Professional Development
Our seminars, webinars and networking events provide safe, nurturing environments where our artists can speak freely about their work and broaden their professional network.
ARCHIVED EVENT: Romantasy 101 with Anuja Varghese (Part 2)
May 5, 2026 12:30 pm
Now that we have the basics with part 1, part 2 will be a workshop where Anuja will offer writing prompts around character development and integrating conflict. Prompts usually ask participants to write for 3-5 mins. The goal is to see what new ideas surface and to challenge yourself to write quickly without self-editing, and have fun!
SIGN UP NOWARCHIVED EVENT: Romantasy 101 with Anuja Varghese (Part 1)
April 28, 2026 12:30 pm
This is an introduction to the genre of romantasy where author Anuja Varghese will break down common tropes and structures, and where you will look at things like the intersections of genre elements, and much more!
SIGN UP NOWARCHIVED EVENT: Poetry as Practice with Britta Badour
March 25, 2026 12:30 pm
All levels of experience welcome. Together we’ll review the work of Black-Canadian poets like Dionne Brand and Stedmond Pardy, as we consider this question: How does making time for poetry also make time for mindfulness and well-being? In this affirmation-centered workshop, all prompts and exercises are merely suggestions you can engage with in a way that sparks your pen across the page.
SIGN UP NOWARCHIVED EVENT: How to Set Up Your Writing Practice with Matthew Dawkins
March 13, 2026 12:30 pm
In today’s attention economy, we’re made to believe there aren’t enough hours in the day for our craft. Or worse, that it’s not worth the effort. This workshop will dispel that myth, inviting you to reconnect with your artistic voice, redeem your art’s value, and show up for yourself on the page consistently.
SIGN UP NOWARCHIVED EVENT: The Shape of You: A Hermit Crab Workshop with Leanne Toshiko Simpson
October 28, 2025 12:30 pm
Hermit crab essays have emerged as exciting and generative containers for personal storytelling over the past two decades. As their popularity has grown, these creative pieces have taken the shape of family recipes, instructional manuals, obituaries and other familiar forms, offering a protective space to begin the writing process and a chance to reimagine the cultural expectations of each shape. As a mad writer, narrating my life has been challenging – both in the sense that I am often writing emotionally difficult stories AND stories that may be less recognizable for those who don’t share my lived experience. I find that working within a “shell” – as I did in my debut novel, Never Been Better, which uses the shape of a romantic comedy to explore mental illness – helps me understand and question the “rules of the game,” whether it’s the guiding structures of family, relationships, illness or even just the choreography of going on a date. It also makes for a very fun reading experience for those outside the story! My hermit crab writing workshop is open to anyone trying to tell a “difficult” story in a creative and nonlinear way (fiction or nonfiction). No writing experience required – just life experience that you’re interested in reframing creatively.
SIGN UP NOWARCHIVED EVENT: The Art Of The Graphic Novel With Ashley Hasfal
September 24, 2025 12:30 pm
Ever dreamed of creating your own graphic novel? This workshop walks you through the full journey—from brainstorming concepts and shaping narratives, to drafting panels and refining your final pages. Perfect for beginners and aspiring creators, you’ll leave with the confidence and practical steps to turn your ideas into compelling illustrated stories.
VIEW HEREWe’re working on new ways to support emerging writers.
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