Monday News

Upcoming Events at AWCS

AWCS & OWL'S NEST BOOKS PRESENT: AN OPEN MIC NIGHT DATE: September 26, 2012 TIME: 7:00pm-8:30pm VENUE: Owl's Nest Books (815A, 49th Ave SW, Calgary) MC: Sarah Johnson (Meet me, the AWCS blogmonkey, in person and I'll try not to act weird around you) Back for its second year, the open mic will kick off on September 26 and continue the last Wednesday of every month (except December). Here's how it works: Come on down to Owl's Nest Books prepared to read for no longer than five minutes. Put your name into the hat. Throughout the evening up to 10 readers will be selected by random draw. If you don't get a chance to read, don't worry. Join us at the next open mic for another chance. Upcoming Dates: October 31: Bring something "spooky" to read. November 28 Free Fall Friday Writing Sessions Date: Every Friday Time: 10am-12pm Venue: AWCS Classroom Writers block got you down? Can't seem to come up with any new ideas for a short story or poem? Maybe you just want to get out of the house for a couple of hours and spend some time in the comfort of friends and writers. Join AWCS every Friday for 2 hour sessions of uninhibited free fall writing. AWCS Members: Free Non-Members: $10 Contact: Mary Kurucz at mary.k@shaw.ca for more information. What is 'free fall' writing? The free fall method of writing encourages writers to write without editing as they go. That editorial instinct to edit as you write, common to most writers, can be tempting but also time consuming and counter-productive. W.O. Mitchell's free fall method encourages writers to switch off that inner editor and just write uninhibited, as the thoughts come into their minds, relying on sensory information and memories. The writer can edit after the piece is complete, but during the process, it is essential that the writer does not revise.

WRITERS' CONNECTION: A DISCUSSION GROUP DATE: Monday, October 15, 2012 TIME: 7-9pm FACILITATOR: Shirlee Smith Matheson THEME: Nonfiction Once a month, join AWCS for a casual discussion on all things writing. Each meeting will be facilitated by a different published writer from the Calgary literary community. Could be themed, could be open. Bring a couple of pages of a work in progress to read and discuss as a group. Meet and mingle with other writers. For writers of all skill levels. Upcoming Meetings November 12 | Facilitator: Barb Howard | Theme: Short Fiction December 3 | Facilitator: Robin van Eck | Theme: Open

WE SHOULD KNOW EACH OTHER #100 (WSKEO #100) DATE: September 29 & 30, 2012 TIME: 10am to 10pm | 10am to 4pm VENUE: King Edward School (1720, 30th Ave SW) AWCS will be participating in WSKEO #100 at the King Edward School. Come down for the day or for a few hours to check out the other great presenters at this event. Background 'We Should Know Each Other' is a crossroad of communities. It invites people to stretch the limits of their social circles and enhance their thinking with a diversity of new ideas and perspectives. It provides a safe and welcoming space for viewpoints to collide in unexpected ways, and for creative sparks to fly. Since February 2008, Mark Hopkins has hosted regular 'We Should Know Each Other' (WSKEO) events in Calgary, Alberta where hundreds of strangers have shared stories, laughter and new friendships. The landmark 100th edition of 'We Should Know Each Other' will take place at King Edward Arts Hub and Incubator - the first project of cSPACE, a non-profit real estate enterprise dedicated to developing a network of multi-disciplinary creative workspaces across the city. With a mission to connect people, place and ideas to ignite creativity, community, collaboration and change, cSPACE is excited to invite the community inside the 100-year-old King Edward School before the redevelopment process begins. Event Summary WSKEO #100 will take place on Saturday, September 29th, 2012 from 10:00am-10:00 pm and continue through Sunday, September 30th, 2012 from 10:00am-4pm, throughout King Edward School in South Calgary (1720 - 30th Ave SW). WSKEO #100 will invite a vast range of Calgarians to intersect in fascinating and meaningful ways, through a series of diverse activities that encourage interaction between participants. As this event will also coincide with Alberta Culture Days, Pecha Kucha Night and Doors Open at King Edward School - WSKEO #100 will provide family-friendly opportunities that will suit diverse interests. Come create and experience a lively range of local culture set against the backdrop of a historic school; walk the locker-lined halls, write a message on an old blackboard and visit the gymnasium - while also experiencing live music, speakers, games, installations and more! Youth Programs Reality is Optional (RIO) Kids Writing Club Need a place that understands you? Come and join the RIO. Create a writing club the way you want it. Youth led, adult mentored. Guest speakers, writing games, friends and creativity. Ages seventeen and under. Play with your words — all you need is a notebook and pen. Meetings are held the second and last Monday of every month from September to June at the Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society in beautiful Calgary, Alberta – from 5:30 pm-6:30 pm in the AWCS classroom. Fees: Drop In: $5. Full Year $40.00 (basically an AWCS youth membership with all the benefits!) Write This! Instructor: Kim Firmston Begins: October 3 (8 weeks) Time: 5:15-6:45pm Members: $100 | Non-Members: $140 (includes a youth membership) Ages: 12-17 Do you find yourself holed up in your room alone with your note book or computer? Do you live in worlds created by yourself? Have you been conversing with people who don’t really exist? No, you’re not crazy – you’re a writer! Come and meet other youth writers and spend some time getting really good at your craft. Learn how to mix genres, hone your character’s goals, and really bring your reader into your story. REGISTER ONLINE Fall 2012 Writing Courses ONE DAY WORKSHOPS Magic Realism (4 Seats Still Available) Instructor: Meghan Doraty Saturday | October 13 | 10am-3:30pm Member Price: $75 | Non-member Price: $95 In this one day workshop, we will discuss magic realism, a style of writing that seamlessly weaves the fantastical with the real. As a class we will discuss the elements of magic realism and practice implementing them with short shared exercises. The Book Review (Seats Still Available) Instructor: Robin van Eck Saturday | November 24 | 10am-3:30pm Member Price: $75 | Non-member Price: $95 Book reviews are more than a summary of a book. It’s a craft, like any other writing. In this workshop you will learn ways to artfully craft a review so that it stands out above others. Through examples and writing exercises you will learn how to make a review unique to you, the writer, how to write a balanced review, as well as where to publish. REGISTER ONLINE Eight Week Courses Short Fiction (Seats Still Available) Instructor: Meghan Doraty Tuesdays | 7-9 pm | October 9 (8 weeks) An eight week course designed to introduce and refine the skills required to write short fiction. We will discuss beginnings and endings, plotting, characterization, theme, voice, point of view and publication strategies. Students will be asked to share work and offer feedback on other student’s work in order to polish and perfect their own writing. Each two hour class will include one hour of constructive feedback from the instructor and students and one hour of exercises and/or discussion about specific writing strategies. REGISTER ONLINE NEW: ELEMENTS OF STORY WORKSHOPS Who Is Seeing This? (Seats Still Available) Instructor: Vivian Hansen Saturday | October 20 | 10am-3:30pm Member Price: $75 | Non-member Price: $95 Ever wondered how a scene, a poem, a story, just sounds absolutely right, as though you’re living the moment? But.. you don’t know who’s telling the story. Or why? Does the point of view make a difference to how we read or what we experience? This will be an active workshop, so bring scenes and stories to class Craft Memorable Memoir Characters (Seats Still Available) Instructor: Wilma Rubens Saturday | October 27 | 10am-3:30pm Member Price: $75 | Non-member Price: $95 Compelling characters are at the heart of any story that the reader cares about. Just as in writing fiction, memoir characters need to be brought to life. Real life people are quirky with different and contrasting shades, strong desires, flaws and heroic qualities that come alive in action and dialogue. We will use writing prompts to create unforgettable characters and weave a trail of clues, cliffhangers and insights into our stories. Dynamic Dialogue (Seats Still Available) Instructor: Susan Calder Saturday | November 3 | 10am-3:30pm Member Price: $75 | Non-member Price: $95 Dialogue is one of the strongest tools for portraying characters in fiction and creative non-fiction. When do you use dialogue in a story? What makes dialogue effective, interesting and full of tension? How can dialogue move your story forward? Through writing exercises, discussion and the study of published works learn how to make your dialogue sparkle. World Building (Seats Still Available) Instructor: Elaine Morin Saturday | November 17 | 10am-3:30pm Member Price: $75 | Non-member Price: $95 Whether it’s your backyard, a Hong Kong market or an alien starship, the world you write should be believable. But which details are necessary to carry a story? How do you make those descriptive passages zing? For both fiction and creative non-fiction writers, this workshop will explore world building through already published works, discussion and lectures, and writing exercises. Whose Story is it? (Point of View, Ownership and Telling It Like It Is) (Seats Still Available) Instructor: J. Jill Robinson Saturday & Sunday | November 24 & 25 | 10am-4:30pm Member Price: $140 | Non-member Price: $190 Some writers say that choosing the right point of view through which to tell the story is the most important decision a writer makes, and that most problems encountered in the writing process can be traced to p.o.v. concerns. Changing point of view can certainly can have a startling impact on your narrative, and can often help get you unstuck when you’re stuck. Come and find out more, through discussion and exercises, with novelist, short story, and creative non-fiction writer Jill Robinson. For writers at all levels. REGISTER ONLINE WORKSHOPS IN OKOTOKS Okotokians: Fiction Course coming soon to a town near you...(The Okotoks Rec Centre :) I Wanna Be a Writer Ages: 18 Yrs. and over Fees: $185.00 Description: Come learn what it takes to be a fiction writer. We'll explore the basics of fiction from the ground up. We'll write, workshop and discuss our way through this informal and fun introduction to the art of story telling. Lee Kvern is the award-winning Okotoks author of short stories and novels. www.leekvern.com Spots Available: 8 8 Classes W Oct 3-Nov 21 7:00-9:00pm Register:https://netreg.okotoks.ca/Activities/ActivitiesAdvSearch.asp WORKSHOPS AT CALGARY PUBLIC LIBRARY You can now register for these two free back-to-back writing programs at the Calgary Public Library. E-Book or Print? Saturday, Nov 17, noon – 1:00 PM Consider both formats when publishing your writing. Author and promoter, Susan Toy, discusses the many changes in promotion and marketing that have occurred as a result of both methods of delivering books to readers. Character Creation Workshop Saturday, Nov 17, 1:00 – 3:00 PM Join local authors Susan Calder (Deadly Fall) and Garry Ryan (Blackbirds) for an interactive workshop on making your characters come alive and about using E-Resources. Bring your questions and meet other writers. Everyone welcome. Both sessions take place at the Calgary Public Library Central branch, 616 Macleod Trail SE. Register online www.calgarypubliclibrary.com or call 403-260-2620. Space is limited. Calls for Submissions FreeFall Magazine Next deadline for submissions is for the contest issue. Deadline December 31. This years contest judge is Patrick Lane. For submission guidelines please visit website. filling Station Call for Submissions: Special Issue of filling Station magazine on Northern B.C. Writing filling Station is soliciting submissions of poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, and visual art for a special issue on Northern B.C. Writing to be guest-edited by Jason Wiens. The magazine also encourages reviews of recent publications by Northern B.C. writers. The filling Station collective will vet and select submissions with a planned publication date in early 2013. Please send electronic submissions complete with short bio and mailing address by 1 October 2012 to Jason Wiens atjlwiens@ucalgary.ca with fS NORTHERN BC ISSUE in the subject, or hard copy submissions to: Jason Wiens Department of English University of Calgary 2500 University Drive NW Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4 Regular submission guidelines still apply. View website for details. Places for Writers Complete listing of calls for submissions and Canadian literary magazines. Duotrope.com Complete listings for international magazines. Calls for submissions, anthologies and more. Ralan.com Listings for sci-fi and humor markets. Urban Green Man Short Fiction Anthology Show Your Support, Every Little Bit Helps The Alexandra Writers Centre Society is a registered charitable organization. Each year we rely on the support of our members and the community to help ensure we continue to offer the best in programs and courses for the literary community. We couldn't do it without you. Your donations are graciously appreciated. All donations over $10 receive a tax deductible receipt. Donations can be made through our website (pay by credit card or through PayPal) If you don’t wish to pay online, cheques can be made payable to AWCS and mailed to 922, 9th Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0S4 For business owners, a sponsorship of $500 will put your logo with link on our website for 6 months as well as its inclusion on our publicity materials; and, of course, a tax deductible receipt. Please contact the office for more details. Please don’t feel obligated, but if you can donate even a little we would be so grateful. AWCS appreciates all the support you have offered over the years and looks forward to many more. Donate Today OFFICE HOURS FOR FALL Monday to Wednesday: 9am to 12pm Closed Holidays Please contact the office by email or phone if you have an urgent matter. 922, 9th Ave. SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0S4 | 403.264.4730 | awcs@telusplanet.net Hours are subject to change without notice so please call ahead if you wish to visit.