Writing Intensive: Poetic Possibilities

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Join us for 5 days of digital learning, from April 7th to 11th, online with Zoom.

Poetic Possibilities explores the creative and practical components of many poetic forms and practices. Whether you are new to poetry, a poet laureate, or somewhere in between, there will be something for you at this event. Join us as we celebrate National Poetry Month with workshops, activities, and discussions to help you on your poetry journey.

All times are in Pacific (Vancouver) time. Please note the times listed are subject to change, with notice.

KEY DETAILS

SESSIONS AND ACTIVITIES 

• Workshops on Specific Poetic Forms
• Editing and Refining Poetry
• Panel on Submitting to Poetry Journals
• Prompt-based Workshops
• Poetry and the Writing Life
• And more

ZOOM LINK

• The Zoom link will be sent out in the days immediately before the event and will be included in most event communications to you after that date.

• We will be using the same zoom link for the every session over the duration of the event.

• After registering, please watch your email for an autoreply confirmation-of-registration email.

• If you do not receive it within 24 hours of registration, please check you spam folders.

• Contact us at hello@bcwriters.ca if you have not received your confirmation by Friday, April 4th, to ensure we can get you the needed information.

RECORDINGS

• Sessions, (except social/discussion-based events) will be recorded and made available for 45 days after the last session.

WHAT TO EXPECT

• Our goal is to help you on your journey to publication. You do not need to be ready to publish to attend. Participants who have a work in progress, an idea for a project, or have a finished manuscript will benefit the most from these sessions.

• Sessions will be a combination of talks, activities, and workshops.

• Most sessions will be 1 hour in length. Q&A may extend the session longer, but participants are not required to stay.

• Participants are encouraged to have a pen and paper handy for all sessions.

• If you are working on a specific project, it is advisable to consider who you plan as your intended audience to help you get the most out of the sessions. Don’t stress about this, but it is helpful to consider if you are writing for the general population, a specific community, or friends and family.

RATES

EARLY BIRD (UNTIL March 7 AT 11:59PM 2025)

• FBCW MEMBERS: $65
• GUEST: $80

REGULAR (AS OF MARCH 8TH, 2025)

• FBCW MEMBERS: $80
• GUEST: $95

SCHOLARSHIP:

• Limited scholarship-based discounts are available for those experiencing financial difficulties. Please email us at hello@bcwriters.ca to inquire.

SCHEDULE

MONDAY

9:30:AM: Tech Help and Welcome

11:00 AM: 'Let's Write a Poem!', with Laura Farina

TUESDAY

9:30 AM: 'Poetic Pause: Self-Directed Journaling' (30 minutes)  

11:00 AM: 'Ready, Set, Send: Submitting to Poetry Journals', a panel discussion with Sierra Louie, Mark Cameron, and Ayda Niknami

2:00 PM: 'Poetics of Place', with Cara Waterfall

WEDNESDAY

9:30 AM: 'Poetic Pause: Self-Directed Journaling' (30 minutes)  

11:00 AM: 'Ask a Poetry Editor', with Tara Avery

2:00 PM: 'Speculative Poetry and Poetics' with Winston Lê 

THURSDAY

9:30 AM: 'Poetic Pause: Self-Directed Journaling' (30 minutes)  

11:00 AM: 'Poetry Under Pressure: Finding Poetry in Your Crazy, Messy Life', with Anna Eastland

2:00 PM: 'Haiku Targets', with Michael Dylan Welch

FRIDAY

9:00 AM: 'Poetic Pause: Self-Directed Journaling' (30 minutes)  

11:00 AM: 'Poets Playground', with Rachel Dunstan Muller

2:00 PM: 'Seeing in Verse: Ekphrastic Poetry and the Art of Inspiration', with Angela Rebrec

POLICIES

RECORDINGS

• Our presenters are provided with contracts that stipulate the length of time that recordings are available. We are obligated to respect these contracts. No extensions are possible. We have increased the time frame by 15 days to enhance your experience.

• Reach out if you have any tech challenges related to access of the recordings by May 22nd so that we can help you in the timeframe available.

REFUND POLICY

• Full refunds will be issued up to March 28th.

• Refunds for half of registration fees will be be issued until April 4^th 11:59pm.

• No refunds are possible after April 4^th at 11:59pm except in the case of severe illness, death, or other urgent situations determined on a case-by-case basis.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

• We are an organization that cherishes the work of writers and artists. To that end, we ask that all participants respect the intellectual property of our presenters, recordings, and material shared. Do not reproduce or distribute Writing Intensive materials without written permission.

• Similarly, if other participants share information or excerpts from their projects, please respect their intellectual property.

LIABILITY

• In registering, participants understand and agree that the Federation of BC Writers (FBCW), its board, staff, presenters, and members are not liable for any damages or losses arising and waive any of the above from any and all liability.

• The FBCW provides a space for presenters to share their experiences and insights with participants. The writing industry is a complex and ever-changing environment.  As such, the FBCW does not endorse any specific information shared in our programming as being complete or accurate in all scenarios. Participants have a responsibility to research and make informed decisions on any information given or implied.

• Difficult and triggering topics can arise as part of artistic practices that are unforeseeable for staff, volunteers, and other participants. The FBCW is not liable for any damages or harms caused by participating in our programming.

PARTICIPANT EXPECTATIONS

• The FBCW is an organisation that celebrates diversity and inclusion and that taking part in the program means that participants are expected to be respectful, inclusive, and support the dignity of all people regardless of age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, ancestry, language, ability, nationality, ability, health status, religion, and socioeconomic status. All people have identities that intersect the categories above. Examples of behaviour that undermine the above are: crude jokes, unwanted communication, statements minimising others’ experiences/histories, and threats.

• Participants are expected to arrive a few minutes before sessions start.  This allows for any technical issues to be resolved without the group being disrupted.

• If a participant is late, we ask that they refrain from asking “what did I miss” type questions so that the event can proceed smoothly.  Staff and facilitators will do the best they can to assist if vital information has been shared, but the recording should be able to resolve any questions of this nature.

• We ask that participants be mindful of the amount of time they speak at events. All participants should have the ability to join in. Participants are expected to keep comments on topic and under a minute so that as many people as possible can participate.

• Participants understand that if they are muted, it is not an intentional slight to them, but is needed to keep the session moving forward.  Participants can be muted at the discretion of the FBCW facilitators.

• Difficult topics can arise participants understand that we cannot always know or understand other people’s histories. To help make the space as welcoming and safe as possible, if a participant’s is to share information or read excerpts from works that contain certain themes (outlined below), they will identify this prior to reading it to the group. (e.g. sexual assault, extreme violence, self-harm/eating disorders/suicide ideation, abortion/miscarriage, mental illness, graphic adult content).

• Participants are expected to understand, be sensitive to, and respect the fact that the work of writers, and their opportunity to read their work may be triggering and/or therapeutic to them. Artistic works require vulnerability and the safety to be vulnerable, especially with sensitive topics. Participants agree to do their best to maintain a safe and supportive space for the sharing of the work, regardless of its nature.

ACCOMMODATIONS AND ACCESSIBILITY

• The Federation of BC Writers strives to make our events accessible to folks across ability and neurodivergence. We will do what we can to make our programming available to all people.

• Our programming is based on zoom which means there are some limitations on what can be accomplished, but also advantages such as closed captioning and the ability to join from anywhere.

• Accommodations are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

• Accommodations that would significantly hinder the ability of other participants to be involved or participate are not possible.

• Some accommodations may be beyond our financial and administrative capabilities. In such cases, we will seek funding or alternatives if possible.

• Sessions normally last for an hour. Participants are welcome to step way from their computers if they need to while turning off their camera and microphone, but we will not be able to fill people in on what they missed. Participants are asked to return to the recording in such instances.