FBCW upcoming events

Writer Talk: With Eliana West (19 Aug 2026)

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Writer Talk: With Eliana West, Award-Winning Author and Founder of Writers for Diversity

Free or by donation

Event Description

WRITER TALK is our new live interview series designed to pull back the golden curtain on the publishing world. Casual chitchat—not a workshop or webinar—a low-key Q&A between host and guest where you can bring your writing and publishing questions.

Digital doors open at 6:55 pm!

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

About Eliana:

From small towns to close-knit communities, award-winning author Eliana West loves stories that bring people from different backgrounds together through the common language of unconditional love and acceptance. Eliana is an award-winning author and passionate advocate for diversity within the writing community. She is the founder of Writers for Diversity, teaching classes and workshops that encourage writers to create diverse characters and worlds with an empathetic approach.

When Eliana isn’t plotting her characters' happy endings, she can be found embarking on adventures with her husband, traversing winding country roads in their beloved vintage Volkswagen Westfalia, affectionately named Bianca. Whether it’s traveling abroad or exploring locally, Eliana and her husband are always willing to get lost and see where the adventure takes them.

Eliana loves connecting with readers through her website: www.elianawest.com.

Connect with Eliana at the Fall Into Writing Retreat, where she will be the Writer in Residence. Join us November 23-27, 2026 at Loon Lake Lodge & Retreat Centre and unplug, get some writing done, learn new skills, feel inspired, and make connections

Learn more and sign up: fbcwretreats.com/fall2026

After the initial Q&A, attendees will have the opportunity to ask their own questions and join the discussion. If you’ve ever wanted to sit in on the kinds of conversations that usually happen behind closed doors, then we shall save you a spot!

If you have a WRITER TALK topic or guest idea burning a hole in your brain, drop us an email at hello@bcwriters.ca!

Enrolled: Self-Publishing 101 (7-week course) (22 Aug 2026)

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 17:30:00 GMT

FBCW Enrolled: Self-Publishing 101

With Jenn Sommersby, freelance editor and indie/trad published author

Member price: $210 CAD (That's just $30 a session!)

Non-member price: $280 CAD

**This series will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants each week after the session. The recordings will be available for 45 days.

If you signed up after week one and are missing any recordings, please email hello@bcwriters.ca and let us know which sessions you are missing.

NOTE: Because this is a series of ongoing sessions, there will not be reminder emails about the individual sessions. This series uses the same Zoom link each week. We suggest saving the Zoom link in a calendar event, a Word Document, or the Notes app.

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

A seven-week, everything you wanted to know about indie/self-publishing but didn’t know who to ask course with Jenn Sommersby and guests! Join us on Saturdays from July 11th to August 29th for this informative and hands on series.

Dates and time, all via Zoom:

Saturdays, July 11, 18, and 25, from 10:30 a.m. to noon

Saturdays, August 8, 15, 22, and 29, from 10: 30 a.m. to noon

(We are skipping the BC Day long weekend.)

Self-publishing can be empowering, creative, and practical—but it can also be confusing to figure out alone. From editing and design to distribution, marketing, launch planning, and long-term sales, there are a lot of decisions between “I have a manuscript” and “My book is out in the world.”

FBCW’s Enrolled: Self-Publishing 101 is a seven-week course designed to help writers understand the full self-publishing process from beginning to end. Led by longtime indie publisher and freelance editor Jenn Sommersby, with special guests bringing insight into key parts of the publishing journey, this course will give participants a clear, realistic roadmap for preparing, producing, publishing, and promoting their own book.

This course is for writers who are considering self-publishing, actively preparing a manuscript, or looking for a better understanding of what it takes to publish independently. Participants will learn how to make informed decisions, avoid common pitfalls, understand publishing platforms and production needs, and build a launch plan that fits their goals, capacity, and budget.

Over seven weeks, participants will explore the self-publishing landscape, develop a practical publishing plan, learn the basics of book production and distribution, strengthen their author platform, and prepare for marketing, launch, and post-publication opportunities.

By the end of the course, participants will have a clearer understanding of the self-publishing process and a personalized roadmap for moving their book forward.

Weekly topics may include:

Week 1: Understanding Self-Publishing

Explore the differences between traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing models; what authors are responsible for; common myths and scams; and how to define success for your book.

Week 2: Publishing Strategy and Project Planning

Develop a realistic plan for your book, including audience, comparable titles, budget, timeline, production needs, and what support you may need to hire.

Week 3: Book Design and Production

Learn what goes into creating a professional book, including cover design, interior formatting, ISBNs, metadata, print and ebook files, and key production decisions.

Week 4: Publishing Platforms and Distribution

Compare platforms such as Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, Publish Drive, direct sales via Shopify and WooCommerce, print-on-demand (Lulu, BookVault, Books.by), and other distribution options, including considerations for bookstores and libraries.

Week 5: Author Platform and Branding

Clarify your author identity, reader audience, website, newsletter, social media presence, book description, and public-facing materials.

Week 6: Marketing and Launch Planning

Build the foundations of a launch plan, including advance review copies, endorsements, reviews, media outreach, events, promotions, and realistic marketing strategies.

Week 7: After Publication

Look beyond launch day to royalties, sales tracking, updates and new editions, audiobooks, rights, awards, festivals, speaking opportunities, and planning for future books.

Participants will leave with:

A better understanding of the self-publishing process from start to finish
A practical publishing timeline and production checklist
A clearer sense of budget, platform options, and distribution paths
Tools for thinking about author platform, marketing, and launch
A personalized roadmap for next steps

Bio:

Jenn Sommersby is a novelist, editor, publishing educator, and Superman nut. A graduate of SFU’s Writer’s Studio (2007), her YA debut, Sleight, was a Canadian Children’s Book Centre Best Book for Kids & Teens (fall 2018) and an Ontario Library Association Best Bets Honourable Mention Book for Young Adults (2019). Jenn was also awarded a BC Arts Council Grant in 2019 for a YA eco-fiction/dystopian novel about water scarcity. She’s written a baker’s dozen books as Sommersby and Eliza Gordon, including best-selling rom-com titles, and her most recent women’s fiction/dramedy novel, Wish Upon a Rosie, released in February 2026 and was chosen as a finalist in the 20^th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards (NIEA).

Jenn’s worked as a freelance editor since 2005 (via her company Plumfield Editing) for numerous internationally best-selling authors. Through her company, SGA Books, she supports indie authors with loads of publishing resources. Her first nonfiction advice/craft/confessional project in a new series, aptly titled Please Don’t Make Me Read This, is scheduled to publish in late 2026. She also works with FBCW as the Community Planning Manager. She is a tiny bit obsessed with writers and books.

Visit www.jennifersommersby.com and www.sgabooks.com for more.

Sunday Webinar: Prepare to Shine at Markets and Events, with Bonnie Jacoby (23 Aug 2026)

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Sunday Webinar: Prepare to Shine at Markets and Events

with Bonnie Jacoby

Member Price: $18

Non-Member Price is $28

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

Workshop/Event Description

Readers love meeting local authors. Selling your books at markets and events can boost sales and increase exposure.

But how do you start, and what makes you stand out?

Whether you’ve just published your first book or published many but haven’t ventured into the market space, this session will provide tips and a checklist of everything you need to sell your books and grow your brand. We’ll cover everything from how many books to stock and how to transport them, to finding a venue and setting up your sales display. You’ll leave this session with the tools needed to remove the stress so you can enjoy meeting your future readers and fans.

Intended audience:

Writers of any skill level

Bio:

Bonnie Jacoby writes science fiction and fantasy set in worlds inspired by the Pacific Northwest. She is the author of the YA fantasy series, Dragon Descendants of Drakkoia, featuring rebellious teen dragons and adventurous teens. Her debut book, Dreams of a Dragon Girl, was awarded 5 stars by IndieReader.

Bonnie’s stories feature delightfully conflicted teens who discover their inner strength and fight for what they believe. Her books tackle themes of identity, self-worth, justice, equality, and making a difference.

Known for her engaging characters, immersive world building, and action-packed journeys, she creates stories that make readers laugh, cry, and feel hopeful for a better world.

With a special love of dragons and spaceships, Bonnie’s stories will transport you to a world both familiar and fantastical, where anything is possible if you just believe in yourself.

Find Bonnie online at bonniejacoby.com

**Digital doors open at 1:55 pm, event starts at 2:00 pm**

Writer Talk (and BOOK LAUNCH!) with Gail Anderson-Dargatz (25 Aug 2026)

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Writer Talk (and BOOK LAUNCH!): With Gail Anderson-Dargatz
Free or by donation

Event Description

This special edition of WRITER TALK will include our usual casual one-on-one Q&A publishing chitchat, but it is also a BOOK LAUNCH CELEBRATION for award-winning author (and frequent FBCW instructor) Gail Anderson-Dargatz!

Gail and Jenn will chat about publishing stuff—Gail's publication journey, the highs and lows of this business, the stark realities of getting a book published in 2026 and how to keep the creative fires lit—while also celebrating Gail's latest literary achievement, which has been noted as one of Indigo's Most Anticipated Books for 2026!

Digital doors open at 6:55 p.m.

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

About Our Guest:

GAIL ANDERSON-DARGATZ’s internationally bestselling novels The Cure for Death by Lightning and A Recipe for Bees were both short-listed for the Giller Prize. Her thrillers The Almost Wife and The Almost Widow were national bestsellers, and The Almost Widow was shortlisted for the Crime Writers of Canada Howard Engel Award for Best Crime Novel Set in Canada. HarperCollins will release her next novel, The Atlas Keeper, August 25, 2026.

Gail also writes hi-lo books for the educational market. She taught for nearly a decade in the CW MFA program at UBC and now works as a mentor and developmental editor. For more, visit her website: gailanderson-dargatz.ca

After the initial Q&A, attendees will have the opportunity to ask their own questions and join the discussion. If you’ve ever wanted to sit in on the kinds of conversations that usually happen behind closed doors, then we shall save you a spot!

If you have a WRITER TALK topic or guest idea burning a hole in your brain, drop us an email at hello@bcwriters.ca!

Evening Webinar: Your Book, But Better: Following IBPA Publishing Standards, for Indie and Self-Published Authors (27 Aug 2026)

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Evening Webinar: Your Book, But Better: Following IBPA Publishing Standards, for Indie and Self-Published Authors

with Jenn Sommersby

Member Price: $18

Non-Member Price is $28

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

Workshop/Event Description

A great book is more than just good writing—it’s a complete package that includes strong editing, professional design, and smart branding. How many times have you been turned off from buying a book because the layout or design was just . . . not great? It screams amateur, right?

This session will cover the must-have elements of creating a well-designed, pleasing product so you’re taken seriously in the book world. We’ll discuss the importance of cover design, levels of editing, formatting, blurbs, metadata, and marketing as well as how to use the IBPA Industry Standards checklist to make sure you don’t hit a sour note when your opus makes her debut on the world stage. Readers really do judge a book by its cover (and pretty much everything else within the covers)!

Intended audience:

Writers of all genres and styles who are looking to independently publish their books

Bio:

Jenn Sommersby is a freelance editor, publishing mentor and educator, and author of a baker’s dozen books written under Sommersby and Eliza Gordon, including award-winning YA and best-selling rom-com titles. Her latest women’s fiction/dramedy, Wish Upon a Rosie, published in February and was a National Indie Excellence Award Finalist. Through her company SGA Books, she supports indie authors with publishing resources and hands-on teaching. Her first nonfiction series geared toward early-career writers will publish in 2026. And of course, she is the Programming Director for the Federation of BC Writers.

Pick up Jenn's latest books:

Here

**Digital doors open at 6:55 pm, event starts at 7:00 pm**

Enrolled: Self-Publishing 101 (7-week course) (29 Aug 2026)

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 17:30:00 GMT

FBCW Enrolled: Self-Publishing 101

With Jenn Sommersby, freelance editor and indie/trad published author

Member price: $210 CAD (That's just $30 a session!)

Non-member price: $280 CAD

**This series will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants each week after the session. The recordings will be available for 45 days.

If you signed up after week one and are missing any recordings, please email hello@bcwriters.ca and let us know which sessions you are missing.

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

Dates and time, all via Zoom:

Saturdays, July 11, 18, and 25, from 10:30 a.m. to noon

Saturdays, August 8, 15, 22, and 29, from 10: 30 a.m. to noon

(We are skipping the BC Day long weekend.)

By the end of the course, participants will have a clearer understanding of the self-publishing process and a personalized roadmap for moving their book forward.

Weekly topics may include:

Week 1: Understanding Self-Publishing

Explore the differences between traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing models; what authors are responsible for; common myths and scams; and how to define success for your book.

Week 2: Publishing Strategy and Project Planning

Develop a realistic plan for your book, including audience, comparable titles, budget, timeline, production needs, and what support you may need to hire.

Week 3: Book Design and Production

Learn what goes into creating a professional book, including cover design, interior formatting, ISBNs, metadata, print and ebook files, and key production decisions.

Week 4: Publishing Platforms and Distribution

Week 5: Author Platform and Branding

Clarify your author identity, reader audience, website, newsletter, social media presence, book description, and public-facing materials.

Week 6: Marketing and Launch Planning

Build the foundations of a launch plan, including advance review copies, endorsements, reviews, media outreach, events, promotions, and realistic marketing strategies.

Week 7: After Publication

Look beyond launch day to royalties, sales tracking, updates and new editions, audiobooks, rights, awards, festivals, speaking opportunities, and planning for future books.

Participants will leave with:

A better understanding of the self-publishing process from start to finish
A practical publishing timeline and production checklist
A clearer sense of budget, platform options, and distribution paths
Tools for thinking about author platform, marketing, and launch
A personalized roadmap for next steps

Bio:

Visit www.jennifersommersby.com and www.sgabooks.com for more.

Sunday Webinar: The Curiosity Mindset: Designing Experiments to Strengthen Your Writing Practice (30 Aug 2026)

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Sunday Webinar: The Curiosity Mindset: Designing Experiments to Strengthen Your Writing Practice

with Cadence Mandybura

Member Price: $18

Non-Member Price is $28

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

Workshop/Event Description

What's the next step for your writing practice, right now? You might be struggling with practical considerations, like finding the time to write, or working on an aspect of craft, like honing your dialogue. In this session, we'll learn how to use a curiosity mindset to design custom experiments for facing challenges and developing our strengths—judgment free.

Intended Audience:

Writers of any skill level

Bio:

Cadence Mandybura is a writer and editor who joined the Federation of BC Writers in 2016, shortly after moving to BC from Alberta. She volunteered at the Federation’s 2022 Summit, then took the helm of WordWorks magazine for four issues between 2022–23 and helped launch the Federation’s Roots to Branches anthology series.

Cadence’s speculative fiction has appeared in Metaphorosis, Pulp Literature, and Tales & Feathers, among others. She is a graduate of the Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University and a past associate producer for the fiction anthology podcast The Truth.

By day, Cadence works for the people of BC as a stakeholder relations coordinator in the BC Public Service. She is grateful to live in Victoria on the land of the lək̓ʷəŋən People, known today as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations.

**Digital doors open at 1:55 pm, event starts at 2:00 pm**

Writer Talk: With Alix Kelinda (2 Sep 2026)

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Writer Talk: With Alix Kelinda

Free or by donation

Event Description

WRITER TALK is our live interview series designed to pull back the magical curtain on the publishing world. Join us for a casual chitchat—not a workshop or webinar—just a low-key Q&A between host and guest where you can bring your writing and publishing questions.

Digital doors open at 6:55 pm.

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

About Alix:

Alix has been honing her craft for over a decade but reading furiously long before that. She enjoys helping her characters find love and humor amidst self-discovery and growth. When not writing, she works as a biostatistician analyzing healthcare data. She can also be found climbing rocks and drinking coffee, although not usually at the same time.

Alix’s debut romance novel The Christmas Curse will be published October 20, 2026, by Doubleday Canada, an imprint of Penguin Random House. She has short stories published both online and in print and holds an undergraduate degree in psychology, a master’s degree in medical sciences, and a certificate in creative writing.

Visit Alix online: alixkelinda.com

Preorder Alix's book HERE:

Evening Webinar: A Deep Dive into Deep Third Person POV (3 Sep 2026)

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Thursday Webinar: A Deep Dive into Deep Third Point of View

with Michelle Barker & David Brown

Member Price: $18

Non-Member Price is $28

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

Workshop/Event Description

If you've ever been confused by the rules around deep third point of view, this workshop will clear up all the mysteries (well, most of them, anyway). We'll review the various forms of third-person POV and then discuss why you might choose deep third and what to beware of if you do. When should the voice be consistent, and when shouldn't it be? How far can you safely zoom out? How should multiple POVs be handled?

We'll also review some self-editing tips for POV and leave plenty of time at the end for questions.

Key Takeaways

Understand the difference between various types of third-person POV
Understand how to use deep third POV
Understand the pitfalls around deep third
Learn how to self-edit for POV

Intended audience:

Writers of any skill level

Bios:

Michelle Barker is an award-winning author and poet. She is the co-author of Immersion and Emotion: The Two Pillars of Storytelling and Story Skeleton: The Classics. Her fiction, non-fiction, and poetry have appeared in literary reviews worldwide. She has published three YA novels (one fantasy and two historical fiction), a historical picture book, and a chapbook of poetry. Michelle holds a BA in English literature (UBC) and an MFA in creative writing (UBC). Many of the writers she’s worked with have gone on to win publishing contracts and honours for their work. Michelle lives and writes in Vancouver, Canada.

David Griffin Brown is the coauthor of two books for writers: Immersion and Emotion: The Two Pillars of Storytelling, and Story Skeleton: The Classics. He is also an award-winning short fiction writer with over twenty-five years' experience as an editor. Writing as Septimus Brown, he has published two novels: When the Sky Breaks and We've Come for Your Eggs. David founded Darling Axe Editing in 2018, and as part of his Book Broker interview series, he has compiled querying advice from over 100 literary agents. He holds a BA in anthropology (UVic) and an MFA in creative writing (UBC). David lives in Victoria, Canada, on the traditional territory of the Kosapsum and Songhees Nations.

Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/septimusbrown.com

Facebook: facebook.com/DarlingAxe

Instagram: instagram.com/darlingaxe

**Digital doors open at 6:55 pm, event starts at 7:00 pm**

September Writers' Social (8 Sep 2026)

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Join us on Tuesday, September 8, from 7:00 - 8:30 PM Pacific for our monthly Writers' Social.

Many of us strive for connection with other writers. This monthly members-only event is designed to help bring us together for casual chats, with breakout rooms for specific topics, genres, and niches. Join us for craft, career, and connection talk, with the chance to meet new people and get the most out of being a part of the FBCW.

Below are the proposed discussion groups for this month's meeting (subject to change). Email hello@bcwriters.ca to suggest a discussion topic for an upcoming Writers' Social.

Discussion Groups:

All about poetry
Editing and revision
Children's books / picture books
What are you reading? Current reads, favourite books
Memoir writers connect
Non-fiction writers connect (travel writing, journalism/reporting, research, etc)
Connecting writers with chronic illnesses
Romance writers
Traditional publishing chat (publishers, queries, finding an agent, etc)
Self-publishing chat
Writing and visual arts (film, theatre, photo essays)
General writing discussion

This event is exclusive to FBCW members. If you’re not a member yet, we would love to have you join us. You can find out more about membership on our benefits page. Email hello@bcwriters.ca with any questions about joining.

Digital doors open at 6:55 PM. Event starts at 7:00 PM Pacific.

September 2026 Member Orientation (10 Sep 2026)

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 01:00:00 GMT

Whether you’re a new FBCW member or a seasoned member who wants a refresher, join us for Member Orientation! We’ll be discussing member benefits, focusing on ways that the FBCW members can: Learn, Write, Connect, and Promote. Find out about the latest events, writing sprints, how to get involved, and where to get the information you seek.

The orientation overview will take about 20 minutes, and then there will be 10 minutes for questions at the end (30 minutes total).

Digital Doors Open at 5:55 PM, Event Starts at 6:00 PM Pacific Time

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

Have a question that can't wait for orientation? Email hello@bcwriters.ca

Evening Webinar: Discovering Character Beliefs with Eileen Cook (10 Sep 2026)

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Thursday Evening Webinar: Discovering Character Beliefs with Eileen Cook

Member Price: $18

Non-Member Price is $28

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

Workshop/Event Description

Research shows that beliefs shape not only how we see the world but drive the choices we make. In this workshop, participants will explore how a character’s beliefs about themselves, others, and the world can create authentic motivations, internal/external conflict, and a satisfying resolution to the story.

Prompts will be provided to help writers identify the beliefs driving their characters' actions, uncover the experiences that formed those beliefs, and challenge them to create conflict and growth. Writers may also uncover how their own beliefs shape their writing outcomes.

Key Takeaways

Why beliefs are important to how we see the world
Identify key beliefs our characters hold
Look at how character beliefs shape conflict, motivation and drive decision making

Intended audience:

Writers of any skill level

Bio:

Eileen Cook is a multi-published, award-winning author whose novels have appeared in nine languages. She’s written YA, middle grade, nonfiction, and most recently The Champagne Letters, under the pen name Kate MacIntosh, an adult historical novel that People magazine named a Best Book of December. She’s an instructor/mentor with the Creative Academy and Simon Fraser University’s The Writer’s Studio. Several of her books have been optioned for TV or film, but she hasn’t yet had a chance to walk the red carpet. However, she has perfected delivering her Oscar speech into her hairbrush.

Eileen lives in Vancouver where she is always in search of a great bottle of wine, a stack of books, and can be counted on to pet any random dog she meets.

**Digital doors open at 6:55 pm, event starts at 7:00 pm**

Writing Intensive: Scriptwriting - Screen Time Well Spent! (14 Sep 2026)

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 16:30:00 GMT

Join us for five days of online learning from September 14 to 18, 2026!

Writing Intensive: Script to Screen (Screenwriting)

Start: Monday, September 14, 9:30 a.m.

End: Friday, September 18, 2026, ~ 3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Join us for five days of inspired instruction from working professionals, Monday, September 14 to Friday, September 18, 2026. An intro tech session will be held on Monday morning at 9:30 a.m. to cover the week’s expected events and to address any tech issues in the audience.

Guided writing sprints will be held Tuesday through Friday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

The first instructional and/or panel session begins at 11:30 a.m. on Monday. The second session of each day will begin at 2 p.m. The 2 p.m. session on Friday will be a panel Q&A discussion featuring guests from our week.

ABOUT

Script to Screen is a week for writers curious about screenwriting—whether you’re starting from scratch or already have a script in a drawer. Unlike our other Intensives, this week leans into conversation: We’re bringing together a mix of panels and sessions with working industry professionals, rather than straight instruction, so you can hear directly from the people who turn words on the page into movie magic.

Over the week, we’ll cover:

the basics of screenwriting: format, structure, and terminology (Screenwriting 101);
how the film industry works, and where screenwriting fits inside it;
what actually separates a screenplay, a script, and a novel as forms
the hierarchy of screenwriting—once a writer’s draft is done, the project belongs to the director, and what that handoff means in practice;
the role of the producer, and how producers shape a project from development onward;
how screen adaptation works, from source material to shooting scripts;
how a script is “broken down” from the points of view of the people who make it into a movie: director, cinematographer, producer, wardrobe, and construction/art department
and MORE!

OPTIONAL PREP: SCREENWRITING SOFTWARE

If you’d like to follow along using dedicated screenwriting software, it’s recommended but not required. Options to consider ahead of the week include Fade In, Scrivener, WriterDuet (free plan available), Celtx (nominal monthly fee), Arc Studio, Final Draft, and Trelby. (Note: Trelby does not run on Mac OS).

The week of learning, activities, and connection will include FOUR hour-long guided writing sprint sessions each day and TEN 1.5-hour-long sessions and/or panels, including an end-of-week Q&A wrap-up event on Friday afternoon for participants to reflect on what they’ve learned and ask questions that haven’t yet been addressed.

Presentations will be recorded and available to registrants for 45 days after the intensive. The recordings will all be emailed at once, within a week of the end of the intensive. Sprint sessions will not be recorded.

DETAILED EVENT SCHEDULE -- COMING SOON!

THE FINE PRINT:

ZOOM LINK

The Zoom link will be included in your registration confirmation and in follow-up reminders.

We will be using the same Zoom link for the duration of the event.

Please watch your email for a confirmation of registration email.

If you do not receive your confirmation within 24 hours of registration, please check your spam folders.

Contact us at hello@bcwriters.ca if you have not received your confirmation by Thursday, July 16th to ensure we can get you the needed information.

RECORDINGS

Sessions (except social/discussion-based events) will be recorded and made available for 45 days after the last session.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Sessions will be a combination of talks, activities, and workshops.

The FBCW's statement of participant expectations applies in all settings. Please help us make this intensive a fun, safe experience for our presenters and community members by being respectful and considerate in your participation.

Most sessions will be 1 hour in length. Q&A may extend the session, but participants are not required to stay.

Participants are encouraged to have a pen and paper handy for all sessions.

RATES

FBCW MEMBERS: $69.50
GUEST: $89
SCHOLARSHIP: Limited scholarship-based discounts are available for those experiencing financial difficulties. Please email us at hello@bcwriters.ca to inquire.

POLICIES

RECORDINGS

Our presenters are provided with contracts that stipulate the length of time that recordings are available. We are obligated to respect these contracts. No extensions are possible.

Reach out if you have any tech challenges related to access of the recordings so that we can help you in the timeframe available.

REFUND POLICY

Full refunds will be issued up to August 28, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

Refunds for half of registration fees will be be issued until September 11, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

No refunds are possible after September 12, 2026, at 12:00 a.m. except in the case of severe illness, death, or other urgent situations determined on a case-by-case basis.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

We are an organization that cherishes the work of writers and artists. To that end, we ask that all participants respect the intellectual property of our presenters, recordings, and material shared. Do not reproduce or distribute Writing Intensive materials without written permission.

Similarly, if other participants share information or excerpts from their projects, please respect their intellectual property.

LIABILITY

In registering, participants understand and agree that the Federation of BC Writers (FBCW), its board, staff, presenters, and members are not liable for any damages or losses arising and waive any of the above from any and all liability.

The FBCW provides a space for presenters to share their experiences and insights with participants. The writing industry is a complex and ever-changing environment. As such, the FBCW does not endorse any specific information shared in our programming as being complete or accurate in all scenarios. Participants have a responsibility to research and make informed decisions on any information given or implied.

Difficult and triggering topics can arise as part of artistic practices that are unforeseeable for staff, volunteers, and other participants. The FBCW is not liable for any damages or harms caused by participating in our programming.

PARTICIPANT EXPECTATIONS

The FBCW is an organisation that celebrates diversity and inclusion; taking part in the program means that participants are expected to be respectful, inclusive, and support the dignity of all people regardless of age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, ancestry, language, nationality, ability, health status, religion, and socioeconomic status. All people have identities that intersect the categories above. Examples of behaviour that undermine the above are: crude jokes, unwanted communication, statements minimising others’ experiences/histories, and threats.

Participants are expected to arrive a few minutes before sessions start. This allows for any technical issues to be resolved without the group being disrupted.

If a participant is late, we ask that they refrain from asking “What did I miss” type questions so that the event can proceed smoothly. Staff and facilitators will do the best they can to assist if vital information has been shared, but the recording should be able to resolve any questions of this nature.

We ask that participants be mindful of the amount of time they speak at events. All participants should have the ability to join in. Participants are expected to keep comments on topic and under a minute so that as many people as possible can participate.

Participants understand that if they are muted, it is not an intentional slight to them, but is needed to keep the session moving forward. Participants can be muted at the discretion of the FBCW facilitators.

Difficult topics can arise, and participants understand that we cannot always know or understand other people’s histories. To help make the space as welcoming and safe as possible, if a participant is to share information or read excerpts from works that contain certain themes (outlined below), they will identify this prior to reading it to the group. (e.g. sexual assault, extreme violence, self-harm/eating disorders/suicide ideation, abortion/miscarriage, mental illness, graphic adult content).

Participants are expected to understand, be sensitive to, and respect the fact that the work of writers, and their opportunity to read their work may be triggering and/or therapeutic to them. Artistic works require vulnerability and the safety to be vulnerable, especially with sensitive topics. Participants agree to do their best to maintain a safe and supportive space for the sharing of the work, regardless of its nature.

ACCOMMODATIONS AND ACCESSIBILITY

The Federation of BC Writers strives to make our events accessible to folks across ability and neurodivergence. We will do what we can to make our programming available to all people.

Our programming is based on zoom which means there are some limitations on what can be accomplished, but also advantages such as closed captioning and the ability to join from anywhere.

Accommodations are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Accommodations that would significantly hinder the ability of other participants to be involved or participate are not possible.

Some accommodations may be beyond our financial and administrative capabilities. In such cases, we will seek funding or alternatives if possible.

Sessions normally last for an hour. Participants are welcome to step away from their computers if they need to while turning off their camera and microphone, but we will not be able to fill people in on what they missed. Participants are asked to return to the recording in such instances.

Sunday Webinar: Haibun - A Delightful Mix of Haiku and Prose with Isabella Mori (20 Sep 2026)

Sun, 20 Sep 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Sunday Webinar: Haibun - A Delightful Mix of Haiku and Prose

Sunday, September 20, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. (Pacific/Vancouver)

Member Price: $18

Non-Member Price is $28

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

Workshop/Event Description

If you like haiku or just succinct writing, you’ll like haibun—a Japanese form that combines short texts with haiku. We will briefly look at its origin as a travelogue, touch on what a modern haiku is, learn the secrets to combining prose and haiku, and have lots of opportunity to practice.

Intended audience:

Writers of any skill level

Bio:

Isabella Mori lives on the unceded, traditional and ancestral lands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh people aka Vancouver, BC, Canada. They are the author of three books of and about poetry, including Not So Pretty Haiku, and a book about mental health and addiction, Believe Me. They are the founder of Muriel’s Journey Poetry Prize, which celebrates loud, socially engaged poetry.

Poetry, short stories and essays have been in places such as Cutting Letters Anthology, Presence, Signs of Life, The Group of Seven Reimagined, Through the Portal (a 2025 SCWES prize winner), and Personal Essayist.

Isabella won second prize in poetry and third prize in nonfiction at the 2024 Write On Contest at at RCLAS contest. In 2021, Isabella was a writer-in-residence at the Historic Joy Kogawa House. They are the essay editor for Frogpond, a journal of Japanese forms such as haiku and haibun.

Follow Isabella on social media:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/moritherapy.bsky.social

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/isabella.j.mori

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imori.writes/

Website: https://moritherapy.org/

Buy Isabella's latest book here:

https://www.amazon.ca/Believe-Me-Addiction-Imagined-Analyzed/dp/1988915546

**Digital doors open at 1:55 pm, event starts at 2:00 pm**

Seasonal Spark Writing Sessions: Autumn (21 Sep 2026)

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Seasonal Spark Writing Sessions

Free to all!

Event Description:

Join author and editor Christina Myers near the start of each season—summer, fall, winter, and spring—for a creative boost through fun prompts based on each season's themes. Spend 45 minutes writing in a lighthearted session that will help get those creative wheels turning! Great for all genres of writing; prompts will be wide open to interpretation.

All events are online via Zoom. These sessions will not be recorded.

It's almost time to pull out the cozy sweaters and brew up a pumpkin spice latte!

Join us each season for more Seasonal Spark Writing Sessions.

Intended Audience:

Writers of all skill levels welcome.

Bio:

Christina Myers is a writer, editor, former journalist, and the author of two books and the editor of two anthologies. She has been longlisted for the Leacock medal, twice shortlisted for the Fred Kerner Book Prize, and is a two-time winner with the Canadian Book Club Awards. She teaches creative writing at SFU's Continuing Studies Department. Find her online at https://linktr.ee/christinamyers.