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.
Author/TV& film producer Mark Grenside joined the CWC us all the way from Malta. He discussed:
• The differences between writing a screenplay and prose
• Maintaining creative control of your story
• Do’s and Don’ts if you’re writing a novel in hopes that it would get optioned
Mark Grenside was born and raised in London and began his working career straight out of school at Lloyds of London, specializing in Kidnap, Ransom, and Extortion Insurance. At 25, it was time for a career change and to dump the suit and tie, so he started his media career working for Jim Henson and The Muppets©. From that moment on, he has been involved in Entertainment and nearly every aspect of it.
He created and produced several television series and mini-series, including Fraggle Rock and Lonesome Dove. He is the author of FALLOUT.
A webinar about the benefits of hiring a professional editor. Frances Peck, an Editors Canada ambassador, will explain in this webinar:
• the benefits of hiring a professional editor
• the different types of editing that professional editors can do
Followed by a Q&A
Frances Peck, CPE (Hon.), has worked with words for 30 years as an editor, ghostwriter, and instructor. She is the author of Peck’s English Pointers, an online collection of essays on language; a co-author of the HyperGrammar website; and a long-time member of Editors Canada. Her propulsive debut novel, The Broken Places (NeWest Press, 2022), hailed by the Vancouver Sun as an “intense and absorbing drama,” explores how a major earthquake rocks the lives of a group of Vancouverites.