Workshops

Literary

The Business of Writing: Get advice on everything from how to submit work for publication, where to submit, how to get a publisher and how to get an agent, what it means to be a freelance writer and how to do market research, how to self-brand and self-market, how to put together readings, which professional organizations to join, and how construct a proffesional writer's portfolio and resume. 
Facilitator(s): Matt Rader, Matthew Hooton

Building Inventory One: Explore how to "take stock" of your life and your surroundings through writing, how to "stock" your stories with the imagery of your lives and your environment, how to turn what you know, where you live, and what you imagine into materials for your writing. Facilitator(s): Matt Rader, Matthew Hooton

Building Inventory Two: Explore how to collect your writing and build a product that is ready for the literary marketplace, how to shape a book of poems or stories and how to package both fiction and non-fiction novels, how to build your literary resume and what editors, agents, publisher, and grants committees are looking for when they read your poems, essays, stories, and books. Facilitator(s): Matt Rader, Matthew Hooton

Building Inventory Three: Investigate how to research using libraries, archives, and online resources. Discover the importance of research in all forms of writing from poetry to fiction to non-fiction essay. Investigate methods of research into, and experimentation with, your own process and literary practice(s). Facilitator(s): Matt Rader, Matthew Hooton

Introduction to Poetry: Examine some of the principles of poetic composition such as imagery, figuration and form and how to edit and improve your poetry. Build new strategies for reading and writing poetry and discover how poetry workshops operate to assist poets in the pursuit of their art. Facilitator(s): Matt Rader.

Introduction to Fiction: Examine some of the principles of written narrative composition such as character, plot, and setting, and how to edit and improve your fiction writing. Build new strategies for reading and writing fiction and discover how fiction workshops operate to assist poets in the pursuit of their art. Facilitator(s): Matt Rader, Matthew Hooton

Writing about home: creating/remembering place. In this seminar students will examine places that are meaningful to them and attempt to translate these settings into fiction. The instructor will focus on the similarities between memory and creativity, and help equip students with the tools to fictionalize real places, and/or bring imaginary environments to life. Facilitator(s): Matthew Hooton, Matt Rader

Getting started: entering the story. In this seminar students will focus on creating story lines and characters that are sustainable. Attention will be given to the concept of "hooking" the reader, but more importantly, on methods of discipline that allow writers to maintain interest in their own work. The workshop will also include an examination of literary entry into narrative (how famous writers get things started on the page). Facilitator(s): Matthew Hooton

Social Development 

Birth Stories: Explore how to cover and recover birth stories. Examine which details to record and how to record them and discover the significance of your own birth story on the outcomes of your child's birth. Question the lasting effects of births and birth stories on your own health and personality. Facilitators(s): Melanie Willson, Matt Rader, Tina Rader.

Childhood Allergies Re-authored: This workshop will investigate the signs and symptoms of allergies in children and how to tell the story of those signs and symptoms in a way that will help that story be heard. We will develop practical steps for the elimination of allergies and allergy suffering for your child. Learn how to re-author the story of allergies in your life. Facilitator(s): Matt Rader, Tina Rader, Melanie Willson.

Developing Resilience in First Nations Communities: Using traditional Aboriginal stories held by families and individuals hearts and minds we will explore notions of honour, respect, relationship and family to develop notions of resilience in children youth and families. We will explore how to use these ancient and new stories to influence the development of new local community narratives. Facilitator(s): Tina Rader, Matt Rader.

Illness Narratives: In this workshop, we will explore ways of writing about both acute and chronic illnesses. We will examine the impact of the medical model and traditional illness metaphors, and will investigate creative modes of writing and telling stories about illness. Facilitator(s): Tina Rader, Matt Rader, Melanie Willson.