techniques for bringing conflict and tension into the scene;
3. the purposes of a scene;
4. methods for beginning and ending a scene;
5. transitions between scenes; and
6. various writing tools that help advance your scene including but not limited to setting, dialogue, and character development
This course is a unique way of advancing your writing education as it focuses on story-telling from day one. Students can expect to learn many techniques in a fluid fashion that are normally compartmentalized in most introductory courses. The course will be presented as a series of videos, notes, exercises and critiqued writing assignments. You will have access to your instructor for questions via email.
The cost of this introductory on-line class is $100.
A Way of Looking at Your Writing Education:
We are also offering two regular courses taught in a classroom setting. There will be an experiment in pricing as each week of either course will be its own complete unit such that you can sign up for as many of the weeks as you would like and that meet your busy schedules. Each two hour class will cost $25. You must sign up for a minimum of four classes. The total fee for all eight is $150 meaning you get your final two classes for free if you sign up for all eight.
The courses for the Spring are:
In the Pursuit of Creativity:
In this 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:
- What creativity is and how our brain operates when being creative,
- The various successful processes to becoming more creative,
- Ways to maximize your creative potential,
- Techniques for defeating your inner critic,
- Methods to maintaining a creative life in the face of the ordinary one,
- Ways to work collaboratively with other writers and artists, and
- Creative techniques to find and mine your personal creative gold.
This workshop is appropriate for writers and other artists of all levels.
This workshop will be offered on Monday evenings from 6:30 - 8:30 pm in Surrey, BC. It will start on April 11, 2016.
Fiction Writers' Bootcamp:
Each week, 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 final hour each week will be spent workshopping your various writing projects
The workshop will utilize lecture, discussion and individual and group exercises and is appropriate for the emerging and intermediate writer.
This workshop will be offered on Saturdays from 9:30 - 11:30 am in New Westminster, BC or Surrey, BC depending on the locale of the majority of the registrants. It will start on April 9, 2016
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.
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