Emerging writers of all genres will have a unique opportunity to explore genre-writing and the indie publishing scene with the return of the one-day writing workshop organized by the Festival of Words here in Moose Jaw.
LitCon 2020 will return on Mar. 21 after a year of absence, with a day full of intriguing workshops and networking opportunities for both new and self-published writers.
“It's a little bit of everything that you might want to know about genre writing and there's a chance for networking, a chance for growing your own craft,” said Amanda Farnel, operations coordinator at the Festival of Words.
The workshops on the calendar this year cover all kinds of writing, and the Festival of Words team has selected speakers who know each genre in and out.
Novelist Suzy Krause with open the day with a session on plotting and organizing a work-in-progress using the word-processing program Scrivener, a popular management tool for writers.
There will also be a chance to hear from Harlequinn author Donna Gartshore on how to use the genre formula when writing romance while also retaining a personal voice, as well as how to write strong dialogue in children’s books with Alison Lohans.
André Harden will talk about the beauty of suspense in the horror or thriller genre and how to use scenes to create tension in a sequence.
Former police officer and security consultant Kim Calfas will offer a session on how to include realistic police work in the crime genre, answering questions about what’s realistic and what is not.
The conference will also offer a slush pile reading session with editors Heather Nickel from Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing in Regina, André Harden and Melanie McFarlane.
Authors can submit a page of work, anonymously, which will be read at the session and critiqued by the panel of editors.
“You're able to get the feedback without the anxiousness of getting the feedback personally, so it's more anonymous and everyone's able to more freely say what they want,” said Farnel.
Authors can also apply to have copies of their published works available for sale, and make some contact with publishers — attendees can submit a pitch to be reviewed by one of the editors for a pitch session, and receive some publisher feedback.
It’s a unique opportunity for most independent writers and self-publishers, said Farnel, which is why the Festival hosts the conference in addition to the annual summer festival.
“I think this really focuses on the independent or self-publishers that don't really get a feature in the main festival,” said Farnel. “They really are able to get a chance to shine and feel like they are supported in our community.”
Registration for LitCon 2020 is already open, with a full schedule and registration details online at the Festival of Words website.
Farnel hopes to see writers attend the conference and emerge with some more knowledge about their genre, their pitching skills, and their futures with publishing.
“This is really about bringing everyone together and it's about networking and working together,” said Farnel. “It's also a way to bring other people's writing that are from Moose Jaw or from Saskatchewan, that you might not know of because they're not with a major publisher.”
