Keynote Speech:
Carleigh Baker-Stranger Than Fiction: Preserving Your Creativity in a Restless World
In our endlessly churning, post-truth landscape, many writers are wondering if our stories matter. I say yes, more than ever. In this 45-minute keynote, I’ll discuss the vital importance of imagination and storytelling, and share my tips on fostering creativity when things get overwhelming.
Cross-Genre Workshops:
*(All attendees attend all three workshops)
Miranda Krogstad – Laugh Out Loud Literary Devices
We all know the serious side of creative writing, but what about the lighter side of the literary arts? This workshop will hit your funny bone with laugh out loud examples of personification, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, and more! Have a blast writing and sharing some rapid-fire comedic material that will have the whole room giggling together! Regardless of the outcome, it will be seriously good writing!
Premee Mohamed – Turning a Setting Into a World
Worldbuilding gets discussed a lot in terms of science fiction and fantasy, but all stories benefit from strongly-written settings. In this workshop we will discuss how to build, research, and incorporate your world—real or imagined—into your narrative. We will also cover common pitfalls, respecting culture and history, and writing near-future speculative settings.
Finnian Burnett – Words Gone Wild
Unlike BigFoot, perfection is a myth. Writers who get caught up in the idea of perfection can sometimes find themselves blocked creatively. In this playful, generative workshop, Finnian Burnett will guide participants into moving beyond perfection, beyond publishable, beyond predictable and into the idea of writing with joy. We’ll investigate poems, stories, and even memoir excerpts that show us how to play with words. Set aside the idea of good and embrace the idea of being odd. We’ll dive into terrible decisions, unusual point of view characters, what-the-haiku, and possibly something really weird like your next door neighbour’s taxidermied ferret. Come prepared to write, experiment, and embrace the joy of words. You’ll leave this workshop with new ideas, new beginnings, and the understanding that whatever form or genre you are writing in, you have permission to go wild.
