Being a talented writer with a good book is never enough. The hard part for many writers is managing the next steps of publishing and distribution, marketing and sales. The book business is a particular challenge for writers without prior business experience and without an entrepreneurial mindset. In this webinar presentation, Del Chatterson, CWC member and author of the Dale Hunter Series of crime thrillers, will share his storytelling journey and the lessons learned from the perspective of an experienced entrepreneur, business advisor, and writer for entrepreneurs. He will address the common criteria for success in entrepreneurship and in creative writing and how telling a good story is so important to both.
Bio
Delvin Chatterson is the internationally acclaimed author of the Dale Hunter Thriller Series, an explosive mix of crime and corruption in the computer business of the 1980s. Dale Hunter and his buddy, Frank the Fixer, were introduced in 2018 with NO EASY MONEY, followed by SIMPLY THE BEST, and MERGER MANIAC. Del is continuing the Dale Hunter series with three more novels coming soon – BAD BOYS IN BOSTON, CRASH LANDING, and WHATEVER IT TAKES. He is also working on another novel and writing collections of short stories.
As a former entrepreneur, business advisor, and cheerleader for enlightened entrepreneurship, Del has written extensively on business topics for decades and continues to write on entrepreneurship under the pen name of Your Uncle Ralph. Originally from the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Del has lived and worked for most of the last fifty years in the fascinating French-Canadian city of Montreal.
Course description:
Cozy crime is on the rise. Or maybe it's never really gone. Modern writers like Richard Osman and Janice Hallett have breathed new life into the genre pioneered by the likes of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. This webinar will look at the fundamentals of what makes a cozy mystery different from other mystery fiction, and how to put a more comforting face on your fictional cops and killers.
Bio:
Jonathan Whitelaw is an award-winning author, journalist and broadcaster. After working on the frontline of Scottish politics, he moved into journalism, covering everything from sports to music to radioactive waste – and everything in between. He moved to Alberta from the UK in 2022 and his latest book - The Concert Hall Killer - is released in July.
Characters of colour, of other genders or differing sexual orientations is necessary work that, to (greatly) paraphrase Toni Morrison, 'permits intimacy with the Other'. But how does a writer achieve this in our current landscape, where action and reaction to some works representing these characters, particularly when published by white writers, can quickly become incendiary. By focusing on the three parties who are critical to the act of reading: the writer, the reader and the characters themselves, Colleen will shed some light on how to tread down this road when creating Black characters specifically, by offering both insights and actions that writers keen to do this well, may consider.
Bio
Colleen van Niekerk is the South African-Canadian author of 'A Conspiracy of Mothers'. This debut literary novel is set in South Africa in 1994 at the brink of democracy for that country. It grapples with the fallout of apartheid as an exiled woman tries to find her way back to her home and family. Colleen's second novel - still in pre-publication - deals with the question of what it means to be Black for a mixed-race family in a modern North American context. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, she lives in Vancouver, BC.
Find her at www.colleenvanniekerk.com
With mountains of information on writing and publishing, where do you start? How do you make sure you're not falling for a scam and using a reputable service? N.L. Blandford will discuss how, as a member of Crime Writers of Canada, you have tools at your disposal with the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) to not only protect you, but to skill up your writing.
Bio
N.L. (Natasha) Blandford is the author of four published novels. Three dark psychological thrillers that captivate readers and play on their emotions (The Perilous Road To Her (2021), The Perilous Road To Freedom (2021), The Perilous Road To Him (2022)). Her newest release, The Great Bloody North (2023) is a light-hearted comedy thriller inspired by the iconic Canadian characters, Bob & Doug McKenzie. N.L. Blandford is the Canadian Ambassador for The Alliance of Independent Authors, where she advocates to dismantle the stigma of self publishing. N.L. Blandford resides in Nova Scotia where she is building a life of dream exploration with her husband, mild mannered dog, Watson, and two mischievous kittens Loki and Lulu.
Amber Cowie will cover key elements of writing riveting stories that make readers want to stay up all night. This one-hour workshop will focus on the specific expectations of the genre (including the inciting incident, gathering allies and enemies, and the “all is lost moment”) that ratchet up tension and lead to a satisfying conclusion. In the session, participants will develop a story outline that employs twists, tropes, and turns to create thrilling fiction.
Bio
Amber Cowie is a novelist living in a small town on the west coast of British Columbia. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Salon, The Globe and Mail, Crime Reads, and Scary Mommy and has been endorsed by numerous bestsellers including Samantha M. Bailey, Shannon Kirk, Kerry Lonsdale, Catherine McKenzie, Robyn Harding, and Blake Crouch. Her first novel, Rapid Falls, was a Whistler Book Awards nominee, hit number one overall on Amazon, and was a top-100 bestselling Kindle book of 2018.
She is a mother of two and reader of many. She likes skiing, running and making up stories that make her internet search history unnerving.
Her next book, The Off Season, will be released by Simon and Schuster Canada in spring 2024.
You’ve thought about self-publishing, but is it the right path for you? In Self-Publishing: The Ins & Outs of Going Indie, Judy Penz Sheluk will cover the nuts and bolts of self-publishing from business basics and publishing platforms to post-publication sales and marketing strategies.
BIO
A former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the bestselling author of two mystery series: The Glass Dolphin Mysteries and Marketville Mysteries, both of which have been published in multiple languages. Her short crime fiction appears in several collections, including the Superior Shores Anthologies, which she also edited. With a passion for understanding the ins and outs of all aspects of publishing, Judy is also the founder and owner of Superior Shores Press, which she established in February 2018.
Judy is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she served on the Board of Directors for five years, the final two as Chair. She lives in Northern Ontario. Find her at www.judypenzsheluk.com.
For the emerging author, the publishing world can be overwhelming. You’ve written the book, and you’re ready to share it with the world, but don’t know where to start. Traditional, independent press, hybrid, self-publishing, and online social platforms—all are valid publishing paths. The question is, which one is right for you? Judy Penz Sheluk will provide an introductory look at each path, along with a PDF list of resources for all attendees.
BIO
A former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the bestselling author of two mystery series: The Glass Dolphin Mysteries and Marketville Mysteries, both of which have been published in multiple languages. Her short crime fiction appears in several collections, including the Superior Shores Anthologies, which she also edited. With a passion for understanding the ins and outs of all aspects of publishing, Judy is also the founder and owner of Superior Shores Press, which she established in February 2018.
Judy is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she served on the Board of Directors for five years, the final two as Chair. She lives in Northern Ontario. Find her at www.judypenzsheluk.com.
Curious about or interested in writing humour and how it can be utilized in crime fiction?
Join award-winning author of the “Hammerhead” Jed pro-wrestler PI mystery-comedy series A.J. Devlin for the Crime Writers of Canada “INFUSING HUMOUR INTO CRIME FICTION” webinar for a fun and lively tutorial and Q&A on how to implement moments of levity into stories.
From cozies all the way to thrillers, learn how valuable — and essential — humour can be to your writing!
Bio
AJ Devlin grew up in Greater Vancouver before moving to Southern California where he earned a BFA in Screenwriting from Chapman University, an MFA in Screenwriting from The American Film Institute Conservatory, and worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood.
COBRA CLUTCH, book one in the “Hammerhead” Jed pro-wrestler PI mystery-comedy series, was nominated for a 2019 Left Coast Crime “Lefty” Award for Best Debut Mystery and won the 2019 Crime Writers of Canada Award for Best First Novel.
The sequel, ROLLING THUNDER, was featured in The Vancouver Sun, CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal Reviews, Mystery Tribune Magazine and was selected by the SONS OF SPADE crime fiction blog as the BEST PI NOVEL of 2020.
Book three, FIVE MOVES OF DOOM, is a Globe and Mail Best Book of 2022, won the 2022 Crime Fiction Lover Editor’s Choice Award for Best Indie Novel, was a finalist for the 2023 Lefty Award for Best Humorous Mystery, and shortlisted for the CWC Award of Excellence for Best Novel Set in Canada.
A webinar on dealing with difficult subject matter in your writing. Some stories, especially thrillers or crime stories, deal with dark issues. This can be intimidating to research and can be triggering for some readers. Thriller author, David Wickenden, offers tips and suggestions on how to deal with sensitive subjects.
After 31 years in the Fire Service and attaining the rank of Deputy Fire Chief, David Wickenden retired to write thriller novels full time. He has published five thrillers and one YA Fantasy since 2018. He is a member of the International Thriller Association, the International Screenwriter Association, the Writer’s Union of Canada, the Canadian Crime Writers, and the Sudbury Writer’s Guild. He has adapted five books for feature film. He is currently working on another thriller set in Sudbury, Ontario, and taking online courses for screenwriting.
To learn more about Dave, please visit https://davewickenden.wixsite.......
This is the CWC's second webinar with our partnership with Editors Canada. The webinar will includes:
• what it takes to be a professional editor
• what different career paths editors can follow
There is a short Q&A after the presentation.
Avivah Wargon is a freelance editor based in Toronto. She has over thirty years of experience in copy editing, proofreading, and production editing. She is also a teacher and mentor for aspiring editors. She taught proofreading in the publishing certificate program at Ryerson (now Toronto Metropolitan University), and has given seminars on the publishing process and on resumés for editors for Editors Canada. In 1993, she was a runner-up for the Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence.