Join us for a Writers' Social on Tuesday, July 8th from 7:00 - 8:15 PM Pacific by registering here (bcwriters.ca/events-for-writers) and a Zoom link for the event will be sent to you. When it’s time for the event you can click on the Zoom link to join the event.
Many of us strive for a connection with our fellow writers. This members-only monthly event is designed to bring us together for casual chats with breakout rooms. Join us to talk craft, career, and connection for about 75 minutes over Zoom. Meet new people and get the most out of being a part of a provincial organization! Below are the proposed discussion groups for this month's meeting (subject to change). Please email meaghan@bcwriters.ca if you would like to suggest a discussion topic for an upcoming meeting. See you there!
Discussion Groups:
Digital Doors Open at 6:55 pm, Event Starts at 7:00 PM Pacific
Member Price: Free (with donation options)
Non-Member Price: $10
**Digital doors open at 6:55 pm; event starts at 7:00 pm Pacific Time
**Portions of this event will be recorded and made available to registrants to view for 30 days. Breakout room discussions will not be recorded.
The Federation of BC Writers invites you to participate in our newest programming initiative: Book Club for Writers! This online book club for writers offers an opportunity to read and discuss books related to the craft of writing. Book Club events are 75 minutes long and feature a combination of small group discussion using breakout rooms, large group discussion in the main room, as well as an opportunity to hear the author, contributor, editor, or special guest’s insights and ask questions.
Our July 2025 pick is In | Appropriate: Interviews with Canadian authors on the writing of difference. We are thrilled that Kim Davids Mandar (editor) and Chelene Knight (interviewed in the collection) will join us to share their insights. Register here (bcwriters.ca/events-for-writers) to receive the event link, discussion questions, and reminders. Purchase the book, review the discussion questions, and when it's time for the event, click on the link to join the live Zoom event. We look forward to seeing you there!
BOOK BLURB:
In | Appropriate is a collection of interviews with Canadian authors, exploring how they work through questions of difference, identity, and appropriation in their writing.
Edited by Kim Davids Mandar, and introduced by Daniel Heath Justice, the collection features interviews with Ian Williams, Ayelet Tsabari, Sanchari Sur, Eden Robinson, Jael Richardson, Waubgeshig Rice, Amanda Leduc, Chelene Knight, Mahak Jain, Wayne Grady, Alicia Elliott, Farzana Doctor, Michael Crummey, Arif Anwar, and Angie Abdou. The interviews address questions of appropriation that go beyond race and culture, extending also to gender, sexuality, ability, age, and other categories of difference. They ask how writers work to represent an increasingly diverse and complex culture in ways that avoid falling into appropriation.
PRESENTER BIOS:
Kim Davids Mandar: In | Appropriate was published by Gordon Hill Press in 2020 (pandemic release) concurrent with completion of an MSc in Capacity Development (topic: Intercultural Competence) at the University of Guelph. Kim works full-time at Wilfrid Laurier University in Accessible Learning while completing her PhD at the University of Toronto (Leadership in Higher Education). Kim primary learning continues in transformative community development through the Association for Baha'i Studies and with the Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition in her home town of Guelph, Ontario alongside furry four-leggeds, friends, family and neighbours. Published creative writing includes: a flash CNF piece in Sustenance, Anvil Press; A CNF essay entitled My First Non-White Christmas, Prairie Fire.
Chelene Knight is the author of five books including Safekeeping: A Writer’s Guided Journal For Launching a Book With Love (Anansi 2025), and Let It Go: Free Yourself From Old Beliefs and Find a New Path To Joy (HarperCollins Canada 2024). She is founder of her own creative studio, Breathing Space Creative through which she’s launched the BSC Writing Mentorships which are thoughtfully designed to help writers elevate their craft, shape and develop their manuscripts, and deepen their connection to who they are as creatives. www.breathingspacecreative.com
STEPS:
1. Register here to receive the discussion questions and event link
2. Purchase your print or electronic version of the book
3. Read the book and consider the discussion questions (emailed two weeks before meeting)
4. Join the Book Club meeting using the Zoom link to discuss your responses and hear from the authors!
Please email Meaghan@bcwriters.ca if you have any questions, or would like to suggest a book.
Join us for 5 days of digital learning from July 14 to 18, 2025 Online.
ABOUT
In this multi-session, recorded event, learn from top editors how to both revise your own work and address external feedback and suggestions. Cut the clutter, befriend the red pen, and take your draft from rough to refined. Workshops, presentations, and editing sprints will help you survive – and thrive! – in your very own revision quest.
WEEK-AT-A-GLANCE
9:30 am Introduction and Tech Help (July 14 only)
9:00 am Guided Editing Sprints (4 sessions starting on day 2)
11:00 am Main Sessions (5 Sessions starting on day 1)
2:00 pm Bonus Sessions (2+ Sessions as presenters are available)
All times are in Pacific (Vancouver) time.
EVENT SCHEDULE
MONDAY
9:30:AM: Tech Help and Welcome
11:00 AM: 'Self-Editing for Voice and Point of View' with Michelle Barker and David Brown, from the Darling Axe
2:00 PM: 'Editing Books and Other Long-Form Manuscripts', a panel discussion, moderated by Frances Peck, with Leslie Vermeer and Iva Cheung
TUESDAY
9:00 AM: Guided Editing Sprint (30 minutes)
11:00 AM: '5 Ways to Unstick a Story' with Lisa Hislop
2:00 PM: 'Unfiltered: Avoiding Filter Words to Strengthen Your Writing' with Tara Avery
WEDNESDAY
11:00 AM: 'Save Your Darlings' with Mark Cameron
2:00 PM: Editing workshop with Kyle Hawke
THURSDAY
11:00 AM: 'Words Are Fun! Playing with Language to Explore, Expand, and Elevate Your Writing' with Genevieve Wynand
2:00 PM: 'Starting Over: Tackling the Rewrite' with Rachel Dunstan Muller
FRIDAY
11:00 AM: 'Twenty-One Revision Techniques' with Cheryl Klein
2:00 PM: 'Ready, Set, SUBMIT!' with Jenn Sommersby
RECORDINGS
WHAT TO EXPECT
RATES
POLICIES
REFUND POLICY
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
LIABILITY
PARTICIPANT EXPECTATIONS
ACCOMMODATIONS AND ACCESSIBILITY
Join us for an information session about all of the Writing Circles that open for registration in September! Circle facilitators will be on deck to pitch their groups and explain how their Circles will function. We will also share general Writing Circle guidelines and expectations. We anticipate the preview will take about an hour with an additional 15 minutes for questions at the end (75 minutes total).
Please note that registering for this event is separate from registering for a Writing Circle. Registration for Fall Writing Circles will open on Wednesday, August 6 at 12:00 pm. Visit https://bcwriters.ca/circles to view up-to-date descriptions and register.
Digital Doors Open at 6:55 PM, Event Starts at 7:00 PM Pacific Time
*This event is being recorded. If you cannot attend, please register and a link to the recording will be emailed to you within 48 hours of the event.
A Moveable Verse (poetry)
Do you find your words live in hedgerows, clipped and precise as a Spenserian sonnet or are your stanzas more likely to be rooted in free verse cottage gardens? Maybe you discover your poems along unmarked pathways and new fields? Let’s share where we find the seeds for our poems and together cultivate our poetry through mutual support, generative discussion, and respectful feedback.
Max # of participants: 15
Date/time: 4th Wednesday at 7:00 pm
Duration: 120 minutes
Creating Memoir (memoir)
Though your memoir is a solo perspective, it doesn't need to be a solo process. Together we can reflect through some tough points, share readings and have time to explore a few writing activities to give a fresh outlook on the words in front of us… and help with the ones that are not in front of us… yet!
Max # of participants: 10
Duration: 90 minutes
Curiosity Cafe (all genres)
A space for prose writers who regularly re-examine their creative process and occasionally encounter complex or unusual challenges in their work. This group is not focused on critique, nor is it centered on experimental writing as a genre or practice. Rather, it welcomes writers who are thoughtful about their craft and open to exploring questions that emerge along the way.
Think of it as a peer consultation group: we come together to reflect, exchange ideas, and consider possible approaches to the writing dilemmas we face. A shared Google Drive may be used to post brief excerpts or discussion questions in advance to help guide our conversations. This is a space for reflection, not instruction—best suited to those with a strong foundation in writing and a curious, open mind.
Max # of participants: 8
Date/time: 1st Tuesday at 7:00 pm
Duration: 60 minutes
Exploring the Hybrid Memoir (memoir)
Faith Adiele has said, "Hybrid lives deserve hybrid structures." This is a group for anyone working on, or interested in working on, a hybrid memoir. We will explore and discuss the many forms of the hybrid memoir. Some thoughts about how this group will unfold: sharing examples of hybrid memoirs we can read and discuss, discussions on various forms and structures (e.g. linked essays, braided forms, two timelines). Hoping to have a group enthusiastic about generating other discussion topics.
Max # of participants: 7
It’s a Mystery to Me (fiction)
What makes fiction work? This group is for writers of novel length fiction including mystery, other genres and general fiction. Participants will share their written work and provide feedback in a somewhat structured format in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses. The intention is to find areas where each writer can focus in order to improve their output.
While there is a need for the members to provide constructive criticism, there is also a desire to establish a supportive group of writers working through similar issues in producing an extended work.
Date/time: 2nd Wednesday at 7:00 pm
Low Pressure, High Passion Creative Non-fiction Writing Circle (creative non-fiction)
Are you working on a memoir, a personal essay, a long-form narrative nonfiction novel—or simply bursting with stories that need to be shared? Whether you’re polishing your first short story or shaping the chapters of your debut novel, this monthly Creative Non-Fiction Writing Circle might be just what your writing soul needs.
Inspired by the monthly cohort model of SFU's The Writers Studio, this circle is all about craft, connection, and community. Each month, we gather online to discuss member submissions—shared the week prior via Google Drive—and offer thoughtful, constructive, and encouraging feedback. It’s a space where writers lift each other up, learn from one another, and keep those words flowing.
Whether you’re just starting out or deep in the writing trenches, you’ll find encouragement, accountability, and genuine camaraderie.We meet once a month—low pressure, high passion. Limited spots to keep it personal and meaningful.
Duration: 60-90 minutes
Next Steps: Writing to Reach your Literary Goals (various genres)
This group is for writers with administrative writing goals related but not limited to: preparing grant and/or residency applications, composing query letters for agents and/or publishers, writing pitches, composing or tweaking your CV, and any of that other potentially dry (yet important!) work that will help you take your writing to the next level! Group interests and needs will play a huge role in determining topic(s) covered in this writing group. We might also explore our writing “whys,” reflect on internal (and external) barriers to our administrative writing practice, and explore what it means to build habits in support of our writing goals.
In each session, we will revisit or set goals, engage in group discussion and/or updates, and embrace a collaborative approach to resource sharing and learning. Each session will dedicate time to independently tackle an administrative writing task.
In short, this will be an encouraging and supportive group intended to help keep you accountable to your deadlines!
Max # of participants: 20
Reading Poetry for Self-Reflection and Dialogue (poetry)
In this group, we'll read poetry together not to analyze form, but to inspire conversation. During each circle, we'll read 1-2 poems together on themes that are personally relevant to the group, like on our relationship to home, success, uncertainty, anger, sadness, or others that may emerge. Together, we’ll notice what the lines of these poems stir or illuminate within us. Our conversation may lead into some quiet writing time where you can reflect on our conversation (and maybe write a poem of your own). This group will be facilitated by Christine Bissonnette, a trainee Applied Poetry Facilitator through IFBPT.
Date/time: 2nd Sunday at 11:00 am
Screenwriting
Open to screenwriters of all levels and anyone interested in the art and craft of screenwriting. We start with a 30 minute discussion on topics that the group selects, then we share and critique the work of members.
Date and time: 2nd Sun at 11:00 AM
The Penny Wonderfuls (genre fiction)
Hello! We are The Penny Wonderfuls, a circle for young speculative writers. Our group is for writers ages 18-28. We focus on genre writing, particularly fantasy, sci/fi, horror and humour. We meet once a month for writing check-ins, sharing motivation, discussing craft and celebrating each other’s work and progress! We are looking for active writers who are excited to talk shop and help each other along our writing journeys!
Tune In—Jamming (various genres)
Come and experience raw writing. Check in with others and see what hearts and voices create in the moment. Bring your ideas for prompts, prepare to discuss process and what arrives on the page when the mind is quiet and the heart and inner voices are free to play. All welcome.
Date/time: 4th Thursday at 11:00 am
Workshop for Drafts (various genres)
This Writing Circle will be focused on getting other pairs of eyes on your work. If you are looking for some feedback on your writing, want to get help with plot points you’re stuck on, or just want some great conversation about story and structure, this is the spot for you! This small writing circle will focus on sharing current projects in order to hear others’ thoughts and even some help or guidance. We will focus on short stories and novels, (although poets can join too!) and all genres are welcome.
Women Who Roar (various genres)
Open to anyone over 30 identifying as female interested in memoir, poetry, essay, and narrative writing dedicated to writing check-in, motivation, accountability, and critique in a safe space.
Max # of participants: open
Duration: 30-45 minutes
Write For Your Life (memoir)
Are you beginning the journey of writing your memoir, are you stuck in the middle, or do you need a bit of accountability for the final stretch? In a supportive and encouraging format, find motivation and clarity for writing your memoir. We will share readings, offer opportunities to participate in peer review pods, exchange ideas and resources, and have regular check-ins on how your writing is going. This is a facilitated group where everyone gets a chance to have their voice heard. Write For Your Life and Leave a Legacy!
Visit https://www.bcwriters.ca/circles to view all Circles open for registration.
Our September 2025 pick is Self Publishing in Canada: A Complete Guide to Designing, Printing, and Selling Your Book. We are thrilled to have the author, Suzanne Anderson, join us! Register here (bcwriters.ca/events-for-writers) to receive the event link, discussion questions, and reminders. Purchase the book, review the discussion questions, and when it's time for the event, click on the link to join the live Zoom event. We look forward to seeing you there!
Today more writers are turning to self-publishing to get their books into the hands of readers quickly. They are also taking control of their book and making money with the first book they sell. This book makes the process easy to understand as you are guided step-by-step to publishing your own book. This new edition gives current information for today’s self-publisher and includes a chapter on e-books.
PRESENTER BIO:
Suzanne Anderson is an author and publishing coach who helps writers navigate the world of independent publishing. She self-published her first book in 1997 and has written four more books since. A blogger, she also writes freelance and has had articles in Cadence Magazine and WordWorks. She has a website and Facebook group.
Suzanne has been a guest speaker at Vancouver’s Word-On-The-Street, the Royal City Book Festival and the Okanagan Valley Writer’s Festival. She has given self-publishing presentations at many writers festivals in BC and presented workshops at Vancouver Island University, Camosun College, and Simon Fraser University. She has given workshops throughout BC on both self-publishing and creative writing.
A member of the Federation of BC Writers, Suzanne volunteers in several capacities. She is the Cowichan Area Rep and is on three marketing teams, including the WordWorks distribution team and the social media team.
The first edition of Self Publishing in Canada won a Writer’s Digest Self-Publishing Award Honorable Mention. The book was written about in the Vancouver Sun. Suzanne was a guest on CTV Toronto speaking about self-publishing.
4. Join the Book Club meeting using the Zoom link to discuss your responses and hear from our presenter!
Join us for 5 days of digital learning from Nov 17 to 21, 2025 Online.
Artificial Intelligence is a heated topic in writing communities around the world. It has led partly to the downfall of NaNoWriMo, created changes to publishing contracts, and added new levels of complexity to contests, submissions, and much more.
The one thing we can say about AI with certainty is that it is here, and it is permeating our lives whether we like it or not.
We’ll be honest, at the Federation of BC Writers, we have shied away from the topic as we did not want to invite controversy to our community, but the questions are many and the need for knowledge is ever growing. We are excited to host an entire week of discussions, workshops, and panels on the role AI is playing in the writing community.
Join us for the Writing Intensive: 2AI Or Not to AI. We will discuss what AI and AI related terms mean, unpack the ways that AI threatens and complicates the careers of writers, and look to ethical uses for AI in enhancing and strengthening our creative and professional endeavours.
9:30 am Introduction and Tech Help (Nov 21 only)
Additional activities will be added over the summer as they are confirmed.
All times are in Pacific (Vancouver) time
**Digital doors open at 1:55 pm; event starts at 2:00 pm Pacific Time
Our final 2025 pick is How to Talk About Writing: A Fundamental Shift in Perspective (Vivid Publishing). We are thrilled to have the author, Barbara Turner-Vesselago, join us! Register here (bcwriters.ca/events-for-writers) to receive the event link, discussion questions, and reminders. Purchase the book, review the discussion questions, and when it's time for the event, click on the link to join the live Zoom event. We look forward to seeing you there!
This book provides invaluable advice for all who long to respond constructively to writers who seek their input, but who don’t know how or where to begin. With insight and clarity, Barbara Turner-Vesselago distils the essentials of ‘How To Talk About Writing’ into six revolutionary discoveries
Seasoned writing mentors and editors will be inspired to abandon old paradigms of editorial criticism. Those new to giving feedback will find straightforward tips—easy to comprehend and instantly rewarding to apply.
Barbara Turner-Vesselago is the author of two successful writing books and a mentor to hundreds of published authors worldwide. Informative and user-friendly, this is a vital guide for writers’ groups, university seminars, and even for frank and informal one-on-one discussions between friends.
Email us at hello@bcwriters.ca
PO BOX 3503 Courtenay, BC, V9N 6Z8
Registered Charity Number: 127661718