FBCW upcoming events

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-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.

SCHEDULE:

EVENT PRESENTERS AND TOPICS:

SCOOTER CORKLE: Screenwriting 101: Where We Start

Before FADE IN comes the question: where do we actually start? This introduction to screenwriting covers format, terminology, structure, style, and the practical demands of writing for production, then moves from the mechanics of the page to the humanity underneath it. With examples, we’ll explore how character and conflict shape dramatic structure, giving participants a practical foundation for where to start developing an idea into a screenplay. Students will leave with an understanding of the basic format, terminology, and conventions of a screenplay, plus a little of what makes one worth reading.

Bio: Scooter Corkle is a Canadian director, screenwriter, and producer known for the suspense feature Hollow in the Land (theatrical/Netflix), the cosmic horror film The Friendship Game (theatrical/Shudder), and Canadian Heritage Minutes on the Vancouver Asahi and Elsie MacGill. He was a screenwriter on the multi-award-winning feature Kayak to Klemtu, is co-author of The Comprehensive Dictionary of Cinema, and was named one of “25 Screenwriters to Watch” by the Austin Film Festival and MovieMaker Magazine. He has seen multiple projects through Telefilm Canada’s development pipeline, and his work has been featured in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Variety.

TONI GALLAGHER: What Is a Log Line and Why Are They So Frickin’ Important?

A log line is a one-to-two sentence distillation of your screenplay, which provides industry professionals with the essentials of your story. And creating them is harder than you might think!

In this workshop, you’ll learn the nuts and bolts of crafting a compelling log line. We’ll break down log lines of recognizable movies and determine how to improve them. Then you’ll have the opportunity to work on your own—receiving feedback, if you care to share.

By the end, you’ll have an understanding of a log line’s key elements, its importance in the industry and, ideally, an excellent log line of your own!

- An understanding of what a log line is, plus its importance in the industry

- Being able to discern a good log line from a bad one, based on examples

- The ability to craft a log line for your current and future projects

- Ideally, a great, finished log line

Bio: Toni Gallagher moved to Hollywood immediately after university, and has been there ever since. Her early jobs included running errands for director James L. Brooks as The Simpsons was being born and reading scripts for Steven Spielberg—which she’ll tell you more about soon. Toni spent 30 years as a producer, earning her the title “the godmother of reality TV,” but her proudest achievements are her two middle grade novels, published by Random House. She has spent the last four summers in the Comox Valley, the unceded traditional territory of the K’omoks First Nation, and is a proud member of the FBCW.

TYREL LOUGHEED, Character Psychology in Screenplays

Why do we do the things we do? Even a villain thinks they are doing what’s right. If we stick to knowing the “why” of our characters’ actions, we avoid one-dimensional, stale cartoonist characters (unless that’s the goal, for parody-type purposes). Using techniques to always question motives keeps our screenplays fresh and helps avoid plot holes. Students will learn how to question character motives, how to reread your drafts before submitting for further analysis, know your villains better, and develop a basic understanding of a first rewrite.

Bio: Tyrel Lougheed is a 2Spirit Indigenous filmmaker with their roots in the Sto:Lo Nation (Chawathil in Hope, BC) and the Tlaʼamin First Nation (in Powell River, BC). Tyrel was a graduate of the Indigenous Independent Digital Filmmaking Program (IIDF) at Capilano College in North Vancouver, BC, where they developed a love for screenwriting. Tyrel moved into the year-long intensive Screenwriting for Film and TV program at Vancouver Film School where they graduated with an extensive knowledge of storytelling, structure, and story editing.

After several years of writing as a hobby, Tyrel took the leap into full-time writing during the COVID pandemic. Tyrel wrote several screenplays that placed in the finals and semi-finals in several screenwriting competitions. Tyrel has been the recipient of two grants from the Canada Council for the Arts to write screenplays (2Spirits and Stolen Sisters). Tyrel has been funded twice by the Indigenous Screen Office to write, direct, and produce two short films (This Modern Love and Cross). Through their production company, WendyGoGo Productions, Tyrel likes to work within their communities and offer jobs to Indigenous folks who are interested in film but never had the courage or opportunity to pursue them.

Tyrel is currently enrolled in the prestigious Filmmakers in Indigenous Leadership & Management Business Affairs (FILMBA) at Capilano University, where they are studying to be a better producer.

Tyrel hopes to use their experiences to direct their first feature film, Stolen Sisters, a thriller about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women that highlights the themes of standing up for others. The film takes its basis from lived experiences of Tyrel and female members of their family (Tyrel’s mother was the victim of a brutal rape in her teens that sent her to court to fight it; almost all their female relatives have been victim to sexual assault; their mother’s cousin was a victim of Robert Pickton; and they have experienced sexual assault and harassment themself as a gay man).

BARRY W. LEVY, From Screen to Page: Adapting Your Screenplay into a Novel

Your screenplay tells a story visually—but some stories live better on the page. In this session, we'll explore when and why to adapt a script into a novel and work through the craft decisions that make the transition successful.

We’ll cover:

Why adapt at all—and when a novel serves your story better than a script
Rebuilding structure for prose (and what carries over from your screenplay)
Choosing your narrative tense
Managing point of view without head-hopping
Punctuation that trips up prose writers (yes, commas are weird!)
What publishers are looking for in your first sentence, first page, first chapter—and your first 25 pages

By the end, you'll have a clear plan for turning your existing script into a finished novel.

Bio: Barry Levy is a Vancouver-based filmmaker, actor, screenwriter, and novelist with over four decades of experience in film and television. A dual US/Canadian citizen, he has appeared in major series including The X-Files, Mad Men, Scandal, Supernatural, Arrow, and Hawaii Five-0, as well as numerous Hallmark productions. Through his company Mighty Pharaoh Films, Barry has written and directed two award-winning feature films and several shorts. His debut novel, The War Machine, won the Storytrade Award for Best Military Fiction and was a finalist for the Prodigy Award.

A graduate of the University of British Columbia, he balances filmmaking and writing with hobby tree-farming in rural BC.

CLAIRE MULLIGAN: Story Adaptation for the Screen

Adapting a short story or poem into a short screenplay is one of the best and most accessible ways to learn the craft of screenwriting (and help the prose writer understand story structure). In this one-hour workshop we will look at how to obtain rights, how to use and find public domain stories, the methods and considerations of adapting source material, and the types of adaptations. We will also try adapting an opening and brainstorm ideas for an adaptation of a story or poem from the public domain.

Bio: Claire Mulligan is an award-winning author of novels and short fiction with MFA in Screenwriting from UVic. For her first short film, she adapted her own short story The Still Life of Annika Meyers into a screenplay. Annika showed at international festivals including Seattle and Sedona, earning acting awards and audience choice awards. Her second short screenplay, Obscura (funded by the DGC and the Canada Council) won BC’s prestigious Leo Awards for Best Short and Best Screenplay, as well as Vancouver Asian Film Festival’s Best Canadian Short, and best screenplay & editing at the Short Circuit film festival amongst other accolades. She is working on an adapted feature-length script. She edits and story consults for screenwriters and prose writers and teaches online and for Uvic Continuing Education. See mulliganmethod.ca

CK LOVE: Dialogue Goodie Bag for Screenwriting

We know that dialogue can be the most important aspect of a screenplay—It is what attracts actors more than anything else. But dialogue is complex and can be the hardest thing to master.

In this session, we will examine the different elements of dialogue like character, genre, tone, emotional stakes, opposing agendas, time/place, etc., and apply some techniques so that participants are equipped to troubleshoot, and elevate their dialogue to strengthen their stories and make them sing.

How to approach a scene where the dialogue does not detract from the thrust of the scene's purpose.
How to focus the dialogue to get what you need from the scene.
How to avoid pitfalls of dialogue: exposition, aimless, boring.
Learn how to think about subtext.
How to have fun with it.

Bio: CK Love is a multi-hyphenate artist, a published author and optioned screenwriter. Her focus for her writing has always been a feminist one. Through her writing, she strives to express the complicated reality of being a woman at any age. As a therapist, she works with women who want to deepen their connection to their creative selves and their work. CK’s writing, fiction and non-fiction, can be found in anthologies in print and online.

KYRA FEQUET: Let’s Talk About Sex (Scenes) - Writing Intimacy for the Screen

What happens to an intimacy scene after a screenwriter types “FADE OUT”?

Writing intimacy for the screen presents a unique challenge: Give too little information, and the intention of the scene can become unclear; go into too much graphic detail and your script is now considered adult entertainment rather than film.

Led by an experienced Intimacy Coordinator, this workshop takes writers behind the scenes to explore how scripted intimacy moves from the page into production. Participants will learn what happens once an intimacy scene reaches the actors, director, and Intimacy Coordinator; how boundaries and consent shape what ultimately appears on screen; and how tools such as nudity riders, closed-set protocols, and production planning factor into the process.

With that production context in mind, we'll return to the page and look at how writers can create intimacy scenes that are clear, purposeful, playable, and filmable. We'll examine the balance between being too vague and overly prescriptive, what details actually help the creative team, and the questions writers can ask themselves to determine what an intimate moment needs to accomplish.

Whether a scene contains a first kiss, implied sex, nudity, or a complicated sexual encounter, participants will leave with a better understanding of how to write intimacy that serves the characters and story while giving the eventual production the information—and flexibility—it needs to bring that intimacy safely and effectively to the screen.

Bio: Kyra Fequet (She/Her) is an Intimacy Coordinator and Intimacy Director working across film, television, theatre, and dance. She works with actors, directors, producers, and writers to create intimate content that supports both the creative vision of a project and the boundaries of its performers.

Her work spans the journey of an intimacy scene from page to performance, including script consultation and breakdowns, consent and boundary work, choreography, implementation of industry intimacy protocols and best practices, and on-set support. She also works with writers and directors during development to help shape intimacy scenes that are clear, intentional, character-driven, and physically achievable on screen, and has been brought in to rewrite scenes when what works on the page doesn't necessarily translate into physical action.

Beyond her work in intimacy coordination, Kyra has volunteered as a script reader for the Moonshot Initiative’s Pilot Accelerator Program, evaluating original pilot scripts and helping select projects for the program.

Her recent screen credits include A Shot at Love (2025), Lockbox (2026), and Dreamers (2026). Kyra is passionate about exploring intimacy and the human experience, championing diverse and authentic representations and creating stories that reflect the many ways people connect with one another. She loves demystifying intimacy for artists and creating space for more open, thoughtful conversations about how we tell intimate stories.

ROBYN MARSHALL, Senior VP at MRC Studios, teaching Through the Producer's Lens: Genre in Hollywood

Robyn's info coming soon!

and last but never least,

TARA AVERY: Journeys of Heroes and Heroines: Archetypes and Storytelling

What if the Hero’s Journey isn’t the only journey worth taking? This session will put two influential archetype-driven storytelling models side by side: Christopher Vogler’s Hero’s Journey and Kim Hudson’s The Virgin’s Promise. We’ll look at how each approaches conflict, transformation, and belonging, and where their paths intersect and diverge.

Designed with screenwriters and screen-curious writers in mind, but applicable to all writers of fiction and creative non-fiction, this session will offer practical ways for using archetypal journeys to build richer characters and stronger arcs—without turning story structure into mere formula.

Bio: Tara Avery has worked as a writer, editor, and writing coach for over twenty years. She holds a BFA in Theatre, Film, and Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. In 2025, she was a finalist for the Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence. Tara is also the President of the Board of the Federation of BC Writers. She believes in the power of words to inspire, unite, and entertain. Mostly, she’s thrilled that she’s achieved her childhood dream of working with them for a living.

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.

Writer Talk: With Rosey Kaur Hwang (23 Sep 2026)

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Writer Talk: With Rosey Kaur Hwang

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 Rosey:

Rosey Hwang writes addictive, binge-worthy contemporary romance novels that are all heart yet unconventional, taking women deeper into the places within themselves that prevent them from living their own fairy tale. Her debut novel, Everything She Wanted, will be available in bookstores this October from Sugar Shack Books!

Off the page, she is a Digital Marketing Expert and Story Acceleration Coach helping authors share their work with confidence and build communities that genuinely love their offers.

When she isn’t writing or supporting her global clients, you’ll find her tucked inside a local coffee shop sipping a chai latte, curating dreamy playlists for her books, or savouring time with her family.

Connect with her on Instagram, @xoroseyhwang, or visit her website, roseyhwang.com, to learn more.

PREORDER Rosey's new book here:

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, drop us an email at hello@bcwriters.ca!

Sunday Webinar: Character Agency and Conflict, with Renée Gendron (27 Sep 2026)

Sun, 27 Sep 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Sunday Webinar: Character Agency and Conflict

Sunday, September 27, 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:

Come prepared to analyze your story idea or current work in progress. Participants will learn about character agency and types of conflicts that propel the plot forward. Part presentation, part guided exercise on strengthening character development and plot, students will have plenty of opportunities to interact, reflect, and sharpen their writing skills.

Takeaways:

how conflict drives the plot
how conflict drives character development
types of conflict and how to layer them
how characters can approach conflict

Intended audience:

Writers of any skill level

Presenter bio:

Renée Gendron is a multi-genre romance author. She writes romcoms, Canadian western historicals, and romantasies. She's the former president of the Ottawa Romance Writers and founder of the Canadian Romance Writers ~ Écrivains et écrivaines de livres romantiques du Canada. When she's not writing, she's exploring historical sites.

Follow Renée online and via social media:

Website

Bluesky

Facebook

Instagram

Buy Renée's books:

~ On Kobo

~ On Amazon

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

Writer Talk: With Darren Groth (29 Sep 2026)

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Writer Talk: With Darren Groth, author of Marooned and Boy in the Blue Hammock (among others!)

Free or by donation

Event Description

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 Darren:

Described as a “masterful writer” and “brilliant storyteller," Darren Groth is the internationally published author of works including Are You Seeing Me?, Munro vs. the Coyote, Boy in the Blue Hammock, and his recently released collection of personal essays, Marooned: A Memoir of Fandom, Fatherhood and the Far Side of the World.

He is an Adelaide Festival Award for Literature winner and has been nominated for numerous other prestigious prizes, among them the Governor General’s Literary Awards, the BC & Yukon Book Prizes, the OLA White Pine Award, the CBCA Book of the Year (Australia), and the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards (Australia).

Darren is a passionate advocate for the intellectual disability community, and is the proud father of a son with life-long cognitive and communication challenges. When he’s not watching American Ninja Warrior with his beautiful wife, he’s eating Fatburger with his wondrous twins.

Connect with Darren via his website at https://darrengroth.com/. Learn more about his latest book and order here:

And as always, if you have a WRITER TALK topic or guest idea, drop us an email at hello@bcwriters.ca!

Evening Webinar: Crime & Mystery Writing 101, with Jonathan Whitelaw (1 Oct 2026)

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Thursday Evening Webinar: Crime & Mystery Writing 101, with Jonathan Whitelaw

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

Have you ever wanted to get away with fictional murder? Do you know the difference between an alibi and a red herring? These questions and more will be answered in this whistle-stop tour of all things mystery fiction.

From crafting the perfect detective and villain to looking at the difference between cozy crime and police procedural and everything in between, this session will answer all your crime-solving (and causing) questions.

This introductory webinar stands on its own, but if you want to dive deeper into crime and mystery writing, Jonathan's four-week ENROLLED Crime & Mystery Writing course begins Tuesday, October 6. Sign up here: https://bcwriters.ca/event-6790705

Key Takeaways

Basics of what goes into a mystery/crime fiction plot
Basics of what goes into mystery/crime fiction characters
Differences in the sub-genres of mystery/crime fiction
An overview of the publishing industry's wants and expectations of mystery writers

Intended audience:

Writers of any skill level who are interested in crime and mystery!

Bio:

Jonathan Whitelaw is an award-winning author, journalist and broadcaster. After working on the frontline of Scottish politics, he moved into journalism. Subjects he’s covered have varied from breaking news, the arts, culture and sport to fashion, music and even radioactive waste—with everything in between. Jonathan’s work has appeared in The Sun, Daily Mail, Scotsman, STV, and The Scots Magazine as well as numerous international newspapers and websites. He is also a regular contributor to both BBC and CBC.

Jonathan is the author of the best-selling Bingo Hall Detectives series, and his latest novel, All At Sea, released April 28, 2026. Grab it here or from your preferred retailer:

For more info about Jonathan, follow him on Instagram at www.instagram.com/jdwhitelaw13 or visit www.northbanktalent.com/clients/jonathan-whitelaw

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

Sunday Webinar: StoryWork: Writing for Transformation, Evolution + Growth (4 Oct 2026)

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Sunday Webinar: StoryWork: Writing for Transformation, Evolution + Growth

Sunday, October 4, 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:

Do you have a personal story you feel called to write but get stuck every time you try? StoryWork is all about you, your life, and the stories that shaped you, but this isn’t a memoir workshop. Together we’ll explore storying as a transformative practice that supports your ongoing journey of self-discovery, healing, personal growth, authentic self-expression, creative expansion and/or career development (including publication).

StoryWork empowers us to become fully expressed authors of our stories and our lives. Through storying, we uncover the roots of our deepest fears, beliefs, and desires—the fuel that ignites the stories we most urgently feel called to write. When we rewrite old narratives, we rewire our brains and step into exciting new possibilities.

In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn:

a framework to unlock the transformative power contained in your stories
how to write the hard stuff without triggering you or your reader
what makes StoryWork such an effective approach to crafting powerful personal narratives
how to craft a breakthrough personal essay by practicing Nicole’s StoryWork principles

Intended audience:

Writers of any skill level

About the presenter

Nicole Breit (she/her) is an award-winning essayist, bestselling author and founder of the R/evolution Story Lab, a writing collective for creators, authors + seekers ready to claim their voices, expand their creative power, and evolve together through storying.

She is the co-author of Bloom: Letters on Girlhood, a memoir described by readers as “hilarious, intimate, heartbreaking, authentic, evocative and tender.” Bloom was included in CBC’s Fall 2025 round up of must-read nonfiction books and in BC Living’s 25 BC Books to read in the bathtub.

Nicole has been widely published in literary journals and anthologies including Swelling with Pride: Queer Conception and Adoption Stories, Awfully Hilarious: Pillow Talk, and Getting to the Truth: The Craft and Practice of Creative Nonfiction. Her mixed time-lapse essay about the death of her first love was selected as a Notable by Leslie Jamison, editor of Best American Essays 2017.

Over the past decade she has helped thousands of writers sidestep blocks, improve their craft, get published, and win awards. Nicole is a sought-after speaker on how storying allows us to shape the future by healing the past and how breaking the rules of traditional memoir can produce powerful (and publishable!) stories. She is at work on a multimedia memoir about a digital romance that explores the intersections of queerness, polyamory, neurodivergence, kink, and attachment theory.

Nicole lives on the Sunshine Coast. Follow @the.nicole.breit on Instagram where you might catch her reading in the tub or lip syncing to Lola Young.

Follow Nicole online:

Website (https://nicolebreit.com)

Instagram

Learn more about her books here!

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

Enrolled: Crime and Mystery Writing (4-week course), with Jonathan Whitelaw (6 Oct 2026)

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 02:00:00 GMT

FBCW Enrolled: CRIME AND MYSTERY WRITING: A DEEP DIVE, with Jonathan Whitelaw

Member price: $120 CAD (That's just $30 a session!)

Non-member price: $170 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:

Every great crime novel starts with a question: What really happened? Over four weeks, award-winning crime and mystery author Jonathan Whitelaw guides students through the essential craft of mystery and crime writing, from finding your voice and building a compelling detective to plotting a twist-filled case and laying the red herrings that keep readers guessing. Along the way, we'll explore how setting and time period shape a mystery's atmosphere, and close with an insider's look at the publishing side of the genre, including what agents and editors want and where crime fiction is headed next.

Each week includes optional writing prompts, giving students the chance to put new techniques into practice and get feedback from the group. Whether you're starting your first manuscript or refining a work in progress, this course offers a practical, supportive introduction to writing mysteries that hook readers from the first page.

Join us on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m., October 6 to October 27, for this fun, fast-paced series on how to take your crime and mystery writing to the next level.

Dates and time, all via Zoom:

Tuesdays, October 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2026, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Weekly topics may include:

Week 1: We'll discuss: What makes a mystery and crime novel? What are the sub-genres? How to find your voice as a crime and mystery writer. And finally, what makes the perfect detective? There's also the first completely noncompulsory assignment for the class, usually a prompt relating to what we've talked about and a chance for people to have a go at some writing between sessions.

Week 2: We'll talk about where to get ideas for murder/mystery plots and how to develop these from the first spark to putting something down on the page. Students will also have a chance to reflect on the different subgenres of crime and we will discuss how your plots, characters, setting, etc., have to fit the "style." Week two is also the first chance to discuss week 1's assignment.

Week 3: We'll talk about what a "red herring" is in mystery fiction and how it's an important aspect of any and every crime plot. We'll dive into the importance of location to mystery stories, whether that's literal location (city vs. rural) or the time period.

Week 4: A look at the "mystery writer's mentality," which is a recap of everything we've talked about. Jonathan will also examine and share the professional and industry side of mystery writing: what agents do, what publishers are looking for, what the industry is expecting/looking for, as well as expected trends in mystery writing in 2027 and beyond.

Bio:

Jonathan Whitelaw is an award-winning author, journalist and broadcaster. After working on the frontline of Scottish politics, he moved into journalism. Subjects he’s covered have varied from breaking news, the arts, culture and sport to fashion, music and even radioactive waste—with everything in between. Jonathan’s work has appeared in The Sun, Daily Mail, Scotsman, STV, and The Scots Magazine as well as numerous international newspapers and websites. He is also a regular contributor to both BBC and CBC. He is a multi-published author of the Bingo Hall Detectives series as well as his latest release, All At Sea, available now from HarperCollins.

For more info about Jonathan, follow him on Instagram, @jdwhitelaw13, or visit www.northbanktalent.com/clients/jonathan-whitelaw.

Evening Webinar: The Power of a Song with Jill Barber (8 Oct 2026)

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Thursday Evening Webinar: The Power of a Song, with Juno-nominated singer-songwriter and children's author Jill Barber

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

This 60-minute presentation interweaves stories about my songwriting practice with intimate acoustic versions of my songs. It's meant to inspire, entertain and demystify the songwriting genre and world of live performance. Like poetry, memoir, and prose, I have come to believe that songwriting is another form of creative self-expression that deserves a spotlight in the literary world.

Participants are invited to explore my musical catalogue, available on all music streaming platforms, and/or my children's picture books, available at the Vancouver Public Library.

Takeaways:

• Songwriting is an important literary form.

• Why fewer words matter more and how the personal becomes universal.

• Anyone can write a song.

• Music is one of the most immediate ways to connect to an audience.

• Process is as important as outcome.

About the Presenter

Jill Barber is a three-time Juno Award–nominated singer-songwriter, certified Gold recording artist, and published author (Nimbus). Her critically acclaimed musical repertoire spans a transformative spectrum from folk to vocal jazz to pop, and includes songs in both French and English.

Her evocative and timeless songs have been featured in film and TV, scoring shows such as Orange Is the New Black, The L Word, and Heartland, as well as powering a global advertising campaign for Chrysler with the track “Never Quit Loving You.”

Named Sirius XM’s Jazz Artist of the Year, Barber has over a million monthly listeners on Spotify and Apple Music and has scores of fans, including Blue Rodeo, Ron Sexsmith, and the late Kris Kristofferson, who called Jill “a real songwriter, and a damn good songwriter.”

An unforgettable, enchanting performer, Jill has headlined iconic venues such as Toronto’s Massey Hall, Ottawa’s National Arts Centre, Vancouver’s Vogue Theatre, and Tokyo’s Blue Note, and appeared at notable festivals including the Montreal Jazz Festival, Woodford Folk Festival in Australia, Green Man Festival in Wales, and at World Expo Dubai in 2021 and World Expo Osaka in 2025.

In 2026 she is on a national Symphony Orchestra tour, presenting Under Paris Skies, a celebration of French chanson, where she will be commanding a 60-piece orchestra as a vocalist. In 2027 she will publish her third children’s picture book, That Time of Year, with Nimbus Publishing.

Follow Jill online:

Website: www.jillbarber.com

Instagram: www.instagram/jillbarber

Substack: https://jillbarber.substack.com

Purchase Jill's music and books here.

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

Enrolled: Crime and Mystery Writing (4-week course), with Jonathan Whitelaw (13 Oct 2026)

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 02:00:00 GMT

FBCW Enrolled: CRIME AND MYSTERY WRITING: A DEEP DIVE, with Jonathan Whitelaw

Member price: $120 CAD (That's just $30 a session!)

Non-member price: $170 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:

Join us on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m., October 6 to October 27, for this fun, fast-paced series on how to take your crime and mystery writing to the next level.

Dates and time, all via Zoom:

Tuesdays, October 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2026, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Weekly topics may include:

Bio:

For more info about Jonathan, follow him on Instagram, @jdwhitelaw13, or visit www.northbanktalent.com/clients/jonathan-whitelaw.

October Writers' Social (13 Oct 2026)

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Join us on Tuesday, October 13, 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.

Saturday Webinar: Author Newsletters: Platforms and Practical Tips to Build Your Subscriber List, with Elizabeth Oldham (17 Oct 2026)

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Saturday Morning Webinar: Author Newsletters: Platforms and Practical Tips to Build Your Subscriber List, with Elizabeth Oldham

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:

An author newsletter is a necessary component in any author’s writing platform. But how do authors start, and how do they gain readers?

This workshop will review several successful author newsletters and discuss the different platforms and approaches they use. Attendees will learn about tools to gain new readers, how to ensure that they are delivering what the reader expects, and how to use the newsletter as a marketing tool. We will dive into the challenges of maintaining a newsletter, and attendees will participate in an exercise designed to plan a newsletter launch, including: 1) which platform is right for them; 2) what messages they want to convey in their newsletter (aside from, “Buy my books!”); and 3) what value they can offer their readers.

Attendees will learn:

1. Advantages and disadvantages of different newsletter platforms;

2. The importance of motivation in determining an individual's approach to newsletters;

3. The definition of success is up to the author;

4. How to use tools to increase subscribers; and

5. How to find the right audience.

About the presenter

Elizabeth Oldham, a lifelong writer, resides in Castlegar with her husband, assorted chickens, and a crazed rescue dog. She has published two novels with unique narrators: a dog, for example, and a woman with dementia. Her first novel, Tail of Humanity, published in 2023, was a finalist for the 2023 Best Book Awards and shortlisted for the 2024 Whistler Independent Book Award. Her second novel, Shadows on the Heart, came out in March 2025.

Follow Elizabeth online:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Substack

Buy her books:

**Digital doors open at 9:55 a.m. Event starts at 10:00 a.m.**

October 2026 Member Orientation (19 Oct 2026)

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 21:00:00 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 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 1:55 PM, Event Starts at 2:00 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

Enrolled: Crime and Mystery Writing (4-week course), with Jonathan Whitelaw (20 Oct 2026)

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 02:00:00 GMT

FBCW Enrolled: CRIME AND MYSTERY WRITING: A DEEP DIVE, with Jonathan Whitelaw

Member price: $120 CAD (That's just $30 a session!)

Non-member price: $170 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:

Join us on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m., October 6 to October 27, for this fun, fast-paced series on how to take your crime and mystery writing to the next level.

Dates and time, all via Zoom:

Tuesdays, October 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2026, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Weekly topics may include:

Bio:

For more info about Jonathan, follow him on Instagram, @jdwhitelaw13, or visit www.northbanktalent.com/clients/jonathan-whitelaw.

Enrolled: Crime and Mystery Writing (4-week course), with Jonathan Whitelaw (27 Oct 2026)

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 02:00:00 GMT

FBCW Enrolled: CRIME AND MYSTERY WRITING: A DEEP DIVE, with Jonathan Whitelaw

Member price: $120 CAD (That's just $30 a session!)

Non-member price: $170 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:

Join us on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m., October 6 to October 27, for this fun, fast-paced series on how to take your crime and mystery writing to the next level.

Dates and time, all via Zoom:

Tuesdays, October 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2026, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Weekly topics may include:

Bio:

For more info about Jonathan, follow him on Instagram, @jdwhitelaw13, or visit www.northbanktalent.com/clients/jonathan-whitelaw.