First timers, self-publishers, hopefuls and old hands are all welcome at this year’s Powell River Writers Conference to find help “taking it to the next level.”
The eighth annual event, on Friday, April 15 and Saturday, April 16, is catering to writers of all levels and ages who are interested in pushing their art to the next level and honing their craft.
CBC Radio 3 broadcaster Grant Lawrence will take part in the event and host a workshop on getting your book to the finish line, something that Lawrence said is the most frustrating but ultimately most satisfying part of writing one. Lawrence learned all about the crawl to the finish line when writing his BC bestselling book Adventures in Solitude about his personal history with Desolation Sound.
Over a book tour, that has seen Lawrence hosting about 35 to 40 reading events in eight provinces and one territory, he said one of the most common questions he heard is how to get to the point where you can write “the end.”
“Quite frankly those were the two most satisfying words I typed in the entire process of writing my book,” said Lawrence. “The seminar that I’m going to do is talking about how to find the motivation and the drive and the inspiration to finish what you started
and to type those two words.”
Recent Powell River import Hannah Main-Van der Kamp will present a workshop on poetry designed to appeal to non-poetry writers. The workshop, entitled Ten Elements of Poetry Useful to Writers of Other Genres, will introduce writers to all kinds to poetic conventions that can be useful outside the genre.
Melody Poirier will also host a workshop called Jump Start on Book Printing, which will give participants a breakdown on how to get a book ready for the printing stage. Poirier works for Island Blue Printorium Bookworks in Victoria and will cover how to get all kinds of writing from the computer to the page.
President and founder Barb Rees said everyone is welcome at the conference regardless of experience and even someone who has never written a word, but thinks they might want to start, will find value. Gwen Enquist, a retired nurse, came to the conference seven years ago with no experience as a writer and has since published three novels.
“It’s good for creativity in Powell River, it’s good for our culture, it’s good for people to associate with readers and writers,” said Rees. “They are going to rub shoulders with other writers, where they’re going to go away inspired and educated and motivated. It’s changed my life as a writer and I know it has for many others.”
There are a variety of ways that people can take part. Tickets are sold separately for the opening ceremonies on Friday evening, the Saturday workshops and West Coast Writer’s Banquet Saturday night. All events take place at Dwight Hall. Winners of writing contests will also be announced at the opening ceremony.
Separately ticketed master classes will take place on Friday morning, taught by Sylvia Taylor and Anthony Dalton. Taylor will teach The A-Z of Self-Editing, after which Dalton will cover freelance writing for profit. Each workshop is $50. Lawrence will visit Brooks Secondary School and Main-van der Kamp will head to Oceanview Secondary School on Friday morning to work with students.
For tickets or more information, interested readers can call Rees at 604.485.2732. For a full schedule visit the website.
